Alumnae
Alumnae Profiles
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Alison Parish ’19
Alison Parish ’19 envisioned a future in medicine during her time at Spence. In Grade 7, she participated in the MedStart Enrichment program offered through Mount Sinai hospitals. Directly after graduating from Spence, Alison headed to Senegal for a year of service learning as part of Princeton’s Novogratz Bridge Year Program. Upon her return from Senegal, Alison focused her studies on Medical Anthropology. -
Amy C. Edmondson ’77
A scholar of leadership, teaming, and organizational learning, Amy C. Edmondson ’77 has written seven books and more than 75 articles and case studies. As Harvard Business School’s Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management, she drives the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. -
Bear Douglas ’05
Bear Douglas ’05 is proof that Spence girls are in no way shy of technology, having risen into leadership roles in some of tech’s biggest names in her decade-and-a-half after Spence. After receiving her M.A. in Anthropology from Stanford University, Bear became a Developer Advocate, first at Facebook, and then at Twitter. She’s currently working as Director of Developer relations at Slack, a productivity platform with over 20 million active users. -
Jane Kim ’95
Jane Kim ‘95 received her J.D. from UC Berkeley and immediately put her legal prowess to work as a community organizer in San Francisco, first through the Greenlining Institute and then the Chinatown Community Development Center. In 2011, she was the first Korean-American elected official in San Francisco, representing District 6 as a Supervisor, a role she held until 2019. She continues in politics as the executive director of the California Working Families Party.
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Jean Cottam Allen ’89
Jean Cottam Allen ’89 charted a path to the stars after her time at Spence. She received her Ph.D. in Physics and Astrophysics from Columbia and—after initially thinking she’d pursue teaching—rose to prominence as an Astrophysicist at NASA. She is now Deputy Division Director of the National Science Foundation, supporting research that combines electromagnetic waves, high-energy particles, and gravitational waves to “study matter, energy, and the cosmos in fundamentally new ways.” -
Maxine Burkett ’94
Maxine Burkett ’94 is an environmental lawyer, climate activist and advocate, and professor of climate law and ocean and coastal law. Maxine has served on numerous state and federal committees, was Expert Senior Advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, and was recently appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Fisheries and Polar Affairs, where she oversees the formulation and implementation of U.S. policy on a broad range of international issues. -
Naima Coster ’04
New York Times bestselling author Naima Coster ’04 has taught writing for over a decade and has written for numerous publications (including the New York Times, Elle, and Time). Her most recent novel, What’s Mine and Yours (2021), was named best book of the year by Kirkus, Amazon, Esquire, Marie Claire, Ms. Magazine, and more. She holds an M.A. in English and Creative Writing from Fordham and an M.F.A. in Fiction from Columbia. -
Zoë K. Hitzig ’11
Zoë K. Hitzig ’11 loves poetry and economics—so she’s doing both, each fueled by the other. Her poetry helps her look at economic issues from a more artistic angle, and her poetry is fueled by a precision, inspired by the math that underlies her economic work. Her book of poems, Mezzanine, was published by Harper in 2020. She’s currently an Economics Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University.
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Bonnie Jenkins ’78
Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins ’78 is currently the Department of State’s Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security after a long list of roles focused on peace and global health. She holds several degrees—including a Ph.D. in International Relations and a J.D.—and is the founder of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS). -
Mariana Cook ’73
Mariana Cook ’73 is a fine art photographer—and the last protégé of Ansel Adams. Known for her intimate black-and-white portraits that use natural light, her work has been featured at The MET, MoMA, the National Portrait Gallery and many other museums and galleries around the world. She has also published 12 books. -
Sally Jenkins ’78
Washington Post columnist and sports writer Sally Jenkins ’78 has made her voice heard in myriad print publications—including Sports Illustrated—and through books. She is the first woman inducted into the National Sports Media Hall of Fame. -
Susan R. Cullman ’67
Independent Political Organization Professional Susan R. Cullman ’67 has spent her life after Spence as a volunteer activist and advocate for women, at one point chairing the Republican Coalition for Choice. She is currently a board member of the Citizens Committee of New York City and trustee of Mount Sinai.
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Ilaria Rebay ’83
Her love for questions started at Spence and pushed Ilaria Rebay ’83 all the way to the University of Chicago’s cancer research department, where she is currently a Professor. As she continues to make new discoveries, she also infuses her grad students with that same love of joyous inquiry. -
Regan Brooks ’92
Regan Brooks ’92 is the co-founder of Story Works, an organization dedicated to fostering youth voices to be heard and—more importantly—for people to learn how to listen to their stories. It has since added college essay workshops and organizing on issues that affect BIPOC youth to its work, and has fostered youth to develop skills, build resilience, and increase access to opportunity. -
Stephanie Lazar ’94
After receiving her Master of Public Health from Columbia, Stephanie Lazar ’94 traveled extensively for international health work. A growing family turned her focus local. After exploring the intersections of food and public health, she helped form “Rolling Grocer 19,” a food equity non-profit that benefits farmers and consumers in Columbia County, NY. Rolling Grocer has a storefront in Hudson, NY, and a “grocery store on wheels” that travels county-wide. -
Tensie Whelan ’78
Tensie Whelan ’78 has championed the environment and sustainability. After she grew the Rainforest Alliance into a world-wide force and recognizable brand as its president, NYU Stern School asked her to create her own program—and the Center for Sustainable Business was born.
