H A R V A R D   E X T E N S I O N   S C H O O L

PREVIOUS | CONTENTS | HOME | NEXT

Academic and Teaching Prizes
Presented to Extension's Best

15 Students in the Degree Programs Are Honored for
Outstanding Character and Dedication to Learning

One of the highlights of the degree awarding ceremony each June is the announcement by Dean Michael Shinagel of recipients of the three major academic prizes--the Phelps, Crite, and Small Prizes--as well as the Dean's Prize for Outstanding Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) Thesis, the Aurelio Prize, the Bok Prize, and the Wood Prize

The REGINALD H. PHELPS PRIZE FUND was established by Edgar Grossman, ABE '66, founder and first president of the Harvard Extension Alumni Association (HEAA) and the first Extension representative to the Associated Harvard Alumni. The prizes are awarded annually on the basis of "academic achievement and character" to outstanding Bachelor of Liberal Arts (ALB) recipients in honor of Dr. Reginald H. Phelps, AB '30, AM '33, PhD '47, and Director of University Extension at Harvard from 1949 to 1975.

Richard Martin Mitchell, ALB cum laude, a former actor and currently a successful businessman, graduated at the top of his class with a 3.91 grade point average. This first place Phelps Prize winner began his academic career over 30 years ago at Miami University and took his first Extension School course in 1993. Since then, Mr. Mitchell has steadily pursued his degree, notably by completing three independent reading and research projects on the subjects of John Maynard Keynes (with Dr. Richard Parker), Greek vase art, and Roman coinage (with Dr. David Gordon Mitten).

Second place Phelps Prize winner Jolanta Malgorzata Davis, ALB cum laude, graduated with the second highest grade point average of her class: 3.89. Born in Poland, Ms. 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, Ms. Davis, an employee of Harvard's Institute of International Development, took a number of courses at Harvard College and Harvard Summer School and helped to craft the Extension School's first undergraduate field of study in Russian and East European studies.

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

MacLaren St. John Randall was the other third place Phelps Prize recipient. During his eight years of study at Harvard Extension, Mr. Randall mainly pursued his interest in the humanities, studying subjects as diverse as old Indian literature and contemporary theater. Then, three years ago, he was made senior editor of an out-of-state magazine. A mere 18 units away from graduation, he put his education on hold until this past year. He not only completed the remaining requirements while commuting from New York, but he also achieved the third highest grade point average in his class, tying Mr. Lapointe with a GPA of 3.84.

The Harvard Extension School and the Harvard Extension Alumni Association established the ANNAMAE AND ALAN R. CRITE PRIZES in honor of the Crite family. Annamae Crite faithfully attended Extension courses for more than a half-century, and her son, Allan R. Crite, ABE '68, is widely recognized as the dean of African-American artists in the Greater Boston area. These prizes are awarded to Extension School undergraduate or graduate degree recipients who demonstrate "singular dedication to learning and the arts."

The first Crite Prize went to Betsey S. Glaser, ALM in Fine Arts. Her thesis, titled "Paintings of Tea: Reading the Art of Georgia O'Keefe and the Book of Tea," was directed by Dr. John R. Stilgoe. Dr. Stilgoe described her work as "a superb thesis" [in which] "Ms. Glaser underpaints a sequence of important themes that are original, provocative, and subtle, 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 was awarded to Jill G. Brown, ALM in Fine Arts. Also directed by Dr. Stilgoe, her thesis, titled "Ecological Art: Visible, Visionary, and Practical" examines a controversial new genre in the arts. Dr. Stilgoe described it as "carefully reasoned, gracefully written . . . 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."

Born in Lithuania, Thomas Small came to the United States in 1900 and earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Boston University in 1918. He retired in 1965 and that year enrolled at the Harvard Extension School. In 1983, at age 89, he received his Master of Liberal Arts degree, thereby becoming the oldest graduate degree recipient in the history of Harvard University. The THOMAS SMALL PRIZE was established by his family and friends to honor this singular achievement. These prizes are awarded annually on the basis of "academic achievement and character" to two outstanding ALM degree recipients.

The first place Thomas Small Prize for 1998 went to Fatema Hafizullah Aziz, with an exceptional GPA of 3.90. Ms. 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. Her thesis was directed by Professor Bruce D. Walker. She is currently a second year PhD student at the University of California-Davis.

The second place Thomas Small Prize was shared by Luanne Elizabeth Gundersen Wilczynski and Jill G. Brown, both of whom graduated with a 3.87 grade point average. Ms. Wilczynski, who concentrated in English and American literature and language, wrote her thesis on the manifestations of folktale in Shakespeare's King Lear and the extent to which they affect the audience's expectations and reactions to the play. Her director was Dr. Richard C. Marius, Senior Lecturer on English.

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

The DEAN'S PRIZE FOR OUTSTANDING ALM THESIS recognizes that the thesis embodies the highest level of imaginative scholarship. This year four prizes, one in each of the disciplines, were awarded.

The Dean's Prize for the Outstanding ALM Thesis in the behavioral sciences was awarded this year to Robert H. Briggs, Jr., for his work, "A Citizen's Evaluation of Feuerstein'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 directors, Dr. Carol H. Weiss and Dr. Patricia Rogers, described the work as "very timely" and a "unique contribution." Mr. Briggs received his BA 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, Mr. Briggs intends to pursue a career in the teaching of psychology.

