Our Newest Annual Report
Our most recent fiscal year was anything but normal—as witnessed by a second year of COVID-related shutdowns, political upheavals, and much needed reckonings related to racial and social justice.
And yet a variety of impactful programs and accomplishments still took place: the completion of a bold new strategic plan, healthy Board leadership transitions, continuing support for hundreds of students through scholarships, innovation/seed grant funding, and support for the delivery of counseling services through telehealth in the midst of COVID.
We’re proud to share a snapshot of our work in our newest annual report and appreciate your interest in helping to make our communities the best they can possibly be. Read more here…
Scholarships for Students
On March 15th, the Alliant Educational Foundation (AEF) launched its newest round of scholarship funding. This annual round of funding is made possible, in large part, by the generosity of more than 50 donor-restricted scholarship funds aimed at helping Alliant students across all six California campuses. A total of $100,000 in tuition assistance will be granted for the coming year. Student applications are due by April 30.
AEF also approved an additional $500,000 in scholarship support in collaboration with the Alliant International University system, with$250,000 earmarked for a set of diversity, equity, and inclusion scholarships for 2022 – 2023.
In addition, the Foundation’s Program Advisory Committee is hard at work designing an anticipated new set of larger, multi-year scholarships which should launch later this year. Stay tuned for more information.
AEF’s New Salon Sessions
We’ve learned much during the adaptation to Zoom meetings required by COVID over the past two years. One of the positives is how online interaction can break down geographic barriers between one another. As such, we’ve launched our new “salon” series to bring together alumni, donors, and other friends of the Foundation to learn about timely issues of mutual interest.
Sessions to date have included a discussion with Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky of UC-Riverside entitled “Lessons from the Pandemic & the Pursuit of Happiness,” followed by a recent panel discussion on police reform and mental health which included Dr. Diana Concannon, Charles Dempsey, and Dr. Kris Mohandie.
We are planning to host these sessions quarterly, so please watch for more information and let us know if you’d like to join.
A New Round of Innovation / Seed Grants
After two successful years of investing in new and promising programs, research, and training across the Alliant system, the Foundation launched a re-tooled third year of innovation/seed grants available to all faculty and staff at Alliant. The redesigned funding program encourages cross-disciplinary and cross-campus collaboration, a focus on the Foundation’s new vision, mission, and core values, along with a greater emphasis on student impact. We are reviewing applications as we write this e-newsletter and anticipate announcing all winning submissions in early April.
R.E. Franco Durán Memorial Scholarship
Dr. Ron Durán joined the Alliant International University family in 2005 and was an Associate Professor in our Los Angeles Clinical Psychology PhD program. Before joining Alliant, he spent more than a decade developing and managing NIH-sponsored research projects at Stanford University and the University of Miami, including two large scale multidisciplinary program projects in the areas of HIV, AIDS and breast cancer.
Dr. Durán remained committed to community work with persons living with chronic medical conditions and the systemic factors related to the academic and social adjustment of first-generation college students. In addition, he was a twice-honored fellow of the Ford Foundation.
Regardless of role, Dr. Durán’s interactions with students, staff, and colleagues was unerringly characterized by integrity, humility, loyalty, and a dedication to applying psychology to improving health and wellbeing, particularly among underserved Latinx and Indigenous American peoples. Dr. Durán served as faculty advisor to the Latinx committee of Student Government Association, and as Chair and Committee member for many Latinx students whose dissertations focused upon eradicating health care disparities.
In his honor, the R.E. Franco Durán Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to Latinx or Indigenous American students of the Los Angeles PhD and PsyD programs who demonstrate his sense of integrity and his commitment to improving health outcomes for the underserved.
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Legacy Giving to Support Generations to Come
Did you know there are creative ways to support the Alliant Educational Foundation’s ongoing impact on students for years to come? Such giving techniques are called “planned gifts,” because with thoughtful planning, donors can create a lasting legacy.
The Foundation has been fortunate to receive several legacy/planned gifts over the past few years and is available to discuss how donors might wish to make a long-term impact through a gift that costs them nothing during their lifetime. Please let us know if you’d like to learn more. You can also access an overview of how these gifts work by reading more here.
A Special Note from Sarah Garro, Director of Alumni Relations at Alliant International University
Alumni Community:
As a former student, you are an important part of the University’s alumni network, which consists of graduates from around the globe who make a positive difference in the world by understanding and responding to the needs of diverse communities. Our alumni program is committed to serving and engaging all former students from current Alliant International University schools to our heritage institutions. Please visit us on the web here to learn more about alumni benefits, involvement opportunities, and career services. Join the communications list here to stay informed and connected!
COMING SOON: Dr. Kazumi Nishio Research Grants
The purpose of new Dr. Kazumi Nishio Research Grants is to deepen the understanding of Asian and Asian-American mental health, to promote the mental health of Asians and Asian-Americans, and to provide grant opportunities for international research studies.
Due to the generosity of the late Dr. Kazumi Nishio, a total of $21,000 in funding will be made available for 2022.
The funding is divided into two distinct categories: for current CSPP PhD or PsyD graduate students, and for CSPP core or adjunct faculty, CSPP-Japan legacy faculty and CSPP-Japan alumni. Proposals must focus on Asian or Asian-American mental health and priority will be given to research projects with an international focus. Please click here to learn more.