Upcoming Events

Breakfast Bunch
Tuesday, February 7, 9 am, Perkins @ Eastgate
All UMAR members and guests are welcome.

Dinner and a Play - SOLD OUT!!
Friday, February 17, 5:30 pm
UMAR members and friends will enjoy dinner at the Medallion Restaurant at the campus Holiday Inn followed by a performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera at Mainstage Theatre.

UMAR Garden Club
Tuesday, February 28, 11:30 am, Trolley Stop Market
The UMAR Garden Club will meet Tuesday, February 28 for an 11:30 lunch at the Trolley Stop Market located at 704 Madison Avenue, followed by a hands-on learning session about seed starting. This group plans to meet on the fourth Tuesday of every other month. For information, call Sheryl Maxwell at 755-2131.

Calvary Lenten Preaching Series
Monday, March 19, 12 noon, Calvary Episcopal Church
For almost 90 consecutive years,Calvary Episcopal Church has hosted a preaching series featuring dynamic, inspiring and diverse local and national speakers from various denominations and faiths. Join UMAR to hear Rabbi Micah Greenstein at noon on Monday, March 19. You may park either at Calvary (102 N. Second Street, downtown) or in St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral’s gated, secure and FREE parking lots during the Series. From 10 am until 2 pm, Calvary will provide a free shuttle service every ten minutes to and from St. Mary’s. Seating is limited, so arrive at the church by 11:30. After Rabbi Greenstein’s presentation, we will enjoy lunch in the church’s “Waffle Shop” restaurant.
Cost: The Lectures Series is free and open to the public; lunch is on your own (about $7).

March Book Club
Tuesday, March 27, 11 am, Brother Juniper's
Enjoy breakfast with the group before discussing this month's literary work, In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror and an American Family in Hitler's Berling, by Erik Larson. The Book Club meets on the fourth Tuesday of every other month.

Click here to download the 2012 Event Calendar

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Fall Newsletter

Click here to read the Fall 2011 Newsletter.
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UMAR Scholarship

The 2010-2011 UMAR Scholarship winner is Sara Andrade. She is a Senior, majoring in Mathematical Science. Ms. Andrade currently plans to continue her studies in graduate school. Her mother, Dr. Fernanda Botelho, is a professor of mathematics at the University of Memphis. Sara was recognized at the UMAR Annual Holiday Luncheon.

The UMAR Scholarship is near endowment status. Our goal is to have the scholarship endowed by the centennial of the University in 2012. Please help make it possible by donating to the University of Memphis Foundation here. For further information about the UMAR Scholarship, please contact Bob Boone, UMAR Scholarship Coordinator, at 901/757.5733.

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UMAR Recent Events

Holiday Brunch & Silent Auction
On Tuesday, December 13, UMAR held its annual meeting, holiday brunch, awards presentation and silent auction. The program featured guest speaker Jimmy Ogle, a local historian. Silent auction proceeds benefit the UMAR Memorial Scholarship fund. Click here to view photos from the event.

Calvary & the Arts Holiday Pops Concert
UMAR members and friends enjoyed favorites of the Christmas season by Leroy Anderson ("Sleigh Ride" and the "Christmas Fantasy") as well as other well-loved symphonic works as Calvary & the Arts welcomed Conductor Mei-Ann Chen and members of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra and Christmas Pops at the Calvary Episcopal Church in early December.

Lunch & Learn
 On Thursday, November 17, UMAR members and friends enjoyed lunch at the Woman's Exchange Tea Room followed by a guided tour of the Choosing to Participate exhibition by Facing History and Ourselves at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library.

  Book Club
 UMAR hosts a book club discussion every other month. The latest book read was The American Plague by Molly Caldwell Crosby. We hope you can join us for future book discussions. Visit this web site again soon for upcoming book titles and meeting dates.

Day Trip to the Ames Plantation Heritage Festival
UMAR members traveled to Grand Junction, TN in early October to enjoy over 125 folk artists, historical interpreters, musicians and Civil War re-enactors in a day of entertaining and educational activities.

UMAR Dinner and a Story
After dinner at Frank Grisanti's Italian Restaurant, members met at Balmoral Presbyterian Church for a performance by famed storyteller Donald Davis.

UMAR Coffee and Conversation
UMAR hosted its annual Coffee and Conversation featuring Dr. Thomas Fagan, 2011 Recipient of the Willard R. Sparks Eminent Faculty Award in September. Click here to view photos from the event.

