Dear Marquette colleagues,
Today should have concluded with the celebration of our faculty at the annual Père Marquette Dinner, and a little over a month from now we should be celebrating our exceptional staff at the Excellence in University Service Awards. I look forward to these events every year as we recognize Marquette University’s greatest asset – our amazing people.
It is truly unfortunate that this year’s awards celebrations were canceled, as I am not sure there has ever been a time in Marquette’s history when our faculty and staff have demonstrated a greater commitment to living our Catholic, Jesuit mission through serving others. There have been challenges beyond the pandemic that we have faced together – from navigating the headwinds of higher education to the tragic passing of our colleague and friend, Dr. Joe Daniels. I have been fondly remembering the 2018 Père Marquette Dinner when Joe hosted the event and showed off some impressive comedic skills – mainly at my expense.
Your innovative spirit, resiliency and care for each other during this challenging and uncertain year have been inspiring, and your response to the COVID-19 crisis has been incredible to witness. At this week’s virtual Board of Trustees meeting, I consistently heard praise for the way our faculty and staff collectively tackled this unbelievable situation head-on. I have never been prouder to be at Marquette. Your efforts have helped us to survive this semester, and by working together we will emerge and persevere into a strong recovery.
As we close this unforgettable academic year, please accept my sincere gratitude for all your outstanding and tireless work. Know that your exceptional character is noticed as you continue to give your best to your students and colleagues amidst the extra demands faced by working from home. My commitment to you as we continue our planning efforts for the next academic year is that when we are able to reopen campus, our decisions will be informed by medical experts with the well-being of our community as the top priority.
Thank you for showing me what it means to “Be the Difference” during these extraordinary times.
Gratefully,
Dr. Michael R. Lovell
President
Marquette University
