The Alumni Beat
Songwriter Jen Chapin ’95 and Associate Professor Mirek Kocandrle at the sound check for Pop/Rock Live! Chapin was the special alumni guest artist for the show, which Kocandrle directs every March.
It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and we agree. We’ve gotten positive feedback on the increased use of photos in this column, so continue to smile for the camera at your local alumni chapter events.
Congratulations to our newest alumni, the class of 2008, which is 848 strong! We encourage Berklee alumni chapters across the country to keep an eye out for these new faces and talents, and help welcome them into the Berklee alumni community.
The Ernie Boch Jr. Challenge was a tremendous success. Ernie Boch Jr. ’82, the CEO of Boch Automotive Enterprises, offered $70,000 in matching funds if 2,000 alumni donated to the Berklee Fund, which creates scholarships for students in need. (For more on Boch Jr., see page 26 for his profile.) After receiving 2,050 donations as of May 2008, Berklee has surpassed that goal. On behalf of the students, we thank all who made generous donations. Without our many alumni donors, reaching Boch’s matching-grant goal would not have been possible. If you haven’t yet donated and would like to, visit www.berklee.edu/giving/GiantSteps_ flash/ to make a gift.
We would also like to thank everyone who submitted a proposal for the 2008–2009 Alumni Grant program. In September 2008, grant recipients will be notified and the results made public. Nomination forms for the Distinguished Alumni Award continue to trickle in via the alumni website. Please take time to send in your nomination form for an alumnus you would like to see recognized by the college.
To stay up to date on alumni events and other news, visit the alumni website (http://alumni.berklee.edu). In closing, for the class of 2008, I look forward to seeing you join your local alumni chapters. Until then, take care!
—Karen Bell, Director of Alumni Affairs
