<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">In February, I informed this list that I had taken early retirement from CEE and joined the Lab for Manufacturing & Productivity’s MEng program as an alumni writer. After a short but extremely productive time there, we learned that MIT’s early retirement rules prohibited me from working for pay or gratis for six months. Meanwhile, the Lab’s ongoing merger with Mechanical Engineering has resulted in restructuring and layoffs. Having heard the latest financial figures, my coworker regretfully told me to start looking for something else. <div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">During my brief stint in LMP, I started up their first alumni contact operation and wrote directly to everyone. By April we had heard from 27% of the grads, after no previous news from anyone in the program's 10-year history. Along with the usual emailing, I also distributed an online survey with reminders through the Center’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Before the news of layoffs, I had intended to enhance their minimalist webpage with more features of students and professors. News from these alumni will dominate the MechEng column in <i class="">Technology Review</i> Course News (graduate degrees) for at least three issues. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">According to MIT’s early retirement rules, I can officially start working at the end of August for up to 49% time. While I would consider any type of writing, especially profiles, features and oral histories, I would prefer alumni writing. Building a loyal alumni base takes more than asking for money and sending links to online newsletters. Many years as CEE alumni writer and this brief stint in LMP have proven that my outreach efforts will greatly increase communications in any age group. I’d love to create a position writing to alumni from a department, center, lab or other sub-group. Since I reconnected grads from discontinued courses such as Sanitary Engineering, Building Engineering and Construction, and Architectural Engineering decades after they had been administratively orphaned, I’d also be happy to deal with any courses or groups absorbed into other entities. </div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Any leads or suggestions are welcome!</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Debbie Levey</div><div class=""><a href="mailto:levey@mit.edu" class="">levey@mit.edu</a></div><div class="">617-232-5272</div></body></html>