Letter from Paige

For me, the summer months are a time of planning and strategizing for the academic year ahead. More importantly though, it is a time to pause, reflect and celebrate all that has been accomplished since this time last year.

Thanks to our generous supporters, there is much to celebrate at Gaylord College. In my previous JayMac letter, I shared about OU Giving Day and ways to get involved. On April 14, the Gaylord community showed up in a big way. In just a 24-hour window, the college raised more than $1.7 million to support students, programs and faculty. Additionally, the college placed second in five of the hourly social media challenges and second in most unique donors – more than any other college or unit on OU’s three campuses. As a result, the OU Foundation granted Gaylord an additional $15,000 for the student experience fund. 

Part of this special day included a transformative $1 million gift from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation. Chairman Evan H. Katz graduated from OU with a bachelor of arts in journalism in 1986.

“We believe in the University of Oklahoma and in the Gaylord College of Journalism,” Katz said. “We hope our gift helps to punctuate all the fine programs already in place at Gaylord. Our goal is to lift the College to even greater heights.” 

The Nicole and Evan H. Katz International Reporting Program will allow the college to enter a partnership with the Pulitzer Center in Washington, D.C. Through its Campus Consortium program, Gaylord students will have the opportunity to embark on global reporting projects and learn from professional journalists during annual campus visits. The gift also establishes the Nicole and Evan H. Katz Professorship.

In total, Gaylord College raised an unprecedented $2.32 million to provide our students’ world-class educational experiences over the last 12 months. Our gratitude cannot be overstated. Thank you for your steadfast support of Gaylord College and the University of Oklahoma. 

Paige Uhr
Director of Advancement
Class of 2015