Sonita Alizadeh ’23, Bard College alumna and human rights activist. 

Sonita Alizadeh ’23 Releases New Memoir

Sonita Alizadeh ’23, Bard College alumna and human rights activist, has released a memoir chronicling how she avoided child marriage twice, escaped Afghanistan to pursue her dreams, and evolved into a woman who is changing the world. In Sonita: My Fight Against Tyranny and My Escape to Freedom, she shares incredible highlights of her life, like winning the songwriting contest that gave her the opportunity of a lifetime, as well as harrowing chapters, like when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, and how some of her family escaped while others were left behind.

Bard alumnus Howard Megdal ’07. 

New Book by Howard Megdal ’07 Reviewed in the Washington Post

A new book by Bard alumnus Howard Megdal ’07, about professional basketball player Caitlin Clark, has been reviewed in the Washington Post. In June, Megdal—a longtime follower of women’s basketball and the WNBA—published his book, Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar, which spans 100 years and traces the arc between the revered women who played the wildly popular game of six-on-six basketball in the 1920s and Clark in the 2020s.

Professor Susan F. Rogers.

Susan Fox Rogers Wins the 2025 Harvard Review Chapbook Prize

Visiting Associate Professor of Writing Susan Fox Rogers has been awarded the Harvard Review Chapbook Prize for 2025. Rogers won the prize for her essay, “Guivi,” about family secrets, following the posthumous letters of a reserved mother and their consequences.

Every month a different member of the Board of Governors is asked to contribute to our Triangle newsletter. This month Caia Diepenbrock '15 shares her Bard story.

Since first arriving in Annandale as a freshman in 2011 and graduating in 2015 as a Studio Arts major, Bard has always been dear to my heart.  I immediately felt at home here, among other like-minded creatives and intellectuals that both know how to have a good time and how to hit the books and argue about philosophy and politics. Since becoming a member of the Board of Governors in 2022, my appreciation for Bard and all that it does has only become stronger. The more time I have spent on the Board, the more I have learned about the expansive network of Bard institutions, initiatives and accomplished alumni/ae that continuously impress me. 

Since being on the Board, I have become Co-Chair of the Events Committee and have hosted events including a Bardians in Film screening party in LA, and an upcoming Art, Design & Photography mixer for Alumni/ae working in those fields in NYC. It will be hosted at fellow Bardian Jessica Kaller's (MS '15) company lighting & furniture design showroom in lower Manhattan on September 18. Let us know if you are interested in attending.

I have also had fun hosting playing parties for the Bard Against Humanity game, which I invented back in 2020. If you don’t know about it, check it out online here- and feel free to order your own set as a partial donation to the College! It's been such a fun way to connect with other Bardians and reminisce about all things Bard (in a tongue & cheek way). 

I love meeting new and friendly fellow Bardians at these events, and I am reminded of the special bond we all have with one another; it feels that no matter when we were a student, we all have that truly unique Bard experience in common. I am also proud to know that Bard is uniquely strong-willed in its conviction as an institution that values open-minded yet critical thinking, accessible higher education, and equal rights for all- and it is now more important than ever to stand up for these values. As a Board member, I will continue to support the College in any way that I can to ensure its ongoing legacy. 

Caia Diepenbrock '15 
Co-Chair of Events Committee
Board of Governors Member since 2022