Few international alumni networks are as active, organized, or influential as the Boston University alumni groups in Asia. Thanks to Weiqiang “WQ” Han (GRS’89, GSM’89), who stepped up to lead the BU Alumni Network of China more than seven years ago, the group has hosted some of BU’s most influential events outside the United States.

“I have very good memories of my studies at BU,” says Han, winner of a 2014 Alumni Network Award for his dedication. “This is an opportunity for me to do something for BU and BU alumni.”

To celebrate BU’s expanding and enthusiastic Asian alumni population, Han spearheaded BU Momentum, the largest gathering of alumni outside the United States. This feat would not have been possible without Han and his equally dedicated fellow Chinese alumni leaders. “You have to have a group of alumni who are willing to sacrifice their time and effort,” to execute an event like BU Momentum, Han says. “Fortunately, we have many alumni who have made tremendous contributions to the club in many different ways over the past eight years.”

Each year, BU Alumni Association (BUAA) volunteers and staff nominate committed individual alumni like Han for the Alumni Network Awards, which also recognize achievement in areas such as new programs and community service outreach. The BUAA leadership group, the Boston University Alumni Council (BUAC), votes to select the winners. The council congratulates the following awardees and thanks them for their service to BU.

Alumni Volunteer of the Year

Along with Han, the following alumni were named Alumni Volunteer of the Year:

Farrah Belizaire (SAR’11, MET’13), an Alumni Volunteer of the Year, championed the new Young Alumni of Color network. Photo by BUAA

Farrah Belizaire (SAR’11, MET’13) championed the new Young Alumni of Color network and has helped reengage her traditionally African American sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, with BU. She has also strengthened the relationship among the BUAA, UMOJA (the University’s black student union), and BU’s Howard Thurman Center. “There is something very special about being able to celebrate and come together around what makes us diverse,” she says.

Melissa Coughlin (CAS’05) is a dedicated volunteer for the Alumni Network of Washington, D.C., who has helped make scholarship, service, sports, and social opportunities available to all D.C. alumni. She became involved with the alumni association when she moved to D.C. in 2006, and says she immediately felt welcomed by the group. “I love giving back to both BU and the D.C. network by helping to use the network as a mechanism by which new-to-D.C. alumni can feel at home,” she says.

Hon Chung Henry Woo (CAS’99), who plays an integral role in connecting alumni throughout Asia, serves as secretary of the BU Asian Alumni Committee, which consists of representatives from China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and six other countries.

Best New Alumni Program

With more than 300 attendees, the weekend-long BU Momentum combined BU’s fifth Asian Alumni Festival and fifth Asian Business Forum, as well as a celebration of the School of Management’s centennial and the first Campaign for Boston University gala in East Asia. BU Momentum celebrated the creative and accomplished alumni in China and neighboring Asian countries, as well as the University’s progress, and set a record for alumni event attendance outside the United States.

At NBC headquarters in New York City, more than 200 guests attended Survival of the Fittest: Driving the TV Media Evolution Revolution, a reception and panel discussion on the future of media, television programming, and women’s leadership in television. This collaboration between volunteers and BU staff honored successful alumnae, including A&E Networks president and CEO Nancy Dubuc (COM’91), NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment chair Bonnie Hammer (CGS’69, COM’71, SED’75), and NBC News journalist Erica Hill (COM’98).

Led by Al Gonzalez (SMG’76) and Roger Dorf (ENG’70), BU Alumni Night with the Dallas Stars featured special guests: former Dallas Stars forward Alex Chiasson (CAS’13) and former BU men’s hockey coach Jack Parker (SMG’68, Hon.’97). The event also included Mike Eruzione (SED’77), captain of the US Olympic hockey team that defeated the then-Soviet Union in the famous “Miracle on Ice” game and took home the gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

BU Momentum combined BU’s Asian Alumni Festival and Asian Business Forum, as well as the School of Management’s centennial and the first Campaign for Boston University gala in East Asia. The three-day event featured networking, cultural excursions, business panels, and performances by artists like the ViVA Girls. Photo by IDG and Ukonphoto

Outstanding Network

The Alumni Network of China received the award for Outstanding Network, thanks to BU’s volunteers in China, who have consistently proven their dedication to the University and have made great strides in collaborating with the many other networks in Asia to form a powerful alumni community.

The Alumni Network of Los Angeles now has more than 40 volunteers who graduated between 1968 and 2014, all of whom are developing innovative content and alumni events within the entertainment industry. The network also develops programming on student and alumni engagement, sports, community service, and educational opportunities.

Though the Alumni Network of Seattle has a relatively small alumni base, it is a mighty network of volunteers who have focused on delivering well-rounded programming and events, like the Global Days of Service Honorary Seattle Run.

Best Community Service Outreach

Under the leadership of Kristen Drew (COM’07), the Alumni Network of Seattle hosted the 2.62-mile Global Days of Service Honorary Seattle Run to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon on the one-year anniversary of the bombing. Terriers joined alumni from Boston College, Harvard, and Northeastern to run, walk, and show their support, and proceeds from the event were donated to the Lu Lingzi (GRS’13) Scholarship Fund.

For their Global Days of Service project, the Alumni Network in Lebanon volunteered at FoodBlessed, a hunger-relief initiative in Beirut. Participants distributed more than 100 boxes of food and toiletries to Lebanese families that fled the violence in Syria and returned to Lebanon only to find that, as Lebanese nationals, they did not qualify for refugee assistance.

At the Oregon Food Bank, the Alumni Network of Portland repackaged bulk food donations into family-sized portions for people in need throughout Oregon. The effort contributed to bringing 43.5 million pounds of food to hunger relief agencies throughout Oregon and Clark County, Washington. Susannah Morgan (GSM’99), CEO of the Oregon Food Bank, thanked the group for their efforts on behalf of local communities.

Best Networking Program

In the heart of Miami’s business district, Sip | Pitch | Mix: Business Networking in Brickell drew together alumni working in businesses large and small. Round-robin introductions ensured that each guest connected with his or her fellow alumni. The event drew the largest number of alumni of any Miami-based BU occasion in recent memory.

Alumni in California shared their business “elevator pitches” at High Speed Networking LA, a fast-paced networking event designed for one-on-one conversation.