Mario Capecchi, Antioch College Alumnus ’61, Wins 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -– Mario R. Capecchi, Ph.D., distinguished professor of human genetics and biology at the University of Utah’s Eccles Institute of Human Genetics and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, has won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The announcement was made this morning by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute, in Stockholm, Sweden. The prize recognizes Capecchi’s pioneering development of “knockout mice” technology, a gene-targeting technique that has revolutionized the study of mammalian biology and allowed the creation of animal models for hundreds of human diseases, including the modeling of cancers in the mouse.

“This is a tremendous honor for our University, for our Department of Human Genetics, and, specifically, for all the members of my laboratory, past and present who have contributed to this work,” said Capecchi upon receiving notification of the Nobel Prize early this morning. “The strong support and genuine interest of the University and Salt Lake City communities have been marvelous.” “It is a great honor to share this prize with Drs. Oliver Smithies and Martin Evans. We have all been very fortunate in having a longstanding scientific friendship and in being able to profoundly contribute to each other’s work. This prize is a tribute to our collective efforts.” Smithies is at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and Evans is at the University of Cardiff, Wales.

The Nobel tops a long list of prestigious honors for Capecchi, who, as a child, was forced to wander four years on the streets of Italy after the Nazis imprisoned his mother in a concentration camp. His achievements in gene targeting were recognized with the 2001 Albert Lasker Award for Basic Medical Research and the 2001 National Medal of Science, America’s highest award for lifetime achievement in scientific research, presented by President George W. Bush. In 2003, he also received the Wolf Prize in Medicine, Israel’s highest award for medical science, and the 2003 Pezcoller Foundation-AACR (American Association for Cancer Research) International Award for Cancer Research. Capecchi also received the 2005 March of Dimes Prize in Developmental Biology.

“The University of Utah proudly joins the Nobel Foundation and the entire international scientific community in congratulating Mario Capecchi on his outstanding scientific achievements,” said University of Utah President Michael K. Young. “His accomplishments are particularly remarkable in light of the tremendous challenges he faced in his youth. He has drawn upon these life experiences to propel himself into doing the most extraordinary things—ultimately enabling people across the globe to live healthier, longer, and more productive lives. Mario Capecchi’s groundbreaking work in gene targeting will have an incalculable impact on generations to come. We are deeply honored and grateful that he is one of ours.” Capecchi’s development of gene targeting in mouse embryo-derived stem cells allows investigators to create mice with mutations in any desired gene and gives them virtually complete freedom to manipulate the DNA sequences in the genome of living mice.

Knockout technology makes possible detailed evaluation of the function of every mouse gene at any stage of development or in the adult. The technology not only has made possible the production of animal models for human disease, but it also is providing Capecchi and other researchers with insights into understanding fundamental biological questions, including development of the brain in the embryo or its function in the adult.

Capecchi was born in Verona, Italy, in 1937. His mother was imprisoned during World War II, but found him after the war and they eventually came to the United States to live with his aunt and uncle. Capecchi received his B.S. degree in chemistry and physics from Antioch College in 1961 and his Ph.D. in biophysics from Harvard University in 1967. He completed his thesis work under the guidance of Nobel laureate James D. Watson, who, along with Francis Crick, determined the structure of DNA. Capecchi became a junior fellow at Harvard and was an associate professor of biochemistry there when, in 1973, he left to join the University of Utah faculty.

A scientist at the Eccles Institute of Human Genetics at the University of Utah medical school, Capecchi also serves as co-chair of the Department of Human Genetics and is a founding member of the Brain Institute at the University of Utah. He holds the Helen Lowe Bamberger Colby and John E. Bamberger Presidential Endowed Chair in the Health Sciences at the U of U.

Capecchi is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Among his numerous other honors are the Fifth Annual Bristol-Myers Squibb Award for Distinguished Achievement in Neuroscience Research (1992), Gairdner Foundation International Award for Achievements in Medical Science (1993), General Motors Corporation’s Alfred P. Sloan Jr. Prize for Outstanding Basic Science Contributions to Cancer Research (1994), Kyoto Prize in Basic Sciences (1996), the Franklin Medal for Advancing Our Knowledge of the Physical Sciences (1997), and the University of Utah’s Rosenblatt Prize for Excellence (1998).

University of Utah, Press Release, Monday, October 8, 2007

(DRAFT) Antioch College Emergency Fundraising Plan (DRAFT)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

After a careful assessment of the potential for fundraising from the Antioch College alumni population it has become clear to the Alumni Association and the staff of the Office of Institutional Advancement (IA) that alumni donor prospects have the capacity to secure the future of the College and re-establish it among its historic academic peers.

