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4:12 p.m., March 21, 2008--Despite a severe thunderstorm, 45 Houston-area Blue Hens gathered on Thursday evening, March 6, to welcome UD President Patrick Harker in the Aventine Ballroom on the second floor of the Hotel Icon in downtown Houston.

The get-together also served as an opportunity for alumni to meet other Blue Hens in the Houston area, to “Rediscover UD” and to hear what's happening on campus as well as some of the plans Harker has for UD's future.

Among those attending was Joe Rizzo, the youngest alum in attendance as a '07 graduate, who said that his favorite part of the event was “discussing how well the UD Ice Hockey team did this year, as well as my senior year, with the President. ”

Rebecca Bresnik, an attorney with NASA, found the event “both informative and interesting.” Bresnik said she also enjoyed learning about the new president's vision and getting to know and connecting with other Houstonians who went to the University of Delaware.

Frank Smith Jr., a senior vice president at Dune Energy, said he thought the venue was pleasant and well-catered and that Harker gave a “very informative and polished address that effectively revealed his strategic vision.”

A former UD football player, Smith said he also enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with two alums who had also played football at UD, one right before Smith and one right after Smith graduated. “It was fun to share our experiences,” Smith said, adding, “it was also great to meet other alumni and learn about how their paths led them to Houston.”

Robert Boudwin, a former UD mascot YoUDee and a 2007 UD Presidential Citation recipient who was acknowledged in Harker's remarks, said, “The event was wonderful. It was great to hear our new president's vision for the University. I enjoyed reconnecting with several UD alumni who I haven't spoken to in a while, as well as meeting new alumni who live in the Houston area. I had no idea that there were so many UD graduates living in the Houston area.”

Books raffled at the alumni event included:

• The University of Delaware: A History, by John A. Munroe;
• Taste of Class: Recipes from Vita Nova;
• Reunion, by Fleda Brown;
• The Art of the American Musical: Conversations with the Creators, by Jackson R. Bryer and Richard A. Davison, professor emeritus of English; and
• Delaware During the Civil War: A Political History, by Harold Bell Hancock.

Article by Adam Thomas
Photos by Dave Einsel