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 To Give is Divine
On Saturday, May 2, alumni members and friends of the Divine Nine—the nine historically African-American Greek-letter fraternities and sororities that form the National Pan-Hellenic Council—gathered at Maryland's David C. Driskell Center. The reunion event provided an opportunity for guests to both reminisce about the past and to launch the Divine Nine Emergency Tuition Assistance Fund, in the hopes of providing a better future for undergraduate students. Guests enjoyed a musical performance by Wanya Wondwossen '96 as they viewed visual art by artist Preston Sampson '80 Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity and the "Traditions Redefined" exhibit, celebrating African American artists. The fund was created this year as a collective effort of representatives from each of the Divine Nine organizations and was sparked by Nicole Pollard '91 AKA, member of the Colonnade Society Council and Alumni Association Board of Governors. To date, alumni from all nine organizations have raised more than $18,000 toward the $25,000 needed to endow the scholarship. "This fund benefits those students who are following in our footsteps," says Nicole, who hopes to continue to grow the fund and hold events regularly, including one around Homecoming. So stay tuned!
Click here to support the Divine Nine Emergency Tuition Assistance Fund or the Driskell Center.
 New Chair and Vision for
Colonnade Council
What does the Colonnade Council do? Council members connect with their peers to strengthen relationships with Maryland and spread the word that private support is needed to propel the university to its next level of excellence. New Chair John H. Axley III '89 aims to "increase awareness of the council and membership by helping donors understand the varied needs for funding all around campus." Each council member also undertakes a project he or she is passionate about. John joined the Council through the exploration and establishment of the John H. Axley Scholarship, "which is named after my grandfather who taught Agronomy at College Park for nearly 40 years (and was part of the inspiration for the Henson Muppet characters "Statler and Waldorf")" says John. Being a council member is a fantastic way to reconnect with Maryland while building new connections with fellow alumni and friends. John enjoys forming new friendships with Colonnade members and says, "my family and I love participating in Colonnade events, like the one at the National Zoo, and campus events, like Maryland Day." If you are interested in becoming a Colonnade Society Council member, contact Deb Rhebergen at drheberg@umd.edu or 301.405.4630.
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Study Shows UM an Economic Engine for State
At a June meeting of the Maryland Economic Development Association, a report was released that illustrated the university's economic impact on the state. The results: Maryland's annual economic impact is over $3.4 billion, supporting over 23,000 jobs. The report also noted that the university attracts more than one million visitors a year, grows small businesses, fuels research funding and increases the earning potential of students through the conferral of degrees. University president Dan Mote had this to say about Maryland: "Few institutions educate to such high standards, drive the economy by creating jobs and enterprises and prepare society to tackle its future." Click here to read more.
Keep Me Maryland Initiative
Helps to Ease Families' Burden
"The money we saved for our daughter to attend college … has been depleted to pay bills during an unemployment." This is the kind of appeal the financial aid office at Maryland is hearing everyday. Due to the struggling economy, appeals are up 37 percent, while financial aid dollars are down as much as 95 percent. The university's response: Keep Me Maryland, an urgent appeal to alumni and friends for scholarship and student aid dollars. Want to learn more? Check out www.keepmemaryland.umd.edu.
Click here to support the Keep Me Maryland effort.
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Colonnade at the Zoo
The University of Maryland's Colonnade Society and the College of Chemical and Life Sciences hosted Colonnade at the Zoo, June 7 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. Family and friends enjoyed a BBQ lunch before setting off on a zoo scavenger hunt. They met Maryland faculty and students as well as a host of zoo creatures, as they learned how the university is partnering with the Smithsonian to help protect endangered species through conservation-related research and education. Click here to view photos from the event.
Truth and Lies of CSI: How Maryland Makes the World a Safer Place
The Colonnade Society and the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences hosted Truth and Lies of CSI: How Maryland Makes the World a Safer Place at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center on Feb. 7. Guests mingled while exploring a "live" crime scene and learning about cutting-edge research alongside faculty and alumni experts. Alumni experts were on hand to showcase the tricks of their trades, including fingerprinting and polygraphing the guests! Special guest and adjunct professor, Thomas P. Mauriello, creator of The Dollhouse Murders: A Forensic Expert Investigates 6 Little Crimes, provided unique insights into the world of crime-solving. Click here to view photos from the event.
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That all who contribute $1,000 or more annually to any area of the University of Maryland are automatically granted membership in the Colonnade Society?
To encourage membership among recent graduates, those who are 1-5 years removed from graduation are eligible for the Cornerstone level of the Colonnade Society with a gift of $500. Current students are eligible for membership with gifts of $100 and above.
Matching gifts count toward eligibility of your Colonnade membership. Don't forget to submit your matching gift claim with your contribution for credit.
Membership in the Colonnade Society is the University of Maryland's way of thanking alumni and friends for their generosity. So get ready to enjoy another year of invitations to exclusive campus events, members-only gifts, personal attention and more!
Thank You for Making Your Mark on Maryland
On behalf of President Mote, Provost Farvardin and all the deans, vice presidents and other university leaders, THANK YOU for supporting Maryland. It's because of generous alumni and friends like you, who lead the Maryland family with your charitable giving, that Maryland continues to stand strong! |
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