For the purposes of this emergency plan we have identified $44.3 million in major gift asks that can be made immediately. In the future, a motivated alumni body supported by a fully resourced and staffed development operation with consistent and able leadership could in fact raise $100 million in a five-year campaign.

There is, however, no evidence that many of these alumni will give; only that they have wealth and that they attended Antioch College. Capacity is only one part of the story, but when combined with engagement, is the most important element of the equation.

A lengthy catalog of missteps exists that explains why the College has not capitalized on the giving potential of its alumni in the past. IA reports that staff turnover is the most significant reason for modest alumni participation in major giving. Revolving staffing has deeply compromised relationship building and has resulted in too few asks.

Five Traditional Challenges to Fundraising at Antioch College

1. Perpetual turnover in the presidency and fundraising leadership.
2. Persistent failure to invest consistently in alumni relations and development operations.
3. Alienation felt by alumni as a result of loss of College identity in the larger University.
4. Perception that giving makes little difference because it simply addresses pressing needs or institutional indebtedness associated with weak leadership.
5. Long and short term damage to the reputation capital of Antioch College.

For example, the twelve-year Guskin administration was the most financially stable period for Antioch College in the past thirty years. Regardless of one’s opinion about Guskin’s leadership, the legacy of increasing financial strength that was established from the mid-1980s through the late 1990s enabled the fundraising successes of the early 2000s. The earlier successful fundraising rested on stable leadership by a president who was a chief executive officer of a perceived autonomous college. That precedent shows that under the right circumstances, Antioch College can raise consistent and substantial major gifts from its alumni.

The fundraising case statement being developed will thoroughly address the five points above, and the fact that Antioch College is under threat of what alumni will consider permanent closure and will be attempting to raise funding to cover operational costs and indebtedness. Despite the fact that the stakes are so high, or perhaps because the states are so high there are some specific fundraising advantages present as we launch the campaign.

Five Current Advantages for Fundraising at Antioch College

1. Creating a sense of urgency for giving is the best scenario to begin fundraising. In that regard we are in abundantly good shape. We must stress both the immediacy of the need and the potential for a very positive future for Antioch College.
2. Antioch alumni typically want to share their opinions and are rarely neutral about their Antioch experience. They may feel disaffected or disconnected, but at this moment it may prove easier to engage them in the possibility of giving than if they did not have opinions to share.
3. The condition of research in the Office of Institutional Advancement is excellent. While there has been concern about the general condition of the database as far as capturing addresses of the full 17,000 living alumni, it can be fairly stated that if an alumnus has the capacity to give a five figure gift or higher, their identity and contact information is in fact known.
4. The four remaining staff members in the Office of Institutional Advancement are dedicated and talented. As long as there is no future interference in their ability to do their work, they will prove to be excellent partners in alumni fundraising.
5. An alumnus raising funds from another alumnus is preferable to the work of major gift officers asking for contributions from alumni. Typically, it is a challenge for development offices to identify a large enough cohort of motivated alumni to do the work, not so with our current position.

FUNDRAISING GOALS and CASH FLOW

In order to differentiate between what in a normal campaign would be considered capital giving and annual giving, there must be two gift categories for the College Revival Fund. Capital funding from major gift asks will be named the Fund for the Future (FFF) and gifts to support operations at the College will simply be called the College Revival Fund for 2007-08 (CRF08). Both funds and pledges are held by the College Revival Fund Inc. on behalf of the Alumni Association and will not be released to Antioch College until the successful completion of the negotiation process.

As a result of negotiations between the Alumni Board and the Chancellor, the CRF08 will serve as the Annual Fund for FY08. Due to the current climate there is general agreement by IA and the Alumni Board that Antioch College will be unable to raise the $2 million from the alumni population, dollars that are necessary to cover operations earmarked from the Annual Fund. In addition, raising monies for one fund will be less time consuming for staff and less confusing for donors.

Establishing a cash flow projection for a campaign that rolls out so quickly and under such unusual circumstances is difficult. As we have not conducted a feasibility study and have not had contact with many of our donor prospects in recent months, it is impossible to anticipate exactly how quickly they might be willing to begin paying on pledges after negotiations with the University Board of Trustees have been successfully completed. It is essential to craft our solicitation carefully, so the College’s needs are fully understood by all who are approached. This cash flow statement will be adjusted as our solicitations unfold and more information becomes available from our prospective donors.

