This year’s Miller-Hunn Awards—the original award, which honored Hiram S. Hunn, A.B. 1921, now also honors retired admissions officer Dwight D. Miller, Ed.M. ’71—recognize eight alumni for their volunteer efforts to recruit and interview prospective undergraduates.
Michael R. Alderete ’79, of Moraga, California, has served the San Francisco Bay Area since 1984, and been co-chair of the Contra Costa County Schools Committee since 1992. In the spirit of creating a family tradition, his son Matthew ’19 and daughter Stephanie ’22 are also alumni interviewers in southern and northern California, respectively.
Christopher Baird ’94, of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, has interviewed candidates for 23 years, and has chaired the schools and scholarship committee of the Harvard Club of Ottawa since 2000, overseeing local interviewing, along with new interviewer recruiting efforts across the eastern Ontario region.
Joanne Dykas Cameron ’80, of Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, chairs the New Bedford-area schools and scholarship committee. She has recruited numerous candidates and instituted Zoom get-togethers that connect admitted students and their families with local alumni.
Caitlin Jane Cronin ’93, of Longmeadow, Massachusetts, began interviewing in 1995, joining several schools and scholarship committees, including those in California and Australia. Settling in Western Massachusetts, she now chairs the local club committee.
Jerry M. Hiatt ’73, of Honokaa, Hawaii, began interviewing for Harvard upon his graduation from law school, and has met with hundreds of applicants during four decades of service. Meeting with applicants, he finds, is a great learning opportunity for both himself and the students.
William Massey III, M.B.A. ’66, of Savannah, Georgia, has chaired the schools and scholarship committee, covering students across a large territory, since 2010. One focus has been maintaining connections with admitted students, who then join him in interviewing new candidates for the club.
Patty Le-Narula, J.D. ’96, of Irvine, California, has been an interviewer for more than 20 years and a co-chair of the schools and scholarship committee since 2005. She is also involved with the Orange County chapters of the Harvard Law School Association, the HLS Women’s Alliance, and the Alumni Network of Harvard Women.
Carlos Ortega ’90, M.B.A. ’94, of Madrid, Spain, is the president of the Harvard Club of Spain, chairs the schools and scholarship committee, and has been interviewing students since 2002. He also founded the Harvard Prize Book initiative in Spain to increase access to the United States’ college application process.
