June 9, 2023

Dear Faculty and Staff,

What an amazing academic year we have had at the University of Delaware! I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your hard work and dedication in achieving our shared goals of making a transformative impact on our students and the world. I am so proud of everything you have accomplished this year.

It was wonderful to see many of you at the UDidIt! Picnic earlier this week; more than 2,500 employees gathered on The Green to enjoy great food, music and camaraderie. Earlier, we celebrated the Class of 2023 at an inspirational Commencement ceremony and welcomed thousands of Blue Hens back to campus for Alumni Weekend. Each of these events — like so many other moments throughout the year — is a reminder of what makes UD great: our people. In whatever role you play at UD, your commitment to our students and the entire community is truly admirable.

To help recognize the valuable contributions of UD staff members, we are launching the Staff Excellence Award Program this fall. Each semester, three individuals and one team will each be recognized with this award, which comes with a monetary prize. Members of the UD community may nominate their colleagues for the awards; Human Resources will share detailed information about the program this fall. Faculty excellence awards will continue to be presented through the Faculty Senate.

Over the next few months, we will begin to welcome a new class of Blue Hens into our community, and I am excited to continue working with you to ensure that they — and all our students — have an outstanding academic and campus experience at UD.

My wife, Eleni, and I wish you a safe and enjoyable summer.

Sincerely,

Dennis Assanis President