President's Blog: From the Heart

By Eric Spina

Dear Students, Faculty and Staff,

I am thrilled to offer you a warm welcome to the start of the 2016-17 academic year! Together, we embark on a meaningful journey of the mind and heart.

A special welcome to those, like me, who are new to the University. I look forward to your contributions to our community, which has become stronger because of your diverse backgrounds, talents and interests. I thank veteran Flyers for the warm welcome, and ask everyone to embrace our new students and ensure that they have all the support they need.

I have been anxiously awaiting this day since the announcement last September that I would become the next president of this great University. And a great University it is: more than 165 years of distinction and tradition; nearly 115,000 living alumni across the country and around the world; approximately 3,000 full- and part-time employees creating a superb environment for learning and discovery; nearly 11,000 students engaging deeply inside and outside the classroom, gaining skills and abilities that will help to make the world and our city better; and researchers, faculty, staff and students conducting more than $100 million of high-impact research annually.

The Marianist charism, woven throughout the fabric of our history, has helped us form a community deeply committed to faith, knowledge and social justice.

I wish everyone a joyful and successful year, one in which we work together to learn, discover and serve others. Every day, let’s celebrate what we have in common and honor our differences, which always make us stronger and richer.

May all of us be cloaked in Mary’s love.

Warm regards,

Eric F. Spina
President

P.S. For snapshots of my daily life with the campus community, please follow me on Instagram and Twitter, both at DaytonPrezSpina.