Syracuse University Alumni Blog - Giving Back to SU

There is a full page ad (PDF) in the front section of today's NY Times, placed by Syracuse University, honoring Law School Graduate, US Senator & Vice President Elect Joe Biden. It includes a color picture of him delivering the 2006 Commencement Address.

The University formally announced today plans for the premiere of "The Express" at the Landmark Theater in Syracuse on September 12. See SU News Service release for full details. The University has also created an Ernie Davis/"The Express" website.

Syracuse University today announced that the SUArt Galleries in Syracuse and the Louise and Bernard Palitz Gallery at SU’s Joseph I. Lubin House in New York City will jointly present the exhibition “Michelangelo: The Man and the Myth” this coming fall. The exhibition will include more than a dozen original drawings and writings by the Renaissance master Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), some never before seen in the United States.

“Michelangelo: The Man and the Myth” is organized by Dottoressa Pina Ragionieri, guest curator and director of the Casa Buonarroti in Florence, Italy, in association with Gary Radke, scholarly advisor and professor of fine arts in The College of Arts and Sciences at SU, and Domenic Iacono, director of the SUArt Galleries and the Palitz Gallery. The show runs Aug. 12–Oct. 19 at the SUArt Galleries on the Syracuse University campus and Nov. 4, 2008–Jan. 4, 2009, at the Palitz Gallery, 11 E. 61st St., Manhattan.

Sculptor of the colossal statue “David” in Florence and painter of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and large fresco “The Last Judgment” at the Vatican, Michelangelo was also a renowned poet, patriot, architect, anatomist, military engineer and entrepreneur—a true Renaissance man. As such, the exhibition will explore multiple facets of Michelangelo’s life, art and reputation.

The exhibition will feature more than 25 works by Michelangelo and artists contemporary to him, including 14 original works by Michelangelo chosen to illustrate the broad range of his interests and creative activities. Figural studies associated with the Sistine Chapel and other paintings will appear along with original architectural plans and sketches of ancient Roman monuments. Printed books complement autograph examples of the artist’s poetry. Eight of the Michelangelo works in the exhibition (five drawings and three manuscript pages) have never been seen in the United States. Works by Leone Leoni, Marcello Venusti, Giorgio Ghisi and others are included in the exhibition to show the homage paid to the master during his lifetime.

“To bring the myth of Michelangelo across the Atlantic, together with the centuries-long memories of the Casa Buonarroti, is truly an emotional experience,” says guest curator Ragionieri. “But to speak to the citizens of Syracuse and New York City about a sublime protagonist of the Italian Renaissance by means of his life as a man and artist—as well as offer some of his splendid drawings for their admiration—is also a great responsibility. I am happy and proud to arrange this important rendezvous and hope to have found the appropriate way in this exhibition to communicate the superhuman dimension of Michelangelo’s creative adventure.”

By most accounts, there are fewer than a dozen drawings and no paintings or sculpture by Michelangelo in current American art collections. The drawings in the exhibition will, temporarily, more than double the number of Michelangelo works in the United States, presenting a unique opportunity for audiences who have never seen his original work.

“This exhibition provides a rare opportunity to explore the many sides of Michelangelo’s career. As such, it will educate students and the public alike to broaden their appreciation and understanding of this great Renaissance genius,” says Radke. “I constantly urge my students to study abroad, especially in Italy, because there is simply no substitute for seeing works of art firsthand. Now, countless members of the American public will be able to examine and appreciate Michelangelo’s drawings and writings right here in the United States. These works are rarely seen, even in Florence, because they need to be kept protected from the damaging effects of light.”

Educational programming, in the classroom and for the public, will be offered in conjunction with the exhibition on the SU campus. Leading American expert on Michelangelo William E. Wallace, Barbara Murphy Bryant Distinguished Professor of Art History at Washington University in St. Louis, will be the Jeanette K. Watson Visiting Professor in The College of Arts and Sciences. His mid-September visit to SU will overlap with a Ray Smith Symposium on “Rethinking Michelangelo” sponsored by Arts and Sciences. Radke will teach an undergraduate course on Michelangelo and a graduate seminar on his graphic work during the fall semester.

Students in SU’s Goldring Arts Journalism Program will study and write about the exhibition from a variety of perspectives, including art history, cultural significance and how international exhibitions are organized by institutions. Additional programming will be organized in the coming months, to be announced at a later date.

