The Newsletter of the Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles

A Forum for All Women MAY 2012 Volume 37 Issue 8

Editor: Jennifer Zimbroff Living, Breathing Stanford — Designer: Sheri Lee The Women and Men Who Make it Great

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

i Presidents’ Letter 2 Prior Dean of Admission and Financial Aid i Roster for SPWLA 3 Board of Directors Shares her Invaluable Experience for 2012-2013 Robin Mamlet served as the Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Stanford from 2000 to i We’re Looking for a 3 2005, and is so warmly remembered by those of us who worked with her, met with her, and Few Good Women were chosen under her directorship to attend Stanford. Warm, engaging, and interested in every student, Ms. Mamlet was a unique asset to the Stanford community. She had previously i Lend a Hand on 4 headed Admissions Offices at Swarthmore and Sarah Lawrence and served on the admissions May 12 staffs at Pomona College and at her alma mater, Occidental College. Her current occupation is with an executive search firm that helps colleges and universities fill their top administrative positions; we are sure she is utilizing her expertise and intuitive skills to help many major i A Word from 5 Robin Mackenroth, institutions throughout the country. Incoming SPWLA President When you served as Dean of Admission i Welcome new 5 and Financial Aid at Stanford from members 2000-05, what did you find to be your greatest challenges? i SPWLA Summer 7 Solstice There are challenges, and then there is just stuff you don’t enjoy so much. i —first 8 overall pick in The greatest challenge my staff and I faced 2012 NFL Draft was that we saw many, many kinds of excellence in students' applications -- i Registration form 9 excellences that made Stanford very inter- for Summer ested in those students. But we had to re- Solstice spond to them within the context of rela- tively small freshmen and transfer classes. Bringing me to the thing I liked least -- sending out deny letters!

(Continued on page 6)

May 2012 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter Page 1

CO-PRESIDENTS Pam Wasson ‘77 Presidents’ [email protected] Letter Madeline Field MA ‘85 [email protected]

PRESIDENT ELECT Robin Mackenroth ‘87 [email protected]

Pam Wasson Madeline Field PAST CO-PRESIDENTS Diana Sedenquist ‘84 [email protected] As the outgoing Co-Presidents, we wish to thank everyone who has June Sobel MFA ‘76 [email protected] supported our Co-Presidency this year. We’ve learned a lot from EMBERS our members about programming events and meeting the needs of a highly diverse membership. We’re thankful we had the M PROGRAMS COMMITTEE opportunity to work with and meet an outstanding group of June Sobel MFA ‘76 women. Though we may be pursuing different career paths or be [email protected]

at different places in our personal lives, we share a camaraderie OARD that is fostered through our Stanford affiliation. We have truly HOSPITALITY enjoyed this privilege. Robin Mackenroth ‘87 [email protected] It is with sincerity and gratitude that we thank the esteemed 2011-2012 Board of Directors who worked as a team to MEMBERSHIP/DATABASE accomplish the programming and vision we set forth this Lisa Clark ‘86 year. None of goals would have been achieved this year without [email protected] each and every individual contribution. Our Board included: Lisa Clark, Vanja Habekovic, Carrie Kim, Robin Mackenroth, Diana NEWSLETTER COMMUNICATIONS Sedenquist, Jean Shi, June Sobel, Marian Subbaraos, Jackie Jennifer Zimbroff ‘05 Williams-Jones and Jennifer Zimbroff. We realize that no effort [email protected] was taken single-handedly. Each program and initiative was the result of collaborative efforts of a well-coordinated team -- that SECRETARY team being the Board of Directors. Our newest Board members Marian Smith-Subbarao PhD ‘85 Marian Subbaraos and Jennifer Zimbroff came in and performed [email protected] the roles they were asked to perform, but they went a step beyond, and showed us the meaning of pure initiative; they STUDENT INTERN LIAISON performed their roles with unbridled enthusiasm and a dedication Carrie Kim ‘86 and commitment that was truly astounding. [email protected]

The role of Co-President is a unique one, and we are each TREASURER thankful for the opportunity to work closely and get to know our Vanja Habekovic JD ‘04 counterpart better! We learned a lot from each other, from our [email protected] S P W L A 2011 — 2012 B Board of Directors, and from our membership. It has truly been a memorable year, and we thank SPWLA for the opportunity to WEB COMMUNICATIONS grow and become better leaders through this experience. Jean Shi ‘03 [email protected] Sincerely, INFORMATION RESOURCES Madeline Field & Pam Wasson Diana Sedenquist ‘84 [email protected] Jacki Williams-Jones ‘76, MA ‘77 [email protected]

