2025 Citation Award Winners

Carmen Chang ’70, has built a distinguished career at the intersection of law, technology, and venture capital. Following a notable career in law representing some of the world’s most prominent technology companies, she transitioned into venture capital and now serves as General Partner and Head of Asia at New Enterprise Associates (NEA). In 2013, she made history as NEA’s first female general partner and has since led the firm’s investment strategy in China and emerging markets across Asia.

Carmen’s influence in the global innovation landscape is extensive. She serves on the board of directors for a wide range of public and private companies, including Coursera, Moqi Inc., Blue Ocean Technologies Inc., Cista System Corp., Workera Corp., Transfix Inc., Blue Cheetah Analog Design Inc., Gravel Inc., Woebot Labs Inc., and Kira Learning Inc. She previously served on the board of Tuya Inc., a leading Internet of Things solutions provider. Her board roles span sectors including artificial intelligence, mental health, freight logistics, biometrics, and educational technology — highlighting her broad expertise and enduring commitment to technological advancement.

Prior to joining NEA, Carmen was a partner at a major law firm, where she specialized in corporate and securities law and led the firm’s China practice. Throughout her legal career, she advised many of the world’s top technology companies, including Google, Tencent, Lenovo, Facebook, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Foxconn, and Motorola, and played a central role in significant technology transactions involving Netcom, Lenovo, Google, and China Mobile.

Today, Carmen continues to shape the future of tech through her work with organizations such as STX Entertainment and Simple Psychology. She has also collaborated closely with influential companies, including ByteDance and Zuoyebang, China’s largest K–12 online education platform.

In addition to her bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College, Carmen holds a master’s degree in Modern Chinese History and a J.D. from Stanford University.

Michele Kotler ’90, is the founder and Executive Director of Community Word Project (CWP), a New York City-based arts in education organization she began in 1997. Dedicated to empowering K–12 students in historically under-resourced public schools, CWP helps young people develop the critical and creative thinking skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. In a world that often undervalues both education and the arts, CWP chooses to double down on both. Michele and CWP believe creativity is not a luxury — it’s a necessity.

Thanks to Michele’s leadership, CWP offers multidisciplinary arts residencies in Title One public schools that transform classrooms into engaging spaces where students are encouraged to think deeply, express themselves boldly, and collaborate meaningfully. These programs emphasize creativity, social emotional learning, and self-expression — skills essential not just for academic success, but for life. And through CWP’s Teaching Artist Project, artists can transform their creative process into teaching tools to reach all learners. Since 1997, CWP has engaged over 41,000 students, trained over 1000 Teaching Artists and professionally developed over 4,500 teachers.

Michele also holds an MFA from the University of Michigan, where she taught creative writing. Her poetry has been published in Days I Moved Through Ordinary Sounds: The Teachers of WritersCorps in Poetry and Prose, Washington Square Review, Spinning Jenny, Painted Bride Quarterly, and SWWIM. A dedicated alumna, she served on the Sarah Lawrence Alumni Council, volunteered for Reunion, and participated in numerous career panels. Michele has also served on the boards of The Catalog for Giving (now Spark NYC), the Association of Teaching Artists, and the NYC Arts-in-Education Roundtable. She is a member of the Writers in the Schools Alliance (WITSA) and serves on the advisory board of SWWIM (Supporting Women Writers in Miami).

Daniel Russel ’75, has distinguished himself as one of the leading voices in American diplomacy, with a career spanning four decades of service, strategy, and global engagement. Beginning at the U.S. Department of State in 1985, Danny rose to serve as Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs from 2013 to 2017. In this role, he was instrumental in shaping U.S. foreign policy across one of the most strategically vital regions of the world. A principal architect of the Obama administration’s “Pivot to Asia,” Danny worked to strengthen alliances, advance multilateral diplomacy, and expand U.S. presence and partnerships across the Asia-Pacific. His leadership was particularly vital in addressing the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, where he championed international cooperation and diplomacy through coordinated pressure and multilateral negotiations.

From 2009 to 2013, Danny served as Senior Director for Asian Affairs on the National Security Council and Special Assistant to the President. In this role, he advised President Obama on key bilateral and multilateral relationships across East Asia, shaping U.S. engagement through APEC, ASEAN, and other regional forums. He played a pivotal role in strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance, collaborating closely with Japanese leaders to deepen defense cooperation and economic ties. His contributions helped solidify the alliance as a cornerstone of regional stability and earned him broad admiration and lasting respect in Japan.

Throughout his career, Danny has been a consistent advocate for public diplomacy, educational and cultural exchange, and international collaboration in science and technology — efforts that have built bridges of understanding across borders. Today, as Vice President for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York, Danny continues to lead with conviction and clarity, advancing policies grounded in dialogue, diplomacy, and mutual respect. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to global affairs and U.S.-Asia relations, Danny was awarded The Order of the Rising Sun, one of Japan’s highest honors, conferred by H.E. Ambassador Mikio Mori, Consul General of Japan in New York.

Lois Farfel Stark ’65, is an Emmy Award-winning producer, documentary filmmaker, journalist, and author. Over the course of her distinguished career, she has written and produced more than forty documentaries on subjects ranging from architecture and medical research to wilderness protection, the arts, and social issues.

