Newsmakers

Porter named Dana-Farber executive vice president, COOJanet Elaine Porter, an associate dean at the University of North Carolina’s School of Public Health, has been named executive vice president and chief operating officer (COO) at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Porter, who previously served for nine years as the COO of Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, will oversee the daily operations of the renowned cancer research and treatment center.  She will work closely with collaborating hospitals to help manage administration of the Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center and Dana-Farber/Children’s Hospital Cancer Care, which provide care to adult and pediatric patients, respectively. Additionally, Porter will join the leadership team of Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, a joint venture with Partners HealthCare. FUN names Richard Olivo ‘Educator of the Year’ Richard Olivo, the associate director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, has been named “Educator of the Year” by Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN). Olivo, who is also a professor of biological sciences at Smith College, received the award Nov. 14 at the 35th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, D.C.The award is given annually “in recognition of significant efforts to promote neuroscience education and research at the undergraduate level.” Olivo was cited for his widely used simulation software (MacRetina) and for his organization of the Society for Neuroscience’s first-ever professional development workshop on teaching neuroscience.Boston Latin honors ’52 grad Stephen A. Greyser, the Richard P. Chapman Professor of Business Administration Emeritus at Harvard Business School, has received the 2005 Distinguished Graduate of the Year Award from Boston Latin School. Founded in 1635 (one year before Harvard College), Boston Latin is the oldest public school in the United States. As the highest honor bestowed upon an alumnus, the award recognized Greyser’s “legacy of service” to the school since his graduation in 1952, as well as his professional accomplishments as a teacher, researcher, author, and consultant. Past recipients include the late conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein, Harvard Professor Robert Coles, Nobel laureate Merton Miller, and Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone.Retsinas named new board chair of Habitat for Humanity At a recent meeting in Baltimore, the board of directors of the global homebuilding ministry Habitat for Humanity International approved Nicolas Retsinas, director of Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, as its chair. A lecturer in housing studies at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Kennedy School of Government, Retsinas, who has been active on the board of Habitat for Humanity for nine years, most recently serving as vice chair, succeeds Rey Ramsey as chair. – Compiled by Andrew Brooks