Summer days never lazy for President Hurwitz

While the summer months are traditionally viewed as a time of leisure and respite from the hectic pace that accompanies the other seasons, President Hurwitz sees them as an opportune time to make important contacts with alumni, current and potential donors, and to serve as an ambassador to the institution by making public appearances, taking on speaking engagements, and hosting influential visitors.

Dr. Hurwitz’s first week after Commencement began with an event that mixed work and sport when he competed in the Gallaudet Golf Open on May 17 as a member of the “Cabinet Duffers,” one of 13 teams to vie for first place in the event held at the Cross Creek Golf Club in Beltsville. Md. The nearly $9,000 raised from this event, hosted by the Gallaudet University Alumni Association (GUAA), is earmarked for student scholarships at Gallaudet.

On May 20, Hurwitz was honored at The Learning Center’s 11th Annual Gala: A Celebration of Achievement and Vision in Framingham, Mass. The following week, he was the Graduation speaker at the Alabama School for the Deaf and met with members of the GUAA’s Alabama Chapter in Talladega. On June 4, he delivered the commencement address to graduates of the Texas School for the Deaf–eight of whom will be attending Gallaudet this fall. The next day,  he visited the Austin, Tex., chapter of the GUAA and attended a meeting with Dr. G. Richard Holt, a member of the University’s Board of Associates, who is interested in Gallaudet’s new partnership with the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology, the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Rochester General Health Systems to increase job opportunities in the health care profession for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Hurwitz followed this meeting with a visit to another alumni group, this time GUAA’s Dallas, Tex., chapter.

From West to East and back again

From June 24 to 27, Hurwitz attended the Deaf People of Color Conference in Portland, Ore., and gave the keynote address for the conference’s Saturday, June 26 banquet. He also had lunch with the president and past presidents of the GUAA’s Northwest Pacific Chapter in Portland.

Almost immediately upon the president’s return from the West Coast, on June 30, he took part in a day-long oversight visit by representatives of the U.S. Department of Education. 

Next, it was off to Rochester, N.Y., to visit friends and family and attend a wedding with his wife, Vicki. Then the couple drove to Philadelphia, Pa., for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) Biennial Conference. Hurwitz, who has been very active in the NAD and served as its 24th president, greeted audiences at several events throughout the week, including the College Bowl competition that Gallaudet ultimately won.  In addition, he played host at a Gallaudet-sponsored a breakfast that drew more than 300 conference participants.  Hurwitz remained in Philadelphia for a Board of Trustees retreat.

Hurwitz’s next conference activity is a presentation at the International Congress on the Education of the Deaf (ICED) Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.  His speaking engagement comes as part of the ICED leadership summit.

Global hosts and interstate travelers

The president and first lady received several distinguished international guests. They invited representatives of Japan’s Nippon Foundation to Gallaudet on June 18, and a delegation from the Tsukuba University of Technology based in Tsukuba City, Japan, on June 22.

The Hurwitzes are including some leisure time to balance their busy summer schedule. The president reports that he stays refreshed and alert by following a morning exercise regimen, reading newspapers and novels, and going for walks with his wife around interesting places in the Nation’s Capital. He also hopes to fit in some bicycle riding on the National Mall and pathways along the Potomac River.

The couple is planning a two-week vacation to Alaska later in July, which will include a driving tour of the state and a cruise where they will celebrate their 45^th wedding anniversary.