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

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

Introductions: Dan Cnossen

A conversation with the former Navy SEAL and gold-medal-winning Paralympic skier

A Congenial Voice in Japanese-American Relations

Takashi Komatsu spent his life building bridges. 

Yesterday’s News

A co-ed experiment that changed dorm life forever

Most popular

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

Can new approaches to education address a growing gender gap?

The Trouble with Sidechat

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

The Taliban and Trauma

Alumni friends collaborate to help students at the Asian University for Women.

Explore More From Current Issue

A football player kicking a ball while another teammate holds it on the field.

A Near-Perfect Football Season Ends in Disappointment

A loss to Villanova derails Harvard in the playoffs. 

A jubilant graduate shouts into a megaphone, surrounded by a cheering crowd.

For Campus Speech, Civility is a Cultural Practice

A former Harvard College dean reviews Princeton President Christopher Eisgruber’s book Terms of Respect.

An image depicting high carb ultra processed foods, those which are often associated with health risks

Is Ultraprocessed Food Really That Bad?

A Harvard professor challenges conventional wisdom.