Extension School Names Winners of Student Prizes, Faculty Awards

This year the Extension School's Commencement Speaker award will go to Genghis Paul Robert Lapointe, ALB cum laude, June '98. The title of his talk will be "A Street Prince Overcomes His 'Silver Bullet' in the Harvard Extension School."

At the same time, the main address at the Graduate Certificate ceremonies, entitled "Human Values in a Technological Era," will be delivered by Mary Cronin, director of human resources, Harvard University.

In addition, the following Extension School students and faculty will receive special recognition during Commencement:

Dean's Prize for Outstanding A.L.M. Thesis

The Dean's Prize for the outstanding A.L.M. thesis recognizes the work that embodies the highest level of imaginative scholarship. This year four prizes, one in each of the disciplines of the Extension School's Master's Degree Program, will be awarded.

The Dean's Prize for the outstanding A.L.M. thesis in the behavioral sciences is awarded this year to Robert H. Briggs Jr. for his work, "A Citizen's Evaluation of Feurerstein's Instrumental Enrichment Program in Taunton, Massachusetts." This extensive and extremely careful evaluation, produced independently by a citizen outside the circle of those invested in the program, demonstrates both the value of outside review of such programs and the ability of citizens to become effectively involved in community affairs. His thesis director, Professor Carol H. Weiss, described the work as "very timely" and a "unique contribution." Briggs received his B.A. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. Having worked as a building contractor, audio engineer, cable television producer, research consultant, and most recently, a teaching assistant and tutor, Briggs intends to pursue a career in the teaching of psychology.

Winner of the Dean's Prize for the outstanding A.L.M. thesis in the biological sciences, Demetra D. Pappas is a graduate of Duke University with a concentration in biology. Her thesis, "Gender and Cognitive Deficits in Chronic Schizophrenic Patients," was described by her co-directors, Professor Brian O'Donnell and Ileana Berman, as "outstanding work by a superlative researcher," which will be of "general interest to clinical investigators of this disorder." Pappas intends to pursue her interests in medical school.

The Dean's Prize for the outstanding thesis in the humanities goes to Joan Pettingell Mather, concentrator in English and American literature and language. The thesis, entitled "The Emergence, Use, and Effect of Magic in Shakespeare's Othello," was directed by Senior Lecturer on English Richard C. Marius, who said of Mather's work: "She has done one of the finest pieces of work I have seen in years and years on Shakespeare, and I felt both honored and almost completely useless in directing her thesis."

The Dean's Prize for the outstanding thesis in the social sciences goes to Dennis Pricolo, A.L.M. concentrator in history. His thesis, entitled "U.S. Naval Radio Intelligence in the Pacific War, 1941-1945," analyzes how key American military leaders used (or resisted using) radio intelligence and what effect this had on the war in the Pacific as well as on their own careers. In the process Pricolo also discusses the Japanese failure to use radio intelligence, although they had the capability of doing so. The thesis director, Dennis Skiotis, remarked: "This is a thoroughly fascinating and, perhaps more importantly, a pioneering study."

Santo J. Aurelio Prize

Santo Joseph Aurelio, ALB '83, ALM '85, received his first two degrees at the Harvard Extension School after age 50, and went on to earn a doctorate and enter a new profession, college teaching, after a career of more than 35 years as an official court stenographer for the Massachusetts Superior Court. The prize recognizes academic achievement and character for undergraduate degree recipients more than 50 years of age. This year's recipient is Sarabelle Anneberg, ALB (Nov.) '97.

Although she was accepted to Radcliffe College after high school during the Depression, Anneberg's family did not have the means to send her. After her retirement -- following 45 years as a research technician (including teaching and lecturing on fellowships both in the U.S. and abroad) -- she set out to complete what she had begun in 1959 when she started taking courses at the Harvard Extension School toward her bachelor's degree. She concentrated in the humanities, particularly fine arts. At age 81 -- 39 years after registering for her first Harvard Extension School course -- she receives her degree on Commencement Day.

Derek Bok Public Service Prize

Two students -- Michael J. Dwyer, AA, and Karen Dechman, CSS -- will receive the distinguished Derek Bok Public Service Prizes at the Extension School's Diploma and Certificate Presentation Ceremonies on Commencement Day. These prizes, in honor of the commitment of former President Derek Bok to adult continuing education and to effective advocacy of community service activities, are awarded annually to degree and certificate recipients at the Harvard Extension School, who, while pursuing academic studies and professional careers, also give generously of their time and skill to improve the quality of life for others in the larger community.

Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management graduate Karen Dechman's service to the community has manifested itself in a wide range of activities, including serving on the board of trustees of the Travelers Aid Society and working as a volunteer for a women's shelter, a food transportation program, a walk for hunger, and a park improvement program. She does this, she says, "not as a hobby but as a responsibility."

Michael J. Dwyer was nominated for this award for his efforts with the Shattuck Shelter. Dwyer's assistance began by donating clothes, and grew into organizing drives for other much-needed items. As an employee of AT&T, Dwyer encouraged the shelter to apply for grants from the company, an effort which resulted in the award of monetary donations to the shelter. To facilitate job and housing searches, Dwyer was instrumental in obtaining 100 voice-mail boxes from AT&T, thus providing a way for prospective employers and landlords to communicate with shelter guests.

