Faculty-Staff Achievements, Dec. 20, 2010

Award

Tracy Barlok, who directed Skidmore's recently concluded Creative Thought Bold Promise fundraising campaign, has been named "Professional of the Year" by District II of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). 

The award recognizes a District II institutional advancement professional who has demonstrated exceptional achievement in the development of an institutional advancement program or innovative execution of programs within an area of advancement; contributed to the profession through work with CASE; and volunteered in service to the community or charitable organizations.

Megan Mercier, associate director of alumni affairs and college events and active CASE District II volunteer, nominated Barlok and cited her leadership of volunteers, donors, and professional staff, as well as her commitment to the advancement profession. Barlok chaired Creative Thought Bold Promise, the largest fundraising campaign in Skidmore history, which raised $216.5 million (against a goal of $200 million) from 18,000 alumni, parents, and friends of the College. Said Mercier, "In addition to exceeding our dollar goal, the campaign sought to build a new level of engagement and involvement with Skidmore for our alumni, parents, and friends, significantly grow our Annual Fund, to increase opportunities for volunteerism, and to double our yearly fundraising totals."

Mercier also detailed Barlok's commitment to CASE since becoming a member in 1996 and a volunteer for the organization since 2001. Her service over the past 15 years has included the following:

• Co-Chair, Conference Sponsorships, 2011
• Chair, CASE District Chairs Council, 2010-2011
• Chair, CASE Board of Trustees' Committee on the Profession, 2009-2010
• Chair, Conference Sponsorships, 2009-2010
• CASE District II Trustee, 2008-2009 and 2009-2012
• Chair, CASE District II Board of Directors, 2005-2008
• Co-Chair, 2003 CASE District I/II Conference

In addition, Barlok has been active in the Saratoga Springs community, serving on the board of the local YMCA, which recently built a new facility and expanded its outreach and service. A mother of two, Barlok has also been a volunteer for youth swimming and youth hockey. She is an active member of the local rowing club and helps to bridge the relationship between the community and Skidmore.

Based in Washington, D.C., CASE is the national organization devoted to institutional advancement and alumni relations. District II consists of secondary schools, colleges, and universities located in New York; Pennsylvania; New Jersey; Maryland; Delaware; Washington, D.C.; West Virginia; Puerto Rico; and U.S. Virgin Islands.

Barlok will receive the award Feb. 7, 2011, in Baltimore during the District II annual conference.

Activities

Yacub Addy, lecturer, Department of Music,has been selected to participate in USA Projects, a new online community of America's finest artists called USA Projects.

Addy's profile and showcase are already up, and he's just launched a new project called Cashew Blue,a new CD he's recording with his Ghanaian ensemble Odadaa!. The album concentrates on creative compositions that keep the power of old traditional rhythms alive in fresh new pieces.

Watch the video preview and check out the project here.

USA Projects is a community where America's finest artists and those that support them can share their latest work, enter into a dialog with each other, and make direct donations to new projects created by each artist. This is one of the first Web sites to allow direct public donations between art patrons and accredited artists on the Internet.

USA Artists collects promised donations when and if the donation total is reached. It then gives the funds to the artist to complete the contracted project in exactly the same way as a grant funder does. The artist is legally responsible under strict guidelines to do the project as stated, to make regular progress and final financial reports, and to open their books for review by USA Artists auditors. All donations to USA Projects are tax deductible.  

Katie DeGroot, director of summer studio art programs, gave a talk on her work Dec. 16 at The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls, site of the current regional exhibition Artists of the Mohawk Hudson. DeGroot's watercolor "Hottie" won the Marijo Dougherty and Norman Bauman Juror's Award in the show, which runs through Jan. 2, 2011. 

Publications

Eric Morser, assistant professor of history, is the author of Hinterland Dreams-The Political Economy of a Midwestern City (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010). Read more about the book here.

In the News

Debbie Warnock, assistant professor of sociology, was a source for "Schumer touts continuation of tuition tax break" published Dec. 16 in The Post-Star.