August 2013
This July the College was caught up in a flurry of activity as it hosted the 2013 Women in Public Service Project Institute—an event that, among other milestones, brought former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to campus as a keynote speaker. In gathering information for this month’s cover story, “The New Face of Leadership”, I had the privilege of talking to some of the people who made the Institute such a success.
I was most struck by the absolute commitment shown by faculty, students, staff, and alumnae to pulling off the herculean task of developing a two-week curriculum of leadership development for delegates from 35 countries. But after talking to some of these emerging women leaders from nations that recently experienced disruptive conflict, I could see why the Bryn Mawr community was so inspired. Their courage, conviction, and accomplishments in rebuilding peace and security in their homelands make a powerful argument for the College’s ongoing investment in global women’s advancement.
In her inaugural blog post, Interim President Kim Cassidy writes, “Over the past decade, public policy research has documented that when women have a ‘seat at the table’ in public service, whether at the local, regional, or national level, they support policies, laws, and practices that advance educational opportunity and health outcomes for all, and they pursue strategies to build peace rather than escalate violence.”
According to Clinton, colleges and universities can have more of an impact than government in advancing women in public service because they are not seen as having a political agenda or ulterior motive for their involvement. “It is hard,” Cassidy concludes, “to imagine a more compelling mission for a women’s college.”
—Priya Ratneshwar
On the cover: Portraits of six of the 43 delegates who attended the 2013 Women in Public Service Project Institute at Bryn Mawr College for two weeks of leadership development: (clockwise from top right) Nisan Ahmado from UAE/Syria, Agnes Igoye from Uganda, Azra Jafari from Afghanistan, Julijana Trajkovik from Macedonia, Carmen da Cruz from Timor-Leste, and Wanja Michuki ’96 from Kenya. Portraits by Greg Copeland.
The Coolest Place on Campus
Bryn Mawr’s machine shop has created a robotic hand, a leech probe, and an atom trap that houses one of the coldest places on Earth.
Why Did Life Flourish?
Faculty-student collaboration yields a paper on the origins of biodiversity.
Davis Peace Project Takes Mawrter to Kenya
Keshia Koech ’14 awarded Davis Projects for Peace grant.
The Digital Bard
English Professor Katherine Rowe introduces Shakespeare into the brave new world of mobile technology.
On Course: Inside the Glass Case
Student curators devote an exhibition to four Bryn Mawr alumnae.
A Kick-Start for Entrepreneurship
Tamara Kirby Crump ’97 launches her own PRO Martial Arts franchise.
Is Stress a Feminist Issue?
Dana Becker ’69, M.S.S. ’82, Ph.D. ’91, argues that when it comes to women and stress, the personal is political.
Social Workers Without Borders
GSSWSR alumnae/i and faculty discuss the challenges of social work in the global era.
In Memoriam
Even among the many illustrious and pioneering Bryn Mawr graduates, Isabel Benham ’31 stands out.
The Battle of the Blues
In the Bryn Mawr Fund’s first-ever Class Color Competition, it was the Battle of the Blues with Dark Blue edging out its chromatic rival, Light Blue, by just one gift, 171-170.
Itinerary
Online, on campus, and around the world, the Alumnae Association and Bryn Mawr Alumnae Clubs offer alumnae/i, parents, and friends a rich variety of programming for personal and professional enrichment