ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS

Dear Fellow Alumni,

I would like to thank former dean Clayton Heathcock for his many contributions to the College of Chemistry's alumni association steering team. He always had amusing stories of events from years gone by and a wealth of information about the college. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to the new dean, Charles Harris, and to say that we are looking forward to his participation with the steering team. As always, it has been wonderful working with Jane Scheiber (the assistant dean) and Camille Olufson (the alumni relations director). These two women are critical to the success of our alumni events, and their hard work and organizational contributions are invaluable. And my acknowledgements would not be complete without mentioning our great alumni who participate on the steering team. Thanks for your ideas and enthusiasm!

We have had several events since my last column. The second annual "Young Alumni—2000 and beyond" and Graduating Student Reception was held on April 27 and was a huge success, with many graduating students there. The alumni and faculty members who attended offered encouragement and congratulations for the dedication and hard work that these young individuals have displayed over the last several years. This event was also a networking opportunity for these students who are starting a new chapter in their lives.

The steering team is trying to reach out to our new graduates in hopes of encouraging their involvement in the alumni association once they leave. In an effort to keep the momentum going, we joined with the Northern AIChE chapter, the college's Graduate Life Committee and Alpha Chi Sigma in co-sponsoring an "Oktoberfest" at the Pyramid Brewery on October 21. This was another great networking opportunity with a huge turnout, and included a tour of the brewery followed by food and drink.

In a continued effort to encourage participation in college programs and events, we are developing an online survey to ascertain the needs and desires of our fellow alumni. Once this information is collated, we can target our events to meet the needs of people in the various alumni eras. We are finding that combining era events is a promising possibility for networking opportunities, especially for the younger alumni.

One good example of a combined-era event took place during Homecoming Weekend in early October. Chemical engineering professor Doug Clark presented a lecture on his innovative work in biotechnology to a standing-room-only crowd on October 1. In the Tan Hall lobby we had a complimentary breakfast and espresso bar, a great way to greet early arrivers.

Following the talk, the Free Radicals and the CHEMillenniums hosted a combined brunch. Families were invited to this event—it is never too early to start bringing in the next generation! Later in the day, the Cal victory over Arizona in the football game was the icing on the cake (28-0)! Goooo Bears!

As I write this, we have many upcoming events, beginning with the AIChE Alumni and Friends Reception on November 1 in Cincinnati. The G. N. Lewis Era alumni's annual luncheon will be on Thursday, November 17, with chemistry chair Michael Marletta as the speaker. Additionally, the College of Engineering has invited us to participate in their Real World Engineering program on February 2, 2006. This event gives our current students the opportunity to hear a panel of alumni discuss various career paths, and I encourage our local alumni to consider participating on this panel. In early spring, on March 4, 2006, the Cupola Era alumni luncheon will take place at The Faculty Club, and Professor Emeritus and Alumnus Howard Mel (B.S. '48, Ph.D. '54) has agreed to speak.

As you can see, a lot is happening within the association. I am looking forward to this upcoming year and all of our exciting events. The steering team is actively seeking to learn what our alums want in an organization. Your input is valuable to us, so be sure to fill out those surveys when they arrive.

I hope to see many of you soon!
Rebecca Zuckerman, Ph.D. '00

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