Alumni Travel Program: Brazil and Beyond
The Alumni Travel Program’s trip to Minas Gerais, Brazil, was a hit with alums, several of whom were first-timers to the gem-rich country. Check out the Alumni Association’s Web site for colorful photographs and look for the complete article in the Winter 2005 issue of The Loupe.

The Alumni Travel Program Committee is already in the planning stages for the 2005 trip with initial discussions leaning toward key diamond centers. Stay tuned for more details in upcoming issues.

Now Collecting 2005 Auction Items
It’s time to send in items to be included in the fourth annual Alumni Association Silent and Live auctions, which will be held Feb. 4, 2005 during the Tucson Gem and Mineral shows.

Last year’s auction items included GIA Instrument’s new digital-circuitry microscope, a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Baja California, and an array of gem and jewelry items. It raised more than $31,000, including a matching $10,000 gift from Barry S. Block, president of The Jewelry Judge and the Alumni Association’s New York Long Island Chapter. The Association is hoping 2005 will be even better, said Alumni Relations Manager Rose McKenna.

All proceeds will again benefit the Alumni Endowment Fund. Donated items are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.

Put Your Membership Dues Where You Want Them to Work
Have you checked your mailbox lately? GIA graduates should have received a letter from Starla Turner, chair of the Alumni Executive Council, announcing the 2004 membership campaign and the opportunity to designate how your membership dues are applied. 

New or renewing Alumni members can choose to use their dues to support the GIA Alumni Endowment, a permanent fund designed to enhance future Alumni activities and resources; the Richard T. Liddicoat Scholarship Fund, an unrestricted fund that bestows a full Graduate Gemologist On Campus and Distance Education scholarship each year; or the general Alumni fund.

“Our members now have an opportunity to put their membership dues to work where it matters to them most,” McKenna said. “Joining the Association is the perfect way for graduates to stay connected to GIA and give back to others at the Institute.”

Missie Jacobs
     Alumni Relations coordinator
     (760) 603-4155 or missie.jacobs@gia.edu
Rose McKenna
     Alumni Relations manager
     (760) 603-4135 or rmckenna@gia.edu
Web site: www.gia.edu, click on “Alumni Association”
General phone: (760) 603-4145
E-mail: alumni@gia.edu