Anassa Kata
Mawrters Making Their Mark
Michelle Arkin ’90
Michelle Arkin ’90 was awarded a Cope Scholar Award, presented by the American Chemical Society in recognition of excellence in organic chemistry. Arkin was recognized for “pioneering the discovery of potent modulators for drug targets considered undruggable, such as protein-protein interactions and novel allosteric sites.”
Edith Avilés ’88
Edith Avilés ’88 was appointed to the Board of Directors of HSBC Bank USA. Avilés, a former College trustee, brings 30 years of investment banking and leadership experience with multinational companies to the board.
Genevieve Bell ’90
Genevieve Bell ’90 was appointed the vice-chancellor and president of Australian National University in January. Bell is the university’s first female vice-chancellor. A cultural anthropologist, technologist, and futurist, Bell works at the intersection of cultural practice and technology development.
Naomi Halas, Ph.D. ’87
Naomi Halas, Ph.D. ’87 has been awarded the 2024 Mildred Dresselhaus Prize in Nanoscience and Nanomaterials from the American Physical Society. As a researcher in the development of light-activated nanoparticles, Halas’ discoveries have applications in cancer treatment, chemical sensing, solar desalination, and light-driven chemistry.
Julius Honey ’18
Julius Honey ’18 was the project manager for a new mural on 13th Street from Mural Arts Philadelphia. The recently unveiled “Finally on 13th” celebrates Black queer culture and depicts icons of the Philadelphia ballroom scene, a formerly underground subculture.
Karen Elizabeth Milbourne ’93
Karen Elizabeth Milbourne ’93 was named the new director of the University of Virginia’s Fralin Museum of Art. Previously, Milbourne was the senior curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, where she worked for 15 years.
Binaifer Nowrojee ’86
Binaifer Nowrojee ’86 was appointed president of Open Society Foundations from her previous role as vice president of programs, bringing decades of experience in international law and human rights to the role. “Heading this remarkable institution, the world’s largest funder of human rights, at a time when justice and compassion are under siege, is by far the biggest, and best, challenge I have ever faced,” Nowrojee says.
Melissa Smiley ’99
Melissa Smiley ’99 has been appointed the new chief of staff and university relations officer at Wayne State University. Smiley will lead the new University Relations division and be responsible for external advocacy strategy and operational tactics.
Hillary Smith ’06
Hillary Smith ’06 received an Early Career Award from the U.S. Department of Energy for her research on how glass transitions from a molten liquid to a solid on an atomic level. The award, which acknowledges emerging STEM leaders, will support five years of research in her lab at Swarthmore College, where she is an associate professor.
Eryka Waller, M.S.S. ’15
Eryka Waller, M.S.S. ’15, a dance instructor who owns the Quinn Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia, was featured on the Jennifer Hudson Show in March. On the show, she received a $10,000 donation from Denny’s and a surprise visit from performer Debbie Allen.