I am delighted that you all could come today. As we begin the semester we establish a new tradition - celebrating our ongoing scholarship.
Every day people see our students and they are reminded of our teaching mission, but they do not see everyday the products of our ruminating, creating, relecting and innovating-our knowledge development mission. Now each time anyone steps off the elevator here in Foster, they will think - a place full of ideas!!!
I want to especially thank Professor Anthony Miraglia for helping us take an idea and transforming into this very powerful display, for coordinating the design of this project, right down to the execution and placement of the frames.
I also want to extend my appreciation to Joyce LeBlanc from my office who worked with Tony to organize this project. So often it takes many people to make good things come to fruition.
Thank you Manny Pereira and the team at photographics for the framing of the book jackets in such a professional and timely manner. They are a tremendous resource to us.
And of course the facilities crew...for some revised lighting and hanging assistance.
And while I am acknowledging people - We also have a special and true friend of the university here, Senator Joan Menard.
The bottom line for this campus is that the work displayed on these walls would be impossible without the generous support of our largest benefactor - the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
And that support would not be as generous if we did not have champions such as Senator Menard advocating for us on Beacon Hill. Please join me in expressing our thanks for her leadership and faithfulness to the University and especially to us here at UMD.
This year, as you know, we are celebrating this campus' mission to constantly Break New Ground and its Tradition of Innovation.
We are breaking new ground in physical ways with the construction of the new College of Business facility and new residence halls. I hope you will join us at the ribbon cutting ceremony on October 1. 2004.
But today we gather to recognize our ability to break new ground in intellectual ways.
Buildings have finite lives. Eventually, they outlive their usefulness.
Ideas, however, hold their value forever. They may be challenged over time, even proven to be flawed on occasion, but their presence adds depth to our collective human dialogue.
The contributions depicted on these walls today are lasting. They, indeed, are timeless.
If somebody were to ask me to define the word university, I would probably say it is all about ideas and imagination.
Behind the book jackets mounted on the walls...embedded in the artwork...are ideas that flowed from the imagination and experiences of our faculty. And those ideas have shaped our lives in ways big and small.
Consider the diversity of ideas and disciplines on these walls.
From Richard Ward, a retired faculty member, who broke new ground in economics, two important textbooks in engineering to Kathy and Tony Miraglia, current faculty members, creators of art, and so many others who are here today - our faculty has built a strong tradition of innovation, and now we can see it right before our eyes. Such a breath and depth of topics, such a rich tapestry of thinking.
In sharing their works with us, They have given us the opportunity to think differently, understand history from a different perspective, and attack problems with new solutions.
We are fortunate to be living and working in a place where the discovery of new ideas, the teaching of those ideas, and the practice of those ideas comprises our mission.
Great universities are populated by people who have an impatient sense of idealism that allows them to imagine what else is possible...people who are intellectually courageous enough to encourage and embrace change even when that change may be unpopular.
Like our university...like our own intellect, this wall is evolving.
It is, frankly, impossible to get our arms around all of the the ideas and creations that our faculty and staff have produced over the decades. There are close to 100 works here, but we know it is not complete. Perhaps you did not respond to our request to share a work and will think of doing it now. It is not too late. There is room for more. And as we add this year 40 new faculty - I think we will need more walls!!!!
In some ways, the most exciting part of this exhibit is the open spaces. They represent the ideas yet to be spoken, songs yet to be sung, experiments yet to be done, artwork yet to be created.
I look forward to the continued evolution of this celebration of our intellectual resources. Each step is just a beginning in renewwing a sense of community around our shared mission. Once again I congratulate all who have made it happen.
