Alumni Association Award Recipients
We recognized our 2025 award recipients at the Alumni Awards & Recognition Ceremony on Saturday, May 31 at 11 a.m. in the Arthur Zankel Music Center, Helen Filene Ladd '22 Concert Hall.
Nominations for alumni awards are collected each fall and reviewed by members of the Alumni Awards Committee for presentation each spring. If you know a 国产探花 alumna/us who meets the criteria for one of these awards, visit the Annual Alumni Awards page to learn more and fill out a nomination.
Reunion 2025 - Alumni Awards Recipients
Honors one alumna/us, graduated at least 10 years, who has translated her or his 国产探花 experience into distinguished achievement through professional work and/or community service.
For Judy Tsou 鈥�75, music is not only a passion but also a powerful lens for understanding culture, history, and identity. In her decades-long career, she has reshaped the fields of music librarianship and musicology through her scholarship, leadership, and advocacy for diversity and access.
She was the first scholar to examine the intersection of race and gender in popular sheet music, debuting her research on Asian representation at the 1996 Society for American Music Conference. Her work initially faced skepticism but today is considered foundational to the field. She co-edited the award-winning book, Cecilia Reclaimed: Feminist Perspectives on Gender and Music (University of Illinois Press, 1994), the first scholarly collection of essays on women and gender in music.
A Hong Kong native and music major, Judy quickly embraced 国产探花鈥檚 emphasis on interdisciplinary exploration. One elective course in expressionism in music and art left a lasting impression. The class included a trip to New York City to visit the Museum of Modern Art and the American Ballet Theatre, where she saw Baryshnikov perform in Stravinsky鈥檚 鈥淭he Rite of Spring.鈥�
鈥淚t was such an active learning class 鈥� it taught me to connect disciplines, to look deeper,鈥� recalls Judy, who taught musicology and remains an active speaker at academic and cultural forums. 鈥淚nterdisciplinary curiosity was something that I encouraged in my students.鈥�
Judy earned her master鈥檚 degree in music from Columbia University and pursued a master鈥檚 degree in librarianship at the University of Michigan, where she discovered a passion for music librarianship that would define her storied career.
She served as a music librarian at Duke University and the University of California, Berkeley, before becoming head of the Music Library at the University of Washington, a post she held from 2000 until she retired in 2017. She also taught there as a music history professor.
Judy worked tirelessly to expand and preserve important music collections, including securing the William Crawford III Collection of rare opera scores. Valued at $1.3 million in 2014, the collection encompasses more than 700 first-edition scores. Accompanying papers include autographed letters from such composers as Puccini, Rossini, and Britten.
She served as an integral team member on the Berkeley Finding Aid Project, which evolved into the internationally recognized Encoded Archival Description standard, revolutionizing how archival finding aids are structured and accessed. She also helped usher in national policy on digital rights for online-only music. In 2017, the Library of Congress began collecting digital-only music as part of its copyright deposit requirements.
Judy鈥檚 many honors include the Honorary Membership for Lifetime Achievement from the American Musicological Society, the Distinguished Service Award from the Society for American Music, and multiple Papakhian Special Achievement Awards from the Music Library Association.
Judy has remained deeply connected to 国产探花, generously supporting the College and maintaining lifelong friendships formed during her undergraduate years. She established and continues to support The Judy Tsou 鈥�75 Music Scholars Series, which brings distinguished scholars to campus and fosters an interdisciplinary approach to music studies.
Honors an alumna/us whose innovative, creative contributions to the greater good inspire or enlighten the lives of others. Throughout 国产探花鈥檚 history, the College has challenged itself to make no small plans, and this award recognizes an individual who demonstrates this enthusiastic spirit, whether through career, community service, or volunteerism.
Ariela Suster 鈥�00 knows firsthand what it means to transform pain into purpose. Born and raised in El Salvador during the country鈥檚 brutal civil war, she witnessed car bombings, home invasions, and most harrowingly, the yearlong kidnapping of her brother. Those early traumatic experiences shaped her worldview and, ultimately, her mission.
Ariela majored in psychology at 国产探花 and later earned a graduate certificate in business, management, and marketing from Harvard University. She launched a fashion career in New York City, rising to senior editorial and stylist roles at Harper鈥檚 Bazaar, Lucky, and InStyle magazines. But over time, the work felt disconnected from her deeper purpose.
