By Sarah Sokora, BA ’15

Prior to the creation of Faculty Excellence Funds, the Class of 1988 began the endowed Alumni Fund for Faculty Development, which supports faculty research and professional development. Through the generosity of a group of classmates, the fund has skyrocketed from $40,000 to $100,000 in commitments in the past year, becoming a robust resource for faculty in perpetuity. 

“The continuing growth in philanthropic giving to UD, particularly in support of our faculty through funds like the Alumni Fund for Faculty Development, is a testament to the excitement that our alumni have about the future of our institution and their devotion to the faculty that formed them,” said Vice President for Advancement Kris Muñoz Vetter. “Faculty are at the heart of our mission as an educational institution, and it is with deep gratitude that we thank the Class of 1988 for establishing this fund through which all alumni can support the tremendous work of our faculty.”

The idea for the fund began with the planning of the class’s 25th reunion in 2013. At that time, the Class of 1988 raised $31,700 for a one-time, immediate-use fund for faculty development to support the heart of UD’s academic community. For their 30th reunion in 2018, they wanted to begin something more permanent, and so the endowed Alumni Fund for Faculty Development was born. The fund has enabled faculty to pursue a wide range of academic pursuits, from attending workshops to hone their skills in teaching Shakespeare and writing books on Henry Adams or Plato’s Republic, to traveling to consult unpublished manuscripts and presenting their research at international conferences.

The Class of 1988 has always planned for the Alumni Fund for Faculty Development to become the premier means by which all alumni can give back and support the faculty who invested so much in them as students. So far their efforts have been successful, as alumni from classes as wide-ranging as 1975 to 2015 have contributed to the fund in gratitude for the faculty’s substantial contribution to their academic and human development. 

To learn more about contributing to this fund or establishing your own, contact Assistant Director of Development Sarah Sokora, BA '15, at sdsokora@udallas.edu.