Campaign update

CAMPAIGN PRIORITIES:

Ensuring Access Propelling the Liberal Arts and Engineering Developing Students Beyond the Classroom The Union Fund

Two years after the public launch of Powering Union: The Campaign for Multiple Tomorrows in February 2020, friends, alumni and parents are steadfastly supporting the College. Check out the stories of some of our generous donors on the pages that follow.

With their help, the campaign recently met its target for Ensuring Access. More than $83 million has been raised to make sure no student misses out on any Union opportunity.

In 2021, the Schuler Access Initiative (see pg. 4 for details) brought renewed energy to Ensuring Access with its focus on supporting the enrollment of more underserved students. We are deeply grateful to our alumni and friends for their generous support of this effort, which will ultimately unlock $22 million in matching funds from the Schuler Education Foundation.

THIS IS A HUGE TRIUMPH!

To learn more about Powering Union and how you can support teaching and learning at the College, visit www.union.edu/powering

Creating new scholarships remains critical to Union’s financial health and competitive edge in recruiting highly qualified students, as are gifts to The Union Fund, another cornerstone of the campaign.

As we forge ahead, we invite all alumni, parents and friends to make a gift to The Union Fund. Or participate in Union’s other fundraising priorities: Developing Students Beyond the Classroom, Propelling the Liberal Arts and Engineering, and Ensuring Access.

Together we can meet our goal of raising $300 million and achieve the most ambitious fundraising feat in the College’s history. We are grateful to all donors and volunteers who have brought us this far. Gifts are the lifeblood of the work we do.

To date, more than 20,500 donors have contributed to the Powering Union campaign. Of these individuals, close to 7,500 have been first-time donors. While the campaign has received 63 gifts of $1 million or more since its launch, 14,860 donors have contributed $500 or less. Every gift matters and makes a difference.

The investments we make today will ensure Union’s place as a leader in undergraduate education with distinctive strengths in: • The deep integration of the liberal arts and engineering. • A challenging curriculum that responds to contemporary and emerging academic needs and opportunities. • Out-of-classroom activities and experiences that prepare and inspire students to become thoughtful and effective local and global citizens.

TO DATE: 20,500

DONORS

7,500

FIRST-TIME DONORS

63

GIFTS OF $1 MILLION OR MORE

14,860

DONORS HAVE GIVEN $500 OR LESS

EVERY GIFT MATTERS AND MAKES A DIFFERENCE. ENSURING ACCESS

The gift of music

Music has been a beacon and an inspiration for Kurt Glacy ’90, a way forward that’s steadying and freeing at the same time. To share its power with generations of Union students, he recently made three gifts to support the Department of Music.

“I set up the Kurt M. Glacy (1990) Endowed Fund for Music this winter to provide the music department with funding for instrument maintenance, restoration, purchase or leasing,” he said. “This will ensure that Union students and faculty have access to superb musical instruments that are kept in excellent working order.”

Kurt also provided the Union College Choir with funding to help cover its trip this year to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

“Our choir students have been saving for up to two years from work study and outside jobs to cover their expenses,” said Shou-Ping Liu, director of the Union College Choir. “Kurt’s gift made their dreams come true. I am so grateful to Kurt’s heart for our students and his encouragement enabling them to shine in a world-class venue.”

These two gifts follow the Hugh Allen Wilson & Hilary Tann Annual Music Fund, which Glacy set up in 2020 in recognition of the two music professors who had a significant impact on his Union experience. This fund provides four to five students per year with scholarships to cover their instrumental or voice lessons.

“I started thinking about these gifts when my wife, Tasha Vincent, died,” Glacy explained. “The transience of life came to roost, and I asked myself what places had really made a difference in my life. I was becoming more sentimental about Union because the College was really a changing point for me.”

To read more about Glacy and his three gifts, visit union.edu/campaign/ensuringaccess/the-gift-music

POWERING UNION

Faculty Development Institute PROPELLING THE LIBERAL ARTS AND ENGINEERING

After globe-trotting career, retirement allows reflection and giving back

After a 35-year career that took him around the world handling satellite communications projects, Robert E. Martinson ’65 has been enjoying the quiet of retirement to read as much as he likes and to focus on a lifelong hobby—ham radio.