Page 2 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter May 2012

SPWLA BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR 2012—2013

PRESIDENT NEWSLETTER COMMUNICATIONS Robin Mackenroth ‘87 TBD * * * * * *

PAST CO-PRESIDENTS WEB COMMUNICATIONS The following Pam Wasson ‘77 Jean Shi ‘03 Madeline Field MA ‘85 SPWLA STUDENT INTERN LIAISON members were Carrie Kim ‘86 TREASURER nominated to Jenny Zimbroff ‘05 PROGRAMS COMMITTEE serve on the Kristie Amobie ‘98 SECRETARY Michelle Kim MA ‘05 SPWLA Board Marian Smith-Subbarao PhD ‘85 for the coming

INFORMATION RESOURCES year. MEMBERSHIP / DATABASE Diana Sedenquist ‘84 Lisa Clark ’86 June Sobel MFA ‘76 * * * * * * Jacki Williams-Jones ‘76, MA ‘77 HOSPITALITY Anita Hovanissian MBA ‘09

We’re looking for a Few Good Women

There are still a few open positions on next year’s group of Stanford alums, please be in touch. board. We’d like to hear from you if these positions Serving as SPWLA's newsletter editor is a terrific match your personality and you would like to help opportunity to get to know an interesting and us plan a terrific year of events. accomplished group of Stanford women while expressing your creativity. The newsletter editor Programs: Programs are at the heart of SPWLA. works with a graphic designer to produce the We generally have 3-4 people serving on the SPWLA newsletter 9 months out of the year programs team. A person on the programs team (September-May). The editor sets the content for works with the president(s) to generate ideas for each newsletter and decides what she needs from programs for the year. Once a slate of programs is others and when she needs it. While board established, each person on the programs committee members and others will provide you with some of is responsible for organizing a designated number the material that you need each month, you will edit of events. You will make arrangements with the each article to ensure that it reads well and conveys venue, contact the speaker, and write a rough draft all of the necessary information. The job of of the article to promote the event in the SPWLA newsletter editor is part wordsmith, part project newsletter. Serving on the programs committee is a manager; if you are good at keeping people on great entry level board position. task, those skills are helpful.

Newsletter Editor: If you are a writer and you If you are interested, please contact Robin would like to share your skills with an appreciative Mackenroth at [email protected].

May 2012 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter Page 3

Lend a Hand on May 12

At the heart of Stanford University’s Beyond the Farm seeks to extend founding principles is “a desire to Stanford's spirit of service to render the greatest possible service communities around the world to mankind.” Though these are Jane through the volunteer efforts of Stanford’s words, generations of alumni, family and friends. Find out Stanford alumni have made these more, or sign up for one of the many words their own. On May 12, gather activities in your community at together with Stanford students and http://alumni.stanford.edu/ alumni in Stanford’s Global Day of get/page/saa/volunteering/ Service, Beyond the Farm, to make a beyondthefarm/lendahand. difference in your community. Make Jane proud. Join with Skip brunch. Forget about those errands. On May 12, fellow SPWLA members to shake up your weekend routine and volunteer with continue Stanford’s legacy friends—right in your own community. With the of service beyond the Farm. dedication of every individual within the University's 205,000-strong alumni community, we can make a world of difference—all at once on the Global Day of Service, and all year long with Beyond the Farm 365.

Whether you choose to bring your family, work alongside fellow alums or volunteer on your own, you will find plenty of opportunities to create change Beyond the Farm.

i Meet fellow alums in your area. Make an impact while having a great time getting to know alumni—right in your backyard! i Volunteer with your family. Many projects are kid-friendly. Check listings to see which might be best for yours. i Serve solo—while making a difference together. Want to volunteer on your own? Make sure your efforts are counted.

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SPWLA’s Incoming President’s Letter

Greetings fellow SPWLA members! As your incoming President for 2012-2013, I’m encouraged that many of our current Board members will return to their roles. Although we have several capable Board members, you can see from our Board Roster that we still need help in our programs, hospitality, and newsletter editor positions. If you are interested in finding out more about any of these positions, please contact me. Our Board is composed of some very interesting and accomplished women, and we look forward to welcoming some new faces.

