And I think of the department that I ran as a garden...I think of all the faculty that I’ve recruited as a flower. I could have had all roses…real flashy, but they have thorns, roses do. So you can have all tulips, but I think of the faculty in the department as a different kind of flower. Some need lots of sunshine, some need lots of water, some are going to be okay with benign neglect. They don’t even need you.
Dr. Marianne Elizabeth Felice was born in Greensburg, Pennsylvania in 1943 and works at UMass Medical School in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. She and her husband, John Giles, moved to Shrewsbury in 1998 when Marianne was offered the chair of pediatrics. Marianne has devoted her time to her job, advocacy efforts, and her husband. Networks of women have played an important role in her life and experiences, and she continues to value these relationships today. In this interview, Marianne reflects upon the struggles and joys of her life and experiences within the medical field. Growing up in a large family, Marianne lost her mother at age 10. A religious community of nuns then took on the motherly role in her life and contributed to her upbringing. She discusses the challenges she faced in building up a successful life amidst the hardships she encountered. Along with receiving many awards due to her significance in the community, January 3, 2012 was named Marianne Felice Day in Worcester. Marianne elaborates upon the importance of struggles and successes and gives positive advice to future generations of women when she states, “Go for it girl, go for it! You can do anything you want to do, and don’t let anybody hold you back.” In this interview, Marianne touches on her experiences in moving to the Worcester area, and how she has witnessed an inferiority complex and the ways the city has changed over the years.