Somewhere along the way, it seems Gould has learned the art of always being busy and never being far away when she is needed.

"She's constantly available to do crisis management," observes Randolf Catlin, chief of the mental health services and a close co-worker. "I have found her to be very dedicated to her work and she always puts the students first."

Working Herself Out of a Job

Since she was hired, Gould has been trying to completely eliminate the ocurrence of unwanted pregnancies among Harvard students. She has been so effective, that her supervisor and close friend, UHS Director David S. Rosenthal '59, jokes that she is working herself out of a job.

In the past six years, since Gould and members of PCC started a dorm-to-dorm contraception education outreach program, the number of pregnancies at Harvard has declined dramatically.

But until these efforts become 100 percent effective, Gould says she will continue to help women make the most wrenching of decisions.

"Ninety-nine per cent of students [here with unplanned pregnancies] have abortions," she says. "Even though I am pro-choice, I think abortion is very tragic."

Trauma of AIDS

Gould's most recent project is the AIDS Support Group. It is a support group for people living with AIDS, she explains back in her office, not dying from it.

About a dozen people meet every week to talk about the disease, share information, articles and anecdotes. Not all of them have tested HIV positive, but all know someone, a friend or relative, who has.

"It's a group where people cry very easily and laugh very easily," she says, growing serious as she talks about it. "There is a certain element of black humor that is expressed as people deal with their own terminal illness or others'--humor is one of the best ways to deal with it."

Thurston A. Smith, a member of the group and associate registrar, agrees. In the five months since he joined the group, it has has become one of the most important things in his life.

"In dealing with AIDS, one is always dealing with an element of helplessness. Belonging in the group is a way of making me feel empowered," says Smith, who lost some close friends to AIDS recently.

Personal History

Gould spent the first 10 years of her life in New York City. Her father was a chemist, and her mother a biologist who worked for the Museum of Natural History.