From Atlanta to Indianapolis, UD professors and staff have been sharing their expertise — economics, religious fundamentalism, University achievements and more — with alumni.
The program, called “Beyond the Classroom,” has included Father Paul Marshall, S.M. '69 talking in St. Louis about being a Marianist in the 21st century and Dean Paul Benson in Chicago discussing initiatives in the College of Arts and Sciences with alumni.
Some have really taken to the road. While he was still at UD, Father Eugene Contadino, S.M. '62 visited seven chapters in one year, speaking to alumni on “What it means to be Catholic in 2010.” This fall, Contadino moved down the road from UD, taking a pastorship at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Cincinnati.
“Each chapter has its own personality and needs,” said Tracie Johnson 'o6 of the University's alumni outreach office. “And these occasions help professors reconnect with former students as well as give alumni that tangible continuing education experience."
This past March about 60 alumni from the Indianapolis chapter convened at the Skyline Club to hear professor Bill Lewis from the School of Business Administration give a presentation on networking.
Alumnus Cary Galvin 'oo, president and owner of Calvin Technologies, organized the event and invited Lewis to speak. That night, he saw a lot of people shaking hands and exchanging business cards. Galvin is a big believer in networking.
The chapter's goal is to have such an event twice a year, and he hopes that other local business owners will step up to host and cater them as his software company did this year.
“This is pretty much just to keep in touch and connect with people in central Indianapolis where the common bond is we went to UD," he said. "That's a nice entry point for a professional and business relationship.
In April, the director of the University's education Business Research Group, Richard Stock, spoke to the Atlanta alumni chapter about how the Dayton and Atlanta economies have fared over the last decade. Georgia's economy has been a hot topic in Dayton since NCR Corp. decided to relocate its headquarters there last year, and Stock said he learned as much as the alumni did.
“Our alumni are quite talented, and there's quite a bit to learn from them,” he said. “They had some real insights into the Atlanta real estate market and what the true Atlanta economy was like.”
Alumni who wish to have a professor or staff member speak to their local chapter are encouraged to contact their local chapter president or alumni outreach at 1-888-UD ALUMS (832-5867).