Dean's Corner

In moments of political and economic uncertainty, it is logical to ask hard questions about the future—about the value of our institutions, our voices, and our investments. In the Graduate School at Howard, we want to be unequivocal. We believe deeply in the enduring power of graduate education.

Graduate study is so much more than a path to personal and professional growth. It is that, indeed. But it is also critical engine for innovation and a hub for justice and resilience work for those of us who understand and who are committed to that agenda. Our classrooms and research labs, more now than ever, must be the spaces where ideas are tested, leadership is cultivated, and thoughtful responses to complex challenges are forged. This has been and will continue to be the lived mission of our graduate programs.

Research universities like ours—and especially those committed to advancing equity and solving problems that continue to plague underrepresented communities—must not pull back in times like these. Our work is more urgent than ever. From public health disparities and environmental injustice to economic inequality and systemic racism, we are uniquely positioned to generate solutions that are grounded in scholarship and centered on impact. We carry this responsibility, in this most especially, with renewed determination and clarity.

Our students are preparing for jobs, yes; but they are also preparing to shape the discourse, policies, and discoveries that will define the next generation. Our alumni are already leading in boardrooms, classrooms, laboratories, and policy shops. And our faculty continue to pursue research and to teach ideas that illuminate, question, and, when needed, challenge the status quo.

In other words, in a world in flux, we are bolstered by the reality that it can also business as usual for us. We remain firmly committed to supporting our graduate community through uncertainty, especially our international and marginalized students. We are proud of what you do, and we are honored to walk alongside you and encourage others to join us in these challenging times.

This issue of The Sway like all issues makes clear that we will never retreat; we will only reaffirm all that we are and can be.

Dana A. Williams, PhD | Graduate Dean