July 1, 2022

Dear Colleagues,

It’s July 1, the first day of the new fiscal year, and the first day that I’m serving as your (interim) president.  I want to thank all of you who have sent very kind notes over the past several weeks; I’ll work hard to live up to your expectations!

I’m ending a family-reunion/wedding/parental-visit trip to the east coast this week, and will be in the office first thing next week.  Today I’m waking up in the house I grew up in, spending some time with my 97-year-old parents, who still live (mostly) independently there, a great blessing.  The house, the grounds, the furniture here – all look pretty much the same as it did when we moved in when I was a boy; the sense of permanence, solidity, and the endurance of not only Things but also culture and values, are evident in every room.

However there are also many indications of great change too.  Just seeing all the pictures of our family over the past many decades, and seeing us all today, makes that crystal clear! Mirrors are useful things, but when they are a little too close to a forty-year-old picture of yourself, the experience can be disconcerting.  And comparing my parents’ current frailty with their former vitality and vigor is further proof that we are not standing still, we never are.

Our university is currently undergoing some change too, as we all know.  That will come with some unsettling feelings, and also some enthusiasm for new directions; all very natural.  Let’s be reminded though of the things here that are stable: our dedication to the education and maturation of our students; our commitment to seeking and disseminating the truth through the tools of our disciplines; our dedication to including and serving our entire community, whether that’s right here in Fort Collins, around our spectacularly beautiful state of Colorado, or across the nation and globe.  This is our mission, and that’s not subject to change.

I promise you all to be working hard to keep that mission in focus, and to help you all from my desk in its execution.  I know that you share that dedication, and working together, we’ll continue to ensure that the arc of Colorado State University’s history continues to bend upwards under our care.

-Rick

Rick Miranda
Professor of Mathematics, Colorado State University
Interim President, CSU