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Alumni
- Hermes Regains Honored Post
- Pre-Alums Get a Head Start on Alumni Giving
- Classes of '52 and '77 have 50-and 25-year Reunion
- Students and Alumni Build a Better Bridge
- New Advisory Council Members, 2001-2004
Nearly 80 years ago, at the first all-school banquet in 1922, UT business students unveiled Hermes as the School’s “patron saint.” The carved wood statue of Hermes created for the event was resurrected in 1997 as part of the 75th anniversary celebration of the School and is now used in BBA graduation ceremonies, linking the rich past with a promising future.
Chosen because he is the ancient Greek god of commerce, negotiation, and all things swift and skillful, Hermes’ traditional attributes perfectly reflect the skills of our students. In an age of increasing globalization, who better to have as a patron than Hermes, friend of travelers, whose ability as an ambassador was legendary?
Therefore, we are happy to announce the creation of the Hermes Society, an organization to recognize those donors who make substantial annual contributions in support of the McCombs School. The society recognizes all donors who give large annual gifts, but also celebrates those who realize the critical importance of discretionary funds. These funds help ensure the school has the resources to move quickly (like Hermes) to take advantage of fleeting opportunities.
To learn more, please contact Judy Amis, Director, Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, at (512) 475-8178, or judy.amis@mccombs.utexas.edu.
Pre-Alums Get a Head Start on Alumni Giving Once again, graduating students are giving something back to their alma mater in a big way. This year’s Business Honors Program class pledged nearly $9,000 toward an endowed BHP scholarship during its Make A Mark campaign. They also secured challenge and matching gifts of nearly $14,000, creating a total endowment of $22,495. This total includes a sizeable challenge grant made by Option II MBA alumnus Rick Relyea and additional support from the parents of students.
Rick, currently an individual investor, offered his gift to spur student giving, with remarkable results. Thanks go to Robert Buchek, Kristen Hewitt, Eric Payne, and Zach Serebrenik for spearheading this impressive fundraising campaign in only its second year.
In other giving news, the MBA class of 2001 shattered the previous Leave a Legacy class giving record, pledging nearly $109,000. Led by co-chairs Ashutosh Ashish and Patrick Hafey, the 2001 class built upon the program made successful by previous classes. This year’s funding will provide seed money necessary for renovating the MBA Cohort rooms.
These pre-alumni giving programs are not only important and valued by the School, but they also symbolize the additive and satisfying nature of supporting your alma mater – as each class gives back, the value of their degree rises.
Classes of ’52 and ’77 to have 50- and 25-year Reunion this Spring
For the Class of ’52, a 50-year gathering is planned for this coming April, so mark your calendars now!
This coming March, the Class of 1977 will celebrate its 25-year reunion. Scheduled for March 1-2, Anne Robillard (BBA 77) will chair the committee of volunteers for this reunion. Anne currently lives in Flower Mound, TX and is Director of Marketing, University of Texas at Arlington, Fort Worth Riverbend Campus.
Be sure to contact Nita Snyder, Manager of Alumni Relations, at (512) 475-8173 for more reunion information!
Students and Alumni Build a Better Bridge
It’s almost 10:00 p.m. on a hot summer night in Austin and an MIS team is working late on a project: they’re designing a multi-level Website to provide content and services to all stakeholders of the MIS Program.
But the students aren’t the only ones burning the midnight oil. MIS Steering Committee volunteers from Andersen (Tom Keney, BBA 98), Hewlett-Packard (Chris Mankle, BBA 93), IBM Global Services (Danny Chen), and TriActive (Chris Walk, BBA 98) are mentoring the 2001 summer student team. Together, they are building a uniform file system and database structure and preparing to “go live” with the new MIS Bridge Web site.
The brainchild of Professor Prabhudev Konana and facilitated by MIS Steering Committee Chair Elota Patton, the MIS Bridge project is ambitious and multi-functional. It will allow companies and nonprofit organizations to apply online for student project teams from the Business System Development class. Every project from the class will have an executive summary, providing recruiters with a rich source of information on student capabilities.
Additionally, the Bridge will offer extensive, current information on hot technology-related business topics. It will be an interactive learning community supervised by faculty, mentored by alumni, and built by students.
The MIS Bridge will also link to companies who contribute $5,000 or more to the MIS BBA Program. The first to commit was Tactica Technology Group, where Rob Borrego (BBA 88) is a VP.
To volunteer as a mentor or to learn more about the MIS Bridge, email elota.patton@mail.utexas.edu.
New Advisory Council Members, 2001-2004
Gilbert Aranza
President
Star Concession Ltd
Dallas, Texas
Gary Crum
President/Directory of Investments
AIM Capital Management
Houston, Texas
Jeff Heller
Vice Chairman
Electronic Data Systems Corporation
Plano, Texas
Kay Moran McCord
President
White Rock Investments
Dallas, Texas
Richard McMillan
President, Mustang Interest, LLC
Midland, Texas
Don Rice
Managing Partner
Rice Capital Corporation
Houston, Texas
Lifetime membership on the McCombs School Advisory Council has been extended to: Steve Ballantyne, Bob Chereck, Kathy Harless, Ralph Hull, Larry Jones, James Mulva, and McHenry Tichenor, Jr.
For information on specific programs at the McCombs School, consult our contacts page. For media information, contact the Communications Director by phone at 512-471-3314 or by email at CommunicationsDirector@mccombs.utexas.edu.
