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October-November 2008Welcome to the October-November 2008 issue of the Harvard Extension Alumni Association (HEAA) e-newsletter, the Extension Chord. In this issue, you will find a profile of Judy Zimmerman, ABE ’77, an article by Pedro Mucciolo, CSS ’00, news from 51 Brattle Street, and alumni news items. As always, we welcome your ideas and suggestions for the Chord and the HEAA. Questions and comments may be sent to Grace Scheibner, HEAA president, at grace_scheibner@harvard.edu. We look forward to hearing from you! Grace Scheibner, ALB ’90 Karen Droisen In This Issue
Profile: Judy Zimmerman, ABE ’77
I met with Judy Zimmerman, ABE ’77, recently to discuss both what led her to Harvard Extension School, and the impact the school has had on her professionally and personally. Judy’s vivacious personality emerged during our conversation as she spoke eloquently of her deep appreciation of the Extension School. As a teacher, Judy has a special understanding of the value of education, and she expressed her gratitude for the outstanding opportunities she enjoyed. What are you currently doing? I have begun my 20th year of full-time teaching. I teach reading to students in grades six, seven, and eight, in the Watertown, Massachusetts, school system. The work is challenging and always interesting, and because I work with one other teacher we have quite a bit of freedom in constructing lessons and units. Tell me something about your background. I am originally from Arlington, Virginia, and attended two years of college at Mary Washington College. I left school to marry Pete who was a student here at Harvard College in the class of 1968 (Peter Zimmerman, AB ’68, MPP ’77, is a senior associate dean for program development and executive education, and lecturer in public policy for the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government). After his graduation we returned to the Washington, DC, area for six years. In 1974, we came back to Boston and have both settled into work that we love. Our four children all attended the Watertown schools, but they have scattered somewhat, fortunately on the East Coast. Was he one of the reasons you came to Harvard Extension School? I don’t recall how I learned about Harvard Extension School, but it turned out to be just the right place for me to complete my last two years of college! The location, the affordability, and the quality of the teaching were what I sought in a part-time college experience. What was your field of concentration at Extension? Social sciences. The courses I remember most clearly are English composition, abnormal psychology, and history classes. Were there any professorswhile you were at Extension who stand out in your mind ? The professors were fantastic. Whenever I could, I took courses taught by Harvard professors. One person who stands out in my mind is Deanne Lord, who was the overall head of the English composition course. I also had a section teacher for that course who was excellent; I think his name was Jay Barker. I took two international affairs classes from Michael Nacht, a colleague of my husband. He was a knowledgeable professor, but also a natural entertainer! What particular experience do you remember from when you attended Harvard Extension School? People were very friendly and it felt like a community. Being a wife and mom gave me a common ground with some students. I was in my late twenties then, and many students were older and working at jobs that I knew nothing about. We were all learning from the professors and our readings, but we were also learning so much from each other. Extension Alumni Worldwide: Pedro Mucciolo, CSS ’00Over the past year, it has been my privilege to serve as the press and information officer at the Delegation of the European Commission for Central America. In this position, it is my responsibility to cultivate an efficient working relationship with the Central American media. My mission is to ensure a clear and transparent image of the organization through carefully calibrated messages to the public. This is a great challenge in a world of nonstop media coverage, particularly when dealing with the politically sensitive issues involved in European Union (EU)-Central American negotiations. Moreover, the extensive media coverage in Europe and in the Central American region often leads to misinterpretations that my office must correct for the complex negotiations to stay on track. The success of those now being conducted by the EU, in fact, hinges on an effective and responsive communications strategy. My Certificate in Special Studies in Administration and Management (CSS, now the Certificate in Management) from Harvard Extension School was excellent preparation for the challenges that I face in my current position with the EU. From my Extension instructors, I learned to create and implement strategic marketing and communications plans, vital components of my duties within the delegation. From the finance courses that I took, I learned to create and manage annual budgets, another significant responsibility of mine. Overall, my experience at the Extension School was invaluable: completing its professional, career-oriented management program in the fast-paced, multicultural environment of Boston and Cambridge helped me to develop and hone the skills that I use every day at the delegation. News from 51 BrattleThis fall’s evolutionary biology offerings benefit life science professionalsHarvard Extension School