Thirteen Administrative Fellows Named for 1997-98

Thirteen new fellows have been selected for the 1997-98 Administrative Fellowship Program.

The Administrative Fellowship Program, coordinated by the Office of the Assistant to the President, began its year with a two-day orientation held at the Harvard Faculty Club the second week of September. President Neil L. Rudenstine and Provost Harvey Fineberg were present to welcome the 13 new fellows.

The University-wide program, now entering its ninth year, provides an opportunity to bring minority professionals into the Harvard community for a one-year work experience in academic administration.

The program is supplemented with seminars and case studies on academic administration presented by Deans, Vice Presidents, major office directors, and faculty at the University. The goals of the program include enhancing the fellows' administrative and professional skills and clarifying their career objectives.

This year's fellows have accepted positions at Harvard University Police and Security, the School of Public Health, the Harvard Native American Program at the Graduate School of Education, the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute, the Harvard College Fund, the Office of School Partnerships (GSE), Harvard Medical School's Information Services and Minority Faculty Development Program, the Harvard Employees Credit Union, and the Kennedy School of Government.

The 1997-98 Harvard Visiting Administrative Fellows are:

Jerome Carr, MBE and EdS (Middle Tennessee State University), B.A. in psychology (University of Illinois). Carr has served as a professor of military science and faculty adviser at Alabama A&M University, adjunct faculty at Nashville State Technical Institute, and has made a career in the military rising in the ranks from private to lieutenant colonel. He has been active in many youth programs, and has conducted drug and alcohol seminars at the K-12 level in Alabama. His honors include Phi Kappa Phi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Pinnacle. His fellowship assignment is in Harvard University Police and Security.

Sharmon G. Davis, master of education in counseling processes (Harvard University), B.A. in psychology (San Diego State University). Davis was an interviewer at the Center for Survey Research at the University of Massachusetts at Boston. She has acted as director of admissions for the Episcopal Divinity School. She has extensive research experience on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other psychological disorders, having served as a project coordinator (Massachusetts General Hospital), a clinical evaluator (McLean Hospital) and a research fellow (Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center). Davis was a counselor to inner-city youth at the San Diego Youth Involvement Project and, through the Harvard Graduate School of Education, at the Mary E. Curley Middle School. She participated on research projects examining possible risk-taking behavior in young adolescents in Boston Public Schools. Davis was a member of an Emmy Award-winning Dance Troupe (Regional, San Diego, Calif.). She is a member of the American Public Health Association, National Graduate Admissions Professionals, and Harvard's Memorial Church. Her fellowship assignment is at the School of Public Health.

Dean A. Flechs, master of arts in modern languages and literature (German), B.A. in anthropology, minor in American Indian studies (University of Nebraska, Lincoln) and completion of a year of study at the Universität Regensburg in Germany. Flechs has worked as a grant proposal writer for the Whitepath Foundation, and with admissions offices at several institutions, including Southwest Missouri State University, Bacone College, University of Nebraska, and Lincoln School of Commerce. He currently holds the rank of major in the Civil Air Patrol and has volunteered extensively with the Native American youth community. Flechs was a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship in Germany and his other honors include Phi Beta Delta, American Indian Fellowship, George Rogers Memorial Scholarship, and Delta Phi Alpha-German language honor society. His fellowship placement is in the Harvard Native American Program at the Graduate School of Education.

April Y. Garrett, master of theological studies (Harvard University), master of arts in education (Columbia University), bachelor of arts in religion (Kenyon College). April Garrett was a research/artistic consultant for Microsoft/Black Entertainment Television, where she helped produce an online exhibit of 19th-century African-American art. She was a project administrator for the Lilly Foundation, the assistant director of student activities/coordinator of New Student Orientation at Emory University and a resident program assistant at the Intercultural Resource Center, Columbia University, where she served on the University Affirmative Action Committee. Her fellowship placement is in the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute.

Miriam E. Johnson, Esq., (New York University School of Law), Bachelor of Arts in psychology (City College of New York). Johnson worked most recently as the administrative director of the Family Van at Boston's Beth Israel Hospital. Her previous employment includes senior advocate for Brigham and Women's Hospital, Medical Legal Services Project, and assistant counsel to the National Treasury Employees Union. She is a member of the Bar of the commonwealths of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and a member of the American Public Health Association. She is also congregational chair of Resurrection Lutheran Church, Roxbury. Her fellowship placement is in the Division of Public Health Practice at the School of Public Health.

Sandra T. Sims, master of science in technical writing (Northeastern University), worked most recently as a consultant at Everlasting and Vine & Associates and at Florida A&M University, where she was coordinator of internships at the School of Business and Industry. At Stone & Webster Engineering Corp., she was an administrative coordinator before becoming marketing editor. Sims' memberships include the Society for Technical Communication, the Women's Educational and Industrial Union, and the National Association for Female Executives. Her fellowship assignment is at the Medical School's Minority Faculty Development Program.

