The HARVARD FOUNDATION Newsletter SPRING 2003 VOL. XXII, NO.2 Astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa Receives Bishop Charles E. Distinguished Scientist of the Year Award Blake Receives Humanitarian Award Students Perform in Cultural Rhythms Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers welcomes 2003 Distinguished Scientist, Dr. Ellen Ochoa, and Harvard Foundation student hosts to Massachusetts Hall. (l to r) Priscilla Orta ’05, President Summers, Dr. Ochoa, Omar Urquidez ’05 and Wendy Caceres ’03. Queen Latifah Artist of the Year at Harvard U.S. Ambassador Richard Murphy ’51 Speaks at Arab Students Conference 2 HARVARD FOUNDATION SPRING 2003 Table of Contents Greek and Turkish Friendship Dinner........................................................................3 Greek Singer George Dalaras Visits Harvard........................................................... 3 Astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa Receives Distinguished Scientist Award at Harvard Foundation Science Conference.............................................................................. 4 “Partners in Science” Program .................................................................................. 6 Queen Latifah 2003 Artist of the Year at Cultural Rhythms Festival .................... 8 Bishop Charles E. Blake Honored for “Save Africa’s Children,” Orphans of the AIDS Crisis ................................................................................. 16 Minority Portraiture Campaign............................................................................... 19 Society of Arab Students Holds Conference on U.S. and Arab Relations ............ 20 Harvard South Asian Association Welcomes Film Director Mira Nair................ 22 Boys Choir of Harlem Luncheon ............................................................................. 23 The Harvard Foundation Annual Aloian Student Awards Dinner ....................... 24 Bilalian: A Documentary on Black American Muslims ......................................... 27 Harvard RAZA’s Cinco de Mayo and Cesar Chavez Memorial Events .............. 28 In Memoriam: Professor Harold Amos ........................................................... 29 & 30 Harvard Foundation Spring 2003 Grant Summaries ............................................ 30 Mathematics Professor Benedict H. Gross Appointed Dean of Harvard College 40 The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations was established in 1981 by the President and Deans of Harvard University on the recommendation of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to improve “relations among racial and ethnic groups within the University and to enhance the quality of our common life.” The Foundation seeks to improve racial understanding and promote intercultural appreciation among students and faculty through a variety of educational events and activities that encourage interracial interaction and celebrate the identities and unique cultural backgrounds of all Harvard students. Dr. S. Allen Counter, Ph.D., D.M.Sc., Associate Professor of Neurology/ Neurophysiology, has served as Director of the Harvard Foundation since 1981. “If you spend four years at Harvard College and develop no friendships with people of other races and cultural backgrounds, you will lose half the value of your Harvard degree.” Dr. S. Allen Counter Director of the Harvard Foundation HARVARD FOUNDATION SPRING 2003 3 Greek and Turkish Friendship Dinner students in attendance enjoyed kebabs cooked on the Adams House grill, Greek salad, Turkish yogurt, sweet custard desserts, and friendly conversation. Both the Turkish and Greek student organizations agreed to host similar and more expansive programs in the future under the auspices of the Harvard Foundation. Eraklis Stamelos ’04 Harvard Hellenic Society Representative Eraklis Stamelos ’04, Harvard Hellenic Society Representative (l) and Erkut Kucukboyaci ’04, head of the Harvard Turkish Students Association (r). he Harvard Foundation said Erkut Kucukboyaci ’04, head of the sponsored a Greek Turkish Turkish Students Association. “We Friendship Dinner and program simply wanted to get to know each other T th on February 13 . “The purpose of the so that we may one day tackle the dinner was to foster friendly discussion problems of our past and future as and expose the cultural similarities friends.” The program, held in Adams between two ethnic groups whose House, included a crash course in governments have traditionally been at traditional Greek dances taught by odds with each other,” said Eraklis Vassiliki Yiannoulis ’04, and a Stamelos ’04, Hellenic Society backgammon tournament (won by Zeynep Darendelilier ’05). Students of Representative to the Harvard Harvard College students enjoy the