It has been great to have a few days off to be with family and friends during this holiday season.  Kathy and I enjoyed the first few days in the President’s home with our two oldest sons and their wives.  We also got to visit with our mothers, siblings, nephews, and nieces. We spent the last few days in Jacksonville, FL visiting with our youngest son, his wife, and our grandson. Now, it is time to get back to work and prepare for the year ahead.  While there remains much uncertainty and numerous challenges, I am confident that this will turn out to be another good year for Louisiana Tech. We have been heavily involved in planning and development, and with continued vigilance, should see some very positive things happen during 2014. Growth of our student body, particularly full-time undergraduate and graduate students, will continue to be our top focus. Our entire team is on board and committed to recruiting, retention, and student success.  We are hoping to have a bigger and stronger freshman class this Fall, eclipsing last Fall’s record increase in size and entry scores. We will also reach out to meet educational and workforce needs across the region. Our faculty will continue to excel and innovate in the classroom and laboratory, providing our students with unparalleled learning experiences. We have plans to enhance key learning outcomes for our students through some innovative interdisciplinary activities. All of this will enhance the value of a Louisiana Tech education and diploma. Our faculty will also continue to be productive in their research and scholarly activities, and will engage our undergraduate and graduate students in these activities. Despite stiffer competition, our faculty will continue to be productive in winning major grants and contracts. And our faculty and students will continue to showcase their talents in performances and exhibits. I expect several faculty to be recognized internationally for their accomplishments, all helping to raise the stature of Louisiana Tech as a national research university. Our faculty will continue to be highly productive in producing patents, licenses, and partnerships with industry. I expect some significant developments this year that will clearly demonstrate the importance of Louisiana Tech as a key driver of economic development along the I-20 corridor in North Louisiana. Our students will continue to excel in the classroom and will be in high demand by employers.  Tech graduates are among the highest paid in the state, as recognized by Payscale.com, and have demonstrated considerable success in their careers and in their communities. Some of this can be attributed to the leadership, communications, teamwork, and other skills that our students learn through our student organizations, extra-curricular activities, and service learning activities. We will continue to see our students increasingly involved in those activities this year thanks to strong student leadership and the commitment of the Division of Student Affairs. Our athletics programs and student athletes will continue to improve and compete for conference championships and national recognition, both in and out of the classroom. A strong recruiting class, continued maturing of student athletes, high expectations of our athletics staff, and continued development of facilities and external support will lay the foundation for increased competitiveness and prominence. Tech’s athletics program provides many benefits to the institution and is key in marketing the institution nationally. Our administration and staff will develop a campus master plan that will serve as a basis for future facilities development and enhancement. This will help us wisely plan for growth and use our resources most effectively to enhance the campus environment. I expect us to break ground and make new facilities announcements throughout this year, with special thanks to the strong and generous support of our alumni and friends. We will also be reaching out to our alumni all across the country. We will be having more meetings with alumni in various venues beginning with a get-together in Alexandria on January 21. We look forward to meeting regularly with more alumni and friends to share the great happenings at Louisiana Tech, and to demonstrate how their support enables Tech and the entire region to achieve greater educational competitiveness and economic prosperity. Louisiana Tech has always looked forward, set ambitious goals, and planned for success.  Your continued involvement and contributions will play a significant role in Tech’s success in 2014.