Philanthropy drives excellence. I’ve always had a sense of this as a donor, especially when I meet students with so much potential doing remarkable work at UVM. After nearly a decade serving on the UVM Foundation board, I have seen the power of philanthropy demonstrated time and again through your generosity. Today as never before, thanks to charitable investments large and small, UVM is emerging on the world’s stage with ground-breaking advances in fields like the environment, medical research, integrative engineering, food systems, and more. Importantly, this is all happening while the University doubles down on its commitment to student achievement and financial accessibility. If it has been a while since you explored UVM beyond the bounds of your particular interests, now is a good time to take a fresh look. This issue of Impact is a great place to start. Excellence at UVM is evident across these pages, though you will encounter only a fraction of the outstanding people and programs worthy of mention. You will see UVM students performing at the highest levels in both academic and athletic competition (some, like Sini Karjalainen ’22, even bringing home Olympic medals this year from Beijing). And you will find UVM programs and faculty members that are bringing innovative education and cutting-edge cancer care to Vermont and beyond. Among every one of UVM’s schools and colleges, donor support is elevating research and discovery and ensuring student success. In late August of 1970, my brother Jim (who was then a senior at UVM) and I drove from our home outside of Chicago to Burlington. I had no idea where my UVM journey would lead, or that I would still be on it 52 years later. I am as excited now about UVM’s prospects as I was back then, sitting in my freshman dorm full of expectation and wonder. My pride in this University grows by the day, by the decade. Philanthropy drives excellence, and indeed excellence is abundant at UVM today. Thank you for being an essential partner in making it so.