Alumni Awards

HAA clubs and SIGs (Shared Interest Group) Committee Awards honor both individuals who provide exemplary service to a Harvard club or SIG, and clubs and SIGs that organize exceptional programming. Awards were presented to the following recipients at the HAA Board of Directors winter meeting on February 3.

David A. Chen, M.Arch.-M.A.U. ’99, of Radnor, Pennsylvania. As immediate past president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Club of Philadelphia, Chen used the HAA’s online system to increase club membership in innovative ways. He has also served cheerfully in many other roles: event coordinator, menu planner, Web designer, membership-verifier, last-minute-problem-solver, and even chief label-maker.

Nicolas J. Ducote, M.P.P. ’98, of Argentina, and Carlos A. Mendoza ’88, M.P.P. ’90, of Panama. As HAA directors for Latin America, Ducote and Mendoza have strengthened the network among 19 clubs, energizing and inspiring members to share a deeper sense of community and openness to collaboration, and expanding participation in regional club leaders’ consultations. Both are also responsible for innovative programming in their own clubs, and helped create the new Harvard Latin American Alumni and Friends SIG.

The Harvard Asian American Alumni Alliance, founded in 2008, has established SIG chapters in major U.S. cities that engage alumni through online and in-person events. Its first summit meeting, last October, drew 400 alumni, students, and guests from around the world (see “A Milestone for Asian American Alumni,” [5]  January-February, page 63).