Annamae and Allan R. Crite Prize

Established by the Harvard Extension School and the Harvard Extension Alumni Association in honor of Annamae Crite, who for more than a half-century faithfully attended Extension courses, and her son, Allan R. Crite, A.B. in Extension Studies '68, who is widely recognized as the dean of African-American artists in the Greater Boston area, these prizes are awarded to Extension School degree recipients who demonstrate "singular dedication to learning and the arts."

The first Crite Prize goes to Betsey Sandra Glaser, A.L.M. concentrator in fine arts. Entitled "Paintings of Tea: Reading the Art of Georgia O'Keefe and The Book of Tea," the thesis was directed by Professor John R. Stilgoe. Stilgoe described her work as "a superb thesis" in which "Ms. Glaser underpaints a sequence of important themes that are original, provocative, and subtle, and all of which add to our understanding of the impact of Japanese culture on O'Keefe's work. . . . She demonstrates magnificently how great minds originally shaped by cultures separated by the Pacific Ocean welded momentarily in a flash of genius."

The second Crite Prize is awarded to Jill G. Brown, concentrator in fine arts. Also directed by Stilgoe, the thesis is entitled "Ecological Art: Visible, Visionary, and Practical" and examines a controversial new genre in the arts. Stilgoe described it as "a carefully reasoned, gracefully written" essay and "a pioneering effort to open a way into a range of art that will only become more important in the next half-century and beyond. It is rare I encounter such an original idea."

Reginald H. Phelps Prize

The Reginald H. Phelps Prize Fund was established by Edgar Grossman, A.B. in Extension Studies '66, founder and first president of the Extension Alumni Association and the first Extension representative to the Associated Harvard Alumni, for prizes for Extension baccalaureate degree recipients. The prizes are in honor of Reginald H. Phelps, AB '30, AM '33, PhD '47, director of University Extension at Harvard from 1949 to 1975, and are awarded annually on the basis of "academic achievement and character" to outstanding graduating students receiving bachelor's degrees in Extension Studies.

Richard Martin Mitchell, ALB cum laude, is a former actor and currently a successful businessman. He is graduating at the top of his class with a 3.91 grade point average. He began his academic career more than 30 years ago at Miami University and took his first Extension School course in 1993. Since then, Mitchell has steadily pursued his degree, notably by taking on three independent reading and research projects on the subjects of John Maynard Keynes with Richard Parker, and Greek vase art and Roman coinage with David Gordon Mitten.

Jolanta Malgorzata Davis, ALB cum laude, is graduating with the second highest grade point average of her class: 3.89. Born in Poland, Davis took courses at the University of Warsaw before moving to the United States in 1990 and taking her first Harvard course in 1995. Over the years, Davis, an employee of Harvard's Institute for International Development, took a number of courses outside of Harvard Extension School at Harvard College and Harvard Summer School to craft the Extension School's first undergraduate field of study in Russian and East European studies.

There is a tie for the third Phelps Prize. Ten years ago, Genghis Paul Robert Lapointe took his first Harvard Extension School course: Donald Ostrowski's World History, which, in his words, turned "a smoldering interest into a raging curiosity." Fourteen history courses later, he is graduating with a field of study in the subject, though his academic record also reflects his strong interests in philosophy and writing. This week, Lapointe not only achieves his dream of graduating from college, but he does so with the third highest grade point average in his class: 3.84.

MacLaren St. John Randall is the other Phelps Prize recipient. During his eight years of study at Extension, Randall mainly pursued his interest in the humanities, studying subjects as diverse as Old Indian Literature to Contemporary Theatre. Then, three years ago, he was made senior editor for a magazine out of state. A mere 18 units away from graduation, he had to put his education on hold until this past year. He not only completed the remaining requirements while commuting from New York, but he achieved the third highest grade point average in his class, tying with Lapointe with a 3.84.

Thomas Small Prize

Thomas Small was born in Lithuania, came to the United States in 1900, and earned a bachelor in business administration degree from Boston University in 1918. He retired from business in 1965 and that year enrolled in Harvard Extension. In 1983, at age 89, he received his A.L.M. degree, thereby becoming the then-oldest earned graduate degree recipient in the history of Harvard University. The Thomas Small Prize was established by his family and friends to honor this achievement by awarding prizes in his name. This prize is awarded annually on the basis of "academic achievement and character" to outstanding A.L.M. in Extension Studies degree recipients.

The first place Thomas Small Prize for 1998 goes to Fatema H. Aziz, with an exceptional G.P.A. of 3.90. Aziz is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. Her thesis, "The Role of Vaccinia Virus Anti-Inflammatory Gene and Lyphokines on the Immune Response to Proteins Expressed by Vaccinia Virus," clearly showed that not only was she an outstanding student but a creative scientist as well. She is currently a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of California, Davis.

