UHD President Loren J. Blanchard

Dear Campus Community,

With the Fall 2022 semester coming to a close and the winter break quickly approaching, I hope that you will take the time to pause, reflect, and appreciate all that we have been able to accomplish during the first half of this academic year. Our work as a Campus Community is evidenced by the positive impact that UHD is having on our students and their families as well as through the differences being made in our local region.

As the days grow shorter and the nights longer, I am reminded of the importance of candlelight in many of our ancient traditions and modern holidays. Whether you celebrate Advent, Los Posadas, Hannukah, Christmas, Diwali, or Kwanza, the lighting of candles in the darkness has remained a constant reminder throughout the ages that there is hope for a better tomorrow. I see the light that we—as students, faculty, and staff—share with each other and with our community as a metaphor for our care for others, the bedrock of UHD’s legacy.

So as your time away for the holidays approaches, may you enjoy a well-deserved break filled with time for relaxation, reflection, family, friends, and loved ones. When you return in January, may your inner light be recharged and ready for what lies ahead in 2023—a year filled with promise for greater impact, prosperity, and service to others.

Warmest regards,

Loren J. Blanchard, Ph.D.
President, University of Houston-Downtown