Since I became president of the Wentworth Alumni Association (WAA) in May 2009, the WAA’s involvement with both students and alumni has impressed me. The primary goal of the WAA is to keep fellow alumni connected to the school.
Our visibility has increased through the design of a new logo, development of a slideshow to present at alumni events, and sponsorship of student competitions and social gatherings. In addition to attending celebrations at commencement, the WAA sponsored and participated in alumni athletic events, student BBQs, and an ice sculpture competition. Information on upcoming events is included in this magazine, in the Wentworth Connection, and on WITnet.
The increased number of events and the establishment of new regional chapters are providing alumni with excellent opportunities to reconnect with both their alma mater and each other. We are thoughtfully selecting topics of interest to our alumni: The WAA Networking Event, held in April, presented interesting methods for utilizing social media for professional development. It was the first event that included an option for live streaming, and 66 people participated online. We look forward to offering more events like this in the future and would appreciate your feedback on topics of interest.
I am proud to report that the WAA was able to present the Annual Fund with a check for $20,000 towards scholarships, and I continue to encourage association members and our alumni to give back to the Institute.
I extend congratulations to the following WAA award recipients:
Community Service
Viviana Arostegui-Ham, CSC ’91
Young Alumni
Nelson de Witt, BSM ’05
Distinguished Alumni
Wilfred Holsberg, S&EMO ’39 (posthumous)
Distinguished Employer
Gilbane
Distinguished Service
Paul Santoro, senior student services representative, and Georges Chedid, EE ’83, associate professor, Department of Electronics and Mechanical
Gold Leopard
Dave Hanlon, CHE ’63
I extend a warm welcome to our newest WAA members Adam Palmer, BELM ’09, and Emily Cring, BINT ’08. I thank David M. Spatara, BIND ’03, for his efforts as WAA secretary and welcome Kerrie (Matthews) Julian, BARC ’93, to this position.
I hope to have the opportunity to meet you at upcoming events. Please feel free to e-mail me at: alumni@wit.edu.
—Dana A. DeMatteo, BUC ’85
