IU Alumni in DC

Join fellow alumni for an inspirational evening featuring an incredible line-up of prominent, DC-area alumnae that includes Yulia Boyle, Jennifer Broome, Julie Carey, Robin Steis, and Dawn Michele Whitehead.

Hosted at the historic National Press Club, featured alumnae will share stories of their time at Indiana University, the impact IU has had on their lives, and the success and influence they’ve achieved in their respective industries.

The program consists of a panel discussion moderated by Robin Steis.

Program

6-7:00 p.m. | Networking, Cocktails, and Passed Hors D’Oeuvres
7-8:15 p.m. | Alumni Stories and Panel Discussion
8:15-9 p.m. | Networking and Cocktails

Cost is $20.

Please register by Wednesday, April 12th.

Please direct all questions to Eric Hafner, IUAA Director of Market Engagement, at ehafner@indiana.edu.

This event is presented by the Indiana University Alumni Association in association with the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, IU Women's Philanthropy, the Indiana University Foundation, the Media School, and the College of Arts & Sciences.

Panel Moderator

Robin Steis | BS'83

Robin Steis, is a native Hoosier and Indiana University Kelley School of Business Alumna, Robin Steis moved to the Washington D.C. area to begin her career. She spent the last 35 years in the software industry where she led teams of people to successfully improve the Customer Experience in both the Healthcare industry as well as the Federal Government. This included working with executives and directors impacting agencies such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Humana, FEMA, Social Security Administration, and Center for Medicare Services. A recognized leader in the field, Robin has received a multitude of awards for her innovative solutions both internally and externally which continue to be utilized today assisting organizations in achieving their financial and service goals.

Robin retired from her corporate job in 2022 providing the opportunity to focus on her philanthropic passions. Areas of particular interest include empowering Women/Girls in Technology; enabling access to undergraduate higher education; and establishing interpretative programs supporting the mission of the National Park Service.

Panelists

Yulia Boyle, MPA’99, is Vice President at Disney’s General Entertainment Division, responsible for NatGeo Global Media Partnerships, Image Collection, and Business Operations. She leads the strategy for NatGeo’s global media activities in 55 countries and 28 local languages, oversees the transformation of NatGeo iconic Image Collection archive into the best-in-class digital asset management system, and is in charge of NatGeo Media business operations.

Yulia has been instrumental in rapid global expansion of the National Geographic media properties, overseeing launches of NG magazines media and books for adults and kids across the globe since 2007. Forming strategic partnership with world’s leading media companies, Yulia has been successful in conceptualizing and launching many high-revenue, new-format publishing products globally.

Yulia, who is fluent in English, Armenian and Russian, has had a 23-year career in media, international partnerships, and business development. Before joining National Geographic, she worked for Macmillan Publishing, UK, where she launched a joint venture with a local publishing house in Armenia, assisting in the winning World Bank Tender to publish curricula textbooks, expanding Macmillan’s offerings in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. She also worked as a reporter for Ukraine’s largest English-language newspaper, the Kyiv Post, and oversaw the rebranding and launch of a popular women’s weekly targeting Ukraine’s professional women, as its publisher. Boyle has also launched and managed the British Council (BC) operations in Armenia and supervised the first ever Royal Visit to Armenia in the framework of BC’s cultural exchange programs.

In January 2022 Yulia was appointed as the new Chair of FIPP, world’s oldest and largest global media membership association. Yulia has also served on the Board of Nikkei National Geographic Joint Venture since 2014.

Boyle holds a master’s degree in public management and comparative international affairs from Indiana University, Bloomington. She has a bachelor’s degree in English language and U.S./U.K. studies.

Jennifer Broome, MA’06, CFRE, serves as the Vice President of Philanthropy at Prosperity Now, where she leads a team of fundraising professionals and manages multiple revenue streams in service to Prosperity Now’s timely and urgent mission to eliminate racial economic injustice and build an economic system in which all people can thrive.

Jennifer has over 20 years of fundraising experience across the non-profit sector, having worked at organizations with economic development, higher education, environmental, disaster relief, and international security missions. Her broad expertise in building comprehensive and sustainable fundraising programs is informed by experience in many types of revenue generating activities, including major and principal donor solicitation; foundation and corporate relations and cause marketing; annual fund and direct marketing; and government grants and contracts.

Jennifer holds a master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from The Ohio State University with dual undergraduate degrees in French and Comparative Studies of Religion and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

She is actively involved in the Association of Fundraising Professionals, where she has served in various volunteer leadership roles, including as the 2017 president of the local Washington D.C. chapter, and volunteers with several local organizations.

She also served as a Peace Corps in Madagascar where she taught English, health, and environmental education to 6th and 10th graders. She is fluent in French and is an avid traveler, reader, and hiker. She lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with her fur-babies.

Julie Carey, BA’82, is the Northern Virginia bureau chief for NBC4. She's been covering Northern Virginia & Virginia politics, courts, crime, growth & government policy since she arrived in the Washington DC area in 1992. Julie has been NBC4's lead reporter for many important stories during those years including: The Ken Starr grand jury & impeachment trial of President Clinton, the 9-11 attack on the Pentagon, the sniper trial of Lee Boyd Malvo, the trial of Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell & every Virginia election since 1993. Julie has also served as a panelist or moderator for many debates, some of them televised statewide & nationally. And as an avid IU sports fan, she welcomed the University of Maryland’s addition to the Big 10, bringing her Hoosier-viewing opportunities closer to home. Prior to her stint at NBC4 she worked at NBC stations in St. Louis and Indianapolis after starting her career in Cedar Rapids in 1980 her home state of Iowa. She’s married to fellow journalist Mike Tackett whom she met in the Indiana Daily Student newsroom. The couple has two adult children and a very challenging hound dog.

Dawn Michele Whitehead, BA’97, MS’03, PhD’07, is the Vice President of the Office of Global Citizenship for Campus, Community and Careers at the American Association of College and Universities (AAC&U) in Washington, DC where she works with colleges and universities to integrate global and experiential learning into curricular and co-curricular initiatives. Whitehead has presented nationally and internationally, written articles, and facilitated grant-funded projects on community based global learning, experiential learning, global health, integrative learning, and strategic planning.

Prior to her work at AAC&U, Whitehead served as the Director for Curriculum Internationalization, as a faculty director for community engaged learning programs in Costa Rica, Ghana, Kenya, and Eswatini and taught Global and International Studies courses at Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis.

Whitehead earned her Ph.D. in Education Policy Studies with a doctoral minor in International and Comparative Education and a concentration in African Studies, her master's degree in International and Comparative Education, and her bachelor’s degree in History and Afro-American Studies at Indiana University Bloomington.

She is a lifetime member of the Indiana University Alumni Association, and she currently serves as vice-chair of the Board of Managers. She is also an active volunteer at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Mu Omega Chapter. She also serves on the Board of Directors for The Forum on Education Abroad. Her life and work have taken her to over 30 countries where she has seen the power of kindness transcend language and culture, and she seeks to give back this kindness in her daily life.