ABOUT US

Abigail Feder-Kane
Director of Institutional Support

Prior to coming to Barnard in June 2005, Abby worked at WNYC, New York Public Radio, most recently as Director of Foundation and Government Relations.  During her 5-year tenure at WNYC, she served in a variety of administrative and operational positions, including Director of Special Projects, in which capacity she oversaw the station’s facility search and participated in an internal review of programming. From 1995-1999, she was the Assistant to the Labor Operations Director at the Metropolitan Opera, providing crucial research for the negotiation of 24 collective bargaining agreements with 18 unions. Abby holds a Ph.D. and an M.A. in Theatre from Northwestern University – her research focused on ways in which femininity has been constructed in popular culture – and a B.A. in History from Swarthmore College.

Did you know that Abby...

• Studied Chinese as an undergraduate and traveled to China in 1987.
  
  
• Got first post-college job because she was called on stage by Penn & Teller on the opening night of their first Broadway show.
  
  
• Worked as an off-off-Broadway stage manager in the late 80s and might very well have become a professional stage manager had George H.W. Bush not won the 1988 Presidential election (there is a connection, but you’ll have to ask her about that one).
  
  
• Her husband and she had their co-op board interview on September 11, 2001 (btw, they got the apartment).
  
  
• In 1992, she wrote a seminar paper on media representations of Ladies Figure Skating, because she wanted an excuse to watch the competitions.  That essay was subsequently published in an academic  journal, anthologized in three books, excerpted in the Village Voice and led to her covering the Gay Games figure skating competition for the Voice,being quoted in Sports Illustrated and appearing on NPR’s On the Media.

Rhonda Zangwill
Associate Director of Institutional Support

In the five or so years before Barnard Rhonda's professional life revolved around teaching mostly poetry to mostly primary school kids with occasional forays into playwriting and urban archeology.  Before that she was senior writer at the Institute of International Education, and before that a fundraiser and PR person for NYU’s Bobst Library.  Before that she can’t remember. Rhonda graduated from Emerson College and before that attended Antioch.  She is, like most Antiochians, devastated by its recent demise.  Rhonda also accrued enough graduate credits at NYU to reap the benefits of alum-dom, i.e. access to their fabulous pool.

Did you know that Rhonda...

• Writes for fun as well as for (non)profit, and is proud to be published in Calyx.
  
  
• Knows where the best scones are.  Just ask her.
  
  
• Eagerly awaiting the moment when she can puncture the Bush blow-up doll in our office.
  
  
• Thinks John Sayles (a favorite writer/filmmaker) should be president .
  
  
• Cape Cod loyalist.

Sharon Cauthen
Manager of Institutional Support

Sharon Cauthen, Manager, Institutional Support, works with Barnard’s faculty to secure and administer external research grants.  Sharon most recently worked at WNYC, New York Public Radio, where she juggled multiple responsibilities as the Executive Assistant to two Vice Presidents who together were responsible for the station's finances, operations, HR, marketing and communications.  Sharon's career has taken her to a number of high-pressure, world-class institutions, including Showtime and Deutsche Bank, with responsibilities ranging from programming research/scheduling to contract negotiations.  Sharon majored in English at Ithaca College.

Did you know that Sharon...

• Was a contestant on Jeopardy!
  
  
• She’s a classic movie aficionado – especially films of  the 40’s.
  
  
• Was in a pop singing group (Monday’s Children) while in  Bronx H.S. of Science (and yes, they had an entourage).
  
  
• Loves all things British.
  
  
• Is a foodie with an unbeatable Jamaican codfish cake recipe (just ask her grandmother)!

Sarbani Hazra
Research Coordinator

Sarbani Hazra received her B.A. in psychology from Smith College in 2005, where she conducted research on the political activity of college-age South Asian-Americans. She was a research coordinator at Harvard Medical School where she helped with grant preparation, IRB protocol, clinical assessments, and manuscript writing. Sarbani then worked with HMS's Department of Continuing Medical Education where she helped with administrative related duties. She's been working at Insitutional Support since September 2007.

Did you know that Sarbani...

• Connected to all the seven sisters.
  
  
• Is a classically trained dancer.
  
  
• An avid traveler, her favorite cities include New York City, Istanbul, Paris, and Calcutta.
  
  
• Her cooking specialty is chicken biryani.
  
  
• Has performed at New York Comedy Club (no joke).