D.C. Metro Chapter welcomes President Stenger
By Steve Seepersaud
The Alumni Association event held on May 23 in Arlington, Va., was special for more than one reason. It was the formal introduction of President Harvey Stenger to Washington-area alumni, and was a signature event for the newly-formed Alumni Association D.C. Metro Chapter.
President Stenger met with about 85 alumni at Top of the Town, a venue overlooking a number of Washington landmarks, such as the Washington Monument, Pentagon and Lincoln Memorial. He shared his vision for Binghamton's growth, saying that he has ideas on where he wants to take the University in the next five years. This fall, he'll work with a number of faculty and staff teams to craft a road map for the University.
"My job is to make sure that when you think about Binghamton University, you think about a place that you are very proud of," Stenger said. "A place that you want to brag about, a place that you want to come back and see, a place that you want to recommend that your children, or grandchildren, or nieces and nephews go to. I take that as job No. 1 for our alumni, because that really means we're making Binghamton University a better place."
One area of interest is the Graduate School, as Stenger wants to grow graduate programs in areas that are in high demand.
"We have to look at those career-directed graduate programs that our students can take advantage of," Stenger said. "The kinds of programs I'm looking at are those related to health care...master's of public health, master's of nutrition, expanding our nursing program, physical therapy, physician's assistant. These are programs that are growing...mostly because we're aging."
Tonya Parris '92, an Alumni Association vice president, invited the alumni in attendance to be part of the University's growth, encouraging them to remain connected as volunteers.
"I encourage you to think about your personal talents and what you can bring to the table as alumni. It's your time to give back to us in meaningful ways," Parris said.
Rachel Siditsky '04 and Christina Ritter '99, co-leaders of the D.C. Metro Chapter, have planned several events to take place over the next few months.
"I am very excited to see this chapter grow and do great things in the D.C. area," Siditsky said.
See photos from this event at the Alumni Association's KodakGallery site.
