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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Good morning,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">At Monday’s department meeting I encouraged you each to consider giving a small, recurring gift to the department through the Bridge Builders Fund. The goal
of such a gift is not so much to collect tons of money, but so that our Philanthropy and Engagement teams can approach alumni and other potential givers and state that X% of physics faculty give back to the university. The higher X% is, the better it looks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">I give the minimum automatic recurring gift - $5/month – to the Physics Excellence Fund. I’d like to ask each of you to consider doing the same, or to donate
to one of the endowed physics scholarship funds. Your gift counts as a charitable donation come tax season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">If you want to set up a gift, go to:
<a href="https://www.tamuc.edu/bridge-builders/">https://www.tamuc.edu/bridge-builders/</a>. In the Designation, select “Other” and enter Physics Excellence Fund or the name of one of our departmental scholarships (listed here:
<a href="https://inside.tamuc.edu/academics/colleges/scienceengineeringagriculture/departments/physicsastronomy/scholarshipsFinancialAid/default.aspx">
https://inside.tamuc.edu/academics/colleges/scienceengineeringagriculture/departments/physicsastronomy/scholarshipsFinancialAid/default.aspx</a>)
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Rest assured any giving (or lack thereof) is not part of any faculty evaluations, and I will not be bugging anybody individually to give.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">In addition, as you edit webpages or use social media, please consider linking to our department’s donation form:
<a href="https://give.communityfunded.com/o/texas-am-university-commerce/i/college-of-science-and-engineering/s/physics-and-astronomy">
https://give.communityfunded.com/o/texas-am-university-commerce/i/college-of-science-and-engineering/s/physics-and-astronomy</a> Philanthropy & Engagement suggests just using simple phrasing at the very end of a post or webpage, something like “If you would
like to partner with the Physics and Astronomy faculty to support our students, please click here.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Cheers,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black">Kurtis<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:#00386C">Dr. Kurtis A. Williams (he/him/his)<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352">Assoc. Professor and Interim Department Head</span></i><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352"><a href="https://www.tamuc.edu/physics"><span style="color:#0088CE">Department of Physics and Astronomy</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352;text-transform:uppercase">P: 903.886.5488</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#4F5352"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:#4F5352"><a href="https://www.tamuc.edu/"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#0088CE">Texas A&M University-Commerce</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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