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Staff members honored at picnic
President Jane McAuliffe, McPherson Award winner Beth Iushewitz, and Human Resources Director Joe Bucci
President Jane McAuliffe and Human Resources Director Joe Bucci presented the 2009 McPherson Awards for Excellence and Service to three members of the College’s staff at the staff-appreciation picnic in June.
Nell Anderson, co-director of the civic engagement office and director of Praxis and community partnership programs, won the award in the administrative/professional category. One of Anderson’s nominators wrote: “Her desire to support student learning, faculty teaching, and meet community needs drives her to continue seeking new opportunities that engage our campus with the community in creative and meaningful ways … Nell is an excellent mentor to both undergraduate and graduate students at Bryn Mawr. She takes students under her wing and provides the kind of encouragement and guidance that have helped many students find their way in life.”
Housekeeper Beth Iushewitz, who retired at the end of May after 13 years of service to Bryn Mawr, won the award in the service/craft category. Nominators wrote of Iushewitz that she “dedicated herself each and every day to making Bryn Mawr College a pleasant place to live and work” and was “a friend, confidant, counselor and surrogate grandmother” to students. Citing her strong work ethic, a student nominator wrote that Iushewitz “would not rest until the dorm sparkled with cleanliness.”
English department secretary Bryn Thompson, who also supports the Creative Writing Program, the Emily Balch Seminars, and the Writing Program, received the award in the clerical/technical category. A nominator wrote of Thompson: “The scope and impact of her work in this role exemplify the ideal of excellence in institutional service that the McPherson Award represents. It’s not just that Bryn anchors these programs gracefully but that she has steadily improved how the programs interact in ways that directly impact students as well as faculty.” Noting that her commitment to service extends well beyond her professional role, a nominator wrote, “She is active in the staff association, supportive of her colleagues in other departments, and a contributor to projects in the community and in her church.”
The College also recognized the following staff members for their years of service to the college:
| 35 Years | Florence Goff |
| 30 Years | Charles Heyduk, Karen Tidmarsh |
| 25 Years | Katherine Donner, Michael Hill, Kirsten O’Beirne, Barrington Smith, Nona Smith |
| 20 Years | Rodney Battle, Jodi Domsky, Karen Hickman, Robert Hudoka, Mark Newby, Ann Ogle, Catherine Pearlingi, Angela Reason, Lorett Treese, Kristine Twesme |
| 10 Years | Thomas Bergan, Mary Eldon, Wendy Greenfield, Cynthia Mack, Rosemary McNulty, John Moccero, Eric Pumroy, Matthew Rice, Angie Sheets, Arnita Stokes, Megan Ward |
| 5 Years | Robyn Barto, Michael Blanche, George Broomall, Dawn Bruton, Darnay Campbell, Raima Evan, Kim Folkes, Antonio Fuller, Margaret Graham, Reggie Jones, Tracy Kellmer, Nimisha Ladva, Richard Matthews, Nancy McCool, Michael Ramsey, Kathleen Schick, Marianna Scribner, William Stroman, Bryn Thompson, Zorka Vujaskovic |
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Bryn Mawr President Jane McAuliffe was quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer in an article about area colleges and universities that have signed up to participate in the VA’s Yellow Ribbon Program.
President Obama nominates Karen Kornbluh ’84 to key post
President Barack Obama has asked Karen Kornbluh ’84 to serve as the United States’ permanent representative to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the White House announced yesterday.
The OECD’s mission is to bring together governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy to “compare policy experiences, seek answers to common problems, identify good practice and coordinate domestic and international policies” on economic-development issues.
Kornbluh, who majored in economics and English at Bryn Mawr before earning a master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, joined then-Sen. Obama’s staff as policy director during his freshman term in 2005 and was hailed by CNN in 2008 as “Obama’s brain.” She had established a reputation as an innovative thinker at the centrist think tank the New America Foundation, where she founded the Workforce and Family Program.
Before joining the New America Foundation, Kornbluh served in the Clinton Administration. As assistant chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s International Bureau, she helped negotiate the World Trade Organization Agreement on Basic Telecommunications; she later became deputy chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin. In the early 1990s, she was an aide to U.S. Sen. John Kerry on the staff of the Commerce Committee and its Telecommunications Subcommittee.
The 10! Show
Harp-playing indie singer-songwriter Gillian Grassie ’09, who was recently profiled by Bryn Mawr Now when she won a Watson Fellowship, performed on Philadelphia NBC-10’s 10! Show.
Hear more of Grassie’s music on her MySpace page.
The New York Times
As part of an article on the smaller steps colleges are taking to save money, The New York Times reports on a “virtual swim meet,” between Bryn Mawr and Dickinson College, in which each team swam in their home pools and compared times to determine the winners.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Neil Patrick Harris and Amy Sedaris are among the stars of the upcoming film The Best and the Brightest, which has been filming on Bryn Mawr’s campus and at other Philadelphia-area locations, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.