“Syracuse University is especially thrilled to present this wealth of research on the genius Renaissance master and inventor Michelangelo both here in Syracuse and in New York City because of the engagement it will create between our university and the people within these communities,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “This exhibition is an example of how we further our commitment to Scholarship in Action by integrating discovery, learning and public engagement.”

“I feel very privileged to help bring these extraordinary works by Michelangelo to our galleries,” says Iacono. “Working with Pina and Gary to develop an exhibition that speaks to the intellect and artistic genius of Michelangelo, we hope to provide an educational atmosphere that serves as a catalyst between the works of art in the exhibition and the visitors who come to view it.”

Initial information on the exhibition and related programming is available online at http://michelangelo.syr.edu. Additional content will be added to the site in the months leading up to the exhibition’s public opening.

The SUArt Galleries enhances the cultural environment of Syracuse University and the Syracuse area through meaningful educational experiences and encounters with the University’s permanent collection and traveling exhibitions. It is the main campus venue for the visual arts and home of the University’s extensive permanent collection. Accessible though the Shaffer Art Building, the facility hosts a variety of temporary and permanent exhibitions in its nearly 10,000 square feet of exhibition space.

The Louise and Bernard Palitz Gallery at SU’s Joseph I. Lubin House in New York City is exhibition space overseen by the SUArt Galleries. Opened in 2003, the gallery is made possible through the support of SU alumna Louise Palitz and her husband Bernard. Throughout the year, the gallery presents a variety of notable exhibitions from the University’s collection and private and museum collections. The SUArt Galleries and the Palitz Gallery are members of the Coalition of Museum and Art Centers (CMAC) at SU.

Send your favorite Syracuse person a snowman greeting card, compliments of the SU Office of Alumni Relations!

Happy Holidays

See SU News Service article on this big announcement.

From the Post-Standard's Orange Basketball Blog:

"I recently received an email from Ben Youngerman, a member of the Otto the Orange mascot team. Youngerman informed me that Otto has earned a trip to the United Cheer Association's national mascot competition in Orlando. A video compilation of Otto's antics (see above) earned the Round Mound of Vitamin C his first ever trip to the nationals. Otto's video placed seventh nationally. Here are the rankings.

Last year, Otto placed 11th in the video competition, leaving him one spot shy of the Top 10 and a trip to Disney. Youngerman explained that the competition is like "the Super Bowl for mascots.'' Otto will travel to Disney in January to perform a skit. The final judging is based 50 percent on the videos and 50 percent on the skit, so Otto could move up and even win the whole thing."

Interesting article in today's Daily Orange.

See article in today's Daily Orange about the donation of Mark and Pearle Clemments to fund travel scholarships for students.

Mary Gillmore Smith, Class of 1929 was honored at the Campaign for Syracuse University kickoff today for two big reasons. First, today is her 100 birthday. Second, she was recognized as the person who has made annually financial contributions to SU longer than any other alum.

The Campaign for Syracuse University kickoff event was held at 5:00 PM today at the Goldstein Auditorium. The room was transformed into a very classy nightclub setting with three large video screens and six slide projectors projecting images on either wall above the second floor seats of the auditorium.

The hosts for the event were the three campaign co-chairs who introduced videos about various aspects of the University. Many significant donors were recognized and then Chancellor Cantor came out to announce the money raised thus far. There was a burst of confetti and streamers. It was a great event.

The University launched its Campaign for Syracuse University late this afternoon by announcing that it had already raised $509,283,799 toward a goal of $1 billion. Wow!!

See the campaign's website (which went live today) for more details on the campaign overall. What is perhaps most impressive about today's announcement is the dollar amount. I am told by folks in the know here that most universities "go public" with their capital campaign once they have raised 35 or 40% of the total amount for the campaign. A few weeks ago when I was campus, folks were saying that we were well within that range and even a little over. There was talk of getting to $500 million, but only in wishful whispers. $509 million is an extraordinary accomplishment. It shows the committment that so many people have to make SU an ever better and stronger institution. Now the opportunity comes for all of us to contribute to the cause.

More posts to come on other events from today.

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was on campus to announce State of New York investment in several initiatives including the Connective Corridor. See the SU News Service story for details.

See this blog devoted exclusively to Otto's travels......

Vote for Otto in this poll from Capital One.

