Harvard Alumni Association Award winners for 2012

Six alumni are recognized for outstanding service to the University.

Top row from left: Teresita Alvarez-Bjelland, F. Gorham Brigham, and Deborah Gelin. Bottom row from left: Joseph K. Hurd Jr., John Paul Kennedy, and Michael G. Yamin

Top row from left: Teresita Alvarez-Bjelland, F. Gorham Brigham, and Deborah Gelin. Bottom row from left: Joseph K. Hurd Jr., John Paul Kennedy, and Michael G. Yamin

Established in 1990, the Harvard Alumni Association Awards recognize outstanding service to the University. This year’s awards are to be presented on September 27 during the HAA board of directors’ fall meeting.

Teresita Alvarez-Bjelland ’76, M.B.A. ’79, of Oslo, has held numerous positions in the HAA, including president, vice president of University-wide affairs, treasurer, and elected director. She is a class marshal, and has received both the Hiram S. Hunn and the Radcliffe Distinguished Service Awards.

F. Gorham Brigham ’37, M.B.A. ’39, of West Newton, Massachusetts, has served as Harvard Business School (HBS) class secretary for more than 73 years and is acting secretary for his College class, which he served as treasurer for six decades. He is a former president of the HBS Club of Boston and earlier this year won the inaugural HBS Volunteer Service Award.

Deborah Gelin ’79, M.B.A. ’83, of Washington, D.C., was president of the Harvard Club of Washington, D.C., and served as HAA regional director of the Middle Atlantic states. She is also a past recipient of the Hiram S. Hunn Award.

Joseph K. Hurd Jr. ’60, M.D. ’64, of Wellesley, Massachusetts, is a class marshal and a former HAA elected director. He has also been president of the Harvard Medical School alumni association and an appointed director of the alumni council.

John Paul Kennedy ’63, of Salt Lake City, has interviewed candidates since 1966 and has been chair of the Utah schools and scholarships committee. He now serves as an HAA director for the cluster of religious identity shared interest groups (SIGs).

Michael G. Yamin ’53, LL.B. ’58, of New York City, is a 50-year member of the Harvard Club of New York City, having served twice on its board of managers, most recently as vice president. He has been an alumni interviewer since 1958.

Read more articles by Nell Porter-Brown
Related topics

You might also like

Graduates John Lithgow, Bill Rauch, and Bess Wohl took home prizes on Sunday night.

Singer Elisa Smith’s whiskey-soaked voice and subversive feminism is part of the genre’s urban shift.

Harvard graduate and NASCAR racer Patrick Staropoli on pedals, attention, and fearlessness.

Most popular

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Meet Harvard’s 2026 Student Commencement Speakers

Two undergraduates and a Ph.D. candidate will address the graduating class on May 28.

Ronny Chieng Tells Harvard to ‘Destroy AI’ as Graduates Cheer

The comedian and The Daily Show host gave the keynote address for Class Day 2026.

Explore More From Current Issue

Two figures stand before a large, colorful pixelated face against a yellow background.

Harvard scientists identify hundreds of genes under selective pressure.

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

An open book with a film strip emerging, trailing popcorn and a dancer silhouette.

Readers Respond to Our Adaptations Survey

We asked people to share their favorite art adaptations. Here’s what they said.