Author: vermontnews

As its contribution to BTV Ignite’s second annual Innovation Week, the University of Vermont held its second Innovation Slam on October 18 in the Black Box theatre at Main Street Landing.

About 50 participants and spectators were on hand to see five UVM speakers pitch their product and company ideas in a lightning round of talks. After the presentations, the speakers repaired to booths the theater’s lobby and took questions from audience members.

Richard Galbraith, vice president for research at the UVM whose office sponsored the event, was happy with the both the presentations and the turnout.

“The goal of the event is to showcase the innovation that comes out of the University of Vermont,” he said. “I think the event accomplished that very well. We also want to demonstrate the continuum of innovation that exists among students, faculty and community members. You need interaction among all those groups to take good ideas and commercialize them, employ people and contribute to society.”

Dennis Moyniham, the executive director of BTV Ignite, who was on hand for the event, was impressed with the presentations.

“I think this is great; it’s raising the visibility, you can see the eagerness of the people here, the creativity,” he said.

Presenters included Ryan McDevitt of Benchmark Space Systems, who earned his doctorate at UVM; former Sustainable Innovation MBA student Jana Gailunas of Noble Fresh; UVM sophomore Casey Husband of Lazarus Defense; Jeff Sprenger of Xemory, a former doctoral student at the univeristy; and third-year Larner College of Medicine student Al Marchese of the Catamount Innovation Fund.

Innovation Week, October 15-22, 2016, was designed to highlight the energy of greater Burlington’s entrepreneurial, technological and creative ecosystem. Sponsored by BTV Ignite and its partners, the weeklong series of events began on Saturday with the annual HACK-VT, a 24 hour hackathon, and ended with the eleventh annual Vermont Tech Jam, a two-day job far Jam, a two-day fair and tech expo. 

Source: UVM News

Daniel A. Burack ’55, HON’08, member of the University of Vermont Foundation’s Leadership Council and chair of the UVM Hillel Board, and his wife Carole Burack HON’08 have made a gift of $2,500,000 towards a new home for UVM Hillel on campus. Their gift will be directed toward the design, planning and renovation of 439 College Street as a vibrant hub for Jewish life, and will support ongoing and inclusive programming at UVM Hillel.

Ardent supporters of UVM Hillel, the Buracks hope others will see their gift as a call-to-action. “Now is the time for us to combine our Jewish values of giving back and creating a bright future for Jewish students at UVM,” urged the couple. “We believe this gift will spur others to join us in generating an exciting fundraising campaign that advances UVM Hillel. Gifts can come in many forms, including pledges, gift annuities, and other estate gifts.”

In the five years since Dan has chaired its board, UVM Hillel has seen extraordinary growth with participation increasing from 330 students in 2013 to 1,655 in 2017, and a projected 2,000 students for the current academic year. UVM Hillel aspires for an inclusive environment and extends its activities beyond traditional programming. Students from all backgrounds and beliefs are invited to engage with the program and one another as a way to create community and form lasting connections.

The temporary location for UVM Hillel on Colchester Avenue is routinely over capacity for core programming such as Shabbat services and dinners, Passover and High Holidays.  The new facility at 439 College Street will provide accommodations for the more than 220 events facilitated by Hillel each year as well as house all of its professional staff. The second floor residential space will provide an inclusive living and learning community for more than 20 students with a separate lounge and kitchen access for residents.

“Dan and Carole’s cumulative philanthropy has made an impact on thousands of students. Their involvement with UVM Hillel provides students the means to make a difference in the world,” said Tom Sullivan, president of the University of Vermont. “This new gift will ensure a vibrant center of Jewish life at UVM for generations to come.” 

Constructed in 1923, 439 College Street was originally home to former UVM fraternity Phi Delta Theta. The Colonial Revival style structure incorporates local materials in its marble façade and Vermont slate roof. Immediately adjacent to the UVM president’s residence (Englesby House) and across from the main administration building, the structure’s location will provide for a distinct environment that blends student activity, academic life, and residential experiences.   

“The new facility will benefit campus by providing a physical center of support for students to connect with high-quality, inclusive Jewish life,” said Matt Vogel, executive director of UVM Hillel. “We envision a hub of activity where all students can come to grab coffee, study, attend class, plan and participate in the hundreds of programs Hillel facilitates each year. A typical week at the new Hillel center could see yoga, Challah for Hunger baking, student group meetings, mentorship from our professional staff, skill building, and accessible learning about Jewish life.” 

