President's Blog: From the Heart
My Heartfelt Welcome
By Eric F. Spina
As the fall semester begins, President Eric F. Spina welcomes students, faculty and staff to the University of Dayton, "a truly remarkable — even magical — place, full of great purpose and boundless possibilities."
Dear Students, Faculty, and Staff,
I warmly welcome you to the opening of the 2019-20 academic year, with a special heartfelt greeting to all new students, faculty, and staff who have joined the University of Dayton family.
This is our community. We all contribute to the strength and special nature of the UD community with the diverse gifts and talents each of us brings to our classes, our work, our leisure, and our interpersonal interactions — every day.
For those of you new to UD, you will quickly discover that we continue to build for the future as we respect — and cherish — our heritage as a Catholic, Marianist university that welcomes all.
Roesch Library has been transformed into an open, airy library of the future, complete with flexible, collaborative spaces, an artist's gallery, and a "Dialogue Zone" designed to facilitate civil discourse on challenging issues. Envisioned as a “front porch” for the Dayton community, the newly constructed 1401 S. Main Street Building will soon house the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, the Dayton Foundation, and the Dayton Development Coalition — serving as a national model for how universities collaborate with community partners. And we're putting finishing touches on the final phase of the UD Arena transformation, just in time for another thrilling Dayton Flyers basketball season. We also welcome a wonderful new class of faculty eager to engage UD students, and key staff members in offices across the University ready to support learning, teaching, research, and engagement.
As I enter my fourth year as president (I’m a senior!), I'm convinced more than ever that this is a truly remarkable — even magical — place, full of great purpose and boundless possibilities. I wish you an extraordinary year, one in which we embark on a journey of the mind, heart, and soul — together.
May God's grace and infinite wisdom fill all of our lives.
Warm regards,
Eric F. Spina
President