The George Washington University welcomes a new vice president for university advancement, David L. Unruh, on Aug. 1. He will join GW after decades in higher education; since 2014, he has been senior vice president for institutional advancement at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Previously, he served in related capacities at Temple University, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon.
According to President Ellen M. Granberg, “David’s success across a range of institutions — particularly urban private research universities with missions similar to GW’s — has prepared him well for this role, and he will bring clear and ambitious ideas for strengthening University Advancement’s capacity to deliver the alumni engagement and philanthropic support essential to the university’s success.
Unruh is assuming the role held by Donna Arbide, who stepped down to focus on her health and family. He feels great excitement to begin this new chapter in his career, he said, and Granberg echoed his comments.
“GW is a great institution with a powerful history, located in the heart of it all, with a fantastic new president in Ellen Granberg,” Unruh said, “and there’s tremendous upside potential going forward.”
“David will join GW at an exciting time,” Granberg said. “We are progressing in developing a new strategic framework that will guide GW over the next decade. We have recently initiated processes to study and refresh GW’s brand and to create our next campus master plan. Together, these efforts will set a course for GW throughout its third century.”
There is a sense in which Unruh will be coming home to GW. He has been attracted to the university for many years, at one point considering enrolling at GW Law. As time went on, he spent more time in Washington, D.C., and continues to feel a special energy in Foggy Bottom.
“I’ve always had a very positive impression of GW,” Unruh said, “and I’ve always seen it as a place with which I would enjoy being associated. Higher ed is in a really challenging moment right now, but the things that stood out for me in talking with people at GW were the enthusiasm for the place, the real commitment to moving forward with the strategic framework being put in place, and the support that President Granberg enjoys among the community. From an advancement perspective, those are really critical ingredients. It's very difficult to raise philanthropy for causes that people don't believe in or for which there's not enthusiasm.”
A characteristic that will assist him in his new role, Unruh said, is curiosity. His genuine interest in other people helps him understand what motivates potential philanthropists, and an important part of his job will be understanding how GW can help them achieve their desired outcomes.
“If there’s a cause, a purpose or an outcome they’re specifically interested in and want to put their resources towards, we need to understand how to bring together various threads of the institution in ways that enable that,” Unruh said. “Coming back to the idea of being curious, listening is important. Being a strong facilitator is key.”
His curiosity is reflected in what drew him to his profession in the first place. He feels lucky to have the privilege of spending time with interesting people in the extraordinary environment provided by a university. Another aspect he likes about the work is the variety of the workday, though the days tend to be long.
“It's hard to describe a typical day in a position like this,” he said. “They're just busy, but always interesting.”
Among his key responsibilities, he will be enhancing alumni engagement, which naturally begins with the student experience, he said. Students who have positive experiences are more inclined to stay involved. But there is no “one size fits all” engagement opportunity.
“After they graduate,” Unruh said, “alumni move through a life of changes like everybody else. They become evolving professionals, parents, partners, grandparents. We have to meet them where they are in that life cycle and provide opportunities that reflect their interests. Younger alums may want more social or career networking opportunities. Middle-aged alumni may want family-based activities or mid-career advice. More mature alumni may want nostalgic experiences or learning opportunities as they transition to retirement and have more time for revisiting some academic passions.”
What’s important about the work he will do here at GW, he said, is helping the institution thrive and enabling students to have their best experience and faculty do their best teaching and research.
“I'm excited by the team that I’ve met, and I look forward to working with them, President Granberg and the board,” Unruh said. “Our goal will be to continue to build on the great work that Donna Arbide has done, and continue to elevate philanthropy for GW.”