The Board will be meeting over the next few months to start planning the 2012-2013 slate of programs. As always, if you have a great idea, know of a great speaker, or discover a great venue, please let us know. Many of our most well regarded programs have been suggested by our members. We will do our best to keep our programs both interesting and affordable.

Thanks to Pam Wasson and Madeline Field for their leadership over the past year. I also want to offer a big thank you to our outgoing and returning Board members. The club would not function as smoothly as it does without your commitment.

I look forward to another great SPWLA year, and I hope to see many of you at our upcoming events.

Robin Mackenroth

SPWLA Extends a Warm Welcome to New Members

Vanessa Hoppe (AB '00, International Relations) is an attorney and lives in Los Angeles. Greta Hutton (AB '78, Political Science) is an attorney and lives in Woodland Hills. Stephanie Kubik (MS '03 Mechanical Engineering) is a mechanical engineer and lives in Los Angeles.

May 2012 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter Page 5

(Continued from page 1) Robin Mamlet I don’t see a resolution, sad to say. I think different women are handling these demands in different Similarly, what did you find to be your greatest ways, and it is tough on all of us. I do think we have rewards? all gotten better at recognizing how very hard this is and being supportive of one another. We are My greatest rewards have come from individual recognizing that for both men and women, though students getting in touch with me to say what a typically more so for women, there are some real difference attending Stanford made in their lives. “crunch years” in which the demands of career and There is no better feeling. home can sometimes collide and that everyone has a responsibility to be alert to those around them who In a 2001 article entitled “Playing ‘G-d’: Ethical are in the midst of that. Concerns May Intersect with Admission Decisions,” you discussed the ethical decisions Your current occupation with an executive search involved in the admission process. How would firm finding deans of admission, financial aid you address that topic now? directors, chief enrollment officers, and other key administrators for the nation’s institutions The thorny issues and ethical decisions surrounding of higher learning sounds fascinating. Can you college admission have only become more pro- describe the precise nature of your current job? nounced in the last decade. They appear at every turn. In the vehicles you use to let students apply: I love this job. It’s actually quite similar to college For example accepting the Common Application admission – you work with those in an institution to electronically enhances access and reduces student define what kind of person they need. You then go stress. But it also makes it easier to apply, increasing out and identify who that is, and you help the people the number of “less serious” candidates in your who fit that definition envision what they have to applicant pool, so you are now rejecting even more contribute to and gain from joining that specific students every year. Another example? Where and community. how you recruit. Do you spend your recruiting dollars on trying to reach students who have not traditionally Helping identify and develop the next generation of had access to schools like Stanford, or do you try to college and university leadership is very rewarding – get to the places where students are most eager and if, as a result, colleges grow stronger, then I am to hear from you and who will most notice your thrilled. absence? There are also the policies that guide you as you admit a class, such as the extent to which From your “inside” exposure to many of alumni ties are factored in. the nation’s best institutions, what have you learned about the state of competitive university My work today makes me much more aware of admission today? Have there been any surprising colleges that do not have Stanford’s position in the discoveries you would not have anticipated from world or its riches. For these colleges – which are the your time at Stanford? majority in the world – there are even more complex ethical binds centering on how much funding you There truly are a tremendous number of exceptional invest in your student body through financial aid, institutions out there, each with something to offer. I for example, versus how much you put into your have grown far more open to a variety of definitions academic program, versus how much you work to of excellence. keep down your overall price. You have recently (in 2011) co-written a book Many women in our group struggle with entitled College Admission: From Application to balancing the demands of their professional Acceptance, Step by Step. Can you tell us about lives with the needs of their families. I know the book, and how it is different and more you have spoken about this issue in the past. helpful than other college guides? What insights can you offer our members about this struggle and its potential resolution? We just went into our fourth printing, which is very exciting. What we hear from our readers is that it (Continued on page 7)

Page 6 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter May 2012

O n Wednesday, June 20, 2012, we will be holding our annual Summer Solstice celebration at the Coupa Café, a lively Venezuelan restaurant in Beverly Hills owned by Stanford alumna, Camelia Coupal. The event will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and will feature a selection of unique appetizers and a no host bar. The cost will be $10 per guest. This will be our final opportunity to socialize and catch up with fellow SPW members until next September. Coupa Café is located at 419 North Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. The cut off date for registration is June 12th. Please use the registration coupon on page 9.

