“As with anything,” says Ellen Feldberg Gordon, AB ’76, “if you can start with prevention, then you’re ahead of the game.” Gordon, a psychotherapist, specializes in working with clients who are struggling with an eating disorder. She points out that much of the current research in the field of eating disorders focuses on treatment rather than on prevention. But the STRIPED program—of which Gordon was a founder in 2009 with a significant gift—is different. That’s why STRIPED (Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders) is the focus of her philanthropy at the Harvard Chan School.
Led by Bryn Austin, SM ’96, SD ’99, associate professor of social and behavioral sciences, STRIPED is a graduate-level multidisciplinary training program for public health professionals who will work on eating-disorder prevention. The program is based at Harvard Chan and Boston Children’s Hospital. At the heart of Gordon’s passion for this field is her own personal experience. “I had an eating disorder myself,” she says, “as did my mother and my daughter. I’ve seen how it can affect not only the individual, but also the entire family.”
When Gordon is passionate about something, she is not one to sit back and ignore the issue. Where she cannot be hands-on herself, she will make possible the good work of others through generous philanthropy—a value that was handed down through her family by her father, mother, and grandfather. “Their message was that since we are fortunate enough to be able to give back, it’s our responsibility to do so,” says Gordon. “It is wonderful to be able to help fund efforts that will be directed at overcoming or addressing certain issues in society. In the case of STRIPED, it’s personally meaningful to me to support research on eating-disorder prevention, and Bryn Austin’s work is making a tremendous difference.”
Gordon recently pledged $500,000 to STRIPED in the form of a challenge, to encourage others to contribute to this important research. She will match contributions to STRIPED dollar for dollar, up to $500,000, over the next five years.
Ellen Feldberg Gordon, AB ’76, is a marriage and family therapist. She and her husband, Michael Gordon, support the Ellen Feldberg Gordon Fund for Eating Disorders Research. For information about supporting the STRIPED program, please contact Jenn Musso at jmusso@hsph.harvard.edu or 617-432-8076.