Staci DumoskiAlumni, friends and family of Chapman University gathered at The Alexandria lounge in San Diego on March 7 to enjoy a relaxed evening of socializing and networking while getting caught up with the latest news from the university.
President Daniele C. Struppa shared an update about the university’s recent accomplishments.
“There is so much to be excited about,” he said. “We are experiencing great momentum and are so proud of how far we have come and where we are going.”
Highlights included:
- The new strategic plan, Our Path to Greatness, an ambitious plan to transform Chapman into one of the truly elite universities in the nation.
- The fundraising campaign, Inspire, has reached more than $371 million toward its $500 million goal, including tens of millions of dollars towards student scholarships.
- Chapman is now nationally ranked at #133, and designated an R2 institution for our high research activity, a prestigious recognition.
- Chapman’s schools and colleges continue to grow in prominence, including Dodge College at #4, the newly named Argyros College of Business and Economics at #60, the physician’s assistant program breaking the top 100 and the Fowler School of Law rising in the rankings to #109.
- Chapman is more than 10,000 students strong and has more than 55,000 alumni worldwide.
Struppa teased that alumni who hadn’t returned to campus in a while might not recognize it due to the many new buildings and campus optimization projects, such as the Keck Center for Science and Engineering, Chapman Grand Apartments, the K Residence Hall, the Sandi Simon Center for Dance and the new state of the art student center on the Rinker health sciences campus.
“It is a wonderful and exciting time for Chapman, and I am grateful to be able to bring our Chapman family together tonight as we continue on our path to greatness,” he said. “You all play a role in that. We are proud of the dedication of our students and the fantastic work our alumni are doing here in San Diego and across the country. And we are grateful for all of the support that our parents and families give to our students and to our community.”
Kala Kardan, director of alumni engagement, said that the evening truly demonstrated the special bonds within the Chapman community.
“It was wonderful to witness the connections – both old and new – and the shared sense of pride in their affiliation with the university. We’re excited to explore new opportunities for our alumni and parents to stay connected and to continue to support Chapman and our students,” she said.
While the evening only lasted a few hours, the event marked the beginning of a new era of engagement for alumni and others in the area, with the launch of the new San Diego Regional Network.
“Each Chapman on the Road event launches a regional network to build off the momentum from the event and we are excited to announce the launch of the San Diego Regional Network,” said Nicole Bigley, director of engagement and volunteerism at Chapman.
Regional networks were launched last year in the Bay Area, New York and Seattle, offering special communication, invitations to regional events, professional development opportunities and regional and virtual volunteer opportunities to alumni, families and friends of Chapman. Find out more about the regional network in your area and join today!
