Woman Vision, a non-profit organization founded by Dee Mosbacher in 1993, serves as a primary vehicle for her documentary filmmaking and social activism. Born in Houston in 1949, she maintains a career that spans the fields of psychiatry, institutional leadership, and media production, consistently focusing on human rights, discrimination, and the experiences of LGBTQ individuals within professional and personal spheres.
Academic and Medical Training
Mosbacher pursued a comprehensive education, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology from Pitzer College in Claremont, California. She subsequently attained a doctorate in social psychology from the Union Graduate School and a medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. Her clinical experience includes a medical internship at Cambridge Hospital through Harvard Medical School from 1983 to 1984, followed by a three-year psychiatry residency at the same institution ending in 1987.
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Her work as a director and producer explores the intersection of health, sports, and sexual orientation. In 1995, she co-directed and co-produced the documentary Straight From the Heart, which documented the relationships between parents and their gay or lesbian children and earned an Academy Award nomination in the Documentary (Short Subject) category. Her 2009 film, Training Rules, co-directed with Fawn Yacker, investigated allegations of discrimination within the women's basketball program at Penn State University.
Institutional Engagement and Philanthropy
Mosbacher has maintained long-standing ties to her undergraduate alma mater. She served as a member of the Pitzer College Board of Trustees from 1994 until 2002. In 2010 and 2011, she founded the Mosbacher Fund for Media Studies and the Mosbacher/Gartrell Center for Media Experimentation and Activism at Pitzer. Her professional contributions have been recognized with several honors, including the 2014 Mathew O. Tobriner Public Service award from the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco.
Fast facts
- Born: 1949, Houston, Texas
- Citizenship: United States
- Medical degree: Baylor College of Medicine
- Non-profit founded: Woman Vision (1993)
- Significant nomination: Academy Award (1995)
- Marriage: Nanette Gartrell
- Public service award: Mathew O. Tobriner (2014)
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Woman Vision?
Woman Vision is a non-profit organization that produces documentary films concerning women's rights and LGBTQ issues.
Did Dee Mosbacher serve on the board of Pitzer College?
Yes, she served as a member of the Pitzer College Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2002.

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