The three days of events went very well. The rain of Thursday dampened things a bit at the start, but the weather got dryer and colder as the days went on. Everyone I talked to liked having reunion and homecoming together. It did present some logistical issues all around, but most the Office of Alumni Relations was able to deal with. The office staff does amazing things year around, but especially at these big events. Several alums (and family members of alums) came up to me to specifically thank staff members who went out of their way to help get an alum at the event. There were several older alums who clearly don't get around much anymore, but so much wanted to attend the events that family members were there to help them.

Another big piece this year was students. They were at many of the events and the interaction with students and alums was great to see.

My thanks to the entire office for their great work, but special kudos to Ellen King, Elaine Cardone and Cristina Swift. Thanks also to the many SUAA Board Members (13 was my count) and club presidents in attendance.

Homecoming award winners were honored at a pre-game ceremony. In addition to the Senior Alumni Award winner who was honored at a dinner Thursday, the award winners honored Friday afternoon were also present. To read more about them, see this SU News Service story.

A glorious, but cool, Saturday met alumni on the Quad for Homecoming celebrations.

See a montage of photos from the homecoming parade and pep rally Friday night. The grand marshall of the parade was Mary Gillmore Smith, Class of 1929. The Pep Rally was held in Hendricks Chapel because of the rain earlier in the day.

Alumni flocked to several seminars presented by faculty members yesterday morning. One of the primary goals of bringing reunion back to the school year was to allow alumni interaction with students and faculty.

About 75 people gathered at the Half-Century Dinner at the Sheration (those celebrating reunions 50+ years). The main event was the presentation of the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award which was presented to Marshall Gelfand '50 (pictured) and Robert S. Rosenthal '53. See details in SU News Service release.

While it was a chilly and rainy Thursday on campus, all was warm inside a tent set up on the Quad for the Class of 1957 dinner.

SUAA Board Member and Class of 1957 graduate Warren Kimble poses next to some of the raffle prizes he designed to help raise funds for the Class gift from the reunion.

Alumni from the Class of 1957 were greeted yesterday by their classmates at the Goldstein Alumni and Faculty Center.

It is a grey Thursday in Syracuse as events for Homecoming+Reunion get underway. See article in today's Daily Orange for details

See coverage in the Post Standard, a video of proceedings in Daily Orange and fifty pages of photos from SU's official photographer Steve Sartori.

Today's dedication of Newhouse III was outstanding. The weather was beautiful, almost warm. The events started with the dedication address by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts at Hendricks Chapel. There were tickets handed out for the event since the Chapel only accomodates about 1,100 people. There was a long line to get in as SU Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations Andrea Latchem and I headed over to the event.

Roberts speech was bout a half an hour. I will leave you to read the reports from the Associated Press, Daily Orange and "The Blog of the Legal Times" to get a sense of what he talked about. The proceedings then headed over to Newhouse III where the actual "ribbon cutting" took place. Since the Newhouses own newspapers, they actually cut a roll of newsprint (see above). The building inside is sleek with all sorts of electronic bells and whistles.

The photos are mine above. I will post more news links about the event and SU's official photos tomorrow.

The dedication of Newhouse III is this Wednesday with a speech by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at Hendricks Chapel and then a dedication at the building itself.
See the event website for further details: http://newhouse.syr.edu/nh3/ which will include a webcast of the proceedings. Also the Syracuse Post-Standard has some excellent photos and coverage:http://blog.syracuse.com/specialreports/newhouse_iii_dedication/
I will be on campus for the events and plan to file reports on my blog.

Here are some highlights of the past few days on campus welcoming the Class of 2011. Just press play button.

See article about Chris Constantin G'2001 MAX from the Los Gatos (CA) Weekly-Times. It talks about Chris's career with the City of San Jose as well as being a reserve police officer. Note in the article that he commuted between the Bay Area and campus while getting his MPA.

The Syracuse Post-Standard football blog has an entry with this interesting picture spotted on the streets of Manhattan.

This ad appeared in today's Washington Post celebrating Nina Fedoroff's 2006 National Medal of Science which is being presented today at the White House.

SU News Service has great article on the work being done by Student Affairs on helping new first year students transition to life on campus.

Congratulations to Nina Federoff '66 for being honored with the National Medal of Science, the nation's highest award for lifetime achievement in scientific research. Ms. Federoff is also an Arents winner. She will receive the award from President Bush on July 27 at the White House. See details in this Associated Press article.

