Emmy Award-winning Ellen Cleghorne, Ph.D ’76 was the first full-fledged Black female Saturday Night Live cast member, noted for impressions of Anita Hill, Mary J. Blige, Whoopi Goldberg, and many others.

She later starred in her own sitcom and many film and TV productions. But one career was not enough: “to set an example for my daughter” – whom she was encouraging to pursue an advanced degree – she earned a Ph.D from NYU. Her doctoral thesis was on the social context of African American humor.

While continuing to act and perform she went on to teach acting and the theory of comedy at The New School.

One of five siblings to attend Tech, she said her experience “taught me to ignore racists; to be self-reliant; and whatever you want, you are going to have to fight for.”