Editor's Letter
ALUMNI NEWS MAGAZINE | Summer 2024
Welcome back to another issue of Alumni News. It's always a pleasure to connect with you and share stories and updates from our alumni and university communities. Working at UNB and for the Alumni Association is a humbling and rewarding experience for me. Every day, I read or hear stories about alumni, students, researchers, faculty, and staff who are jumping in feet first to tackle issues that are important to them. There are not enough pages in the magazine to recognize them all, but I’m proud to be a part of their UNB family.
We cover a lot in this issue: students who are tackling hunger on campus, researchers who are making strides in addressing the affordable housing crisis, and alumni, students and researchers who have reached new heights in space exploration. And (as I always love to do in every issue) we celebrate our students who are excelling athletically and/or academically; as well as our Proudly UNB award recipients who have made us proud through their professional achievements and service to their communities.
Over the past few months, I've been exploring new ways to bring you stories and keep our magazine engaging and relevant. Last April, I attended a conference with magazine editors from across North America. This experience was invaluable, and I came away with fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. Among the highlights of the conference was the magazine expo, where hundreds of magazines were on display, showcasing the best in design and storytelling. A few things that stood out were the use of illustrations and AI-generated images to complement and supplement stories, and quick and quirky headlines that captured my interest. I also attended two conference workshops on the integration of artificial intelligence in publishing. While I still have a lot to learn about the world of AI, these sessions inspired me to dig deeper into ways to enhance your reading experience.
Looking ahead, I'm thrilled to announce some exciting changes for the magazine for Fall 2024. We're in the process of overhauling our digital version, making it look and feel more like the print issue, but with the bonus of an immersive reading experience through photos, videos and images.
And, in Summer 2025, we’ll unveil a refreshed design for the print magazine. This update has been inspired by the digital version, as well as the insights from the conference and other alumni magazines, and your feedback. Your opinions matter greatly to me, and I keep them top of mind as I prepare for each issue.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of you who take the time to read the magazine — whether you delve into the cover story or simply flip through to Hither and Yon. Your stories, updates, and suggestions are what keep this magazine thriving. This issue, like every issue, is our way of showing you how proud we are to have you as a part of the UNB family.
