new directions in the arts - Lafayette Magazine - Lafayette College

ALUMNI IN FOCUS
Easing Transitions, Heightening Achievement
Ivo Ucovich ’65, who has been an Alumni Admissions Representative in Peru for two
decades, vividly remembers interviewing a student who had written to Lafayette explaining
why he wanted to attend the College.
“He was a teenager who had lost his father and
inherited the business and had to manage it. The
maturity with which he expressed himself in that letter
and the correct English he used were astonishing to
me,” he says. That incident, some 15 years ago, and
his own experience at Lafayette continue to inspire
Ucovich to help Peruvian students find a home on
College Hill, where support from faculty eased his
adjustment to new surroundings.
“The experiences of an alumnus are necessary
to help students make the change from high school
to college and from one country’s culture to another.
I explain to them that it was hard for me to adapt to
the new environment, but with the help of College
counselors and new friends, the process was less
painful,” says Ucovich, a metallurgical engineering
graduate.
Enjoy a three-day academic immersion on campus
led by President Daniel H. Weiss; Diane Cole Ahl,
Arthur J. ’55 and Barbara S. Rothkopf Professor of
Art History; Jamila Bookwala, associate professor
of psychology; David Brandes, associate professor of
civil and environmental engineering; Dru Germanoski,
Dr. Ervin R. VanArtsdalen ’35 Professor of Geology
and Environmental Geosciences; and Robert I.
Weiner, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Professor
of History.
Ten 90-minute course sessions will include
“Art and Culture in the Age of the Crusades”
and “Writing About the War in Vietnam” (Weiss),
“Leonardo da Vinci: Beyond the Last Supper”
and “From Boyz to Men: The Early Works of
Michelangelo” (Ahl), “Successful Aging” and
“Our Relationships, Our Health” (Bookwala),
“River Form and Function and Their Ecological
42 lafayette • SPRING 2010
Ucovich doesn’t help only those interested in his alma
mater. The chairman of the board of the mining firm
Compañía Minera Milpo SAA, he has spearheaded a
company-financed initiative to help many who will never
attend college.
“The expectations of the people high up in the Andes
Mountains are mainly monetary, but they do not spend
money wisely, so it does not help them in the future,”
he says. “The program prepares the younger generation
for the challenges of the globalized world. Mainly,
it gives them a good academic base so they can go
through a higher educational level. We first tested all
the students to give us a baseline to later evaluate them.
At the end of the program, we gave exams and had a
25 percent improvement over the baseline.”
“Lafayette gave me a broader view of the world,
especially 45 years ago,” he says. “My experience gave
me the solid base to be what I am today.” ■
Return to the Lafayette Classroom this Summer
The Office of Alumni Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost, is proud to
offer an Alumni Summer College for alumni, parents, and friends July 15-18.
Impact” and “The World Water Crisis: New Challenges
& Opportunities” (Brandes and Germanoski), and
“The Nature and Impact of World War I” and “The
Origins of World War II” (Weiner).
Lifelong learners, this is an opportunity to resume
your education and be involved in the intellectual life
on campus–without the fear of a pop quiz or blue book!
It also provides wonderful opportunities for networking
and socializing with alumni, faculty, staff, and parents.
Return to your alma mater to share the joys of
intellectual challenge, engaging classmates, and—
at the heart of it all—Lafayette’s outstanding faculty.
Registration has begun. For information, visit www.
lafayette.edu and select Alumni, then Alumni Summer
College. Questions? Contact the Office of Alumni
Affairs at (610) 330-5040, (800) LAFAYETTE
(outside Pa.) or alumni@lafayette.edu. ■