Aloian Scholars

Two Harvard seniors are honored for improving House life.

Karl Kmiecik ’10, of Cabot House and Augusta, Georgia, and Kirsten E. M. Slungaard ’10 of Eliot House and Saint Paul, Minnesota, are this year’s David Aloian Memorial Scholars, and will be honored at the fall dinner of the Harvard Alumni Association in October. The scholarships, established in 1988 to honor the late David Aloian ’49, a former HAA executive director and master of Quincy House, and his wife, Mary “Mimi” Aloian, are awarded to two seniors who have made unique contributions to their Houses and to undergraduate life.

Kmiecik, a history and science concentrator, is “a friend to all” who organizes multiple formals, at least a dozen study breaks and stein clubs, and a lively Dutch Auction that raises money for student events. He was instrumental in Cabot’s three-year drive to win the Green Cup (for greatest reduction in energy consumption), and serves on the House tutor interview committee. Kmiecik is also president of the Harvard ROTC Association, a volunteer for the Peer Health Exchange, and a member of  his department’s student-faculty committee.  

Kirsten Slungaard, an English concentrator, has been a driving force behind numerous Eliot House initiatives. She spearheaded the renewal of its Grille, a popular late-night gathering spot; as its manager, she organizes study breaks and hires and trains employees, among other duties. A founding member of the Eliot Writing Circle, she is an aspiring professional writer, and a sound supporter of others’ creative endeavors. And as a member of the Eliot Boat Club, she rises early most mornings to contribute to Eliot’s dominance in intramural crew. 

Related topics

You might also like

Harvard Funds Student “Bridges” Projects

Eight new initiatives to build community on campus will get underway early next year. 

Harvard Football: Villanova 52, Harvard 7

The Crimson’s inaugural playoff appearance is nasty, brutish, and short.

Harvard Football: Yale 45, Harvard 28

A wild weekend: a debacle in The Game, then a berth in the playoffs.

Most popular

Why Men Are Falling Behind in Education, Employment, and Health

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

The 1884 Cannibalism-at-Sea Case That Still Has Harvard Talking

The Queen v. Dudley and Stephens changed the course of legal history. Here’s why it’s been fodder for countless classroom debates.

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

Explore More From Current Issue

A silhouette of a person stands before glowing domes in a red, rocky landscape at sunset.

Getting to Mars (for Real)

Humans have been dreaming of living on the Red Planet for decades. Harvard researchers are on the case.

A girl sits at a desk, flanked by colorful, stylized figures, evoking a whimsical, surreal atmosphere.

The Trouble with Sidechat

No one feels responsible for what happens on Harvard’s anonymous social media app.

Man in a suit holding a pen, smiling, seated at a desk with a soft background.

A Congenial Voice in Japanese-American Relations

Takashi Komatsu spent his life building bridges.