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Chair of the Delaware Valley Regional Cabinet Joseph M. Serletti \u201982M (MD), \u201988M (Res) (middle), pictured with his wife, Bonnie L. Serletti \u201990M (MD), \u201994M (Res), and Stephen Kovach \u201904M (Res), announced the Delaware Valley regional campaign seeks to raise $12.5 million and surpass 100 George Eastman Circle memberships<\/p><\/div>\n
Dear Friends,<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an exciting time for the George Eastman Circle. We are happy to announce that legendary sportscaster Bob Costas will be the keynote at a special event for George Eastman Circle members in August, during the 2013 PGA Championship week in Rochester. I am also excited to share that Robert Gates, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, will headline this year\u2019s Meliora Weekend.<\/p>\n
You can read more about \u201cAn Evening with Bob Costas\u201d and our Meliora Weekend events in this edition of our quarterly newsletter.<\/p>\n
Last week, more than 100 alumni, parents, and friends of the University celebrated the launch of the Delaware Valley regional campaign for The Meliora Challenge<\/em>: The Campaign for the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.\u00a0Led by George Eastman Circle members Neil Cullen \u201964 <\/strong>and Betsey Cullen \u201966<\/strong>, campaign co-chairs,\u00a0andJoseph Serletti \u201982M (MD), \u201988M (Res)<\/strong>, chair of the Delaware Valley Regional Cabinet, the Delaware Valley regional campaign seeks to raise $12.5 million by June 30, 2016. The campaign also aims to expand its George Eastman Circle presence and has set an additional goal to surpass 100 memberships.<\/p>\n Whether you live in the Delaware Valley, in Austin, Texas, or in Shanghai, China, you have the ability to help us continue to grow around the world. When it\u2019s time to renew your commitment, use the opportunity to discuss it with a friend who is interested in giving back to the community or an important cause. If you have recently joined us, welcome, <\/em>and thank you for joining.<\/p>\n If you are a Charter Member and haven\u2019t renewed your membership, I encourage you to do so today. As we come upon the close of the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½\u2019s fiscal year\u2014June 30\u2014I would also like to remind you to submit your annual George Eastman Circle pledge if you have not already. Your continued commitment is helping to make a difference!<\/p>\n Nathan Moser \u201975 [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n [vc_separator type=’normal’ position=’center’ color=’#065143′ thickness=” up=’20’ down=’20’]<\/p>\n [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n From left: Sportscaster Bob Costas and Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates<\/p><\/div>\n When the 2013 PGA Championship is under way in Rochester, N.Y., this August, the George Eastman Circle will celebrate by hosting\u00a0\u201cAn Evening with Bob Costas.\u201d<\/strong> Emmy Award-Winner Bob Costas<\/strong> has provided moving coverage of sporting events for more than 25 years. Known for his class and charm, he is considered one of the most respected sports journalists of our time.<\/p>\n All George Eastman Circle members are invited to attend this exciting event, which will be held on Friday, August 9, at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>\n Save the dates\u2014this year\u2019s Meliora Weekend<\/strong> will be celebrated October 10\u201313. All George Eastman Circle members will have early access to Meliora Weekend registration<\/strong>. The weekend will be packed with nearly 150 events for the University community to enjoy, including a keynote address by Robert Gates<\/strong>, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, on Saturday, October 12, at Kodak Hall.<\/p>\n Gates was appointed defense secretary in 2006 by President George W. Bush, and was asked to remain in office by President Obama, serving until 2011. President Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Gates\u2019 last day in office. Before becoming secretary of defense, Gates was president of Texas A&M University and interim dean of the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. He joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1966 and served as director from 1991 until 1993. He is the author of the memoir From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider\u2019s Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War.<\/em><\/p>\n Members will have the opportunity to enter a lottery to purchase up to four tickets to Robert Gates\u2019 keynote address. Additional details on Meliora Weekend events and specific information about how to purchase tickets will be mailed to homes this summer.<\/p>\n Be sure to stay up to date on the latest events and registration news by visiting the Meliora Weekend Web site atwww.rochester.edu\/melioraweekend<\/a>.<\/p>\n For questions about \u201cAn Evening with Bob Costas\u201d or Meliora Weekend events, please contact the office of Donor Relations at (585) 275-7393 or DonorRelations@rochester.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n [vc_separator type=’normal’ position=’center’ color=’#065143′ thickness=” up=’20’ down=’20’]<\/p>\n [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/span><\/p>\n H. Robert (Bob) Williams \u201957E (MM) outside the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton, Calif.<\/p><\/div>\n The concept that a scholarship can be the difference in a student\u2019s educational pursuits is one in which The Meliora Challenge<\/em>: The Campaign for the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ is heavily invested. By the close of the Campaign, the University aims to raise $225 million in student support, primarily through scholarships.<\/p>\n To complement the endowed scholarship program, the University has launched a new current-use scholarship initiative: the George Eastman Circle Scholarship Program<\/strong>.<\/p>\n George Eastman Circle members exemplify leadership by pledging their support to schools and programs across the University for a period of five years. Now, with a commitment of $5,000 or more annually, members can use their five-year commitment to be leaders in student support. George Eastman Circle Scholarships have an immediate impact on students, providing unrestricted funds that are disbursed to recipients soon after they are received.