Message from the Director—September 2023
We Are Committed to Your Success
From: Dr. Miguel Baique, Director of the David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity in Arts, Sciences & Engineering
Dear Kearns Center Community,
My name is Dr. Miguel Baique and I currently serve as the Director of the David T. Kearns Center for Leadership and Diversity in Arts, Sciences & Engineering. Since stepping into this role in March 2023, I continue to witness the Center’s commitment to student and academic success and am optimistic to the direction the Center is headed as we remain steadfast in our mission to transform lives through educational opportunity. Whether you are experiencing your first few days on campus and to the Center or are a returning member of our community, I am delighted to welcome you to the 2023-2024 academic year at the University of Rochester!
The start of a new academic year is special and often feels like a fresh start as we, as individuals and as a community, think about all that will come with this academic year. It is exciting to think about goals, priorities, and possibilities; new opportunities to get involved and engaged; expand the bounds of knowledge creation through conversation, exploration and discovery; and finding moments to pause, ‘look up’, and ‘see what we’ve done and become’. I look forward to the rich and rewarding semester (and year) ahead and wish you well throughout what I know will be a successful year.
As we step into the new semester, I am amazed by all the activity and changes that occurred over the past few months. This includes, but is not limited to, a 10-week Summer Research Program which concluded with a research symposium; a 6-week Pre-College (Upward Bound) Summer Program that was wrapped up with an Academic Showcase and a multi-day College Exploration Trip in New Jersey and New York City; and the addition of new staff members: Alexa Olson, Communications Manager; Samantha Branch, REU Coordinator; and Kwamaine Much, Academic Adviser, Pre-College Programs. I would also like to acknowledge Dr. Beth Olivares, Dean of Diversity in AS&E and Executive Director of the Kearns Center for being promoted to Associate Vice Provost for Academic Equity; Dr. Antonio Williams, Director of Graduate Diversity Initiatives, for successfully defending his dissertation, and Haerreem Hyun and Serenity Lovett, Information Analyst Academic Adviser, Pre-College Programs, respectively, for being accepted and starting their master's program at the Warner School of Education this fall semester. It is amazing to witness these accomplishments.
As the fall semester gets underway, I want to take a moment to remind our community of Kearns Center’s commitment to academic and student success, diversity, equity, and inclusion and sense of belonging. The Kearns Center remains strongly committed to our motto: transforming lives through educational opportunity. This has always meant that we create programs that empower all students to become the most authentic intellectual selves they can, in an environment that is free from bias, bigotry, prejudice, violence, and hatred. This is especially true for first-generation, economically disadvantaged, and racial/ethnic minoritized students. Our dedicated staff continue to serve and live by our Meliora values—equity, leadership, integrity, openness, respect, and accountability—to ensure our community is supported and achieving.
On behalf of the Kearns Center, we look forward to working with you and supporting you throughout the academic year. Stop by Dewey Hall (4th floor) to say hello!
Have a great semester and year. Meliora!