Along with their son, Adam ’85 and grand-daughter Abigail ’16, the Burack family’s prior philanthropy at UVM has supported a professorship in the College of Education and Social Services, an endowed scholarship, and the Burack President’s Distinguished Lecture Series and the Fleming Museum.

Dan is chairman of Burack Investments and one of the founding partners of ABS Partners Real Estate. In addition to his role as chair of UVM Hillel’s Board of Directors, he is a member of Hillel International’s Board of Governors. He was a founding member of the UVM Foundation’s Board of Directors. Carole served on the Fleming Museum Board of Advisors.

As a result of this gift, UVM Administration and UVM Hillel will complete an agreement that finalizes plans for the use and renovation of the facility. The UVM Foundation will support the Move Mountains campaign by continuing to focus on a donor-centric approach to fundraising.

“The Buracks have found a special way to blend their interest in supporting UVM’s student body and investing in UVM Hillel,” said Shane Jacobson, president and CEO of the UVM Foundation. “Dan and Carole have provided us with the opportunity to share their story of investment in Jewish life with the idea that we develop a broader and more impactful donor community supporting the uniqueness and diversity of our students.”

Source: UVM News

Just as one phase of the University of Vermont’s ambitious plan to remake its physical campus has reached an inflection point, with seven new or renovated buildings recently completed or under construction, UVM leadership shared its vision for a new generation of impressive facilities at last week’s Board of Trustees meeting.

Headlining the presentation were detailed new drawings of UVM’s long-anticipated multipurpose center, which the board had authorized the university to create at its February meeting.  

The board saw a variety of new renderings of the facility’s exterior and interior, including of an events center that will serve as the home for men’s and women’s basketball and host a variety of campus and public events, a transformational renovation of Gutterson Fieldhouse for men’s and women’s hockey and dramatic upgrades to the health, wellness and recreation facilities for the entire campus. The upgrades will result in a five-fold increase to the amount of dedicated space available for campus recreation.

According to Bob Vaughan, director of capital planning and management, the new schematic drawings the board saw represent about 20 percent of the project’s total design work. To move the project design through the next phase, the board authorized UVM to spend up to $1 million, all in private gifts, to finish the design development process and determine a final budget for the new facility.

Vaughan said he would give the board an update on the project at its February meeting and hopes to present the final plans and budget at the May meeting.  

Groundbreaking could happen as early as spring 2019, Vaughan said, provided fundraising goes as planned. UVM Foundation president Shane Jacobson said the project was generating significant interest among potential donors. He mentioned one in particular, David Daigle (’89), chair of the UVM Board who, with his wife Beth Daigle (’89), has pledged $1 million to the project. Their gift will be directed toward new facilities that will enhance student health and wellness on campus, as well as programs that encourage all UVM students to lead healthier lives.

The board also got its first glimpse of another future project, just in its formative stages, that would house the Department of Psychological Sciences and researchers from the Larner College of Medicine. The project will include a complete renovation of the Given Building, address over $40 million in deferred maintenance, and construct a new facility adjacent to it. Psychological Sciences is currently located in Dewey Hall, another building in significant need of refurbishing.

“The good news is we can solve this with one collaborative solution,” said Larner College of Medicine dean Rick Morin, who presented the project to the board with Bill Falls, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty researchers from psychology and medicine frequently collaborate. The co-location would lead to even more joint projects, Morin and Falls said. A more detailed plan for the project is under development and will be presented to the board at a later date, Morin said. 

In other news:

• The board authorized the university to enter into a five-plus year contract not to exceed $1.4 million with Educational Advisory Board – Student Success Collaborative for advising and retention software and services. Administrators expect that the software will make it much easier to record and widely share among faculty and staff information gathered in student advising sessions and red flag students who may need help. It will also enable the university to improve first-year retention and four-year graduation rates, a key element of President Tom Sullivan’s 2013 Strategic Action Plan.
• The board approved a variety of new degree programs: a minor in Law and Society in the College of Arts & Sciences, a minor in Emergency Medical Services in the College of Nursing & Health Sciences and an MS in Physical Activity and Wellness Science in the Graduate College.
• The board charged a Board Governance Work Group to evaluate potential changes in its composition that could enable the university to address challenges and better reach its goals. The group will seek input from all trustees and other relevant constituents and will submit a proposal to the full board at a later meeting.

For a summary of all action taken by the UVM Board of Trustees at the October meeting, see the consent agenda. 

Source: UVM News