Harvard College 2000 Podcast: Laela Sturdy

Harvard College 2000 Podcast: Matt Povich

Matt talks to Dara about his work in astronomy, starting with his work after graduation continuing work on his thesis related to astronomy, which is what he teaches now at Cal Poly Pomona. Matt started his career serving 27 months in the Peace Corps in Tanzania teaching physics and leading expeditions on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Learn more about Matt’s work and research here [https://www.cpp.edu/faculty/mspovich/index.shtml]. At Harvard, Matt played multiple instruments and did tae kwon do (and is a black belt!). The Milky Way Project [https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/povich/milky-way-project] on Zooniverse (very cool citizen science website- check it out!) Link to his Zoom background image [https://www.nasa.gov/image-article/nasa-telescopes-deliver-stellar-bouquet-in-time-for-valentines-day/] Matt lived in Grays East and Currier House and concentrated in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Matt is from Maine and lives in Southern California.

Harvard College 2000 Podcast: Marisa Echeverria

Marisa talks to Dara about how her experiences at Harvard solidified her love of acting and launched her acting career. Marisa was part of On Thin Ice (where she met her husband, Paul), Gilbert & Sullivan Players, the Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club, and the Signet Society, and she was also a FAP proctor for three years. After earning her MFA at NYU, she did theater in New York City. Marisa and Paul moved back to California to start a family, and now we can see her in TV and film, including Loot which our classmate Matt Hubbard created. She was also in the world premier of Jersey Boys and recently directed Ceiling in the Floor, a play she co-created with a friend that interweaves art, mental illness, and grief. You can follow her career on IMDB [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2182941/] and IG [https://www.instagram.com/itsmarisaecheverria/?hl=en]. Marisa lived in Massachusetts Hall and Mather and Adams and was a Literature concentrator. She is from Pasadena and lives there now.

Harvard College 2000 Podcast: Arden O'Connor

Arden talks to Dara about her journey since college. Soon after graduating, she started a home for foster kids, Rediscovery House, which was directly related to her volunteer work at PBHA. Arden’s twists and turns include going to HBS, having (and beating) acute myelogenous cancer in her 20s, and working in the healthcare industry before starting her own company. Intent Clinical [https://intentclinical.com/] is a concierge provider for behavioral healthcare services, based on her own and her family’s needs. Arden also served on the board of the Harvard Club of Boston soon after college. Arden mentioned the Paths Less Traveled event at our 25th reunion, which you can listen to here [https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/3e70593d-4704-408b-952c-5ca32a3472f1.mp3]. Arden lived in Matthews and Pforzheimer and concentrated in English and American Literature and Language. She is from Newton and lives in Boston.

Harvard College 2000 Podcast: Tina Henry Bou-Saba

Tina talks to Dara about her journey from Harvard to investment banking to HBS to Victoria’s Secret and then tying it all together, running her own investment firm, CXT Investments [https://www.tinabousaba.com/], which focuses on emerging brands in beauty, personal care, and health and wellness (including investing in a classmate, Patricia Santos’ company!). Tina has her own podcast talking to founders and investors called There is No Alternative [https://www.tinabousaba.com/podcast] (TINA)- available on any podcast app. Tina lived in Canaday and Leverett and concentrated in Social Studies. She is from New Jersey and lives in San Francisco.

Harvard College 2000 Podcast: Lauren Wiliams

Lauren talks to Dara about her journey from studying math at Harvard to becoming the math department’s only female professor where she studies algebra and combinatorics. She recently won the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant [https://www.macfound.org/fellows/class-of-2025/lauren-k-williams]. Lauren talks pulling all-nighters in college and Helen Vendler’s mathematical way about talking about poetry. Lauren is a runner, which she started doing with her college roommate, Jenny Hoffman, who is ALSO a Harvard professor! Lauren also tells us the behind the scenes story of PfoHo stealing the Adams’ House gong which started the PfoHo-Adams House war of 1999 [https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2025/6/7/pfoho-adams-dhall-war-reunion/]. * Harvard Gazette [https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2025/10/lauren-williams-awarded-macarthur-genius-grant/] article on Lauren * NYT [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/07/science/mathematics-ai-proof-hairer.html] article on First Proof * Lauren’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/laurenkwilliams42/] Lauren lived in Pennypacker and Pforzheimer and concentrated in math. She is from Southern California and now lives in Cambridge.