We were pleased to welcome Robert Kaplan, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, to Ruston and Louisiana Tech on Monday. Mr. Kaplan was here to learn more about North Louisiana’s economy, to make connections with business and community leaders, and to help us understand more about the Federal Reserve Bank. I participated in an early morning breakfast with him and several leaders from different industry sectors, and we had a very engaging discussion on topics ranging from energy and agriculture to technology and education. After another meeting at Squire Creek, Mr. Kaplan came to the DAC to speak to almost 400 business and community leaders from across the I-20 corridor. Following that meeting, I was pleased to welcome him to my conference room where we had discussions about higher education with senior administrators from universities across the region. Perhaps the most exciting part of Mr. Kaplan’s visit was a Q&A session with our students moderated by College of Business Dean Chris Martin. The room was packed with students and the event was broadcast to an overflow crowd in other rooms.  Another great day for Louisiana Tech! Tuesday morning, I had meetings with VP for University Advancement Brooks Hull and AD Tommy McClelland. After that, I met with one of our international students to hear some of the special challenges and needs faced by our international students. These students add so much to the college experience of all Tech students by exposing each other to a more global understanding and appreciation of diverse cultures. Later Tuesday, I met with one of our freshmen students and his parents to provide some encouragement and guidance. Later Tuesday, I met with a small group of African American student leaders to better understand some of their challenges and to explore how we can enhance opportunities for them while creating a more diverse student body. I stopped by the Tech bookstore on Tuesday afternoon to visit with Dr. William Green who was there for a book signing for his new book “Doc, Did I wake you up?” William is a DVM and is one of the most loved professors at Louisiana Tech. So many of our pre-vet students credit him for their success in Veterinary Schools, and he has had many other positive impacts on our campus.       Kathy and I stopped by Argent Pavilion later Tuesday afternoon to visit with the faculty, staff and students associated with our Adult Fitness program. That program, directed by Rhonda Boyd, has been in existence since 1973 and has provided a great resource for senior citizens in our community to keep healthy, active and fit in a social environment, while also providing a great clinical environment for our kinesiology students.       On Wednesday, I had a brief meeting with former VP for Finance & Administration Joe Thomas followed by meetings with several other faculty and staff. After an afternoon meeting with our Athletics Council, I was pleased to welcome numerous students and faculty in my conference room for an awards ceremony. Awards were presented to several undergraduate and graduate students in each of our colleges for their presentations and posters at our recent Research Symposium. Special thanks to Melinda Bryan and our other faculty who coordinated this event and worked with our students in these research efforts.     Thursday morning began with a meeting with VP for R&D Stan Napper to catch up on many of our research programs and activities. I also met with several others before convening our Administrative and Planning Council that afternoon. Thursday evening, Kathy and I attended an art show and auction at the Rawle Enterprise Center. The show featured the art work of our students from a digital painting class taught by Nick Bustamante with the support of biosciences professor Jamie Newman and biomedical engineering professor Mary Caldorera-Moore. This team came together to produce a truly interdisciplinary experience for the students in doing art for scientific illustrations. The auction went quite well and they raised over $5,000 to continue the program for the future. Friday was filled with University Foundation Board meetings and a dinner recognizing many of Tech’s greatest benefactors.