It is truly powerful to reunite alumni with common interests and shared fellowship. The months of planning and preparation for an event are rewarded with every handshake, smile, and hug that is exchanged. In addition to Reunion Weekend each year, the Alumni Association provides reunion and event services to departments, schools, colleges, and campus organizations to help alumni reconnect.
The Malcolm X Reunion Weekend brought more than 400 alumni back to campus this past May to celebrate the friendships created at the Malcolm X Cultural Center. “The Alumni Association helped us to reach out and connect to our target group,” said committee members Dena Cooper ’98 and Mary E. Custard ’82, ’87G. “Everyone who attended was happy to see other alumni and to return to campus.” Plans are already underway for their next event. “We are looking to expand in 2008 with a much larger Malcolm X Reunion and a 40th anniversary celebration of the Committee for the Collegiate Education of Black and Other Minority Students.”
This year the Alumni Association has partnered with Marching Band and Interior Design alumni, the School of Nursing, Commonwealth College, the Engineering GE Program, Phi Sigma Delta, Zeta Beta Tau, the Isenberg School of Management, and the Stockbridge School to coordinate ceremonies, events, and reunions. The Alumni Association will continue to create partnerships that serve our alumni.
Fostering Connection
Absence makes the heart grow fonder—not so, say many alumni. What keeps them connected with UMass Amherst is the energy and enthusiasm they experience when they gather with fellow graduates. The Alumni Association works with volunteer leaders to coordinate 30 regional Alumni Clubs that span the nation. Over 100 social, cultural, athletic, community service, and professional development events were organized this year by the clubs, attracting close to 3,700 alumni.
“I thought it would be great to connect people back to their UMass Amherst roots,” says Kate Sommers ’00, co-leader of the Atlanta Alumni Club. “We all loved UMass and feel so far away being in Georgia, so participating with the Alumni Club is a great way to feel closer. Also, there are so many other alumni groups in Atlanta that we wanted UMass Amherst to be represented as well!”
Alumni Clubs increase awareness about UMass Amherst and play a key role in student recruitment. Club members attend high school college fairs and host information sessions for prospective students. “The experience helps me to stay informed about all that is happening at UMass,” says co-leader Stacey Harrington ’02. “It was great to hear Chancellor Lombardi speak at an event we hosted in May. I am proud to share with people the goals that the university has set.”
To learn more about Alumni Club activities, visit UMassAlumni.com or contact the Alumni Association at 800-456-UMASS.
Coordinating a Calendar of Events
Spring, summer, fall or winter—you will always find an event or activity hosted by the Alumni Association. “We realize that our alumni have diverse interests, so we plan a variety of events to offer something for everyone,” says Cristina Geso, executive director of the Alumni Association.
Theatre and music lovers enjoyed a special performance of Cats at the Mullins Center and UMass Night at the Boston Pops. For sports fans, the Alumni Association organized trips, game watches, and pregame receptions to cheer the Minutemen and Minutewomen on to victory. A full calendar of travel and lifelong learning opportunities were also available with the Alumni Travel Study Program.
The Alumni Association, in partnership with the Alumni Clubs and campus departments, coordinated 188 events this past year and attracted some 13,000 alumni to participate. “We look forward to expanding our calendar of events in the coming year and offering more activities that will strengthen the bond between UMass Amherst and its alumni,” says Geso.
Recognizing Alumni Achievements
The Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House in Boston was a fitting
location to recognize the outstanding achievements of UMass Amherst
alumni. Over 200 guests, including Jack M. Wilson, president of the
University of Massachusetts, and Chancellor
John V. Lombardi, attended a ceremony as the Alumni Association presented
its annual Distinguished Alumni Awards.
The prestigious award is conferred to alumni, faculty and friends,
who have translated their UMass Amherst experience into distinguished
achievement in their field of endeavor and into national or international
distinction, and whose accomplishments reflect admirably on or bring
honor to their alma mater.
The Alumni Association seeks nominations for the awards each fall from
university faculty, staff, and alumni. You are invited to recognize
fellow alumni and faculty of UMass Amherst for a Distinguished Alumni
Award.
