While time has flown, this past year has been unlike any other of which I’m aware of in the history of the Bucknell University Alumni Association Board of Directors. Our 56 alumni and student volunteers have not been together or on campus since February 2020, but we have successfully held four regular and two special meetings virtually since then, including our most recent during Reunion Weekend in early June.

Our top priority for 2020-23 is to identify an intentional and meaningful role for the BUAA Board in the next comprehensive fundraising campaign, and in preparation, we are continuing to educate ourselves not only as ambassadors of Bucknell, but also how we as alumni might add the most value. Since student support is a key campaign initiative, the University update at our Reunion meeting featured Kevin Mathes, Dean of Admissions, and Andrea Leithner Stauffer, Director of Financial Aid, who shared developments in recruiting, admitting, supporting and retaining the best and most diverse classes of students. 

We celebrate our successes by highlighting three of our cornerstone programs at each meeting. For Reunion, members presented on our annual Bucknell CARES volunteer events, which transitioned this year to a virtual roundtable about community engagement; the Reunion Bucknellian (be sure to read the edition if you haven’t yet); and the Alumni Awards (see below for more). 

During our full Board meeting, each committee provided updates, including the following highlights:

• Campus & Community: This Spring, the BUAA Board helped Admissions by staffing online accepted student events. Not only our student and alumni members but also our emeritus members participated, reaching 43 new families. Virtual Bucknell Coffee & Conversations, which bring together Bucknellians in a geographic region who previously did not know one another, have continued, with six events drawing 44 attendees. While the BUAA Board did not have on-campus representation, each member of the Class of 2021 received a gift at Senior Sunset and BUAA Board messaging with their diplomas. We also provided support for medallions for Senior Giving Drive participants and stoles to Black and Latinx student leaders, which were worn at Commencement.
• Careers & Transitions: Instead of our traditional sophomore career brunch, we collaborated with the Center for Career Advancement to sponsor a conversation with Pat Hedley, author of Meet 100 People. The BUAA Board gifted her book to each participant and offered to be among the 100 people we challenged them to meet this summer.
• Communications & Marketing: The special edition newspaper, Reunion Bucknellian,  was a huge success again this year! Many of our current members contributed. The BUAA Board also arranged a Board member social media takeover on Instagram a few months ago and continues to develop digital content to engage our alumni.
• Development & Volunteer Relations: The BUAA Board is committed to 100% giving to the University annually, which we achieved again for 2020-21. This year, the committee assisted with diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) fund promotion, and 17 out of 46 alumni Board members designated donations to DEI efforts this year. The committee also supports and promotes the Senior Giving Drive. By Reunion, 461 students had participated, which was 153% of their goal. 
• Membership & Governance: In addition to arranging the Alumni Awards virtual celebration, the committee welcomed seven new student members. 

For our executive committee at-large initiative report, student board member engagement was presented. New initiatives this year included individual check-ins, virtual coffees with Board executives, and student videos on campus life that we showed at our meetings. 

Finally, we wrapped up our meeting with a virtual Alumni Awards ceremony. Congratulations to Joseph Fama ‘71, Gay Huey Evans ‘76, Dr. Joan Hoshauer Madison ‘51, P ‘81, and Nadia Sasso ‘11! Learn more about the winners. 

We have continued to take advantage of the ability to “meet up” virtually between meetings, which has been especially helpful for our DEI initiatives. In addition to the conversation series that we launched featuring Ed Robinson ‘86, we also started a DEI Book and Film Club to foster awareness and conversation among our members. Our first meeting was launched by Marcus Scales, Bucknell’s new Director of the Multicultural Student Services Center, who chose and introduced Toni Morrison’s The Origin of Others, and our second selection for conversation was the film Just Mercy. We highly recommend both.

Our fingers are crossed that we will be on campus for Homecoming October 1-2.

‘ray Bucknell!

Christine Zapotoczky Kelleher ‘91

President, Bucknell University Alumni Association Board of Directors