Johns Hopkins University Office of Alumni Relations Annual Report
About the Johns Hopkins University Office of Alumni Relations
The Office of Alumni Relations at Johns Hopkins University is dedicated to fostering a lifelong connection between the university and its alumni and student communities. We strive to create meaningful opportunities for engagement, support, and collaboration; enriching the lives of our alumni while advancing the mission of Johns Hopkins University. Through dynamic programming, inclusive events, and strategic partnerships, we aim to celebrate achievements, cultivate a sense of belonging, and empower alumni to contribute to the ongoing success and impact of Johns Hopkins University.
About the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association
The Johns Hopkins Alumni Association helps to enrich the alumni and student experience and strengthen connections between members of the global Johns Hopkins alumni community at every point of their Hopkins journey.
alumni 258,161 258,161
483 483
total number of events with 16,332 total number of participants
HOMEWOOD ALUMNI WEEKENDS
5,300+
attendees from nine countries and 45 states, including Puerto Rico, attended 110 events in April 2024.
1,700+
attendees at Young Alumni Weekend in October 2023.
CAREER & MENTORING PROGRAMS
23,874
total users on OneHop Mentoring, with 11,280 alumni and 12,222 students.
150
alumni participants in the newly-launched 4-week Alumni Life Design Experience course.
REGIONAL, STUDENT & YOUNG ALUMNI PROGRAMS
4,000+
registrants in nearly 35 cities worldwide attended 117 in-person and 5 virtual events. 22 custom events for Young Alumni in 8 key cities.
29
programs and events targeting Homewood undergrads through partnership with Undergraduate Student Affairs.
ALUMNI COUNCIL
185
students universitywide met and networked with council members in person and virtually during Fall/Winter/ Spring Alumni Council Weekend events.
45
total number of Alumni Council Members as a result of the 2024 council restructure.
IDENTITY, SHARED INTEREST & INDUSTRY PROGRAMS
900+
registrants for key in-person events, including Black Alumni Weekend, Women’s Leadership Conference, industry gatherings, and commencement celebrations.
400+
attendees at Health Equity and Imposter Syndrome virtual series.
LIFELONG LEARNING & TRAVEL PROGRAMS
2,000
registrants at 39 Hopkins at Home virtual programs.
386
registrants for 32 Spring 2024 Odyssey non-credit enrichment courses featuring 15 alumni instructors.
298
alumni traveled to 35 exceptional destinations with Hopkins staff, faculty experts and local guides.
COMMUNICATIONS
6 MILLION
newsletter emails and 386 promotional emails sent to Johns Hopkins alumni, with an average open rate of 40% (above industry average).
42,106 engagements (likes, shares, comments, replies, and link clicks) from 1,472 social media posts.
2,005 new social media followers across X, Facebook, and Instagram.
Signature Events
Gathering alumni back on campus to recognize and celebrate members of the Hopkins community, including annual events like Alumni Weekend and the Alumni Awards Celebration.
ALUMNI AWARDS CELEBRATION
The Johns Hopkins Alumni Association presents six categories of awards to honor outstanding alumni, faculty, and friends of Johns Hopkins annually. In October 2023, the alumni community recognized 49 recipients during an in-person celebration in Washington, D.C. In September 2024, 39 recipients will be recognized during our in-person celebration Baltimore.
ALUMNI WEEKEND
5,377 alumni, guests, students, and friends from nine countries and 45 states, including Puerto Rico, returned to Homewood on April 5-7, 2024, to attend more than 110 events, celebrate 12 milestone reunion classes, and watch the men’s lacrosse team defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions. 1,329 attendees were recent graduates from the classes of 2018-2023 who celebrated at Young Alumni events, including the Friday night Tent Party.
This year also included the 50th Anniversary of Co-education at JHU, with over 100 alums from the Class of 1974, including 14 of the first women to graduate, returning to Baltimore to attend curated events. Watch this video highlighting their on-campus experiences: https://f.io/znMvYPVm (password: hop24)
Registration for Alumni Weekend 2025, April 4-6, opens in January 2025.
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION GOLF OUTING
The Office of Alumni Relations partners with the Carey Business School and other sponsors to host the annual golf outing at Renditions Golf Course in Davidsonville, MD. 52 alumni and friends registered for the 7th annual event last fall; registration will open in mid-July for the October 10th event.
