Three Bard Alumnae Named to Zohran Mamdani’s Transition Team

Bard alumnae Ruba Katrib MA-CCS ’07 and Diya Vij ’08 were named to NYC mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s Arts and Culture transition team, and Cynthia Conti-Cook ’03 was named to the Committee on Government Operations. Katrib is chief curator and director of curatorial affairs at MoMA PS1 in Queens, and Vij is vice president of curatorial and arts programs at Powerhouse Arts. Conti-Cook is the director of research and policy at the Collaborative Research Center for Resilience, where she leads work on digital public infrastructures and government use of digital technologies. The 28-member transition team includes curators, art dealers, journalists, and arts and nonprofit administrators throughout the city. “I think [Mamdani]’s platform resonates because most people ‘downtown’ are feeling the squeeze of a New York City unconcerned with its working class,” artist Aria Dean told ArtNews in March.

Post Date: 12-09-2025