Dean's Message - August 26, 2024

Dear GSBS Community,

The dog days of summer are past, the weather is cooling, and the days are getting shorter. All are signs that the Fall term is coming. The productivity of our GSBS students and faculty does not slow down during the summer, however, and we have a cohort of August graduates to whom I would like to convey my congratulations for completing their degrees and joining the ranks of our GSBS alumni. I would also like to celebrate our Dean’s Fellows, Jennifer Judge and Maggie Kerwin, for their outstanding academic and research achievement in the first two years of graduate school, and our Rosenberg Fellows, Hanan Bloomer and Ioannis Siokas, for their outstanding achievement in research and scholarship during the first two years of graduate school. I also would like to encourage all students to apply for travel awards from the Student Enrichment Fund, if eligible, and to consider applying for the Schimmel Fellowship, if interested in developing business skills. Both types of applications are due in September.

I mentioned earlier this summer that the Dean’s Office is looking to offer a curriculum in professional development for graduate students. By now you should have received a Qualtrics poll to gauge interest. Thank you to those who responded. We are planning a pilot series of events for a limited number of students. Please watch your inbox for further details once they become available, probably within the next month. We will also continue the Career Development activities offered for the past 2 years by Lauren Celano of Propel Careers, as they have been popular. Our goal is to provide students with essential tools to succeed in their professional careers.

Making career decisions and choosing the right pathway is often challenging. Many receive all sorts of advice from well-meaning individuals. Sorting through the various threads can become very complicated. In these situations, I am often asked by students for advice. I always ask the student to be mindful as to what career would be most personally meaningful and rewarding, and what career would be most personally sustainable over the long term, as the answers to these questions can guide personalized decision-making. The best decision is the one that is consistent with long-term personal goals and well-being. Serving as Dean has been a good decision for me. I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer, and I look forward to another exciting year for GSBS.

Michael Chin, MD, PhD, Dean ad interim