Dear Tulane Community,
In a time of texting rather than conversing - of AirPods drowning out the sounds of a city that marches to its own beautiful beat - Tulane fosters connectivity. Our extraordinary momentum has set the stage for an era of inclusive growth, heightened engagement, and expanded research across our prolific community. Tulane University is a family, and the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of our parts has permeated every corner of campus.
Our football team took that ethos to heart and kicked off the new decade in style as they returned victorious from the Armed Forces Bowl, marking the first back-to-back bowl wins in the history of Tulane University. The big win encapsulates how our new era will be defined: Tulane's ambitious spirit has carved a path towards sustained excellence in academics, research, athletics, and service - and our bold plans for the future chart a course towards a world-class university experience.
This year, two projects are set to break ground on the uptown campus, redefining what it means to be academically and socially engaged while fostering an environment of connectivity. The transformation begins as we begin construction on a new, state of-the-art residential quad, complete with spaces that intentionally bring people together for creative collaborations. Studies show that residing on campus has a positive effect on student success and retention. Living and learning together with faculty and staff in our expanded residential learning communities will make for a healthier, happier, and more engaged student body.
Shortly after we break ground on our new residence quad, we will begin work on Steven and Jann Paul Hall, the lynch pin of Tulane's new Science and Engineering District.
Located in the heart of our academic quad, Paul Hall's classrooms, labs, and study spaces will fill a facility roughly the same size as The Commons, with the same guiding principle-that the learning, research, and social interactions that make Tulane so magical happen when we put the best and brightest under one roof.
With space at a premium on the uptown campus, we turn our gaze to the downtown campus - a veritable playground for our community of creators, innovators, and leaders. We are primed to incite inclusive growth in the downtown neighborhood that will allow for an even more dynamic partnership with the city of New Orleans. The rebirth of Charity Hospital is at the center of our endeavor to strengthen that crucial link between city and university. As the anchor tenant in Charity and sole occupant of an adjacent property, a sizeable portion of our research enterprise and academic community will be positioned alongside the city's burgeoning Innovation District. But Charity - and by extension, the reawakening of our downtown campus - isn't about occupying additional properties. The influx of students, scientists, faculty, and staff on the downtown campus will trigger more retail, housing, and businesses in the neighborhood, solidifying our inextricable bond with the city of New Orleans.
It is a thrilling time to be a Tulanian. With all the exciting developments on both campuses, Tulane University might be physically unrecognizable by the time we celebrate the next decade. But I can assure you one truth will remain the same: the incredible support of the global Tulane University community is the engine that drives our truly incomparable institution.
Thank you for standing with Tulane University. I can't wait to see what our family will accomplish together!
Roll Wave,
