Alumnae Award Recipients
SENIOR WOMAN'S AWARD for VOLUNTEER SERVICE, 2011
Meredith (Merrie) Aaron, a senior in the School of Education and Social Policy, is the recipient of the 2010-2011 Alumnae Senior Woman’s Award.
Meredith Aaron
Merrie, from Port Washington, New York, is majoring in Human Development and Psychological Services, maintaining a GPA of 3.7 throughout her undergraduate years, which includes committed volunteer work and involvement in campus life and its organizations.
Within three months of stepping foot on campus, Merrie accepted her first leadership position as president of the first-year students at Hillel. Through her initiatives and leadership, the organization increased its membership and outreach efforts, strengthening of Jewish life within the Northwestern community. This past fall, Merrie was recognized by Hillel International, receiving the Philip H and Susan Rudd Cohen Student Exemplars of Excellence Award.
In addition to her leadership roles within Hillel, Merrie has participated in Dance Marathon all four years as a dancer, earning membership into the 120-Hour Club; has an active role in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, where she currently serves as Senior Admissions Counselor and Tour Guide; and a member of the Delta Gamma sorority. Also, Merrie was the Alumnae and Corporate Relations Chair and a member of the 2010 Homecoming Committee and has served as a partner and advocate for the Northwestern Alumni Association.
ALUMNAE AWARD WINNERS:
2010 Sandy Neville Haggart, an international volunteer whose “Feed the Dream” program serves a thousand Guatemalan children and adults every day,was honored Sunday, October 3, with the 2010 Alumnae Award. To learn more visit www.FeedTheDream.org
Sandy Neville Haggart: photo by Nicole Thomas
Sandy Haggart is the 34th Northwestern woman to receive the annual award, given to “an outstanding alumna who has made significant contributions in her field and who has attained national recognition.”
Sandy Haggart created “Feed the Dream” to improve nutrition and basic quality of life in remote areas of Guatemala, where the rate of malnutrition is the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Feed the Dream hires local, indigenous educators who teach villagers about nutrition, hygiene, and water purification, in addition to serving a daily fortified meal, often the only meal of the day. Local agriculture experts teach villagers how to cultivate nutrition-dense, diverse crops. These local educators are the only salaried staff.
Before developing the "Feed the Dream" program, Sandy Haggart was an international volunteer and translator for medical missions in the Philippines and for four years in Guatemala. She graduated from Northwestern with a double major in Spanish and Education, and a Master’s degree in Spanish.
2009 Marie Arana
Award-Winning Author
Journalist
2008 Teresa Woodruff
Professor, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University
Professor, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
Director of the Institute of Women's Health Research, Northwestern University
2007 Nancy Gustafson
Opera Singer
Artist-in-Residence, Northwestern University
2006 Christine Brennan
Sports Writer
Author
2005 Carole Segal
Co-founder, Crate & Barrel
Founder, Foodstuffs
2004 Martha Lavey
Artistic Director, Steppenwolf Theatre Company
2003 Lois Weisberg
Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
2002 Laura Washington
Print and Broadcast Journalist
2001 Barbara Gaines
Founder and Artistic Director, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
2000 Augusta Reed Thomas
Composer-in-Residence, Chicago Symphony
1999 Mary Zimmerman
Director
Playwright
MacArthur Genius Grant Award Recipient
1998 The Founding Members and Original Professors of the Northwestern Alumnae Continuing Education Program
1997 Grace Bumbry
Opera Star
1996 Geneva Overholser
Newspaper Executive, The Washington Post
1995 Jeanette Wagner
President and CEO, Estee Lauder International
1994 Lynn Nesbit
Partner, Janklow & Nesbit
Literary Agent, Janklow & Nesbit
1993 Phyllis Elliott Oakley
State Department Spokesperson
1992 Sondra Gair
Public Radio Host
1990 Nancy Dussault
Actress
Singer
Talk Show Host
1989 Sherry Lansing
Hollywood Film Producer
1988 Wendy Lee Gramm
Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chair
1987 Neena Schwartz
Deering Professor of Neurobiology and Physiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University
1986 Lois Wille
Pulitzer Prize Winner
Journalist
1985 Barbara Uehling
Chancellor, University of Missouri
1984 Maria Comnineau
Civil Engineer
1983 Mable Smythe
Ambassador
Educator
Author
Lecturer
1982 Ardis Krainik
Director, Lyric Opera of Chicago
1981 Georgie Anne Geyer
Journalist
Author
Columnist
1980 Patricia Neal
Actress
1979 Olga Jonnasson
Physician, Cook County Hospital Chief of Surgery
1978 Carole Kamin Bellows
Attorney
President, Illinois Bar Association
1977 Joan Beck
Journalist
Columnist
1976 Lee Phillip
Television Personality
SENIOR WOMAN’S AWARD FOR VOLUNTEER SERVICE 2010 were given to five graduating women:
Allison Bream
Sharanya Jaidev
Sarah Ju
Meixi Ng
Madeleine Orenstein
Updated September 22, 2011
