Best of CASE District VII Award
 

Institution: University of California, Davis

Title of entry: Golden Society Virtual Community and Then and Now Gatherings

About this entry: The Golden Society brings back graduates of 50+ years to interact with friends and meet others across generations. In past events this would include a lunch and presentation of new inductees. As we pivoted with the pandemic, intentional event planning and engagement was critical for this group of alumni. Caring for health concerns, travel and congregating, along with reaching our alumni around the world were on our minds. With the pandemic we were able to reframe how we approach our Golden Society members and inquire to what they needed from this event. Upon building a community, we continually heard that people wanted to network. They wanted to be in community with each other and the campus they adore and support. They also wanted to know what legacies have happened both in research and advancements made then and now. With new interactions on Zoom we were able to move our luncheon into a virtual world and provide a series of Then and Now community opportunities. We provided a space where people could connect instantly, especially for alumni who were unable to travel, not just from COVID, or those still youthfully advocating and working passionately in retirement. What came from the experience were stories and connection with people, alumni across generations and members across the nation. We also created this community beast of people yearning to connect and geek out over the incredible strides from our alumni and at UC Davis.