March 20, 2024

Dear Firebird Community,

Spring is finally here, the cherry blossoms have bloomed and you can feel the energy and excitement all over UDC. From the fun and frenzy of Spring Fling, to the anticipation of Transition Week, the Firebird flame is burning bright.

Earlier this month, our UDC community celebrated the legacy and future of the university during our weeklong Inauguration festivities. We paid tribute to our outstanding faculty and staff at the 2024 Service Awards. We scooped up trash and picked up paint rollers at our Van Ness home as part of a campus beautification project. We hosted an academic symposium at our Lamond-Riggs Campus exploring our mission as an urban HBCU. And we ushered in a new chapter for UDC at our Investiture ceremony, where I had the honor of officially donning the mantle of UDC president.

It’s hard to believe, but in just a matter of weeks, we will be saluting our graduating Firebirds at our 47th annual Commencement Ceremony. I am thrilled that MSNBC President Rashida Jones will be joining us as keynote speaker. Jones is an HBCU alum whose achievements highlight the meaningful role Historically Black Colleges and Universities play in shaping today’s thought leaders and changemakers.

UDC, let’s draw on all the energy of this new season—and this new chapter in our story—to propel us through the remainder of our spring semester and beyond. Let’s keep that flame ablaze!

In service,

Maurice D. Edington, Ph.D.
President
University of the District of Columbia