Reaching the Top: Challenges and Opportunities for Women Leaders Participant Biographies Reaching the Top: Challenges and Opportunities for Women Leaders Participant Biographies

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March 3, 2004

About the conference and conference papers

Lotte Bailyn is T Wilson Professor of Management at MIT's Sloan School of Management and co-director of MIT's Workplace Center. Bailyn studies the relationship between managerial practices and employees' lives. Her work centers on technical and managerial professionals and has dealt with such workplace innovations as telecommuting, flexible scheduling, and work redesign. Bailyn's publications include Breaking the Mold: Women, Men, and Time in the New Corporate World (Free Press, 1993) and the report, “Rethinking Life and Work: Toward a Better Future” (Ford Foundation, 1996). Her most recent book, co-authored with three others, is Beyond Work-Family Balance: Advancing Gender Equity and Workplace Performance (Jossey Bass, 2002). Bailyn received a B.A. in mathematics with high honors from Swarthmore College and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in social psychology from Harvard/Radcliffe College.

Francine D. Blau is Frances Perkins Professor of Industrial and Labor Relations and Labor Economics and director of the Institute for Labor Market Policies at Cornell University. She is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a research fellow at the Center for Economic Studies/Ifo Institute in Munich, Germany. Blau has been president of the Industrial Relations Research Association and vice president of the American Economic Association; she is currently a fellow of the Society of Labor Economics. Blau has written extensively on gender issues, wage inequality, and international comparisons of labor market outcomes. Blau was recently elected second vice president of the Society of Labor Economics, and she will assume the presidency in 2006. She earned a B.S. in industrial and labor relations from Cornell University and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Harvard University.

Nancy Folbre, Professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts, has also taught at Bowdoin College and the New School for Social Research. She has been a staff economist at the Center for Popular Economics since 1979 and associate editor of Feminist Economics since 1995. In 1998 she was awarded a five-year fellowship from the MacArthur Foundation. Other recent professional activities include serving as a member of the National Academy of Science Panel Studying the Design of Non-Market Accounts, serving as president of the International Association for Feminist Economics, and serving as board member of the Foundation for Child Development. Folbre has written numerous books, journal articles, and other publications and has served as co-chair of the MacArthur Foundation's research network on the family and the economy. Folbre holds a B.A. in philosophy and an M.A. in Latin American studies from the University of Texas as well as a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Massachusetts.

Claudia Goldin is Henry Lee Professor of Economics at Harvard University and research associate and director of the Development of the American Economy Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and of the Econometric Society. Goldin has served as vice president of the American Economic Association and president of the Economic History Association. Goldin was editor of the Journal of Economic History, currently edits a series for the NBER, and serves on many editorial boards. She is the author of five books as well as many articles, and is best known for her book Understanding the Gender Gap: An Economic History of American Women. Goldin holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in economics from Cornell University.

Julie Graffam Kaplan is Compensation Director at Nortel Networks, where she provides globally focused compensation support for R,D management and for the firm's workforce of 35,000 employees. Graffam Kaplan managed the role of the compensation team in the merger of Bay Networks with Nortel, an effort that led to an organization-wide culture shift involving tens of thousands of employees. She serves on the steering committee of the Executive Alliance CHIPS Survey and is a member of World@Work (American Compensation Association) and the Society for Human Resource Management. Graffam Kaplan holds a B.S. from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and an M.B.A. from the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell.

Rosanna Hertz is Luella LaMer Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies and chair of the women's studies department at Wellesley College, where she has taught for the past 21 years. Hertz is the author of More Equal than Others: Women and Men in Dual Career Marriages (University of California Press, 1986), co-editor of Working Families: The Transformation of the American Home (University of California Press, 2001), and author of numerous articles and other publications. She has been quoted in such publications as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Money Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, and The Boston Globe. Hertz holds a B.A. from Brandeis University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from Northwestern University. She also completed a two-year post-doctoral fellowship program in the department of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

Joyce P. Jacobsen is Andrews Professor of Economics at Wesleyan University. She is author of The Economics of Gender, Second Edition (Blackwell, 1998), co-author of Labor Markets and Employment Relationships (Blackwell, forthcoming 2004), and author of numerous journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, and other publications. Jacobsen's research interests focus primarily on labor market, gender, and minority issues. She currently serves at Wesleyan as vice-chair of the faculty, chair of the economics department, president of the Phi Beta Kappa chapter, and a member of the Honors Committee. Jacobsen received an A.B. in economics from Harvard/Radcliffe College, an M. Sc. in economics from the London School of Economics, and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University.