I was looking for a new cell phone ringtone and found this:

Today's Wall Street Journal has a great article (odd headline) about individuals giving to our organizations important to them and highlights the giving of Joyce Hergenhan, an SU trustee and outstanding donor to Syracuse University.

LaMonica Falkquay, of Syracuse University's Class of 2007, will represent her region in the Miss New York competition July 12-14 on Long Island. If chosen as Miss New York, Falkquay will represent the state at the Miss America competition in January 2008. See full story at SU News Service.

Filming of the movie moved to campus today. See details in this release from SU Athletics Department.

The Maxwell School has received a $5-million gift from the Leon Levy Foundation to create and endow a faculty chair honoring U.S. Senator and former Maxwell faculty member Daniel Patrick Moynihan. It will be known formally as the Moynihan Chair in Public Policy, and will be filled by a leading national figure in a domestic policy field such as urban revitalization, Social Security, the future of the U.S. family, transportation, and government secrecy. Creation of the chair was announced at a June 14 event in the U.S. Capitol featuring Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other members of Congress; former Moynihan staff members, including NBC commentator Tim Russert; and the Senator's widow, Elizabeth Moynihan. For more information about the gift, see this online press release.

Here is a copy of an 1/8th page ad that appeared on page 2 of The Arts section of the New York Times yesterday congratulating SU alum Frank Langella '59 for his Tony Award as Best Actor and recognizing Arielle Tepper Madover '94 as a producer of the same play Frost/Nixon.
Thanks and congratulations to Associate Vice President Chuck Merrihew for his fast work in placing the ad recognizing these two outstanding alums.

SUAA President Neal Gold addresses graduates yesterday at the annual Commencement ceremony.

Check out the new and improved Office of Alumni Relations website.

See article in today's Daily Orange about two 2006 alums who created American Cinematic Experience (ACE) Film Festival, a three-day event scheduled for Aug. 24-26 in New York City as part of the River to River Festival.

Not sure if the Village Voice has ever covered an Arents Awards before, but it has now. See their take on the award ceremony honoring Lou Reed last Thursday night in New York City.

See SU News Service article on Grammy Winner Lou Reed '64 receiving an Arents Award Thursday evening in New York City.

Michael Alper, a loyal SU alum in Chicago, took pictures of the stadium that is being used to portray Archbold Stadium in "The Express" in Chicago. Thanks Michael!

From the SU News Service:

A new Syracuse University website, "WE HONOR VT"(http://sunews.syr.edu/vt/index.html), debuted today as a resource for SU students, faculty and staff, and other local community members about the April 16 tragedy in Blacksburg, Va.

Among the site's content are Virginia Tech informational links, a growing list of remembrance activities planned on the SU campus, a Q&A about SU security and emergency procedures, and public messages from Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor.

The site is readily accessible via the SU home page (http://www.syr.edu) and the Syracuse University News site (http://sunews.syr.edu).

Those who have suggestions for additional content should contact SU News Services at sunews@syr.edu.

The movie "The Express" about Ernie Davis' football career at SU has started filming. The Elmira Star-Gazette is all into this with recent articles (one, two, three) and a blog on the Chicago portion of the filming.

Irish President Mary McAleese will speak at Syracuse University in May, the first time in the university's 137-year history that a sitting head of state has visited campus.

McAleese will give a free talk May 1 in the university's Hendricks Chapel as part of the centennial celebration of Syracuse's School of Education. For more info, see this International Herald Tribune article.

Harcum College near Philadelphia has named SU alum Jon Jay DeTemple president, effective June 1. Dr. DeTemple has a doctorate in higher education administration from Syracuse University; an MBA from Syracuse University; and a bachelor's degree from Cornell University. For more information, see this story in the Philadelphia Business Journal.

About 30 alumni and friends of Syracuse University gathered in London this week to share fellowship and hear updates from me on activities on campus.

The meeting was held at Faraday House, the base of operations for SU's London program.

I sent a note to the SUALUM listserv about the blog. If you have found the blog for the first time, please feel free to leave a comment.

Check out National Orange Day website with updates on club sponsored events.

Congratulations to Dr. Melinda Reiner on being recognized as part of the National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Melinda is also a member of the SUAA Board of Directors. See full story from the Athletic Department.

The "Giving Back to SU" blog is going to try something new. I have created a website for National Orange Day which is March 24. This day celebrates the founding of Syracuse University in 1870.

