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Welcome from President Schapiro and Provost Holloway

This is an exhilarating moment in which to be at Northwestern. ”

Dear Members of the Northwestern Community:

Today we begin together the 2019-20 academic year at Northwestern University. For those of you who are returning to our campuses this week, we hope the summer was a time of renewal. For those of you who are just beginning your adventure at Northwestern, we welcome you to one of the most distinctive places you will find anywhere in American higher education.

Here, exceptional people encourage and challenge one another to do their best work in conducting top-tier research, generating new knowledge, cultivating creative expression and maximizing practical application. If we enter any academic arena, we do so with the expectation of attaining the highest level of excellence within it.

In quintessential Northwestern fashion, our people are focused on deep interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation within an environment characterized by rigor, empathy, diversity and optimism. And, as always, we are committed to carrying ourselves — individually and institutionally — in the worthiest manner.

This is an exhilarating moment to be at Northwestern. Our newest students and faculty help bring the University’s academic quality to its highest level ever, and several recent external rankings validate the efforts of everyone here.

Avail yourself of the wealth of academic programs being organized by students, faculty and staff, including the commemoration of 150 Years of Women at Northwestern. And take time to explore the cultural offerings on our campuses and across the Chicago area.

The previous year was filled with victories. Twenty-five students and alumni, one of the largest cohorts in the nation, took part in the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Our faculty were honored with national academy memberships and top international awards. The Block Museum’s acclaimed “Caravans of Gold” exhibit illuminated the astonishing cultural heritage of Saharan Africa. A breakthrough by John Rogers and Amy Paller allowed babies in neonatal intensive care units to experience crucial bonding with their parents through the elimination of invasive wires. Our student-athletes starred on the field and in the classroom, and 3,400 students “took the purple to Indy” last fall to cheer on the Wildcats’ first appearance in the Big Ten championship football game.

What then is in store for this year? May we build together on our successes, and may we mindfully support one another in all that we do here, so that we can make our fullest and most meaningful contribution to the global welfare. Indeed, as president and provost, we will do our utmost to serve you in the year ahead.