WISHR Members Elect New Leadership

Last night, Christine M. Pui '99 and Caroline L. Kung '00 were elected as next year's co-presidents of Women in Science at Harvard and Radcliffe (WISHR) by about 20 members of the group.

Yun J. Lee '00 was elected vice-president; Elizabeth D. Chao '01, secretary; and Sarah K. Earp '99, treasurer.

All the candidates had two minutes to speak and were given the opportunity to hand out flyers outlining their qualifications and ambitions for their respective positions.

Pui and Kung proposed increasing group membership through "heavy recruiting," starting a career series with monthly speakers and panels. and creation a WISHR alumnae network.

Lee will replace outgoing vice-president Adrianna B. Kripke '99. "I will work really hard and carry on the tradition that Adrianna has made for us," Lee said.

Chao said her qualifications included possessing the "courage, enthusiasm and articulation" to serve as a liaison between WISHR and other organizations. and Earp said she liked working with numbers.

The new chairs will assume their duties at the beginning of the second semester.

WISHR is an organization open to women interested in science at the College, and the executive board guides the direction of club activities, according to outgoing co-president Patricia S. Cho '99.

"It's a networking organization. We want to reach out to first-year students to foster their interest in science, whether they choose to major in science or be a history or English major who's also premed," Cho said.

Kripke said that she enjoyed being in WISHR because "it fostered a sense of community among women involved in science at Harvard and Radcliffe.

"In a big university setting, I think that [a] sense of community can enrich your educational experience," she said.

"I think that anyone who has developed a network of professional friends and mentors feels more secure as they enter the job world and struggle with issues of balancing family and career," Kripke added.

Cho, Kripke and co-president Van L. Cheng '98 mediated the elections.