Building a Foundation for a Better Future

Image from the 2016 Faculty and Staff Donor Reception.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Dec. 15, 2017) – Even a few dollars deducted from a paycheck can go a long way, especially when it comes to helping those who want an education to get one.

Members from the UAlbany community gave a range of reasons why donating to the UAlbany Fund this year proved to be a rewarding decision.

Aran Mull, assistant chief of police at UAlbany, said that investing in students’ lives will always have a lasting impact, and in more ways than one.

“Every single person who comes to this University – all of the students – they’re going to eventually leave the University and go back to their communities,” he said. “We can help good, civic-minded people go back to those communities and make our broader society a better place.”

Lisa Trubitt, assistant chief information officer and chief of staff of information technology services, cited the investment as a sort of “sure thing.”

“In higher education, we provide people with the skills they can use to change the world,” Trubitt said. “A college education is something that you’ll never be sorry you got, and that no one can ever take away from you.”

Mull, who joined the University community in 1995, said that even a small amount can make a big difference.

“We’re catching a bunch of people at a point in their lives where they’re building a foundation that will really impact their lives going forward,” he said. “We can help that foundation be a better platform for their success.”

Mull said he’s a veteran giver to the University. He said his donations this year will go towards the University Progress Fund, Athletics and Student Affairs.

A Positive Cycle

Tributt, who’s received her bachelor’s and master’s degree from UAlbany, said giving back was a natural reaction to the positive experiences she’s had since joining the University community in 1988 as an undergraduate student.

“UAlbany changed my life so much for the better, that when I got to a place where I had the opportunity to think about where I was giving my dollars, it became increasingly important that I give to the University more than elsewhere.”

Alyssa Lotmore, a three-time alumna and an assistant to the dean for alumni outreach and engagement, said her years competing for UAlbany’s track and field team inspired her to donate to student-athletes.

“Most of my education was covered through scholarships,” Lotmore said, an Albany native. “I owe a lot to UAlbany for my positive experience while I was here as a student-athlete, and now is the time that I can give back.”

Trubitt, a long-time giver, is directing much of her donations this year towards the Initiatives for Women [LINK: https://www.albany.edu/ifw/]. The IFW awards seek to benefit women students, faculty and staff by providing “the means to advance their educational and professional goals” through individual donations and corporate and foundation contributions, according to its website.

“Five hundred dollars can be the difference between someone going to a conference, or getting specific training to do research or buying an expensive software package,” said Trubitt, who said she was also once a recipient of an IFW award. “Higher education is an industry where you can feel really good about what you do, and giving back is such an important part of that.”

Lotmore said she’s a proud alum.

“I know that my financial gift is an investment in UAlbany students and the University,” said Lotmore.

How to Give

To give to the 2017-2018 UAlbany Fund, visit: http://bit.ly/2AjQyiG or contact Lisa Gonzalez from University Development at [email protected] for more information. Tax-deductible donations can be given online or deducted from payroll.

The University at Albany Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation organized for the purpose of encouraging philanthropic contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other organizations in support of activities and programs of the University at Albany.

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