Future Connections
Mark Sollis, Associate Vice-President, Alumni, details numerous new programs and changes, in store for alumni.
I hope you enjoyed a brilliant autumn, and that you are now looking forward to a fantastic holiday season. Another academic year is now well under way — one during which we can all expect more great things for the University of Calgary. Our school continues to push forward with world-class teaching and learning, building an outstanding international reputation and, most importantly, producing tremendous graduates ready to tackle opportunities across the globe.
Now solidly entrenched as one of the top young institutions in the world, things look very bright indeed for the University of Calgary.
We have a new Chancellor, Dr. Robert Thirsk, BSc’76, LLD’09, who assumed the reins at the beginning of July. One of Canada’s most notable astronauts, and the second UCalgary graduate to hold this position, “Bob” is already eager to build on the legacy of Chancellor Jim Dinning and our existing connection with the community.
This past summer, another alumnus, Geoff Cumming, BA’74, made the single largest gift in the university’s history, $100 million, which was matched by the provincial government. This tremendous support will drive the new Cumming School of Medicine to lead the way in advancing medical research and education.
You’ve already been reading about of these well-accomplished alumni, along with many more stories of alumni, students and faculty, in this issue of U magazine. As I’ve said before, one of the key objectives of the team is to share the story of the university and our alumni with you. This magazine is a major part of that mission, but our aim is to bring you much more.
I encourage you to check out the new alumni podcast, Peer Review. This weekly series, hosted by Kelsy Norman (creator of the one-year podcast series, Informal Education), presents the inside scoop on alumni from varying backgrounds. From Chancellor Thirsk to Maurice Yacowar, BA’62, the inaugural editor of The Gauntlet, you’ll hear from your fellow graduates about their journeys.
Starting this month, we’ll be making other changes on the digital front. Our electronic newsletter, Arch-E, will be replaced by a new, in-depth digital publication produced every two months. In addition, we’re spending more time on digital programming, and I encourage you to check the alumni website regularly for more online content featuring alumni and faculty. Lastly, in early 2015, we’ll launch an online bulletin that will bring you a weekly snapshot of the best of UCalgary.
I believe these new features will serve our alumni well. Please enjoy this issue and talk to you again soon.
— Mark Sollis, Associate Vice-President, Alumni