To meet the immediate needs of Antioch College and to “buy” the time we need to fully develop a plan for revival, we must raise $25 million in pledges and cash in FY08.

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

In order to raise so many pledges that are payable in one fiscal year, IA and alumni volunteers must capitalize on the strength of response to the proposed closure of the Antioch College from individuals who have contributed to the College recently or who have expressed a willingness to assist since the Reunion in June 2007.

After a review of the research in IA, we have determined that the following prospect gift table is applicable to the building of this emergency phase of the College Revival Fund. This is not a traditional gift table, but we have vetted this priority list of donors using the following criteria:

1. Moderate to significant engagement with the College in the recent past or specifically since June.
2. Capacity to give minimally at the level at which they have been identified.
3. Some contact or willingness to be seen by IA before June.
4. Geographic location and ease of contact between September 20 and October 28.

It is impossible to predict the response of our 100+ prospects. A traditional gift table would be based on a much larger pool of prospects, and would project the likely percentage of giving based on the total number of the asks at various levels. Because of our urgent, unique campaign, we have simply identified the group of alumni whom we believe are most likely to respond favorably to a request for a visit soon, and who are more likely to give than others, based on their past giving records.

The ask amount for almost all donors is much larger than any previous gift that the individuals have given made to Antioch College; however, the target amount is well within their capacity for giving. We do want to plan for the future and do not wish to alienate the core of our support; however we believe that we will be largely forgiven for our boldness given the situation at hand. All strategy aside, we have little option at this time but to go to those who have proven their affection for Antioch College in the past and to ask them for a maximum possible pledge.

The total number of prospects will grow in the coming weeks. IA has identified a significant number of alumni who are most likely to give and who have a capacity to make a gift of at least $100,000. Those giving histories and donor profiles are continuing to be reviewed. In addition, individuals who have a giving potential between $25,000 and $100,000 will be visited based on geographic proximity to donor prospects at higher levels.

Potential for Transformational Giving

Every attempt will be made to secure appointments with prospects who have net worth over $50 million during the next three months. This group could have a significant impact on the future of Antioch College. IA and the alumni volunteers will develop specific and individualized strategies for these prospects.

APPROACH TO THE FUND FOR THE FUTURE (MAJOR GIVING +25K)

Objective: Seventy direct solicitations by 16 people between September 16 and October 25 in approximately 20 cities.

Implementation Steps:

IA and the alumni volunteers have identified the individuals listed below to assist with the solicitation of 70+ alumni donor prospects for the FFF in the next four weeks. In general, we will work in pairs in order to recall fully and later document the conversations and the pledges we will receive. Whenever possible, we will match an experienced fundraiser with a volunteer who has a relationship to the donor. Because there are no perceived leaders who can fully represent Antioch College, the Executive Committee of the Alumni Board will serve as our “institutional” representatives when needed. Risa and her staff can also help in this capacity as they are on campus representatives.

Locations of 70 Donor Prospects

Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Denver
Florida
Los Angeles
Minneapolis
New England
New York
Phoenix
Portland
San Francisco
Santa Fe
Seattle
St. Louis
Washington
Yellow Springs

Objective: To secure pledges and gifts from specific affinity groups by creating peer-to-peer engagement.

Implementation Steps:

A current student volunteer will send a letter to the University Board of Trustees requesting their support. Ask Nancy Crow to follow up with an e-mail. (All current trustees of significant means are also on the major gift list).

APPROACH TO THE COLLEGE REVIVAL FUND 2007-2008 (ANNUAL GIVING)

Objective: To raise a minimum of $2 million from alumni and friends in pledges and gifts under $25K.

Implementation Steps by Week of Completion:

September 16-22

Weekly e-Newsletter

Data enter all CRF08 Gifts & Pledges

-Send letter of appreciation and update to all those who have given or made a commitment. (Continual . . )
-Update Raiser’s Edge with contact information from CRF08 pledge cards.

Launch Yellow Springs “Fund for Antioch College” in the Village as an affinity group within CRF08

-Alumni volunteer coordinates the development of student support for YS Fund.
-Produce and place YS Fund lawn signs: Save Antioch College, Save Yellow Springs
-Antioch College & Yellow Springs -155 years Together shop YS Fund window stickers.
-Distribute Antioch College & Yellow Springs-155 years Together YS Fund bumper stickers.

