Alumni energy - when sparks fly
What happens when you meet alumni legends?
Dear Friends,
On Monday, after almost a decade of collaborations, I had the pleasure of meet Dr Jay Dillon, Chief Alumni Officer at UC Berkeley, for our joint seminar Alumni Centric Engagement: What works for Europe?
Jay was the impetus behind our seminar/workshop, which brought alumni-facing professionals from 6 institutions across the city and beyond. Over the years, Jay and I have discussed mutual research interests and are part of the AB50 Advancement Awards panel. We met for the first time in-person minutes before the seminar began. While the marvels of technology brought us to connect on our shared passion for alumni engagement, in-person connection cannot compare. The energy in the room exploring alumni centric ideas would agree!
Consider these intriguing phrases that appeared in our session:
Alumni don't owe you anything.
Giving is an expression of identity.
The field has gotten better at measuring activity. The next step is measuring meaning.
What do these phrases automatically mean to you? You can agree or disagree. You may want to initiate a debate, open a wider dialogue or delve into research. That sounds brilliant! Meeting Jay as a true alumni legend, was special. It also allowed me to reflect that I’ve met so many alumni legends in the last 3 months! From trailblazers starting programmes from scratch, to scholars investigating how to mobilise alumni more effectively. The list is long - and the best part? The in-person connection with alumni legends from over 10 countries with varying experience and backgrounds but with the shared interest in building better alumni communities. Alumni electricity!
Today, I am also happy to share that next week marks a new, exciting start (and you heard it here first!): I have been appointed as Assistant Professor in Social Innovation at Trinity Business School. My research focus? Philanthropy and Alumni Social Capital. So, if this newsletter lacks my usual pizzazz, I am looking forward to some downtime after the intensity of the last few weeks. To new beginnings! New insights! New research!
I will sign-off with one challenge: (re)connect with an alumni-facing professional in your life. Try to make it in person if you can. Let the alumni sparks of ideas and innovation fly!
With alumni love,
Maria
Photo: Here we are! Jay and I at Trinity Business School during an Irish heat wave. Now it's your turn to have that in-person meeting- sending you sunshine!
