College Honors Women Leaders

Chocolate bread pudding with a banana caramel sauce served as the celebratory cake last night as students and administrators gathered at the Charles Hotel to celebrate the Harvard College Women's Leadership Awards.

Sameera Fazili '00, president of the Harvard Islamic Society, received the Women's Leadership Award, a prize sponsored by the Ann Radcliffe Trust.

Elizabeth D. Chao '00, former chair of Women in Science at Harvard and Radcliffe (WISHR), and Kamil E. Redmond '00, former Undergraduate Council vice president, received honorable mentions.

Carole Simpson, senior correspondent for ABC News, was honored with the Women's Professional Achievement Award.

Karen E. Avery '87, director of the Trust and assistant dean of Harvard College, said the selection committee received over 75 nominations from the undergraduate community for the third annual leadership prize.

"This award has captured the imagination of the community in a way I never imagined when we first started," said Harry R. Lewis '68, dean of the College. "I want to express the pride the College has for the level of excellence these women have achieved."

Avery praised the women for their energy and dedication to campus causes.

"Sameera, your achievements here are just the tip of the iceberg in what accomplishments are to come," Avery said when presenting Fazili with her award. "And you're just so darn nice."

Fazili said she was especially appreciative of the award because it challenges stereotypes about her Islamic faith.

"There is this perception of Islam that, as a religion, it doesn't support the advancement of women, and I thank Harvard College for helping break that stereotype," she said.

In her remarks, Avery said Chao--who is director of this weekend's National Symposium on the Advancement of Women in Science--has made a special contribution to academic life at Harvard.

"[Elizabeth] has helped heighten concern about women and science at Harvard, and given [women] sturdier ground to stand on," Avery said.

Though her tenure as council vice president has ended, Redmond has been a major force behind this spring's initiative to publish a guide for women at Harvard, based on the style of The Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard.

"Harvard has certainly benefited from [Kamil's] energy," Avery said.

After Avery and Lewis presented her with roses and a conspicuous blue box from Tiffany's jewelers, Simpson spoke about her own experiences as a black female journalist and said she was thrilled to share the stage with such accomplished undergraduates.

"I'm honored to share this evening with you, it gives me great hope that there are women like you all over the country waiting to make a difference," she said.

Simpson said she had never planned to be a leader at the beginning of her career, but that the sexual and racial discrimination she encountered as an up-and-coming reporter forced her to take a vocal stance against injustice.

"Things just happened, and they made me angry, I had to do something," Simpson said.

Simpson encouraged audience members to set high goals for themselves and said she herself was eyeing the top position at ABC.

"You always have to set a goal, or else you get complacent and satisfied," she said. "Now I want to be president of ABC News."