Nomination information is available on the Alumni Association Web site: UMassAlumni.com. The deadline for nominations is Friday, Oct. 6.
Promoting Professional Development
ALUMNI CAREER SERVICES IS A PROGRAM
of the Alumni Association that provides career development seminars,
information, and networking opportunities to alumni. Drawing from the
knowledge and experience of accomplished UMass Amherst graduates, we
compile tips and guidelines to help you develop the skills to advance
your career or to start something new.
Some 70 alumni from across New England attended the Alumni Career
Services seminar, “Getting the Most Out of Networking,” held at the
University of Massachusetts Club in Boston. The guest speaker was Shane
Hughes ’93, president of Pyxis Mobile, a leading provider of wireless
software in the financial service
industry. Hughes rode the ups and downs of the dot-com boom, but unlike
many of his contemporaries, he adapted his business model and continually
built his
network of contacts to ensure success. For the past two years the Boston
Business Journal has included Pyxis Mobile in the list of “Top 20 Places
to Work” and Hughes among the “Top 40 Under 40” business leaders.
“Networking is hard work,” Hughes told the seminar attendees, “and
it is rarely a quick game. You have to be consistent and patient with
your networking and use resources available to you, like the Alumni
Association.” He explained his approach and the steps that have generated
success in his business endeavors with the group
assembled.
Additional contributors to career programming this past year have
been management psychologist Paul Powers ’74, ’79G who provided “10
Ways to Love Your Job”; corporate recruiter Sara Coady ’02 on social
networking job sites; and Michael Hislop ’77, president and CEO of
Il Fornaio America Corporation. The Alumni Association will continue
to provide information and career development opportunities that are
relevant in the lives of our alumni.
We encourage alumni participation and feedback in all of our activities.
Please let us know of your interests or needs at alumni@admin.umass.edu.
Growing Membership
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO PROVIDE connection
to a worldwide community of alumni, access to career development
and networking opportunities, special discounts and volunteer channels
to advance public higher education? It takes membership. Membership
in the Alumni Association funds the valuable alumni programs and
services highlighted in this annual report.
Alexander B. Austin ’05 became a member upon graduating from UMass
Amherst. “I really enjoyed attending UMass and wanted to stay connected
and informed about the university and alumni happenings. The Alumni
Association Web site and newsletters are great resources and I enjoy
attending alumni events whenever possible. Joining the Alumni
Association makes sense,” says Austin. “I just renewed my membership
at the Life Member level because I look forward to doing more in the
future.”
The Alumni Association is continually working to grow its member base
in order to expand programs and services that enrich lives and deepen
connections with UMass Amherst. Thousands of alumni express their commitment
to this mission through their membership in the Alumni Association
for as little as $40 per year.
“It is our goal to be responsive to the needs of our alumni,” says
the Association’s executive director Cristina Geso. “We recently completed
an online alumni survey and will use those results to help us shape
the direction of our programming.” Join with your fellow alumni to
ensure that our UMass Amherst alumni family is a vital entity that
continues to add value to your degree and raises our national profile
and ranking. Go to UMassAlumni.com and join today!
Linking Friends
An important part of our college experience is the friendships that
were made sharing struggles and laughs during study sessions, dinner,
or a stroll by the campus pond. Michael Wall ’88, ’91G recalled some
of his own good times and set out to get back in touch with his first
college roommate at UMass Amherst. “I hadn’t spoken to Frank in over
10 years,” says Wall, “and when I wanted to reconnect with him, I
turned to the online Alumni Directory on the UMass Alumni site.”
All UMass Amherst graduates have access to the online Directory at
UMassAlumni.com. It is an important communication tool that allows
alumni to search for classmates and manage their own profile with business
and contact information. Alumni also have the option to hide information
that they do not want publicly displayed.
As an added advantage, members of the Alumni Association have greater
search and networking capabilities. These include specific searches
that use geographic, academic, affiliation, or professional criteria
to enhance networking efforts.
