September 2026 | Vol 33

Message from the President... 

Dear GlobalWE Community,

Two years have passed in a blink of an eye. As I prepare to conclude my term as President of GlobalWE at the end of October, I want to express my gratitude for all of you. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to women’s empowerment around the world and to supporting GlobalWE’s themes of freedom from violence, education, economic empowerment, women’s health, and political rights. 

Thank you also for engaging with fellow Harvard alumni, whether at our Women’s Empowerment Expo, Welcome To Your City or Global Networking Night, the Alumni/Student Roundtable, or at one of our many virtual events held throughout the year. Showing up matters and I appreciate each and every one of you who has shown up for GlobalWE. You can view recordings of past events on GlobalWE’s YouTube channel.

I first joined GlobalWE’s Board eight years ago, in 2018, at the invitation of Founder and Past President Julie Palmer. I was honored then and am honored now to be part of such a caring and dedicated group of leaders. GlobalWE’s membership continues to grow, and our impact expands to students, alumni, and community members who are passionate about our mission. If you have ideas for programming, initiatives, or other ways that GlobalWE can bring members together, please contact me at president@hglobalwe.org. 
 
As GlobalWE prepares for another term, our Board of Directors will gather on campus for a retreat to reflect on how far we have come as an organization and what we can do to better serve you, our community. I am thrilled for Vice President Aarti Gupta to serve as President for the 2026-2028 Term and for all of our Board members to continue serving this esteemed organization.

There are so many wonderful ways to get involved with GlobalWE. Please contact membership@hglobalwe.org if you are ready to take the next step and become more active with our SIG. You will be glad you did, as I have been for the past eight years. 

Very truly yours,

Barbara R. Barreno-Paschall, AB ‘07
President
Harvard Alumni for Global Women’s Empowerment 

GlobalWE Welcomes Another Author

Summer Meetups with GlobalWE Board Members

A lovely dinner near Chicago enjoyed by Board members: Julie, Aarti, Leah, and Cami.

Italian dinner halfway between Naperville and Chicago! - Board members: Leah and Melissa.

Domestic Violence: A Public Health Crisis

October 23, 2026 | 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Eastern | In person or online

Domestic violence has far-reaching physical and psychological effects, with consequences for survivors, families, communities, and health systems. Join GlobalWE for a hybrid roundtable with several speakers exploring its clinical and societal impact, and why it calls for a public health response.

Date: Friday October 23 2026, 4-5:30pm ET
Location: Phillips Brooks House, Harvard Yard and online

More information and registration details to come. 

WELCOME TO YOUR CITY

On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, Harvard alumni around the world gathered for "Welcome to Your City," the annual Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) event series connecting recent graduates and newly relocated alumni with their local Harvard Clubs.

GlobalWE was proud to participate in this year’s gatherings, hosting dedicated information tables in five cities: Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York and Washington D.C. Over 80 alumni stopped by our booths throughout the evening to meet our GlobalWE representatives, learn about our organization's mission, activities, and discover opportunities to get involved in supporting Global Women's Empowerment.

We extend our sincere thanks to Christina Tobias-Nahi, Naoko Ushimaru-Alsop, Yuko Nakanishi, Cami Tchoi, and the representatives from the Harvard Club of Northeast Ohio for generously hosting our tables and representing GlobalWE that evening!

GLOBAL DAY OF SERVICE

GlobalWE was delighted to take part in Harvard’s Global Day of Service on Friday, August 28! This annual tradition brings together students, faculty, staff, alumni, and volunteers to give their time and talents in service to communities and organizations around the world.

GlobalWE was fortunate to have Harvard volunteers lend their energy, expertise, and fresh perspectives to projects across our Membership, External Affairs, and Programs portfolios, as well as our flagship global Essay Contest. Several GlobalWE board members joined throughout the day to introduce the projects, provide context, answer questions, and guide volunteers as they worked.

We are incredibly grateful for the volunteers’ thoughtful contributions and enthusiasm, as well as the time and commitment of our board members who helped make the day a success. It was wonderful to see the spirit of service and collaboration in action and to introduce more members of the Harvard community to GlobalWE’s work advancing education and opportunities for women and girls around the world.

WOMEN AS AGENTS OF CHANGE

Inspired by her experience with healthcare, Dr. Wilson, a social worker and Associate
Chair at North Carolina University, wrote her piece titled Every Six Months. The excerpt from her autoethnography tells us of her experience helping people work through their darkest times, providing them with the words to verbalise their feelings, but how these decades of helping did not serve her when she faced her darkest time. 
“Advocating for yourself is hard enough when you’re scared. It gets harder when the person
you’re advocating to treats you like you’re the problem.”
- Dr. Lavi Wilson

Chopra founded Aruna Inclusion, an Initiative by the Damini Chopra Foundation, an
NGO focused on bringing AI learning to non-English speakers below the poverty line in India.
As an actor in an industry demanding political neutrality, she shared her experience of the
importance of standing one’s ground and not letting fear get in the way.
“[...] I was told to choose, focus on one path, be one thing first. Wait. But the realities unfolding in classrooms [...] cannot wait. Their futures cannot wait. So I began the work anyways.”
- Damini Chopra

Wilde, a researcher studying the intersection of maternal health, psychedelic science and
translational neuroscience, shared her piece titled Audacious Ambition, and its origin from the feeling of never being able to win as a woman. Her piece takes us through the demands a woman hears through her life, whether physical appearance, social roles, work performance or sexual performance. 
“Henceforth, the decision-makers will be the people who make all of the people.”
- Amanda Wilde

Congratulations to Dr. Estera Borcsa, our Vice Chair of Programming, on receiving the Artificial Intelligence Innovator Award from the California State Treasurer’s Office under State Treasurer Fiona Ma. 

Dr. Borcsa was recognized for creating a Brain Report Card that uses neuroscience data to help clients see and understand changes associated with their healing. She was also recognized for developing Neuro Memory Modification Trauma Therapy, a model designed to help the brain and nervous system move toward safety, integration, and renewal.

If you have any questions, please contact info@hglobalwe.org

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