Marcia Brumit Kropf is Chief Operating Officer of Girls Incorporated, a nonprofit organization that aims to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Previously, Kropf served as vice president of research and information services at Catalyst, a nonprofit research and advisory organization working to advance women in business. At Catalyst, Kropf oversaw all Catalyst research and provided expertise on issues of work/life balance and best practices for advancing women in corporations and professional firms. Prior to her work at Catalyst, Kropf spent over 20 years working in public education. She has been interviewed frequently on national and local television and by such publications as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe. Kropf holds a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College, an M.A. in teaching from Oberlin College, a certificate of advanced studies in research education from Syracuse University, and a Ph.D. in educational communication and technology from New York University.

Paul F. Levy is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Previously, he was executive dean for administration at Harvard Medical School, and he was adjunct professor of environmental policy at MIT, where he taught infrastructure planning and development and environmental policy for seven years. Levy has served as executive director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, chairman of the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities, and director of the Arkansas Department of Energy. At the MWRA, he was responsible for the Boston Harbor cleanup. Levy received his S.B. in economics, S.B. in urban studies and planning, and master's degree in city planning from MIT. He is the author of numerous articles in a variety of fields and co-author of Negotiating Environmental Agreements (Island Press, 1999).

Shari Loessberg is Senior Lecturer at MIT's Sloan School of Management, where she is an adjunct faculty member of the Entrepreneurship Center. Loessberg spent five years in Moscow, where she was a partner, director, and general counsel for Brunswick (now Brunswick UBS), a start-up investment firm in the Russian equity market. In the United States, she founded and runs Big World, a strategy firm focused on new ventures in new markets. She also co-founded Zeta Networks, Inc., an optical networking firm built on technology developed at MIT. Loessberg received an A.B. as a George F. Baker Scholar from Georgetown University and a J.D. from the University of Texas, where she was an editor of the Texas Law Review. She serves on the board of National Financial Partners, chairs the board of the International Institute of Boston, and serves on the Boston Symphony Orchestra's board of overseers.

Lisa M. Lynch is Academic Dean and Willard L. Clayton Professor of International Economic Affairs at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. She is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and at the Economic Policy Institute. Lynch is currently a member of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Monitoring Labor Standards and the Federal Economic Statistics Advisory Board. A director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, she serves on the Bank's Academic Advisory Group. Lynch has published more than 50 papers and books on issues such as the impact of technological change and workplace practices on productivity and wages, the determinants of youth unemployment, and the school-to-work transition. She received her undergraduate degree with honors from Wellesley College and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in economics from the London School of Economics.

Ioannis (Yannis) N. Miaoulis is President and Director of Boston's Museum of Science. Previously, he was at Tufts University, where he served as professor of mechanical engineering, dean of the School of Engineering, interim dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and associate provost. He has received numerous awards for his research efforts and community service, has published more than 100 research papers, and has been awarded two patents. Miaoulis served on the Massachusetts Math and Science Advisory Board, and he is currently chair of the Massachusetts Technology/Engineering Advisory Board. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, a doctorate in mechanical engineering, and a master's degree in economics, all from Tufts University, as well as a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Cathy E. Minehan is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. As one of the nation's central bankers, she contributes to policy decisions that promote the safety and soundness of the U.S. financial system and the health of the nation's economy. She is an expert in payment systems, a major Fed responsibility, and she currently serves as a voting member of the Federal Open Market Committee. In New England, she focuses on areas of structural economic development, including community development, public education, and training. She chairs The United Way of Massachusetts Bay and serves as vice chair of the Boston Private Industry Council. She sits on the boards of Jobs for Massachusetts, Jobs for the Future, the University of Rochester, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Named the New Englander of the Year in 2002 by the New England Council, she recently received the Champion of Character Award from the Boston Minutemen Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Minehan holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester, an M.B.A. from New York University, and several honorary degrees.

