Information for
Helpful Links
Sage Graduate Sarah Kate Ellis is President and CEO of GLAAD; Held Executive Roles at Real Simple, Vogue, InStyle
Sage will award honorary degrees to Sarah Kate Ellis and to Brenda Robinson, founder of the Black Nurses Coalition
Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of GLAAD, the nation’s leading LGBTQ advocacy organization, will address Russell Sage College’s Class of 2022 and guests at Sage’s commencement on Saturday, May 14, 2022.
Since becoming president and CEO of GLAAD in 2014, Ellis has advanced initiatives that accelerate acceptance for all LGBTQ people, advocate for the fair, full and accurate portrayal of LGBTQ people in the media, and fight discriminatory legislation across the country.
Her commentary is regularly featured by major newspapers, magazines and news broadcasts including, most recently, CNBC, Fortune and the Washington Blade. She has also appeared on lists of influencers, like Variety’s New Power of New York list of 50 notable activists, artists and tastemakers; OUT Magazine’s OUT100; Family Circle’s most influential moms; and Guardian’s World Power Pride list.
Ellis is coauthor, with her wife Kristen Ellis-Henderson, of Times Two, Two Women in Love and the Happy Family They Made, published by Simon & Schuster and nominated for a Stonewall Book Award. Their picture book, All Moms, was published by Little Bee Books in March 2022.
Prior to joining GLAAD, Ellis held executive roles at Real Simple, Vogue, InStyle, New York and House & Garden magazines. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Russell Sage College and completed the Tuck Executive Education program at Dartmouth.
Sage will award an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree to Ellis and to Brenda Robinson, a nurse at the Veterans Health Administration and founder of the Black Nurses Coalition. The Black Nurses Coalition is an Albany-based nonprofit that addresses health care disparities among minority and low-income communities.
“Sarah Kate Ellis and Brenda Robinson exemplify the values of Sage students and graduates across decades,” said Sage Sage President Christopher Ames. “Their careers show their commitments to making a difference in the world and to advancing gender, racial and economic equity.”
Russell Sage College’s 2022 commencement is on Saturday, May 14 at 6 p.m. The ceremony will be held at the MVP Arena (formerly known as the Times Union Center) at 51 South Pearl Street in Albany.
More information is available at Sage.edu/commencement.