"I love the latest book by Jhumpa Lahiri, In Other Words. She wrote it in Italian and it was translated into English. I am studying Italian right now and found her "autobiographical" account of struggling with the Italian language very encouraging..."

-Kate M. Glynn '79SIPA wrote on author Jhumpa Lahiri '89BC during Women's History Month

"The Columbia alumna who has inspired me, indeed who has meant the most to me, is without a doubt Vivian Berger, '73 LAW.  Vivian was my first year criminal law professor. 

Her formal title denotes her as the Nash Professor of Law Emerita, and she also served as Vice Dean at the law school, but for those of us who have been lucky enough to be her students she is much more than that. Vivian and her late husband Professor Cutis J. Berger were like family, and they welcomed scores of law students not only into the practice but the profession of law. 

Vivian Berger holds a special place in the esteem of her colleagues and the affections of her students.  A true inspiration, she is also a true friend and mentor."

-Rudolph Carmenaty '90LAW during Women's History Month

"[Geralyn] Lucas, born in 1967, is a journalist, television producer, writer, and activist for breast cancer awareness.

Lucas was 27 years old and working at the 20/20 television show when she discovered a lump in her breast that was diagnosed as breast cancer. As a result of the diagnosis, Lucas had a mastectomy. 

Lucas has become an activist, informing women about breast cancer, and early detection. She recently created a Webby honored YouTube video to inform women about early detection.

-Rick Zednik '94JRN on Geralyn Lucas '94JRN during Women's History Month

"Winifred Edgerton Merrill was the first woman to receive a degree from Columbia University, opening the door for women to gain admission to Columbia's Graduate and Professional Schools at a time when co-education for women was under heavy debate."

-The Low Down

"Ayushi [Roy] graduated from Columbia College in 2014 with degrees in Middle Eastern, South Asian and African Studies, and Human Rights. She was active on and off campus around issues of migration and gender, working with the Intercultural Resource Center, the Columbia Political Review, and student-led Title IX groups, among others. After graduating, Ayushi stayed in New York for a year to work on her social venture, a sexual violence text-based hotline that won the first the Columbia Innovation Award."

-Shanna Crumley '18SIPA

"Also, it goes without saying the unique opportunity to be an alumna of Barnard College, and part of a community of women who are so bold, confident, and changing the world, is something that continues to shape my perspective. I'm so proud to be a Barnard alumna."

-Jenna Matecki '11BC

"Based on her doctoral thesis on the women's movement in Iran, Jewels of Allah shatters stereotypical assumptions and the often misunderstood story of women in Iran today. Challenging the dominant narrative of the demise of women and their downward spiral into passive submission since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Ansary argues that 'despite the current regime's best laid plans to redirect women into the private domain, the female population in Iran is distinguished by an unprecedented surge in female literacy and a flourishing feminist movement against the boundaries of traditional religious prescription."

-Barnard Center for Research on Women on Book by Nina Ansary '89BC, '91GSAS, '09GSAS, '13GSAS

"Their venture, launched at a TechCrunch San Francisco funding competition in 2009, raised over $3 million across multiple funding rounds. The discrepancy in questions from the venture capitalists, or VCs, though, led [Dana] Kanze to develop a study that ultimately confirmed her suspicions: Male and female entrepreneurs are asked different types of questions when they seek venture capital, and as a result they receive different amounts of funding."

-Walyce Almeida, Columbia News 

(Read more about Kanze's research here.)

"While I attended Columbia, I interned at Women Make Movies and I knew then that I wanted to be a filmmaker. Because I had access to their whole catalogue of films, I had many examples of female filmmakers who made their living in the arts. I was also able to meet filmmakers and learn more about filmmaking as a career. I think that working at Women Make Movies was really essential for me to discover that filmmaking was my passion and what I wanted to do with my life, and that I wouldn't be happy unless I pursued being a filmmaker. You really have to love what you do because of the enormous obstacles and difficulties with filmmaking."

-Betsy Kalin '91CC

"The Justice...is a loyal and generous mentor. She helped me find what I love to do - I teach tax at Columbia - but she gave this guidance with a very light hand. Toward the end of my clerkship, I asked her what job I should take. Reluctant to intrude, she said, wisely but cryptically, that I should do what I like to do. Eager for more specific guidance, I told her that I loved statutory analysis and was also interested in business. With characteristic subtlety and a wry smile, she answered me with a question. "Have you talked to Marty about tax?" Looking back, I remember the conversation as a model in parenting. There's simply no better way to give advice about an important life decision.

I still recall my parting thought as I left Justice Ginsburg's chambers on my last day: A Supreme Court clerkship truly is a privilege; even so, the best thing about the year was not working at the Supreme Court, but working for her."

-Professor David Schizer