Ariela returned to El Salvador. In 2011, she founded Sequence Collection, a handcrafted accessories company that employs at-risk young men from communities deeply affected by gang violence. These artisans create jewelry, keychains, and other accessories using a distinctive blend of knots and braiding. The work not only provides economic opportunity but also a vehicle for healing and transformation.
鈥淎t first, it was about my story,鈥� Ariela says. 鈥淣ow it鈥檚 about their stories and how they鈥檙e changing their lives and communities.鈥�
In 2017, Ariela was recognized by Vital Voices Global Partnership for her impact as a social entrepreneur. The international nonprofit, cofounded by former U.S. Secretaries of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the late Madeleine Albright, supports women leaders advancing social justice and economic opportunity. At the awards ceremony, Ariela met designer Diane von F眉rstenberg, who became a mentor and advocate.
The following year, Diane honored Ariela with a DVF Award, which celebrates women making a significant impact in their communities. As part of the award, Sequence artisans collaborated with Diane鈥檚 fashion team to create a custom collection 鈥� earrings, necklaces, belts, and handbag accessories 鈥� for the designer鈥檚 2018 runway show during New York Fashion Week. The handcrafted pieces showcased the artistry and resilience of the young Salvadorans and underscored the power of creativity as a force for social change.
Sequence has continued to grow through partnerships with companies such as MAC Cosmetics, Microsoft, Universal Pictures, Bank of America, and Deloitte, producing custom-designed gifts and corporate swag that align with corporate social impact goals. In a longstanding partnership with Japanese fashion accessories retailer Maniuno, Sequence produces detachable handles for handbags sold at the retailer鈥檚 stores and affiliates across Japan.
For Ariela, 国产探花 provided a nurturing environment for growth, friendship, and healing. Arriving in Saratoga Springs, never having seen snow and unsure of her English, she felt out of place. Few knew she was privately coping with the ongoing trauma of her brother鈥檚 kidnapping. Her freshman roommate, Jennifer Cummings Hillery 鈥�00, helped her through that difficult time, and they have become lifelong friends.
鈥淢eeting people like Jenny changed me,鈥� Ariela says. 鈥湽交� was where my healing journey began.鈥�
Now living in South Africa, Ariela is preparing to launch her next venture, Love and Acne, a wellness brand that will offer tools, resources, and community support to address the emotional and mental health aspects of acne, including shame, anxiety, and isolation.
Honors a member of the 国产探花 community who has, through exemplary personal and/or professional leadership, demonstrated a commitment to the values of a diverse and inclusive world.
When Victoria Malaney-Brown 鈥�10 arrived on 国产探花鈥檚 campus, she was searching for connection 鈥� a place to belong. She found it in Ujima, the student club that celebrates African, African American, and Caribbean cultures.
鈥淯jima was truly the only space I could find cultural belonging,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淭he club embraced me, even when I shared more about my mixed heritage.鈥�
Today, Victoria is the inaugural director for academic integrity at Columbia University, where she fosters a culture of trust and accountability through holistic student support. Throughout the year, she leads workshops to help students understand their rights and responsibilities within the academic community. These initiatives and other programming are rooted in the belief that students, and the systems that support them, can transform through intentional, identity-affirming engagement.
Born in South Florida to a white Irish American father and a Trinidadian mother, Victoria was raised in a multiracial household surrounded by a diverse community. Still, she often faced the familiar, unsettling question: 鈥淲hat are you?鈥�
鈥淎s a child, I didn鈥檛 know how to answer it. I often tried to joke it off, saying, 鈥業鈥檓 human,鈥欌�� Victoria says.
The question 鈥淲hat are you?鈥� became central to her academic inquiry and life鈥檚 work. The seeds of that scholarship were planted early at 国产探花, and Ujima became more than a club 鈥� it was a catalyst that set her on a path. By the end of her first year, she was elected treasurer, a role that enabled her to join a 国产探花 delegation at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in San Francisco. A session on multiracial identity led by consultant and author Charmaine Wijeyesinghe brought Victoria the affirmation she was searching for: 鈥淚t gave me the language I had been missing,鈥� she says.