Day Trip to Reelfoot Lake
Members hopped on a bus and headed to Tiptonville, TN, in lat July for a scenic cruise on Reelfoot Lake, followed by lunch and a tour of the Museum.

Arts on Broad
Members explored the historic Broad Avenue Arts District starting with lunch at Three Angels Diner, followed by a presentation from John Weeden, Executive Director of the Urban Art Commission, and closed with a tour of Broad Avenue Arts District galleries and studios.

Annual Summer Picnic
Members met at "Plum Nelly" for their annual Summer Picnic. There was a wine tasting, an informal conversation offering tips about traveling abroad and a silent auction of donated items benefiting the UMAR Scholarship Fund. Members brought a dish for the pot-luck lunch.

UMAR Spring Mix & Match
UMAR members met for a Spring Mix & Match on the U of M Campus. Dr. Wayne Pitts, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, presented on "Consumer Fraud: How to Avoid Becoming a Victim." Next Amelia Mayahi, U of M Green Initiative Sustainability Coordinator, gave a presentation and guided tour of campus "green" efforts including the community urban garden, recycling center and biofuel center.

Calvary Lenten Preaching Series
UMAR members met at Calvary Episcopal Church to hear Rabbi Micah Greenstein speak as part of the Calvary Lenten Series on April 4.

Visit to Caritas Village
UMAR members took a tour of Caritas Village to learn more about its mission to promote cultural harmony in the Memphis community. They then heard from Urban Farms' manager, Mary Phillips, about their efforts to improve access to healthy food, create market and employment opportunities and serve as a resource for neighborhood gardeners.

"Soul-Full Day"
UMAR hosted the “Soul-Full Day” Mix 'n Match event on Thursday, January 27. UMAR members took a tour of the STAX Museum, ate lunch at the Four Way, and then toured LeMoyne-Owen College. view photos from the event here.

Coffee & Conversation
In the fall UMAR hosted their annual Fall Coffee & Conversation event with the 2010 Willard Sparks Eminent Faculty Award Winner, Dr. Erno Lindner, at the home of President Shirley Raines. Guests were treated to an interesting discussion from Dr. Lindner and a warm welcome from President Raines as they enjoyed brunch on this beautiful Fall morning in late September. For pictures of the event, click here.

Book Club
UMAR hosts a book club discussion every other month. The latest book read was Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. We hope you can join us for future book discussions. Visit this web site again soon for upcoming book titles and meeting dates.

Message from Mary Ellen

Click here to view a message from Mary Ellen Pitts, President of UMAR, that was recorded at the 2011 Vision Forum.

Get Involved!

The University of Memphis Association of Retirees (UMAR) is an active organization or retired professors, administrators and staff. Its mission, consistent with that of the national organization in higher education, is “to advocate, to educate, and to serve.” UMAR conducts a variety of activities focused on meeting the social and networking needs of its members through special event luncheons, dinners, tours and trips, as well as helping to coordinate various volunteer activities within the University. With support from the Alumni Association, UMAR hopes to pursue programming that will provide educational opportunities for its members, support for the University and opportunities to be heard on major community issues. UMAR is a constituent organization of the University of Memphis Alumni Association, and members are entitled to the same benefits and privileges as all Alumni Association members. Click here for a membership application and click here to view all benefits and services.

For more information about UMAR or any upcoming events contact Alumni Coordinator Connie Thiemonge at cthmonge@memphis.edu or 901/678-1333.

Officers and
Board Members

Executive Committee
President:
Mary Ellen Pitts, drpme@comcast.net
Treasurer:
David H. Ciscel, dhciscel@memphis.edu
Secretary:
Janet Mitchell, jbmtchll@memphis.edu
Immediate Past President:
Susanne Darnelle (MA '70)

Members-at-Large
Faculty at Large
Ramona Mahood
Staff at Large
Diane Cooper
Staff Senate Liason
Ginny Reed
Faculty Senate Liason
Dr. Cecil Rousseau

Standing Committees
Newsletter:
Janell Rudolph, nrudolph@memphis.edu
Scholarship & Memorial:
Bob Boone, pboone@memphis.edu
Caring:
Mary Haddock
Program:
Bill Crump (ME '71)
Membership:
Sheryl Maxwell