Greek and Foundation. “We came together many ethnic backgrounds attended the Turkish Friendship Dinner at Adams House. specifically NOT to discuss politics, “ event. The Greek, Turkish, and other Greek Singer George Dalaras Visits Harvard extraordinary opportunity for the concerning the then current events of Hellenic Society to invite him to the US-Iraq war, which is hard to gauge Harvard College. We were able to do from overseas. He also discussed the so with the generous help of the Harvard mending role that musicians can play Foundation and Lowell House. during times of international and cross- One of our weekly Greek Table cultural unrest. meetings instantly became a once-in-a- By the end of the evening, we had lifetime chance to interact with the succeeded in getting to know the man singer. Dalaras, accompanied by his behind the singer. The event established Students welcome popular Greek singer wife and agent, joined the forty Harvard a warm connection between Dalaras, George Dalaras to Harvard. undergraduate and graduate students in the Harvard Hellenic Society (HHS) One of the most famous and beloved attendance to discuss music and current and the Harvard community. The HHS singers of the Greek music scene, affairs. The discussion gave us the board would like to thank the Harvard George Dalaras, found his way to opportunity to address topics such as the Foundation for facilitating this Boston this April during his tour of the musician’s future plans, Greek memorable gathering. East Coast. In his thirty years of singing, Americans’ love for authentic Greek Dalaras has captured the hearts of music, as well as the possible threat of Eirene Markenscoff-Papadimitriou ’05 Greeks both at home and abroad. His our alienation from its sound. Dalaras President, Harvard Hellenic Society upcoming Boston concert provided an updated us on the Greek opinion 4 HARVARD FOUNDATION SPRING 2003 Astronaut Dr. Ellen Ochoa Receives Distinguished Scientist Award hardware and robotics training. She has been an important contributor to the United States mission for space exploration through her shared knowledge and experiences. In addition to furthering the knowledge of scientists everywhere with her work in optics, Dr. Ochoa holds close ties with the Hispanic community. She has received the Hispanic Engineer Albert Baez Award for Outstanding Technical Contribution to Humanity and the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award. Her luncheon speech provided insight into the nature of a space mission and the special characteristics and attributes of the men and women who Dr. Ellen Ochoa (c) accepts science award from Dr. S. Allen Counter (r) and RAZA members carry out the missions. She showed a (l to r) Oscar Hernandez ’06, Stephanie Paiz ’05, Priscilla Orta ’05 and Wendy Caceres ’03. video clip from one of her last missions r. Ellen Ochoa, NASA Ochoa. Ms. Orta, a Medieval History to the International Space Station which astronaut and mission concentrator, delighted the luncheon highlighted the flight crews’ robotics specialist, was honored during guests with her sincere and entertaining work. Dth the 10 Annual Harvard Foundation remarks. She mentioned how she The first day’s program was Science Conference (Advancing “quickly learned, [after] studying Dr. concluded with a science poster Minorities and Women in Science, Ochoa’s biography, that excellence presentation by Andre Kydd ’04, who Engineering and Mathematics) with the needs no interdisciplinary translation, presented his recent scientific research 2003 Distinguished Scientist award. A and in fact speaks for itself.” on “Polysubstance Abuse-Associated luncheon co-sponsored by Harvard During her visit to Harvard, Dr. regions of chromosomes 4 (RSA3) and RAZA, the Mexican-American student Ochoa was welcomed to Massachusetts X (RSA16).” organization, was held on Friday, March Hall by President Lawrence H. Stephanie Paiz ’05 14th. The event took place in the Summers, who talked with her about the Vice President, Harvard RAZA Hastings Room of Pforzheimer House, U.S. Space Program. She was also given where Masters James and Suzanne a tour of the University Hall Faculty McCarthy hosted the event and Room by Faculty of Arts and Sciences extended their cordial welcome to Dr. Dean and Geisinger Professor of Ochoa. The gathering included students History, Dr. William C. Kirby. and staff from around the Harvard Dr. Ochoa is a native of California, community, with many students where she earned her BS in physics representing the science, mathematics from San Diego State University and and engineering concentrations. her Masters and Ph.D. in Electrical Notable Harvard scientists in Engineering from Stanford University. attendance included physicist Dr. Lisa She has co-invented and patented Randall, Dr. Harvey