Lifelong Learning
Keeping alumni informed, enriched, and learning for a lifetime through virtual and in-person courses, lectures, resources, and travel opportunities.
ALUMNI JOURNEYS
In 2024, 298 participants traveled to 35 exceptional destinations with Hopkins staff, faculty experts, and local guides who hosted an array of tours. Travelers often have the opportunity to meet fellow alumni from their destination cities, like Bologna, Italy. 30 journeys are currently scheduled for 2025.
HOPKINS AT HOME
The Office of Alumni Relations hosted 39 virtual programs, with notable presenters including academic deans, Bloomberg Distinguished Professors, SNF Agora fellows and Alumni Council members, which blended both live and recorded content for more than 2000 total registrants, and covered topics including What is the Role of Business in Health, In Conversation: The Mental Health Crisis in School Age Children, the implications of making space travel inclusive for people with disabilities and Showcase Series: The Future of Artificial Intelligence.
Hopkins at Home will launch a new series in Fall 2024 called the “Dean’s Notebook” showcasing personal projects and research passions of academic deans.
KNOWLEDGENET
Through a partnership between the Office of Alumni Relations and Sheridan Libraries, alumni accessed KnowledgeNET, the online alumni library and conducted over 75K searches at no cost.
ODYSSEY PROGRAM
In Spring 2024, Odyssey offered 32 non-credit enrichment courses featuring 15 alumni instructors and 386 registrants. Within one year, the program has increased alumni registrant participation 28%. Summer 2024 courses included alumni instructors representing six Johns Hopkins schools.
Odyssey also launched the Odyssey Alumni Academy, a program designed exclusively for alumni and taught by members of the alumni community. Three programs were featured, with two selling out.
Career and Mentoring
Connecting current students with experienced alumni mentors to foster valuable relationships that support academic and career development through shared insights and guidance.
ONEHOP MENTORING
OneHop Mentoring, Johns Hopkins University’s online mentoring and networking platform, has 23,874 total users with 11,280 alumni (3% increase from last year), and 12,222 students (12.5% increase from last year). To date, 59,227 messages have been exchanged between student and alumni users, with 18,564 total message threads (10.8% increase from last year). Feedback remains steady between users, with students and alumni rating their counterparts at 4.58 stars out of 5.
ALUMNI LIFE DESIGN EXPERIENCE (ALDE)
ALDE recently completed its third cohort in July 2024, providing life design education to over 150 alumni participants so far. Participants overwhelmingly rate the 4-week course as “Great” in Net Promoter Scores and follow up surveys.
1:1 MENTORING
One-to-one mentoring continues to serve as the backbone of the OneHop Mentoring platform. Every school hosts at least one formal mentoring program to match students and alumni, and some schools host multiple programs, including shorter term mentoring meetups that also create student/alumni matches on behalf of those mentoring pairs. Additionally, formal mentoring programs have been established for FLI (first-generation, limited income) students, international students, and more.
FIRST-GENERATION/LIMITED-INCOME STUDENTS (FLI)
FLI students have continued to be served by the Mentoring Initiatives Team, Hopkins Connect, with over 60% of the FLI student population engaging in the OneHop Mentoring platform for the ’24-’25 academic year. This is an increase from 48% engagement in ’22-’23 and 25% engagement in ’21-’22. With recent investments in the staffing within the Center for Student Success, Hopkins Connect anticipates even greater avenues to connect FLI students with mentors in the coming year.
Alumni Communities
Reconnecting alumni with the university and the greater Hopkins community through social, cultural, and professional events where they live, back on campus, and online.
IDENTITY AND SHARED INTEREST
Engaging alumni through identities and shared interests, cutting across class years, schools, professions, and locations.
ALUMNI IDENTITY AND EQUITY SUMMIT
In February, the Office of Alumni Relations launched the inaugural 2-day summit at the Bloomberg Center in Washington D.C., with 50 participants representing all nine divisions of Johns Hopkins University, including alumni, faculty, staff, and current Vivien Thomas Scholars.