September 23-29

Weekly e-Newsletter

Mail Antioch Notes from Mann & Morgan Families

September 30-October 6Weekly e-Newsletter

October 14-20

Weekly e-Newsletter

Student phon-a-thon

October 21-25

Weekly e-Newsletter

Student phon-a-thon

YS Fund Activities

-Banner across Rt. 68 in downtown for board meeting for YS Fund (seek permission earlier).
-North & south entrance of town “Home of Antioch College” signs decorated (seek permission earlier).

APPROACH TO PLANNED GIVING

Objective: To encourage alumni to consider placing Antioch College in their estate plan after the future of the College is assured.

Planned giving must play a significant role in future of fundraising at Antioch College. Interest in establishing bequests to the College should be documented and individuals should be informed that after the governance negotiations are complete, a staff member from IA will be in touch with them about the Hugh Taylor Birch Heritage Society, that is reserved for those who have included Antioch College in their estate planning.

APPROACH TO CORPORATE AND FOUNDATION SUPPORT

Objective: Identify possible opportunities for corporate and foundation support from our solicitation visits with alumni.

The recent financial crisis makes it virtually impossible for Antioch College to secure the support of the corporate and foundation giving community with the notable exception of family foundations such as the Morgan Family Trust. Only after establishing a mature capital, annual, and planned giving effort should significant internal resources be place on grant writing support. This may be an area in which the Alumni Association can operationally support the work of the College development effort in the future.

APPROACH TO NON-AFFILIATED INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Objective: Identify possible opportunities for non-affiliated individual giving.

We have elected to focus our work on alumni in order to raise funds quickly, thereby demonstrating to the University Board of Trustees that Antioch College can meet the financial demands in this fiscal year. Information about non-affiliated individuals who are recommended by any constituency, especially by alumni, should be recorded and reported back to IA and alumni volunteers.

YS Citizens for Keep Antioch College Open Support College Faculty Vote of “No Confidence.”

September 13, 2007

Dear Antioch University Board of Trustees,

As villagers and recognized stakeholders with an interest in the future of Antioch College, we are both hopeful and concerned regarding the fast moving events of recent days. We have been impressed by the hard work of the Alumni Board, the College faculty, staff, students, and the many in the Yellow Springs Community who have worked so hard to keep our beloved Antioch College open.  Out of this crisis, together we are creating a great opportunity.

We are hopeful because Antioch’s Development and Alumni Relations (per agreement with the Alumni Board and the Antioch University Board of Trustees) is now under the control of the Alumni Board. Important steps towards the establishing an independent governance structure for the College are being negotiated as the necessary foundation to make significant fundraising possible. The task before us is considerable.

Clearly, in order to accomplish this daunting task, all of us will need to put our best efforts forward and sustain those efforts over time. Much creative energy working in concert will be needed; we cannot afford to be divided or divisive in our actions.

Because such cooperation and trust are needed, we are gravely concerned by the actions and mixed signals from Toni Murdock, which continue to undermine these efforts and, in so doing, threaten the survival of the College.

Distrust was again fanned by her actions taken August 31, when Steve Lawry, the College President, was abruptly ousted from his position, banned from the College campus, and directed not to speak to faculty, staff or students. The same day, without explanation, the Alumni and  Development Office staff were locked out of their emails, their office locks were changed, and they were directed not to speak to Alumni.

When so much more than trust is needed, these kinds of actions seriously jeopardize the hard work before us. For this reason, we feel we must join with the Antioch College faculty and their vote of  no confidence in the University Chancellor, Toni Murdock. We call upon the Antioch University Board of Trustees to seriously consider their support of Ms. Murdock at this time. For time is of the essence.

To succeed in our efforts to save the College, we must all work together in good faith. Our opportunity is now; this opportunity will not come again.

Tony Dallas
Don Benning
Donna Sanders
Judith Wolert-Maldonado
Don Wallace
and YS Citizens for Keep Antioch College Open

DRAFT PLAN TO KEEP ANTIOCH COLLEGE OPEN DISCUSSED BY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AND UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

For Immediate Release October 4, 2007

For more information, contact: press

YELLOW SPRINGS, OHIO, Oct. 3 — Antioch College Alumni Association officers, Antioch University Board of Trustees members and Antioch University administrators today reviewed a preliminary draft of a business and fundraising plan to keep Antioch College open. The meeting took place in Denver, Colorado.

The final proposal will be presented here October 25 to the full University Board of Trustees. At that meeting, the Trustees could consider lifting the suspension of Antioch College they have now scheduled for July, 2008.

