What does identifying (or not identifying) with the BGLTQ community mean to you?

I have been out and proud since my late teens and through many twists and turns in my life, as well as in my various roles as a staff member at Harvard and subsequently as an organizer with HUCTW. Being proud means being visible means being a role model and support for others.

How, if at all, has your identity shaped your academic and/or professional journey?

Being a progressive Jewish Lesbian Feminist Buddhist Unionist has contributed greatly to the choices I have made. I volunteered at the then new Women’s Educational Center in Cambridge, minored in Women’s Studies at UMass Boston, took a Master’s in Human Development and Nutrition and then came to Harvard University Health Services Health Education Office (Now Wellness Center). During my years at HUHS I became active in HUCTW (the support staff union), which is now my primary role (Organizer).

What advice would you give to yourself when you were an undergraduate?

Make and keep good friends of all stripes, not only those who are just like you.

What support can you provide to current undergraduate BGLTQ students who are hoping to enter into your field?

Seek to understand your own and others’ human nature, as this is relevant to every field.

What are your areas of expertise?

Collaborative processes such as mediative problem resolution; having a balanced perspective; finding humor;