ALUMNI WEEKEND 2024
The Office of Alumni Relations hosted identity events during Alumni Weekend, including SOBA (Society of Black Alumni) Game Night and Tailgate with 90 registrants; Inter-Asian Alumni Alliance and Global Blue Jays Connections Over Crabcakes with 14 registrants; and Pride Brunch with 42 registrants.
PRIDE
On May 21, the Office of Alumni Relations partnered with the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to celebrate the Class of 2024 during the Lavender Ceremony, a commencement event celebrating LGBTQ graduates universitywide. 115 new graduates were honored.
SOCIETY OF BLACK ALUMNI (SOBA)
In September, SOBA held the 3rd Annual Black Alumni Weekend Program in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., September 21-23, 2023, in collaboration with Future Fest activities, that included four public events with over 150 attendees. Registration will open in August 2024 for the 4th Annual Black Alumni Weekend, scheduled for the week of September 9, 2024, with virtual and in-person activities in Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
The Lift Every Voice Juneteenth Celebration, a collaborative event sponsored by the Black Faculty and Student Association (BFSA), SOBA, and Carey Black Alumni Network (CBAN), gathered 114 participants (virtual and in person) for a panel discussion and the 2024 Indispensable Role of Blacks (IRB) Induction Ceremony.
The virtual Health Equity series, featuring experts in the healthcare space, has engaged 75 participants during two discussions in 2024.
VETERANS AFFINITY GROUP
53 participants registered for the annual ship tour during Fleet Week in New York City over Memorial Day weekend.
WOMEN OF HOPKINS (WOH)
In March, WOH hosted the 12th annual Women’s Leadership Conference: Preparing for the Future: Learning from One Another. 73 registrants for virtual events in March culminated with the sold-out in-person conference at the Bloomberg Center in Washington D.C., which included 165 participants and 19 speakers, 15 of whom were alumni. Planning is currently underway for the 2025 conference, scheduled for Friday, March 21, 2025, at the Bloomberg Center.
WOH also hosted three in-person spring events in Boston, New York City, and Los Angeles with 74 registrants covering topics like optimal leadership and self-compassion skills, crafting authentic leadership, and unraveling societal scripts.
Throughout 2024, 348 participants registered for two events in the virtual series, Portraits: Conversations on Imposter Syndrome, featuring alumni from various backgrounds and industries.
INDUSTRY
Connecting Hopkins alumni though industry communities, covering Arts and Entertainment; Government, Academia, Law, and Policy; Medicine and Healthcare; Technology; and Real Estate, Administration, and Finance.
ARTS, ENTERTAINMENT AND MEDIA
Arts, Entertainment and Media networks hosted three industry events, including a Summer Happy Hour in Los Angeles with the Vice Provost and Vice Dean of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences; an Alumni Panel and Reception at the Radford Studios in Los Angeles, and June Networking Event and Alumni Panel in New York City.
GOVERNMENT AND POLICY
In 2024, there was a renewed focus on Government and Policy networks resulting in a successful holiday industry networking event in Washington, D.C., hosted by Alumni Council members. 130 participants attended the Hopkins on the Hill Alumni Reception and Networking Event on Capitol Hill, in collaboration with the Office of Federal Strategy. Notable attendees included President Daniels, U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, and U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, who earned a master’s degree from JHU in 1984.
HEALTHCARE
60 participants registered for two Healthcare Industry networks events in New York City, including a Summer Networking Reception and Healthcare with Hopkins Happy Hour, which focused on Artificial Intelligence and Healthcare and featured two alumni speakers.
ALUMNI AUTHORS
Three Virtual Spotlight on Alumni Authors events featured Harvard’s Quixotic Pursuit of a New Science with Patrick Schmidt, SAIS ’03, Cowboys & Conductors: Conversations on Horseman-Humanship with Paul Jan Zdunek, Peab ’91 and joined by CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam, and The Defiant Optimist with Durreen Shahnaz, SAIS ’95.
REGIONAL
Gathering Hopkins alumni where they live and work in 50 communities worldwide.
Regional chapters hosted 117 in-person and five virtual events in 35 cities domestically and internationally, with over 4,067 registrants.
Throughout 2024, the Office of Alumni Relations hosted four signature programming series, including Beach Days with Blue Jays, Alumni Crab Feasts, Baseball Games, and Holiday Parties and increased family and Maryland-based programming. The office also provided affordable virtual programming to engage alumni worldwide.
