Sarah Russell '99. Photo by Rose Lincoln. Jennifer Lee '99. Photo by Kris Snibbe. Nicole DeBlosi. Photo by Rose Lincoln. Pat Schroeder, former U.S. Rep. Photo by Focused Images Photography.

Harvard College has selected Sarah L. Russell '99 as the winner of the Harvard College Women's Leadership Award for her exceptional leadership skills.

Also, former U.S. Rep. Pat Schroeder, president and CEO of the Association of American Publishers, has been named the recipient of the Harvard College Women's Professional Achievement Award.

"Sarah's contribution to both the athletic community and the community outside Harvard is extraordinary. She exemplifies leadership, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to the advancement of women," wrote Deborah Volpe Hogan, assistant director of athletics.

Russell, an Afro-American studies concentrator from St. Paul, Minn., is the captain of the 1998-1999 varsity basketball team; the founder and chair of the Harvard Student Athlete Partnership, the first community service program for varsity athletes; and the chair of the Harvard and Radcliffe Foundation for Women's Athletics, a committee of athlete representatives dedicated to improving the financial and personal resources available to women athletes. She also coached an undefeated team of 12-year-old girls in the Cambridge YMCA basketball league for the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

"Sarah goes above and beyond what is expected of our team captains because she is passionate about athletics and uses athletics to reach out to children of all ages," Volpe Hogan added.

Pat Schroeder was selected as an award winner because of her commitment to women's and family issues. "In her 24 years as a congresswoman, she was a leader in the cause of education, and was instrumental in the adoption of the Family and Medical Leave Act," said Karen Avery '87, assistant dean of Harvard College. "She is a powerful role model for our students."

The two awards are funded through an endowment established with a gift from Terrie Field Bloom '75. The honors represent collaboration between the Office of the Dean of Harvard College and the Women's Leadership Project, an undergraduate organization dedicated to increasing the number, effectiveness, and diversity of women leaders.

The student prize goes to a junior or senior who has demonstrated exceptional leadership while attending Harvard, contributed toward the advancement of women, achieved meaningful impact on fellow students, and exhibited a potential for leadership in future endeavors.

"We were thrilled with the response to our request for nominations," said Avery. Because the nominees were "so outstanding," the selection committee decided to bestow honorable mentions for the Women's Leadership Award on two students -- Jennifer Lee '99 and Nicole DeBlosi '99 -- in recognition of their noteworthy achievements.

The selection committee included Avery; Professor of Comparative Religion and Indian Studies Diana Eck; Susan Vacca '76, associate director and librarian in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences' Office of Career Services; Corrine Funk '97, emerita member of the executive board of the Women's Leadership Project; and Amy Zegart '89, a member of the Women's Leadership Project Advisory Board.

The award recipients will be honored at a dinner and ceremony on Tuesday, April 6.