Congratulations to 2025 AADC Society of Excellence honorees
The Associate Alumnae of Douglass College (AADC) Board of Directors and Awards Committee announce three notable alumnae will be inducted into the 2025 AADC Society of Excellence honorees.
Honorees are:
- Stefanie A. Lachenauer ’06, Educator and Mindfulness Author
- Christiana Foglio ’84, Founder & CEO Community Investment Strategies, Inc.
- Gretchen Sullivan Sorin ’74 Ph.D., Director and Distinguished Professor, Cooperstown Graduate Program
See below to learn more about this year’s honorees. The AADC Society of Excellence recognizes alumnae who have brought honor to the Associate Alumnae by their distinctive achievements in both professional and community endeavors, and their service to the AADC, including alumnae involvement and financial support.
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The Induction Ceremony Luncheon will be hosted on the Rutgers campus in the Neilson Dining Hall Rectangular Room on Saturday, November 1, 2025. The ceremony will include welcome remarks and special introductions by AADC Awards Committee Chair and event emcee Jessica Bagtas ’15, and by President Lisa Dorio Ruch ’89, who will present the awards to our honorees, along with Executive Director Eileen M. Cotter. At the conclusion, Leigh Brodsky-Schubert ’04 will lead those gathered in singing the Douglass Alama Mater.
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Special thanks to the Awards Committee, as Douglass alumnae, friends and partners, and the Rutgers community gather to celebrate the remarkable careers, achievements, and impact in our AADC community of our honorees, and all the members inducted into the Society of Excellence.
About the Honorees
Stefanie A. Lachenauer â06 was named for her excellence as an educator and her consistent support of the Associate Alumnae. A middle school teacher in the Montgomery Township, NJ, School District, she was named NJ State Teacher of the Year 2024-2025 and previously named Somerset County Teacher of the Year. She is not only an educator, but a certified yoga teacher and certified trauma and resilience trainer. She uses her multifaceted background to incorporate mindfulness and wellness in her curriculum to empower students to take care of themselves emotionally and mentally. Most recently, she is the author of Let the Glitter Settle: Mindfulness for Teens. As an activist and public speaker, she encourages students to civically engage with their communities. She has been active with the Associate Alumnae since graduation and has served multiple roles, such as board member, graduation greeter, and a speaker at the inaugural AADC Womenâs Conference in 2023. She connects classmates as Class Secretary and received the Associate Alumnae’s Young Alumna Mabel Award in 2010 for her dedication to the Young Alumnae Network.
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Christiana Foglio â84 has been named for her excellence in business, New Jersey state policy, and affordable housing development. As the founder and president of Community Investment Strategies, Inc. (CIS), she revitalizes communities by bringing high quality housing for residents of modest income. CIS focuses on creating environments in which individuals succeed and flourish and places that improve lives and neighborhoods. Among accolades received, she recently received the 2025 NJBiz Leaders in Real Estate, Construction and Design Award. Christiana is an advocate for women in civic service and state policy. She is a generous supporter of the AADC Annual Appeal and a consistent attendee and supporter of Associate Alumnae programming.
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Gretchen Sullivan Sorin â74 was named for her impressive career in museum exhibition curation and education. With an academic background in American Studies, Museum Studies, and American History she has published several books elucidating African American history and identity. One of her books was turned into a PBS documentary, Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility. The innumerable exhibits she has curated can be seen at prestigious institutions such the Smithsonian, the Jewish Museum, and the New York State Historical Association. Through her work, she continues to educate the public and raise social consciousness.
