Message from the President

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Another New Wilmington winter has come and gone, and while neighbors warn I have yet to survive a “real” Pennsylvania winter, the breathtaking beauty of blossoming trees and flowers make January’s chill a distant memory. Spring’s inspiring burst of color captures our attention and reminds us of the beauty of this place and the annual exhibition of growth and renewal. And so we gaze, and marvel—and mow the always growing grass.

The seasons of the academic year are also changing. Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated the graduation of nearly 300 students and noted our deep appreciation for beloved faculty and staff who are retiring, even as we look ahead to welcoming another strong class of first-year students and transfers and several new administrators and faculty to campus this summer. Now, some Titans are engaging in internship experiences in offices, labs and businesses across the region, even as others are traveling across the globe to study astronomy, physics, history and political science in historic and cultural spaces. A variety of campers, from middle schoolers enjoying an immersion program in science to high schoolers honing their study or athletic skills, will study and compete on campus this summer. We anticipate several thousand guests will come watch fireworks exploding above Brittain Lake on July 3, and about a thousand visitors will gather for the New Wilmington Missionary Conference later that month.

It is a season of renewal for the campus itself. As you will read in the magazine, the renovation of the Hoyt Science Resources Center continues this summer as we prepare for the new School of Nursing and the addition of new laboratory and teaching spaces. We’re completing the renovation of the first-year residence halls and updating and refreshing many other areas—including the campus fiber optic and wireless technology systems. Across campus, there is a sense of vibrancy and growth as we update and improve the places and spaces where students grow, learn, lead, compete and serve.

This process of renewal is not a new undertaking for the College. For 165 years, Westminster has offered students opportunities for new learning, new growth, new friendships, new accomplishments year after year. The Westminster mission to help our students develop the “competencies, commitments and characteristics which have distinguished human beings at their best” challenges us each year to renew these efforts with creativity, focus and dedication. Even now as the physical renovations are under way, faculty, staff and leadership are focusing on deepening the education of all our students, inside the classrooms, labs and studios and throughout all campus experiences.

As you know, supporting student growth and development is an ongoing process for colleges like Westminster. Such ongoing renewal is made possible through the financial and personal support of so many alumni and friends. For many, the season of life spent on campus has given way to a season of giving back to support today’s students. My thanks to each one who provides such support. My hope is that the news and information offered in this new issue will continue to deepen and renew your commitment to Westminster students and your Titan pride. And, just like the grass, we hope it will keep on growing!

For all the bright days ahead— Dr. Kathy Brittain Richardson