Board members Larry Atkins, PhD'85, and Paula Paris, MMHS'79
Board member Jonathan Katz, PhD'81, (right) speaking with then-student Abdishakur Ahmed, MA SID'20
Heller School Board of Advisors
The Heller School Board of Advisors has been in existence since Heller’s early years, counting notables such as Eleanor Roosevelt among its ranks. The board serves as a critical resource of ideas, experience, energy, and as a community champion. Members of the advisory board share their gifts in service to the Heller School’s mission by providing the school with their professional expertise that is congruent with programs of Heller; their diverse knowledge of constituent perspectives; their connections to local, national or international resources, colleagues or peers; their philanthropic support and other forms of needed assistance. Read the full list of board of advisors members and their bios.
Stories about Members of the Board of Advisors
Constance Fairweather Kane, PhD’85
Empowering women, children through education in Ghana
In Ghana, a group of 10 women are running powerful educational programs that have collectively served over 55,000 women, children and families. They are all fellows at Empowered to Educate, a new non-governmental organization founded by Constance Fairweather Kane, PhD’85.
Neal Bermas, PhD’81
Entrepreneur alumnus shares stories and advice with Heller MBA students
In a visit to the MBA social entrepreneurship and innovation class, Bermas says, “My background is primarily in business, so I was intrigued with the notion of being self-supporting and sustaining as an organization. What’s the difference between the for-profit and not-for-profit business model, and what can we take from both?”
Barbara Nobles Crawford, PhD’84
Opening doors, changing systems for underrepresented and marginalized people
Barbara Nobles Crawford’s newest role is professor of the practice and director of executive and leadership coaching at the University of North Carolina. Her students are current and future leaders who will benefit from her experience in applied leadership and organizational behavior and development.
Bryna Sanger, PhD’76
Giving back to the next generation of policy professionals
From conducting urban policy research and teaching students at The New School, a private research university where she’s spent the bulk of her career, to advocating for social services and proposing policies as board chair of United Neighborhood Houses (UNH), Sanger’s impact has been felt throughout New York City.
Adwoa Asare, MBA‘19
Merging finance and social good through social impact investing
“No matter the industry—technology, affordable housing, impact investing—I’m always looking for the people trying to get into the game but who are just on the periphery,” says Asare. “How can I help them get into the field and launch their impact journey?”
Isaac Cudjoe, MA COEX‘18
The new Heller Alumni Association Board president
When Isaac Cudjoe, MA COEX’18, graduated from Heller, he always had the feeling he’d be back. He’s now the Alumni Association Board president, and he continues his work inspiring young people around the world to be active in their communities and manifest change.
Ihsan Kaadan, MS GHPM’16
From a war zone to a global pandemic: A doctor’s experience on the front lines
As an internal medicine resident at Boston Medical Center, Dr. Ihsan Kaadan is on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, drawing on his previous experiences in the Syrian conflict to keep him grounded during this challenging time.
For information about the Board of Advisors, please contact Courtney Lombardo, Associate Director of Development and Alumni Relations.