By Kylie Jordan, Social media manager
The University of Montevallo launched MomentUM by dedicating the Center of the Arts building to Alan and Lindsey Song. The dedication ceremony took place on Oct. 12 on UM’s 127th Founders Day.
MomentUM is a campaign started by the university to raise money for student scholarships, campus upkeep and investing in new technology for students, faculty and staff. MomentUM aims to raise $30 million, with $26 million already raised by the time of its public launch.
The campaign priorities detailed by the university are student access, affordability and success, academic program support and capital project support.
Alan and Lindsey Song were the keynote speakers at the 2023 Spring Commencement. There, they shared their respect for the University of Montevallo’s high quality of academics. They also pledged to donate $1 million to the MomentUM campaign.
Lindsey Song is a 2006 graduate of the University of Montevallo with a Bachelor of Arts degree. While attending UM, she served as philanthropy chair for the sorority Phi Mu. Lindsey Song continues her passion for art by painting and creating pottery in her studio.
Alan Song came to the United States as a refugee from Vietnam. He is a graduate of Duke University. Alan Song is the co-founder and chief technology officer for Precision Microbiology and Double Helix Specialists. He also served as former vice president of Assurance Scientific Laboratories and technical supervisor for Alabama Pain Physicians.
Alan Song helped develop and implement testing for UTIs, respiratory diseases and other diseases across the country. In 2019, Song helped create one of the first COVID-19 PCR tests available.
The dedication started with a ribbon cutting outside the Alan and Lindsey Song Center of the Arts, where university president Dr. John Stewart recognized two Board of Trustees members, Judge Matt Fridy and Cynthia Todd along with “the family of the hour,” Alan and Lindsey Song.
The ceremony continued inside, where Stewart and Alan and Lindsey Song spoke about the campaign and their contributions to it.
“We ourselves feel what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean,” Alan Song said, “but the ocean would be less without the drop.”
Song said he hopes this small drop can create ripples that impact the lives of students to come.
Song ended his speech by thanking the University of Montevallo.
“We are definitely where we belong,” Song said.
The ceremony ended with Kelli Holmes, Executive Director of Advancement at UM, and Stewart giving the Songs an artist rendering of the Alan and Lindsey Song Center of the Arts.
