Celebrating a Season of Growth

Dear Emory alumni and friends,

Each spring, as prospective students and their families visit our campuses, eager to take in all that is Emory, I am always impressed by the power of a single tree to stop people in their tracks.

The tree is a stunner — a Japanese magnolia that towers over a sidewalk bordering the Atlanta campus Quad, just outside Michael C. Carlos Hall. And its early blossoms attract crowds of admirers, pausing to snap a selfie or just stand in awe of this longstanding jewel, estimated at half-a-century old.

Perhaps you remember it, too. At Emory, it’s long been recognized as a harbinger of spring, a promise of the future.

This year brings its own season of growth and change at our university, with leadership transitions and new programs to support student achievement, faculty research, and an inspiring vision for the future.

• Last summer, we welcomed new leadership at Emory College and Oxford College, Dean Barbara Krauthamer and Dean Badia Ahad, respectively. With a shared commitment to the liberal arts and student success, they are elevating the undergraduate experience. That includes an emphasis on academic excellence, student flourishing, and career development — helping undergraduates explore professional pathways, connecting them with internships here and around the world, and promoting experiential learning.
• This spring, Dr. Sandra Wong becomes the next dean of the Emory University School of Medicine and chief academic officer for Emory Healthcare. A distinguished surgical oncologist and researcher, she brings outstanding experience in medical education, mentorship, and health equity. Working with Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Woodruff Health Sciences Center Executive Director Dr. Ravi Thadhani and the new chief executive officer for Emory Healthcare, Dr. Joon Lee, this team will inspire healers, advance medical science, and serve our communities as never before.
• The Emory University School of Law will gain a new dean this summer when legendary legal scholar Richard Freer, the Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law, steps into the role. Known to many at Emory, Rich is an acclaimed expert on civil procedure and award-winning teacher who has been an Emory Law faculty member for 41 years.
• And marking the end of an era, after serving nearly 17 years as dean of the Candler School of Theology, Jan Love has announced plans to step down from that role later this summer. I will always remember Jan’s generous spirit and steady leadership as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs, helping guide our campus through the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. A national search is underway for her successor. 

Our new leaders are poised to build on Emory’s rich tradition of excellence, bringing fresh energy and ideas that will expand on past accomplishments and propel new achievements. And our ambitious goals for the future will be brought to life by Emory’s eminent faculty scholars and researchers, and the talented students who come here, ready to learn, grow, and discover.

Like that magnolia tree that blossoms so lavishly — and reliably — each spring, change is part of the cycle of our university. Emory is a place where thoughtful, talented people are drawn to create knowledge and contribute new ideas, generation after generation.

This year, the cycle continues, and I can’t wait to see Emory’s next generation in full bloom.

Gregory L. Fenves 
President
Emory University