The Yale Alumni Association and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions are pleased to congratulate the following award recipients who were honored at the 2024 YAA Assembly and Yale Alumni Fund Convocation, which took place on November 14, 2024.
The YAA Board of Governors Excellence Awards recognize alumni organizations for excellence in their programs, events, and best practices for Yale and on behalf of Yale. These awards honor groups such as Yale College classes, regional clubs, interest groups, and graduate and professional school associations.
- Association of Asian American Yale Alumni: Demonstrating exceptional leadership and vision, the Association of Asian American Yale Alumni (AAAYA) organized a high-impact series of discussions on Affirmative Action in response to the June 2023 Supreme Cout ruling on the subject. Engaging over 500 alumni, the series introduced experts with diverse perspectives, from Yale’s Director of Admissions to alumni speakers with deep knowledge of college admissions. The initiative fostered meaningful dialogues on a critical issue for the alumni community. This ambitious, innovative program provided a forum for varying viewpoints, strengthening community ties, supporting lifelong learning, and setting a model of engagement for alumni groups.
- Association of Yale Alumni in Medicine (AYAM): The Association of Yale Alumni in Medicine sponsored a new Specialty Mentorship Program which connected current Yale medical students with alumni across various medical specialties through engaging virtual panels. Launched in response to student requests, the program fostered meaningful interactions and mentorship, while also enhancing students’ understanding of diverse medical careers. AYAM’s program expanded access to students from other institutions, including several Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The series also highlighted Yale's strengths and alumni successes. With a focus on diversity and inclusion, this ongoing program aims to cover all specialties over the next three years, ensuring future medical students can benefit from a wealth of shared experiences and insights.
- Yale Alumni Chorus (YAC): The Yale Alumni Chorus organized the “Reunion of Song”, a three-day workshop where participants fostered a joy of singing through academic enrichment and camaraderie. The event, held on campus between Reunion Weekends in 2024 to maximize turnout, brought participants back to the classroom, where they learned the history and cultural context of several seminal choral pieces from School of Music faculty, and to hallowed Yale singing spaces, where they rehearsed and performed these works. The event culminated in a “singing brunch” overlooking downtown New Haven, a fitting conclusion to three academically and musically enriching days that built lifelong bridges between alumni.
- Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance (YANA): The Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance’s first in-person conference since the pandemic was a multi-day affair engaging over 500 alumni and current students. The sold-out program included Yale current and future leaders discussing global challenges ranging from the housing crisis to climate change. The Generation-to-Generation Awards Gala and Magnifying Your Mission Social Impact Conference exemplified YAA’s commitment to lifelong learning and community service and served as a strong platform for alumni engagement, professional networking opportunities and leadership within the nonprofit community. Organized by over thirty total volunteers and Board members, the YANA NYC event was also a very successful fundraiser.
- Yale Alumni Service Corps (YASC): About 30 members of the Yale Alumni Service Corps traveled to the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation, where they collaborated with the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe on a week-long set of classes and activities for local students and children. Classes included a robotics workshop where the students built their own smart robotic cars, a financial literacy class, and an Education Project that taught the children about college programs, careers in the armed services, and Reserve Officers Training Corps programs. This creative, innovative week helped the children understand opportunities for their futures and how to take advantage of them.
- Yale College Class of 1977: The Class of 1977 brought their classmates together in person and virtually for a special celebration of 50 years of music and friendship at a sold-out concert at Joes’s Pub in New York City. Laurasia, a group of talented musicians from the class, met on Old Campus 50 years prior and have performed together over the years. The planning group made the event accessible to all price-wise and via technology, so people could attend both in person and remotely. Such successful interim reunion events have enabled the Class of 1977 to engage classmates between reunions and to encourage more classmates to attend reunions themselves, as well as to support Yale in many ways.
- Yale College Class of 1985: In preparation for their 40th reunion in 2025, the Class of 1985 demonstrated creativity and ingenuity in alumni engagement through their “85 Everywhere” series. Class leadership broadened alumni engagement through cultural events, hosted gatherings and landmark tours presented and produced by class members around the country and internationally via Zoom. The event series was grounded in the inclusive theme of “Come as you are” from their 30th reunion, providing a wide range of educational and recreational events to enhance class connection and build community. These events throughout the year also contributed to increased class giving, while cultivating excitement for the 40th reunion.
- Yale College Class of 1991: In January 2024 the Class of 1991 organized and held an amazing off-year reunion. A total of 191 classmates and guests met for a spirited weekend in New York City to celebrate their 55th birthdays together, an impressive number for such an event. Using the Yale Club of New York City as their base, they also ventured to the Brooklyn Brewery, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Booth Theater. The class missed its 30th live reunion due to COVID, so this celebration was particularly meaningful. After this weekend event, many members reported feeling more connected with the class than at graduation.
