Letter from President of Alumni Association

April 2008

It seems like so much has happened since I last wrote you.

I hope you enjoyed the holiday season with family and friends.

I’d like to congratulate the football team on its second place finish in the NCAA Division I FCS Tournament, the volleyball team on its first CAA championship and all the Spirit teams (Cheerleaders, Dance Team and Mascot) on a great showing in Orlando this year!

In late November, I had the privilege of introducing President Harker at the “Rediscover UD” event held at the Rehoboth Beach Country Club. It was an opportunity to hear about some of the short- and long-term goals for the University and network with fellow alums. Attendees were excited about the future of the University and motivated to get involved in some way. There will be more “Rediscover UD” events throughout the country, and I hope you get a chance to attend one in your area.

The Alumni Association received 22 nominations for the Board of Directors. Thanks to everyone who submitted nominations. The nominating committee met in February and selected three men and three women, who were approved by the current board to serve three-year terms starting July 1, 2008. Congratulations to John Gaul ’78AS, Susan Gell Hugel ’73AS, ’74M, Joanne Colletta Reihm ’76CHEP, Ruth Johnson Reynolds ’64CHEP, ’97M, Thom Shumosic ’06CHEP and Stephan Zacharkiw ’99BE. We will officially welcome them to the board at our June meeting.

I’d like to share some of our recent and upcoming events with you. In March, members of the Alumni Association attended the Distinguished Scholars Weekend sponsored by the Admissions Office to select the 2008 Alumni Scholars. Alumni Scholars are incoming freshmen who receive half-tuition scholarships and other financial awards for each of their four years at the University. In May, the Alumni Association will be presenting the Warner and Taylor awards to the outstanding senior woman and man and will induct alumni with outstanding professional achievements into the Alumni Wall of Fame. You can find more information at [http://www.udel.edu/alumni/alum/board.html].

On May 10, 2008, join leaders in government, industry, science, the arts and education at the first-ever University of Delaware Forum: Charting Our Path to Prominence, as they discuss salient issues in higher education and the global community. This all-day summit will feature 10 faculty-moderated panels, keynote speeches and remarks by President Harker on his strategic vision for the University. To register for this event, please log on to [www.udel.edu/forum].

Our new online community UDconnection.com, mentioned in my previous e-mail, will be launched at the University of Delaware Forum. The Forum will be an event you don’t want to miss!

Sincerely,

Shanté Stargell Hastings ’00EG
President, UD Alumni Association