WANTED

The Stanford University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry is recruiting volunteers to answer an anonymous online satisfaction survey looking at the work-life balance in women executives. If interested, please go to: https:// stanforduniversity.qualtrics.com/ SE/?SID=SV_dnGlZFQ4NViuv4M

For general information about participants rights, contact 1-866- 680-2906.

(Continued from page 6) Robin Mamlet but in negotiating the entire process while maintaining their sanity? blends inside knowledge (I have been dean at three highly selective colleges and we also were able to Applying to college is not rocket science but it is gain the participation of over 100 sitting admission hard work. Don’t spin your wheels obsessing about deans) with a thoroughness and organization that the aspects of it that you can’t do anything about isn’t available in other books. I also really appreciated (like how selective Stanford has become, for my co-writer’s humor and writing style – if you can example). Just concentrate on the parts you have believe it, it is actually an enjoyable read. some control over, and that will serve you well. Take the time to learn about yourself and what you care What advice do you feel is most helpful to about in a college (we spend a lot of time on this college applicants and their families – not only in the book) so that you select colleges that are a in getting into one of their top-choice colleges, good match for you. Chances are, college admission officers will see that match as well.

May 2012 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter Page 7

Photograph by isiphoto.com

Indianapolis Selects Andrew Luck With First Overall Pick

The Indianapolis Colts selected Stanford quarter- on the school's career lists for passes back Andrew Luck with the first overall pick in the (82), completion percentage (.687; 713-1064), 2012 NFL Draft. passing efficiency (162.76) and total offense (10,387). His 9,430 passing yards ranks second Luck becomes the fourth Stanford to be only to (10.531; 1991-94) on selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft, following Stanford's all-time career charts. Bobby Garrett (1954; Cleveland), (1971; New England) and (1983; Luck helped turn around a Stanford program that Baltimore) and the 19th Stanford player overall to had recorded seven straight losing seasons before be selected in the first round. he took over the reins of the offense for the 2009 season. He quarterbacked the Cardinal to a Stanford is the only school that has produced four 31-7 record in his 38 career starts, missing the 2009 who were selected first overall in the Sun Bowl due to injury. He also helped the Cardinal NFL Draft. to a 24-5 conference record and an 8-3 mark against top 25 competition. A two-time Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year and twice runner-up for the Heisman Trophy, Luck He ranks first among Stanford's all-time signal- concluded his brilliant Stanford career ranked first callers in career wins and winning percentage.

Page 8 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter May 2012

RESERVATION FORM: ”Summer Solstice” — Wednesday, June 20, 2012 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Name/Class Year: e-mail address:

Phone (Home) Coupa Café 419 N. Canon Dr., (Work) Beverly Hills 90210 Members & Guests X $10.00 = $ Appetizers name No host bar Non-Members X $10.00 = $ name Due to venue reservation Donation to SPWLA’s Community Service Fellowship = $ requirements, refunds are not available. TOTAL = $

Registration by mail must be received no later than Tuesday, June 12, 2012 Make your check payable to SPWLA and contact Robin Mackenroth for more information. Email: [email protected]

Deadline to register online: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 To register online, go to www.spwla.com 

Have a Great Summer!

$3500 Our Goal 3250 3000 2750 2500 Yes! I Want to Help a Stanford Student 2250 We are here Gain Work Experience in Los Angeles. 2000 1,980 I support SPWLA’s commitment to fund fellowships for deserving 1750 undergraduate Stanford women who wish to devote 1500 their summer to community service. 1250 Enclosed is my contribution in the amount of: 1000 † $ 50 † $ 75 Other ______750 500 All contributions are greatly appreciated. 250 0 Make your check payable to SPWLA and contact Lisa Clark for more information: [email protected] SPWLA’s Community  Service Fellowship 2011/2012 May 2012 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter Page 9

Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles A Forum for All Women

W E ’ RE ON THE WEB www.spwla.com

Margaret Hayden of the Stanford

Cardinal women’s squash team

during Stanford’s match against

Bates College at Stanford’s

Ford Center on January 6, 2011.

Stanford won 8-1, overall.

Photograph by Zach Sanderson / stanfordphoto.com

Page 10 Stanford Professional Women of Los Angeles Newsletter May 2012