I was pleased to be in the office this week following a long Easter week-end. My long-time friend and colleague, Stan Napper, stopped by for an early Tuesday morning meeting to catch up on things. Stan and I often met early in the morning as we worked together in Bogard Hall and Wyly Tower over the years. So much of what Tech has accomplished over the years can be attributed to Stan, and I am grateful for his continued friendship. Provost Terry McConathy and I began a series of “Town Hall” meetings with our colleges on Tuesday morning. Our goals were to listen to those things that are important to our faculty & staff while answering any questions that they may have. We met with three of our five colleges this week, and the feedback has been very helpful to me. We will continue to work on the things that were highlighted in our discussions. Terry and I look forward to meeting with other colleges and groups of faculty & staff in the coming weeks.     I also had meetings with members of my administrative team to get updates on various projects. And I enjoyed several meetings with students and prospective students. These students always inspire me with their talents and aspirations. One student stopped by to invite me to greet participants at an upcoming Special Olympics event. As I began to chat with him, I found out that he is pursuing double majors in Cyber and Electrical Engineering, is taking 15 credits per quarter (every quarter), and is involved in service organizations. He came to Tech from McKinney, Texas, and is planning to go to Stanford when he graduates from Tech. Other meetings this week included our Student Technology Fee Board and the Computer Information Systems Advisory Council. The STFB consists of representatives of SGA who evaluate and recommend campus-wide proposals for technology enhancements. I am always pleased with the thoughtful deliberations of this group in spending over $1M per year to enhance our campus. The CIS Council represents alumni and corporate partners who advise our CIS faculty and leadership on program activities.  Their advice and support is so important to Tech’s success in providing great educational experiences for our students. On Wednesday evening, I traveled to Shreveport to attend a reception for the partners and investors of a new high-tech start-up company that is locating in the area. One of our alumni is providing leadership for this company. I believe the company has incredible high-growth potential based upon the expertise and history of success of their leadership team in the digital gaming platform field, and the global reach and strength of their investors. A significant factor in their location regionally is the access to talent provided by Louisiana Tech students and graduates. Here are a few of my favorite pics for the week: