SPELMAN By the Numbers Data Analytics Professional Continues Spelman’s Legacy of Pioneering Women in STEM Daphne L. Smith, Ph.D., C’80 President Mary Schmidt Campbell’s Message of Hope at a Time of Crisis THE ALUMNAE MAGAZINE OF SPELMAN COLLEGE | SPRING 2020 | VOL. 131 NO. 1 SPELMAN EDITOR All submissions should be sent to: Renita Mathis Spelman Messenger Office of Alumnae Engagement COPY EDITOR 350 Spelman Lane, S.W., Box 304 Vickie G. Hampton Atlanta, GA 30314 OR http://www.spelmanlane.org/SpelmanMessengerSubmissions GRAPHIC DESIGNER Garon Hart Submission Deadlines: Fall Issue: Jan. 1 – May 31 ALUMNAE DATA MANAGER Spring Issue: June 1 – Dec. 31 Danielle K. Moore ALUMNAE NOTES EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Alumnae Notes is dedicated to the following: Jessie Brooks • Education Joyce Davis • Personal (birth of a child or marriage) Linda Patton, C’88 • Professional Please include the date of the event in your submission. Angela Wood, C’90 TAKE NOTE! EDITORIAL INTERNS Take Note! is dedicated to the following alumnae Melody Greene, C’2020 achievements: Angelica Johnson, C’2019 • Published Catherine A. Myrick, C’2021 • Appearing in films, television or on stage Asia Riley, C’2021 • Special awards, recognition and appointments Please include the date of the event in your submission. WRITERS Maynard Eaton BOOK NOTES Connie Greene Freightman Book Notes is dedicated to alumnae and faculty authors. Vickie G. Hampton Please submit review copies. Adrienne S. Harris Donna Williams Lewis, C’79 IN MEMORIAM We honor our Spelman sisters. If you receive notice Alicia Sands Lurry of the death of a Spelman sister, please contact the Kia Smith, C’2004 Office of Alumnae Engagement at 404-270-5048 or Linda Patton, associate director of alumnae engagement, at PHOTOGRAPHERS [email protected]. For verification purposes, please Scott King include a printed program, newspaper acknowledgment or Ben Kornegay electronic link with your submission. Curtis McDowell Furery Reid CLARIFICATION Spelman College Archives On page 15 of the fall 2019 Spelman Messenger, we featured Dr. Juvonda Hodge, C’92. In the article, Hodge questioned if there www.spelman.edu were other surgeons prior to her class year. Well, there are. In addition to Dr. Ruby Skinner, C’89, who was mentioned The Spelman Messenger is published twice a year by in the article, there was her classmate, Dr. Anita T. Johnson. Spelman College, 350 Spelman Lane, S.W., Atlanta, Johnson is director, Breast Surgical Oncology, Cancer Georgia 30314-4399, free of charge for alumnae, Treatment Centers of America-Atlanta, and adjunct clinical donors, trustees and friends of the College. Recipients professor of surgery for Morehouse School of Medicine. wishing to change the address to which the Spelman Messenger is sent should notify the editor, giving both Also, before the 1989 graduates, there was Dr. Hueldine old and new addresses. Third-class postage paid at Webb, C’73, who became an orthopedic surgeon. Atlanta, Georgia. Publication No. 510240 CREDO Founded in 1885, the Spelman Messenger is the alumnae magazine of Spelman College and is committed to educating, serving and empowering Black women. The content of the Messenger is designed to share news and events about the College and alumnae, as well as discuss Spelman’s leadership role in addressing a wide range of issues relevant to our community. THE ALUMNAE MAGAZINE OF SPELMAN SPELMAN COLLEGE SPRING 2020 4 12 16 22 On the Cover It is Rocket Science Saluting Women in STEM Daphne Smith is a pioneering woman in For many, it’s rocket science, but for these four Approximately 34% of Spelman students continuing the legacy of STEM professionals. women, physics is second nature. major in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related fields. Here are just a few COVER PHOTO BY SCOTT KING STEM alumnae. contents FEATURES SPECIAL FEATURE 12 Daphne Smith continues the 2 President’s Message 22 Women in STEM Spelman legacy of pioneering A salute to women in STEM- 4 Spelman Scenes women in mathematics. related fields. BY CONNIE GREEN FREIGHTMAN 10 ARTS@Spelman 16 Four exceptional physics 26 Faculty Highlights majors fuel the “Why Spelman?” question. 29 Granddaughters Club BY DONNA LEWIS, C’79, AND 30 Book Notes BY FRANK MCCOY 33 Alumnae Notes 34 Take Notes 40 In Memoriam 41 Donor Roll SPRING 2020 » 1 From the PRESIDENT’S OFFICE A Message of Hope hen I frst set out to safely. And we did. Through the tireless write this column, it efforts of our provost, Sharon Davies, was an opportunity to J.D., and vice provost for global educa- thank you, our Spelman tion ’Dimeji Togunde, Ph.D., all of our Walumnae, for your unwavering support. students returned home safely. At the same time, I was eager to share Then, the virus arrived in Atlanta. news of the continuing success of our As spring break approached, it extraordinary Spelman students and the became clear that with the virus crossing dedicated faculty and staff responsible for the ocean and landing with such ferocity, their outstanding education. I was look- housing students in residence halls was ing forward to letting you know that the akin to having a cruise ship on campus. 