Dear Colleagues,
As the semester winds down, commencement is done, and the holiday season begins in earnest, it is a good time for reflection. We have had a very eventful year, with the naming of the Voiland College, skyrocketing enrollments, record research and scholarly activity, the addition of numerous new faculty and staff, multiple lab and studio renovations, and construction of our first building in 20 years. It’s been a great year, and now we have a moment to take a break before it all starts again.
The holidays are a time for rejuvenation, but also for gratitude and generosity. Speaking of which, I would like to share this with you, out of this week’s PACCAR Building weekly construction report, which was out today. This picture and the quote following it both appeared in the report.
“The jobsite collected toys for the local kids that aren’t as fortunate during the holidays. As a team, we decided that helping out kids in need and putting a smile on their face this holiday season would be the best way to pay it forward. Our construction crew gathered to take a picture with all of the generous toy donations. Happy Holidays from the PACCAR Environmental Technology Building construction crew!”
I cannot think of a better way to thank the construction crew than to respond with a matching toy drive of our own. If you would like to participate in the VCEA response to the Paccar Building construction crew toy drive, please bring your donated toys (unwrapped) to the Dean’s Office from now until December 24. We will gather up whatever is donated from VCEA and deliver the donated toys to the PACCAR Environmental Technologies Building construction crew as our contribution to their generous efforts. Thank you for anything you care to donate!
I wish you all a very happy holiday season, and I hope you have a calm and restful break.
Candis Claiborn, Professor and Dean