Giving thanks for our UAlbany community

Dear UAlbany Community,

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday—and the end of the Fall 2021 semester—I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge how thankful I am for our amazing University community. It is striking to think back to one year ago, Thanksgiving 2020. At that time, no vaccines were available, many families cancelled plans due to the escalating spread of the virus, and we ended our semester via remote education.

A year later, thanks to the advent of effective vaccines, we are in a much better place. Yes, COVID-19 is still with us, but we have far more mobility and can gather safely. Rosy and I always enjoy welcoming international students to our home for Thanksgiving dinner, and we are greatly looking forward to doing so again this year.

Whether I’m stepping into the bustling Campus Center, cheering on the Great Danes with back-to-normal crowds at our athletics events, or just seeing students pour out of Lecture Center classrooms—I am filled with gratitude for the very hard work and commitment that have allowed us to reach this moment. We have certainly been through a lot. But we have also been incredibly resourceful, creative and resilient in the face of our challenges.

One of the ways UAlbany showed drive and perseverance was through the completion of our magnificent new ETEC facility, where we held a ribbon-cutting last week with faculty, staff and students—along with many community members and friends. Thanks to everyone who made this celebration a tremendous success.

I also shared a long list of faculty, staff and student accomplishments at the Fall University Address—yet another opportunity to showcase how far we’ve come and how much we’ve achieved throughout this extraordinary year.

Again, I want to thank everyone for the amazing work and progress that has taken place here at UAlbany. And I am confident that in a couple of weeks, we will be finishing the semester as we started it (another reason to be grateful!). Meanwhile, Rosy and I wish you and your loved ones a warm and festive Thanksgiving.
 

With my very best regards,

Havidán Rodríguez
President