Dean`s Message: A Productive Summer Leads into a Promising Fall

Dean Nira Herrmann, PhD

Remember writing an essay on “What I did during my summer break”? Our new Dyson Digital Digest editor Brooke Springer caught up with students and faculty and found some interesting answers to that question as you will read in this issue.

From cutting edge cancer research in the labs in Pleasantville to collecting coral in Cape Cod to study the effects of global warming, students and faculty teamed up on a number of important research projects. For others, summer meant a chance to travel internationally to participate in civic engagement in Venezuela and criminal justice in Italy.

From internships in New York City and Washington, D.C., to Broadway roles all over the country, to heading to Korea or Spain to begin a Fulbright scholarship, Dyson students had the globe covered.

Meanwhile, back in New York City, some Dyson faculty were developing an exciting new initiative to introduce to Dyson students this fall. You may already have heard of them – Gotham House and International House. These “houses” are not actual buildings, but are Harry Potter-inspired groups offering mainstream Dyson freshmen a sense of community within New York City. In Pleasantville, first-year students can join the Quest for the Cup.

It already looks like the fall is gearing up to be just as exciting as the summer was. Enrollment continues to increase steadily. President Friedman’s Three-Year Plan: The Path to a Firm Foundation is well underway. Dyson College has reached 93% of its fundraising goal in the “It’s Time: The Centennial Campaign”, but there is still time for you to join in.

I hope your summer, too, was productive and enriching. You’ll find that this issue of the Dyson Digital Digest is especially rich with articles as we catch you up on all that has happened since our last issue. Please join me in welcoming Brooke, our new director of communications and your new contact for Dyson news.

I look forward to seeing you around campus.

Nira Herrmann, PhD
Dean, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences