Message from the Dean
Dear Alumni and Friends,
I hope this message finds you well and enjoying the beginning of the fall season. The start of a new academic year always brings renewed energy to campus. Classrooms and laboratories are busy again, new students are finding their footing, and returning students are continuing their journey toward becoming the next generation of scientists, mathematicians, healthcare professionals, and innovators.
This year begins at a time when higher education faces well-publicized challenges. Demographic shifts, enrollment pressures, and financial uncertainty have become recurring themes in national discussions about universities. These pressures are real, and institutions across the country are adapting to a changing landscape.
Fortunately, scientists are accustomed to separating narrative from data.
The data tell a compelling story about the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. During the last fiscal year, NSM delivered the strongest operating performance at the University of Denver on a percentage basis. Our faculty generated the highest research volume on campus, resulting in the largest indirect cost contribution to the University. We also substantially exceeded our fundraising goals, with philanthropic support nearly doubling our original targets.
These outcomes did not happen by accident. They reflect the collective work of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors who share a belief that excellence in teaching, research, and service remains the best long-term strategy for navigating uncertainty.
I am especially proud of our faculty and staff. They continue to provide an outstanding educational experience for our students while maintaining a level of scholarly productivity expected of an R1 institution. Their success demonstrates that rigor, creativity, and dedication remain powerful drivers of progress.
At the same time, none of these accomplishments would have been possible without your support. Your generosity helps create opportunities for students, strengthens research programs, and allows us to pursue ambitious initiatives that would otherwise remain out of reach. Just as importantly, your continued engagement reminds our students that they are joining a community whose impact extends far beyond the boundaries of campus.
This fall will also help shape the next chapter of STEM education and research at DU. The University recently took an important step forward in its Academic Transformation efforts, creating a path toward a new integrated college that will bring together expertise across the sciences, engineering, computing, and health-related disciplines. I am excited about the opportunities this creates for collaboration, innovation, and student success, while remaining confident that the academic rigor, teacher-scholar model, and research strengths that define NSM will continue to thrive.
As scientists, we are naturally skeptical of predictions. Nevertheless, some conclusions are easier to defend than others. The challenges facing society, from human health and sustainability to energy, computation, and artificial intelligence, do not respect disciplinary boundaries. The strongest solutions will emerge from collaborations that bring together expertise across the natural sciences, mathematics, engineering, computing, and health-related disciplines. Creating a unified college positions DU to contribute to those solutions more effectively and more visibly.
Confidence in the future is most credible when it is grounded in evidence. By that standard, there is every reason to be optimistic about what lies ahead.
Thank you for your continued support, partnership, and belief in our mission.
With gratitude,
Andrei Kutateladze