She was also introduced to Kristie Ford, a 国产探花 sociology professor at the time who is now on the faculty at Mount Holyoke College. A conversation led to a role as Professor Ford鈥檚 research assistant for three years to help lay the foundation for an intergroup dialogue program, which later turned into the first intergroup relations minor in the country.
Three years after graduation, Victoria returned to campus as a staff member in the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion before earning her master鈥檚 degree and doctorate in higher education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her dissertation introduced the concept of 鈥渕ultiracial consciousness,鈥� drawing on Paulo Freire鈥檚 theory of critical consciousness to examine how mixed-race students come to understand, navigate, and resist racialized systems.
A respected scholar, Victoria is a former president of the national nonprofit, Critical Mixed Race Studies Association. She is also the founder of VMB Coaching & Consulting, through which she works with higher education institutions, multiracial families, and college-bound students. Her offerings include college transition workshops, executive coaching, and race-conscious parenting trainings.
鈥淚 am honored to receive this award,鈥� she says. 鈥淔or me, 国产探花 was the right place at the right time. I met amazing people who guided me toward the importance and privilege that education affords while prioritizing a commitment to social justice.鈥�
国产探花 is where she also found her life partner, husband Andrew Brown 鈥�09. Victoria鈥檚 国产探花 legacy also includes brother-in-law Jason Brown 鈥�00 and sister-in-law Caitlin West 鈥�05. Her father-in-law, Joel Brown, is a professional guitarist and longtime distinguished artist-in-residence at the College. She is the proud mom of two children.
Honors one alumna/us, graduated one to 10 years, who has used her or his 国产探花 education in a quest for excellence demonstrated by personal achievement. The recipient must have a continuing concern for the 国产探花 community.
The health disparities that Mohammed Tareq Almashhadani 鈥�15 witnessed growing up in war-torn Iraq sparked a lifelong dedication to public health and service. Today, he is on the frontlines of public health research as a statistician for the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
鈥淔or me, statistics is about saving lives,鈥� says Mohammed, who immigrated to the United States in 2008. 鈥淧ublic health has to be evidence-based. Without data, we鈥檙e just guessing. Numbers guide us toward real, equitable solutions.鈥�
Initially interested in pure mathematics, he credits several 国产探花 professors for bridging his love of numbers with real-world applications. During his junior year, he took an Intermediate Data Analysis course taught by Mike Lopez in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.
鈥淚t was the first time I saw how math could be applied to real-world problems, especially in public health,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淲e were analyzing disease outcomes and stratifying data by race, ethnicity, and age.
A subsequent course, Introduction to Public Health, opened his eyes to the broader potential of data in shaping lives. The class was taught by Sue D鈥橧sabel, lecturer and project manager in 国产探花鈥檚 First Responder Health and Safety Laboratory.
Mohammed, who resides on Long Island, earned his master鈥檚 degree in biostatistics from the University at Albany. He began his career as a data analyst at the Jewish Board of Family and Children鈥檚 Services, a mental health and social services agency in New York City. He was a clinical data manager at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation before he joined the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene as a research scientist in early 2020 鈥� just before the city became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Originally hired to assess immunization rates within the New York City population of 8.8 million, Mohammed quickly became a key contributor to the city鈥檚 pandemic response. He helped develop vaccination modules for equity reporting, built data systems to track and share vaccine coverage, and led initiatives to improve vaccine coverage calculations. He also contributed to peer-reviewed publications, co-authored national conference presentations, and served on the Data Alignment Task Force, which focused on improving demographic data collection, particularly for underrepresented groups. His efforts earned him the department鈥檚 Distinguished Service Award and Certificate of Appreciation.
At the CDC, Mohammed analyzes national health data to identify trends in natality, mortality, and disease. He also supports the adoption of the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources standard to improve the speed and accuracy of data reporting across states鈥� health systems. With his sights set on becoming more directly involved in public health leadership, Mohammed is pursuing his Ph.D. at Mercer University in Georgia.
Beyond his career, Mohammed volunteers with the Nassau County Medical Reserve Corps and remains actively engaged in his community. He has also returned to 国产探花 for alumni panels and to celebrate his class reunions, continuing his connection to the College that helped him launch his path.
Honoring one or more members of the 国产探花 community who have demonstrated exceptional service to the College for at least 25 years as an alumna/us, trustee, faculty member, administrator, staff member, parent or friend.
