This is my first opportunity to write in the Director’s Corner since becoming director of alumni relations in February. I've been storing up so many thoughts ever since we first launched this newsletter over a year ago that narrowing this down to one cogent message took more effort than I expected. Inspiration came from the Alumni Awards Dinner, which reminded me how truly exceptional we are as UT Dallas alumni.   

If you've never attended the Alumni Awards Dinner, you're missing out. The dinner is a time to celebrate UT Dallas and the annual Alumni Award recipients, who are honored for their distinguished achievements and their dedication to the university. These are alumni who are advancing UT Dallas. 

We are a young and diverse school, but we share a common experience—each of us spent considerable time and resources at UT Dallas to receive our degree, and we're forever linked by that degree. This year's Alumni Award recipients paid tribute to those efforts and our diversity in their acceptance speeches, acknowledging the many opportunities that UT Dallas provides to its students, whether they're part-time or full-time, traditional or non-traditional. Each recipient acknowledged the role that the university has played in their lives, which led to the realization that we'd each be in a much different place were it not for the education we received here.

We all feel ownership of our university. The alumni I talk with at networking events and corporate receptions think deeply about the university and its place in our lives. So, I have a challenge for you.  Let me know when there's something that we could be doing better. I need your input, I'll work on your suggestions, and together we'll help UT Dallas create the future.

Erin Dougherty, MPA, '03 and '07
Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving