Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/62124
QA 5 QUESTIONS Damaris Tapia is the associate director of alumni relations for the University of Illinois College of Medicine, a new position established to strengthen the community of alumni and their connections to the college. Bringing 10 years of experience, Tapia has worked at Northeastern Illinois University and most recently at Roosevelt University, where she served as director of alumni relations. With extensive experience building and reinvigorating alumni communities, Tapia is well-poised to launch a new era of alumni outreach and engagement for the College of Medicine. 1 Welcome! What's your approach to building an alumni community? Alumni relationships start with the student experience and last a lifetime. If you can introduce students early on to the community of alumni out there, and determine ways for alumni to support students directly, the impact on both groups can be incredible. This work is about connecting people and giving them meaningful ways to stay involved and make a difference. My main focus will be to build upon existing efforts while introducing new strategies for three unique groups: current students, recent graduates and more established alumni. 2 What are some of your ideas to improve the alumni experience for COM grads? I want our graduates to see their alma mater as a resource—for professional development, social contacts and connections to fellow alumni who are leaders in the field. We think that our world-class faculty can be more involved as well as alumni volunteers. I'm working closely with the Medical Alumni Council to build a stronger presence and more effectively communicate and celebrate alumni successes. 3 The COM has graduates all over the country. How can they be a part of alumni activities? We're working on that, too. This summer we'll begin hosting welcome receptions in key cities, where alumni can meet residents from the college who are new to their city, and hopefully build relationships. Alumni everywhere can be reunion volunteers, encouraging fellow alumni to attend, or help raise money for scholarships to allow us to continue to attract the best students. Don't let distance keep you away! 4 Why should alumni come to this year's reunion? We're going to highlight high-caliber alumni worldwide, so it'll be a great way to see fellow graduates who are doing groundbreaking work. Of course, the event is in Chicago, where there's so much to do for everyone in the family—it's a great vacation on top of being a great event. 5 What is the most important thing alumni should know about the COM? That they should be proud of their alma mater. The COM's world-class faculty, students and alumni are accomplishing amazing things. Alumni should also know that they are a vital part of the college's past, present and future. We need their energy, involvement and support! 52 | SPRING 2 010