March 2026 From the President’s Desk

As we continue preparing our hearts for the holy celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter, I am inspired by the symbolism of moving from darkness to light. This is a reminder that Jesus is the Light of the World, and that as his followers we will have the light of life.

Returning from Spring Break means we are in the home stretch of the academic year. The latter half of the spring semester means our calendars are filled with events highlighting the achievements of students, faculty and staff.

These signature events give us the opportunity to celebrate the faculty and staff members who make our university such a special place and recognize their outstanding contributions to the proud Marquette legacy:

Monday, March 30 - Tenure and Promotion Celebration
Recognition of faculty who have been granted tenure and faculty who have been promoted to a higher rank, effective in the 2026-27 academic year.

Thursday, April 16 - Distinguished Scholars Reception
Presentation of Lawrence G. Haggerty Award for Research Excellence, Way Klingler Fellowship Awards, Way Klingler Early Career Awards, Participating Faculty Research Award and Way Klingler Sabbatical Fellowship Award

Thursday, April 30 - Père Marquette Dinner
Presentation of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award, Part-time Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, Teaching Excellence Awards

Thursday, May 21 - Staff Excellence Awards
Presentation of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award and Excellence in University Service Awards

Catching up with Aspin Center students: When I was in Washington, D.C., last month for a Charting Our Course event, I also visited with the students who are studying at the Les Aspin Center for Government.

National security, foreign policy and international affairs are the areas of focus for this semester's academic courses and programming, which are timely topics with all that is happening throughout the world. I especially enjoyed learning about the students' internship experiences, which certainly are a highlight of their time at Marquette's D.C. campus.

Undergraduate students participate in BIG EAST research symposium: Undergraduate students participate in BIG EAST research symposium I was impressed by the work of our students from the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business Administration and College of Health Sciences who participated in the fifth annual BIG EAST Undergraduate Research Poster Symposium last week in New York City. In addition to presenting their research and engaging with other scholars, the students had the opportunity to visit the American Museum of Natural History, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge and Times Square.

Special thanks to Dr. Heather Hathaway, acting dean of the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, Dr. Aleks Snowden, associate dean of faculty, research and graduate studies, and the faculty mentors - Dr. Deanna Arble, Dr. Julia Azari, Dr. Chelsea Cook, Dr. Marieke Gilmartin and Dr. Nicholas Jolly - for coordinating our students' participation in the symposium. You can learn more in this Marquette Today article.

Our students really shine when they present their research at poster sessions and it is evident how working alongside our faculty is central to their transformative Marquette experience.

Marquette on the Move featured on WTMJ Radio's The Upswing: Last month, Derek Mosley, director of the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education, joined me and alumnus Jeff Sherman on The Upswing. Our conversation covered a wide range of topics, including Derek's popular Black History Month social media series, the importance of Give Marquette Day and our favorite Milwaukee restaurants (which could be its own show!).

You can listen to the segment online.

Enjoy a cup of coffee on me: One of the most important ways I get a feel for the pulse on campus is through my interactions with students. I ask these two questions: what is going well with your Marquette experience and what can I do to make it better? To thank them, I buy the students a cup of coffee from one of the campus Brew Cafés. Our social media team is capturing some of these encounters and will be sharing them on my social media accounts in the coming weeks. Students, when you see me on campus, let's have a conversation about your Marquette experience!

Faculty Forum: The Faculty Council is hosting the annual Faculty Forum next Tuesday, March 24, from 2 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. in AMU 157. I will be joined by Dr. Debbie Tahmassebi, Joel Pogodzinski and other university leaders to answer questions from our faculty community.

Mourning the loss of Rev. Fred Zagone, S.J.: Our community is grieving the death of Rev. Fred Zagone, S.J., who enjoyed so many deep connections with alumni, students and current and former faculty and staff members. Father Fred frequently emailed requests for prayers for members of his Marquette network that stretched far and wide. I always appreciated how he explained the connections of who we were praying for. There is consolation in knowing that his family and friends were praying for him over these last months as he fought so bravely and now that he has gone home to God.

Yesterday was the Feast of St. Joseph, who is the patron of a happy death because he died in the arms of Mary and Jesus. This excerpt from the "Prayer to St. Joseph for a Happy Death" is a fitting summary of Father Fred's life and vocation: "Preserve and increase in me the spirit of prayer and fervor in the service of God."

As a tribute to Father Fred, I am signing off this edition of From the President's Desk with a robust We Are Marquette! 

Dr. Kimo Ah Yun 
President