| Dear Lawrentians: Happy New Year, and welcome back to campus for the start of our winter term! I hope you all had a restful and rejuvenating break. As we return to our shared purpose of learning, creating, and growing, I am excited to begin another chapter in the life of our vibrant community. This term brings with it some of the most cherished traditions at Lawrence. From continuing to celebrate the Conservatory’s 150th anniversary—a remarkable milestone honoring a legacy of artistic excellence—to long-standing campus favorites like LUgge, Winter Carnival, the Great Midwest Trivia Contest, Cultural Expressions, and the President’s Ball, winter at Lawrence is a season of joy, creativity, and community. I encourage everyone to join in these traditions, which highlight the warmth and energy that make our campus so special. Among these incredible traditions is our annual Winter Convocation on January 24. I want to thank the convocation committee for developing a compelling program, which includes a keynote address from Patricia Smith. Patricia Smith is the award-winning author of eight critically acclaimed books of poetry, a Guggenheim fellow, a Civitellian, a National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient, and a four-time champion of the National Poetry Slam. She is also a professor at the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University. I look forward to seeing many of you in the Memorial Chapel as we welcome Patricia Smith to Lawrence for her convocation remarks. I am thrilled to announce an extraordinary accomplishment by our faculty: Gregory Hitch, Sigma Colón, Jason Brozek, Andrew Knudsen, and Claire Kirven have been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation. This grant will support their collaboration with the College of the Menominee Nation on the project “Environmental Justice in the Watershed of the Menominee Nation.” This initiative exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary work and community partnership, addressing critical issues while advancing Lawrence’s mission of academic excellence and social impact. Congratulations to all involved for this significant achievement! Lastly, I want to offer my congratulations to two of our recent alumni for being recognized by Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Education list. Alec Nguyen ’23 and Austin “Hung” Nguyen ’23 earned a spot on this prestigious publication for their start-up Afforai, an AI-powered citation manager. Alec and Austin presented their idea in The Pitch, a regional competition featuring startup ideas from students at universities across northeast Wisconsin, and have since grown the platform substantially, serving over 100,000 users. Congratulations, Alec and Austin! As we embark on this new term, let us embrace the opportunities it brings to connect, collaborate, and create. Winter is a time of introspection and transformation, and together, we will continue to make strides that reflect the values and aspirations of our Lawrence community. I look forward to seeing you at our winter events and celebrating the incredible work happening across campus. Best wishes for a successful and fulfilling term! Warm wishes, Laurie A. Carter President |