President’s Letter to the University Community

Dear UAlbany Community:

As we begin the holiday season, Rosy and I wanted to express our deepest appreciation for everything that you do for our students and on behalf of our communities. We are in awe of your dedication, commitment, and hard work to ensure the success of this great institution. Everything that the University at Albany is, and everything that we accomplish together, is the product of a truly remarkable collective effort.

The past two years have been particularly difficult and impactful as we navigated the consequences and outcomes of a global pandemic. Despite the challenges, you remained steadfast and resilient and continued your excellent work. Yes, there are still many challenges before us, but there are so many opportunities for transformational change. Consequently, we are thankful for our great faculty, staff, and students. We are thankful for everything you do and will continue to do, collectively and collaboratively, to move this institution forward.

At the Fall University Address, I was honored to highlight many faculty, staff, and student accomplishments that showcase how much we have achieved throughout this last year. By now, I also hope you’ve had an opportunity to visit UAlbany’s 2021-22 Year in Review website, a truly energizing collection of stories that exemplify the diversity of ideas, experiences, and perspectives that make UAlbany a uniquely innovative and publicly engaged institution of higher education.

All these stories are the result of years of hard work by faculty, staff, and students and reflect UAlbany’s leadership in Student Success, Research Excellence, Diversity and Inclusion, Internationalization, and Engagement and Service. This national leadership has not gone unnoticed.

In September, UAlbany became the first R1 institution in the northeast to receive the prestigious Seal of Excelencia for its commitment to Latina and Latino student success. We also received a fifth-consecutive HEED Award for our continued and demonstrable commitment to diversity and inclusion. In October, we were among just six institutions nationwide selected to receive $2.5 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Driving Change program to improve retention and graduation among STEM students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. And, earlier this month, UAlbany was designated an Innovation & Economic Prosperity University by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) in recognition of our economic engagement and impact.

Just last week, we celebrated the announcement of the largest faculty cluster hire in University history, which, thanks to $5.2 million in new state funding, will help UAlbany transform its approach to AI teaching and research. In all, UAlbany will be hiring 49 new faculty over the coming year, of which 27 will be in the area of AI. That is extraordinary.

While it is my job to highlight these successes, each of us own them. So, again, thank you for the amazing work that has made all this possible.

As Rosy and I look forward to once again welcoming international students to our home for Thanksgiving dinner, I hope you will use this break to rest and recharge for the closing days of the fall semester.

Rosy and I wish you and your loved ones a warm and festive Thanksgiving.

With my very best regards,

Havidán

Havidán Rodríguez
President