While many believe that Wright State is the best kept secret in the Miami Valley, it is no secret that we continue to produce informed citizens who, irrespective of discipline, critically evaluate and contribute to the global community.

Excellent teachers have always labored in the vineyards of delayed gratification. Although it may take many years to see the full harvest of our labors, we know that vineyard production is more effective when the environment is nurturing. As scholars in the academy, teachers bring expertise from their disciplinary research and service in many areas for which Wright State is nationally and internationally known. I intend to support this strong tradition of academic excellence.

My immediate plans include continuing a modest teaching load for undergraduate and graduate students. This labor of love, which crosses several colleges, will help me to retain an appreciation for the significant effort that good teaching requires.

The time that I have recently spent visiting with internal and external constituents has allowed me to share my thoughts and values and to increase my understanding of the aspirations and successes that define us. These information-sharing sessions are helping me to develop long-term goals for the university. I will share these goals with the Wright State community during the inaugural installation ceremony on Nov. 20, 1998, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at the Nutter Center.

Please join me in launching the "Spirit of Innovation for the 21st Century:" a spirit that began in the community and is now embodied in the faculty, staff and students at Wright State University.

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