March 5, 2018 | UHCL Staff
University of Houston-Clear Lake administrators, faculty, staff, students and alumni joined together for a gala evening to celebrate its partners in philanthropy and to launch the “UHCL Here, We Go” campaign at Lakewood Yacht Club on Feb. 23.
Associate Vice President of Advancement Rhonda Thompson, who emceed the event, welcomed everyone, and UH-Clear Lake President Ira K. Blake addressed the guests, highlighting the invaluable impact that UHCL’s supporters have made on the university and its students. The Philanthropy Award was given to Mary Ann Shallberg, recently retired executive associate to UHCL’s presidents over the last 37 years. Executive Director of Education Programs for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Amy Moroney received the Community Partnership Award in behalf of her organization.
Ten years ago, Shallberg and her late husband William L. Shallberg updated their wills and established the William L. Shallberg Endowed Scholarship for International Business. “I started working at the university in January of 1980, and since then, UHCL has been such an important part of our lives,” Shallberg said. “Since my husband was a graduate of the Thunderbird School of Global Management, we designated this scholarship to benefit graduate students in international business. It’s my hope that as this endowment grows, it will benefit many students in the years to come.”
Moroney said that receiving the Community Partnership Award on behalf of HLSR was particularly special because she had also been a scholarship recipient when she was a student. “I can attest to the way education changes lives,” she said.
Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s contributions have helped train over 120 teachers and paraprofessionals on how to implement scientifically supported strategies for students with autism and developmental disabilities.
“This is the fourth year we have given grant funding to support the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities,” Moroney said. “Through our partnership with UHCL and CADD, we are not only helping teachers make breakthroughs with developmentally disabled students, we are changing the lives of their teachers and their families. We appreciate the opportunity to be the difference-makers.”
President Blake said that the launching of the “UHCL Here, We Go” campaign illustrated the transformative impact the university has in the community. “This campaign is our bold commitment to partner with our alumni and friends to continue the evolution of UHCL and expand opportunities for more and more students in Bay Area Houston and beyond,” she said. “We’re illustrating four priority areas of our campaign: engaged teaching, inspired learning, fearless imagination and emerging opportunities.”
She shared stories about UHCL’s professors and alumni who have transformed students’ futures by helping them prepare for careers that are the best match for their interests, talents and skills.
“Thank you all for not forgetting your alma mater over the years, and for continuing to give back to help us become a stronger, more relevant university in the 21st century,” she said.
For more information about the “UHCL Here, We Go” campaign, visit http://herewego.uhcl.edu.
