Greater engagement with the community is the key to assuring long-term sustainability for universities, according to Carla Boeckman, UQ's new Director, Office of University Development and Graduate Relations.
Her responsibilities encompass relationship-building and fundraising, as well as financial administration. “With government support in decline, the impulse would be to view alumni and other stakeholders in the narrow sense as a potential source of funding. What attracted me to UQ was the commitment to foster long-term relationships with graduates, the private sector and the broader community,” Ms Boeckman said.
“Initiatives such as first-year students helping to recruit at their old high schools, more recent graduates providing on-campus career advice, and experienced friends serving on faculty advisory boards are some of the ways UQ strengthens this engagement.”
Ms Boeckman was most recently Development and Alliances Director of Cambia, a not-for-profit research institute based in Canberra that creates tools to foster open innovation and collaboration in the life
sciences for public good.
Prior to this appointment, she spent more than five years at the Geneva-based World Economic Forum, identifying and monitoring science, technology, education, environment and health issues to ascertain their impact on business strategy and public policy. She also initiated a University Presidents meeting to examine how this group of powerful leaders might use their influence to create social value.
She brings to UQ 18 years of program management, marketing and international experience, in particular, experience in developing relationships with senior leaders from university, private sector, government, non-government organisations and media backgrounds.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Illinois and a Master of Arts in International Economics from Johns Hopkins University.
“It is critically important to engage the public in order to raise awareness of the tangible benefits to society of university research. If people can see the big picture and how universities are providing real value, they will be more inclined to provide both moral and financial support,” she said.
She stressed this was not an “overnight” process and “took time”.
“Nike founder Phil Knight's recent US$105 million donation to his alma mater, Stanford University, was described as an ‘overnight success that took four years’. I would imagine that in reality, such contributions are based on relationships lasting well over 50 years,” Ms Boeckman said.
More details: Carla Boeckman (3346 3902, 0438 255 817) or Shirley Glaister at UQ Communications (3365 1931).
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