Stevens Alumnae: Portraits in Leadership
Brave, Brilliant and Bold
“You’re going to walk into many rooms in your life and career where you may be the only one who looks like you or who has had the experiences you’ve had. But you remember that when you are in those rooms, you are not alone. We are all in that room with you applauding you on. Cheering your voice.” — Vice President Kamala Harris
From the moment 19 undergraduate women first stepped on campus 50 years ago this fall, Stevens women have embraced the roles of trailblazer and leader. Generation after generation, they have cheered each other on, lifted each other up, as they took their seat at the table — or built their own table — to pursue careers and lives of fulfillment.
Today, Stevens alumnae can be found in laboratories, board rooms, hospitals and universities across the country – and around the world – as leaders in industry, government, the arts, academia and community and humanitarian service. Clarelle DeGraffe ’84 leads the PATH system, connecting thousands of commuters between New York and New Jersey. Pam Cheng ’92 M.Eng. ’95, an executive vice president with AstraZeneca, has played a key role in delivering the company’s COVID-19 vaccine across the globe. Virginia Ruesterholz ’83, a retired top Verizon executive, made history as the first woman to chair the Stevens Board of Trustees. CEOs and entrepreneurs Alla Weinstein ’77 and Rita Gurevich ’06 are making the world safer through their pioneering efforts, Weinstein in renewable energy and Gurevich in cybersecurity. All have shared their inspiring stories in Stevens publications.
For this issue of The Indicator, we speak with eight additional alumnae — of different generations, industries and life experiences — who continue to show the impact of Stevens women as leaders, and who inspire a new generation of young women to aspire and succeed. We speak with them about their professional and personal journeys, and their hopes for the future.
“These Stevens alumnae are just extraordinary,” says Stevens Alumni Association President Victoria Velasco ’04, the longest-serving SAA president and only the third woman to serve in the association’s 145-year history. “They represent some of the highest levels of accomplishment in their fields, while inspiring a new generation of women leaders. What is even more incredible is that they represent just a snapshot of our alumnae achievements! They honor the hard work and sacrifices of Stevens’ first class of women and all of those who have followed.”
More inspiring stories of Stevens alumnae, faculty, students and staff can be found here.
Alumna helps to deliver a ‘reimagined’ MoMA
Jean Savitsky ’85 led a $450 million expansion of the Museum of Modern Art, a New York icon
A Matter of Privacy
Maggie Gloeckle M.S. ’95 thrives in an ever-changing data-protection field
Keeping Transit On Track
Lisbeth Concho M.S. ’09 Ph.D. ’13 takes a systems approach to asset management
From The Lab Into The Bottle
Johnson & Johnson R&D manager Sabrina Henry ’09 M.Eng. ’11 talks science and her recent star turn with Jennifer Aniston
Behind The Music
Allyson Vecchione’s ‘magic’ keeps events of all types running smoothly
Flexible, Adaptable and Determined
SUNY Maritime College Provost Jennifer Kehl Waters ’93 Ph.D. ’95 reflects on a lifetime in leadership
Darshana Manji Dadhania ’93 Wears Many Hats as Top Nephrologist at NewYork Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center
Reflections on Career, Leadership and Saying ‘Yes’ to Opportunities
Widening The Pipeline
IEEE-USA President Kate Duncan ’98 M.Eng. ’99 empowers a new generation of women engineers