Radcliffe Loses Fourth Official In Six Months

Just as Radcliffe College welcomes a new director of the Murray Research Center and seeks to hire an interim vice president, another administrator has decided to leave.

Susan Shefte, the administrative director of the Radcliffe Public Policy Institute (RPPI), is the fourth high-level Radcliffe official to depart from the college in the last six months-just days after Radcliffe Director of Communications Lyn Chamberlin cleaned out her desk.

Shefte will join Harvard's Vice President for Administration, Sally H. Zeckhauser, as director of special projects on Feb. 1. Shefte's move down the street comes after 15 years of service at Radcliffe.

"It's not that far. It's a couple of blocks," Shefte said. "It's a bigger job-many more responsibilities and challenges."

According to Shefte, her departure was not motivated by Radcliffe's uncertain future.

"I wasn't looking for a job-I was called," Shefte said. "I have no qualms about Radcliffe. I would be very content staying here for quite a while."

"Radcliffe officials maintained that Shefte's departure, like the three others of recent months, were unrelated to one another or to Radcliffe's current climate.

"There will always be turnover at Harvard, Radcliffe and every other institution," said Radcliffe spokesperson Michael A. Armini. "I'd hate to live in a world where everyone had to have the same job for the rest of their lives."

Armini said RPPI's projects will be unaffected by Shefte's departure.

"The public policy institute is vibrant and producing cutting edge research," he said. "[The departure] won't have any adverse impact."

Nancy J. Dunn, vice president for finance and administration, resigned to join the World Wildlife Fund in December. Martha Ann Fuller, director of development, left Radcliffe in June.

Temp Job

Meanwhile, Radcliffe has begun to advertise for an "interim" replacement for Dunn.

According to a posting placed on the University's employment opportunities Web site, the new vice president will have a "defined term of at least 18 months and not more than 2 years, at ROOKIESher height-Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith wanted her to play center.

Other schools courted Ryba, but she chose Harvard because it was the "best of both worlds" in terms of the strength of the academics and the basketball program.

Back at Ellington High School, Monti received a great deal of exposure in her junior year when her team won the state finals.

"We were a small town, and a big basketball town, so when we won we became a big attraction," Monti said.

In her senior year, she attended the Women's Basketball Coaches Association summer camp, where a slew of college scouts saw her talents. In choosing among the programs that recruited her, the academic strength of the college was her top priority. Harvard fit the bill.

The biggest adjustment for a high school athlete continuing her athletic career in college is the intensity."Practices are very intense, and they don't call so many fouls, so you really get pushed around and are forced to play physical," Ryba said.

And not only are the practices intense, but the expectations are high, especially for a team looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after last year's historic win over Stanford in the first round.

"We are constantly reminded of the Stanford win and the Tournament, but it's a positive pressure because it makes you more competitive," Gates said.

"Both of our captains [Suzie Miller and Sarah Russell] motivate and challenge us in the weight room and on the court to be louder, to be more intense, and to work harder," she added.

Because the freshmen have already had a great deal of exposure, they quickly embraced the team and feel very comfortable with the dynamic established by the captains.

"We're a young team, and the captains really don't try to put us in our place; we really feel like we can make an important contribution each and every game," Monti said

Other schools courted Ryba, but she chose Harvard because it was the "best of both worlds" in terms of the strength of the academics and the basketball program.

Back at Ellington High School, Monti received a great deal of exposure in her junior year when her team won the state finals.

"We were a small town, and a big basketball town, so when we won we became a big attraction," Monti said.

In her senior year, she attended the Women's Basketball Coaches Association summer camp, where a slew of college scouts saw her talents. In choosing among the programs that recruited her, the academic strength of the college was her top priority. Harvard fit the bill.

The biggest adjustment for a high school athlete continuing her athletic career in college is the intensity."Practices are very intense, and they don't call so many fouls, so you really get pushed around and are forced to play physical," Ryba said.

And not only are the practices intense, but the expectations are high, especially for a team looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after last year's historic win over Stanford in the first round.

"We are constantly reminded of the Stanford win and the Tournament, but it's a positive pressure because it makes you more competitive," Gates said.

"Both of our captains [Suzie Miller and Sarah Russell] motivate and challenge us in the weight room and on the court to be louder, to be more intense, and to work harder," she added.

Because the freshmen have already had a great deal of exposure, they quickly embraced the team and feel very comfortable with the dynamic established by the captains.

"We're a young team, and the captains really don't try to put us in our place; we really feel like we can make an important contribution each and every game," Monti said