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Affinity Group Attracts Alums
On April 28, 2012 the UAlbany Alumni Association Board of
Directors unanimously approved the Rockefeller College Alumni
as an affinity group within the Association. Rockefeller College
joins the University’s Schools of Business and Social Welfare
in having its own alumni group.
The drive to create an alumni group for the College was spearheaded
by Bryan Haynes, MPA ’09, who is an active member of
the Rockefeller College Public Administration Young Alumni
Network. “I wanted to take our alumni efforts to the next level,
to involve the whole Rockefeller community and not just recent
MPAs”, said Haynes. “We have many very accomplished alums
from all areas of the College whose careers started at what is now
Rockefeller College, and who have a lot to offer. We have to give
them a way to get involved in the College again, and to help
support the next generation of students and graduates.”
Over 150 Rockefeller alumni answered the call to become founding members of the affinity group. The UAlbany
Alumni Association only requires 10. “The response was immediate and overwhelming. We exceeded the Association’s
requirements by miles and did so within only 10 days. It was truly a remarkable show of support,” said Peter Finn,
recently hired as an assistant to Rockefeller’s Interim Dean David Rousseau. Pete, an alumnus himself, has taught
at Rockefeller for over 10 years.
Founding members include Rockefeller grads from New York to California, and points all around the globe.
They represent five decades of graduating classes, from 1970 to 2011. And the group continues to grow.
A key advantage of creating an alumni affinity group within the UAlbany Alumni Association is that most of the
administrative and financial infrastructure is already in place; the group can function with a relatively informal
organization. Over the next months, a steering committee will be created and regional and decade representatives
will begin to plan and sponsor social events and career development opportunities.
To become a member of the Rockefeller College Alumni Group, please visit www.albany.edu/rockefeller/alumni.
26 Rockefeller College News Magazine | Fall 2012
(From left to right) Alumnus and co-chair of the Rockefeller College
Advisory Board, Gerard Citera, BA ’77, with Pete Finn, MPA ’77,
at the College’s Annual Alumni Awards Dinner, May 17, 2012
Rockefeller Adds Alumni Relations and
Events Coordinator
Ilana Shapiro, MPA ’12, has joined the Rockefeller College staff as alumni relations and
special events coordinator. Ilana will be coordinating alumni events, assisting in the
development of an alumni database, working with the young alumni networks in Albany,
Seoul, and Washington, D.C., managing the alumni dinner and awards ceremony,
coordinating the Alumni in the Classroom program, and assisting in development efforts
including the Rockefeller College Double Challenge.
Ilana, a recent graduate of our MPA program, served as President of the Public Affairs
Student Association (PASA). She holds a certificate in Chinese American studies from
Johns Hopkins University-Nanjing University and a BA in East Asian studies from Brandeis
University. Previously she worked for the United States Department of State, the Center
for International Development, and Asia Pacific Properties in Shanghai.
Ilana can be reached via e-mail at ishapiro@albany.edu