The University will be holding its celebration this year on Friday, March 23 and alumni clubs around the country will be celebrating over the entire weekend of March 23-25.

Check out our new website: www.givingbacktosu.com/oday for further details. I plan to post photos and stories about the events on the site.

Dates are set for this year's combined homecoming and reunion activities: October 11-14, 2007. See the Office of Alumni Relations website for details and SU News Service article.

A listing of March events around the country can be found here.

The Post-Standard had a great article a couple of days ago about SU alum Jonathan Greene speaking about his screenwriting career on SU campus.

The following comes from Susan Verrett, President of the Alumni Club of Southern California about a project completed by the Southern California and Orange County Alumni Clubs:

"This morning, Jack Mitchell, President Orange County Alumni Club, and I drove to Winchester, CA to support the Winchester Elementary 2nd Graders in their school kick-off of the "No Excuses University" program.

As many of you know, the 2nd grade class decided Syracuse University to be their school of choice; and I have to believe that Otto the Orange was a driving factor in that decision. Also, the teacher, Mr. Madoc Powell, is originally from Syracuse. They were all so excited to have us there.

We arrived by 8am and were welcomed by the Principal of the school. Jack carried in a box full of items for us to hand out to the 2nd graders. The University was so wonderful in sending Jack Syracuse t-shirts, pencils, banners, an Orangeman stuffed animal, and tons of other SU paraphernalia. A thank you of appreciation to Bianca Cialla and Scott Setek for making this happen and getting it to us in time. They loved everything!! "

Interesting article in today's Daily Orange on alums who were in India during the tsunami that hit there over a year ago and encouraged children to draw pictures based on their experiences. These drawing will bo on display in New York City tomorrow.

Couldn't resist posting a link to a story in today's Post-Standard with a headline like this. The article is about SU alums on the world champion Indianapolis Colts team.

Interesting article from SU News Service this morning on a Whitman Business student going to the New York Mercantile Exchange to interview alumnus David Greenberg '86 about his career as a trader. Just goes to show how alumni can give back in many ways.

Chancellor Cantor addressed the University community today with a major address on the next steps in the "Scholarship in Action" initiative. The speech can be found in PDF here.

See this article from SU Athletics about five alums set to play in the Super Bowl.

The Suncoast Florida Alumni Club has a new website. Check out the "Multimedia" tab for great MP3 files of the Fight Song and Alma Mater.

The group has a great looking new website.

The Law School has announced dates for alumni receptions around the country and has hired a new Alumni Affairs Director Martha Allen.

Congratulations to Eric Spina, SU's new Vice Chancellor and Provost. See SU News Service story here.

I was in Seattle over New Year's and saw this article on the front page of the Seattle Times yesterday about how one Washington man is giving back to his alma mater. It shows that anyone can support their university, no matter their wealth. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Interesting article in today's New York Times on NYU's fundraising efforts. Syracuse is going through the same process of retooling its fundraising operations for the public launch of its next development campaign in Fall, 2007. Lots of organization and logistics involved.

The Winter issue is now available on-line. The Alumni section of the magazine can be found directly here.

From Ellen Beck, SU's West Coast Development Director:

"SU VPA alum Gil Cates Jr., writer/director, premieres Life After Tomorrow on Showtime on Christmas Eve. This fascinating film biography features all the Broadway Annies and gives us an insightful look at what happened to all the actresses as they pounded the pavement and transitioned into adulthood. Will the sun come out tomorrow? Join us as we applaud SU's Hollywood alum, also a newlywed. In the springtime, look for his theatrical release of Deal, starring Burt Reynolds as an ex-gambler who cannot shake the habit of the popular game Texas Hold'em. Bravo Gil!!!!!"

The Post-Standard reports on SU alumni Ruth Colvin and William Safire receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bush at the White House Friday. Congratulations to two of our most distinguished alumni.

Alumni Board Member Jonathan Hoster '02 passed along a picture of Otto visiting the Grand Canyon. Otto was reported as saying he still thought the Carrier Dome was bigger.......

The Annual Giving staff has created another outstanding digital holiday greeting this year from campus. Adobe Flash Player 7 is required to view properly on your computer.

The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation has awarded Syracuse University a five-year, $3-million grant that will allow SU, along with a collaborative team of academic and community partners, to take the next major step in advancing the vision of Scholarship in Action throughout the Central New York region. More in SU News Service release and Post-Standard article.

