CLAS: Alumni Communications Winter 2008 Alumni Newsletter

Save the Date ~ April 26, 2008

Join us on April 26, 2008, for an evening with ASU alumni,

staff, faculty, students and friends at the

9th Annual International Wine and Beer Festival

benefiting CLAS alumni scholarship endowments

hosted on the lawn of ASU’s historic Old Main.

The proceeds from this annual event will benefit the CLAS alumni scholarship endowments along with the annual scholarships. If you would like more information or to order tickets to the event, please contact Joyce Olive or call 480-965-8151. To make a donation to support our scholarship endowments, please click on a link below to make a secure gift online.

Alumni First Generation Scholarships or Alumni International Scholarships.

Guests may sample a variety of exceptional international wines and beer, enjoy enchanting music while sampling delicious hors d’oeuvres provided by some of the premier restaurants in the Valley. Guests will also have the opportunity to participate in an exciting silent auction that will feature sports memorabilia, fine wine and dining experiences, entertainment and travel packages and so much more!

If you are interested in sponsoring this important event, please contact Jill Gossett. If you or your company are interested in contributing a product or service to our silent auction, please contact Joyce Olive or call 480-965-8151.

2008 Sponsorship opportunities

Thanks to our $2,500 Bordeaux Sponsors for 2008:

Thanks to our $1,000 Brunello Sponsor for 2008:

		(480) 827-8500

Thank you to our 2007 event sponsors: Cadillac; Diablo Pool Service; Merrill Lynch/Josh Aylesworth; SEI/Jennifer Schoennagel; Wist Office Products; Above C Level; Art Appraisals by Allison; Osborn Maledon, P.A.; WFG Investments; Hensley; Alliance Beverage Distributing Company; Rosemount; and Clear Channel/99.9 KEZ

Date Set for Homecoming 2008!

The annual block party, parade and CLAS Alumni picnic will take place on Saturday, November 15, 2008. See what's new at ASU! Bring the whole family and plan to spend time with other CLAS alumni enjoying all the excitement and tradition of an ASU homecoming. After the festivities, help rock Sun Devil Stadium as your ASU Sun Devils take on the Washington State Cougars. Don’t miss out on the biggest party of the year!

Founders' Day ~ March 18, 2008

Founders' Day is a signature event that brings together the university and community leaders to celebrate Arizona State University's successes and recognize the individuals who perpetuate the growth and diversity envisioned by the founders of the institution. In this spirit, the 2008 Founders' Day Program will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Campaign for Renaming the University. Members of the classes of 1956 - 1959 will be recognized for their incredible collaborative efforts to advance the vision of the founders in a bold, new way. If you would like to participate in honoring this tradition or for more information, please visit http://www.asu.edu/foundersday/.

Office of Advancement Welcomes a New Staff Member

Joseph Behrens joined the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Advancement Office in October as the Assistant Development Officer for Alumni Relations and Annual Giving. He received his BS in Human Resource Management in Business from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1992 and his Master of Higher Education Administration from Arizona State University in 1999.  Since 1992, he has worked in corporate and higher education settings, has been involved in the community as a volunteer, owns a real estate LLC and has been on the Board of Directors for three non-profit organizations.  Joseph is also one of the newest members of the CLAS Alumni Chapter and a lifetime member of the ASU Alumni Association! Please contact Joseph at joseph.behrens@asu.edu or 480-965-1441 if you'd like to know more about our Alumni Relations office or if you'd like to make a gift to a program, department or school in the College.

Communication faculty win honors

Four faculty members and two graduates from the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication were recognized for their scholarly work during the recent 2007 National Communication Association annual convention. Professor Thomas Nakayama shared the Charles Woolbert Distinguished Scholarship Award for ground-breaking research for “Whiteness: A Strategic Rhetoric,” an article he co-wrote with former student Robert Krizek, who now teaches at St. Louis University College of Arts and Sciences. The Woolbert award is given for scholarship that has “stood the test of time,” according to H.L. “Bud” Goodall, director of the school. The cited article was published in 1995 in the Quarterly Journal of Speech.

Goodall was honored in the ethnography division with a “Best Book of 2006” award for his work “A Need to Know: The Clandestine History of a CIA Family.”

