Women's Studies Research Center

Cynthia L. Berenson serves on the University Board of Trustees, as well as the boards of the Women’s Studies Research Center and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program at Brandeis University. Cynthia is a nationally recognized philanthropist who has given decades of service to Brandeis University, the international Jewish community and countless non-profits. A University Fellow since 2000, Cynthia and her family created the Allen/Berenson Distinguished Visiting Professorship in Women's Studies at Brandeis and the Cynthia L. and Theodore S. Berenson Chair of Fine Arts along with establishing the Director's Office in the Women's Studies Research Center in 1995.

Along with her husband, Theodore, who is also a University Fellow, Cynthia launched the Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The Hon. Anita H. Dymant (Ret.) served as a judge for the Los Angeles County Superior Court in California. Dymant was initially appointed to the Los Angeles Municipal Court in 1992. She was subsequently elevated to the Superior Court upon court unification in 2000. She retired after her term expired in 2012.

Dymant earned a B.A. in History from Brandeis University in 1971. She then completed a J.D. at the University of Illinois College of Law in 1974.

After graduating from law school, Dymant moved to Washington, D.C. She worked as an attorney-advisor with the Interstate Commerce Commission, authoring agency rules and opinions for administrative judges. Then, in 1978, she transferred to Los Angeles where she continued to work with the Interstate Commerce Commission as a senior trial attorney.

Diamont held the position until 1981, at which time she became an associate at Robinson, Melikan and Ibrecht. Later that same year, she joined the Office of the U.S. Attorney as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, where she spent the next several years prosecuting fraud and white-collar crimes.

Her memberships have included the American Judicature Society, the National Women Judges Association, the California Judges Associaion, and the Municipal Court Judges Association. 

Madalyn Friedberg served as the past national president of the Brandeis National Committee until 2020. A BNC member since 1973, she joined the National Executive Committee as a member of the learning opportunities team in 2013. A year later, she was named vice president of learning opportunities. She took over as fundraising VP in 2015.

Madalyn and her husband, Stephen, who is also a BNC member, established the Friedberg Family Endowed Scholarship Fund this year. They have also created three charitable gift annuities in support of the University.

She is an active member of BNC’s Central Westchester chapter, and for many years chaired the spring luncheon, the chapter’s annual fundraiser. For the event, she recruited many well-known speakers, including playwright Maury Yeston, movie critic Jeffrey Lyons, author Elinor Lipman and film historian Robert Osborne. She also served as chapter treasurer, led study groups and was a member of the nominating committee.

A native New Yorker, Madalyn earned a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Syracuse University, performed her internship at New York Hospital and worked as a consulting dietitian in long-term care facilities for 50 years. She was active in the Westchester Rockland Dietetic Association and was a member of the nominating committee for the New York State Dietetic Association. She was appointed to the New York State Department of Health's task force that created the kosher food law for long-term care facilities.

She is involved in a number of volunteer activities and was chair of the board of the DeSisto School, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She and her husband have three children and nine grandchildren, ranging in age from four to 24.

Carol R. Goldberg founded the AVCAR Group LTD., a private investment and consulting firm together with her husband Avram in 1990 after a 30-year career with The Stop & Shop companies. She has served on a number of public boards, such as The Gillette Company, The Putnam Fund Groups, and the Stop & Shop Companies.

Carol is past chair of United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, a member of the boards of the Women’s Studies Research Center at Brandeis University and The One Hundred Club. She is a founding member of the Commonwealth Institute and a Trustee for Life of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and past chair of its Medical Education Committee. Carol is retired as a member of the Board of Combined Jewish Philanthropies and the Board of Hebrew College.

She received her BA in sociology from Jackson College in 1955, is a graduate from the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and was a Fellow at the Bunting Institute, Radcliffe College.

Dawn Good Elk is a strong supporter of women's rights and research, and an eager participant in discussions and conversations surrounding current day feminism.

Peter R. Kalb is the Cynthia L. and Theodore S. Berenson Associate Professor of Contemporary Art at Brandeis University, where he teaches modern and contemporary art history. He is on the core faculty of the Brandeis Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program.

Kalb's most recent publication is "Art Since 1980: Charting the Contemporary," (Pearson and Laurence King: New York and London, 2014), which details the expanding contemporary art world from its New York explosion in the early 1980s to its global expansion in the 21st century. Before "Art Since 1980," he was the revising author of the fifth edition of "H.H. Arnason History of Modern Art" and the author of "High Drama: The New York Cityscapes of Georgia O’Keeffe and Margaret Bourke-White."

Peter's scholarship addresses issues in 20th- and 21st-century art and criticism. He serves as the Boston-based corresponding editor for Art in America.

Annette Liberman-Miller has performed on Broadway, off-Broadway, in Boston and at many regional theaters, and is a leading actor with the Shakespeare & Company Repertory Theater in Lenox, Massachusetts. She is a member of the Actor's Equity Association and the Screen Actors Guild, and a former member of the board of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities.

