Academic Year 2025-26

I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Tim Pavlechko '91, M'93 as vice president for athletics & recreation. He has been capably serving as interim vice president and director of athletics & recreation since March 2025. As a former student-athlete with 27 years of experience on our Bison athletics staff, Tim brings an unmatched understanding of Bucknell and a strong record of relationship-building at every level. His demonstrated commitment, expertise and vision for the program make him the ideal choice for this critically important position.

As The Plan for Bucknell 2025 approaches the end of its timeframe, the University has begun laying the foundation to develop new strategic initiatives that will position us to adapt to near and long-term challenges. This will be critical to Bucknell's ability to thrive, given the myriad forces that are swiftly and significantly reshaping much of higher education. Most importantly, this will also be critical to Bucknell's ability to maintain our historic mission of developing in our students a vibrant life of the mind.

The Board of Trustees has charged me with leading Bucknell through an accelerated strategic planning process that will position the University for continued success through a rapidly changing environment. In turn, I have charged our senior leadership team, and especially our provost, our vice president of finance & administration, and our senior vice president of University strategy & advancement, with the design and implementation of this process. Working with and through a number of formal and informal governance and advisory bodies, they will synthesize the best set of options for us to consider over the period ahead. They and many others are doing this work with full and unequivocal support from me, and with high expectations and appropriate requirements from the Board of Trustees.

Well, for the fourth time tonight, someone will stand here and say good evening, members of our faculty and staff. And especially welcome to Bucknell University transfer students and the Class of 2029! Let me also welcome the hundreds and hundreds of people who are watching us now online.