Happy International Women’s Day, here are some notable women alums!

In honor of Women’s History Month, this article spotlights women alumni from the Barnumbia community of all backgrounds, industries,  and careers. Many already know of famous women alumni such as Amelia Earhart, Greta Gerwig, Cynthia Nixon, and Lauren Graham. However, below are other alumni with equally astonishing accomplishments. 

Arts:

Kathryn Bigelow CC ’79 – Film Director

Kathryn Bigelow graduated in 1979, receiving a master’s degree in film from Columbia’s graduate film program. She studied under many notable professors including Susan Sontag, Andrew Sarris, and Edward Said, learning film theory and criticism. In 2010, she became the first woman to win the award for Best Director at the 82nd Academy Awards for the film “The Hurt Locker.” She has many other notable films such as “Zero Dark Thirty” and “Point Break.”

Zora Neale Hurston BC ’28 – Author

After transferring from Howard University to Barnard College, Zola Neale Hurston was the only black student at Barnard at the time, and on receiving her BA in 1928, became the first black graduate from Barnard College. She studied closely with Franz Boas, a professor at Columbia at the time, conducting ethnographic research with him. Although many believe her BA was in anthropology, she actually earned a bachelor’s degree in English, but conducted anthropology graduate work at Columbia University. Zora is most well known for her book “Their Eyes Were Watching God” and was a prominent author during the Harlem Renaissance, with relationships to Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen.

Politics/News:

Maria Hinojosa BC ’85 – Journalist 

Maria Hinojosa is a Mexican-American journalist who graduated from Barnard College in 1985 with a degree in Latin American studies. During her time at Barnard, she was the host of a Latino radio show. Since graduating from Barnard, she has founded Futuro Media Group. The Group produces Latino USA, which is a show she is an anchor and executive producer for. It primarily focuses on news within the Latino community. She has won numerous awards, including four Emmy awards and a Pulitzer Prize. She was the first Latina to anchor a PBS Frontline report and has worked for many notable news publications including CBS, NPR, CNN, and PBS.

Shirley Chisholm CC ’51 – Politician

Shirley Chisholm was an American politician and paved the way for many women in politics, specifically black women in politics. Although she received her undergraduate degree from Brooklyn College, she would go on to get her MA in early childhood education in 1951 from Columbia University. From 1969 to 1973, she served as a representative of New York’s 12th Congressional District. Then in 1968, she became the first black woman elected to a seat in the US Congress. Only four years later in 1972, she went on to be the first black candidate to run for a major party’s presidential nomination and the first woman to run for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. She has received many awards for her political work, including a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom and posthumous Congressional Gold Medal. 

Activists:

Grace Lee Boggs BC ’35 – Activist

A graduate of Barnard College, Grace Lee Boggs was a notable activist and author. She received her BA in 1935 with a degree in philosophy. After graduating, Boggs was a prominent activist in Asian American, Black Power, and Civil Rights movements and collaborated with other figures such as CLR James and Raya Dunayevskaya. She has written over five different books and helped to found organizations such as Detroit Summer, which helps youth improve their surrounding communities. 

Nina Asary BC ’89 – Historian/Activist 

Nina Asary is an Iranian-American historian who graduated from Barnard College in 1989 with a degree in sociology, going on to get a master’s and PhD from Columbia University. Asary’s research largely focuses on women’s rights in Iran. Her book, “Jewels of Allah: The Untold Story of Women in Iran,” was based on her thesis during her time at Columbia and details stories of Iranian women and factors that contributed to the feminist movement. Asary has also written other books, including “Anonymous Is a Woman.”  She received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2019 and the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni Award in 2020.

Sports:

Cristina Teuscher,  CC ’2000 – Olympic Swimmer

Christina Teuscher is an Olympic gold-medalist who graduated from Columbia College in 2000 with a degree in psychology. While at Columbia she swam for the Columbia Lions, receiving numerous achievements, including being co-captain her senior year, being a four-time NCAA champion, and winning twelve Ivy League titles. She also set seventeen Columbia team records and in her four years never lost an individual race in collegiate dual meets. After graduating she would go on, as part of the US women’s relay team, to win a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the 4×200 meter freestyle and a bronze medal in the 2000 meter IM at the 2000 Summer Olympics. 

Abbey Hsu – CC ’24 – Basketball Player

Abbey Hsu is a notable basketball player of Columbia’s alumni. In just her freshman year, she was named second-team All-Ivy League and All-Met Rookie of the Year. In 2023, Hsu helped Columbia achieve its first Ivy League regular-season title and was unanimously a first-team All-Ivy League pick. As a junior, she ranked second in the country for three-pointers per game. In her last year playing on the Columbia women’s basketball team, Hsu was named Ivy League Player Of the Year, All-Met Player of the Year and received an All-American honorable mention from WBCA and the Associated Press. When leaving the team, Hsu had the most three-pointers by a player in the Ivy League. After graduating from Columbia College in 2024 with a bachelor’s in economics, Hsu went on to become the first Columbia player to be drafted to the WNBA and just recently signed a rookie contract with the Connecticut Suns. 

Images via Flickr and BwogArchives