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Emily Washkowitz Tarkan ’04
Emily Washkowitz Tarkan ’04 was headed toward a career in Art History after Spence, though after receiving her B.A. from Harvard, she instead assisted her brothers with their tech start-up. Newly inspired, she received her M.B.A. and a grant from Columbia that funded her own start-up, Shareswell, a secure stock-gifting app. Her work was noticed by Google, where she has since risen into the role of Co-Head, YouTube TV Partnerships. -
Iman Hariri-Kia ’13
After finding success as an award-winning journalist and editor for publications including Teen Vogue, Bustle, and Cosmopolitan, Iman Hariri-Kia ’13 turned to novel writing. Her debut novel, A Hundred Other Girls (2022) was published to critical acclaim. It was named Barnes & Nobles' August 2022 Fiction Pick, as well as one of the best books of the summer by Good Morning America, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, and more. Iman holds a B.A. from Georgetown University. -
Jessica Dueñas, ’03
Spence is proud to count the 2019 Kentucky Teacher of the year, Jessica Dueñas ’03, in its ranks of alumnae. After receiving an M.S. from CUNY and Ed.S. from Bellarmine University, and spending most of her career in special education, she evolved into leadership roles, co-founding the W.E.B. DuBois Academy in Louisville. -
Sidra Bell ’97
Choreographer, dancer, professor and performance artist Sidra Bell ’97 is the first black female choreographer ever to be commissioned by the New York City Ballet. After forming the Alliance for Dance at Yale while a student there, Sidra was inspired to form her own dance company, Sidra Bell Dance New York. The company, now in its third decade, has an international reputation as an innovative and progressive ensemble filled with fearless “movement illustrators.”
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Jenny Li ’16
In true Spence fashion, Jenny Li ’16 splits her time between two passions. After graduating with a dual degree from The New School (B.F.A./Illustration; B.M./Piano), she worked with clients such as ShadowMachine, Riot Games, and Psyop—and performed as a soloist with the Beijing Symphony Orchestra. At Warner Brothers, she works on iconic projects like Scooby-Doo spin-off Velma and DC Comics’ upcoming Creature Commandos series.
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Distinguished Alumnae
2006: Lucy Cullman Danziger ’61
2009: Joan Mertens ’64
2010: Fiona Biggs Druckenmiller ’80
2011: Gerry Hempel Davis ’56
2012: Amy Edmondson ’77 & Tracy Leeds ’82
2013: Cornelia Wooley Clifford ’48 & Dana Cowin ’78
2014: Gaby Baron ’89 & Cherida Lally ’69
2015: Janine Lederman Flammang ’80, Hilary Singleton-Green Corman ’85 and Dr. Marisa Reddy Randazzo ’85
2009: Joan Mertens ’64
2010: Fiona Biggs Druckenmiller ’80
2011: Gerry Hempel Davis ’56
2012: Amy Edmondson ’77 & Tracy Leeds ’82
2013: Cornelia Wooley Clifford ’48 & Dana Cowin ’78
2014: Gaby Baron ’89 & Cherida Lally ’69
2015: Janine Lederman Flammang ’80, Hilary Singleton-Green Corman ’85 and Dr. Marisa Reddy Randazzo ’85
2016: Heidi Gage Jenkins ’66 & Jill Furman ’86
2017: Sheila Robinson ’82 & Marcia Simpson Brose ’82
2018: Anya Herz Shiva ’88 & Tensie Whelan ’78
2019: Sylvia Totah Calabrese ’69 & Maxine Burkett ’94
2020: Allyson Mitchell Waterman ’85
2021: Judith Joseph Jenkins '91
2017: Sheila Robinson ’82 & Marcia Simpson Brose ’82
2018: Anya Herz Shiva ’88 & Tensie Whelan ’78
2019: Sylvia Totah Calabrese ’69 & Maxine Burkett ’94
2020: Allyson Mitchell Waterman ’85
2021: Judith Joseph Jenkins '91
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A K-12 independent school in New York city, The Spence School prepares a diverse community of girls and young women for the demands of academic excellence and responsible citizenship.
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© 2023 Spence School
212-289-5940
© 2023 Spence School
