I love to travel, to meet people and share ideas, learn about different cultures, and create lasting friendships with people I encounter along the way. The two years I lived in Kenya as a young adult, as well as extensive travel during that time, changed the direction of my life. Since then, it has pointed outward, to the world.
A longtime resident of Massachusetts, I now live in New Hampshire, in the shadow of a mountain and surrounded by trees. This peaceful setting allows me to focus on my work while enjoying the ever-changing gifts of the natural world.
After 15 years at Harvard University, I left in 2021 to restart my consulting career and tackle a variety of projects. Please contact me to learn whether I might be right for yours. You will find that I am collaborative, strategic, and reliable. I look forward to working with you.
Professional experience
Independent Communications Consultant, 2021–present
Collaborate with nonprofits and academic institutions to develop and implement strategies for advancing their missions. Clients include Brandeis University, Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County, Books for Him & Her, and Africa Academy for Public Health.
Harvard University, 2006–2021
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Assistant Director of Development Communications and Marketing
Office for External Relations/Office of Communications
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
Director of Communications
Communications Manager
Office of Development and Alumni Relations
Harvard Medical School
Writer, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine
Dean’s Writer, Office of the Dean
Communications Manager, Department of Health Care Policy
A Way with Words, 1998–2006
Principal
Communications consultant for multiple national and local nonprofits. Selected clients included Physicians for Social Responsibility, the Health Effects Institute, and Oxfam America.
Union of Concerned Scientists, 1985–1998
Senior Editor
Direct-Mail Manager
Education and honors
PhD, Linguistics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MA, Linguistics, University of California, Los Angeles
BA, magna cum laude, Languages and Linguistics, University of Washington, Seattle
Fulbright-Hays Training Grant, dissertation research in Morocco, MIT
National Defense Foreign Language Fellowship, study of Hausa, UCLA
Phi Beta Kappa, University of Washington
Summer study of Arabic, Tunis, Tunisia
One year of study, Linguistics and Swahili Literature, University of Nairobi, Kenya
Software expertise
Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, WordPress CMS
Jan is an excellent editor. She did an amazing job with my first book (nonfiction), gave valuable advice for my fiction piece, and I just sent her another project. Even on topics she’s not super familiar with, she was able to correct language and make many suggestions to ultimately make the writing much better. I’ve worked with other editors, and the quality of work and responsiveness that Jan delivers is second to none. Highly recommend.”
Ali Choucri
Entrepreneur and Licensed Real Estate Advisor
I have been fortunate to work with Jan on two high-profile projects involving plans for our University’s Science enterprise, one of our top priorities. She has been an exceptional partner—visionary, thoughtful, resourceful, and responsive in every way. Her communications skills, both technical in her writing and in her ability to translate scientific content for lay audiences, combined with how relatable, accessible, and humble she is, make it so easy to collaborate with her. She takes initiative (and direction) so well and goes the extra mile to create an excellent product. We value her work so much that we are thrilled to be partnering with her again.”
Loren Feingold
Senior Director, Alumni Relations and Institutional Advancement
Brandeis University
I’ve never worked with such a skilled copyeditor as Jan. She seems to effortlessly take a passage of writing and level it up to a degree you wouldn’t think possible. In the process, you get the impression that she really loves doing this; and as a human, she’s one of the kindest and warmest souls I’ve ever encountered. She’ll probably edit this review, too, and it will be better when she’s done with it.”
Ben S. Wallace
Associate Creative Director
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health