Alumna Profiled: Lida Anestidou
Graduated: PIERCE '83
Lives in: Washington, D.C., United States
Current Position: Senior Program Officer, Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, U.S. National Academy of Sciences
LIDA ANESTIDOU, DVM, Ph.D. was born in Athens, Greece, and graduated from PIERCE in 1983. She holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University; a Master's in Veterinary Sciences from the University of Florida; and a doctorate in Integrative Biology from the University of Texas – Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in Houston. At the U.S. National Academy of Sciences she is the director of a diverse portfolio of studies on (1) standards of scientific integrity and responsible science; (2) international education on responsible science and issues pertaining to research with dual use potential; (3) the scientific assessment of animal models; and (4) the care, use, and welfare of laboratory animals. She travels the world because of her projects but when at home she volunteers at a shelter for the homeless and chairs the Superintendent's Advisory Committee on Accountability and Evaluation for the public schools of Arlington County in Virginia.
INTERVIEW
Q.: What are three enduring lessons you learned during your studies at PIERCE?
- How to study methodically.
- That a library is a fundamental resource.
- That teachers, good and bad, stay with you for life.
Q.: Describe PIERCE in three words.
Diligent and focused but also entitled.
Q.: What is one of your favorite PIERCE memories?
The high school volleyball games.
Q.: What do you miss most from your days at PIERCE?
The "quartet's" mornings.
Q.: Where was your favorite spot on campus?
The corner table next to the dining room exit.
Q.: Who was your favorite professor and why?
Eri Manta because she made everything to do with Ancient Greece come alive!
Q.: Have you kept in touch with any of your classmates?
For many years only with those to whom I was closest. The internet has helped tear some of those barriers down. It's a pleasure to rediscover my classmates.
Q.: Did having studied at PIERCE help you during your later studies and beyond?
Absolutely.
Q.: What's the greatest piece of advice you've ever received?
I've received many; I don't keep track.
Q.: What (or who) inspires you?
The ability to have a lasting influence.
ACG Alumni: We Stay Connected!