YaleWomen's mission is to create a vibrant, engaged community of alums, drawn together by the common thread of our Yale experiences, and the newest tool in our toolkit is Cross Campus, Yale’s new alum and student networking platform. If you haven’t already joined Cross Campus - often described as “a cross between Facebook and LinkedIn” - you should. And if you haven’t joined the YaleWomen Cross Campus group, you really should!

We invite you to:

• Connect with women alums and students in our Members section.
• Join the conversation - or start one of your own - by visiting the Discussion section of our group.  Answer one of the questions or ask one of your own.  We're especially interested in your thoughts on how we can ensure the sustainability of YaleWomen as it enters its second decade.
• Learn more about YaleWomen and 50WomenAtYale150 in our Resources section.
• Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn in our Resources section.

We look forward to building a strong community of women alums on Cross Campus with you!  Join Cross Campus, then navigate to Groups to join the YaleWomen group!

“Remembering 50” is a striking, curated collection of first-hand, personal and profound recollections by Yale College alums. It unfolds chronologically, starting with the first women who were admitted to Yale College in September 1969 as undergraduates in the class of ’71 through the most recent 2020 graduate; it also includes the stories of alums from various Yale professional schools over the last 50 years. 

In addition to the detailed, “behind-the-scenes” narratives themselves, the book is remarkable for its whirlwind, 11-month journey to publication from its conception in late September 2019 by two rising juniors, Ananya Kachru ’22 and Jen Huang ’22. Ananya and Jen are co-presidents of the board of the Women’s Leadership Initiative at Yale (WLI), an undergraduate organization founded in 2006 that seeks to empower future womxn leaders by providing professional and personal development opportunities, and creating a campus culture that emphasizes and promotes womxn’s leadership at Yale and beyond.

On September 10, “Remembering 50” was formally launched at a 90-minute online event attended by 200 online participants. It featured 17 of the book’s 45 contributors reading excerpts from their narratives as well as brief video appearances from additional contributors, who spoke about what “Remembering 50” means to them.  The launch also gave participants the backstory of the genesis of the book—and a glimpse at how its content will be expanded into other media in the future.

The making of “Remembering 50.” The idea of finding a meaningful way to understand more about the “trailblazing,” resilient women who overcame myriad obstacles in paving the path to full coeducation at Yale began as a conversation between Ananya and Jen during a weekend trip to New York City in late September 2019. Earlier that month, they had attended the “50 Fest,” an evening hosted by Yale College on the Old Campus so undergraduates could meet the women from the first classes (’71, ’72, ’73) who were at Yale to celebrate the anniversary of the 50th year of Yale undergraduate coeducation. 

Ananya and Jen had been disappointed that the event, which featured rather loud music, had not been sufficiently conducive to conversation. The two undergraduates agreed that they wanted more of an opportunity to understand how Yale both evolved over time and, in some ways, remained the same; how the university had been impacted by social and cultural events; and how all of this was reflected in the first women undergraduates’ experiences.

Paradoxically, then, the “disappointment” of “50 Fest” was a catalyst for Ananya, Jen, and Avery Arena, the previous WLI president, to brainstorm about other ways to commemorate the 50th anniversary and better understand the women who came to Yale before them. They arrived at the exciting but challenging idea of producing a book “which would have lasting impact.”  

They decided to aim for two stories per undergraduate class for 50 years (while there were ultimately some gaps, these were beautifully filled by stories from graduates of professional schools). The process that unfolded included emailing all alum organizations, asking interested alums to submit a “story pitch” about their experiences at Yale and selecting which pitches would be invited for elaboration into longer stories. Submissions were edited twice. Then began the complex navigation through the legal process, involving the Office of Risk Management, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Dean’s office. 

How could an organization at Yale publish and distribute a book? WLI applied for, and received, a grant for monetary support, and found a great independent publisher who guided them through the publication process. Jen and Ananya also attributed their success to a strong support network of women at Yale, the energy and enthusiasm of the book’s contributors, and the “awesome team and family at the WLI,” in particular the past president Avery, to see the project through to the delivery of five large boxes of books at Jen’s house in early September.

