Joining the U of A Community
Dear U of A community,
I couldn’t be more excited to join the University of Arizona community in a few weeks. We welcomed our students to the University of Vermont for the 2024-25 academic year last week with some of my favorite campus traditions, made all the more bittersweet given my upcoming transition. I am grateful and proud of what we have accomplished as a community at UVM, and I will greatly miss our Catamount students. At least my cheers of “Go Cats!” will still ring out with pride for both Vermont and Arizona, and I am eager and ready to arrive at the U of A next month to begin to help build upon its richly deserved reputation of excellence.
Lakshmi and I look forward with great anticipation to joining the Tucson and southern Arizona community that is so distinctive and rich in culture, and that is situated in a place of unique natural beauty and wonderful people. I have enjoyed my recent visits and had the opportunity to see “A” Mountain up close and make stops at El Charro and La Estrella Bakery (ok, and eegees too). It is becoming clear to me why Tucson was the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the United States.
My visits also gave me the chance to experience firsthand the love that the local community has for the university, and it is clear why. This is a world-class institution with outstanding students, faculty, and staff, premier programs in areas ranging from space sciences to the arts, championship-caliber student-athletes, and deeply loyal alumni and supporters around the world. I greatly appreciate the generosity of spirit of everyone I have met so far and your remarkable dedication to the university. I thank President Robbins for his leadership, which has positioned us for future success, and for his gracious commitment to a smooth transition.
My thanks, as well, to Provost Ron Marx for agreeing to return to this critical role, and to the many members of leadership, governance, and community groups who have shared their perspectives and their aspirations for the university’s future. I am eager to continue our conversations and ready to work together in alignment for the university’s bright future.
To our Wildcat students: I can’t wait to meet more of you and to learn about your interests and ambitions. There are many opportunities and resources available to advance your goals at the U of A, and a vibrant campus life to join. I encourage you to be involved – use your voice, engage with one another, and help build a community rooted in respect and openness to new ideas and perspectives.
To my new faculty and staff colleagues: As I shared with the Arizona Board of Regents, I strongly believe in the transformative power of higher education and the land-grant mission that the U of A and UVM share. Your expertise, hard work, and commitment to the university make this mission possible. I look forward to working with you to enable student success, to expand research and deepen its impact, and to serve the state and people of Arizona.
Finally, while the University of Arizona faces challenges, together we can surpass them. This is truly a time of opportunity: what we do as individuals and as a community matters. The people of our state need the University of Arizona to be at its best, to discover solutions and create opportunities that extend our trajectory of excellence and make our future together bright.
I am excited to begin this important work with all of you.
Bear Down,
Suresh Garimella
President-Designate
Distinguished Professor
The University of Arizona
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