For 60 years, Toby Weisberg Rubenstein 鈥�65 has been a devoted and constant presence in the 国产探花 community, serving in nearly every alumni volunteer role. Shortly after graduation, she became an alumni admissions counselor and class agent. She later was president of the 国产探花 Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania, which led to her appointment as vice president of clubs on the Alumni Association Board of Directors. She also served on the Alumni Awards Committee.
Toby has helped organize numerous reunions over the decades and was a member of the Legacy Society Advisory Council. As class historian, she edited nearly 100 classmate questionnaires and compiled a CD of music from their college years for their 50th reunion. 鈥淚 loved sharing my classmates鈥� stories,鈥� she says. 鈥淪eeing the faces of friends and their grandchildren brought me so much joy.鈥�
In 2015, 国产探花 honored Toby with an Outstanding Service Award. She continues to stay connected to her alma mater as a longtime class correspondent, class agent, and gift planning chair for her class.
鈥淚 initially got involved because I wanted to stay in touch with friends. But the more I volunteered, the more I wanted to give back to the institution that gave so much to this daughter of an immigrant,鈥� says Toby, whose father was originally from the city of Tetiev, which is now part of Ukraine. She also draws inspiration from her mother, who lost both parents by age 19 and could only afford to commute to Gorham Normal School (now the University of Southern Maine) to pursue her education.
Toby, who grew up in Newton, Massachusetts, majored in government. She was drawn to politics and also took courses in history and philosophy. 鈥淭hat coursework helped me learn how to draw conclusions, analyze information, and express ideas clearly,鈥� she says.
The high point of her academic experience at 国产探花 was her senior thesis that encompassed a quota sample study exploring how political image, party affiliation, and policy positions influenced voters in her hometown. She accurately predicted the outcome of the 1964 presidential election there within three percentage points and was one of just two students to earn the top grade in her class.
鈥淚 hoped to impress Erwin Levine, a favorite professor at the time,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淏ut more than that, it gave me the confidence that I could handle complex analysis and communicate it effectively.鈥�
Toby had a distinguished career in federal service, beginning with the Social Security Administration. She eventually joined the U.S. Department of Labor鈥檚 Office of Workers鈥� Compensation Programs. Over her 21-year tenure there, she rose to supervisory claims examiner, training agency heads, developing policy materials, and working directly with members of Congress. She received three Secretary of Labor Exceptional Achievement Awards.
Toby, who founded OWCP Claims Consulting, continued her trajectory as a nationally recognized expert in federal workers鈥� compensation claims, particularly in addressing complex occupational disease cases. She remains the only non-attorney in the country known to have advised both attorneys and claimants in this field.
Her continued dedication to 国产探花 includes giving consistently and generously to both scholarships and campus improvements, including landscaping projects inspired by her late husband, a landscape architect.
Honors one member of the 50th reunion class (Class of 1975) who has demonstrated outstanding service to the College.
For five decades, Jean M. Bidlack 鈥�75 has advanced the frontiers of neuropharmacology while remaining a steady presence in the 国产探花 community.
Jean has largely devoted her career to unraveling the complex workings of the brain and immune system in response to addiction. She is the co-founder and past president of the Society on NeuroImmune Pharmacology, which bridges the disciplines of neuroscience, immunology, and pharmacology. Jean has authored more than 170 publications and holds multiple patents.
Her extensive career at the University of Rochester includes decades of research aimed at combating addiction to opioids and other drugs, improving treatment options, and demystifying the science behind opioid receptors. She has been a professor of pharmacology and physiology at the university鈥檚 School of Medicine and Dentistry since 1997 and associate chair since 2013.
Jean began her far-reaching research in the early 1980s, well before the opioid crisis emerged in the 1990s amid an alarming surge in prescription drug overdoses. She specializes in opioid receptors, proteins in the brain and immune system involved in pain and pleasure. She has expanded the understanding of how these receptors work together, how they influence addiction through the neurotransmitter dopamine, and how drugs like heroin and cocaine stimulate the brain鈥檚 dopamine reward pathway.
