Originally Published 15 October 2002

Ron Gray joined the University in September as the Director of Development and Alumni Relations. He has been a professional fundraiser for 15 years, having previously undertaken similar roles at the University of Chicago and Washington University. Both of these institutions are major research universities with complex structures and varied missions, not dissimilar to Warwick. His first impressions of Warwick have been very positive "the campus is beautiful, the people are friendly and welcoming and the Arts Centre is a major asset. I am very happy to be part of such a quality institution".

"The University's existing alumni relations operation is a very strong foundation upon which further development work can now be built. We provide an exemplary service to our alumni already and so the process of developing our relationship with these key members of the Warwick community has already begun in a very positive way. In a sense, building relationships with alumni starts a long time before graduation. The contact that a student has with their lecturers, departmental secretaries, administrative staff, cleaners and all the others that are part of the institution, forms their University experience."

"Over the next few months, I hope to meet with as many members of staff in different departments, both academic and administrative, as possible, to establish what their interests and priorities are. An important part of the work of this office will be interacting with other departments so that we can engender a university-wide commitment to alumni relations and development. I look forward to working with you all."

If you would like to find out more about the work of the Development and Alumni Relations Office, please feel free to contact Ron at R.S.Gray@warwick.ac.uk