Alumni Board President Nancy Crow said, “It was helpful that members of the Board of Trustees and the University administration listened openly and made constructive suggestions to our draft plan. We really appreciate the candor from Trustees and their willingness to work together for the common cause of saving Antioch College.”

Last August, the Trustees resolved to “work closely with the Alumni Board to provide due diligence access to all appropriate data” needed to create the plan. College alumni and faculty with expertise in college admissions, finance, and law volunteered to work on the plan. The Alumni Board hired Tracy Filosa, a nationally respected expert in higher education finance, to assist.

Crow said, “The Board of Trustees is fulfilling our request for more information to help us put together a robust plan in a short amount of time. There was open dialogue at the Denver meeting.”
Crow added that the Board of Trustees was “was pleased with the hard work and professionalism that they saw from the Alumni Board.”

Founded in 1852 in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Antioch College is a community of students and faculty challenged by vigorous, inter-disciplinary academics. Students learn through campus life, real-life jobs and optional study abroad. They take part in community decision-making, gaining values and interpersonal skills that serve them well no matter what their chosen field. Students gain the self-knowledge and love of learning they need to make a difference in a world where the only constant is change.

Since the Board of Trustees announced the suspension of operations in June of 2007, alumni across the country have raised more than $12 million in cash and pledges to maintain continuous operations of Antioch College with a tenured faculty. Alumni chapters have grown to forty worldwide. Additionally, the Alumni Board also recently premiered its redesigned and reorganized Web site, www.antiochians.org.

The Alumni Board is continuing with its fundraising and planning efforts. For additional information on the Antioch College Alumni Association and its Revival Fund, visit www.antiochians.org.

Antioch College Homecoming / Reunion 2.0

In a mere 4 weeks, the Antioch University Board of Trustees (BoT) and the Antioch College Alumni Board (AB) will engage in historic meetings on campus to discuss the future of Antioch College. We don’t want them to feel lonely, so there is no better time… for HOMECOMING! October 25-28, come to Yellow Springs for a plethora of activities, from Homecoming Div to Community meeting in response to the BoT/AB negotiations to everything in between.

Some things to note:

  1. Bookmark this link and check back often: www.antiochians.org/homecoming
  2. Accommodations: If you are able to secure your own, Do So Now! There are 25 hotel rooms reserved at the Holiday Inn in Xenia for the 26th & 27th. There’s John Bryan State Park and the golf course for camping. There are lots of kind people in Yellow Springs who might be willing to offer floor space. If none of these work for you, email homecoming@antiochians.org.
  3. Food: Be ready to cook in Birch or Mills, and/or to support YS businesses. We’re not yet sure if the Caf is able to accommodate an influx of eaters. Stay tuned for updates.
  4. Donations: CG needs your support. The suggestion donation for attending Homecoming is $25.00 – more if you can, less if you can’t. CG has it’s own bank account now and information is forthcoming on a Paypal option. You can also pay by cash or check upon arrival in YS.
  5. Look for information in the next week about where to sign up so we can get a head count.

SEE YOU THERE

[By Beth G., crossposted from forum topic 21674. Please post questions and comments there.]

THE GITS WANT TO SAVE ANTIOCH–AND THEY NEED YOUR HELP!

Dear Creative Antiochian,

I have a fund raising idea that may be a way to create a steady trickle of funds for our efforts to save the college that shaped our creative and personal lives so profoundly. Can it work?

In 1987 I helped form a rock band composed of my best friends at Antioch called simply, THE GITS (after a skit on our favorite late night dorm room TV party show, Monty Python’s Flying Circus. All four of us went to Antioch for 4-5 years and two of us graduated.

After graduation 1989 we loaded up a rusty van with our musical equipment and moved to Seattle to begin a career in music. Before leaving Yellow Springs we decided to record an album of the music we wrote and performed at Antioch. We recorded it as a musical yearbook of sorts for our friends, and to have as a demo to take with us to Seattle. That recording, years later, would be recognized as a nascent yet brilliant precurse to the short lived yet critically acclaimed career of THE GITS. This recording became even more important when our singer, friend and Antioch Art student Mia Zapata was murdered on the streets of Seattle in 1993. It remains one of only 3 recorded works she/we produced. We mastered and produced the Yellow Springs demo into a full length CD and entitled it: Kings and Queens.

I would like to donate proceeds from the sale of this CD for a year to the Fund to save Antioch. There is a simple link to a trusted retailer. Here is the link: Gits Cover Art

Proceeds from the sale we will donate to
help save Antioch. Please note “save antioch” when
ordering CD.

Sincerely,

Steve Moriarty ’89