It was great to see such a large turnout for last week's Annual Alumni Gathering and General Meeting at our Goldcorp Centre for the Arts in downtown Vancouver. 

This enjoyable event continues to grow in popularity, and speaks volumes about how SFU grads feel about their alma mater. In a word: engaged!

It was an evening of news-sharing and networking that included an inspiring slideshow by SFU alumnus, ecologist and nature photographer Danny Catt (BSc '87, MSc '89). Attendees also got a chance to meet the candidates for the 2013 Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Our growing–and increasingly global–community of more than 122,000 alumni is one of SFU’s greatest assets, and provides a vital link between the university and the communities we serve.

How do our alumni engage the world? Let me count the ways:

• they connect us to the places they work or volunteer;
  
• they mentor our students and provide them with co-op placements;
  
• they participate in our continuing studies programs and community outreach activities; and
  
• they give their time and often their money to support SFU.

In fact, over 80 per cent of our donors are alumni!

SFU alumni are our best ambassadors, and I'm heartened by the goodwill I saw first-hand last week.

If you missed the event, be sure to check out the Alumni website to learn more about how you can stay engaged with SFU.