is offering three new courses in evolutionary biology this fall. “Life science professionals in all fields will benefit from a better understanding of the process of evolution and the algorithms that are used to make inferences about the relatedness of organisms, genes, and proteins,” says Cheryl Vaughan, director of the graduate degree program in biotechnology and assistant director for science instruction at the Harvard Extension School. A new class explores life, liberty, and happiness after the digital explosion“It is now possible, in principle, to remember everything that anyone says, writes, sings, draws, or photographs. Everything.” So say authors Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry R. Lewis, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard University, in their newly released book, Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness after the Digital Explosion. Lewis brings his expertise to the Harvard Extension School this fall in the course CSCI E-2a Life, Liberty, and Happiness after the Digital Explosion. Dean Comeau, head of management programs, retired August 15
After nearly three decades of dedicated service, Raymond F. Comeau retired from his position as associate dean of the Harvard Extension School’s graduate management programs on August 15. Comeau has also been director of foreign language instruction for the Division of Continuing Education and a lecturer in Extension, where he teaches courses on French language, literature, and culture, as well as courses in French creative writing. In addition to his publications in the field of teaching, he has co-authored seven French textbooks for college students, including the popular Ensemble series now in its sixth edition. In 1990, Comeau was the inaugural recipient of the Harvard Extension School’s Carmen S. Bonanno Prize for Excellence in Foreign Language Teaching, and in 1992 he was named Officer in the Order of the Academic Palms by the French Ministry of Education in recognition of his contribution to French studies in the United States. Succeeding Comeau is Margaret Andrews, principal with Mind and Hand Associates. Her credentials (bachelor of science degree in business administration, UC Berkeley; CPA; master’s degree in management, MIT Sloan School of Management) and extensive experience (Deloitte and Touche, Mercer Management Consulting, Putnam Investments, MIT Sloan School, Eduventures) constitute an ideal background for her new position, especially her eight years as executive director at MIT where she helped revamp the master of business administration program at the Sloan School. Dean Comeau leaves programs of great distinction for Dean Andrews. The Harvard Extension School salutes Dean Comeau for all he has accomplished and looks forward to Dean Andrews building upon the solid foundation that he leaves as his legacy. Lowell Lecture podcasts available on iTunes UPodcasts of the following three Harvard Extension School Lowell Lectures are available at Harvard Extension on iTunes U.
The Lowell Lectures are co-sponsored by the Lowell Institute of Boston. Alumni NewsWe love to hear from you! To send us a class note, log in at Post.Harvard, select Alumni Notes in the upper left column, and Add a Note at the top of the page. You can also send your news directly to the alumni affairs office at alumni@dcemail.harvard.edu. Deanna Kurlowecz, ALB ’06, exhibited a series of recent paintings titled “Stimulating the Human Senses” at the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse in Boston, in the summer of 2008. Laurel Simmons, ALB ’97, has accepted the position of associate director of quality improvement at the Stockport Foundation NHS Trust, an 800-bed hospital in Stockport, England. She starts her new job in November 2008. Her responsibility will be the hospital’s efforts to improve safety, effectiveness, and patient-centeredness. Laurel reports, “the move offers a challenging new career opportunity and fulfillment of a long-held ambition to live and work in Europe. As I always tell anyone who will listen, I would not have found a career I love in healthcare quality improvement if not for the education and resources I received from the Extension School.” Andrew White, ALB ’91, is enrolled in the MBA program at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire. This year, he was awarded a graduate fellowship that entails consulting to local businesses through the school’s Small Business Support Center and occasionally standing in as a teaching assistant. Recently, he conducted several sessions of an undergraduate honors marketing class. He reports, “my core learning from the Extension School still drives me today: how to think, not what to think. I like to believe it is what truly differentiates Harvard from the majority. For that, I am extremely grateful.” Emily G. Kahn, ALB ’89, is a featured artist in the upcoming ’08 ARTcetera benefit auction at the Cyclorama in Boston. The free preview exhibition takes place Thursday, October 30, from 6–8 pm, and the benefit auction takes place Saturday, November 1, at 6 pm. ARTcetera is a biennial contemporary art auction created and supported by a partnership between the visual arts community and AIDS Action Committee. Andy Warhol, Herb Ritts, Robert Mapplethorpe, Annie Liebowitz, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hilliard, and Domingo Barreres are among the thousands of artists who have donated to ARTcetera through the years. Vanessa Y. Perez, ALM ’00, completed her doctorate in