Robert C. Williams, J.D. (Massachusetts School of Law at Andover), bachelor of arts in political science (Merrimack College), internships with Georgetown University International Political and Economic Systems and Merrimack Valley Legal Services. Williams was resident director/admissions counselor at Merrimack College, unit director at Lawrence Boys & Girls Club, and a youth organizer for Haverhill Community Action Inc. He has experience as a case manager for the Department of Social Services, as program director for Greater Lawrence Boys' Club Inc., and is a past district executive of the Boy Scouts of America Inc. Williams' honors and activities include Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities and Phi Kappa Theta. His fellowship assignment is in Admissions in the Kennedy School of Government.

The 1997-98 Harvard Resident Administrative Fellows are:

Peggy Hsia, bachelor of arts in history and literature of England and France (Harvard University). Hsia is an assistant director of the Harvard College Fund in the University Development Office. Prior to her work at Harvard, she was the national coordinator for the Role Models and Leaders Program, a college- and career-exploration program for public high school students from Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education. She also served as the research coordinator for "Encouraging Careers in Science and Technology," a Department of Energy-funded study on the attrition of women from the study of mathematics and science during the college years.

Peggy Kemp, J.D. (Harvard Law School), bachelor of arts in history/political science (Berea College). Kemp is director of the Office of School Partnerships at Harvard's Graduate School of Education. She has recently worked as the program director of Benchmark Communities Initiative and as associate director of the Comprehensive Regional Center for Minorities in Science, Engineering and Mathematics Education at Northeastern University. Her community affiliations have included governing board member, The Harbor School, and chair/advisory board, Northeastern University's African American Studies Roundtable: Humanities Education for Boston Area Teachers. She is a member of the Massachusetts Bar.

Tyrone Latin, master of education, Human Development and Psychology (Harvard University), bachelor of arts, English and American literature and language (Harvard University). Latin is associate director of the Harvard College Fund at the Harvard University Development Office. His previous employment includes grants manager at the Codman Square Health Center, community education coordinator of the Boston Algebra in Middle Schools Project, and program director of Freedom House Inc.

Patrick Nta, master of science in computer systems engineering (Northeastern University), certificate in applied sciences in software engineering (Harvard University Extension School), bachelor of science in civil engineering (Northeastern University). As group leader of the Information Technology Department at Harvard Medical School, Nta is responsible for the operation and maintenance of HMS Internet and Intranet. His former positions at Harvard Medical School include network analyst and programmer analyst. Prior to this he was employed by Roxbury Community College as the senior programmer analyst in the MIS Department.

Celina Rosas Y Belgrano, bachelor of science, marketing/entrepreneurial studies (Babson College), is the marketing/human resources director at the Harvard University Employees Credit Union. Prior to this she worked as a consultant at Newton's VentureQuest Inc. and Banco Frances in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, she was the marketing officer for the Economic Development Administration. She plans to earn her master's degree in business administration in the near future.

Janet C. Sebile, master of arts, business communication (Emerson College), bachelor of science, speech (Lamar University System). As a manager of Scheduling Services at the Kennedy School of Government, Sebile leads the Facilities and Food Service team responsible for numerous daily and high-profile events. She was previously with the Kennedy School's Strengthening Democratic Institutions project. For several years she has been a volunteer working with children from various communities and backgrounds in social and religious activities.

Currently, nine former visiting fellows are permanently employed by Harvard in diverse positions: Denise L. Bowman, administrator of the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Darrell Fields, assistant professor of architecture, Graduate School of Design; Carmen Foster, director of the Master and Public Policy Program, Kennedy School of Government; Tommy Holton, manager of Computing and Communications, Harvard Institute for International Development; Joan Reede, director of the Minority Faculty Development Program and instructor in psychiatry, Medical School; Wenda Tai, assistant director, Office of Budgets; Marlene Vergara, senior admissions officer, Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges; Jeanne Tai, international placement adviser, Office of Career Services, Harvard Law School; and Brenda White, associate dean for enrollment services, Kennedy School of Government.

In addition, one former fellow has maintained an affiliation with the University as a student. Former fellows who have pursued opportunities outside of Harvard have also made significant strides in their careers, such as Priscilla Douglas, manager for the Public Sector Value Team at Xerox Corp.; Christian Odionu, Dean of Information Technology, University of Texas; and Darnita Killian, Dean of Student Affairs at Emory University.

The Administrative Fellowship Program is a collaborative University effort. It is subsidized by the President's Office and coordinated by the Office of the Assistant to the President, where Karen Hodges Walker serves as director of the Fellowship Program. James Hoyte, associate vice president, is the assistant to the President. The Office of the Assistant to the President develops and coordinates affirmative action and equal employment opportunity policies and programs, and provides advice and assistance to the faculties and departments in these areas.