A Message from Lee Serravillo
Executive Director, UAlbany Alumni Association
As we welcome the Class of 2020 this fall, it’s important to remember the influential role alumni play in the success of a student’s experience at UAlbany. Our alumni support system – now over 173,000 strong – is one of the most valuable resources students have access to. In April 2016, we celebrated the accomplishments and dedication of 13 Excellence Award recipients at the annual Gala. Among them was Timothy Murphy ’77, honored for excellence in alumni service. His acceptance speech brought a standing ovation not only because Tim is a very loved and admired man in the UAlbany community, but because his powerful words resonated with everyone in the room:
“Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘Genius without education is like silver in the mine.’ This quote captures perfectly why I became involved at UAlbany. I have always resented lost opportunity. The contributions of how many of our citizens have gone unrealized because they were never given the opportunity to mine their silver?
“Joining the Alumni Association and working with them and the University provides an opportunity for you to provide opportunities to others. It helps us to ensure that the lost opportunities are as few as possible. Career advice is always being sought by students, as are networking opportunities, post-graduation career services, sharing your knowledge and job experiences via classroom lectures and symposia, and even sometimes just offering your ear for a student to bend to get your perspective on the career path they’ve chosen for themselves. It all helps. It all makes a difference in their lives. The students need our help. The students need our guidance. The students need us as much as we will be needing them because, as we all know, they are the future and their success will be our success.”
– Timothy Murphy ’77