Leadership Highlight: Dr. Anne Randerson and Japan Relief Efforts

One common theme in Leadership is initiative and agency.  Leaders are the ones who step in and motivate others toward action while everyone else is simply sitting back wondering "What can I do?"  Dr. Anne Randerson, a regular lecturer at our Masters of Science in Leadership Program, has recently stepped up to the plate to promote relief efforts for Japan.

Dr. Randerson received her PhD in Japan and studied extensively in the city of Sendai and in Fukushima prefecture, where she lived for six years.  In a strange twist of coincidence, her dissertation explored humankind's tenuous relationship with nature.  The timeliness and prescience of the subject was not lost on publishers, who have shown their interest in publishing her work.

Anne in Sendai with friends whom she still hasn't been able to contact

When the earthquake occurred, she scrambled to contact her friends and colleagues in the area.  While many are safe (but some who have lost their homes) there are still friends whom she can't locate despite extensive searching and networking.  In addition to these efforts, she took the initiative to organize fundraising and relief efforts in several unique ways:

1. Last week, Write for Tohoku, an ebook from Tokyo, just published two of her stories about Japan. It's on sale for $9.99 and 100% of the proceeds go to the Japanese Red Cross. You can see a preview of the book by clicking here.

2.  In 2009, Dr. Randerson created an 80-page book from photographs she took during her time in the country.  Scenes of Japan is currently on sale with all proceeds benefiting the Japanese Red Cross.  This collection was the focus of a solo exhibit at the U.S. Department of State European Media Center in Brussels in July, 2009.  Here are three samples of her excellent work:

Nature's Wonders in Fukushima

Japanese Clogs at the Zen Garden

Northern Japan

3. She has organized a charity auction to be held on May 27th at 7pm and all of the proceeds will be given to relief efforts in Japan (the list of which charities will be released shortly).  The invitation promises an evening of purpose and entertainment:

Please support Dr. Randerson in these efforts.  Often the emergence of leaders from the crowd occurs through agency; the person who stands up and says "I'll make the effort" is the one who is an inspiration for the rest of us.  Anne has stepped up.  Let's join the BU family in standing behind her to make a difference.