<p>U.S. News has announced its 2006 list of Americas Best Leaders. The honorees were selected by a committee of government, community, and private-sector leaders convened by [Harvard Universitys Center for Public Leadership].</p>
<p>Though there was undoubtedly a bit of a crimson tinge to the selection process, Princeton was well-represented. There were 18 awards recognizing the achievement of 20 individuals and one group (the staff of the New Orleans Times-Picayune Newspaper). The leading undergraduate alma maters of this years class were:</p>
<p>Princetons winners were Wendy Kopp 89 the founder and CEO of Teach For America, and Eric Lander 78 head of the Broad Institute and leader of the Human Genome Project.</p>
<p>Before she built Teach For America into one of the biggest brands in education reformit is now among the top 10 largest employers of college graduatesWendy Kopp faced a difficult choice: make severe cutbacks, or let the whole project crumble. To no one's surprise, she chose to persist.</p>
<p>The Eric Lander-led Human Genome Project learned more about human beings than anyone thought possible. Lander accomplished that feat by tapping into what he already knew about humans, like how to make them collaborate. Now, at the new Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass., he's trying to learn even more.</p>
<p>Both the Princeton people have made their mark via post graduate Harvard affiliations: Kopp with the Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership (the awarding group, of which she is a board member), and Lander with the Broad Institute - a joint Harvard/MIT enterprise.</p>
<p>Oh Byerly, you old shill, we cant have Harvard taking credit for everything, now can we? Kopp founded Teach For America long before she had any association with Harvards Center and I dare say both Harvard and MIT have gained more from Landers brilliance and achievements, than he has gained from the luster of those two fine institutions. Both Kopp and Lander are self-made achievers in the best sense.</p>
<p>as many people know, kopp first proposed the teach for america concept in her woody woo senior thesis, "an argument and plan for the creation of the teacher corps," and based on that blueprint, had TFA's first class of teachers trained and placed in the fall of 1990, just one year later. hard to say how she "made her mark" through harvard, then, especially when her harvard credentials are limited to service on an advisory board at KSG a decade and a half later.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Its a fair possibility that her service on the Board of the awarding organization had something to do with her winning.</p></li>
<li><p>Havard and MIT (through a large donation) "made" the Broad Institute.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I view the awards as, in large measure, recognition of the organizations as much as the individuals - all as determined by the Kennedy School.</p>
<p>pretty weak. kopp made her mark by by creating and leading the TFA program, not by later serving, or receiving some laurels from, a harvard center interested in getting its name out.</p>
<p>She was awarded one the honors listed here, pretty clearly, because of her close tie to the Harvard board awarding it. Enough said. And good luck to her. A fine person.</p>
<p>Pretty sad that the OP has to shill for the old alma mater by combing the list to see where two (out of many) winners of an obscure award got some (but not all) of their training and experience.</p>
<p>Hardly in the <em>vicinity</em> my boy, but, rather, at the very epicenter of upscale Harvard Square!</p>
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<p>tom brady, in a commercial area adjacent to harvard university? wow! definitely thread-worthy.</p>
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<p>Maybe one of these days Eli Manning of the Jersey Jets will be spotted "bickering" at one of the quaint "eating clubs"!</p>
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<p>the only eli manning i know of plays for the giants. in any event, i don't believe brady was at "the porc," exactly, so your analogy is an inapt one.</p>
<p>Byerly, youre quite the curmudgeon on this thread. Having a bad day? </p>
<p>This is hardly an obscure award, appearing as it does in one of our countrys major national news magazines. Furthermore, little combing was necessary. Almost anyone associated with Princeton knows of Kopp and her achievements. Ive personally known of Lander since the time I attended Harvard Law School. Finally, there were only eighteen awards made, quite a small number for the nation as a whole. It looks awfully small-minded to claim that the national recognition given to either of these individuals is primarily the result of the connection they have with Harvard, especially in the case of Wendy Kopp. </p>
<p>But be of good cheer! The three Harvard graduates who were also recognized have shown wonderful leadership as well. Why not celebrate their connection to Harvard instead of demeaning others?</p>
<p>Pointing out the key connections to Harvard (in addition to the Princeton connections of which you are so proud) in the case of these two is hardly "demeaning" them. </p>
<p>What an absurd conclusion to draw. I certainly don't find their early Princeton ties "demeaning" - and I'm sorry if you find their later Harvard ties "demeaning."</p>
<p>Oh come now, Byerly, youve twisted your own remarks again and saying that other posters comments are silly or their conclusions absurd is proving my point, is it not? </p>
<p>Your statements, which Im characterizing as demeaning, are first your suggestion that it is not primarily the individuals who are being honored but rather the organizations with which they are associated and, secondly, that, in Kopps case "*ts a fair possibility that her service on the Board of the awarding organization had something to do with her winning."</p>
<p>Shall we just leave it up to the readers of this thread to decide whether that comment was demeaning? Ill trust their judgment.</p>
<p>I agree that the facts speak for themselves. </p>
<p>There is nothing :"demeaning" about being associated with key Harvard institutions - such as the Kennedy School or the Broad Institute - and indeed I suggest that quite the opposite is the case.</p>