Dear students, alumni, faculty and friends of the English department,

Summer has begun its slow fade. And as the new academic year opens, I am reminded again of a paradox. Nothing seems so constant in life as change. Fall is coming around again. We feel it in the air. We see it even in the angles of sun and shadow.

This year at Catholic University will be no stranger to change, not only in our new College of Arts and Sciences but also within the English department.

For almost thirty years, studying English at Catholic has been shaped indelibly by the vision, intelligence and disarming humor of my colleague and friend, Ernie Suarez. It is an inadequate thing to say, but all who have been associated with CUA English in that time -- whether student, staff, professor, alumna, alumnus or friend -- are indebted to Ernie's leadership as chair of our English department.

Ernie's passion for great literature and music is infectious. He has fueled us all in our work, and continues to inspire. He remains an especially active member of our department. Throughout his time as chair, Ernie prized rigorous study of literary history and aesthetics above all, placing these at the heart of our mission as a department. He has been key in hiring, mentoring and developing all of our current full-time faculty in English. He has overseen many successful dissertations and taught hundreds of students across the years. Ernie's scholarly reputation and his generosity are also well-known beyond the University. He has brought accomplished writers, musicians, and artists to our campus year after year. But those of us who have worked closely with him over the years have known something even more special. We have a fierce friend in Ernie, and we've felt that unwavering support. There is nothing better than that in a colleague, let alone a chair.

A few weeks ago, my own appointment as chair of the English department began. I am grateful for the place Ernie and my colleagues have put our department in. As Arts and Sciences becomes a College this year, English will play a significant role in shaping the future of humanities education at Catholic U. We are a strength within the College, in no small part because the work and mission of this department goes on, much as it has for many years under Ernie's vigilance. Our common devotion to the study of literary history and aesthetics remains our bond.

Change feels real once again this fall. So too does the constancy of our community and its deep commitments.

Dr. Gregory Baker

Associate Professor and Chair, English Department