President's Page

It’s a great time to be a Monarch.

Never before have those words rung as true as they do in 2010. If you aren’t sure exactly why that’s the case, you need only to visit campus or take a virtual tour to see the amazing physical transformation. Applications to the University are up, school spirit is abundant, and ODU is launching new and innovative initiatives such as the Business Gateway, a business-friendly entry point to the intellectual capital, innovative technologies and world-class infrastructure of the university.

Your alumni association is positioned to be an active part of the University’s growth and transformation. In looking ahead to my year as President of the Alumni Association, I am excited to help mobilize the more than 114,000 ODU alumni across the world in the common goal of supporting ODU. We have many key areas upon which we will focus in the coming year including engaging alumni in effective legislative advocacy, mobilizing our young alumni base, and ensuring that we generate the revenue needed to keep our programs going strong. Regardless of your location or class year, however, there are 3 things that all alumni everywhere can do to help their alma mater.

Become involved and engaged. We need your energy and enthusiasm to help promote ODU to current and future alumni in meaningful ways. Get involved with a local chapter near you, or volunteer to help start a new one. Help to recruit a new student to ODU, or be a mentor to a current one. Share opportunities for employment or internships at your company. Attend an event, or support the Monarch sports teams on the road in your area. I know that it’s often hard to find time to volunteer in today’s world, but I believe that each of us has been able to thank ODU for what it gave us, and in turn, we should try to do what we can to give back. Contact the office of alumni relations at odualumni@odu.edu to let them know that you’re interested in rolling up your sleeves!

Connect to ODU through the many communication options available. A great University magazine comes to you 3 times a year, and I encourage you to take the time to read about all of the great things happening as well as the profiles of featured alumni. The alumni association sends an electronic newsletter regularly, and maintains an up-to-the minute Facebook page. Not getting the magazine or the emails? Make sure we have your current contact information by registering with the association’s Lion's Den. Here, you can tell us what news you want to receive, and by keeping your contact information current, we can make sure that you receive notification of activities on campus and in your area.

Take pride in your alma mater and encourage other alumni to do the same. We all know people who can’t seem to stop talking about where they went to school and how wonderful it is – become one of those people! Take the information you learn by staying in touch and sharing it with others. Make sure your circle of friends/fellow alumni know the facts about ODU. If you haven’t gotten any gear in a while, visit the bookstore online and get some new ODU “stuff.” In fact, if you’d like to have a Proud ODU Alum Sticker sent to you, just contact the alumni office with your current address, and they’ll send one out to you. (And we’d love for you to send back a picture of you with it!)

Our alumni are one of the reasons that ODU is as strong as it is today. I ask for your help to make it stronger in the years to come. And please, take the time to come say hello at any alumni event we’re at together, or email me.

Mike Fowler ’94, ’04 MBA

President, Old Dominion University Alumni Association