A Banner Year for Smith Scholars
  It's been a banner year for Smith scholars. In all, sixty-one students and alumnae received various fellowship honors. The latest, Smith's fourteenth Fulbright award, came in one of the toughest areas of competition: teaching English in Italy. This represents the third year in a row that Smith's success rate has been more than double the national average for the Fulbright program. Smith had 30 applicants, 19 finalists, 14 fellows and three French government teaching fellows. The Smith scholars will travel to fifteen countries to conduct research, work, or teach. For a detailed listing of the Fulbright and other fellowships, including the names of recipients, visit http://www.smith.edu/fellowships/successes.html.
 
  NPR Names New VP for News
 
In April, award-winning journalist Ellen Weiss '81 became the first woman to serve as vice president for news at National Public Radio. The news came just as Weiss learned that she would share a Peabody Award for an investigative report on the military's treatment of soldiers returning from war with emotional wounds. Weiss got her start in NPR's newsroom nearly twenty-five years ago. Through the years, she has served as head of NPR's national news desk and was executive producer of the newsmagazine All Things Considered. For more information, visit NPR at http://www.npr.org/about/press/2007/040507.weiss.html.
 
  Perfect Casting
  Shirley Rich Krohn '46 was recently awarded the Hancher Finkbine Alumni Medallion by the University of Iowa, one of the institution's most prestigious awards. Krohn, who received her bachelor's degree from the University of Iowa, completed her master of fine arts degree in theatre at Smith. She then built a successful career as a casting agent at a time when women were largely excluded from the entertainment industry. She cast more than six major Broadway productions and several high-profile films and television productions. She became a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and served for many years on the Tony Nominating Committee. She has also been awarded the Hoyt Bowers Award for outstanding contributions to the casting profession.
 
  A Time to Celebrate Smith
 
For two weekends at the end of May, the campus came alive with the sounds of alumnae from all over the world reconnecting and rekindling friendships during Reunion 2007. Nearly 2,000 alumnae and their guests celebrated on May 17--20 and May 24--27. To view photos of the event, visit http://www.smith.edu/future/2007reunion/alumnae/index.php. 
 
  Smith Professor Named to National Project Studying Loss of Biodiversity
  Laura Katz, associate professor of biological sciences, has been named to the Smithsonian Institution's Biodiversity Science and Education Initiative, a nationwide task force of scientists and educators concerned with issues of biodiversity loss. The Smithsonian Institution's ten-year project seeks to identify critical knowledge gaps and the most promising conceptual approaches needed for a better scientific understanding of biodiversity; prioritize a science agenda to fill these gaps; use this work to make a stronger, more conceptually driven case for increased funding for biodiversity science. To lead the BSEI, the Smithsonian has assembled expert biodiversity scientists and educators who form a standing biodiversity science "think tank" without bricks and mortar. The assembly and work of the BSEI task force has initial support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
 
  How Do You Manage Stress?
  There's no doubt about it: Women's lives are busier and more complicated than ever, and the pressure is taking its toll. For an article on how stress has affected women's health, the Smith Alumnae Quarterly wants to know how you manage your stress. Do you take an exercise class? Do you dance to old Beatles records? Do you volunteer at a local homeless shelter? The SAQ is looking for unique ways women are trying to take control of the stress in their lives. Send a brief 100-word write-up to Editor John MacMillan at jmacmill@smith.edu and we'll consider running it in our Fall issue.
 
  Life on 'The Green'
  Award-winning environmental journalist Simran Sethi '92 is the new host of The Sundance Channel's The Green, a weekly show dedicated to the environment. Presented by Robert Redford, The Green airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. "The Green reflects the current tipping point in public awareness about ecological issues and the trend toward environmentally sustainable approaches to modern living," according to the Sundance Channel Web site. Sethi, who also anchors news for TreeHugger.com, began her career at MTV News. She was recently featured in Vanity Fair and Domino magazine. For more information, visit The Sundance Channel online at http://www.sundancechannel.com/thegreen#/homePage.
 
  A Summer of Peace
  Nicole Farkouh '98 will spend her summer as a "fellow for peace" in Nepal, where she will work with a community-based human-rights and advocacy organization. Farkouh and the thirty other fellows participating in the program have been recruited under Fellows for Peace, the fellowship program of the Advocacy Project (AP), which supports advocates for social justice and human rights around the world. The fellows completed three days of training in Washington in early June. Among the other destinations fellows will be visiting are Afghanistan, Bosnia, Bangladesh, Jerusalem, and Guatemala. In Nepal, Farkouh will be working with the Collective Campaign for Peace (COCAP), a network that will be organizing its local members for constituent elections later this year. For more, read her blog throughout the summer at http://advocacynet.org/blogs.
 