- Yale Club of New York City: The Yale Club of New York City debuted a new, alumni-organized Yale Graduate and Professional Schools lecture series spotlighting innovative research from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Public Health, the Jackson School of Global Affairs, the School of Engineering, the School of Nursing, and the School of Architecture. Each lecture was open to Club members, current students, and alumni of the school presenting the talk. Topics included artificial intelligence, aging, and urban design. This fascinating lecture series fostered community and learning among the Club’s membership, alumni, and the Yale Graduate and Professional schools.
- Yale Club of Shenzhen: The Yale Club of Shenzhen’s 2024 “Music is Love” Charity Concert embodied the spirit and the practice of impactful alumni engagement and community service. Held at the Bay Opera, the highly successful event was co-organized with several other Yale alumni and local organizations and featured talented Yale alumni and local musicians. The concert’s mission was to raise awareness and support for children with special needs through the power of music. Not only was the concert well-attended by Yale alumni and members of the community, the event also raised significant funds to support special-needs children and their families through two local foundations.
- Yale Healthcare Club of China (YHCC): The Yale Healthcare Club of China hosted the 2024 Current Trends on Commercialization of AI for the Healthcare forum in Shanghai. This event featured keynote speeches from leading experts in the field and showcased innovative AI healthcare projects, while uniting top organizations in an exploration of AI's potential in healthcare. YHCC highlighted its commitment to connecting Yale alumni through learning about industry advancements and reinforcing Yale's legacy in fostering positive change in China. This initiative exemplified YHCC's leadership in promoting collaboration and innovation in today’s dynamic healthcare landscape and created a framework for similar events for the alumni community in the future.
- Yale School of Management’s Women in Management Alumni Group: The Yale School of Management’s Women in Management Alumni Group curated a year-long series of in-person workshops in NYC and Hong Kong called Women’s Circles. Women’s Circles provided a critical platform to explore important topics, share experiences, and develop strategies to overcome challenges. Topics included Authentic Leadership, Navigating Organizations, and Power & Influence. These events were dynamic discussions about what it means to have inclusive communities and how to empower the self and other women in business and society. In bringing more than 250 alumni together, this year-long series demonstrated excellence in alumni engagement and a strong commitment to women as leaders, innovators, and change-makers.
- Yale School of Nursing Alumni Association: Yale School of Nursing marked its Centennial Celebration with three days of alumni-led events in September 2023, highlighting a century of achievements. The Alumni Board, investing thousands of volunteer hours, orchestrated panels, the first Distinguished Alumni Awards since 2019, and sessions involving past and present deans. The programming focused on historical highlights, current engagements, and future relationships, emphasizing global health, underserved communities, and cross-generational connections. The event concluded with a happy hour, fostering bonds between faculty, staff, and students, and included a keynote on emotional regulation, recognizing the stressful occupations of attendees. The celebrations also featured a Day of Service and continuing education units.
- Yale Swimming and Diving Association (YSDA): The Yale Swimming and Diving Association, or the YSDA, celebrated their 125th anniversary in April of 2024, bringing together over 325 alumni, coaches, and current team members to rekindle friendships and honor the YSDA. Alumni joined coach Jim Henry for a facilities tour and morning Exhibition Pool swim, a program retrospective at Sterling, a fundraising “relay race” to benefit YSDA, and a career pivot panel with the current team. Former head coach Frank Keefe was memorialized at a well-attended service, with remarks by family, friends, former students, fellow coaches, many who shared oral histories documenting his impact. This celebration included the family of Olympic swimmer Allen Stack, class of 1949, who donated his gold medal to Yale which was followed by remarks from former Yale Law School Dean Guido Calabresi.
- Yale Women's Crew: In April 2024 the Yale Women’s Crew Association brought together 270 alumnae spanning from the first intra-college crew of 1972 to the current team, to celebrate 50 years of women’s crew. Events included a team history quiz with dinner at Bar, an alumni row along the Housatonic, and the gift of eight new practice boats from the 1988 NCAA Champions, as well as recognition of the 2009 NCAA Champion team. Over $400,000 was raised for the program endowment. The weekend culminated in an historic meeting recounting of oral histories of the team, the groundbreaking effect on Title IX and women’s sports, and the donation of written accounts, photographs, and historical documents related to the teams to Sterling Memorial Library.
The Alumni Schools Committee Ambassador Award is for the ASC leaders who truly do incredible work leading their local committees, exemplify the mission of the program, and inspire volunteer participation, enthusiasm, and creativity.
Hershel Holiday ’18 has distinguished himself as the ASC Director of Northern Virginia. He adeptly oversees a very dense applicant area and always stays on top of interview assignments—nearly 100 this year! Even when asked to process “expedited” interviews, Hershel reliably delivers every time. Without complaint, he has taken on every task with hard work and positivity. Having made his mark on northern Virginia, Hershel is taking on a new region this year as the ASC Director of the Richmond area. He has brought his enthusiasm and talents to this new role as he continues to inspire both students and volunteers.
