University of Wyoming Alumni Association Preparres For Expansion To Gateway Center

The University of Wyoming Alumni Association (UWAA) will move most of its operations to the new Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center later this month, joining several UW entities in establishing a presence in the university’s new “front door.”

But the UWAA will retain the Alumni House at Grand Avenue and 14th Street, using both that facility and its new home in the Gateway Center to expand services to support UW students and alumni, Executive Director Keener Fry says.

“The expansion of UWAA operations into the Gateway Center will be transformational in our efforts to become increasingly relevant in our service to alumni, students and UW,” Fry says. “We will deploy staff resources to capitalize on all of the alumni engagement opportunities presented by occupying space in both the Gateway Center and the UW Alumni House.”

UWAA employees are scheduled to move into the Gateway Center Oct. 27-28. The center is scheduled to open later this month at the corner of Grand Avenue and 22nd Street. It also will be home to theUW Foundation, some employees of the UW Office of Admissions, and the Center for Advising and Career Services.

“Having a high profile in this new welcoming facility, with access to thousands of alumni, friends, students, prospective students, corporate recruiters and others who conduct business at or visit the center, will strengthen our identity as a significant UW external relations partner,” Fry says. “Our alumni will benefit from the ease of access to alumni services at the center and the opportunity to celebrate UW’s history and bright future by enjoying the interactive, museum-quality exhibits.”

The Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center is a remarkable statement regarding the impact of private fundraising on Wyoming’s university. It is funded completely through private support, including a $10 million commitment from Marian H. Rochelle to name the center; and a $6 million commitment from Mick and Susie McMurry through the McMurry Foundation to name the center’s two most prominent visitors’ spaces: the McMurry Foundation Grand Atrium and the McMurry Foundation UW Legacy Hall.

At the same time, Fry says the Alumni House will remain vital to the UWAA. It will be staffed from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekdays, serving as a site for functions of the WYO-gold Student Alumni Association, UWAA’s scholarship program, alumni career services and the Cowboy Parents Association. The Alumni House will be available for reservations for meetings and conferences. A complete set of alumni resource materials, including yearbooks, will be maintained at both locations.

“Alumni visiting the Alumni House will be greeted with the same personal service from UWAA staff members common to them for nearly 25 years,” Fry says. “Retaining the house for our mission preserves the sentimental and emotional attachment so appealing to our alumni.”

The UWAA’s mission is to foster a spirit of loyalty and fraternity among graduates and former students, and to promote the general welfare, development, achievement and honor of the university. This is accomplished through sponsored events and functions -- both on campus and throughout the country -- alumni publications, the association’s Web presence and social networking initiatives.

In the past decade, the UWAA has reached more than 75,000 alumni nationwide through reunions and other social functions. Currently, the association sponsors and collaborates with other UW departments to host more than 100 events each year.

For more information, contact the UWAA at (307) 766-4166 or email uwalumni@uwyo.edu.