Dear Tulane Community,
"With the joyful strains of Commencement still ringing in our ears, it is time to celebrate the tremendous success of the academic year."
That is the opening line of The Power of Tulane, the Academic Year in Review 2016-2017, which will arrive in your mailboxes soon and be posted online later this summer.
The review will chronicle all the achievements of the past academic year, including our meteoric rise in national rankings and the $160 million we received in research grants. It will tell the story of our schools, some of which are expanding their physical presence, like the A. B. Freeman School of Business, or others which are refocusing their mission, like the newly renamed School of Professional Advancement. Most importantly, the review will highlight the amazing people like you and your colleagues who made this year so successful.
Of course, our students are front and center in the review. They represent the most highly qualified and diverse Tulanians ever – leading scholars in interdisciplinary research ranging from classical studies to cognitive neuroscience. These students are also among the top recipients of Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater and Beinecke scholarships as well as other prestigious honors, including the top prize in NASA's Big Idea Challenge. Tulane students are also investigating ultrasound technology as a tool to regenerate neurons in patients with spinal cord injuries, and they are the geniuses behind the nation’s No. 1 best performing small-cap blend fund.
There is much more to tell, but I don't want to give it all away now. When you see the Academic Year in Review for yourself, let me know what you think. In the meantime, the View from Gibson will take a bit of a summer break from its weekly routine. But we will remain as busy as ever as we expand the efforts highlighted in the review while exploring new and bolder ventures.
Finally, this weekend marks the beginning of Ramadan for our Muslim friends and the Memorial Day weekend in which we honor those who died while serving in our nation's armed forces. May we all remember the blessings of freedom that allow us to observe both of these sacred occasions.
