Sent on behalf of Dean Torres: Greetings COEHD, I am pleased to announce Dr. Sharon Nichols, Chair of the Department of Educational Psychology has agreed to lead the Urban Education Institute as Interim Director for the remainder of the academic year. Dr. Nichols will serve in this role concurrently and retain all responsibilities of the department chair. Fortunately, the duties of UEI role overlay well with her duties as chair and provide a window for Dr. Nichols to pursue big ideas like broadening the impact of COEHD research, fostering transdisciplinary collaboration, and seeking more opportunities for funded research. Dr. Nichols exceeds all the qualifications for this position. Her strong background in policy research, evaluation, and partnerships, her connections with scholars locally and nationally, and her strong desire to support the diverse needs and interests of our external stakeholders through rigorous and robust research makes her an ideal fit for this post. I applaud her ambitious vision for the institute and her commitment to building a more inclusive research enterprise. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Nichols. Mario Torres, Ph.D. Dean, College of Education and Human Development