Trumbull College Master Janet Henrich was reappointed to serve another five year term on Tuesday after a routine performance review. But Henrich’s second term will not start until she returns from a leave of absence she will take during the 2002-2003 school year.

Yale President Richard Levin will appoint an interim master later this year to serve in Henrich’s place during her absence. Henrich, a professor at the Yale medical school and former director of the Women’s Health Program, said she will spend at least eight months of her leave of absence doing research at the National Institutes of Health.

Henrich’s performance was first reviewed by a committee appointed by University President Richard Levin.

The performance review, required before a master can be reappointed, was carried out by a committee led by Geology and Geophysics professor Leo Hickey, a Trumbull College fellow.

Hickey complimented Henrich as he summarized the committee’s findings.

“I think Trumbull’s well-served,” he said. “I think she’s very dedicated. She is someone who works very quietly beyond the scene and is often underappreciated.”

Henrich said she was “very pleased and honored” to be able to serve as master for another term.

The committee consisted of three fellows of the college and six Trumbull students, including one Master’s aide and several Trumbull College Council members.

Hickey said the committee surveyed students, staff and faculty associated with the college in order to evaluate both Henrich’s performance and “the health and well-being of the college.”

Michael Gray ’05, a committee member who canvassed the freshman class for the review, said that his fellow students tended to see Henrich as somewhat removed.

Amy Zinser ’03 said she thinks Henrich is “fabulous,” but agreed with Gray that Henrich does not stress her accomplishments as master.

“She’s pretty effective, but she doesn’t always take a visual role,” she said.

Unlike Gray, some committee members were reluctant to discuss their findings. Christopher Ammon ’03 said he preferred to keep both his opinions and the opinions he heard from others to himself.

Radhika Natarajan ’02, a TCC member and a Master’s aide who said she has worked closely with Henrich in her time at Yale, would not say what students told her of their opinions of Henrich. But Natarajan said she personally regards Henrich highly.

“I think she does a really good job in the college, I think she cares very deeply about the students,” Natarajan said. “As a master, she does her job pretty well.”

Henrich said she has a somewhat relaxed philosophy as master.

“I think the students are the true leaders at college,” she said. “What I try to do is really facilitate their ideas and listen to them.”

Henrich cited myriad projects as her chief accomplishments during her first term as master, including piloting the Graduate Affiliate Program with Pierson College, establishing the Trumbull Arts Program, and improving student activities spaces in Trumbull.

Hickey praised the students on the committee for their forthrightness and said he respected them.

“The students were quite outspoken and were pretty well-grounded in their opinions,” he said.

CAROLINE MASSAD