Summer 2019 Update from Sondra Lomax

Dear Friends,

It was great to see so many of you at our regional spring meetings in San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and Houston. Special thanks again to our hosts: Emma and Toby Calvert, Joan Hudson Clark, Laura and Chris Shoppa, Joe Batson, and Traci and John Young.

Also, don’t forget to mark your calendar for the fall meeting on Friday, September 20 at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center. Last year’s meeting was one of our best ever, and we are hoping to top it in 2019. We look forward to sharing the full agenda with you in August.

As we close out the spring semester, there is much to celebrate in the College of Fine Arts. We could not be more grateful to Meredith and Cornelia Long of Houston for donating $1 million to their Meredith and Cornelia Long Internship Fund. Since establishing the fund in 2015, the Longs have helped an increasing number of students by offsetting the costs associated with unpaid internships. This additional gift will expand its reach even further to help students find college-to-career success.

Thank you to Sara Hallam and Jennifer Jorns for lead gifts to the Dean’s Vision Fund. At last fall’s meeting, you heard from Doug, faculty members, and students about the challenges of working in our outdated and cramped facilities. This growing fund will help to provide money that Doug needs to fulfill his vision for a 21st century college of arts and innovation.

Finally, the UTNY program is preparing to welcome its first cohort of 47 students in the fall. We have secured a facility on East 44th Street on “College Row” in Manhattan, near the Harvard and Penn Clubs. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this exciting program!

It has been another incredibly productive year in the College of Fine Arts across the spectrum of fundraising, faculty and student achievements, and our ever growing programs. I thank each and every one of you for all that you do to support the college, and I hope you have a wonderful summer.

Warm regards,

Sondra Lomax
Executive Director and Associate Dean for Development