Winner of the Dean's Prize for the outstanding ALM thesis in the biological sciences, Demetra Diana Pappas holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Duke University. Her thesis, "Gender and Cognitive Deficits in Chronic Schizophrenic Patients," was described by her co-directors, Professor Brian O'Donnell and Dr. Ileana Berman, as "outstanding work by a superlative researcher [which will be of] general interest to clinical investigators of this disorder." Ms. Pappas intends to pursue her interests in medical school.

The Dean's Prize for the outstanding thesis in the humanities went to Joan Pettingell Mather, ALM in English and American Literature and Language. Her thesis, titled "The Emergence, Use, and Effect of Magic in Shakespeare's Othello," was directed by Dr. Richard C. Marius, who said of Mather's work: "She has done one of the finest pieces of work I have seen in 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 went to Dennis M. Pricolo, ALM in History. His thesis, titled "Use and Misuse of Radio Intelligence by Commanders in the Pacific War," 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. Mr. Pricolo also discusses the Japanese failure to use radio intelligence, although they had the capability of doing so. His thesis director, Dr. Dennis Skiotis, who hopes that the results of the research will be published, remarked: "This is a thoroughly fascinating and, perhaps more importantly, a pioneering study."

Probably the most unusual prize awarded annually at the degree ceremony is the SANTO J. AURELIO PRIZE, named for Santo Joseph Aurelio, ALB '83, ALM '85. Mr. Aurelio 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 reporter 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 was Sarabelle Madoff Annenberg, ALB '97. (See a profile of Ms. Annenberg.)

Michael J. Dwyer, AA '97, received the DEREK BOK PUBLIC SERVICE PRIZE. This prize honors former Harvard President Derek Bok's commitment to adult continuing education and to effective advocacy of community service activities. It is awarded annually to degree recipients at the Harvard Extension School who, while pursuing academic studies and professional careers, also give generously of their time and skills to improve the quality of life for others in the community. The prizes were established by generous gifts from the Harvard Extension Alumni Association.

Mr. Dwyer was nominated for this award because of his efforts with the Shattuck Shelter. He began helping by donating clothes and then started organizing drives for other much-needed items. As an employee of AT&T, Mr. 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, Mr. 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.

The JUDITH WOOD MEMORIAL PRIZE is awarded to Harvard Extension School degree candidates who, while earning honors, also contend with disabilities. The late Judith Wood, who was born with cystic fibrosis, developed diabetes, and became blind, took Extension School courses as long as she was able and inspired many students with her courage. Her family and friends established the prize fund in her memory, so that, from time to time, the Extension School can honor students who must travel a singularly difficult path to complete their degree.

This year's Wood Prize recipient, Alexander G. Sperry, AA '97, ALB '98, is a native Cantabrigian who, after attending secondary school elsewhere, returned home to earn a degree at the Harvard Extension School. By using compensatory academic strategies and accommodations, he completed his undergraduate degree with honors.

This year the Extension School's COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER AWARD went to Genghis Paul Robert Lapointe, ALB '98. The title of his talk was "A Street Prince Triumphs Over His 'Silver Bullet.'" He addressed his fellow students at the Extension School's degree awarding ceremony.

Mathematics, Anthropology, Computer Science, and Latin Instructors Are Honored at Commencement

The PETRA T. SHATTUCK EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD was established by the Harvard Extension School in memory of Dr. 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 were Charlotte Bonner, Carole A. S. Mandryk, and Bruce Molay.

Charlotte Bonner has taught College Algebra since 1994 and has 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 skill 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 University. Students in her course, North American Prehistory, consistently cited her enthusiasm and sense of humor. After studying with Dr. 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 math and computer science courses. On student evalutaions this spring he received 4.9 out of a possible 5 points for his course, UNIX Systems Programming. One student commented, "Bruce's generosity in time and intellect goes well beyond expectation and duty."

Established in 1990 by the family and friends of Carmen S. Bonanno, who studied a foreign language at the Harvard Extension School more than 60 years ago, the CARMEN S. BONANNO EXCELLENCE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHING AWARD was presented this year to Timothy Boyd, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics, College of the Holy Cross, who has taught Beginning Latin at the Extension School since 1992. His classes are characterized by creative teaching methods, including an original, 60-page thriller in Latin featuring the goddess Minerva. He was nominated by his entire class, who refer to his course as a "magical experience."

John F. Adams, Assistant Dean of Students and Alumni Relations for the Division of Continuing Education, retired from Harvard on June 30, after serving the University in assorted capacities for nearly 33 years. On Commencement Day he received the DEAN'S DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD from Michael Shinagel, Dean of Continuing Education and University Extension, in recognition of his many years of dedicated service.

Dean Adams began his career at Harvard as Assistant to the Director of University Extension. He also served as 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 varied duties have included ombudsman, alumni secretary, student advisor, 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. (See Dean Adams' own account of his years at the Extension School.)

PREVIOUS | TOP | CONTENTS | HOME | NEXT