Welcome to the 2025–26 Academic Year
September 2, 2025
Dear Trinity Community Members,
As we begin a new academic year, I extend my warmest greetings to all members of the Trinity community. I am filled with optimism and a strong sense of possibility, and I look forward to seeing where our collective journey takes us.
Last Thursday, I had the honor of welcoming 506 of our newest students at Convocation—my first ceremonial act as president—which you can read about and view online. These exceptional young minds arrived from as far as Malaysia and from as close as our own neighborhoods in Hartford. They join our returning students and a distinguished network of 30,000 living alumni in claiming their rightful place in Trinity’s illustrious history. I was profoundly moved by the palpable energy and deep connection that permeated our campus throughout orientation and move-in weekend.
There is much to be excited about this year. One of my hopes is to deepen our shared sense of purpose, community, and mutual respect. As each employee contributes to Trinity’s success, please join me in extending a warm welcome to our new staff and faculty members. I am particularly excited to welcome 11 outstanding new tenure-track faculty whose scholarship represents an impressive range of disciplines. They are Diego Baena, language and culture studies; Benjamin Bruce, mathematics; Anand Butler, economics; Samuel P. Catlin, religious studies; Dominick R. Cooper, philosophy; Ruoxing Gao, engineering; Philipp M. Gemmel, chemistry; Shoshana R. Goldstein, urban studies; Valeria Jiménez, economics; Rachel Keeffe, biology; and Michael Thompson-Brusstar, political science. These scholar-teachers bring expertise spanning fields from Iberian literature and culture studies to electromagnetic engineering innovations. Their breadth of knowledge will add dimension to how we deliver our Trinity Plus curriculum and shape bold, independent thinkers.
In the weeks ahead, I look forward to connecting with many of you and to engaging in productive conversations. Because it is my priority to gain a deeper understanding of Trinity’s strengths and potential, I am planning opportunities to meet with faculty and staff in various groups, to join alumni and parent events, and to make time for conversations with students. I recently enjoyed meeting student leaders from P.R.I.D.E., Greek life, and the Senior Admissions Associates, and I look forward to meeting with the Student Government Association and additional student leaders and groups early this fall. We also are scheduling an all-employee meeting later this month, which I hope will be a meaningful opportunity to come together for an inclusive and thoughtful conversation. Please stay tuned for more information.
I am equally committed to building on the strong relationships and partnerships we already share with the City of Hartford, our neighbors, and others across the region. This summer, I had productive meetings with Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and enjoyed connecting with community members and Hartford first responders at the National Night Out. I will continue meeting with local leaders, including the Frog Hollow Neighborhood Revitalization Zone and others, to explore how Trinity can be an even stronger partner for Hartford.
For me, the heart of any liberal arts education lies in the quality of discourse and discussion. I know the fall will bring many opportunities to learn and to engage with issues shaping our lives and the world today, and I am excited to see how we debate challenging topics while modeling civil discourse.
I look forward to seeing student performances and projects, visiting classes, and cheering on our Bantams throughout the fall season. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to explore and to use the new Scully Center, a beautiful addition to the Ferris Athletic Center that opened this summer. It is a reminder to take care of ourselves and to make wellness a priority.
Finally, I look forward to Inauguration Weekend, which will coincide with Fall Weekend (Homecoming and Family Weekend) on October 17–18 and promises to be an exciting celebration. The academic symposia and performances surely will stimulate ideas and inspire us all. When you receive your invitation, I hope you will RSVP and attend—your presence will make the weekend truly special. The full schedule will be posted soon at trincoll.edu/Inauguration.
This year promises to be one of pride and possibility for Trinity. I wish our students success in their endeavors, and I thank all faculty and staff for their dedication to fulfilling Trinity’s mission. To our alumni and parents, thank you for staying connected and for being an important part of this distinguished institution.
Together, let’s make this Trinity’s year.
Warmly,
Dan
Daniel G. Lugo
President, Trinity College
