Thirteen new administrative fellows are named

Thirteen new fellows have been selected for the 2005-06 Administrative Fellowship Program. Of the 13 fellows, nine are visiting fellows – talented professionals drawn from business, education, and the professions outside the University – and four are professionals currently working at Harvard who are identified by their department and selected by the fellowship review committee to have the leadership potential to advance to higher administrative positions.Coordinated by the Office of the Assistant to the President, the Administrative Fellowship Program began its year with a one-day orientation held at the Harvard Faculty Club in September. President Lawrence H. Summers was present to welcome the sponsors and the 13 new fellows and to discuss Harvard’s ongoing pursuit of excellence, commitment to diversity, and support to the program. Following Summers’ remarks, Vice President for Human Resources Marilyn Hausammann spoke to the fellows about her new role and provided an overview of Harvard’s Central Human Resources. During lunch, six former fellows who are currently at Harvard shared their experiences and provided information for a successful fellowship with current fellows and program staff. Now entering its 16th year, the University-wide program provides an opportunity to bring outstanding professionals, who are committed to addressing the under-representation of ethnic minority groups within the University’s workforce, 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.Harvard Visiting Administrative FellowsNadine Bill, B.S. in business administration (Central Washington University). Bill recently served as the admissions outreach counselor for Native American undergraduates through the Office of Minority Affairs at the University of Washington, where she was responsible for Native American recruitment of a four-state region. Her previous experience in higher education includes Green River Community College, where she served as a development officer, and Northwest Indian College Tribal College, where she taught business courses via distance learning, and coordinated the Business Assistance Center to encourage Native American entrepreneurs. Bill currently serves as the vice spokesperson for the Washington State Native American Higher Education Consortium. She is an enrolled member of the Upper Skagit Tribe (located in Washington state) and descendent of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Her fellowship placement is at the Harvard University Native American Program, Kennedy School of Government.Bessie DiDomenica, M.B.A. (Simmons School of Management) and B.S. in biology (University of Colorado). DiDomenica has been a consultant for WGBH, Dimock Community Health Center, and the National Conference for Community and Justice. Her entrepreneurial ventures include an Internet consultancy for Web site content creation, and writing online newsletters, press releases, and executive/business summaries for individuals and small businesses. DiDomenica has worked on a succession of projects such as designing communication strategies for crisis management efforts, grant writing, and helping to organize fundraising events. Her fellowship assignment is in the Office of Educational Development, Harvard Medical School for the Oliver Wendell Holmes Society.Shirley Greene, Ph.D. candidate in higher education administration (University of Michigan), M.B.A. in finance and marketing (Clark-Atlanta University), B.A. in economics (Spelman College). Greene’s recent work includes serving as a research associate for the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, as well as an instructor for Psychology 405: “Social Psychology in Community Settings.” Her research interests include institutional leadership, diversity, and racial identity development. In addition, she worked as a coordinator of residence education for the University of Michigan’s Housing Department. Prior to arriving at Michigan, she taught abroad at the United States International University (Nairobi, Kenya) as well as domestically at Greenforest Christian Academy (Atlanta). Her fellowship assignment is in the Executive Education Program, Harvard Business School (HBS).S. Keith Hargrove Sr., Ph.D. in industrial and manufacturing engineering (University of Iowa), M.S. in engineering (University of Missouri at Rolla), B.S. in mechanical engineering (Tennessee State University in Nashville). Hargrove recently served as chairperson of the Industrial, Manufacturing, and Information Engineering Department in the Clarence Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering at Morgan State University, Baltimore. He formerly held the position as assistant to the dean and a tenured associate professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering at Tuskegee University. He currently serves as president of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (Baltimore chapter), vice president and senior member of the Institute of Industrial Engineers in Baltimore, and is a member of “Black Professional Men” of Baltimore. His fellowship placement is in the Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Sciences.Claudia Hill, certificate in database design and development, computer technology and applications program (Columbia University), M.L.S. (S.U.N.Y., Albany), M.A. in art history (University of Chicago), B.A. in political science (Colgate University). Hill has worked as an original and special materials cataloger for Avery Library’s art and architecture collection, Columbia University Libraries, for the past eight years. Formerly, she served as editor of conservation and preservation terminology at the J. Paul Getty Trust’s “Art & Architecture Thesaurus.” Her fellowship assignment is in Imaging Services, Harvard College Library.Cheryl D. Holmes, Ph.D. in sociology (Boston College), and B.S. in sociology with a minor in biology (Boston University). Holmes’ dissertation is titled “Sacred Meets Secular: Commonality and Difference Associated with the Christ-centered and Secular Life Practice.”  