YOUNG ALUMNI
Creating community between Homewood undergraduate alumni of the last decade through customized programming, volunteer opportunities, and social events.
YOUNG ALUMNI COMMUNITIES (YACS)
YACs organized 22 events in eight cities (Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Chicago, San Francisco, Raleigh/Durham).
YOUNG ALUMNI WEEKEND
1,711 alumni and their guests returned to Homewood on October 5-7, 2023, for tailgates, brunches, professional headshots, networking, and more. The weekend wrapped up with the Young Alumni Tent Party and Breakfast in Gilman Tunnel. Registration will open for Young Alumni Weekend 2024, September 20-21, in July 2024.
BLUE JAYS PATHWAYS
42 students from the classes of 2022 and 2023 participated in Blue Jays Pathways last year. This year, Blue Jay Pathways was promoted before graduation for the Class of 2024, and 82 recent graduates are participating in the program. Starting September 4, Young Alumni will be incentivized to attend regional young alumni events across the country to increase recent graduate engagement.
Student Engagement
Increasing awareness and deepening relationships between the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association and the Johns Hopkins student community through sponsored on-campus and virtual programs and touchpoints.
HOPKINS-WIDE PROGRAMS
CONVOCATION AND COMMENCEMENT
The Alumni Association provided 6,325 welcome gifts during Convocation and 8,443 Commencement gifts to engage new and graduating students across all nine divisions.
RING CEREMONY
The Office of Alumni Relations partners with the University Bookstore to promote the class ring to graduating seniors and alumni. The office also sponsors the annual ring presentation ceremony during Commencement Week activities. Over 180 guests attended this year’s ceremony in May, with more than 50 rings purchased.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
ALUMNI STUDENT AMBASSADORS (ASAS)
ASAs are a diverse and select group of undergraduate students who serve as important connectors between current students and alumni, acting as student representatives at various events and meetings. In 2023-2024, 42 students were part of the ASA program, staffi ng 23 alumni events.
CAMPUS EVENTS
The Offi ce of Alumni Relations hosted 29 student programs to raise awareness and enhance connections to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association, including Thankful Thursday and Senior Class events: 100 Days from Graduation, Senior Class Gift, and the Zero Class Dinner, held on Keyser Quad during Alumni Weekend, where seniors receive their first glimpse into reunion activities during Alumni Weekend.
CLASS BANNER COMPETITION
The Alumni Association sponsored the Freshman Class Banner Competition, receiving 55 entries from the Class of 2027. Votes from the Class of 2022 narrowed the pool to the top 10, with the incoming students deciding on the ultimate winner. 71 entries have been submitted from the Class of 2028, with the winner being unveiled during Convocation activities in August 2024.
REUNION HOMECOMING AMBASSADORS (RHAS)
15 students assisted in tabling and volunteer assignments during Young Alumni Weekend and Alumni Weekend.
STUDENT SEND OFFS
Partnering with the First Year Experience team in the Division of Student Aff airs, the Alumni Association facilitated six student send off s nationwide with four alumni hosts, to welcome the Class of 2027. Eight student send off s were planned for the Class of 2028 in Dallas, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Baltimore, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.
Communications
Engaging alumni through social media, newsletter, website, and email communications and platforms.
JOHNS HOPKINS MAGAZINE
The Office of Alumni Relations provides annual funds to support Johns Hopkins Magazine. Through this partnership, the Alumni Association has the opportunity to highlight several alumni stories in each issue of the quarterly magazine, with an emphasis on Giving, Friends for Life, Risk and Reward, Alumni Notebook (focusing on Alumni Association programs and initiatives), and Afterwords (personal articles penned by alumni).
ALUMNI NEWSLETTER: WEEKLY UPDATE
In 2024, over 6 million newsletter emails were sent to Johns Hopkins alumni, with an average open rate of 40% (6% increase) and a click through rate of 1.3% (16% increase). Unsubscribes were .07%, down 15%.
EMAIL
During 2024, the Alumni Association email accounts at alumni@jhu.edu and alumniemail@jhu.edu received over 5,000 emails from alumni, current students, and Hopkins
constituents, covering technical support, reactions to university news, graduation next steps, and more.
