With great excitement, I am so pleased to welcome the Blue Class of 2017 to Trinity!  This weekend and throughout the next ten days, we will welcome more than 300 new students to the College of Arts and Sciences, both new first year students (Blue Class of 2017) and new transfer students who soon will discover their class colors in the upperclass years.

We are also so pleased to welcome several hundred new students to the School of Education, School of Professional Studies and School of Nursing and Health Professions.  Welcome!

Our new students join the Trinity Community at a time of great excitement and forward progress.  Over the course of the next few weeks, I will have occasions to brief students, faculty and staff on our exciting plans for the new Trinity Academic Center — the planning work is starting with architects and construction managers, and we are looking forward to moving ahead with an ambitious timetable for this project.

The Orientation Schedule is packed with great sessions and opportunities for our new students to learn the ropes for student success at Trinity.  I look forward to meeting all new students during the orientation sessions in the next ten days.

We are already looking forward to the many traditional celebrations that the fall season brings, including Cap and Gown Weekend on September 28-29.  Cap & Gown is a wonderful time for celebration as our seniors earn the right to wear their caps and gowns, and the campus community comes together for many festivities. Freshwomen will learn the secret ritual of winning their class banner, and all will wear class colors with pride during that weekend.

We have welcomed some wonderful new leaders to our staff over the summer, and I am so pleased to introduce these colleagues to our community:

• Dr. Karen Gerlach joins Trinity as our new Vice President for Student Affairs.  With long experience in student activities at American University, Dr. Gerlach will provide strong leadership and excellent management oversight of all student activities, programs, clubs and organizations, student government, residence life, athletics, Campus Ministry, Health Services and all related areas of non-academic student affairs.  She will work very closely with Dean of Students Michele Bowie, Campus Minister Sr. Mary Ellen Dow, Athletics Director Tracy Renken, Residence Life Director Cat Hopkins, and all other administrators who work together to make student life the best possible experience at Trinity.
• Dr. Hugh Dempsey joins our team in the Development Office.  As our new Vice President for Development, Dr. Dempsey is responsible for leading Trinity’s capital campaign, annual fund and all fund raising programs.  Raising money is essential to achieve Trinity’s goals, and Dr. Dempsey will be a great leader for this endeavor.
• New colleagues are joining the team in Residence Life, Academic Advising and other key positions, and I will be updating this list and introducing them to the campus community in subsequent emails.

Sadly, we also have said goodbye to some amazing colleagues who have had to move on for various reasons.  We already miss Director of Health Services Maureen Baxter who was tireless in extending so much great healthcare to our students, faculty and staff, SNDs and so many others.  She has moved to Florida to be closer to her family, and she goes with our profound gratitude and deep thanks.

Dr. Gerlach is leading a search for the new Director of Health Services and we will announce that appointment very soon.

Much more to come, but for now, WELCOME to all new students, faculty and staff!  WELCOME BACK to all returning students, faculty and staff!