Eastern United States - Publications - Faculty & Research

Portrait Project

Meg Whittenberger

“Would it be so bad if I just dropped out?” my student asked me, huddled over her ninth grade math homework. We made eye contact for a split second, then she looked back down and continued doodling in her notebook. Despite her timid delivery, her question was earnest.... View Details

Portrait Project

Margaret Watson

A dark hospital waiting room was not how I imagined spending my night. I was about to start the second week of my internship and instead of getting a good night’s sleep, I was waiting for my boyfriend to get out of emergency surgery. I thought my summer internship... View Details

Portrait Project

Matt Segneri

I fancy myself a detective. Growing up, I sure was a confident little investigator. I had all the answers. I knew exactly where in the world Carmen Sandiego was. Of course a whole brownie could fit inside a mouth my size. (It could — my mom just had to remove it with... View Details

Profile

Max Seel

As an undergraduate, Max Seel had two encounters that would mold his ambitions. The first was with a professor, Tom Warren, who recruited Max into an analytical chemistry research fellowship that explored naturally occurring cylindrical carbohydrates –... View Details

Portrait Project

Mina Park

I by no means had a typical, average life, and yet I still hesitate to be different. Even the slightest deviation from average discomforted me. I spent endless hours trying to fix my British English because the standard English taught in Korea is American. As such, I... View Details

Portrait Project

Mardie Oakes

In the sixth grade I wrote, "If I had a million dollars I would buy a new wardrobe. I would get some Kalvin Klines and new sandles. I would wear all these things in Hawaii. I would stay at the most expensive hotel there is. I would get there in my jet plane. And I... View Details

Portrait Project

Mickey Millar

I will fight. The summer before Harvard, I heard the news. Trayvon Martin's murderer would go free. During my time here, countless others, including 12-year-old Tamir Rice from my hometown, would be killed. Their murderers—often police officers—continue living as if... View Details

Portrait Project

Marla Metz

For me, HBS almost ended before it even started. When I left the military the summer before moving to Boston, I felt lost, disconnected, and hopeless. Later, I would discover that I suffered from depression and service-related post-traumatic stress disorder. But I... View Details

Profile

Micah Macfarlane

Micah Macfarlane tries to make every career decision to make the greatest difference in the most lives. Before HBS, Micah worked in global health – expanding access to quality care and, especially, affordable medicines. "I worked to solve market failures,"... View Details

Keywords: Healthcare/Biotech; Manufacturing/Energy; Nonprofit/Government/Education

Portrait Project

Marissa Kaplan

We were living a romantic comedy – a young couple in love in Manhattan. Mornings in the park with chocolate croissants, The New York Times in print, sporadic sirens and street performers. Walks to the bookstore with linked arms and fake British accents. At HBS, I... View Details

Portrait Project

Monica Haugen

I still constantly look around and think, "I am so different from these people." Although I crossed no ocean to get here, it feels as though I crossed something even bigger - a social and economic divide. I have accessed an entirely new world, one that, quite... View Details

Portrait Project

Mark Giragosian

“Why can’t I go on stage too?” At five years old, watching from the audience at my sister’s first ballet recital, I was so excited by the music and dancing I could barely stay in my seat. “Well, you can go on stage if you want,” my dad replied, “but you have to wait... View Details

Profile

Margo Cramer

Margo Cramer is a person of parallel, but not divided, loyalties. As an undergraduate, she majored in Women & Gender Studies, which gave her, she says, the opportunity to "understand inequality through a gender lens and within a variety of contexts."... View Details

Keywords: Nonprofit/Government/Education; Retail/Hospitality

Portrait Project

Mike Contillo

I called it magic water. My parents separated when I was young. I spent a lot of time with my grandfather. Each morning, he boiled tap water, which he chilled overnight in a glass carafe. Each afternoon, he poured two glasses of magic water and turned on Mister... View Details

Portrait Project

Lauren Park

Today is a big day—it is October of my first year of teaching, my mentor will observe me for the first time, and my principal announced yesterday that I will have new desks in my room. At 5:30 a.m., as I sit on the D-train to the Bronx, I consider my carefully planned... View Details

Profile

Leila Meliani

In the January break between semesters this year, Leila Meliani participated in the Tech Club's WesTrek to Silicon Valley and arrived at a welcome epiphany. "We heard several venture capital partners speak to the need for talent – and for good advice to help get... View Details

Keywords: Consulting

Portrait Project

Long Lu

Beat the drum that others will listen to. My grandfather was a general in the Chinese Air Force. A veteran of World War II, he taught me the core values of integrity, authenticity, dependability - and most importantly - courage to give voice to my values. I lived in... View Details

Portrait Project

Laila Kassis

An image from my childhood home provides inspiration: A framed photo of my family's olive tree with its stumpy figure, gnarled roots, and uneven snow-covered branches reveals the incredible resilience and strength of character developed over its 1,400-year life. I'll... View Details

Profile

Layeeka Ismail

Why did you choose this path at this point in time? From a professional standpoint, I knew I wanted to return back to Bain Houston after finishing my MBA and it made sense to pursue an MBA after my first three years at Bain. From a personal standpoint, my husband and I... View Details

Portrait Project

Laura Hayden

When I was little I wanted to be a comedian. I thought there was something magical in being able to make others laugh. I loved the idea that just by telling a story you could make people forget about their troubles and release this wild and loving emotion. Turns out I... View Details

Publications