Martha Vedrine has worked at Harvard School of Dental Medicine since 2013, serving as the admissions and recruitment coordinator in the Office of Dental Education since 2020. This year, she received the Dolores J. Brown Staff Award, which recognizes a Harvard Medical School or HSDM staff member for their outstanding service, respect for the HMS mission, and creating a welcoming environment.
MyHMS caught up with Vedrine about how she spends her time outside of work and what community members can do to make HMS and HSDM a welcoming place for all.
MyHMS: What brought you to HSDM?
Martha Vedrine: Prior to starting at HSDM, I worked for a nonprofit education collaborative working with Greater Boston high school and college students and their families. After several years with the program, I transitioned to part-time retail and community choral work for a restorative break. I worked to establish myself as a local freelance musician: working with choirs, giving beginner piano lessons, and coaching vocalists around Greater Boston. Though things were going relatively well, I felt it was time to move back to office work, which would be more stable, provide me with benefits, and still allow me to be customer service-oriented.
I participated in a workforce-development program sponsored by the YMCA to retool my office skills. This program had just solidified a partnership with the HSDM HR office, and I was chosen as the first intern for a three-month summer internship at HSDM, helping the HR team and another department with office work. Later in the year, I returned to HSDM as a temporary worker in the Office of Dental Education and subsequently applied to and was selected for a staff assistant position that became available.
MyHMS: What is your role at HSDM?
Vedrine: As the admissions and recruitment coordinator in the Office of Dental Education, my primary role is to help oversee the application process for our DMD students from the point of interest to matriculation. My job entails processing applications, planning admissions events, coordinating committee meetings and admissions interviews, responding to the needs of our admissions team, and providing customer service — answering questions via phone calls and emails as well as greeting and guiding those who come to our office.
MyHMS: What do you like best about working here?
Vedrine: One of the things that I truly enjoy about working at HSDM is getting to interact with so many groups at our School: faculty, staff, students, alumni, administration, and even parents! Serving on committees with faculty and students, helping at big events where I get to meet parents and alumni, or chatting at tea time with members of our clinic team help bring light to my day.
Something else I humbly value is that people are aware of who I am beyond the office. I have been invited to sing at numerous formal and informal events throughout the Longwood community: singing the national anthem at the graduate military commissioning ceremony for HMS and HSDM; singing at multiple Longwood Campus On My Own Time staff events; singing at the Black Staff Caucus Launch and Juneteenth Celebration; and also singing and conducting a choir at vigil celebrating the life of Paul Farmer. I feel honored to share my voice with the broader HMS and HSDM community. I appreciate being in a place where I feel known, seen, heard, and valued.
MyHMS: The Dolores J. Brown Staff Award recognizes outstanding service to your position and the School; respect for HMS/HSDM and their missions; and creating a welcoming and inclusive work environment. How do you think you demonstrate these values in your work? Is it something that you’re conscious of cultivating?
Vedrine: I always consciously seek to establish a warm and welcoming environment wherever I work. I am intentional about greeting people with a smile and strive to keep a positive attitude. When I schedule and facilitate the myriads of meetings and interviews, I try to be mindful of people’s time. We do our best to start and end meetings on time and make sure everyone has access to the materials they need. Whether it’s colleagues with their events or people who wander into our office suite, I seek to be as patient and helpful as I can. If I do not know an answer to a question or if something is out of my purview, I don’t like to leave people hanging. I take the time to assist the person in finding someone who is able to help them.
MyHMS: What do you think we can all do to make HMS and HSDM more welcoming and inclusive?
Vedrine: That’s a great question. The USA television network used to have the tagline, “Characters welcome.” This would be a helpful motto for us all to adopt. We need to remember that both HMS and HSDM attract a variety of people who make up and benefit our unique community, and this variety is part of what makes us so impactful.
MyHMS: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I enjoy being a supporter of the performing arts scene in Boston. Each year, I go to a number of live performances — plays, concerts, musicals, dances, comedy shows. I also like going to art museums and the movies. I am so grateful that being a member of the Harvard community allows us access to so much of the performing arts on offer here in Greater Boston.
MyHMS: What are three things most people don’t know about you?
Vedrine: I am multicultural and multilingual. I was born in Boston to Haitian immigrants, and I grew up within the Haitian Christian community of the Greater Boston Area. I speak English, French, and Haitian Creole, and I can ask, “Where is the bathroom?” in eight languages.
I like puzzles and working with my hands. I enjoy a variety of activities and hobbies: doodling, jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, origami, and a variety of other things, including choral conducting.
I used to be an avid Boston sports fan. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to combine my musical skills and fandom by singing the national anthem (either as a soloist or in a small group) for the Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins.
MyHMS: If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and why?
Vedrine: I would like to meet Captain Michael Burnham of the Star Trek: Discovery television series (played by Sonequa Martin-Green). Her character does not shy away from making tough decisions but is always ready to explore diplomacy before choosing to engage in battle. She listens to and edifies her crew while also demanding the best from them. She has a relentless spirit and a deep commitment to the United Federation of Planets, which helps guide her every decision as leader. In spite of her demanding role, she still makes time for her friends and family. I really enjoy Captain Burnham’s fierceness, humility, and wisdom as a captain and would love to be mentored by her.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
