From the Dean | August 2021
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Dear Arts and Science community, The start of this new term feels particularly special, after navigating the challenges of a global pandemic over the last year and a half. Of course, the Delta variant presents additional new challenges, and we continue to monitor data, adapt guidelines, and embrace flexibility as we ensure the safety of our community. Given the way we all came together this past year, I am confident we will continue to deliver on our mission of learning, discovery, and service to solve the most pressing problems facing society. And those pressing problems extend beyond COVID-19: we are currently facing devastating international conflict, continued horrific incidences of racial injustice, damaging natural disasters, and deepening political divisions. But this challenging context emboldens us to double down on our work: to tackle society’s biggest and most complex challenges, explore effective solutions to them, and ultimately strive to make a real difference in our world. Poised to help us accomplish that goal are the newest members joining the A&S community this fall. We welcome some of the most talented students from around the globe, including 1,225 new undergraduates and 97 new graduate students. In addition, Vanderbilt made the strategic decision to invest in hiring top-tier faculty during the pandemic, at a time when almost none of our peers were able to. As a result, we were able to attract some of the most accomplished and promising researchers and teachers to join our world-class faculty. Our 33 new full-time faculty are leading experts in climate science, evolution, Asian American studies, democratic institutions, and racial justice, among many other areas. These new colleagues come to us from the best institutions, including Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Chicago, Cal Tech, UCLA, Cornell, and Michigan. These new students and faculty join a vibrant community eager to collaborate, learn, and engage across disciplines, interests, and fields. I am delighted to welcome all of them to the A&S family. As the campus buzzes with people once again, I am reminded of the importance of our core values of community and collaboration. The pandemic put these values to the test, as we had to create innovative ways to remain connected and engaged with one another. Not only were we successful in doing that, but we return this fall with a renewed appreciation for—and focus on—strengthening our ties, working across fields, and breaking down boundaries to enhance our teaching and research. I know you all have endured a tremendous amount over the past 18 months, as have we, and that work is not yet over. We remain buoyed by the passion and drive of our academic community. Thank you for all that you continue to do to support the College of Arts and Science. My best,
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