As we prepare to say goodbye to 2020, we want to share with you a few bright spots—images of our faculty, staff, students and friends of the college who have continued to support our efforts in spite of the challenges we’ve faced during the pandemic. Every day, we are privileged to work and learn with a remarkable and inspiring group of individuals who balance learning, research, teaching and service to the community, even in the face of extreme adversity.

We are entering the holiday season—a time that has always been about coming together to share a meal and spend time with family, and this is probably the most unusual Thanksgiving any of us will ever experience. We’re being advised not to do what is our natural tendency—to gather with the people we care about the most. This is a hard request after nine months of sheltering in place.

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

Spring quarter 2020 has been a challenge for all of us, with a pandemic in full swing, the difficulties of teaching, learning and working online, and most recently, the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the resulting protests nationwide.

I have struggled to find the words that express my shock, anger, sadness and despair. As an African American mother of an adult son, watching the George Floyd video on television triggered feelings of fear, distress and worry for all my family members.

The one word that keeps coming to mind as we collectively reinvent our day-to-day lives is resilience. While these changes to our world were brought about suddenly, our college is adapting well and remains flexible in our efforts to educate our dedicated students, conduct essential research and engage the public in new ways. Even though we are all sheltering in place, our spring remains incredibly busy and full of online activity.

These last few weeks have brought about a lifetime of change for many of us. We are living through an unprecedented time, and I want to thank each of you for your extraordinary efforts and incredible resilience.