The second Thomas Small Prize will be shared by Luanne Elizabeth Wilczynski and Jill G. Brown, both of whom graduate with a 3.87 grade-point average. Wilczynski, a concentrator in English and American literature and language, wrote her thesis on the manifestations of folk tale in Shakespeare's King Lear and the extent to which they affect the audience's expectations and reactions to the play. Her director was Richard C. Marius.

Brown's thesis, written under the direction of John R. Stilgoe, was entitled "Ecological Art: Visible, Visionary, and Practical." Her work also has been awarded the second Crite Prize for the best work of scholarship in the field of fine arts.

Judith Wood Memorial Prize

Alexander G. Sperry, this year's sole recipient of the Judith Wood Memorial Prize, is a native Cantabrigian who, after secondary schooling elsewhere, returned "home" to take his degree at the Harvard Extension School. By using compensating strategies and academic accommodations, he was able to complete his undergraduate degree with honors, despite his documented "hidden" learning disabilities.

The Judith Wood Memorial Prize honors students who, while completing degrees or certificates at the Harvard Extension School must also contend with disabilities of a serious nature. Awarded from the income from a fund established by the family and friends of the late Judith Wood who, though born with cystic fibrosis, beset with diabetes, and blindness, took Extension School courses as long as she was able, and inspired many other students with her courage and fortitude, the Prize rewards those who travel a singularly difficult pathway in an academic setting.

Carmen S. Bonanno Award

Established in 1990 by the family and friends of Carmen S. Bonanno, who studied a foreign language in the Harvard Extension School many years ago, this award recognizes excellence in foreign language instruction. This year's recipient, Timothy Boyd, has taught Beginning Latin in the Extension School since 1992. His classes are characterized by creative teaching methods, including an original 60-page Latin thriller featuring the goddess Minerva. He was nominated by his entire class, who refer to his course as a "magical experience."

James E. Conway Excellence in Teaching Writing Award

Kim Cooper is the recipient of the James E. Conway Excellence in Teaching Writing Award, which was established in 1991. Cooper has taught Principles of Editing at the Extension School since 1995. A contributing editor at the Boston Review and the book critic for Public Radio International's "The World" (a co-production of WGBH and the BBC), Cooper was recently appointed preceptor in expository writing at Harvard College. One of her students commented about her class: "Kim Cooper is a fabulous teacher and the class is original, valuable, and extremely interesting. I learned so much and would recommend this course to anyone who is at all curious about publishing, editing, and writing."

JoAnne Fussa Distinguished Teaching Award

This year's recipient of the JoAnne Fussa Distinguished Teaching Award, Gunter Boroschek, associate dean and professor of management at UMass-Boston, has been teaching Managing in the Global Economy and The Cultural Environment of International Business in the Extension School's graduate management program since 1992. In nominating him for this honor, one student wrote: "What makes Professor Boroschek so unique is that he brings real world issues into the classroom through the students in the class, 90 percent of whom come from foreign countries. He is an amazing person and talented instructor who has made my time at Harvard a truly international experience."

Petra T. Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Award

Established by the Harvard Extension School in memory of Petra T. Shattuck, a distinguished and dedicated teacher in the program who died of a cerebral hemorrhage in the spring of 1988, these prizes are awarded annually to honor outstanding teaching in the Extension program. This year, the three recipients are Charlotte Bonner, Carole A.S. Mandryk, and Bruce Molay.

Charlotte Bonner has taught College Algebra since 1994. She has also served as a teaching assistant for the course Quantitative Reasoning: Practical Math. She received the most nominations of any Shattuck prize winner. In course evaluation comments as well as on prize nominations, her students repeatedly mentioned her patience, her skills in presenting difficult material with uncommon clarity, and her willingness to devote extra time to help students succeed.

Carole A.S. Mandryk is an associate professor of anthropology at Harvard. Students in her course on North American Prehistory consistently cite her enthusiasm and sense of humor. After studying with Mandryk, one student felt compelled to switch her field of concentration from history of science to anthropology.

Bruce Molay, lecturer in Extension, has taught at the Extension School since 1978. He has earned consistently high ratings from students for his mathematics and computer science courses. This spring he received 4.9 out of a possible 5 points for his work in UNIX Systems Programming. One student commented, "Bruce's generosity in time and intellect goes well beyond expectation and duty."

Dean's Distinguished Service Award

John F. Adams, assistant dean of students and alumni relations for the Division of Continuing Education, will retire from Harvard on June 30, after serving the University in a variety of capacities for nearly 33 years. In recognition of his many years of dedicated service, he will receive the Dean's Distinguished Service Award. from Michael Shinagel, Dean of Continuing Education and University Extension.

Adams began his career at Harvard as assistant to the director of University Extension. In time he became assistant director of University Extension and assistant to the registrar of the Summer School. Since 1983 he has been assistant dean of University Extension for student and alumni affairs. His duties have included ombudsman, alumni secretary, student adviser, and coordinator of services for students with disabilities. He is remembered fondly by literally thousands of Harvard Extension alumni, faculty, and staff for his estimable work over the years.