The story continues. The book’s publication marks a milestone—but there’s much more to the journey. During the launch party, WLI Communications Director Julia Zheng introduced several projects that will expand on the book. These include a podcast series, “The Womxn of Yale” which features conversations with the book’s contributors and WLI board members; there are two episodes currently accessible through the WLI website to play on Spotify or Apple TV, with more to come. 

A documentary “companion” film based on the anthology is now in the planning stages, in collaboration with film director/ producer Jodi Binstock (“Call Waiting”) and award-winning pianist/composer Amy Rubin, Yale School of Music ’76, who is also one of the book’s contributors. Speaking during the launch, Jodi explained that a documentary film is a great way to “get the word out there,” and is especially welcome during this time of pandemic shutdowns and isolation.

Read more about and buy the book on the WLI website here.   

(They will deliver anywhere in the U.S.; international shipping possible upon request)

— Dr. Lydia Temoshok ’72 is a YaleWomen Council member and “Remembering 50” contributor.

YaleWomen Global Newsletter | Summer 2020

• YaleWomen Thanks Outgoing Council Members, Welcomes Incoming Council Members and Officers
• Celebrating the Legacy of Women at the Yale School of Music
• 50WomenatYale150 Celebration Goes Virtual
• Women at Yale Virtual Tour Takes You Around Campus On-Line
• YaleWomen Hosts Zoom Get-Togethers Thru End of July — Register Online to Participate and Connect with Other Yale Women
• YaleWomen Hosts, Sponsors Webinars to Connect Alums While Social Distancing
• Join YaleWomen Houston & The Yale Club of Houston for Virtual Discussion on Sunday, June 28 at 3:00 pm CST

Our YaleWomen Zoom Get-Togethers started at the end of March, as the shutdown tightened its grip all over the world. The first round of sessions, held Sunday and Wednesday evenings April 1 through May 3, attracted an enthusiastic following of alums. In fact, they’ve proved so popular that we’ve recently started a second round for June and July.  Hosted by Lisa Fabish, SOM ’99, they’re scheduled for:

• Every other Wednesday starting June 3rd at 4:30 pm Pacific, through July 29th
• Every other Wednesday starting June 10th at 10:30 am Pacific, through July 22nd

Register here to attend upcoming sessions: https://www.yalewomen.org/calendar.

Contribute To YaleWomen's Fiscal-Year-End Fundraising Appeal By June 30th

Dear Friend,

This year has been a challenging one for many, if not most, of us.  From the devastating and ongoing loss of life, economic turmoil, and social disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, to the worldwide uproar over systemic racial injustice, 2020 has most definitely not been the year that any of us hoped or thought it would be.  It is hard to believe that 2020 - which is less than half over - started with the Australian wildfires, which already seem to be such a distant memory; so much has happened since then.  And who knows what the rest of the year will bring?  Much better, we hope. 

Through it all, YaleWomen has been there for the Yale women alum community.

• We have hosted a well-received Climate Emergency: Practical Actions, Equitable Solutions webinar.
• We have co-sponsored a range of webinars on a variety of topics:  Women, Men, and Food; Navigating and Thriving in Remote Work Environments; Career Transitions II - How Yale Alumni Successfully Navigated Professional Change; Food Fight: How the Restaurant and Catering Industry is Pivoting to Survive in a COVID-19 World; and Bienvenida Salud: Sustainable Change for Indigenous Women and Their Communities.  
• We have launched a series of informal Zoom get-togethers to enable women alums throughout the United States and world to discuss whatever happens to be on their minds, sometimes confronting the issues of the day, sometimes providing a respite from them.
• We have launched the YaleWomen Cross Campus group, providing another way for women alums to connect.
• And we have supported the 50WomenAtYale150 celebration of the 50th anniversary of undergraduate co-education and 150th anniversary of gradual and professional school co-education at Yale.

