Alumnae Award Recipients
2009 Marie Arana
Award-Winning Author
Journalist
2008 Teresa Woodruff
Professor, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University
Professor, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Director of the Institute of Women's Health Research, Northwestern University
2007 Nancy Gustafson
Opera Singer
Artist-in-Residence, Northwestern University
2006 Christine Brennan
Sports Writer
Author
2005 Carole Segal
Co-founder, Crate & Barrel
Founder, Foodstuffs
2004 Martha Lavey
Artistic Director, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
2003 Lois Weisberg
Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
2002 Laura Washington
Print and Broadcast Journalist
2001 Barbara Gaines
Founder and Artistic Director, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
2000 Augusta Reed Thomas
Composer-in-Residence, Chicago Symphony
1999 Mary Zimmerman
Director
Playwright
MacArthur Genius Grant Award Recipient
1998 The Founding Members and Original Professors of the Northwestern Alumnae Continuing Education Program
1997 Grace Bumbry
Opera Star
1996 Geneva Overholser
Newspaper Executive, The Washington Post
1995 Jeanette Wagner
President and CEO, Estee Lauder International
1994 Lynn Nesbit
Partner, Janklow & Nesbit
Literary Agent, Janklow & Nesbit
1993 Phyllis Elliott Oakley
State Department Spokesperson
1992 Sondra Gair
Public Radio Host
1990 Nancy Dussault
Actress
Singer
Talk Show Host
1989 Sherry Lansing
Hollywood Film Producer
1988 Wendy Lee Gramm
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair
1987 Neena Schwartz
Deering Professor of Neurobiology and Physiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University
1986 Lois Wille
Pulitzer Prize Winner
Journalist
1985 Barbara Uehling
Chancellor, University of Missouri
1984 Maria Comnineau
Civil Engineer
1983 Mable Smythe
Ambassador
Educator
Author
Lecturer
1982 Ardis Krainik
Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago
1981 Georgie Anne Geyer
Journalist
Author
Columnist
1980 Patricia Neal
Actress
1979 Olga Jonnasson
Physician, Cook County Hospital Chief of Surgery
1978 Carole Kamin Bellows
Attorney
President, Illinois Bar Association
1977 Joan Beck
Journalist
Columnist
1976 Lee Phillip
Television Personality
SENIOR WOMAN’S AWARD FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE 2010 given to five graduating women
Allison Bream
As co-director of the Global Engagement Summit seeking to train the next generation of leaders, Angela coordinated all aspects of the annual conference for eighty delegates from universities around the globe, and had responsibility for a staff of ninety four N.U. students. She has worked on development projects in Uganda and Oman, and hopes to work next year in East Africa or India.
Sharanya Jaidev
Sharana is Co-President of Northwestern Community Development Corps, which works to promote better community relations between Northwestern and surrounding areas. She is also President of the Northwestern Microfinance Club which partnered with FINCA International to set up a Village Bank and provide loans in Haiti. She was a member of the Presidential Search Committee as well.
Sarah Ju
Sarah volunteered extensively in health educaton, infrastructure and communication development areas, principally as Co-Director of Global Water Brigades and Coordinator for Global Public Healath Brigades. These initiaves have taken her to Honduras and Malawi. She also worked for America Reads and gave her time at various hospitals, nursing homes and Habitat events.
Meixi Ng
Meixi is a founder of Northwestern Engagement Coalition, a consortium of student groups working for social justice issues in the community. She created a resource guide for E.T.H.S.’s service curriculum. She volunteered at Special Olympics, tutored, taught citizenship classes, worked at a soup kitchen and in a photojournalism self awareness project for Elijah House. During vacations, she worked in Ecuador, Guatemala and Peru. In her native Singapore, she co-founded the Amber Initiative which is dedicated to community partnerships in education for young, marginalized populations. She will continue that work next year.
Madeleine Orenstein
As Co-Chair of the Freshman Urban Program, Madeleine created experiences for new students to learn about various communities and social issues. She has also been an Executive Board Member in the Northwestern Community Corps, and leader in Engage Uganda, the Global Engagement Summer Institute and the Northwestern University Public Interest Program. She received the Evanston Recognized Volunteer of the Year award in 2009.
Updated June 22, 2010
