New director for Women’s Center

Naisha Bradley has been named director of the Harvard College Women’s Center. Bradley joins the College after nine years at the Harvard Kennedy School, where she served as program manager for the Women and Public Policy Program.

“It is my great pleasure to welcome Naisha to the Women’s Center,” said Emelyn de la Peña, assistant dean of student life for equity, diversity, and inclusion for Harvard College. “She brings tremendous experience in higher education administration and student services, and has demonstrated a tremendous passion for gender-focused work and student engagement.”

Opened in 2006, the Women’s Center offers more than 30 gender-, sexuality-, and diversity-related programs and events each semester and serves as a space for student organization meetings and events throughout the academic year. The center offers leadership development programs, grants to support student organizations seeking to create programs or events that promote women’s leadership and visibility, and individual and organizational advisory support. The center also hosts activities such as film screenings, lectures, panel discussions, and skill-building workshops.

The center is also home to the Radcliffe Mentor Program and the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (WISTEM) Mentor Program. Established in 1985, the Radcliffe program pairs undergraduate students with an alumna mentor from Radcliffe or Harvard for career development and personal support. WISTEM, founded in 2000, matches undergraduate women in science with women pursuing doctorates in science, technology, engineering, and math.

As director of the Women’s Center, Bradley will develop and implement its strategic direction, providing operational oversight as well as creating, delivering, and evaluating programs and events that address women’s, gender, and sexuality issues. She will manage the mentor programs and provide advisory support to the nearly 30 undergraduate, women-centered student organizations on campus.

“The center is an incredible resource in the College’s exploration of women and gender, vital areas of inquiry for both the Harvard community and the world,” said Bradley. “I look forward to standing with our bright students in that exploration.”

“Diversity is a source of strength and defining characteristic of Harvard College. We’ve educated citizen leaders who played important roles in the abolition of slavery, advancing women’s rights, and other historic social movements of our time,” added de la Peña. “I’m very excited for Naisha to join our equity, diversity, and inclusion team as we work to advance the intellectual, social, and personal transformation of our students within a diverse living and learning environment.”

Bradley will officially begin her new post with the center on Jan. 26.