4:16 p.m., Feb. 1, 2008--Despite uncommonly snowy weather for Georgia, alumni joined University of Delaware President Patrick Harker on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at the Buckhead Club in Atlanta to rediscover UD and discuss their thoughts on present and future plans for the University.
For many of the alumni in attendance, this was their first chance to meet Harker and hear his plans for the University through the newly implemented strategic planning program.
Kartik Aysola, AS '03, the youngest of the alumni in attendance, said he learned of the event through his sister, Pooja, a senior Spirit Ambassador at UD, and thought it would be interesting to learn how the University has progressed since he graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in biology.
“I was very happy to see how informal, yet informative this event was,” Aysola said. “This was the first time I had met President Harker and I found him to be a very engaging and passionate man, who truly wanted to see the University of Delaware continue to expand, flourish and succeed. His plan was optimistic, yet realistic, which is exactly needed, especially in today's society.”
Harker opened his speech by recognizing Paul R. Jones, who was awarded an honorary doctorate degree in 2004 from the University of Delaware for his generous gift in 2001 of the Paul R. Jones Collection of African American Art, one of the nation's oldest, largest and most complete collections of works by African American artists.
Jones said he looks forward to the University's continued success and achievements, while making room for new programs to help UD further its prominence in the education world. “I anticipate active, on-going connections with the University as it grows,” he said. “I find the University, now more than ever, poised to make effective use of the Paul Jones Collection of Art as an important instrument of learning at UD.”
In addition, Harker highlighted some recent key accomplishments at the University, along with goals he would like to accomplish within the near future, including working on continuing to build national and international ties with other universities.
James Brown said he and his wife, Valerie, felt it was important to attend the event, although they are not alumni, because their son, junior Brian Brown, is a linebacker on the Blue Hens football team. Brown and his family first met Harker in Chattanooga, Tenn., for the NCAA championship game, and said listening to Harker speak about the University was enjoyable. “Harker provided valuable insight into UD's future and ongoing plans to become the best that we can in a variety of areas,” Brown said.
Currently, Richter said he serves in the Army and was most interested in attending the alumni event for the chance to meet Atlanta area graduates. Richter said the night, which included hor d'oeuvres, beverages and a raffle including books by University authors (for a complete list of books raffled, see below), had a great atmosphere with friendly conversation. “You could just sit down and talk to anyone, and we were glad we weren't stuck in the miles of traffic below because of the snow,” he said.
Robert Cooper, a 1994 graduate, said he and his wife, Linda, have made a point of attending several alumni events in the past with the Washington, D.C., club; however, now that they have relocated to Georgia, they plan to take advantage of the Atlanta chapter. “The Buckhead Club provided a setting that allowed us to really engage with other alumni, President Harker and his staff. It was a fun, relaxed atmosphere with great conversation. The opportunity to enjoy the Atlanta skyline on a snowy evening was just an added bonus,” Cooper said.
Cooper said he intends to remain in close connection with the University. “Dr. Harker is clearly taking the time to really get to know UD. He is clearly interested in making sure alumni remain connected and committed to the institution. When we travel back to Delaware, Newark and the UD campus are where we like to spend our time.”
Books raffled off at the alumni event included:
- University of Delaware: A Celebration, photographed by Richard Dunoff;
- Rebel with a Conscience, by Russ Peterson;
- Taste of Class: Recipes from Vita Nova;
- Town House: Architecture and Material Life in the Early American City, 1788-1830, by Bernard L. Herman, Rosenberg Professor of Art History;
- On Land and on Sea: A Century of Women in the Rosenfeld Collection, by Margaret L. Andersen Rosenfeld, Rosenberg Professor of Sociology; and
- The Power of Pride: Stylemakers and Rulebreakers of the Harlem Renaissance, by Carole Marks, professor of sociology, and Diana Edkins.
Article by Sarah Lipman, AS '08
Photos by Bartram Nason