Dear faculty and staff, This is long overdue but I wanted to send a quick note of appreciation and sincere gratitude for your hard work, patience, and dedication this fall semester. As Dean, I recognize circumstances at varying points along the way have not been easy, some involving unforeseen challenges and others adding new hurdles big and small to our professional and personal lives. I think you would agree this institution is in the midst of breathtaking change and in a brief span of time no less. I can't help but marvel at how our faculty and staff have handled their duties and responsibilities with model professionalism and grace through it all. Though I've yet to interact with most of you on a personal level, I sense from my time here there is a genuine interest in prioritizing people and humanizing the important work we do, which I believe is a very appealing and rare quality. This is all to say I'm proud and grateful to lead this college and hope to live up to your expectations. I'm excited about what the future holds and working together to achieve our goals. I wish all of you a wonderful, well-served break next week. Take care and be safe! Mario -- Mario Torres, Ph.D. Dean, College of Education and Human Development President's Distinguished Professorship The University of Texas at San Antonio One UTSA Circle, Main Building 3.304 San Antonio, TX 78249 Office: 210.458.5200 Fax: 210.458.4487 Mario.Torres2@utsa.edu<mailto:Mario.Torres2@utsa.edu>