Help "Shape the Future Today"
Information for Alumni
Greetings Fellow Department of Psychology Alumni !
Every time I visit the Champaign-Urbana campus, I am amazed by the ongoing improvements designed to enhance the educational experience and opportunities for current and future students. Although places like the Red Lion, the Delux and the Wagon Wheel may be gone (for those of you who are of my vintage), new facilities such as the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), the I Hotel and Conference Center, the renovated Memorial Stadium, along with a myriad of other new, enhanced and renovated facilities have opened.
With all the change that has taken place, I still feel the warmth, tradition and connection from the days I walked the Quad as a student, attended football games at the stadium, studied in the library, or utilized the Student Union. My guess is that you also have fond memories of your time as a student at the University of Illinois as well. Almost two years ago, I joined the newly formed Alumni Advisory Board for the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois. My reasoning was simple. I just want to give back to an organization that played a major role in shaping my education and career.
The Psychology Department is one of the largest units on the Urbana-Champaign campus, with approximately 60 tenure-stream faculty, 1400 undergraduate majors, and close to 200 graduate students. The department currently has nine areas or divisions. What these divisions have in common is they study the mind and behavior at various levels of analysis from individual neurons, to individual brains, to individual people, to groups, to institutions. Students have the opportunity to work with world renowned faculty who are conducting research that utilizes state-of-the-art equipment including fMRI optical imaging, 3-T magnets, virtual reality suites, and flight/driving simulators.
I recently read a comparison of Psychology Departments throughout the United States that placed our department first in terms of research production. That is an impressive ranking, particularly in light of the budget constraints our department and the entire University endured this past year. The State of Illinois funding issues are severely impacting the department’s ability to function. It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep pace with the costs of conducting research and training undergraduate and graduate students. It is also difficult to keep pace with the technological needs of the faculty in the current psychology building.
Some time this year, you most likely will receive a request for support from the University as you have in the past. This year in particular, please consider joining me by supporting the Department of Psychology. A donation of any amount will be greatly appreciated. When you receive the annual fund request this year, please specify “Department of Psychology” on your online or printed submission. With your support, I am confident we can continue to weather this economic storm, further improve our students’ educational experience, and achieve further success and recognition. However, we really need your financial support to achieve these goals. As one fellow Illini to another I hope we can join together and “pay it forward.”
Sincerely,
Larry Moller, President
Psychology Alumni Advisory Board
Comments or concerns about the Alumni web pages can be addressed to Cheryl Berger, Assistant Head for Alumni Affairs, by e-mail to cberger@illinois.edu