Aloian Award Winners Selected

October 21, 1999

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HARVARD GAZETTE ARCHIVES

Isabel Beerman and Michael Abate, both members of the Class of '00, have won the 1999 David Aloian Memorial Scholars Award. Photo by Rose Lincoln.

Seniors Michael P. Abate ’00 and Isabel E. Beerman ’00 are the 1999 David Aloian Memorial Scholars. They will be honored at the fall dinner of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) board of directors on Thursday, Oct. 28, at the Charles Hotel.

Established in honor of the late David Aloian ’49, former executive director of the HAA and Master of Quincy House, the awards recognize students who have made unique contributions to their Houses and undergraduate life, making Harvard "an exciting place in which to live and study."

Michael Abate led the Lowell House Junior Common Room during the House’s recent transition to new masters. As co-chair of the Lowell House Committee, he "achieved a broadening of student participation coupled with a remarkable interest on the part of students in the history of the House," says his senior tutor, Andrew Blume. Abate helped coordinate a very popular evening at which former members of the House shared their experiences of House life and traditions. He oversaw the recent renovation of the House Grille and worked to keep the Dining Hall open in the evenings for students who wished to work in groups, so the library could remain a place for quiet study. An intellectually engaged social studies concentrator, Abate is active in Harvard Model Congress.

Isabel Beerman has been co-chair of the Leverett House Committee since her sophomore year. Involved in nearly every activity at Leverett House, "Isabel is everywhere," says Leverett House Co-Master Ann Georgi. "We are glad to have another year to recruit the army it will take to replace her." Berman helped create a more interactive atmosphere for House residents by creating, renovating, and decorating common spaces, working for cable television access, and maintaining the recreation room equipment. The Leverett House librarian, she is an active participant in House intramural sports and has organized numerous House and University-wide social events. She is a concentrator in biochemistry with a lively research agenda and plans to pursue a career in the field of genetics.