Harvard Alumni Association Awards

2009 Aloian Scholars

Karl J. Kmiecik ’10 of Cabot House and Kirsten E. M. Slungaard ’10 of Eliot House are this year’s David and Mimi Aloian Memorial Scholars. Each May, the Harvard Alumni Association selects two rising seniors for the prestigious award. The criteria reflect the traits valued and embodied by the Aloians: thoughtful leadership that makes the College an exciting place in which to live and study, and special contributions to the quality of life in the Houses. David Aloian AB’49 was the HAA’s executive director, and he and his wife Mary “Mimi” Aloian served as co-masters of Quincy House from 1981 until 1986.

Kmiecik, of Augusta, Georgia, has worked hard to preserve House traditions and create a welcoming atmosphere as the Cabot House Committee co-chair. According to his House master, Karl “brings to life the ideal of 'an officer and a gentleman' as he pursues a rigorous set of courses while maintaining the most robust presence of any student in the House.” He has organized numerous events—from formals to a Dutch auction student fundraiser—and he was instrumental in Cabot’s three-year drive to win the Green Cup, awarded to the House with the greatest reduction in energy consumption. He is president of the Harvard ROTC Association, a member of the Cabot House Tutor Interview Committee, and serves on the History and Science Student Faculty Committee.

Slungaard, of Saint Paul, Minnesota, has been a driving force behind a number of Eliot House initiatives that have improved House life. She spearheaded the renewal of the Eliot House Grille, a popular late-night gathering spot. As the Grille’s head manager, she has responsibilities ranging from hiring and training to catering and organizing study breaks. An aspiring writer, she is a founding member of the Eliot Writing Circle, often recruiting and encouraging other student writers. She is also a member of the Eliot Boat Club, rising early each morning to contribute to Eliot’s dominance in intramural crew. Her House master notes that “it is reassuring to know that every time I embark on a project...I can count on Kirsten to give her best to make the event a success for all.”

2009 HAA Award Recipients

The Harvard Alumni Association Awards were established in 1990 to recognize outstanding service to Harvard University through alumni activities.

Jonathan L. S. Byrnes DBA ’80, of Lexington, Massachusetts, is dedicated to engaging and serving Harvard’s alumni. He was vice president of the Harvard Club of Boston, on the board of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Alumni Association, and, during his term as HBS Appointed Director, he chaired the HAA Graduate Schools Committee. He has served on the HAA Executive Committee in various capacities, including as president in 2007–2008. He has played a key role in HAA strategic planning efforts, managing the initial plan in 2001 that charted the HAA’s current path and directing a mid-term review in 2008. His analytical and organizational skills, as well as his vision and dedication, are highly valued. President of Jonathan Byrnes & Company, a strategy consulting firm, he is also a senior lecturer at MIT. Over the past 20 years, his consulting and business development projects have transformed the fields of strategy, account management, and supply chain management. He and his wife Marsha have two sons, Steven AB ’07 and Daniel.

Michael F. Holland AB’66, of New Canaan, Connecticut, has never refused a volunteer role at Harvard and is one of its greatest ambassadors. The former co-chair of the Harvard College Fund Council, he has also co-chaired his 25th, 30th, 35th, and 40th gift committees. He has been a vice chair of the FAS Financial Aid Council, an advisory board member of the Harvard China Fund, and a member of the Visiting Committee on Faculty Recruitment and Retention. He has twice served as vice president of the Harvard Club of New York City and its board of managers. Additionally, he is a Harvard Club of New York Foundation trustee and a member of the Harvard New York Major Gifts Committee. He is chairman of Holland & Company, director of three mutual fund groups, and president and founder of the Holland Balanced Fund. He appeared as a regular panelist on "Wall $treet Week" with Louis Rukeyser and serves as a trustee of the Winston Churchill Foundation of the United States. He and his wife Louise have six sons, including Joseph AB ’95, John AB ’00, and Michael AB ’04.

Barbara G. Meyer AB’62, of Morristown, New Jersey, has invested countless hours and remarkable energy in support of Harvard and Radcliffe. She is an active member of the HAA Schools and Scholarships Committee—having served as chair from 1998 to 2001—and she has been an alumni interviewer since 1977. President of the Harvard Club of New Jersey from 2004 to 2005, she is currently a member of its Executive Committee and chair of its Schools Committee. From 2005 to 2008, she was an HAA regional director for Metropolitan NY-NJ. She was also a member of the Radcliffe Board of Management and chaired her 35th reunion class’s reunion and gift committees. She currently serves as a member of the Class of 1962’s Harvard College Fund gift committee. She is vice president of Meyer & Associates, a private company that designs, sells, and manages specialty insurance programs. She and her husband Edward have two children, Ann AB ’94 and Ted AB ’00.

Harry “Chip” O’Hare, Jr. AB’71, MBA’75, of Belmont, Massachusetts, has been a loyal and active Harvard alumnus. He was his class secretary for 15 years and an HAA Appointed Director representing the College Class Secretaries and Treasurers Association (CCSTA). He championed full CCSTA membership for class treasurers as president in 1999. A longtime member of the HAA Classes and Reunions and Happy Observance of Commencement Committees, he also has served on the Harvard Club of Boston’s board of directors, chairing its nominating committee for eight years. A member of his class committee since graduation, he chaired his 5th and 35th reunions, and he currently serves on the Harvard Business School Class Reunion Committee. He is president and CEO of the Johnson O’Hare Company, Inc., a food brokerage firm. He is also on the board of the Massachusetts Food Association and is the former chair of the Independent Food Brokers of America. He and his wife Barbara have a son Matthew AB ’01.

Roland B. Smith, Jr. EdD’88, of Pearland, Texas, is an involved and committed alumnus. He chaired the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) Alumni Council in 1993–1994, served as an HAA Appointed Director from 1995 to 2001 and as a regional director for Texas from 2000 to 2003, and also chaired the HAA Graduate Schools Committee. In 2008, he received the HGSE Alumni of Color Achievement Award. A leader in higher education, he has focused extensively on improving racial and ethnic diversity and campus climate in his current role as associate provost at Rice University. Previously, he served as executive assistant to the president of Notre Dame. He is a past president of the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education and has served on various American Association for Higher Education committees. In Houston, he chairs the Education Foundation of Harris County. He is president of the Center for Health and Faith Initiatives at Texas Medical Center, and sits on the boards of the LifeGift Organ Donation Center and Houston Read Commission. He and his wife Valerie have two children.

Beverly B. Sullivan, of Arlington, Massachusetts, devoted nearly four decades of distinguished service to Harvard. Although not officially an alumna, she certainly received a Harvard education. She began as a secretary in the University Development Office before becoming the administrative assistant to two Alumni Affairs and Development vice presidents, Chase Peterson and Fred Glimp. Later, she served as executive assistant to two Harvard presidents, Neil Rudenstine and Lawrence Summers. In 2004, she joined the HAA as director of Board Services, where she would begin her collaboration with six HAA presidents and countless other alumni leaders. Under her watch, alumni participation levels soared and the board completed several successful initiatives. President Drew Faust personally asked her to speak on behalf of all Harvard employees at her Presidential Installation. She is also the recipient of the Harvard Hero and Marion Anderson prizes, staff awards that reflect her commitment to the University and its mission. She is married to Peter Sullivan.