Ben Schrader ’03 comes from the Music City of Nashville, Tennessee. Ben has been an outstanding ASC Director for nearly a decade. To bolster our Tennessee applicant pool, Ben has worked closely with the Yale Club of Nashville and has conducted outreach to schools all around the city. He even drove the charge to bring back the Yale Book Award and encourage top candidates to consider Yale. Ben has always been kind and easy to work with, has great ideas and insights, and goes out of his way to accommodate last minute requests. It is no surprise that his efforts resulted in a banner year for Nashville admits last year.
The Alumni Schools Committee Excellence Award
New Haven, led by Tim Bertaccini ’77, Elaine Piraino-Holevoet ’75, and Brian Tippy ’02
This year alone, these three directors oversaw 38 active volunteers responsible for over 500 applications. In the past five years, they have coordinated over 250 interviews in the greater New Haven area. Their tireless efforts also include organizing the Yale Book Award ceremony, planning admitted student receptions, and collaborating with the Yale Club of New Haven to provide nearly $400,000 in scholarships. Tim even makes personal congratulatory calls to every admitted student. Thanks to their dedication, 91% of the admitted students from their areas said yes to Yale, including a 100% yield from the city of New Haven. With a combined 80 years of ASC experience, Tim, Elaine, and Brian.
The Yale Alumni Association Leadership Awards recognize the accomplishments of volunteers whose efforts reflect the YAA’s mission and core values, honoring them both for their service to Yale and for their innovative leadership – both with the YAA and in the graduate and professional school ranks. Leadership Award candidates and honorees are nominated and selected by alumni relations staff members.
Andrew E. Burgie ’87
Andrew Burgie is being recognized for his hard work and dedication to service. As chair of the Yale Alumni Service Corps (YASC) Advisory Board, he leads a diverse team of board members who are passionate about service. He has participated in 11 YASC trips, most recently as Community Liaison for YASC Panama 2024. He was also Trip Producer for YASC Puerto Rico 2023. In addition to his work at YASC, Andrew is a board member of YANA (Yale Alumni Non-Profit Alliance) and a valued member of the selection committee for the YAA Public Service Awards. His hard work and dedication to service and leadership to Yale is nothing short of extraordinary.
Jerry W. Henry ’80 MDiv
Jerry Henry has a long history of being an exemplary volunteer leader for the Yale Alumni Association, the Yale Alumni Fund, and for Yale Divinity School. From the day he graduated at the Divinity School, Jerry has held volunteer leadership roles with Yale. The roles include services to the Yale Divinity School’s alumni board, Dean’s Advisory Council, reunion committee, and YDS alumni fund, and serving as his class secretary. He joined the YAA Board of Governors in 2014, where his membership quickly escalated into leadership roles including Executive Officer, Vice Chair, and eventually Chair. Jerry leads through joy, humor, and creativity that inspires the best in everyone around him. Jerry has innovated, created, and progressed Yale’s mission wherever it manifests for nearly 45 years. It is hard to imagine someone more deserving of this award as his work embodies the definition of alumni volunteer leadership.
Tanmay Manohar ’16 MBA
Tanmay Manohar is the President of the Yale SOM Alumni Chapter Board in New York City, leading the largest and most active SOM Chapter. Over the past eight years on the board, Tanmay has played an instrumental role in strengthening alumni engagement across NYC, developing programs and events that foster a sense of community, professional growth, and support among fellow graduates. Under his leadership, the chapter has seen increased participation in networking events, service projects, making NYC a hub for SOM alumni connection and collaboration.
Jay E. Siembieda ’09 MBA
Jay Siembieda has distinguished himself through his engagement and service with the Yale Veterans Association (YVA), which represents thousands of veterans and active-duty service members in the alumni community. A U.S. Navy veteran, Jay was part of the original cohort that stood up the YVA and built it into the robust organization that it is today. Since his involvement spanning over a decade, he has held multiple leadership positions, including his current role as chair of the board of directors. He has been, and continues to be, a key contributor to the group and its strategic efforts. For standing out as an alumni leader and exemplary volunteer, along with his dedication to Yale’s mission and core values, Jay is being honored with the YAA Leadership Award.
Meelendra Singh ’20 MAM
Meelendra Singh serves on the Yale School of Management Alumni Advisory Board and Chairs the Admissions Committee. Meelendra has distinguished himself as an alumni leader with his key role in the rollout of the SOM Alumni Admissions Ambassador program. This program is now a cohort of 226 alumni committed to speak to prospective students who have been admitted to SOM and are deciding between several competitive programs. Meelendra is committed to mentoring students seeking careers in technology and personally mentored a cohort of SOM students seeking management positions at Amazon, guiding them through the highly competitive recruiting process. Meelendra’s leadership and commitment to service encompasses all the Yale Alumni Association’s core values.
