Women Who Change the World

From astrophysicists to economists to actresses, Madeira women of all ages and generations have great accomplishments that span throughout their lives and their careers. As a Madeira alumna, you share a common bond with the following extraordinary women among many others.

Madeira women continue to push, challenge, and question. The purpose of this page is to highlight the unique achievements of our alumnae and as those accomplishments continue to grow, this page will always be a work in progress.

Listed ascending order by class year

Katharine Meyer Graham '34 Business Leader | Publisher, The Washington Post

Pricilla "Payne" Hurd '38 Philanthropist | Established the John D. Deardourff Award for Creativity and Exploration

Penny Chenery '39 Horsewoman | Bred triple-crown winner Secretariat

Ruth Carter Stevenson '41 Philanthropist | Founder of the Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth

Joan Morgenthau Hirschhorn '41 Physician | Founder of Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center

June Biedler '43 Scientist | "Mother of Drug Resistance"

Martha Gaines Wehrle '44 Politician | Politician; West Virginia State Senator

Frances Sternhagen '47 Actress | Winner of two Tony awards

Alice Mitchell Rivlin '48 Economist | Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Jane Richards Roth '52 Judge | Philadelphia Third Court of Appeals

Mona Hagyard '52 Scientist | Solar Physicist & Director of Solar Vector Magnetograph Facility

Barbara Babcock Millhouse '52 Art Historian | Founder, Reynolda House Museum of American Art

Helen Thom Edwards '53 Scientist | Developed Tevatron, 1st high energy accelerator based on super conducting magnets

Anne Page Dubois '56 Administrator | Texas Governor's Mansion

Dr. Sally Heap '60 Scientist | Astrophysicist, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Susan "Stockard" Channing '61 Actress | "Grease", "West Wing"

Blair Brown '64 Actress | Tony Award winner for "Copenhagen"

Patricia Phelps de Cisneros '65 Philanthropist | Fundacion Cisneros

Patience White '66 Physician | Chief Public Health Officer of the Arthritis Foundation

Sylvia Bravo Larsen '67 Politician | New Hampshire State Senator

Clara López Obregón '68 Politician | Minister for Employment in Colombia

Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D. '70 Consultant | Principal, Shorter-Gooden Consulting

Milbry Polk '71 Explorer | Founder of Wings WorldQuest

Naomi Pierce '72 Professor | Hessel Professor of Biology in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University

Rossana Lacayo '75 Filmmaker | Founded Gota Films in Nicaragua

Lucy Blake '76 Conservationist | President of the Northern Sierra Partnership

Brooke Myers '77 Military | Lieutenant Colonel, US Army

Julia Reed '78 Writer | "The House on First Street", "Queen of the Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena"

Sharon Saul Davis '78 Designer | Founder, Sharon Davis Design

Clara Bingham '81 Journalist | Newsweek White House correspondent

Courtenay Valenti '81 Producer | Warner Brothers Pictures

Amanda Travers Nisbet '82 Interior Designer | Amanda Nisbet Design

Stephania Bell '83 Physical Therapist | ESPN Sports Commentator

Heath Slane '83 Jewelry Designer | Founder of SLANE Jewelry

Dr. Cecilia Mermel MacCallum '83 Doctor | Oncologist

Panithaya Chareonthaitawee, M.D. '83 Doctor | Cardiologist

Maryam Ayromlou '85 Producer | Erin Burnett Out Front, CBS The Morning Show, Dateline

Schroeder Stribling '84 CEO | N Street Village

Mika Brzezinski '85 Journalist | Co-host of Morning Joe

Brandon Holley '85 CEO | Everywear

Alex Kuczynski '86 Writer | "Beauty Junkies: Inside Our Billion Dollar Obsession with Cosmetic Surgery"

Avery Miller '86 Journalist | World News with David Muir

Holly Twyford '86 Actress | Four-time Helen Hayes Award winner

Rory Kennedy '87 Producer | "Ethel"

Sue Luangkhot Hoppin '87 Consultant | Founder and President of the National Military Spouse Network

Meredith Whitney '87 CEO | Meredith Whitney Advisory Group

Anne Pringle '88 Scientist | Biologist, Botanist, Ecologist

Sadie Quarrier '88 Producer | Deputy Director of Mobile Storytelling at National Geographic

Melanie Dunea '89 Photographer | "My Last Supper: The Next Course"

Ami Vitale '89 Photographer | Magazine Photographer of the Year winner

Jeanne Smoot '89 Activist | Launched Tahirih Justice Center's Forced Marriage Initiative

Dr. Angela Powell '91 Military | President-elect of the Otolaryngology Section of the National Medical Association

Dr. Lina Abirafeh '92 Activist | Executive Director, Arab Institute for Women, Lebanese American University

Dr. Reena Pande '92 Doctor | Cardiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital & Chief Medical Officer at AbleTo

Nana Amoako-Anin '94 Lawyer | Founder, Bliss Yoga Accra & Ghana Executive Director for Touch A Life

Lindsay Mannering '00 Journalist | Editor, Helped Launch Bustle Digital Group

Jenny Nichols '01 Director | Filmmaker

Jennifer Williams '02 Director | Acclaimed Operatic Director

Stephanie Bednarek '03 Business Leader | Director of Commercial Sale at SpaceX

Dr. Casey Means, MD '05 Doctor | Functional Medicine and Wellness Practitioner

Monica Kang '06 Business Leader | Founder and CEO, InnovatorsBox

Whembley Sewell '11 Journalist | Executive Editor, Conde Nast

Quicklinks

Women Who Change the World

Listed ascending order by class year