Affinity credit cards enrich the campus

Since its inception in 1993, the University of Delaware Alumni Association affinity credit card has raised more than $3 million in support of student scholarships and faculty and student programs.

Among the programs created by the affinity relationship between MBNA America—now Bank of America—and the UD Alumni Association are the Alumni Scholars Program and the Alumni Enrichment Awards.

Alumni Scholars Program

The Alumni Scholars is a merit-based scholarship program aimed at attracting academically talented students to UD. To date, more than $1.28 million in royalties has been returned to the University in the form of an endowment supporting this program.

This highly selective program awards students full tuition costs for each of their four years at the University. In addition, the students receive a book stipend each semester, a one-time grant of $3,000 to study abroad and, with a qualifying application, a one-time Alumni Enrichment Award grant of up to $2,000.

The scholars are selected from the pool of applicants for admission to the University, with no additional application or information required. Finalists are invited to the Distinguished Scholars Selection weekend for interviews in the spring of their senior year in high school. Since the fall of 1999, 33 students have received the Alumni Scholars award, including five new freshmen.

Alumni Enrichment Awards

Alumni Enrichment Awards were created by the UD Alumni Association through funds generated by Bank of America affinity credit card royalties. These awards provide financial assistance and opportunities for students to enhance their education by funding academic presentations, supporting research opportunities or providing travel funds to conferences or symposia.

Alumni Enrichment Awards of up to $2,000 for individuals and $2,500 per registered student organization permit the recipients to take part in opportunities in which they may not otherwise be able to participate.

The opportunities include academic competitions, leadership conferences, research, service learning and other academic adventures. Students can apply during one of four applications periods each academic year, and they must maintain a 3.0 GPA, with preference given to undergraduates.

During the 2006-07 academic year, the Alumni Association gave more than $127,000 in awards to more than 110 individuals and registered student organizations. Since the program began in 2001, more than $650,000 has been awarded.

Scott Golden and Joseph D’Agostino, both BE ’07, used their Alumni Enrichment Awards to present research papers at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Symposium in April.

“The symposium we attended is unique in that it is one of only a handful of undergraduate research symposiums that are entirely student-run,” Golden says. “It was a daylong event that included 33 students presenting research in the social sciences, in topics ranging from economics to political science.”

Golden focused his research on sustainability in the global tourism industry and was part of a three-member panel discussing environmental issues.

“Each panel member gave a 15-minute presentation of their research, and then a moderator, usually a professor from the university with special interest or expertise in the topic, connected the presentations and opened the discussion to the entire audience,” Golden says. “In between the panels, there were breaks for other students to present their research during poster sessions.”

Experiencing a new culture and meeting other undergraduate students with different experiences provided an exceptional learning opportunity for all participants, Golden says.

“Traveling to the symposium was an absolutely eye-opening experience,” he says. “Presenting my research in front of a diverse audience of students and faculty from all over the world is very fulfilling, considering that I put a great deal of effort into my research and am passionate about disseminating the research.”

Golden also says that the Alumni Enrichment Award is just one example of the University’s commitment to ensuring that students have access to as many rewarding experiences as possible.

“I will be forever grateful to the Alumni Association for making it possible,” Golden says. “It’s nice to know that for students at UD having financial constraints does not mean the difference between having an incredible experience and having to settle for something less.”

Golden, of Westborough, Mass., has begun a career with Eli Lilly & Co. as a neuroscience pharmaceutical sales representative in the company’s Napa Valley territory.

D’Agostino’s presentation at the Mayaguez symposium, “Affirmative Action in University Admissions: The Final Hours?” came out of an independent research course supervised by James Magee, chairperson of political science and international relations at UD.

“My paper explored the constitutional underpinnings of racially conscious admissions programs,” D’Agostino says. “I looked at affirmative action, value admissions and the George W. Bush Supreme Court.”

The recipient of the Alexander J. Taylor Sr. Award as the outstanding senior man for the Class of 2007, D’Agostino says it was exciting to present his research paper to a Spanish-speaking audience that was both interested in and affected by what he had to say.

“It is an invaluable experience for someone who wants to continue their education, taking that education to the next level and developing research skills that can be applied to the next walk of life,” D’Agostino says. “I thank the Alumni Association for allowing us to take part in this experience.”

After studying journalism for five weeks in Tuscany, D’Agostino started a job as a directors’ and officers’ liability broker with Aon Corp., an insurance brokerage and consulting firm in New York City.

Allison Hirsch, AS ’08, a psychology major from New York City, visited rural Tanzania for a month during the summer to help promote HIV awareness.

Hirsch’s trip was coordinated through Cross-Cultural Solutions, a not-for-profit organization that offers international volunteer programs.

“Since we live such a privileged life in America, I have always wanted to do something to help other people on the international level,” Hirsch says.

“I believe it is important to not just be aware of a problem, but to try to fix it. I want to be involved in the process,” Hirsch says.

In addition to providing scholarship support and enrichment awards for students, the program also has supported the endowment of Alumni Distinguished Professorships and provided a major gift of $500,000 to the Louise and David Roselle Center for the Arts.

For more information about the Alumni Association and its programs, visit the site [www.udel.edu/alumni].

—Jerry Rhodes, AS ’04