The quiet of retirement has also invited more engagement with Union memories, ultimately prompting Robert to make a gift of $500,000 to support the Union College Engineering and Computer Science Initiative.

The gift will create an endowed fund focused on providing support for studentfaculty projects, a speaker’s series, a new integrative learning symposium and other opportunities focused on strengthening engineering education on campus.

Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Robert applied to Union because of the College’s reputation for excellence in engineering, and he was not disappointed.

“All the professors in the electrical engineering department were top notch, very focused and attentive,” Martinson said. “I especially enjoyed courses taught by Professor Edward Craig. He was what you would call a ‘regular’ guy, but very smart and always able to get his point across.”

Robert went on to work for telecommunications giant GTE. At the time, there was only one commercial communications satellite in orbit, but Robert would spend his career in satellite communications, working on contracts from the U.S. government and from other governments around the globe.

“He worked in 37 countries. Much of the work was confidential, but significant projects were in Algeria, the Philippines, Thailand, Morocco and Korea,” explained Terry Martinson, Robert’s younger brother. “In fact, his work in Korea allowed the 1988 Olympic Games to be televised in the United States.”

“Robert is reserved and self-reliant but rightfully proud of the work he did during his career with GTE,” Terry Martinson added. “He was a loyal employee, a hard worker and always 100% focused on his work.”

To learn more about Robert, his career and generous gift to Union, please visit union.edu/campaign/liberal-artsengineering/martinson

THE UNION FUND A little goes a long way: Why one alumna gives

Assistant Dean of Admissions Rachel McNeil ’18 has given to the Union Fund annually since she was a first-year student.

“I started to appreciate the value of what I was contributing to early on, and now that I’ve worked for the College a few years, I have seen a number of classes begin or complete their time here,” McNeil said. “It would be impossible not to perceive how enriching the Union experience continues to be for each group that comes through. Having this bird’s eye view makes it really easy for me to donate every year. I can see firsthand who I’m supporting.”

“Everything I do for the Admissions Office is related to thinking about the value of Union. I appreciate all that has happened for me here as a student and as a professional, and it is incredibly rewarding to follow new students as they carve out their own paths through Union,” she continued. “Union offers incredible inclusivity and space for connection. We simply want every student to make the most of their Union education, and The Union Fund supports so many opportunities from unique experiential programs to close faculty mentoring. And, I know that a little goes a long way!”

Faculty Development Institute DEVELOPING STUDENTS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

A gift towards a better perspective

There is no better way to gain empathy, combat xenophobia and challenge a person to think outside themselves and their historical environment than travel abroad,” according to Dan ’91 and Elise Gilbert.

“My time spent abroad while at Union fundamentally changed my perspective and provided the key foundation for the success I’ve had in life—both personally and professionally,” Dan Gilbert explained.

This is why the couple’s charitable foundation recently made a gift commitment of $1,140,000 to support study away programs for Union students with financial need.

The Gilbert Family Charitable Foundation Endowed Study Away Fellowship will target funding for five mini-term fellowships per year and also provide support for out-of-pocket expenses to another 12 to 15 students engaged in a full term away. The grant was set up to fund the endowment over the long term, while providing annual support for students.

“My Union story really started with my father passing away when I was 15,” Dan Gilbert reflected. “My mother was working and couldn’t accompany me on my visit to Union.”

“I interviewed with Coach Jim Schafer. My story had traction with him, especially when my brother showed up at the end of the interview having driven all the way from Hobart to support me,” he continued. “That spoke to the way my experience at Union would evolve. Union wrapped its arms around me at the right times and helped me find a positive path in life.” “ My time spent abroad while at Union fundamentally changed my perspective ‘‘ and provided the key foundation for the success I’ve had in life—both personally and professionally.’’

– Dan Gilbert ’91

Dan ’91 and Elise Gilbert with their sons, Wes and Wyatt.

To learn more about Dan’s experience at Union and the couple’s support of study away programs, read their full story at: union.edu/campaign/gift-towardsbetter-perspective