2019 U.S. News & World Report rank- Large gatherings for classes, events or ings continue to place Spelman College just casual socializing made “physical in the forefront of all liberal arts colleges distancing” as a major preventive strategy – No. 6 among liberal arts colleges on a near impossibility. social mobility and innovation – and still Moving quickly, Spelman, along with the No. 1 HBCU. its academic partners in the Atlanta Because the Spelman community University Center — Morehouse School is especially excited about the launch of Medicine, Morehouse College and of the Atlanta University Center’s new Clark Atlanta University — made sev- Data Science Initiative, this issue of the eral key decisions. We extended spring Messenger celebrates that launch by fea- break for a week, and under the guidance turing star alumna Daphne Smith, Ph.D., of our vice president for student affairs, C’80, the frst African American woman Darryl Hollman, Ph.D., moved students to earn a Ph.D. in mathematics from the out of the residence halls and, through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. offce of provost Davies, transitioned 800 Dr. Smith is renowned as a healthcare courses from in-person to online instruc- data analyst, specializing in disease man- tion. Our dean of Sisters Chapel, the Rev. agement. I am pleased to present our fea- Neichelle Guidry, Ph.D., established “For ture on such an accomplished career. the Soul of Spelman,” a virtual gathering However, with the coronavirus out- to provide solace and spiritual community break, I decided to use my message to for our students during this time. Also, a focus on how Spelman has responded to number of faculty and staff set up virtual this health crisis and share with you why gathering spaces. Our vice president for I am so hopeful. institutional advancement, Jessie Brooks, Our frst sign of the virus’s impact and his team quickly set up an emergency showed up through our study abroad fund for those students who would expe- programs. Two dozen Spelmanites were rience hardships as a result of the abrupt studying during the spring semester in changes. Your generosity to that fund, my countries all over the globe: Japan, Italy, Sisters, has been overwhelming. South Africa, Morocco, London and To protect the health and safety of Brazil were just a few of the destinations. faculty and staff, as well as students, our As the virus spread around the globe, it chief fnancial offcer, Dawn Alston, and became apparent we needed to do every- her team instituted a telecommuting pol- thing possible to bring our students home icy that allows some employees to work 2 » SPELMAN MESSENGER remotely from home. Because we still enthusiasm in shift- have 65 students who remain on campus ing from in-person because they are not able to go home, the to online instruction. College retains on-campus staff essential Some were completely for their health and safety, as well as the new to online and ongoing operations of the campus. Ms. participated in week- Alston and her team have also expertly long training sessions. managed the fnances of the College as Students are working the disruptions brought unexpected costs. their way through ini- Our associate vice president for gov- tial barriers to adjust ernment relations and my chief of staff, to a new learning for- Helga Greenfeld, and Ms. Alston worked mat. Staff members are closely with our Georgia legislators and shifting roles to accom- the United Negro College Fund during modate the new real- the spring break and beyond to assemble ity. The College has a fnancial assistance program for higher purchased laptops, tablets, new soft- education with particular attention to ware, internet hot spots, cloud storage HBCUs. Their good work has paid off. and additional capacity for our various Though the federal assistance will not online platforms. In the process, we are cover all of the additional costs incurred fnding that we are re-writing the script by the College, as a result of the health for higher education every day with resil- crisis, it will certainly go a long way ience, resolve and imagination. toward mitigating the impact. That is why I am hopeful. For our students, the abrupt move off I am hopeful, because we have dem- campus was a major upheaval in their onstrated we have resilience, resolve and lives. To watch them pack up and leave imagination to re-envision ourselves. was to witness young people in mourn- Spelman and every college and university ing. They are experiencing real loss.