As a producer of documentary films for NBC News, Lois covered major international events, including Abu Dhabi’s rapid modernization, the British withdrawal from the Persian Gulf, Cuba, a decade after its revolution, the Israeli Air Force during the Six Day War, religious conflict in Northern Ireland, and the social divide in Liberia. Her book, The Telling Image: Shapes of Changing Times, received the Grand Prize in Nonfiction from the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, a Gold Nautilus Book Award, and the National Indie Excellence Award. In addition to her Emmy, Lois has been honored with two CINE Gold Eagle Awards, two Gold Awards from the International Film Festival of the Americas, the Matrix Award from Women in Communications, the Silver Gavel Award from the American Bar Association, and the Silver Award from the Texas Broadcasting Association.

Lois has served as a trustee or director for numerous institutions, including Sarah Lawrence College, the Alley Theatre, Texas Children’s Hospital, St. John’s School, the Harry Ransom Center, the Federal Reserve Board of Dallas Small Business Committee, the Texas Commission on the Arts, Humanities Texas, the Joseph Campbell Foundation, and the Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board. She has also been elected to the American Leadership Forum, the Center for Houston’s Future, and the Philosophical Society of Texas. In addition to a bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College, Lois holds a Master of Arts degree in Adult Education from Boston University and a Master of Arts degree in Communications from American University.

Lois recently participated in SLCembedded.

Loretta Yarlow ’70, has spent more than four decades shaping the world of modern and contemporary art as a museum director, curator, educator, and advocate for emerging voices in the arts. Inspired by formative experiences at Sarah Lawrence and the mentorship of faculty like William S. Rubin and Barbara Rose, Loretta has built a career rooted in curiosity, scholarship, and a deep commitment to public engagement with the visual arts.

Loretta has held leadership roles at institutions across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, including museums and galleries in Boston, New York City, Amherst, Toronto, and Vienna. She served as Commissioner and Curator of the 47th Venice Biennale, directed a commercial art gallery in Toronto, and consulted on corporate collections for Petro Canada. This multifaceted career has placed her in a unique position within the global art community, bridging the worlds of public institutions, private collections, and academic museums.

As Director of the University Museum of Contemporary Art (UMCA) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Loretta developed programs that connect students directly with the professional art world. She established Graduate Assistantships and a year-long Curatorial Fellowship Program, and created undergraduate internships focused on museum education, social media, collections management, and exhibition installation. Through courses like Student Educator Practicum and Collecting 101, Loretta gave students practical, hands-on experiences — including the opportunity to select and purchase works for the museum’s permanent collection using a fund she personally raised.

Her early experiences as an intern at the Yonkers Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard, and the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris set the foundation for a career defined by cross-cultural engagement and a belief in the power of art to educate, inspire, and connect.

Donald Miller ’75, has demonstrated an enduring commitment to Sarah Lawrence College through decades of meaningful service and engagement. A dedicated physician who practiced medicine for over 44 years in the Boston area, Donald has brought the same care and thoughtfulness to his volunteer work on behalf of the College.

Over the years, he has served in numerous roles—as an admissions volunteer, reunion organizer, and class correspondent extraordinaire—helping to keep classmates connected and engaged.

A proud member of a multi-generational Sarah Lawrence family, Donald’s deep ties to the College include his mother Claire Strauss Miller ’36, sister Sheila Miller Bernson ’71, wife Lauren Radovsky Miller ’76, and daughter Carolyn Miller Pierce ’08.

As a member of his 50th Reunion Committee, Donald has helped lead efforts to celebrate his class’s milestone year. Most recently, he penned a thoughtful letter encouraging classmates to consider estate planning and legacy giving in support of the College’s future, in addition to championing the Fund for Sarah Lawrence. Sarah Lawrence College gratefully honors Donald Miller for his enthusiastic volunteerism, his steadfast dedication to the alumni community, and his generous service to the life and future of the College.

Gertrude “Gigi” de Gersdorff Wilmers ’60, has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to Sarah Lawrence College through her philanthropy, volunteerism, and passionate advocacy for the values that shaped her student experience. Deeply influenced by faculty member Adda Bozeman, Gigi has honored that legacy through her generous support of the Adda Bozeman Chair in International Relations, as well as her ongoing contributions to the Fund for Sarah Lawrence.

In fall 2024, Gigi provided matching gift funds for Giving Tuesday, encouraging others to join her in supporting the College. Reflecting on her time at Sarah Lawrence, she wrote: "The College fostered an atmosphere of tolerance and deep reflection which, through its enlightened faculty, stimulated my curiosity and encouraged me to 'think out of the box.' How could I not want to express my gratitude to Sarah Lawrence?"

A loyal Reunion volunteer, Gigi has helped bring classmates together across generations, including in celebration of her 65th Reunion this year.

Gigi earned a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Virginia, and in the 1960s served on New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller’s private research staff. She later pursued her passion for art history, earning a Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1991, and has since lectured and published on American, Renaissance, and Baroque art. She recently retired from the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) in New York City, where she specialized in authenticating works of art. Her 2010 book on her great-grandfather, artist and stained-glass designer, Frederic Crowninshield, reflects her commitment to preserving and sharing cultural heritage.

She is a former trustee of the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield, MA and The Mount, Edith Wharton’s Home. Sarah Lawrence College is proud to honor Gertrude “Gigi” Wilmers for her enduring service to the College.