Carlson School building exterior

Global Alumni Network

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

The work of building connections among our alumni, friends, and business partners has never been as critical—nor has it required as much creativity—as we address the challenge of systemic racism and adapt to the limitations of the pandemic. In response to the murder of George Floyd and too many others, our advancement team has committed to examining our own role and responsibility in responding to the needs of our community and advancing racial justice. Our commitment to serving all alumni, including our BIPOC alumni, is unwavering and driving innovation and change in the way we conduct our work.

During these past months, the steadfast support from our community has been incredible. We are so grateful for the ways so many of you answered the call to support Carlson School students. Beyond the important efforts of mentoring and hiring students who are entering a turbulent job market or seeking out internships, your philanthropic generosity has made the difference in providing crucial financial assistance to those in need and the flexibility to shift to distance learning.

In this final year of the University’s Driven campaign, the Carlson School has much to be grateful for and also much yet to accomplish. Now, more than ever, it is clear that scholarships are the difference-maker in recruiting underrepresented and first-generation students. I am thrilled that Carlson School alumni have led the University community in answering the Bentson Foundation Challenge to support low-income, Pell-eligible undergraduate students (read more about early participants in the challenge on page 40). Your generosity and dedicated commitment to our students continue to inspire and energize us as we hit Driven’s home stretch.

 Sincerely,

Travis Smith

 

Travis Smith
Assistant Dean Institutional Advancement

 

 

By the numbers

Since March, the Carlson School has gone almost entirely virtual, including how we connect with alumni and friends. And the Carlson School community has embraced virtual engagement—here are some highlights.

5,000+

Number of alumni and friends registered to participate in Carlson School virtual events since April

60%

Percentage of increase in attendance for the popular 1st Tuesday Speaker Series since going virtual

1st

First-ever global event, engaging alumni all around the world with a faculty speaker in Minneapolis

Fall 2020 alumni magazine cover

This article appeared in the Fall 2020 alumni magazine

The year 2020 has brought forth unprecedented change. In this issue of our alumni magazine, we explore these changes and the Carlson School’s role in it.

Fall 2020 table of contents