Author
James Okonkwo
Department Administrator, Alumni Relations
James manages alumni relations for a mid-sized engineering department. He runs mentorship matching, industry panels, and annual giving campaigns. He writes about what actually works in department-level alumni engagement.
alumni engagementdepartment eventsgiving campaignsstudent-alum matching
Articles by James Okonkwo
2 postsDepartment Stories
Construction Management Alumni Networks: How the Biggest Programs Build Industry Connections
Texas A&M has 1,600 construction students. LSU is building a $107M facility. Here is how the top construction management departments use alumni networks, industry advisory boards, and golf tournaments to drive engagement.
Jun 15, 20269 min read
Giving Back
Where Alumni Giving Is Actually Going: Department Level Trends the Annual Fund Misses
Alumni gave $12.9 billion to US higher education in 2024, but the annual fund ranked dead last in donor preference. Department specific giving data, donor behavior by cohort, and what it means for advancement teams.
Jun 10, 20268 min read