So much has been happening on the Westfield State University campus and within our community, it is hard to know where to begin! With the Science and Innovation Center?
The transformation of Juniper Park School into the Catherine Dower Performing and Fine Arts Center? The incredible new farm-to-table dining services? How about the growing number of Westfield State students whose financial burden has lightened and their educational horizons expanded because of the increase in scholarships and internship opportunities?
No matter where you look, this is a community on the move and those of us in the advancement office are excited to play our role in support of this progress. We have recently secured additional dollars to bring the latest technology to the Science and Innovation Center, allowing students to learn on the equipment they will encounter in the workplace or as they pursue additional studies.
We are extraordinarily grateful to Professor Emeritus Catherine Dower for providing much needed support to our music program and students through her recent gift.
Additionally, we have been enormously gratified by the outpouring of support from the Westfield State community, which includes our alumni, toward the establishment of endowed scholarships in honor of Dr. Kamal Ali and Joan Fuller, and in memory of professor Henry Wefing and long-time coach Jack Kurty.
Just around the corner, on May 5, we have scheduled the official ribbon cutting for the Science and Innovation Center. Hosting the event in the spring semester enables us to highlight the incredible research being done by faculty and students in this light-filled dynamic facility. Our annual gala, an engaging evening also showcasing student talent, occurs on the same day. No doubt, May 5 will be a day of both exhilaration and exhaustion!
I feel as though I have only exposed the tip of the iceberg, there is so much more happening at Westfield State University. On the advancement side, our team has grown in number. We have begun providing yearly reports for all of our endowed funds, transitioned to an online scholarship process, continually sought out additional support to our many deserving students, expanded opportunities for alumni engagement through the leadership of the alumni association, and initiated wonderful dialogues with many of our alumni.
I hope you enjoy learning more about all that is happening at your alma mater in the ensuing pages. I welcome your feedback and thoughts and hope you will reach out to me at ebroman@westfield.ma.edu or at 413-572-8644