Receiving honors in the applied communication division for “Article of the Year” were associate professor Sarah Tracy, President’s Professor Jess Alberts and former student Pamela Sandvik, who now teaches at the University of New Mexico. Their article, “Nightmares, Demons and Slaves: Exploring the Painful Metaphors of Workplace Bullying,” was published in

2006 in the Management Communication Quarterly.

CLAS Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Leadership Council President, Joshua Aylesworth addressed the CLAS graduates at Fall Convocation in December. His speech reflected on his time spent at ASU and the importance of staying connected with the university after graduation. He received a BA in Economics in 1998 and is currently as Associate Vice President and Investment Officer with Wachovia Securities. Josh is a true advocate for Arizona State University and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Alumni Chapter News & Events

DID YOU KNOW that the CLAS Alumni Chapter hosts monthly events such as peer networking, ongoing educational seminars, community service adventures and more? To find out how you can get involved, please join us for our next board meeting, February 13, 2008 in the Fulton Center on ASU's Tempe campus. For a complete list of Chapter programs, events and meeting times, please check our Calendar of Events.

ARE YOU CONSIDERING A GRADUATE DEGREE? The ASU’s Graduate College and Professional Enhancement Programs offers an Explore Graduate School Seminar Series, which offers several workshops designed to inform prospective graduate students about selecting programs/schools tailored to career goals, navigating the application process, understanding financial options and making oneself an attractive candidate to admissions committees. As part of this series, the CLAS Alumni Chapter will co-host a “Getting into Graduate School” workshop on Tuesday, February 26, from 5:30 – 6:30pm in the Goldwater Building (Rm. 487) on the Tempe Campus. Light refreshments will be served at the event. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to Paul Grillos at Paul.Grillos@asu.edu by Thursday, Feb. 21. For more information on the Explore Graduate School Seminar Series, visit http://graduate.asu.edu/explore_gradschool.html.

CLAS CARES ~ PAT'S RUN

Calling all Sun Devils with Spirit - We are currently recruiting for 35 energetic volunteers to work the Mile 1 Aid Station for Pat's Run on April 19, 2008. Anyone who is 18 years or older and is interested in representing CLAS or ASU as an alumni, student, or volunteer (or friends and family of the same) are invited to attend.
Some of our CLAS Cares volunteers were fellow classmates of Pat Tillman and we are thrilled to have members of CLAS Cares who can share experiences that represent incredible memories of Pat. To join us as a volunteer, please visit our registration site - select 'CLAS Alumni Chapter' from the drop down box, enter the password 'CLAS' and you will automatically be registered for Aid Station #1. Please contact Amy Whatley with additional questions.

GET FIT WITH TEAM ASU

Carole Redden, an ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alum and the CLAS Cares Committee Chair and Treasurer of the Alumni Chapter, and Sara Lyness organized "Team ASU" for the PF Chang's Rock-n-Roll Marathon on Sunday, January 14, 2008. Milissa Koehler, another ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alum and President of the Alumni Chapter, along with Jim Hardina assisted them as they planned six months in advance to prepare each of the team members for a successful run at the nationally known marathon. For the 42 members that competed on "Team ASU" who gave time on weekends (later adding weekday evenings as well) to train together, they each received a gold "Team ASU" running shirt made by local sponsors to show the collectiveness and spirit of ASU on the day of the Marathon. After their first year training as a team, Team ASU won the Get Fit Challenge in the large division half-marathon category! In fact, Carole said that "Team ASU" is now preparing for Pat's Run in April. Thanks to the efforts of these four individuals, many more had the opportunity to build life-long friendships with fellow Sun Devils. Contact Carole Redden to get involved.

Books and Bears

Thank you to the CLAS Alumni Leadership Council who participated in the Annual Books and Bears Drive to benefit Valley first graders at Excelencia School in Phoenix. This year, they were able to make a generous donation of 25 books and bears to the holiday drive. This annual program makes an impact on our community by assisting children develop a love for a lifetime of reading. The children were so excited to read their books to the new bears that they carried them to school every day that week.

Stay Connected

Take a moment today to invest in ASU and your CLAS Alumni Chapter by becoming a member of the ASU Alumni Association. Please enter campaign code AA08.ASCNBI to affiliate your membership with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. If you'd like to share your accomplishments with other alumni in future issues of CLAS Newsletters or to simply update your contact information, click here to enter your Class Note.