[Nicholas]: Erika and I were happy, and not just honored, when we were asked to be Masters at Pforzheimer House this past Spring, because it felt so natural to us to serve in this role. I have spent my entire career in academia, as a physician, researcher, teacher, and administrator, and I am deeply committed to the idea of learning – as an end unto itself, and as a path to other ends. I am a physician and social scientist with joint appointments at Harvard Medical School (in the Departments of Health Care Policy and of Medicine) and in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (in the Department of Sociology). For many years, I was also a front-line hospice doctor taking care of terminally ill patients; I stopped seeing patients a few years ago, though I occasionally still do a bit of clinical teaching. Nowadays, I run a lab at the medical school (focused on the role of social networks and other factors that influence health – including work on the genetics and mathematics of social networks), and I teach in Harvard College and spend time at Pforzheimer. I want students in Pforzheimer to feel that they can talk to me at any time, about any topic. I am especially interested in getting to know you as people – to know about your individual interests, hopes, aspirations, quandaries. And I look forward to being a part of this community. As a graduate of Yale College, I have distinct memories of residential life in a House system. And as a researcher, my main objective is to learn how communities form and how they affect our lives. I hope to put all this background to use in helping all at Pforzheimer to have a stimulating and fulfilling experience during their years at Harvard.

[Erika]: All my life experiences – as a teacher, as a public health advocate, as a parent, and even as a former Harvard undergraduate – have led me to Pforzheimer House. I am delighted and grateful to be here. I have a longstanding interest in the intersection of health, education, and family, and my professional work has taken me to development projects in Africa and Asia and to preschool classrooms in the Boston area, with many stops in between. I am a Massachusetts-licensed teacher (pre-K through 2nd grade) and worked most recently as the director of a progressive preschool in Cambridge. I have master's degrees in diverse fields from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, the University of Pennsylvania, and Lesley University, and I am happy to talk with students who are interested in teaching, or who are not sure what they want to do “when they grow up.” Having stepped out of the paid workforce for a number of years when our children were small, I have great sympathy for those on a non-linear path. When I'm not in Pfoho, I like to travel to offbeat places like Labrador and Inner Mongolia. I love caring for small mammals (children, puppies...). I am a passionate reader of fiction, history, and celebrity magazines. I am crazy about trees and wild places. I also know from my own college experience that not everyone feels connected to house life. Nonetheless, Nicholas and I feel connected to you. And we are eager to support you on your intellectual, social, and moral journey at this stage of your lives. Best wishes for a wonderful year. And, P.S., I lived in Winthrop House but trust you won’t hold that against me.

I didn’t always know that I wanted to be a college administrator and educational researcher, I cannot imagine that things could have turned out any other way. I‘ve lived most of my adult life in college residence halls, which suits me very well. I grew up in northwest Ohio between the towns of Hicksville and Defiance. (Really. And that probably describes me quite well.) I still have a deep and abiding respect for the Midwest, although the northeast is starting to feel like home.

After college I put my BA in Botany from Miami University (Ohio) to good use as a Residence Hall Director at SUNY Cortland, and then ran a co-op dorm at the University of Maine in Orono. I returned to Miami University to complete a MS in College Student Personnel before I came to the Graduate School of Education at Harvard to study civic engagement and adult development.

I received my doctorate in Learning & Teaching in June 2006. My dissertation, a qualitative study of an undergraduate course at Harvard called "Practicing Democracy," looks at the relationship between the pedagogy and students' developmental perspectives. After three years of working on the Activity Based Learning project and teacher development at the Derek Bok Center for Teaching & Learning, I’ll be teaching year. My faculty appointment is as a Lecturer on Social Studies, and I will be teaching a House-based seminar on College Student Development in the spring.

I’m available to discuss academic or personal issues you have, of course, but if you’re also in the mood to talk about beekeeping, gardening, running, relationships, the humbling experiences of learning to golf or row, making healthy choices in the dining hall, or bargain shopping in Boston...find me!

The Sophomore Advising Coordinator, Nenita Elphick, oversees and support all the tutors who serve as Sophomore Advisers. In addition to organizing the work of Sophomore Advisers within the House, the coordinator helps organize events for sophomores focused on such issues as concentration choice, study abroad, and research opportunities. The Coordinator serves as the hub of communication for sophomore advising and works closely with the House Masters, the Resident Dean, and the Advising Programs Office.

Paul Cruickshank facilitates the involvement of Non Resident Tutors in the house. Paul first joined Pfoho as an NRT, so he knows his business. Non Resident Tutors are members of the Harvard community who choose to contribute to house life. They are a wonderful resource and can be found eating in the dining hall, running study tables, and helping with house events and advising nights. Introduce yourself to a Non Resident Tutor today!

Greetings, Pfoho! I'm happy to be returning for my 5th year as the House Administrator in Pforzheimer. With now four Pfyears under my belt, I have a pretty good grasp now of the who-what-when-where-why of Pfoho. I hope you'll feel free to stop by or email anytime regarding student housing issues, room reservations, special events, or any other general Pfoho questions. Before shifting up this way, I spent a year as the Housing Officer for the College and before that, quite a few years in "another House" (suffice it to say, I knew Ben Rahn back when). I enjoyed the global view of the Houses from my position in University Hall, but ultimately realized that I'm happier in the more community oriented setting of a House. Aside from my Pfoho identity, I studied music as an undergrad and am especially interested in early music. I'm also a big tennis fan and do my best to get into the Blodgett pool as often as possible. I look forward to another great year in Pfoho.

Greetings Pfohosers! I graduated from Dartmouth in 2000 with a degree in Government and I am currently pursuing an ALM in International Relations here at Harvard. I’m telling myself that this is the year I will finally write my thesis, so if any of you seniors need someone with whom to commiserate, my door is open. Also, those of you who would like reasons not to go to architecture school will find me a useful guide. My interests include writing, politics, cultural studies, and obscure public health issues that I become excitable about after watching 15 minutes of a 20/20 special. My wife and I had our first baby a year ago, a girl named Madeline (like the books), so when I’m not at work or in class in Cambridge, she makes sure I have no shortage of things to do. I look forward to seeing all of you around Pfoho, and to answering your questions about academic issues, letters of recommendation, the nuts and bolts of your graduate and professional school applications, and all those little pieces of paper that must be shuffled here and there before that day when you will be allowed to don your robes and doff your caps to that statue in the Yard.

Hola a todos! I was born and grew up in El Salvador. I've been a Cambridge resident since 1991. I received my Associate degree in Architecture 5 years ago at Instituto Tecnologico Centroamericano ITCA, El Salvador. I'm married to my my lovely wife, Haydee. We have a two year old boy named Andre and he likes to keep me up at night. Both he and I love soccer, so much so that I couldn't drag him away from the TV during the World Cup! We also just had our second child on September 19th - another boy, named Diego. I also coach the Cambridge Youth under 11 soccer team. As you can tell, soccer is a big part of my life as well as being part of the Pfoho community. Please don't hesitate to stop by and say Hola!