#  Elizabeth (Lisa) Derendorf 

Program Coordinator, FW Peabody Society, Program in Medical Education, HMS

 

 

 



   ![Lisa Derendord is wearing a white shirt and red and white beaded necklace.](/sites/g/files/omnuum11411/files/styles/hwp_4_5__480x600/public/2026-05/29.Elizabeth-Derendorf-Questions.jpg?h=45585f3a&itok=iYocCNul) 

 



 





 

**What inspires or motivates you in your role at HMS/HSDM?**  
No question, my colleagues that I work with inspire me to do my best work in my role as coordinator of the Peabody Society. It is through their example and friendship that I find the motivation to want to improve my own work. Witnessing their spirit of service towards the faculty and students we support is truly admirable and I feel fortunate to be surrounded by such great people.

**In what ways do you feel you contribute to the Harvard community?**  
I feel I make the greatest contribution to the Harvard community simply by striving every day to do my work well - to the best of my ability - and to be thorough and complete in all that I undertake. Between a hefty commute and a full household - I have 4 children -- I have very little opportunity to take advantage of too much outside of my regular work duties. As much as l'd love to go to the numerous events put on by HMS and Harvard at-large, my duties at this time lie at home with my husband and children. And my master's degree, of course; 1 am in the final stages of earning my masters in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Religion. Although I have no long-term plans for what I will do with my degree, I can say that I have enjoyed every minute of being a student again and feel no matter what, it was an incredible experience that was well worth the effort and sacrifice.

**What are you most proud of about your work at HMS/HSDM?**  
I think am most proud of the fact that I can be counted one among many incredibly talented, intelligent, caring, kind, giving and spirited people. I feel it is a privilege to work where I do.

**What unique skills and/or talents do you bring to your job?**  
I am a photographer by trade - formally trained right down the road at Mass Art. I like to think I am creative and fun. I am definitely a people-person. I honestly enjoy hearing about other peoples' lives- their joys, their sorrows, their hopes, their aspirations. I also love to hear about current developments within the community, whether it be some ground breaking research, some new initiative that has started that will help give aid to a needy population, a recent engagement of a student, a birth of a child - you name it. In my role as coordinator of the Peabody Society I have an open-door policy which means I am the recipient of a constant flow of new information. It is my job to be present in the moment but also to be able to retain the information I receive for future recall and use. I think my job fits my personality to a "T".



 

 

 



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- ## Person Categories
    
     [Dimensions](/person-categories/dimensions)
- ## Institution
    
     [Harvard Medical School](/institution/harvard-medical-school)