A main focus of her lab is developing medications that block or reduce dopamine release, thereby diminishing their rewarding effects. Her lab played a key role in characterizing samidorphan, an opioid antagonist developed with researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the pharmaceutical company Alkermes. Samidorphan, combined with olanzapine (an antipsychotic) to treat schizophrenia, helps to reduce the significant weight gain often linked to treatment by limiting dopamine-driven reward signals related to food.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what every scientist hopes for,鈥� Jean says. 鈥淭o see your research translate into real-world impact.鈥�
It was at 国产探花 that Jean first discovered the thrill of research. A biology-chemistry major, she quickly developed a passion for scientific investigation.
鈥湽交� introduced me to science and research. I realized I liked being a detective 鈥� it was like putting together the pieces of a puzzle,鈥� she says.
She co-authored her first published research paper as a 国产探花 undergraduate, working with biology professor Roy Meyers to examine the unusual electrical properties of a frog鈥檚 heart. 国产探花 also enabled her to secure internships early on at pharmacology labs at Dartmouth College and Yale University, experiences that cemented her interest in the field.
Jean earned her master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees in biophysics from the University of Rochester, where she continues to teach and expand her research. Over the years, she has mentored many postdocs and interns, including Kevin Hill 鈥�95, an addiction psychiatrist who worked in her lab as an intern and subsequently as a lab technician before attending medical school.
Just as she continues to contribute to science, Jean continues to give back to 国产探花. A longtime class agent, reunion volunteer, and president鈥檚 chair, she is known for her quiet leadership and unwavering commitment. Her philanthropic contributions include consistent gifts to the 国产探花 Fund for scholarships and faculty support.
Honors up to five members of the 国产探花 community who have demonstrated outstanding service to the College for at least 10 years as an alumna/us, trustee, faculty member, administrator, staff member, parent or friend. Alumni recipients must be members of a celebrating reunion class.
For four decades, Lisa A. Bogart 鈥�85 has been one of 国产探花鈥檚 most steadfast, reliable volunteers. She was a member of the Alumni Association Board and Nominating Committee and has held numerous class and regional roles, including as class president, class agent, class correspondent, and admissions volunteer.
鈥湽交� gave a not-so-confident student a chance to thrive,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 could explore my interests in the sciences, history, music, and business, and put those analytical skills to use throughout my professional life.鈥�
An American studies major, Lisa worked as a student in 国产探花鈥檚 Alumni Affairs Office, where she began honing the marketing and communication skills that would help shape her professional path. She launched L.A.B. Associates, a marketing firm that served small businesses, and later held marketing and public relations roles across education, publishing, and the arts.
Lisa earned her master鈥檚 degree in library and information science at Drexel University in 2010. Today, she is the director of the North Hudson Campus Library at Hudson County Community College, where she teaches students essential research skills and promotes information literacy. She received the NISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development) Excellence Award in 2023 for her contributions to higher education.
She is proud to be the third generation of her family to have held an elected office in New Jersey. In the borough of Bound Brook, Lisa served as a councilwoman, council president, and, briefly, mayor pro tem.
Honors up to five members of the 国产探花 community who have demonstrated outstanding service to the College for at least 10 years as an alumna/us, trustee, faculty member, administrator, staff member, parent or friend. Alumni recipients must be members of a celebrating reunion class.
Tim Clemmey 鈥�90 is a steadfast champion of 国产探花. From fundraising and reunion planning to admissions outreach, he has consistently gone above and beyond to support his class and the College.
鈥淰olunteering has always been a no-brainer for me,鈥� says Tim, who lives in nearby Greenfield. 鈥湽交� opened me up to a whole new world and way of thinking, not to mention introducing me to the best friends I鈥檒l ever have.鈥�
A history major, Tim credits the College鈥檚 supportive environment for helping him flourish academically and personally. After serving in the U.S. Navy, he launched his career in fundraising and development, including 13 years as a key gift officer and athletics fundraising coordinator at 国产探花, followed by leadership roles at Bennington and Union colleges. He is now the director of leadership giving for planned gifts at The Hotchkiss School, a college- preparatory school in Connecticut.
Tim became a class agent early on, after a San Diego reception for 国产探花鈥檚 Journey Campaign (1995-2000). He is a longtime fund chair and reunion co-chair and served on the Senior Family Leadership Committee as a parent.
