Alumni Association
Photo by Sally McCay.
Epic Event Challenge
Very few universities in the United States share a history as long and distinguished as the University of Vermont’s. And that history is marked by various traditions, both fun and meaningful, that engaged students, excited alumni, and brought the whole University community together. In recent years, members of the UVM community have connected with UVM in their own unique ways. For some, it has been an affiliation to a club or organization, or perhaps a relationship with close friends or a certain professor. Others recall a student tradition they loved, or particular memories either on or off campus.
But what if we could restore a way for the entire UVM community to share in a common, exciting experience? And what if that experience grew over time to not only be a highlight on UVM’s annual calendar but an event that all alumni wanted to regularly return to Burlington to experience? And . . . what if YOU came up with the idea?
The UVM Epic Event Challenge is a contest that is challenging all members of the UVM community (students, faculty, staff, alumni) to generate ideas for a new annual signature event to be held at UVM. $2,500 is up for grabs for the winning idea from the competition. The contest submission period runs February 1-29, 2020, and the winner will be selected at a live pitch competition during Alumni Weekend 2020.
The Epic Event Challenge contest submission period began February 1, 2020.
Get ready, and win up to $2,500!
Prism20 | Stonewall50
The UVM Alumni Association’s LGBTQ+ affinity group and the UVM Prism Center joined forces to deliver a series of events in October as a part of the UVM Alumni & Family Weekend activities on campus. The 20th anniversary of the Prism Center and the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots provided the backdrop for a day of programming that engaged students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Several campus-wide events provided opportunities for reflection and education across generations. UVM President Suresh Garimella addressed community leaders at a luncheon where he thanked those instrumental in our work at UVM, including current Prism Center director Kate Jerman and former director Dot Brauer G’17. As one participant stated, “I’m so very proud of my university for acknowledging the difficult journey members of the LGBTQ community have endured, but more importantly for the leadership role it is playing as we look forward.”
Affinity group co-chairs Sanford Friedman ’73 and Michael Upton MD’94 organized a planning committee composed of current and past Prism Center directors and several alumni and friends of the UVM LGBTQ community from around the country. Their work brought together the program’s theme of ”Honoring the Past, Celebrating the Present, and Envisioning the Future.”
Photos by Sally McCay.
UVM Discovery Travel: Explore the World!
In 2019, UVM alumni and friends enjoyed travels around the world on five specially crafted trips featuring small ship experiences with special attention to detail. A cruise in Tahiti and the turquoise blue waters of French Polynesia’s Society Islands started the year off. “Tanzania During the Great Migration,” a 12-day journey by land and air through four game parks, quickly sold out. Also popular was an historic “Celtic Lands” trip that included a visit to the hallowed beaches of Normandy with David Eisenhower in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion. The year finished with “Symphony on the Blue Danube,” land and river travel that included private classical music performances and excursions to six UNESCO World Heritage sites.
In the 2020 travel season you can explore the islands of New Zealand or Iceland, cruise on the Great Lakes, watch the Oberammergau Passion Play in Germany, or explore the natural wonders of South Africa. There is something for everyone!
Steve Malshuk ’74, Cathy Malshuk, Marc Mihaly, and Chris Mihaly. “Symphony on the Blue Danube,” September 2019.
2019 Student Alumni Association
Setting the Stage for Future Engagement
President, Hannah Rameaka ’20
Hannah is a senior from Wakefield, Rhode Island and is a third-generation UVM student. Hannah is majoring in business analytics in the Grossman School of Business and minoring in sports management.
Vice President, Max Greenberg ’20
Max is a senior from Long Island, New York. He is majoring in English with a writing concentration and minoring in public communications.
Each year the UVM Student Alumni Association (SAA) is led by a dynamic leadership team that works with an executive board to advance its mission to encourage current students to actively participate in the UVM community and foster a sense of pride in our university. SAA strives to build meaningful relationships between students and alumni, and utilize mentorships, alumni networks, and fundraising efforts to ensure a bright future for our community. Every student is a member of the SAA and by extension the UVM Alumni Association. Students are “alumni in residence” during their undergraduate years, and engaging them while students extends their bond with the UVM family well beyond their time on campus.
The UVM Student Alumni Association—a Student Government Association-recognized club—is supported by the UVM Alumni Association and is led by a nine-member executive board. SAA is advised by a current graduate student who works on the Alumni Relations team. Current advisor Catherine Meyer is pursuing a degree in the Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) program. Catherine works with more than forty student leaders in the club to advance marketing and communication of programs in the areas of affinity engagement, campus programs, philanthropy, and senior programs. SAA is led by two amazing student leaders, President Hannah Rameaka ’20 and Vice President Max
Greenberg ’20.