Since I wrote last, events have shaken both our country and the world, the effects of which we continue to grapple with. True to our engaged community, I have heard from many of you about your concerns, your thoughts, and your ideas. What remains clear to me is that the importance of graduate education in cultivating and practicing deep thinking and resistance to easy answers has never been more essential. Our commitment to our students persists, and our scholar-first mentality will carry us into the next academic year, which will prove to be a productive season. With the revitalization of The Advising Project (TAP), which will elevate and amplify the power of the advising relationship, coupled with the continued findings of the Report of the GSAS Admissions and Graduate Education (GAGE) Working Group, our community will thrive with research, study, and connection.
The campus will be active with events and chances to learn, including multiple opportunities to engage with our students, from Alumni Day to the Harvard Horizons Symposium. I invite you to join me in Cambridge and see everyone at work, with our students doing what they do best: questioning, discovering, and setting the stage for future innovation and impact.
Our community’s influence is worldwide. What you’ll read throughout these pages is a sample of the myriad ways that Harvard Griffin GSAS is the beating heart of the University. The fundamental and lasting contributions of this year’s recipients of our Centennial Medal—the highest honor bestowed by the School—to knowledge, their disciplines, their colleagues, and society are just one example.
Additionally, the months ahead also bring the culmination of a presidential election in the United States. In this issue, you’ll see stories that demonstrate the influence of Harvard Griffin GSAS and its alumni on society, and how their efforts help safeguard elections and preserve democracies.
Thank you for reading and listening alongside me.
— Emma Dench, Dean of Harvard Griffin GSAS