The study compares commonality and difference existing between the two self-determined life practices. During the past five years, Holmes has taught middle school U.S. history in Boston. Previous professional experiences include statewide coordinator of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Minority and Women Business Program, graduate diversity philanthropy intern for the Associated Grant Makers of Massachusetts and the Hyams Foundation, and family and youth advocate. Her fellowship assignment is in the Harvard Youth Violence Prevention Center (HYVPC), Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH).  Aaron N. Taylor, J.D. (Howard University School of Law), B.A. in political science (North Carolina A&T State University). Taylor is founder and president of Recruit For Law School Inc., a consortium of undergraduate schools seeking to increase the level of law school opportunity available to their students. Taylor recently served as assistant director of admission at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law, where he performed functions at all stages of the admission process. Prior to this, Taylor served as a law clerk at the D.C. Office of Bar Counsel. His fellowship assignment is in the Graduate School of Education.Wanda Wong, B.A. in sociology (Brandeis University). Wong recently served a two-year term as president of the Boston chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals, where she headed a large membership organization whose mission is to promote workplace diversity. Previously, she was the director of outreach at the Boston Women’s Fund, and has served in public relations capacities at Boston University and Wellesley College. In addition, she has taught in the Boston Public Schools and at the Capitol University of Economics and Business in Beijing. Her fellowship placement is in the Harvard Youth Violence Prevention Center, (HYVPC), HSPH.Tara Young, M.A. in higher education (University of Michigan), B.A. in sociology (New York University). Young recently worked in the California Alumni Association at the University of California, Berkeley, where she managed student-to-alumni mentoring, provided support to ethnic/LGBT alumni clubs, supervised a scholarship program, and created a volunteer management system. Previously, Young had been at the University of Michigan and involved in anti-bias training, biracial identity development, and multicultural academic services. Her fellowship assignment is in the Office of Alumni Relations, Harvard Business School (HBS).Harvard Resident Administrative FellowsCaroline Boutte-Thompson, B.S. in computer science (Grambling State University, Louisiana). Thompson is currently the manager of IT operations for the Harvard College Undergraduate Financial Aid and the Student Employment offices. She also is currently a member of the adjunct faculty of the Urban College of Boston, where she teaches Microsoft computer applications. Prior to this she worked at Action for Boston Community Development as the systems operations manager.Sharon Wing Gibson, M.A. in studies in the decorative arts, design, and culture (Bard Graduate Center) and A.B. cum laude in philosophy (Harvard College). Gibson is currently an assistant director in the Harvard Law School Fund. Prior to this she served as the director’s assistant for curatorial affairs at the Harvard University Art Museums and as the development assistant for foundation and government giving with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. She enjoys furthering her training in the area of educational fundraising and management through educational programs, such as attending the Summer Institute for Educational Fundraising with the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (C.A.S.E.), and taking the Harvard Extension School course “Principles and Practices of Fundraising.”Janine Maritza Mathó, Ph.D. candidate in education equity and policy and M.A. in education administration (American University) and B.A. in English (Franklin & Marshall College). Mathó serves as assistant director in the Office for Diversity and Community Partnership at Harvard Medical School. Previously, she served as special assistant to the dean for strategic planning at Harvard Law School. Mathó has over seven years’ experience in academic administration in higher education and is a lifelong advocate for equity in education. She completed her in-service training as an education policy researcher in the Office of Human Rights and Community Relations at the American Federation of Teachers specializing on Latino issues in education and gender equity in education. Gaiel V. Thompson, M.Ed. in administrative management (Cambridge College) and B.S. in human services and business administration (Southern New Hampshire University). Thompson is currently a human resources officer in the Harvard University Health Services. Prior to joining Harvard she worked as a human Resources Generalist for Partners Healthcare System Inc. and was a five-time recipient of the Partners in Excellence Award. She began her human resources career as an employment specialist at Boston Medical Center. She is an active member of the Northeast Human Resources Association, and the American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, and currently serves on the Bryman Institute Advisory Board. The Administrative Fellowship Program is a collaborative effort between host departments and the Office of the Assistant to the President, which coordinates the program. Fellowship stipends are underwritten in part by the President’s Office.