Barbara Russell is a 1968 graduate of Lesley with a great story and a generous spirit. An extraordinary businesswoman, she helped build one company and started a second that yielded a record profit on its sale in 2004. Her husband, Gordon Russell, is a conservationist, and they have lived in New Hampshire surrounded by the area’s natural beauty for the past 38 years. After the successful sale of the business they formed the Russell Foundation to help New Hampshire landowners protect their land, with 5000 acres conserved so far. Barbara also wants to help her alma mater, and they have made plans to contribute to Lesley’s future through their bequest intention which will result in a transformative gift for student scholarships. …
In Dubliners, author James Joyce described the character Mr. Duffy as living a short distance from his body – an anecdote Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinnused to illustrate the need for us to be engaged in the here and now.
“What’s the distance between you and your body at any given moment?” implored Dr. Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts. “We can be seriously out of touch.”
Sarah Reeves Young’s daily schedule has taken a tangent from her preferred day of teaching eighth grade physical science at Rowland Hall Middle School in Salt Lake City.
The 2005 School of Education alumna is spending this year away from her classroom in Washington DC at the National Science Foundation. As one of 20 Albert Einstein Fellows – one of the youngest teachers accepted into the fellowship, and the first from her home state of Utah – her days are spent working with government agencies, assisting them in effectively reaching teachers on various initiatives, participating in policy briefings, and meeting with congressional representatives and staff.
The Alumni Awards – presented annually – recognize Lesley alumni who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of Lesley University through service to the university, community, and/or their profession.
Please take a moment to nominate yourself or a fellow alumna/us you feel deserves recognition for his or her commitment to the University. All Nominations are due by October 21, 2011 and should be sent to the Office of Alumni Relations. …
Author Robie H. Harris first confronted censorship in the 1960s when she was writing opening segments for the “Captain Kangaroo” TV show naming the rooms in a house and the pieces of furniture within.
The CBS censors said the word “toilet” had to be excised and asked her to substitute something for it. “We did not even say what goes in the toilet, and we told the censors that,” Harris recalled. “But we lost. Our segment was aired without the word toilet.”
Harris recollected that experience during a visit to Lesley University to demonstrate how it painted her perspective as she went on to become an award-winning children’s author of popular – and sometimes controversial – books that address topics such as death, human sexuality, childbirth and abuse. …
The historic Cambridge address of 101 Brattle Street is the new home of the Lesley University Advancement Office. This mansion dating back to before the Civil War was acquired by Lesley as a result of the landmark partnership with the Episcopal Divinity School and Lesley University that was established in September 2008. …
Christine Jozitis, a recent graduate of Lesley College with a B.S. in art therapy, has been invited to display her art work at the Massachusetts State House. …
Through lively tales and images of her artwork, Faith Ringgold brought to life her evolution as an artist – from the early years as a painter struggling to get noticed, to a career as an accomplished and world-renowned artist and author who dined in the White House Rose Garden. …
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Evelyn M. Finnegan LC ’48 is an accomplished teacher and children’s author who joined Lesley students and faculty this fall to discuss the importance of storytelling in education, both at home and in school.
Mrs. Finnegan spoke about the importance of listening to children and the role her books, the My Little Friends series, play in teaching children how to handle new experiences like going to the dentist or the first day of school. Each book allows the child to experience and work through these challenging situations, which are resolved through the help of each child’s “little friend,” who acts as the child’s secret support system throughout. …
