Ours may be a landlocked state in the heart of the country but let there be no doubt that Indiana University is a bridge to the world beyond our borders.
Whether those experiences take place on campus, online, or in the communities we serve, encountering the world is a hallmark of an IU education. From a flourishing Fulbright Program and the nation’s largest offering of foreign-language instruction to our Global Gateways and thousands of international students, IU’s global reach is by design, reflecting investment over generations.
Of IU’s 774,828 living graduates, more than 50,000 live outside the United States. As Herman B Wells, BS’24, MA’27, LLD’62, offered in his 1980 memoir, Being Lucky, “In time I came to realize that our alumni are everywhere; in fact, the sun never sets on the world of Indiana University alumni.”
I felt the reach of that global embrace when I traveled to Thailand in 2019 with the Association. I was struck by feeling very much “at home” despite the distance I’d traveled to visit with a host of international alumni and volunteers. There is something innately “IU” about our shared educational experience that is both heartwarming and satisfying.
Part of the international welcome I felt was because of the warm hospitality, opportunities for collaboration, and sense of a shared mission I encountered in meeting with alumni volunteers—a theme highlighted in the pages of this report. My appreciation to all IU alumni who serve our alma mater and communities, both here and abroad.
Thank you for your interest and investment in the IU Alumni Association.
For the Glory of IU,
—Patricia Riveire Stumpf, MS’07