Dinner to Salute Academic Bridge Alumni

The seventh Partners Recognition Dinner, a biennial event recognizing students, faculty, alumni and corporate friends of the School of General Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas, will pay special tribute this year to Academic Bridge Program alumni who have made financial contributions to their alma mater.

The event will take place Monday, Feb. 18, in the Symphony Ballroom of the Renaissance Dallas Richardson Hotel. Proceeds from the dinner will help fund need-based scholarships for students in programs directed by the school.

Special recognition will go to the Academic Bridge’s 79 recent graduates, of whom over 50 percent have made financial contributions as alumni.

The Academic Bridge Program recruits students who graduate from Dallas-area urban high schools with high class rankings but who may not have completed the full college preparation curriculum. The special support provided by the Bridge Program creates a loyal cohort who are already giving back to the University and forming their own subgroup in the UTD Alumni Association.

Also scheduled to be honored that evening are two corporate leaders who have been longtime friends and contributors to UT Dallas:

• Fran Eichorst, the Fidelity Investments general manager for the Dallas, Fort Worth, and North Texas area, was instrumental in establishing the Fidelity Children’s Learning Fund at UT Dallas to assist K-12 students affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
• Krish Prabhu, chief executive officer of Tellabs, has been a UT Dallas Development Board member and chairperson and has volunteered as a mentor for students in the Academic Bridge Program.

Dr. Scherry Johnson, associate dean for teacher education, will be recognized for her many years of service to UT Dallas and her leadership of the Teacher Development Center. Dr. Johnson has directed teacher preparation at UT Dallas for the last seven years and has certified more than 1,500 teachers for Texas schools.

At the dinner, outstanding alumni will be recognized, as will students in the School of General Studies who have achieved 4.0 grade-point averages.

“The Partners Recognition Dinner celebrates the contributions and achievements of alumni, students and faculty and other special friends of the School of General Studies,” said Dr. George W. Fair, dean of the school. “I am honored to have these persons associated with the school, and I am proud to send them out into the world where they will continue to work for the greater good.”

The evening will begin with a reception at 6:45 p.m., and dinner will start at 7:30 p.m. Alumni and friends of UT Dallas, educators and members of the public all are invited to attend. Reservations are $50 per person and table sponsorships, which include eight seats, are available at the $500, $1,000, $1,500 for the silver, gold, and platinum levels respectively.