Alumnae panel shares insights on balancing work, family and community

More than 60 Tufts alumnae representing four decades of class years turned out for this year's Women's Leadership Forum.

Barbara Clarke, J88 (far right) moderated the distinguished panel of (r to l) Dr. Kathleen O'Loughlin, D81, Joan Kirshenbaum Cohen, J65, Dr. Roseanna Means, M81 and Mary Puma, J79.

Future alumnae representing the Tufts Dental School were in attendance. ATA co-presidents, Marybeth Savicki, J91 (left) and Holly Pressman, J76 (right).

November 18, 2004 -- "Never make a career decision based solely on money," advised Kathleen O'Loughlin, D81. Speaking at the Association of Tufts Alumnae's fourth annual Women's Leadership Forum, she echoed the night's theme, Do What You Love, Love What You Do.

The leadership forum, held at the Tremont Hotel in Boston on November 18, attracted more than 60 Tufts alumnae, representing four decades of graduates.

The panelists included:
• Joan Kirschenbaum Cohn, J65, a clinician in private practice who also mentors and teaches medical students the importance of the psychological aspects of disease
• Dr. Roseanna Means, M81, founder of Women of Means, a non-profit organization that provides free health care to Boston's homeless female population
• Dr. Kathleen O'Loughlin, D81, President and CEO of Delta Dental Plan of Massachusetts Laboratories
• Mary G. Puma, J79, CEO of Axcelis Technologies, a semi-conductor company

The panelists generously shared their personal life stories while also offering insight on leading their respective organization's efforts toward greater social responsibility and advice on choosing mentors and balancing work and family.

Puma advised the audience members to seek out male mentors, noting that in a business environment with relatively small numbers of women in power, male mentors are a necessity to further your career.

In her experience with people with advanced degrees, Means noted that while they are often afforded a lot of power due to the nature of their work, she'd come across few that actually use it to benefit social causes. She challenged audience members to seek out ways to apply their education and skills to social agendas that are important to them.

The women's leadership forum, sponsored by the The Association of Tufts Alumnae (ATA), is a popular event held in Boston and New York. The ATA is Tufts’ oldest alumnae group and is exclusively dedicated to furthering the interests of Tufts women. In addition to hosting several events throughout the year, the ATA awards over $25,000 in scholarships to current undergraduate women, as well as women students at all six of Tufts’ professional schools.