When I arrived here three years ago, I promised to hit the ground listening. I’ve found that by listening to people—not just hearing them—I can find out what they really need and expect, rather than what I think they might want or accept.

So, in evaluating our communications to you—our faithful Cougar alumni—I wanted to listen to what you had to say.

Do we help you feel connected to your alma mater; is it the right type of information; do we make you proud to be an alumnus; and most importantly, how can we improve our communication to you? We asked more than 14,000 of you to help us find out.

We heard you. And not only have we heard, we’re taking your recommendations to heart and are changing much of what we do right now. You’re reading the first and most visible change—The University of Houston Magazine. Here are some highlights of what we changed for you: More for you. This is our first all-inclusive alumni magazine. We’re sending it to every one of your fellow alumni (more than 160,000 and counting), and we’re sending it more often—three times a year.

Tailored for you. You asked for an updated format including more photos, shorter articles, and a more exciting design.

Make you proud. This was your most popular request—to tell more success stories about the University, our research, and our alumni, faculty, and students. That’s an easy request to fill—our people are the backbone of this city, and what they do every day will astound you.

Let’s talk more about pride. I asked Barton Smith, Houston’s most respected economic forecaster and director of the UH Institute for Regional Forecasting, to research the economic impact of our University and System. What he found has created a buzz on campus, and we can’t wait to tell you about it. In fact, this first issue is devoted to our University’s impact on Houston.

We Cougars have so much to be proud of, and we’re going to ensure that the UH story is told. A large part of that service is improved and timely communication to our alumni. This magazine is just the first step.

President, University of Houston