ANDY’S GOT THE ANSWER
Photo by Shawna Noel Schill
UND’s 13th President, Dr. Andrew Armacost, acknowledges philanthropy, success and goals for his upcoming presidency.
Alumni Magazine: It’s been several weeks since you were named UND’s 13th president. How are you feeling about this new and exciting role? Armacost: I feel truly honored to be selected to serve in this role. My excitement levels are just as high as December 3rd, when the board made their selection. Over the last five weeks, I’ve had the chance to connect with so many people, including students, faculty, alumni, board members, parents, and more. The outpouring of support shows that everyone affiliated with UND truly cares about our success. Alumni Magazine: Fundraising and alumni engagement will be major tasks for you as UND’s president. What is your experience in philanthropy?
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UND Alumni Magazine | Year in Review 2019
Armacost: Most people assume that the federal government fully funds service academies. But this is not the case. The Air Force Academy had many programs requiring private support. This included infrastructure needs, academic programs and endowed professorships. An important role I held as the chief academic officer was to build relationships with potential donors and to build the case for how private donations support students and faculty members. There was only one catch: as a federal employee, I wasn’t permitted to solicit donations. I spent a significant amount of time building the case for private philanthropy among alumni and industry partners. Doing so required close coordination with our foundation and development officers, who were then charged with the “ask.” We were quite effective. Among the key achievements during