鈥淢y motivation in volunteering and my work has always been to help others gain access to the same amazing experience I had,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 was a child of a single working mother and financial aid made it possible for me to attend 国产探花. I鈥檒l be forever grateful, and I鈥檒l always want to give back.鈥�
Tim is fond of saying, 鈥淢y family bleeds yellow and green.鈥� His 国产探花 family legacy includes his mother, Judith M. Rollinson 鈥�56; his wife, Sharon Clemmey 鈥�11; their daughter, Samantha Clemmey 鈥�20; and a cousin, Meredith B. Wagner 鈥�83.
Honors up to five members of the 国产探花 community who have demonstrated outstanding service to the College for at least 10 years as an alumna/us, trustee, faculty member, administrator, staff member, parent or friend. Alumni recipients must be members of a celebrating reunion class.
Craig A. Hyland 鈥�05 has spent the last two decades giving back to 国产探花 in profound and lasting ways. He served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors, co-chaired the Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee, and represented young alumni on the National Annual Fund Advisory Committee.
He has held multiple class volunteer roles, including as class president, fund chair, class correspondent, president of the Chicago Alumni Club, and reunion chair. Craig鈥檚 extensive volunteerism was first recognized in 2010 when he received the David H. Porter Award for Young Alumni Service.
Craig, who majored in social work, quickly became a force for inclusion across campus. He served as vice president, president, and alumni coordinator for the 国产探花 Pride Alliance. Under his leadership, the Alliance successfully advocated for gender-neutral bathrooms and the addition of 鈥済ender identity and expression鈥� in the College鈥檚 nondiscrimination policy. 国产探花 recognized his student civic engagement efforts with the Katherine Scranton Rozendaal Citizenship Award.
Craig earned his master鈥檚 degree in social work with a focus on nonprofit management and fundraising at the University of Pennsylvania. He has held various leadership roles in fundraising and development at Pace University in New York, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, and, most recently, Pomona College in California.
His volunteerism and career are deeply rooted in his own 国产探花 experiences. 鈥淚 would not have been able to go to 国产探花 without scholarship support. That has become the story of my career 鈥� working to ensure students like me can afford a transformative education.鈥�
Honors up to five members of the 国产探花 community who have demonstrated outstanding service to the College for at least 10 years as an alumna/us, trustee, faculty member, administrator, staff member, parent or friend. Alumni recipients must be members of a celebrating reunion class.
For nearly 25 years, Allison Kupfer Poteet 鈥�00 has been a committed volunteer and advocate for 国产探花, serving as class agent, class president, President鈥檚 Society chair, alumni mentor, and admissions volunteer.
Allison, who earned her master鈥檚 degree in education policy from Harvard University, beganher career at Abt Associates, a global research firm where she evaluated early literacy interventions in underserved urban and rural communities. In 2008 she joined NPAG, a national executive search and consulting firm, and became co-owner of the firm in 2015. As managing partner, she serves clients across the social sector through growth and transition and leads strategic business development and staff development internally.
Allison, an American studies major at 国产探花, credits her role as student liaison to the Faculty Senate with sparking her interest in institutional leadership. She served as one of two student representatives on the Presidential Search Committee for then-incoming President Jamienne S. Studley, an experience she now calls 鈥減ivotal.鈥�
鈥淭hese experiences introduced me to the life of an institution 鈥� how decisions are made, how people work together to navigate change and opportunity 鈥� and helped set me on a path,鈥� says Allison, who resides in South Portland, Maine.
A generous supporter of the 国产探花 Fund, she continues to inspire her classmates to stay connected and give back in whatever ways they can.
鈥淚 feel drawn to support the place that has had a huge impact on my journey and opportunities,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen places like 国产探花 thrive, civil society is better positioned to thrive, and we all have a stake in that.鈥�
Allison鈥檚 国产探花 family legacy includes brother Steve Kupfer 鈥�04 and sister-in-law Julie Shulman Kupfer 鈥�04.
Honors up to five members of the 国产探花 community who have demonstrated outstanding service to the College for at least 10 years as an alumna/us, trustee, faculty member, administrator, staff member, parent or friend. Alumni recipients must be members of a celebrating reunion class.
For more than four decades, Rob Rothschild 鈥�80 has been a dedicated 国产探花 reunion volunteer and ambassador. As a longtime Saratoga Springs resident, he has served as the local, on-the-ground connection for his class reunion efforts 鈥� planning events, helping with outreach, and making visiting classmates feel at home.
