Dean's Message - April 26, 2021

Dear GSBS Community,

After a long and challenging winter, I feel we are beginning to see seeds of hope take root.

Last week was an eventful one. On Monday, all Americans 16 and older became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a move toward ending the pandemic and beginning our return to a new normal. In our own school, we are moving toward safely decreasing social distancing requirements as more of our community members are vaccinated. On Tuesday, we saw Derek Chauvin convicted for the murder of George Floyd. It was an emotionally challenging day, but one where accountability was, finally, in evidence. While we have much work to do for social justice, we can hope this serves as the beginning of a new era. Thursday was Earth Day, and it warms my heart to see our president convene world leaders to combat climate change. Again, this is just a beginning, but action toward reducing human impact on the environment is critical.

I hope that these seedlings can grow and bloom as we all work together for a better, safer and more just world. This week we will record the hooding of our PhD and recognition of our Master’s graduates; these recordings will be assembled into a virtual Commencement ceremony, to be broadcast on May 23. Our graduates go forward into a new world filled with new challenges; we know, however, that they are equipped with the skills and passion to make a difference.

Dan Jay, Dean