This week, five MIT Sloan alumni across programs and class years will be honored by the MIT Alumni Association (MITAA) for their service and dedication to the Institute community.
“It feels great to be recognized by my peers,” says Kerry Bowie, SB ’94, MBA ’06, one of five recipients of the Bronze Beaver Award, the highest honor given by the MITAA.
A current member of the MIT Alumni Association Corporation Nominating Committee and a founding member of the MIT Sloan Affinity Groups Advisory Council, Bowie admits that his fellow alumni can be “notoriously humble” about their accolades.
I’m just trying to do my small part in the fulfillment of [MIT’s mission] mission.
“It’s almost a running joke that it’s embarrassing to toot one’s own horn unless they found a cure for cancer or something on that order of magnitude,” he says. Alumni enjoy knowing that the work they do is appreciated, Bowie continues, but they do not serve MIT for the sake of recognition. They do it for the sake of the service itself.
Bowie credits his mother and father with instilling in him a strong drive for service. He also points to the last line of MIT’s mission: “We seek to develop in each member of the MIT community the ability and passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of humankind.”
“I’m just trying to do my small part in the fulfillment of that mission,” says Bowie.
Bowie will join four other MIT Sloan alumni who are being recognized at the 2025 MIT Alumni Leadership Conference happening this Friday, September 26, and Saturday, September 27.
Anita Wu, MBA ’16, will receive the Margaret L. A. MacVicar, SB ’65, ScD ’67 Award “in recognition of innovation, dedication, and meaningful impact for the Alumni Association or the Institute in any area of volunteer activity, showing strong potential for future volunteer leadership for the Alumni Association.”
As an education counselor, I want to bring to MIT’s attention the extraordinary possibility and potential of students from marginalized families from all over the world.
The other three Sloanies—Gurumurthy Kalyanaram, PhD ’89, Parameshwar Mani, MBA ’08, and Hai Nguyen, SB ’04—will receive the George B. Morgan, SB ’20 Award “in recognition of sustained excellence in all aspects of Educational Council activity, including dedication to MIT, an abiding concern for and sensitivity to the interests of prospective students, and exceptional standards of achievement and professionalism in meeting council responsibilities.”
The MIT Educational Council is a network of alumni volunteers who play a crucial role in the undergraduate admissions process by interviewing and addressing the concerns of admissions candidates. Kalyanaram, who became a counselor in 2017, volunteered because of his strong belief in the “democratization of quality education.”
“As an education counselor, I want to bring to MIT’s attention the extraordinary possibility and potential of students from marginalized families from all over the world,” says Kalyanaram, a 2002 recipient of the Harold E. Lobdell, SB ’17 Distinguished Service Award. “Education is the most potent instrument to enhance prosperity, productivity, and social mobility of an individual and society.”
Mani wholeheartedly agrees, adding that one of his “greatest joys” as an education counselor is spreading awareness of MIT’s opportunities in regions where the brand is not as well-known, and to candidates from underprivileged backgrounds. “It’s amazing to show them that with hard work, they can access incredible financial aid and make their dreams come true,” he says.
I’m continually inspired by these phenomenal, enterprising young individuals from all over the world. Interviewing them gives me a unique perspective on the incredible talent out there.
Since joining the MIT Educational Council in 2010, Mani has served as a counselor and now as regional chair for Japan. In this role, he has elevated the visibility and accessibility of MIT to students and families across the country.
“I’m continually inspired by these phenomenal, enterprising young individuals from all over the world,” says Mani. “Interviewing them gives me a unique perspective on the incredible talent out there.”
The 2025 Alumni Leadership Conference is happening this Friday, September 26, and Saturday, September 27. Visit the conference website to learn more.
