Greetings from the Provost
January 20, 2021
Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,
Greetings (or as we say, howdy!) from Texas, where I’m preparing for my move back to Waltham. I am excited to return to Brandeis, where I have many fond memories from the time I spent earning my PhD.
The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of virtually meeting some of you and beginning to learn about Brandeis in 2021. Brandeis has experienced significant growth and change since my days as a student. However, it is clear to me that the Brandeis I knew 35 years ago that valued intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, creativity and innovation, and all members of our community, is more robust and vibrant than ever. All this, in the midst of a year like no other, demonstrates to me the resilience, dedication, and strength of Brandeis staff, faculty, and students.
In the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to meeting each of you as I learn more about the campus and our community, and to understanding more deeply the scholarship, research, creative inquiry, teaching, learning and mentorship in which you are engaged. There’s a lot to learn! I am deeply impressed by the university’s approach to the COVID-19 crisis, and I look forward to the day when campus life returns to a more normal state, and we can meet face-to-face, rather than by Zoom.
As I transition into my role as provost at Brandeis, I’m currently working remotely, part-time from my home in Texas. By mid-February, I expect to have relocated to Massachusetts. As the dust settles, I’ll be reaching out to schedule listening sessions with groups of faculty, staff, and students to continue learning about the aspirations and goals of the campus community. I look forward to partnering with each of you to enhance our campus climate and working together toward achieving the initiatives set forth in the Framework for the Future
Best wishes,
Carol
Carol A. Fierke, Ph.D. '84
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs