Oakland University alumni and friends,

I'd like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for all that you do for Oakland University students, faculty and programs. This past year was marked by outstanding involvement and support from alumni and our community of friends. I'd like to highlight just a few of the exciting initiatives and projects from the past year. 

More than 200 alumni and friends gathered for the Oakland University Alumni Association (OUAA) Grizzly Gala auction this past spring, an event that raised $22,000 for the OUAA Scholarship Fund and OU student programs. Please join me in a collective “thank you” to the OUAA Board and the many alumni who volunteered their time to serve on the Grizzly Gala Event Committee.

Last year, we launched our new Black & Gold Loyalty Giving Society, recognizing donors who have made a gift at least three consecutive years. Congratulations and thank you to the more than 1,000 individuals who already hold membership in this society.

On campus, alumni and friends have been engaged in various projects, including the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, which began its second year last fall by welcoming an additional 75 students. We also saw the opening of the new Human Health Building at the corner of Squirrel and Walton, which houses the schools of Nursing and Health Sciences. The Human Health Building is setting a national standard in green technology and should be a must-see when you visit campus.

In other exciting news, Oakland will receive partial funding from the state of Michigan for a new engineering building slated to open in December 2014. The 127,000-square-foot complex will provide more than 42,000 square feet of classroom, office and research space, as well as 34,201 square feet of general purpose classroom space. And at the very end of last year, we were so pleased to announce a generous gift from Hugh and Nancy Elliott, longtime friends and donors, that will support the construction of the 151-foot Elliott Carrillon Tower. The tower, which will be complemented by a water fountain, garden and landscaping, is intended to become a rallying point for student and campus community activities. It is slated to be completed in fall 2014. 

I truly hope you can stop by this spring or summer to enjoy our ever-changing campus with family and friends. Check out our website for all the ways you can continue to share in the OU experience.

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