<\/p>\n U.S. Army veteran and George Eastman Circle Charter Member H. Robert (Bob) Williams \u201957E (MM) <\/strong>was the first to take advantage of this opportunity.<\/p>\n Bob was able to afford a first-class education at the Eastman School of Music thanks, in large part, to the G.I. Bill and a graduate assistantship from Eastman. The benefits he received from both helped to make tuition extremely affordable. It was an experience he is paying forward through the H. Robert Williams George Eastman Circle Scholarship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cI had freedom from the worries of having to take out a large loan and repaying it for years to come that today\u2019s students often face,\u201d Bob says. \u201cI would like to be able to help someone else experience that same feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n Members can choose the school their George Eastman Circle Scholarships will support. Bob, a horn player, has been conductor for 30 of his 39 years with the Pleasanton Community Concert Band, in California. With his scholarship, Bob has chosen to help those pursuing a career in music at his beloved Eastman School. As a perk of his philanthropy, Bob\u2014and others who create a scholarship\u2014will be invited to the University\u2019s annual Celebration of Scholarships <\/em>dinner where he\u2019ll be able to meet students and learn firsthand how they are benefiting from his support.<\/p>\n Most students interested in the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ have exceptional talent and the dreams, drive, and commitment to match. A George Eastman Circle Scholarship helps make a Rochester education more accessible for deserving and outstanding students. These commitments not only advance the student support goal for the Campaign, but also the University\u2019s mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create\u2014and make the world ever better<\/em>.<\/p>\n Read more about these scholarships in the new George Eastman Circle Scholarships booklet here<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n [vc_separator type=’normal’ position=’center’ color=’#065143′ thickness=” up=’20’ down=’20’]<\/p>\n [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Robert (Bob) Reschke Jr. \u201984<\/p><\/div>\n George Eastman Circle members have pledged $50 million in annual funds since the program\u2019s inception in 2007. Here is a small sample<\/em>of the innumerable ways your funding has made an impact on the University and the surrounding community throughout this past year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n $306,058 pledged<\/p>\n <\/p>\n $1,410,379 pledged<\/p>\n <\/p>\n $1,616,900 pledged<\/p>\n To learn more about the remarkable impact George Eastman Circle members have made in each area, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n [vc_separator type=’normal’ position=’center’ color=’#065143′ thickness=” up=’20’ down=’20’]<\/p>\n [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n George Eastman Circle members remain vital to achieving the unprecedented $1.2 billion goal for The Meliora Challenge<\/em>: The Campaign for the URochester. Their generosity and commitment to supporting Campaign priorities\u2014<\/em>faculty, students, programs, Annual Fund, and facilities\u2014<\/em>is critical to advancing our mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create\u2014and make the world ever better<\/em>. The Campaign’s $350 million faculty goal will be achieved primarily through reaching a goal of 80 new endowed professorships. Most recently, the University has celebrated and enjoyed support of endowed professorships from these George Eastman Circle members:<\/p>\n On April 24, Theodore (Ted) M. Brown, Ph.D.<\/strong>, known for his exceptional contributions to the diverse fields of history, public health and the medical humanities, was installed as the inaugural Charles E. and Dale L. Phelps Professor in Public Health and Policy<\/strong>. Charles Phelps<\/strong>, University professor and provost emeritus, and his wife, Dale<\/strong>, a URochester professor of pediatrics, are Charter Members of the George Eastman Circle. Their commitment of $1.5 million established lasting faculty support in health care policy and public health research. To read more on Brown, the Phelpses, and this gift, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Outstanding anesthesiologist Michael P. Eaton, M.D.<\/strong>, was installed as the inaugural Denham S. Ward, MD, PhD Professor<\/strong> on April 1. The professorship, named in honor of another preeminent anesthesiologist, Denham S. Ward, M.D., Ph.D.<\/strong>, two-time chair of the Department of Anesthesiology and George Eastman Circle member, was established thanks to leadership gifts from Ward, his wife, Debra<\/strong> Lipscomb<\/strong>, and the generosity of many other individuals. The Ward Professorship is one of 28 new endowed professorships created at the School of Medicine and Dentistry since the start of The Meliora Challenge<\/em>; the goal is to reach 40 new endowed professorships by the Campaign\u2019s conclusion. To read more on Eaton and Ward, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Trustee Alan Hilfiker \u201960<\/strong> realized a lifetime goal by making a generous commitment to create the Alan F. Hilfiker Distinguished Professorship in English<\/strong>. This gift was in addition to the existing Alan F. Hilfiker Endowed Graduate Fund<\/strong> and the Alan F. Hilfiker Undergraduate Scholarship Fund<\/strong>. Alan and his wife, Carol Hilfiker \u201960W<\/strong>, are Charter Members of the George Eastman Circle. To read more on\u00a0 Hilfiker and this commitment, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"moser_sig\"](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/giving\/gec\/newsletter\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/moser_sig-1.gif\")
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\nLife Trustee
\nNational Chair, George Eastman Circle<\/p>\nBob Costas and Robert Gates Headline Upcoming Events<\/h5>\n
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Leadership through Scholarships<\/h5>\n
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Your Philanthropy at Work<\/h5>\n
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Strong Memorial Hospital<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Athletics<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Memorial Art Gallery<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Supporting\u00a0The Meliora Challenge<\/em><\/h5>\n
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