The calendar has been full this week (I think this is getting to be a habit!).  We had an Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) accreditation reaffirmation site visit team on campus reviewing our Aviation program.  Our program was the first in the nation to undergo AABI’s new outcomes-based assessment process five years ago, and the faculty have continued to provide leadership to the profession through advancement of the accreditation process. With the increasing demand for pilots and airport managers, and the strong relationships that our faculty have with the aviation industry, we see strong potential for growth in our professional aviation and aviation management programs. On Tuesday, I made a trip to Shreveport to visit with some community leaders about the educational needs and opportunities in the area.  Vice President for Research Stan Napper and I also visited with the Cyber Innovation Center in Bossier City to get updates and plan next steps for several major initiatives that we are working on with them.  Our activities in the Shreveport-Bossier community are stronger than ever and we intend for those activities to increase. On Wednesday, we had a visit from the President and Chief Scientist of Riverside Research Institute, a not-for-profit defense contractor based in Washington, DC, and Dayton, Ohio.  We signed an agreement to jointly pursue new academic and research initiatives in areas related to national security, particularly in the area of cyber security – http://news.latech.edu/2013/10/02/louisiana-tech-riverside-research-partner-to-pursue-academic-research-initiatives/. I am very proud of my administrative team who work tirelessly to ensure that Louisiana Tech retains its momentum as a positive force for the State of Louisiana.  This team of loyal and dedicated administrators keeps their focus on our students to ensure that we are providing them with the highest quality educational experience.  They also clearly demonstrate that they care about the success of our faculty and staff.  I thank them for their tremendous leadership and support. Finally, we are thrilled that our student Eco-marathon team has been invited to do a practice lap with their award-winning diesel urban design car “Hot Rod” just prior to the Houston Grand Prix race on Saturday.  This team continues to bring Louisiana Tech great international recognition. Congratulations, students!