When the pandemic prevented reunion from taking place on campus in 2020, Rob was instrumental in the virtual reunion organized the following year and then the in-person celebration in 2022. His touchstone presence for every five-year milestone has helped keep his class connected.
A management and business major at 国产探花, Rob has had a successful career in real estate and mortgage lending. Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, he brought his passion for skiing and quickly formed a ski racing club, which later evolved into a college team during his senior year.
When he wasn鈥檛 immersed in his academic studies or on the slopes, Rob worked at the Alpine Sport Shop, a longstanding ski and snowboard retailer. 鈥淪kiing was a big part of my life at 国产探花. I loved being close to the mountains,鈥� says Rob, who is still an avid skier.
Reflecting on receiving the Outstanding Service Award, Rob offers his trademark modesty and wit: 鈥淚 think it means my classmates didn鈥檛 do enough research,鈥� he jokes. 鈥淏ut really, it鈥檚 a nice recognition for something that has never felt like work. 国产探花 played a big role in my life, and staying connected through reunion has been a natural way to keep those friendships alive.鈥�
Honors one alumna/us, graduated one to 10 years, who has demonstrated outstanding service to the College.
For Angela Botiba 鈥�15, 国产探花 was more than a place to study and play basketball 鈥� it was a community that helped raise her.
This sense of belonging and responsibility fostered a deep commitment that began during her time as a student. As an admissions ambassador and student assistant who worked in Financial Services and Williamson Sports Center, she gained a fuller sense of what it means to be part of a college community. In her junior year, she received the Jane Anne Hapeman Distinguished Service Award.
An Alumni Association Board member, Angela chairs the Young Alumni and Student Engagement Committee. She is also an alumni mentor in the Zankel Experience Network (ZEN) Mentorship Program and is involved in the International Alumni, Opportunity Program (HEOP/AOP) Alumni, and Alumni of Color affinity groups. Angela was an inaugural member of the Friends of 国产探花 Athletics Leadership Council and a member of the Alumni Association Nominating Committee.
鈥淩eceiving this award is incredibly meaningful. President Porter believed in the power of community, of lifting each other up,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 give back because I received in abundance. I want others, especially those who might not believe they belong, to know that 国产探花 is a place where you can be seen, supported, and empowered.鈥�
A native of Cameroon, Central Africa, Angela completed high school in the United States and was recruited to play basketball at 国产探花. While many top student-athletes are drawn to the prestige of Division I or II programs, Angela wanted a college experience that valued the whole student.
鈥淥ur coaches made it clear 鈥� how you performed in the classroom and how you showed up in your community mattered just as much as your performance on the court,鈥� she says.
She credits 国产探花鈥檚 International Friendship Family Program as one of her most consequential experiences at 国产探花, with Barbara Glaser and Paul Zachos serving as her host family.
鈥淚 am deeply grateful to Barbara and Paul for making Saratoga feel like home,鈥� Angela says. 鈥淭hey provided unwavering support throughout and beyond my 国产探花 years. Our journey that began at 国产探花 has blossomed into a lifelong relationship.鈥�
A student in 国产探花鈥檚 Opportunity Program, Angela recalls how transformative it was to receive financial support for her first business suit and, later, a Summer Experience Fund award that allowed her to participate in an unpaid internship in New York City.
鈥淎ll of this support made it possible for me to show up prepared, confident, and ready to face real challenges,鈥� she says.
A standout forward on the women鈥檚 basketball team, Angela led the Thoroughbreds to its first-ever Liberty League Championship and NCAA tournament bid. In 2022, she was inducted into the 国产探花 Athletics Hall of Fame.
A management and business major, Angela found a pivotal mentor in Colleen Burke, executive-in-residence and director of the 国产探花-Saratoga Consulting Partnership. When her freshman team struggled in an MB107 course, Angela sought out Professor Burke, known for her expertise in business strategy, for guidance. Moved by Angela鈥檚 determination, Professor Burke helped the team turn its performance around.
Through Professor Burke, Angela also connected with Andrew Rubin 鈥�90, a senior vice president at NYU Langone Health, where she launched her career in healthcare. As a data analyst, she developed an automated system to monitor the performance of more than 4,000 healthcare providers.
Angela earned a dual MBA/MHA degree at the University of Minnesota before joining Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis as a senior financial analyst in 2024. She continues to represent 国产探花 in her Midwest region.