Once the simple registration for the Alumni Directory is completed,
there are opportunities to sign up for e-mail forwarding, e-mail updates
on program areas of interest, volunteer opportunities, and class notes
to let classmates know personal news and professional updates. “It
was so easy to use the online directory; it was literally a few minutes
between asking myself, ‘Whatever happened to Frank?’ and hearing his
voice on the other end of the phone line,” says Wall. “I know I’ll
be using the online Alumni Directory again.”
Supporting Success
Enhancing the UMass Amherst experience is a primary goal of
the Alumni Association. In addition to providing programs and services
that are of value to our alumni, we also support educational opportunities
and student activities that enrich campus life by awarding grants
and scholarships.
One such grant helped to fund a student-managed theatre production
of the play The Bovver Boys. Written by award-winning playwright, Willie
Holtzman, the play tells the story of an American social worker in
the 1970s who tries to break the cycle of violence and destruction
among Scottish youth gangs. Graduate student Keith Langsdale ’07 coordinated
the effort, bringing Holtzman to campus to rewrite the play for the
Curtain Theater.
Students managed all aspects of the production, including grant writing,
marketing, acting, costumes, and set and lighting design. The play
sold out three performances. “This type of project helps students understand
what it takes to produce in the real world,” says Mark Dean, general
manager of the UMass Amherst Theater Department. “The play also spoke
directly and without condescension to UMass undergraduates about the
choices that lead young people toward and away from violence. The students
would not have had this learning opportunity without support from organizations
like the Alumni Association.”
The Alumni Association awarded 26 grants to registered student organizations
and campus groups totaling $40,000. An additional 111 scholarships
were awarded to students in recognition of academic excellence, commitment
to public service, and outstanding leadership and service to UMass
Amherst. The Alumni Association will continue to work to
enrich, strengthen, and develop the academic and social experience
of the university’s student body.
Helping Volunteers Make a Difference
FIFTY YEARS AFTER GRADUATION, class president,
Harry “Buzz” Johnson ’56, is still volunteering his time to make
a difference for his classmates and for his alma mater. “It’s my
duty to volunteer,” said Johnson, “I feel a responsibility to my
class and to my school.” Johnson and his fellow committee members
worked with the Alumni Association to plan their 50th reunion in
June, as well as their class gift to the university—a public plaza
surrounding the Minuteman statue to be called Minuteman Crossing.
This past year the Alumni Association led 350 alumni, students, and
friends in volunteer activities that included coordinating alumni events,
serving on boards and committees, mentoring students, speaking at career
workshops, and advocating for UMass Amherst. Nothing speaks more highly
for a university than successful alumni who enthusiastically serve
and support it.
As a volunteer, you can give of yourself however and whenever you choose.
The following volunteer opportunities are available: Board of Directors,
Alumni Clubs, Alumni Admissions Council, Alumni Career Services, Alumni
Awards & Scholarships, and Student Programs. For more information
visit UMassAlumni.com or contact the Alumni Association at 800-456-UMASS
or alumni@admin.umass.edu
Sharing Experiences
AS CHILDREN, WE ARE TOLD THAT sharing
is good, but as adults we come to understand that sharing is important—especially
when it comes to sharing knowledge and experiences. The Alumni Association
promotes communication and networking opportunities that add value
to the UMass Amherst experience for both students and alumni.
Thirteen “Freshman Send-off” receptions were coordinated through Alumni
Clubs to welcome newly enrolled students to UMass Amherst. “I attended
a reception before my freshman year,” says Jess Giangrande ’07. “It
was a good way to talk to current students and alumni about their experiences
and to hear the advice they could offer. I remember leaving the reception
feeling much more confident and comfortable about attending UMass in
the fall.” As a result, Giangrande, a double major in plant, insect
and soil sciences with environmental design, and president-elect of
the Student Alumni Association, actively shares her experiences with
incoming students.
In addition to the 200 alumni social and networking events held throughout
the nation, the Alumni Association also brought world-renowned artist
Shan Shan Sheng ’87G to campus as an Eleanor Bateman Alumni Scholar
in Residence, to discuss her experiences creating public art. Her lectures
attracted student and alumni alike interested in learning more about
her work. The Alumni Association will continue to provide opportunities
for sharing and growth that benefit our alumni and the campus community.
