Bob Beagle welcomes Jason Kayarian '05, Leon Kayarian, and Earl Pearson '50 to the Alumni Center after a tour of the Kingston Campus.

Welcome to the Division of University Advancement Web site. Life is busy here on campus as we look toward our 122nd Commencement and all the activities planned.

You recall that in one of my earlier messages I reported we had generated more than $54 million toward our Making A Difference fundraising campaign by the time of our kick-off celebration in October. Between then, and the end of 2007, our Advancement team, University officials, and volunteers had brought that total to more than $60 million. With a goal of $100 million by 2010, the campaign is poised to easily exceed its goal.

Our branding initiative has progressed according to schedule, with our marketplace research now complete. FORGE Worlwide consultants made numerous presentations between December and March to internal and external groups. Based on feedback from those presentations, we have now received a set of recommendations which include a branding theme, a branding positioning statement, branding related messages, consistent coloring and imaging for written publications, a new logo, and a series of innovations and upgrades for the Web.

We will gradually introduce the brand throughout the Spring and Summer, with the full-fledged campaign taking off in the Fall. As a corollary, we are putting together the branding communications plan, with priority attention to the Web. In today's world, the Web (messages and images) has a dramatic impact on the awareness, perceptions, and behaviors of our key stakeholders.


On behalf of the University, the Advancement Division has re-created and re-invigorated the public affairs area. Under the direction of Paul Witham, we are more fully integrating conferences and conventions, special events, and other high profile programs (including Alumni Relations programming) that can help URI better position itself in the marketplace. As one example, we have created a Distinguished Speaker Series that will combine public presentations with campus presentations (i.e. presentations to faculty and students) by speakers representing a broad spectrum of topics and expertise. Upcoming events are the 2008 Vangermersch Endowed Lecture "Reaching the Corporate Summit" on April 10, which features Deborah A. Ciolfi ’80, Wendy P. Field ’74, Marianne Gattinella ‘79, and the College of Business MBA Networking Reception on April 23 featuring URI alumnus and Hasboro President and CEO Al Verrecchia. Such programs become a nice complement to our live web chats, and to other outreach programs such as the annual Distinguished Achievment Awards program.

Extending our outreach in the area of electronic communication continues to be a Division priority. InAdvance@URI, which now reaches more than 54,000 subscribers in 50 states in 44 countries, recently celebrated its 100th issue, and our popular monthly online chat series is in its fourth year. In February, Thomas J. Silvia '83, vice president, Bond Group leader, Fidelity Investments, discussed the mortgage crisis and its effect on the economy. Our March chat featured Assistant Professor of clinical pharmacy Kristina Ward '94 of URI-ABC 6's "Ask the Pharmacist," and our April chat featured Rosanne Sherry '77, coordinator, URI Master Gardener Program, who returned by popular demand to help us get our gardens off to a good start.

At URI we continue to celebrate our alumni. They are our best asset. At each Atlantic-10 conference home basketball game this past season, we honored a distinguished alum with a mid-court presentation. This new in-game feature highlighted the career, community, and personal achievements of a remarkable group. Our congratulations go to Anna Cano-Morales ‘91, Meredith Caswell ‘75, John Deluca ‘90, Emerson Foster '90, Bill Guglietta ‘82, Henry Pedro ‘76, Tony Rose ’54, Hon ‘91, Mark ’64 and Donna Ross Hon '02, and Don Sullivan '71.

Another program of which we are very proud is the Women's Council for Development, which was established in 2005 to enhance the role of women at the University and within the larger community. The Women's Council brings together students, alumnae, faculty, and staff for meaningful programs and mentoring opportunities. In February, the Council hosted a speed networking event, and in April, an evening with Career and Life Coach Dr. Adele Scheele, author of Launch Your Career in College.

Please visit our Web site often and return to campus whenever you can. When you do, we invite you to stop in the Alumni Center for a visit.