Meet Founding Four Alum Diane Tichnell ‘70
Diane Tichnell '70 (third from left) celebrates the publication of This Belongs To Us with fellow book editors Mimi Dietrich, Bob Dietrich, and Dale Gough. Photo by Marlayna Demond '11.
Meet Diane Tichnell ’70, a political science graduate of UMBC’s very first class of Retrievers. As a member of UMBC’s “Founding Four” group of alums from the university’s first four graduating years, Diane has stayed involved with her alma mater, participating as an editor of “This Belongs To Us,” a collection of Founding Four stories, and establishing the Tichnell Aging Gracefully Graduate Scholarship to support students in the Erickson School of Aging Studies. We hope you enjoy meeting Diane and learning about her journey as much as we did.
Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you?
A: I have been a loyal Retriever since that first day on campus, Sept. 19, 1966, and have tried my best throughout the development of my family life, career, and alumni activities to maintain that Retriever spirit!
Q: What would you want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you found here?
A: Frankly, once you are a member of the UMBC community, you are a member of a solid family! You are always welcome on campus. Faculty, staff, and even the students take time to chat with an alum!
One of Tichnell’s passions since 1988 has been participating in Toastmasters International speaking group. Here she is at a recent District 18 conference. Photo courtesy of Tichnell.
Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.
A: Mimi Haw Dietrich ’70 has encouraged me through her continuous involvement and support of UMBC to maintain contact with our Retriever roots consistently. Together with two other alums we feel we have helped to preserve some of our Founding Four history by editing a collection of stories by Retrievers on campus those first four years and publishing the collection this year.
Q: Tell us what you love about being involved as an alum.
A: The UMBC Alumni Association reaches out frequently to keep alumni engaged in and aware of all the great things happening within the thriving, growing UMBC community. We stay connected no matter where we are in the world. The connection is lifelong and beyond! The association can help an individual stay engaged through a number of legacy giving opportunities, which can actually extend long after life ends!
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.