Clark University honored Allen Glick ’63 with the Distinguished Alumni Award, and Richard Boucher ’03, M.B.A. ’04, and Anthony Colon ’03, M.P.A. ’04, received the Young Alumni Award at the May 17 Reunion Weekend Dinner.
Earlier that day, Dr. Lee Gurel ’48 received the Fiat Lux Award for Extraordinary Service by a Legacy Society Member.
Glick, who built a successful auto dealership business, served on Clark’s Board of Trustees for 14 years, and served on the Audit, Major Gifts, and Investment committees, and as chair of the Audit Committee for several years.
In 1973, he established The Lillian and Selig Glick Scholarship Fund in honor of his parents, followed by the Allen M. Glick Chair in Judaic and Biblical Studies, in 1996. He most recently established the Dr. William E. Topkin ’60, M.A. Ed. ’63, Ed.D. ’67, Scholarship Fund in honor of his cousin, who is a former dean of students at Clark and a Clark trustee emeritus. He is a member of Clark’s Legacy Society and a charter member of the Jonas Clark Fellows.
“At a time in his life when he could have ridden off into the sunset, Allen has remained a steadfast, loyal and totally involved contributor to all facets of Clark,” said Everett Fox, the Allen M. Glick Professor of Judaic and Biblical Studies. “Without Allen’s caring and generosity, I could not do the work that I do, I could not do the research that I do, I could not teach the courses that I do.”
This year, for the first time, the University presented the Young Alumni Award to a Clark couple. Both Boucher and Colon have been class agents, served on their Reunion Committee, been advocates for Clark in the Miami region, and have attended many Clark events.
Colon manages a portfolio of real estate investments and remains focused on addressing housing and community economic development issues through nonprofits and philanthropic organizations. Boucher is director of special events for the South East Region of the Macy’s Parade and Entertainment Group.
Colon noted that Clark was always tolerant when “it was not as popular being young and in a relationship with someone of the same gender. Clark never saw it that way. Clark was very embracing; and the spirit of the Clarkie is to challenge convention. We were doing that just by being ourselves.”
“This place is truly transformational,” Boucher said. “You get to explore and learn who you are here. It’s truly an honor to be recognized for the work we do.”
Dr. Gurel’s philanthropic support of Clark has been far-reaching. In 1995, he established The Lee Gurel / John E. Bell Endowed Student / Faculty Achievement Award, for an outstanding psychology student and the professor deemed most critical to his/her success. This was followed in 1999 by the Gurel Asian Studies Prize, which is presented each year at Convocation to an outstanding student in Asian Studies.
In 2004, Dr. Gurel endowed a Psychology Enhancement of Teaching fund at Clark to support a partnership with the American Psychological Association. This partnership resulted in an annual workshop for high school teachers, held at Clark, to advance the teaching of psychology at the pre-collegiate level. Most recently, in October 2009, he established the Lee Gurel Endowed Education Fund to help leverage the effectiveness of the Mosakowski Institute. This fund supports The Gurel Speakers Fund, The Gurel Faculty Development Fund and The Gurel Student Research Fellowship Fund.
In accepting his award, Dr. Gurel said his donations to Clark University were “sent as partial payment of the massive debt I owed to schools and to education in general, and to Clark in particular. How else could I have given lectures or published scientific papers? And how else would I have the honor of standing before you today?”
Dr. Gurel noted that the size of one’s contribution to Clark University is of no matter.
“It’s the act of paying off some of your debt, not the amount of payment, that lifts the weight off your shoulders and leaves you feeling very satisfied,” he said.