V. Sue Molina is Partner and National Director of Deloitte , Touche's Initiative for the Retention and Advancement of Women. She was named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential People in the Accounting Profession for 2001” by Accounting Today magazine for her leadership of Deloitte , Touche's Women's Initiative. Her insights on women's advancement and workplace flexibility have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Molina has served on Deloitte , Touche's management committee and as a tax partner with over 20 years of experience. She currently serves on the Advisory Council of the Berger Institute of Work, Family, and Children at Claremont McKenna College, and on the boards of the Shakespeare Theatre (emeritus) and Vital Voices Global Partnership in Washington, DC. Molina holds a master's degree in accounting and a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Arizona.

Helen Frame Peters is Professor of Finance and former dean at the Carroll School of Management at Boston College. Prior to her academic career, Peters had a successful career in the financial services industry, including executive positions as an investment banker, financial strategist, and money manager, and service as a government regulator. She was director of the Global Bond Group of Scudder Kemper Investments, chief investment officer of Colonial Management Associates, group vice president at Merrill Lynch, managing director at Union Bank of Switzerland Securities, and managing economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Peters has been active on nonprofit and government advisory boards and has been featured in the financial press. She holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.A. in statistics and a Ph.D. in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she was the first woman to receive a doctorate in finance.

Barbara Reskin is S. Frank Miyamoto Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington. Previously, she was professor of sociology at Harvard University. Reskin has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and president of the American Sociological Association. She has served on several committees of the National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council and has received the Distinguished Scholar Award from the American Sociological Association Section on Sex and Gender. She has written numerous books and dozens of articles focusing on issues of gender and race discrimination, has consulted with organizations related to gender and work, and has served as an expert in discrimination litigation. Her most recent book is Women and Men at Work (Pine Forge Press, 2002), which she co-authored with Irene Padavic. Reskin received her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Washington.

Jayne M. Rice is Managing Director for Marsh, Inc., where she chairs the Solution Development Group (SDG). Previously, she was assistant regional director, North America, for Marsh , McLennan's Global Business in Combination initiative. Rice has served on the board of the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston since 1997 and is currently clerk of the organization's Executive Committee and a member of the Development and Nominating Committees. Rice is also a member of The Commonwealth Institute Forum for Senior Executive Women and a member of the Boston Club, where she serves on the Corporate Board Resource Committee. Rice is a judge for the U.S. Association of Gymnastics and is co-president of the Yale Women's Gymnastics Alumni Association. She received a B.A. in history from Yale University.

Fran Sussner Rodgers is founder and chair of WFD Consulting (formerly Work/Family Directions), a pioneer in developing new-style employee benefits and services. WFD advises numerous Fortune 100 companies in adjusting to demographic and generational change and in managing the use of time. A leader in addressing simultaneous labor force and business changes, Rodgers has been honored by the YWCA, International Women's Forum, American Society on Aging, New England Council, and Working Mother magazine. She is a director of Fleet Boston Financial and of Brigham and Women's Hospital, where she chairs the strategic plan for women's health. She is also a trustee of Barnard College and a member of its executive committee. Rodgers holds degrees from Barnard College of Columbia University and Tufts University, and she is a graduate of the professional training program in clinical psychology of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Kathryn Shaw is Ernest C. Arbuckle Professor of Economics at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. She was previously the Ford Distinguished Research Professor of Economics at Carnegie Mellon University, which she joined in 1981 as a professor in the business school after completing a Ph.D. in economics at Harvard University. Shaw served as a member of President Clinton's Council of Economic Advisers from 1999 to 2001, and she is an editor of the Journal of Labor Economics. Her most recent research assesses the productivity gains arising from the choice of alternative human resource management practices. Her research has been funded extensively by the National Science Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Russell Sage and Rockefeller Foundations, and the U.S. Department of Labor. At Carnegie Mellon, Shaw received the Award for Sustained Teaching Excellence.

Pamela Thomas-Graham is President and Chief Executive Officer of CNBC, a global provider of business news and information. Additionally, in 2003, she was appointed to the board of CNBC International. Previously, Thomas-Graham held other senior executive positions with CNBC. Before joining CNBC in 1999, Thomas-Graham was a partner at McKinsey , Company. She joined McKinsey in 1989 and became its first black woman partner in 1995. Thomas-Graham is the best-selling author of the critically acclaimed “Ivy League Mystery Series.” She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Business School, and Harvard Law School, where she served as an editor of the Harvard Law Review. She serves on the boards of the New York City Opera, the American Red Cross of Greater New York, and the Visiting Committee for Harvard College.

About the conference and conference papers