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Starla Turner, G.G., GIA Alumni Executive Council Chair.
Photo by Susan Munroe
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The editorial boards of scientific and professional journals, like Gems & Gemology, understand it. So do ritzy awards groups like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which annually bestow the prestigious Oscars on winning members of the film industry.
What these groups know – and what sets them apart from others in their fields – is the importance of peer review. An article or piece of work that has been stamped with the approval of a respected colleague just carries more credibility.
That's one reason your Executive Council is so enthusiastic about the GIA Alumni Association's all-new awards program.
To be sure, our past program honored some of our group's very best and most dedicated alumni. And who can argue that presenting those awards at the annual auction and dinner dance in Tucson hasn't been a highlight of the shows every year?
But we are always looking for ways to make the Alumni Association a better and more relevant service to GIA graduates. It's time for our awards program to reflect that, so we've made some changes.
Each member of the Alumni Association can participate in the nomination process, and each chapter will present its own awards to deserving graduates whose involvement and leadership set standards for the rest of the group.
Leaders from GIA will meet with the Alumni Executive Council and select two winners from the chapter awardees to receive the International Alumni Achievement and Leadership Awards. All winners will receive recognition in Tucson.
The result? We'll have more participation, better recognition for those who may work behind the scenes or in smaller chapters, and more prestige for those officers and members who are acknowledged by their peers to be the best of the best.
Once we hand out the international awards in Tucson, we'll all know that the people on stage hold a very prestigious honor, and are a true reflection of the spirit of the Alumni Association.
Starla Turner, G.G.
We Are The Alumni!
P.S. If you didn't have a chance to read about the new program in the last issue of this magazine, I encourage you to learn the details in The Loupe, Spring 2007 issue, page 36.
To locate the Alumni Association chapter nearest to you, please visit www.gia.edu and click on "Alumni Association," then "Worldwide Chapters," or contact Alumni Relations at (760) 603-4145.
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