LeaderNotes
A newsletter for Foundation directors and friends of higher education in Maryland

Letter from the President
 

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

 

Over these last few weeks, I have seen many familiar and friendly faces, thanks to the myriad holiday events and board meetings I have attended. These gatherings remind me of the goodwill and generosity of our donors and friends, who stand ready to support our institutions. It is a wonderful feeling to know that our institutions build long-lasting and warm relationships with their communities, to the point that many of them want to give back.

 

We are seeing this giving spirit at our campuses. One of the biggest gifts that recently made the news was the announcement that Kevin Plank would be donating $25 million to the University of Maryland's Cole Field House renovation. This renovation, along with the new A. James Clark Hall, will both be exciting enhancements to College Park's campus. Details on both can be found below.

 

The good news continues - one of our board directors, Ken Bedingfield, was recently named the CFO for Northrop Grumman. Congratulations, Ken! Additionally, as we mentioned a few months ago, we were a finalist for Asset International-CIO Magazine's Industry Innovation Award. We were represented by our very own CIO Sam Gallo and his team at the December 8th award ceremony in New York. The award went to the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, but it was an honor just to be recognized for the work we are doing here at the USM Foundation. 

  

I look forward to our continued season of goodwill and cheer, and wish you a very wonderful holiday season with your loved ones. As always, please contact me at [email protected] or 301-445-1941 with any questions or comments.

 

Sincerely,

  

Leonard R. Raley


Special note: As we were going to press, the USM announced the appointment of Robert Caret, president of the University of Massachusetts System and former president at Towson University, as chancellor of the USM. Please read more about this exciting news here. Our congratulations to Bob: welcome home! Please look for a special issue of LeaderNotes in early January with more details about this appointment.

October 2014 Investment Office Update
 

October was a particularly volatile month for the financial markets. In the first half of the month, fears concerning deflation in Europe, oil price declines, Ebola and the removal of central bank stimulus in the U.S. negatively impacted investor sentiment. Reflecting this, by mid-month, the S&P 500 lost -5.6%. However, a combination of improved global economic data, receding European and Ebola fears, and an announcement of further easing from the Bank of Japan sparked a rally in the second half of the month. As a result, the S&P 500 rebounded to gain 2.4% by month-end. Similarly, mid-month the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond yield fell to a low of 1.86% before settling at 2.35% at month-end, a 17 basis point yield decline from September's month-end yield. 

USM Regent Norman Augustine and Chancellor William E. "Brit" Kirwan to Receive Lifetime Achievement Awards

 

The Tech Council of Maryland (TCM), the state's largest technology trade association for life science and technology, will honor former Lockheed Martin Corporation Chairman and CEO Norman Augustine and USM Chancellor William Kirwan with its 2015 Lifetime Achievement Awards. Augustine and Kirwan are two of the three recipients for the upcoming award, which is given to Marylanders who have gone above and beyond in serving the technology and life science community over the course of their careers. The awards will be presented during TCM's Lifetime Achievement Gala on February 19, 2015.

Hard Hats Mean Progress at the University of Maryland


The University of Maryland's campus is about to undergo some major changes, thanks to new and planned construction and the generosity of some remarkable donors. In late November, construction broke ground for the new A. James Clark Hall building, which will facilitate world-class research and offer state-of-the-art laboratories. The two largest benefactors for the new A. James Clark Hall were A. James Clark and Dr. Robert E. Fischell, who also serves as an honorary director for the USM Foundation. Dr. Fischell was a featured speaker at the groundbreaking as well. The University of Maryland was also the recipient of a $25 million commitment from Under Armour CEO and former Terp Kevin Plank to help pay for a planned $155 million athletics and academic complex that will help renovate and expand Cole Field House. 


The inaugural Leading Academic Change Summit was held earlier this month and was hosted by the USM Center for Academic Innovation thanks to a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In attendance were a diverse group of academic transformation and innovation experts from public and private colleges, universities, and systems from across the United States. The summit allowed for discussions on how academic transformation efforts were unfolding on their campuses, common challenges, and promising practices. Attendees had the opportunity to form a network of leaders across the country dedicated to rethinking higher education, and engage in interactive workshops and discussions.

Kudos to Dr. MJ Bishop for leading the inaugural summit and getting such wonderful press in Inside Higher Ed!

2014 Langenberg Lecture and Award


Established in honor of Donald N. Langenberg upon his retirement as chancellor of the USM, the Langenberg Lecture inspires its audience with a new vision for education in this country. This year's lecture was presented by Candace Thille on "The Science of Learning: Big Data, Technology and Transformation in Higher Education." Thille is an assistant professor at Stanford University and focuses on the design and evaluation of open web-based learning environments. Jesse Fox, a doctoral student in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, was given the Langenberg award for showing great promise and a commitment to a career in education. The event was held at UMUC on December 2nd.

December 2014
Vol. 8, Iss. 11
In This Issue
October 2014 Investment Office Update
Tech Council of Maryland to Award Regent, Chancellor with Lifetime Achievement Awards
Hard Hats Mean Progress at the University of Maryland
Leading Academic Change Summit
2014 Langenberg Lecture and Award
USM News Briefs
Trends in Philanthropy
Board Member News
Staff Member News
USM News Briefs   


UM Ventures, the tech transfer office for the University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the University of Maryland, College Park, made its first equity investment when it contributed $100,000 to Harpoon Medical Inc.'s Series A Financing. UM Ventures is one of the initiatives developed through
Prior to the investment, 
UM Ventures had primarily focused on helping faculty members pursue licenses, patents and startups, and connecting new companies to business resources.
Trends in Philanthropy

Digital Fundraising on the Web

Getting buy-in from senior leadership can be difficult, especially when it comes to emerging trends such as fundraising through social media. A recent presentation at the 2014 Higher Ed Web Conference offers an example of a donor who might be difficult to reach through traditional fundraising means but is more accessible through social media and therefore more likely to stay engaged and donate. Click through to read more about how social media can support fundraising initiatives.

Board Member News 


USM Foundation board director Ken Bedingfield has been named chief financial officer for Northrop Grumman. Ken will be responsible for the company's overall business management function and activities, which will be a step up from his current role as Vice President, Finance.

 
Congratulations, Ken! 
Staff Member News

President and CEO of the USM Foundation Leonard Raley is now a granddad! Baby boy Westin Matthew arrived in the evening hours of November 30th, six days earlier than he was scheduled to arrive. Westin weighed 7 lbs 12 oz and was 20 inches long. Westin is the first child for Leonard's older daughter, Elyse, and her husband, Matt.


Congratulations, Leonard, and what a terrific early Christmas gift!

Jess Gill

Editor, LeaderNotes

301-445-2743

[email protected]