  Learning About the Life of Plants
 
A popular Smith exhibition from the botanic garden is now on the road. Latest stop: the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. Plant Adaptation Up Close: A Biological and Artistic Interpretation will be on display through September 1. The exhibit is the result of a collaboration between the Botanic Garden of Smith College, the Smith Microscopy and Imaging Facility, and local artist Joan Wiener. It explores diverse plant adaptations, such as those that cling to rock cliffs or eat other plants. Biological explanations and artistic photography bring to life the resourcefulness and beauty of the plant kingdom. For information, visit the New Jersey State Museum's Web site at http://www.newjerseystatemuseum.org/exhibitions/changing.html. Also, visit the botanic garden online at http://www.smith.edu/garden/exhibits/plant_adaptation/adaptationhome.html.   
 
  Capturing the Imaginations of Smith's Newest Graduates
  At Smith's 129th Commencement ceremony, held May 20 in the Indoor Track and Tennis Facility, Gloria Steinem '56 urged the new graduates to imagine the future, and to keep idealism and activism alive. To read about Commencement, as well as stories on the Dalai Lama's visit to campus in May, the 12th annual Girls in Sports Day celebration on campus, and much more, visit the Smith Alumnae Quarterly online at http://www.saqonline.smith.edu.
 
  Finding a Middle Ground
 
Attorney Suzanne Nusbaum '69 has been admitted to membership in the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. Membership in the CIArb reflects Nusbaum's high level of achievement and experience in the law and practice of private dispute resolution. Nusbaum is a former judge of the Massachusetts Industrial Accident Reviewing Board. She currently provides neutral dispute resolution in the areas of health care, securities, and intellectual property. For more about Nusbaum, visit her Web site at http://www.impartia.com.
 
  A Call for Future Smithies
  The Office of Admission invites you to add the name of your granddaughter, daughter, sister, niece, or neighbor to its mailing list by following this link: http://www.smith.edu/admission/forms/addtolist.php. At appropriate times during her high school career, she will receive information about Smith. We so value the Smith tradition that when your sister, daughter, or granddaughter (or great‑granddaughter) applies to Smith, her application fee will be waived.
 
  Teachers Wanted
  The Office of Admission is looking for high school teachers to add to a database of alumnae teachers. If you're a teacher, follow this link to tell us who you are and where you teach: http://www.smith.edu/admission/forms/alumteach.php. As a teacher and an alumna, you have no doubt shared your enthusiasm about Smith with your students. We encourage you to continue to spread the word. We look forward to hearing from you.
 
  Stories from Alumnae Authors
  Curious how author Jane Yolen '60 has managed to write more than 250 children's books, or how author Ruth Ozeki '80 develops her characters? Check out the Alumnae Association's new series of audio interviews with alumnae authors, "An Author's Voice." Featured so far are interviews with Yolen; Ozeki, author of My Year of Meats; Robin Hathaway '56, who created the Dr. Fenimore mystery series; romance novelist Judith Arnold (Barbara Keiler '74); science fiction author Andrea Hairston '74, a professor of theatre at Smith; writer Marissa Walsh '94; and fiction writer Martha Southgate '82. To start listening, go to http://alumnae.smith.edu and look under the "Audio Transcripts" section. Files are available for download in MP3 format.
 
  A Sampling of Smith in the News
 

THE GUARDIAN, UK, June 4, 2007
"Sharing her view of humanity"
At 27, documentary filmmaker and PBS commentator Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy '02 is the youngest ever nominee for One World Media's Broadcast Journalist of the Year Award.

BOSTON GLOBE, May 25, 2007
Letters: The appeal and the promise of a women's college
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2007/05
/25/the_appeal_and_the_promise_of_a_womens_college/
Responding to a recent opinion piece on the advantages of studying at a women's college, Cheryl Suchors '72 writes, "As a student at Smith College, I was too busy to think about the fact that every student organization was run by women.... What I have noticed since graduation is that other alumnae and I take for granted—like the air—that women can do anything."

CHANNEL 4 NEWS, UK, June 4, 2007
"Breathing problems bad temper link"
A recent scientific study has found a peculiar correlation between levels of hostility and impaired lung function in young people. The study's lead author, Smith assistant professor of psychology Benita Jackson, said, "It's remarkable to see reductions in lung function during a time of life we think of as healthy for most people."

NEW YORK TIMES, May 6, 2007
"A winning producer chronicles a Broadway season on film"
For Dori Berinstein '82, one of the three leading producers of Legally Blonde, which opened on Broadway April 29, the anticipation has just begun. On May 11 she made her debut as a film director when Show Business: The Road to Broadway, a full-length documentary that she also produced, opened in Manhattan.
 
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Celebrating 30 Years of Smith Travel
In the past three decades, Smith Travel has built its reputation on trips that enrich the mind and satisfy even the most seasoned traveler. We work with the best tour operators in educational travel to provide the most enjoyable experience possible. What sets our trips apart, though, are the alumnae and Smith faculty who accompany travelers to exotic places, providing their unique perspectives along the way. Help us mark this important milestone in our history by signing up for a Smith trip. Spaces are still available on these exciting trips:

CHINA, TIBET, and the YANGTZE RIVER, August 19--September 4, 2007.
Space is still available on this spectacular trip to China and Tibet with Jill Ker Conway and Professor of Religion Peter Gregory. On the agenda: the Forbidden City, The Dalai Lama's winter and summer residences, the deep valleys and towering mountains of the Three Gorges, the Buddhist grottos at Dazu, and the extraordinary city of Shanghai.

ANCIENT SPLENDORS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN, November 8--21, 2007. This cruise, aboard the 57-cabin Corinthian II, takes you from Athens to Crete, Sicily, Tunisia, Sardinia, Algeria, and Spain. Joining you will be Gregory White, associate professor of government and expert on North African and Mediterranean politics.

JUST ADDED! 
TROIKAS AND TRADITIONS: NEW YEAR'S IN RUSSIA, December 27, 2007--January 4, 2008. Smith has teamed up with Vassar for this incomparable celebration. Experience Western Russia's two great cities, Moscow and St. Petersburg, during the country's favorite time of year. Climb aboard a "troika", the traditional Russian sleigh, for a ride through the snow and meet the warm people of these northern cities at outdoor crafts markets, in cozy restaurants, and in the luminous halls of world-class museums.

For full itineraries and prices, contact Smith Travel at 800-225-2029 or e-mail alumtrav@smith.edu. For a full listing of trips and slideshows of past trips, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu/travel.

Grow a Bit of Smith In Your Garden
A limited number of 'Sophia Smith' rose bushes are available for sale to alumnae. In 1996, chemistry professor Robert Linck created a new hybrid rose named 'Sophia Smith' in honor or Smith's founder. This exquisite pinkish mauve rose is high-centered, of exhibition quality, and on strong stems. The blooms are uniform in color except for a beautiful salmon yellow near the base of the petals. The flower has a slight fragrance. It's a perfect addition to your garden and a wonderful tribute to Smith College and its founder. Order now and be among the first to own a 'Sophia Smith' rose. The special price for alumnae is $75. To place your order and for information about delivery, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu/mission/sophia_rose.php.

Benefits for Smith alumnae
Just because you've graduated from Smith doesn't mean you're forgotten. The Alumnae Association offers a variety of services to make your post-Smith life a little easier. Alumnae are eligible for various insurance options, including medical, life, and liability insurances, as well as a credit card that benefits Alumnae Association programs. For information on all Alumnae Association benefits and services, visit http://alumnae.smith.edu and click on a menu item under "Benefit."

Keep in touch
Wondering whatever happened to that Smith housemate who used to keep you company while you studied all night for a midterm? The Alumnae Association's Online Directory makes it easy for you to catch up with your Smith friends. You can search by name, location, profession, and even Smith house. Just visit the Alumnae Association's Web page at http://alumnae.smith.edu, and log in under "Alumnae Directory and E-mail." While you're there, be sure to update your personal information. The directory is most effective when the information is kept up to date. To ensure that your information is correct, log into your alumnae directory account at https://smith.alumnae.net/login.asp and then click on "Personal Information" at the top of the screen.

Life insurance
Looking for a dependable life, liability, or temporary health insurance? The Alumnae Association's insurance program offers reasonable and critical protection for alumnae. Details are available at http://alumnae.smith.edu (click on the "Insurance Benefits" link under "Benefit"). Or for more information, call the AASC's broker, Meyer and Associates, at 800-635-7801. Identify yourself as a Smith alumna.

The Alumnae Association of Smith College promotes association programs and services only.

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For a compendium of the latest news about Smith, press releases, calendar of events, stories, and media coverage, visit Grécourt Gate, the college's news and events Web site, at http://www.smith.edu/news/
Other useful links:
Smith College Home: http://www.smith.edu
Alumnae Association of Smith College: http://alumnae.smith.edu
Smith Alumnae Quarterly: http://www.saqonline.smith.edu
Shaping the Future of Smith: http://www.smith.edu/future/shaping/
Supporting Smith: http://www.smith.edu/future