Patty Halaufia picked to lead USU's Alumni Relations

Perhaps the most important thing to know about Patty Halaufia, USU's newly named executive director of Alumni Relations, is that her son, Brandon, can't wait for homecoming so he can show off his new quilt to his fraternity brothers.

“My good friend Marilyn Watts made a quilt for him and their baby, my first grandchild,” Halaufia said. “Of course in one corner it has the tower of Old Main and in others it has the block A and the Sigma Chi crest. And the whole thing is blue and white.”

And that hardly surprises anyone who knows anything about Halaufia and the commitment she's made to Utah State over the last 30 years. From the moment she stepped on campus as a student, graduated, got involved in the executive board for Big Blue, mentored the Student Alumni Association, served as the executive director of the USU Foundation (which she'll continue to do) and wore any number of other leadership hats in between, she's been an Aggie through and through. And she can see now that her life is inextricably linked to the university around which her social and professional worlds revolve.

“It's who I am,” says Halaufia. “I've always wanted to leave any organization I've ever been involved with a better place than it was when I started. It sounds kind of cheesy, I know, but the result of that conviction has made Utah State University, and so many of its alumni and friends, integral forces in my life.”

Still, USU holds surprises for the woman who has seen it all — and for the countless alumni she will now lead. “I think the campus has been in a constant state of flux since I arrived as a student,” she says, “sometimes it feels as though the whole face of campus has changed. But there's something about the tradition here; no matter how many new buildings or facilities, being at USU always feels the same. It's hard to describe, but there is a tradition, and it's not lost on many people.”

Halaufia said she's also continually surprised by USU's alumni. “You meet people who are CEOs of major corporations, or leaders in any given field, making a huge difference in the world, and they're still Aggies, they're so down to earth, they're approachable, fun people. It's just amazing; they've done these incredible things, but they somehow are just under the radar. We sometimes have to search them out, but when you get a chance to discover what they're up to, it can't help but change your life.”

USU President Stan Albrecht said he has worked closely with Halaufia in various capacities throughout his tenure at USU, and he is excited about her proven skills and the professional focus she will bring to the job.

“Patty has proven herself again and again in a number of ways throughout her career here,” the president said. “She is highly skilled and has been enormously successful in every position she has held.”

Albrecht said Halaufia's new duties are particularly important right now in the midst of USU's comprehensive capital campaign, the success of which relies so significantly on the university's deep pool of alumni who have become successful in their lives and professions.

“Our alumni represent the rich stories that are this university's promise to people — they know what it means to live and breathe a Utah State University education better than anyone,” Albrecht said. “We need to talk to them and, more important, we need to hear from them because they are the ones who will bring our message to the public. Our alumni director will play a critical role in USU's success, and Patty has shown that she already knows and works well with our alumni.”

And there's something else Patty Halaufia knows: the USU bookstore has little Aggie beanies and little Aggie booties and little Aggie onesies, because, seriously, “how else does anybody bring a grandbaby home from the hospital?”

The Golden Aggie Society: Excitement returns to campus

Everyone's favorite alumna activist Leah Parkinson–Christensen '58, is known for her lifelong dedication to Utah State University. She has alternately served as Dean of Women and Alumni Association President, as well as on the Board of Trustees for two terms. Two endowed scholarships bear her name; the Leah Dunford Parkinson–Christensen scholarship for returning students and the Chris and Leah Christensen scholarship for business majors. Of course, you wouldn't necessarily discover these things just by talking to her; she's quiet about her past service.

“All that is behind me now,” she says, with a calmness of one whose legacy has been largely set into place.

Perhaps it is this resolute ability to always look forward that keeps Leah feeling younger than her 80 years. Leah says she doesn't feel that old, but last September during Homecoming week she and the entire class of 1958 celebrated their 50th graduation anniversary, becoming “Golden Aggies.” The event brought back impressions for her of the distinguished alumni who celebrated their own 50th graduation anniversaries when she was young. She says she remembers how people really dressed up back then; the ladies wore magnificent outfits and the men dapper suits.

“In those days people wore hats,” she says. “I remember Marie Eccles–Caine. She looked the epitome of what I'd say is a classy, dignified, sophisticated, beautiful woman. I was impressed — it was just impressive.”

This year, Leah's enthusiasm is the force behind an open invitation for all alumni who graduated in 1959 or earlier to reunite during Homecoming Week. On Thursday, Sept. 25, 2009, the class of 1959 will become Golden Aggies at a banquet exclusive to their class, but the following day Leah and many more Golden Aggies will meet for activities, culminating in a Golden Aggie Society dinner that evening.

“There's a feeling of excitement when you come back to campus — you feel the nostalgia, remember, and see the progress made in half a century,” she says. “And to come back with people who had the same time together on campus, it's even better.”

A Friday morning walking and bus tour would give Golden Aggies the chance to reminisce about changes on campus over the last 50 years. Leah thinks it would be intriguing to give an award to the oldest Golden Aggie from among their ranks.

Her enthusiasm is welcomed by the Alumni Association. Scott Olson, director of alumni chapters, says Golden Aggies could stop by Special Collections at the Merrill–Cazier Library to peruse yearbooks or search for photographs. Friday evening's banquet will also highlight the Homecoming Parade Marshals. The reunion is “a trip down memory lane,” he says.

Golden Aggies have been meeting for as long as anyone can remember, but gathering the group into a society, complete with officers who can plan events and communicate throughout the year will energize the older alumni, says Patty Halaufia, recently appointed executive director of the Alumni Association.

Leah says she will serve as president of the society for the first year, and will ask several local Golden Aggies to help with planning as things shape up. In the meantime, expect Ms. Leah Parkinson–Christensen to continue the tradition of service to the university that's so much a part of her life, just as her life is a part of ours.

Halaufia says Golden Aggies who want to come to the reunion can find more information, including hotel discounts, by contacting Cecile Gilmer, director of travel at (435) 797–8275, cecile.gilmer@usu.edu, or by visiting the Alumni Association homepage at http://www.usu.edu/alumni

—Brendon Butler