Annette has written, produced and acted in three shows which she tours. As a WSRC Scholar, she recently wrote a theatrical collage about the pleasures and perils of our third chapter called "Now Is Our Time." She performs the collage for special events, regional theaters, fundraisers and Jewish and women's organizations, as well as at senior residences. In the summer 2019, Annette starred in "The Waverly Gallery" by renowned playwright Kenneth Lonergan at Shakespeare & Company. Annette has taught acting at the Harvard Extension School as well as privately.

She received her BA and MFA degrees at Brandeis University.

Diane R. Rubin was appointed Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Land Court in 2019. Before her judicial appointment, Diane was a partner in real estate development at Prince Lobel Tye, LLP in Boston. She has served as president of the Real Estate Bar Association, on its board of Directors for eight years and executive committee for five years.

Diane was with Mahoney Hawkes & Goldings and a partner at Holland & Knight. She was responsible for all turnpike litigation as Associate General Counsel to the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority from 1997-2000. Diane began her legal career as Assistant General Counsel to the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare in 1985.

She graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University in 1981 and received her juris doctor from Boston University Law School in 1985. Since 2014, Diane has served as co-chair of the Women’s Studies Research Center Advisory Board and also on the Board of Caritas Communities, an affordable housing nonprofit.

Barbara Sander serves on the Brandeis University Board of Trustees and devoted much of her time to the Brandeis National Committee. As a licensed clinical social worker, Barbara has worked as a family therapist at Family and Children’s Service of St. Louis, a parent educator in the Parkway School District, and as director of program quality for Parents as Teachers National Center. Sander hobbies include the fine arts, health and activity and she has always focused on bettering others, this is evidenced through her work with ORT America — the largest Jewish nonprofit organization for education in the world. Sander holds a master's in social work though Washington University and an undergraduate degree from Brown University.

Heidi Shear practiced law for more than 35 years, most of which was spent in-house as Vice President and Managing Counsel at LSB Industries, Inc. (NYSE:LXU). She currently focuses on volunteer activities and supporting the arts. Heidi is the co-owner and director of David Shear Art-an art studio and gallery located in Boston, MA and  the Co-President, Executive Director, and a board member of ReachArts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit community arts center located in Swampscott, MA. Heidi serves as a volunteer mediator at the Massachusetts District Court and as a hospital volunteer. Previously a board member of the Jewish Journal of the North Shore, Heidi is a life member of Hadassah. Her J.D. and LLM in taxation are from the Boston University School of Law and her B.A. is from Tufts University.

Rosalie Ripaldi-Shane has been involved with Brandeis University since soon after graduating in 1966. She was asked to be a member of the Hillel Board at Brandeis where she and her husband Jim ultimately served as co-presidents for several years. She and Jim were elected Fellows of the University in 2013. Ripaldi-Shane’s great interest in art drew her to become a member of the board of the WSRC, and her joy at being there has kept her involved since 2005. She has been co-chair of the board since 2007. Rosalie owns and manages the Saxonville Studios in Framingham, which she co-founded in 1989. She is a member of the Copley Society, the Cambridge Art Association, and the Martha’s Vineyard Art Association where she is a member of the board. She has served for five years as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Preservation Trust of Martha’s Vineyard. In honor of her uncle and aunt, Rosalie produces the Annual Alfredo and Demitra DiLuzio Concert in the Slosberg Concert Hall at Brandeis University featuring WSRC Scholars performances and work.

After a 28-year career as an academic pathologist at a Boston teaching hospital, David Weinberg decided to pursue his longstanding interest in photography on a full-time basis, and he now maintains a photographic studio in Brookline, MA. For many years his research explored the use of digital imaging to detect and classify human disease, so it was entirely natural for him to adopt digital photography for his personal work. In 2006 David obtained a Certificate in Professional Photography from the Center for Digital Imaging and the Arts at Boston University. David earned his MD and PhD at New York University.

Austin Wertheimer closed his medical office in 2013 after 32 years of practice in women’s health, specializing in cancer prevention and menopausal management. Prior to this, he served on the faculties of Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine. As a strong advocate for women and social justice he chose to do his early training at Boston City Hospital (now Boston Medical Center) which provides care to many of the underserved in the City of Boston. After finishing his residency, Austin joined the staff of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Austin has always enjoyed photography. His images can be seen at www.wertheimerphoto.com which also contains a “pro bono” section with his photo work for nonprofit events and fundraisers. His other affiliations include Physicians for Social Responsibility and Bikes not Bombs.

Rachel Winkeller recently retired from her position as Director of Transportation, Policy and Planning at the US Department of Transportation (DOS). As a key senior advisor at Volpe, she led large technical staff teams and managed significant program budgets for governmental agencies. Rachel holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy from The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. She has worked for NSTAR and has consulted to private and non-profit organizations on strategic planning. Rachel’s B.A. is in Political Science from Wellesley College.