Lois Palken Rudnick ’77 PhD

Lois Palken Rudnick ’77 PhD, of Santa Fe, N.Mex.; June 6, of multiple myeloma. A graduate of both Brown and Tufts, she taught at UMass Boston and chaired its American studies program for 25 years. She had a fierce drive to build a more equitable society through teaching, advocacy, and activism. She was a believer in the power of people to make it in this country and do better, and while teaching a class on immigration issues, she took her class on a field trip to the Statue of Liberty to help students visualize the feeling of entering a new world. Past students remember her singing and dressing up to teach. After moving to New Mexico, she immersed herself in the culture and became a driving force of Interfaith Coalition for Public Education in Santa Fe. She was fascinated by Mabel Dodge Luhan and authored several books, including The Suppressed Memoirs of Mabel Dodge Luhan. In addition to being a community activist, an author, and a teacher, she in recent years began channeling the spirited power of Wonder Woman, including wearing a Wonder Woman bracelet and robe. She continually pushed to empower others. She is survived by her husband, Steven; daughter Deborah Rudnick ’94; a granddaughter; a sister and brother-in-law; and a brother and sister-in-law.