Syracuse University alumnus Robert Davila G'72 has been named interim president of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. Davila, 74, a nationally known deaf leader, returned from retirement to take the helm at Gallaudet, which has experienced a period of unrest over its last presidential appointment. See SU News Service article.

Each year the Syracuse University Alumni Association presents SU alumni with special awards recognizing their accomplishments. Awards include the George Arents Pioneer Medal, which is the highest award bestowed on our alumni, and the Melvin A. Eggers Senior Alumni Award, which serves to recognize our senior alumni who have exhibited loyalty and service to their alma mater. The deadline for nominations for award year 2007 is January 15, 2007.

The Fall edition of their newsletter (PDF) updates the activities of SU in Los Angeles.

Calendar of December events is now on the Office of Alumni Relations website.

Current issue of the Office of Alumni Relations E-Newsletter can be found here.

From SUAA President Neil Gold comes word that SUAA Board Member Pat Mautino has been named by the Onandoga County Public Library as their Trustee of the Year. Pat has served on that board for eleven years. Congrats to Pat!

See photos from the Suncoast Florida Alumni Club's trip to the USF football game.

See a listing of Law School alumni events around the country scheduled for the first half of 2007. Also the Fall, 2006 issue of the Law School magazine is also on-line.

Congratulations to the newest members of the SU Board of Trustees (all alumni) including former SU Alumni Association President Joanne Alper. See the SU News Service article for details.

Interesting post from a Nashville TV station on a story regarding alumni affinitive credit cards. They talk to SU alum Elisabeth Godek who likes carrying her SU branded credit card. SU Office of Alumni Relations does benefit each year from transactions from SU branded credit cards.

The Fall issue can be found here.

There was a great article in Monday's New York Times on alumni giving, featuring comments from our own Martin J. Whitman whose generousity has made a huge difference at the School of Management.

Get active in your local alumni club. See this list of alumni club events around the United States for November.

Edwin L. "Ned" Rifkin '72, undersecretary for art at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., was honored Oct. 26 at a special dinner at Washington's Meridian House, where he was awarded Syracuse University's George Arents Pioneer Medal. The Arents Award is the highest alumni award the University bestows. More details can be found in the SU News Service release.

Congratulations to alum Jim Snyder for receiving the L.O.U.I.E. award from the Greater Olean, New York Chamber of Commerce. See article from the Olean Times Herald.

From yesterday's Syracuse Post-Standard:

A Syracuse University alumna and former librarian has donated $1 million to SU's School of Information Studies, the largest such gift in the school's history.

Estelle K. Wilhelm, of Gillette, N.J., will present the check to Dean Raymond F. von Dran at 2 p.m. Monday in a ceremony at Hinds Hall on the SU campus. A classroom and adjoining computer lab at Hinds Hall will be named in honor of Wilhelm's mother, Katherine Katchmar.
The gift will be directed to the school's Technology Endowment Campaign, which supports maintenance of technology equipment in classrooms and labs, according to a statement from SU.

Over the weekend, the University recognized the "Syracuse 8," a group of African American football players who in 1970 protested what they felt were discriminating practices by the then head football coach. They were honored this weekend on campus. See full story in yesterday's New York Times.

The Athletic Department launched a new support organization called the "Orange Club" yesterday. This group will streamline how SU alumni and friends can provide support to athletics.

Congrats to Mark Hasskarl for being named the new Librarian in Danbury, CT. Mark received his Master's degree in Library Sciences from SU. See an article with details from the Danbury News-Times

Nationally acclaimed architect Richard Gluckman '70, G'71 was honored this week with Syracuse University's highest alumni award, the George Arents Pioneer Medal. See the SU News Service article for details.

SU's Photo and Imaging Center has a great site with hundreds of photos from Homecoming.

The Alumni Association presented their annual alumni recognition awards last weekend. See the SU News Service story for details. Photo from SU Photo and Imaging Center

The SU Alumni Association Board of Directors met last weekend at Homecoming. The Boards various committees met and received reports on a variety of issues. We are already working to plan the first joint Homecoming and Reunion weekend for 2007.

I have been blogging as part of my "day job" as City Manager of Santa Paula, California for nearly two years. That blog, Santa Paula Blog, has been a lot of fun. I now want to try using a blog to share with people all the ways that people give of their "time, talent and treasure" to Syracuse University. We will see how this goes. Let me know your thoughts.