comparative literature at the University of California, Davis, and joined the faculty at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, as an assistant professor. Heidi Jo (Blair) Green, ALM ’98, is an associate professor in political science at Cy-Fair College in Cypress, Texas. In May 2009, Heidi travels with Trinity Ablaze to Kenya to establish an eye clinic for children. Michael Frederick, ALM ’98, is executive director of The Thoreau Society. He would like to invite all Extension alumni and friends to a Thoreau Society upcoming event: Sandra Abbott, CMS ’01, is the new project coordinator for the Center for Art, Design, and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In addition to managing a busy exhibition schedule, Abbott will work on CADVC’s award-winning publication program and develop curriculum for CADVC’s K-12 educational outreach as well. Forthcoming projects include partnering with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to organize the exhibition For All the World to See: Visual Culture and the Struggle for Civil Rights and publish the associated catalogue with Yale University Press. The show will open in May of 2010 at the International Center of Photography in New York before traveling to Washington, DC, and closing at CADVC in Baltimore. To contact Sandra Abbott or to learn more, please see the CADVC website (www.umbc.edu/cadvc). Luisa Kos, CPC ’99, is living in London with her husband. Since graduation, she has worked for an Internet start-up and for Bloomingdale’s as a web designer. She founded her own textile design studio, Hazelnut Studio, and is now a senior designer at LBI in London. Antonio “Tony” Reis, CSS’04, is a senior member of the international commerce division of Webforce Networks, a Brazilian company whose business interests include Internet-based projects, real estate, and entertainment. Isabel Cristina Jiménez, CSS ’03, founded Pelota de Letres, a preschool and kindergarten in Colombia in August 2005. She started with five children and now has 66 enrolled in her school, ranging in age from one to five years old. Renata Pereira, CSS ’96, is the resource development manager of CARE-Brasil. She is responsible for building partnerships with corporations, foundations, and institutes, and she directs the organization’s communications department. Alan R. Earls, CSS ’93, published his book, Greater Boston’s Blizzard of 1978, with Arcadia Publishing. It includes many images of Harvard, Boston, and Cambridge. Eveline Freire Gerck, CSS ’92, is CEO and managing director of AP International Inc., a company that provides research and information services for global investors in Brazilian companies. AP will soon launch its own fund, Lagoa Capital Partners, in partnership with other private equity firms. James “Jim” Dougherty, CSS ’83, returned to the Boston area and joined Great Hill Partners as the operating partner. HEAA Survey Results: Alumni EventsMore than 100 HEAA members took our alumni events survey during its first week online. We are very grateful to all that completed it. The results indicate widespread enthusiasm for HEAA events, particularly the wine tastings, the Alumni Banquet, and the new Alumni Speakers Series. Many respondents also requested more events with networking opportunities, more cultural and educational events, and additional outdoor events such as hiking trips. The Alumni Affairs Office will draw on these ideas for the future. Upcoming HEAA EventsFor more information and to view slideshows of past events, please visit the HEAA Events page. To browse other Harvard alumni events, please visit master alumni event calendar at Post.Harvard, the website of the Harvard Alumni Association. Alumni Speakers Series: John Vermilye, ALB ’80Thursday, November 6 John Vermilye, ALB ’80, is the founder and chief executive officer of Travel Sentry. John and his staff work closely with luggage lock and travel accessory manufacturers and governments to create security solutions for the transportation industry. A 30-year veteran of the airline business, John began his career as a baggage handler at Boston’s Logan Airport while attending Harvard Extension School. Upon graduation, he joined Eastern Airline’s management training program and spent the next 15 years with the airline, followed by careers with the International Air Transport Association in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Transportation Security Administration.
This event is free and open to all HEAA and HESA members. Refreshments will be provided. After Hours at the Harvard Peabody MuseumFriday, November 7 Join us for a private evening at the Harvard Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. Founded in 1866, the Peabody Museum is one of the oldest museums in the world devoted to anthropology, and it houses one of the most comprehensive records of human cultural history in the western hemisphere. Docents from the museum will be on hand to answer your questions about the collection and lead tours. Refreshments, including light hors d’oeuvres, desserts, wines, and coffee, will be served all evening. Tickets for Harvard Extension alumni and friends are $40 per person. Alumni from the classes of 2006–08 may purchase tickets for $35 per person. Questions or comments? Please contact the Alumni Affairs Office. More information regarding these and other events are posted to the HEAA Events page as they become available. Return to HEAA Publications or HEAA Home. | ||||
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