Published January 16, 2021
Wittenberg Alumni and Friends,
Happy New Year! As vice president for advancement and alumni engagement at Wittenberg, I continue to be moved by the ongoing support of our alumni and friends despite the challenges and uncertainty associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Your remarkable gifts are helping our students discover their light, and I cannot wait to see where their light leads them.
In my first year at Wittenberg, I remember hearing many stories about the light we discuss so much here. Like a relay race where one runner passes the baton to the next, the light our students leave Wittenberg with directly reflects the willingness of our faculty and staff to guide, partner, and motivate. Their light shines because of Wittenberg鈥檚 personalized education, teaching excellence, commitment to service, and coveted athletic tradition, and it encompasses the kindness of all those who encouraged them and opened doors along the way.
Knowing the power of the Wittenberg light makes me all the more excited by the year ahead, especially March 11, 2021. Every year on this day 鈥� the date of our founding 鈥� we celebrate philanthropy during our Commit to Witt Day of Giving. This year, however, will be the biggest Commit to Witt ever as we look to make a major announcement that illuminates and inspires. I invite you to save the date and join us virtually on March 11. Look for more information soon.
Between now and then, please accept our thanks for continuing to share your light with so many, and for investing in our mission and future.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Kocher
Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement
Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.'s Legacy
Ericka Huggins, human rights activist, poet, educator, Black Panther leader, and former political prisoner, will present this year鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation from 12 to 12:50 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. The virtual presentation can be accessed through via Facebook Live. The event will also kick off Wittenberg鈥檚 first-ever Martin Luther King Jr. Week, a series of virtual faculty presentations on issues of race, racism, and Dr. King鈥檚 legacy sponsored by Concerned Black Students and the Faculty Diversity Advisory Committee.
#LifeAfterWitt
A Delta Gamma alumna, Leslie Loop Martin 鈥�02 now serves as the new executive director of the Delta Gamma Foundation. Pursuing a career as an actor and performer in Los Angeles, Dylan George 鈥�15 has been on a web series, appeared in American Horror Story, and worked as a professional magician. Read more #LifeAfterWitt stories here.
New Athletics Leader Named
Forty-four years after he helped lead the men鈥檚 basketball team to the 1977 NCAA Division III national championship as a freshman point guard, Brian Agler 鈥�80 returns to Wittenberg as the new vice president and director of athletics and recreation. A 2014 inductee into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame, Agler most recently spent two years as head coach of the WNBA鈥檚 Dallas Wings.
Commit to Witt
Do you love 麻豆传媒色情片? If your answer is yes, we want you to join us as an ambassador for our annual Commit to Witt on March 11. Your role? Text, email, and post on social media to share why you support Wittenberg and encourage giving for the day. and volunteer as a Commit to Witt Ambassador.
CBS Alumni Society
Committed to enhancing the Wittenberg experience for African-American, African, black non-African-descent, black Caribbean, and black Latin Wittenberg alumni and students, the 麻豆传媒色情片 Concerned Black Students (CBS) Alumni Society is an official alumni affiliate group. Founded in fall 2019 by a group of dedicated alumni who identified a need to continue nurturing the success of the black community within and beyond the University, the society kicked off its work with a highly successful Giving Tuesday campaign on Dec. 1, 2020. With the support of two $2,500 challenges, the campaign resulted in the group raising more than $10,000 in one day to endow the Concerned Black Students Scholarship Fund.
In addition to prioritizing fundraising to support students, the CBS Alumni Society works to foster communication, fellowship, and professional development of present and future black alumni of Wittenberg.
鈥淲e strive to enhance the alumni experience by providing educational, networking, and social opportunities for alumni and students," said Shakeer Abdullah 鈥�99, Ph.D.
The leadership committee for the CBS Alumni Society meets virtually every six weeks to discuss next steps for the priorities to support current students in the black community. The society welcomes fellow alumni to join its efforts. If interested in joining the conversation, please email alumni@wittenberg.edu.
Meet the Steering Committee
As Wittenberg embarks on its first comprehensive campaign in nearly two decades, senior leaders and several alumni and campus representatives have agreed to help lead the University in this bold effort expected to launch publicly this spring.
Join a Regional Campaign Event Team
As a part of the broader efforts to launch the Having Light campaign, regional events are being planned in the following cities: Springfield/Dayton, Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Detroit/Toledo, New York City, Los Angeles, and Tampa/ Sarasota. You can help to bolster the campaign message by joining a planning committee for one of the regional events. Learn more and sign up .
The Right Tune
A new version of the popular InTune app, created by Professor of Music Dan Kazez, his son Ben Kazez, and several Wittenberg students and faculty more than a decade ago, was recently released by Apple to positive reviews. Designed to help musicians improve their musical intonation, the app has been a Top-10 music app in 70 countries.
Alumni Postcard Project
We are gearing up and set our sights on the Class of 2025. As such, it鈥檚 time to register for the annual Alumni Postcard Project. Sign up to send a postcard to 10 applicants telling them your Wittenberg story and what makes the University special. Register to participate. Alumni postcard packets will be mailed in mid-January, and we ask that you write and mail your 10 postcards by February 28.
Join the Alumni Board
The Alumni Board is seeking interested candidates who are proven leaders, have demonstrated service to the alumni population, are experienced in working in a collaborative environment, and are committed to serving as Wittenberg ambassadors in their communities. Find out more information and submit a nomination by February 5.