January 2, 2019

Dear UD Community,

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed a restful break and you are as excited as I am about the year ahead. Last year was full of new opportunities and progress for all of us at the University of Delaware, with many special moments captured in this highlight video. As we look to 2019, we are building on this momentum with renewed energy and vigor.

Already, we are starting off the New Year with initiatives poised for development and growth – including the recently named Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, the new Data Science Institute, the groundbreaking for the new Whitney Athletic Center and Delaware Stadium renovation, and new and continuing educational and research programs focused on student success. We have so much ahead for our great University, and you are an important part of a journey toward scholarly achievement, personal growth and development that we will all share together.

As we enter the 276th year in the University of Delaware’s legacy of innovation, we are collaborating with a holistic perspective across disciplines in pursuit of knowledge and discovery, empowered to make meaningful impact. As a world-class academic institution, we will continue to create a bright, boundless future for our society. I encourage you all to embrace new challenges with passion and focus, whether you are traveling for the winter term, exploring a new disciplinary area of study or discovering unexpected inspiration around you for renewed creativity and innovation.

Looking ahead, we will keep learning and building on our successes. We will continue to enhance our dynamic campus culture by reaching out to new and diverse audiences, like our students in the pioneering Spectrum Scholars program, enhancing access to excellence. We will add inspiring faculty to our ranks as we expand our STAR Campus and reinvigorate The Green to ensure our students, faculty and staff have great places to do their best work. As an engaged university, we also will continue to build our community partnerships to strengthen public education, community health, quality of life and access to arts and culture.

Eleni and I are very proud to be part of a community that is driven by exceptional achievements and values to learn, develop, advance and support one another as we look to another year ahead. You all inspire us, and we wish you much health, happiness and success in 2019.

Sincerely,

Dennis Assanis President