Colleagues,

Following a national search last year for a new faculty member to serve as CINTRAFOR's director, it became obvious that the position was not sufficiently attractive to draw a large number of high caliber senior faculty applicants. Accordingly, in summer of 2004, I suspended the search and began thinking of an alternate plan.

Simultaneously, I requested that Acting Director, Dr Ivan Eastin work with the CINTRAFOR Advisory Board to craft a new strategic vision for the Center.

At the CINTRAFOR Board Meeting of January 24, 2005 this strategic vision was discussed and accepted by the the Board. In addition, they unanimously approved my recommendation that Ivan be the next director.

Effective February 1, 2005, Dr. Ivan Eastin became our new director of CINTRAFOR. He fully agrees with our intention to grow the capacity of the Center and to enhance its position as a world-class research unit of the University. Please join me in congratulating him on this achievement.

B. Bruce Bare, Dean