The Syracuse University School of Information Studies community and its supporters raised more than $11,500 for the Raymond F. von Dran Fund during a dinner and silent auction on July 30. This number surpassed the amount raised at the same event last summer.
Guests at the fundraiser dined on fare from one of von Dran’s favorite local restaurants, Dinosaur Bar B Que in Syracuse. They enjoyed music provided by the iBand: Paul Brenner, assistant dean for advancement; Jason Dedrick, associate professor; David Dischiave, professor and director of the M.S. in information management program; Dave Molta; assistant dean for technology and director of the B.S. in information management and technology program; and Jeff Stanton, associate dean for research and doctoral studies.
They also bid on a range of homemade arts and crafts donated by iSchool members and friends. These items included stained glass, jewelry, paintings, knitted goods, ceramics, handcrafted cards and a quilt. Some of the items were created by von Dran’s widow, Gisela, and his daughter, Beth, who both helped organize the event.
To date, about $1.7 million has been raised for the Raymond F. von Dran Fund. The money raised will support scholarships, research and entrepreneurial and technological initiatives at the iSchool. To donate to the fund, visit https://secure.syr.edu/giving/ischool_giving.aspx.
Von Dran served as dean at the School of Information Studies (iSchool) at Syracuse University, leading it through a 12-year period of unprecedented productivity (1995-2007), during which the number of faculty and students nearly tripled, sponsored research increased five-fold, and four of the school’s programs earned top-four rankings from U.S. News & World Report, including the top-ranked master’s in information systems. Syracuse often served as a model for other iSchools to emulate, and von Dran graciously advised them on how to establish such a collegial and productive workplace.
A founding member of the I-Schools Group (now the iCaucus)—an international consortium of academic institutions focused on the relationship between information and people—von Dran was among a core group of visionaries who helped define the newly emerging academic field of information studies, examining how information, in all its forms, expands human capabilities. Learn more about him at http://ischool.syr.edu/ray.
