A Message from the Vice President for External Affairs

Welcome to the digital home of Binghamton University’s Division of External Affairs. This site is your link to more information about the University and the people and services that help build greater connections with Binghamton’s alumni, friends, supporters, Greater Binghamton, New York state and the world.

The University is on an exciting journey toward becoming the premier public university of the 21st century. On Aug. 8, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced approval of the University's NYSUNY 2020 Challenge Grant proposal.

The plan includes:

• Construction of a $70 million, state-of-the-art Smart Energy Research and Development Facility at the Innovative Technologies Complex.
• The addition of 2,000 students, 150 faculty and 175 professional and support staff to develop new and enhance existing academic programs.

In short, the University will be bigger in size, economic impact and academic influence. By 2017, the University's impact on New York is expected to reach $1 billion annually.

Critical to these efforts is private support, which makes all the difference in enabling the University, its students and faculty to reach new heights of success.

Thanks to the generosity of more than 30,000 donors, by the time Bold.Brilliant.Binghamton—The Campaign for Binghamton University concluded June 30, it raised $101.2 million and exceeded its initial goal by 6.5 percent.

Only the second fundraising campaign ever launched by the University, the campaign celebrates Binghamton's progress, people and promise for the future. The money will be used to enhance educational opportunities for students, foster innovative research by faculty and strengthen the University for years to come.

External Affairs is at the heart of all of these initiatives, and so much more:

• The Binghamton University Foundation assists the University by enhancing private support. It serves as a resource for fundraising through The Binghamton Fund, major and principal gifts giving, and estate planning.
• The Binghamton University Alumni Association represents the University's largest constituency, a worldwide network of more than 100,000 graduates. The association reaches out to graduates through an array of programs, as well as sponsors programs and events for current students. All Binghamton graduates automatically become Alumni Association members upon graduation. A 21-member, all-volunteer board of directors sets policy for the association and represents a wide range of class years, professions and regions of the country.
• University Communications and Marketing promotes and publicizes facts, discoveries, changes and human-interest stories from every department, school and college on campus using print, broadcast and digital media. Communications and Marketing also provides strategic communications, news and public information, writing, editing, graphic design, photography, video production, emergency communications and website services to the University.
• The University's Think Tank advocacy network is backed by more than 9,000 University supporters, including students, parents, alumni, community members, faculty, staff and friends. The Think Tank has played an important role in spreading the message of the value of public higher education to New York state legislators and policymakers.

I invite you to explore our webpages and learn more about the Division of External Affairs and Binghamton University.

Marcia R. Craner, MA ’94
Vice President, External Affairs
Executive Director, Binghamton University Foundation