Did you know that the Executive Vice President of State Street Corporation, a global financial services company worth $2 trillion, is a 1987 UMass Dartmouth alumnus of the Charlton College of Business? Jeff Conway oversees State Street's data and analytics organization and until recently, he headed their business in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. When I met Jeff last Monday in Boston, he offered to speak on campus, serve on the Chancellor's Advisory Council, and provide opportunities for our students. Having won accolades for leadership, he is a sterling role model for us.

Congratulations to student leader Josh Encarnacion, who has just been hired at Google as a Staffing Services Associate!  Aside from his past service as a UMass System Student Trustee and his leadership on student initiatives including What's Up UMassD?, Relay for Life, and the Freshman Formal, Josh is currently fundraising to create a UMass Dartmouth Class of 2014 Scholarship Endowment. Josh is graduating soon, and we will miss certainly him.

It was a delightful surprise to meet Dean Cassell for the first time in December when he established the Ruth and Dean Cassell Student Scholarship Endowment for UMass Dartmouth students. Dean has been President of no less than four corporations: Titleist, Dunlop Sports, Merrill Lynch Realty, and Fine Homes International. His background as a former minor league pitcher, how Boston Red Sox scholarship funding supported his Bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina, and how his signing bonus with the Philadelphia Phillies financed his MBA at Harvard University, has made him keenly cognizant of the strong linkage between athletics and student success. Dean has been teaching sports management as a part-time lecturer at the Charlton College of Business. How fortunate we are to have a phenomenally successful businessman -- and a Shakespeare enthusiast -- teach our undergraduate students!  

What serendipity when my family and I spent our holiday in Eleuthera that we met Ann and Clyde Bethel of Island Farms, whose daughter Rea is a junior marketing student at UMass Dartmouth. What a small world! Rea, Ann, and I ended up watching the famous Junkanoo Festival together, enjoying the elaborate costumes, energetic dancing, and rhythmic music.

Kudos to Chancellor Professor Jefferson Turner, who was recently appointed to the Editorial Board of the prestigious Elsevier journal Harmful Algae! Prof. Turner recently published a review article titled "Planktonic Marine Copepods and Harmful Algae," work that has pressing implications for the health of coastal New England waters and the toxicity levels of shellfish.

I reiterate our heartfelt compliments to Police Chief Emil Fioravanti and CIO Donna Massano and their respective teams for the award they received on December 19 from the Massachusetts Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. The award highlighted the outstanding support they provided to our campus community, the Massachusetts State Police, and the FBI in our campus response to the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing in April.

How about some enthusiastic applause for our Corsairs men's basketball team for their 80-66 Little East Conference triumph over Western Connecticut State University Colonials on January 9 and the 73-57 victory against the University of Southern Maine Huskies last Saturday! Thanks to our head coach Brian Baptiste for the stellar reputation our team is building as among the best in the NCAA Division III.

My profound compliments to Provost Karim and his team including Magali Carrera, Tesfay Meressi, Lou Goodman, Ian Day, David Milstone, and Joanne Zanella-Litke for the fine job they did in synthesizing the many strategic plans from our subcommittees, task forces, and colleges and schools, into one document. UMassDTransform2020 is moving fast toward completion in April.

Have a great week, everyone!