And we will do even more in the upcoming year.

• We will continue to host or co-sponsor webinars on topics of particular interest to women alums.
• We will continue to host informal Zoom get-togethers and work towards building a truly dynamic virtual community for alums who can’t attend chapter events (whenever we can again host chapter events).
• We will continue to build our online capabilities, including our social media infrastructure, to give women alums more ways to connect with us and one another, whether it be via our website, Cross Campus, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
• And, perhaps most excitingly and most importantly, we will build on the solid foundation of YaleWomen’s original 2011 strategic plan with a new plan that reflects the interests and needs of today’s YaleWomen community.  We will incorporate the results of the survey we conducted in September 2019, as well as additional input that we will seek in the coming months, into our new strategic plan.  Our goal?  An even more engaging, interactive, and relevant YaleWomen, sustainable through the rest of this decade and well into the future.

We have been fortunate to have the support of so many women alums to bring YaleWomen to the point where it is now.  And we hope that we will have the support of even more women alums to move YaleWomen into the future.  We realize that this is a difficult time for many; if you aren’t in a position to contribute to our fiscal-year-end fundraiser, we understand, and we will continue to be there for you.  But if you can contribute, we would be so very grateful.  YaleWomen receives no financial support from the University; rather, we rely on contributions from alums to support the work we do, and to advance the work we aspire to do.  YaleWomen is truly at an inflection point, and we hope, with your support, to emerge stronger than ever.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ebisemiju Madar, B.A. 1988, Chair

Susan Pepin, B.A. 1987, Vice Chair

Susan Lennon, M.P.P.M. 1985, Secretary and Immediate Past Chair

Dana Allen Sands, B.A. 1983, Treasurer

Donate Now

YaleWomen Global Newsletter | Spring 2020

• Accelerate Yale Hosts Navigating and Thriving in Remote Work Environments Webinar, Co-Sponsored by YaleWomen. Click Here to View.

• Author Anne Gardiner Perkins ’81 Shares Her Insights on the First-Wave of Women of Yale College

• YaleWomen Hosts Virtual Events to Connect Alums While Social Distancing

• Yale Women's Leadership Initiative Hosts 12th Annual Women’s Empowerment Leadership Conference

• From Hong Kong With Love: Alums Reach Across the Globe During Coronavirus Crisis

• YaleWomen Connecticut Gets Up Close With Two Seniors and Their Exhibits at Sterling Memorial Library on the History of Women at Yale

• YaleWomen Connecticut Goes Behind the Scenes: Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment

Climate Emergency: Practical Actions, Equitable Solutions

A digital discussion presented by YaleWomen, YaleBlueGreen and YAA

May 27           2:30pm Eastern / 11:30am Pacific

Via Zoom REGISTER HERE

Bienvenida Salud: Sustainable Change for Indigenous Women and their Communities

For over thirty years, Minga Peru has been supporting and strengthening communities in the Loreto region of Peru with an innovative program based on communications through radio and grassroots leadership development for women. This webinar explored a bit about Peru, the Kukama people who live in the Loreto region, and the programs that have made Minga Peru a model for programs throughout Central and South America. The webinar also talked about why the Yale Alumni Service Corps is partnering with Minga Peru on a program in the summer of 2021, YASC Along the Maranon.

This webinar was presented in partnership with Yale Alumni Service Corps, Yale Alumni Shared Interest Groups, Yale Day of Service, Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance, and YaleWomen.

Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Time: 7 pm EDT

Connecting While Social Distancing

We're continuing to host our "Connecting While Social Distancing" Zoom get-togethers while we work on "scaling" this initiative and ramping up our use of social media to help women alums connect!

Date: Every Sunday and Wednesday through May 3, 2020
Time: 7 pm EDT
Register: here (You'll receive an email with the login info after you RSVP.)