Additionally, the Alumni Association sent 386 promotional emails to alumni, with an average open rate of 40.58% (level results year over year) and a click through rate of 5.54% (above industry average).
SOCIAL MEDIA
The Alumni Association’s social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram, and X) created 1,472 total posts, resulting in 42,106 engagements (likes, shares, comments, replies, and link clicks only), with 31,328 likes, 3,310 shares, 1,915 comments. 2,005 followers were added across platforms.
WEBSITE
During 2024, over 145,000 visitors accessed the Alumni Association’s flagship site at alumni.jhu.edu. The launch of the Alumni Association’s new website is scheduled for Fall 2024.
HOPKINS PROMOTERS
The relaunch of Hopkins Promoters, the Alumni Association’s social media ambassadorship program, is scheduled for Fall 2024.
HOPKINS POSSIBLE AND BLUE JAY TUESDAYS
In 2024, the Hopkins Possible Points of Pride campaign moved from a marketing agency-driven paid social media campaign to an organic campaign, led by the Alumni Association. Using Instagram and coordinating with the University’s Blue Jay Tuesdays, the Hopkins Possible social media campaigns ask alumni specific questions about their own Hopkins Possible stories. Nine campaigns ran in 2024 that have generated 2,295 likes and 872 comments, generating leads for new story opportunities.
Supporting students and alumni through fundraising, sponsorships, and grants.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS
ATHLETICS
The Office of Alumni Relations supports undergraduate student athletic programming through its formal annual partnership with the Office of Athletics, which assists with events like the Hall of Fame Dinner.
C a RING
This year, the Office of Alumni Relations partners with divisional colleagues to select one student from each school to receive a complimentary Celestrium Hopkins ring, based upon demonstrated need and interest. This year, the office received 37 applications and awarded 12 class rings, three funded by personal donations from three members of the Johns Hopkins Alumni Council.
COMMENCEMENT
The Office of Alumni Relations contributes to universitywide Commencement, which offsets the costs of regalia for all Johns Hopkins undergraduates, approximately 1,400 students.
SUPPORTING ALUMNI
FUNDRAISING, GIVING DAYS, AND DIVISIONAL SUPPORT
The Johns Hopkins Alumni Association raises annual and endowment funds to support alumni and student programming. On March 14, the Alumni Association raised over $19,000 for programming during the universitywide giving day, ONEHopkins. In 2024, the Alumni Association donated approximately 30% of all funds raised in 2023, over $69,000, to support alumni and student programming at each of JHU’s nine schools.
The office also supports the Senior Class Toast and the School of Medicine’s Yearbook.
EMPOWER YOUR PITCH
The Office of Alumni Relations sponsors Empower Your Pitch, a doctoral research competition created to champion students who have compelling stories to tell through their research. Past judges have included alumni council members, and each year, the Alumni Association sponsors the People’s Choice Award, based on audience and alumni votes.
STUDENT GRANTS
The Office of Alumni Relations and the Johns Hopkins Alumni Council award grants to student groups across the university. In FY2024, 58 grants were awarded to student groups, totaling $63,562, funded by donations to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association annual fund. The 2024-2025 Student Grants cycle will launch in September 2024.
RECOGNITION
For over 11 years, the Alumni Association has been a sponsor for the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing’s An Evening with the Stars, which recognizes nurses from across the Johns Hopkins-affiliated hospitals, preceptors, faculty, students, and staff, and honors innovation and commitment to education and care of patients, families, and communities.
Alumni Council
Providing strategic direction and support for the Alumni Association and representing the interests of the Johns Hopkins alumni community, universitywide.
ANNUAL MEETING AND STUDENT NETWORKING
The 63-member Alumni Council held its fall 2023 in-person meeting at the new Bloomberg Center Washington, D.C., and its spring 2024 meeting during Alumni Weekend in Baltimore. Over 150 students universitywide met and networked with council members during these weekends. 35 students participated in the annual January Alumni Council virtual networking event, an increase of 15 from the previous year.
NEW STRUCTURE
The Council completed its restructuring plans by voting to reduce the council to 35-45 members to improve efficiency. The Council will also reduce its standing committees to two: Membership Engagement and Awards and Grants, and opted to create yearlong working groups.
