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Dear Members of the Sarah Lawrence Community,
Welcome to the Fall 2023 semester! Campus is humming with anticipation as we prepare to welcome (and welcome back) our undergraduate and graduate students. This time next week, the semester will be in full swing with classes underway for all of our students. The “welcome back” process actually began a couple of weeks ago when I hosted the annual move-in cookout at the President’s House for our Resident Advisers, the earliest arrivals on campus.
The next day we welcomed our fall athletes and I handed off the cooking duties to women’s soccer coach Maurizio Grillo for a fabulous pre-season pasta party. (Do I see a cook-off in our future?). Today we welcome pre-orientation students, and tomorrow night the RAs will be joined by Gryphon Guides and the Green Team as we gather at the President’s House in the final “here we go!” event before welcoming first-year and transfer students on Wednesday. New graduate students follow on Thursday and returning students at the end of week. Here we go, indeed!
During the pandemic we learned how helpful it was to host events for students and families before they arrive on campus, and we’ve been engaged virtually with the newest members of our community in a variety of ways for the last several weeks. We look forward to staying connected with our entire community—students, faculty, staff, families, alumni, and friends—over the course of this academic year. Each year since I arrived at the College, we have addressed a theme of critical and timely importance through a year-long series of events. This year we have chosen the theme Being Human: Evolving Humanity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. While the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and associated technologies holds tremendous potential, it simultaneously raises profound questions, not least of which is the fundamental query: what does it mean to be human? As I often point out, our mission—in its most concise expression—is to prepare students to tackle the problems of, and thrive in, a complex and rapidly evolving world. The emergence of AI and associated technologies is a prime and timely example of that complex, rapid evolution, with its power to revolutionize and transform our society in known and unknown ways…and with known and unknown consequences. The Being Human series is yet another way we seek to live into the promise of our mission to prepare our students.
Faculty members Jim Marshall (Computer Science), Angela Ferraiolo (Visual and Studio Arts), Sammy Floyd (Psychology & Child Development), and Laura Hercher MS ’01 (Human Genetics Program) will kick off the series on September 6, framing key issues in a panel discussion moderated by Library director Mustafa Sakarya. Other events this fall include Melanie Mitchell, the Davis Professor of Complexity at the Santa Fe Institute, discussing her book Artificial Intelligence: A Guide to Thinking Humans, and Phil Wiser, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Paramount Global, exploring AI’s impact on human creativity at the intersection of media and technology. This year’s roster of courses includes many that intersect with AI-related issues, and I am excited by the way work we are undertaking across our curriculum will inform the series. Sarah Lawrence has a vital role to play in convening thought leaders and addressing critical issues and I invite you to check our events website for announcements about these and other programs throughout the academic year and to join us in person or virtually. Your voices and insights will be key aspects of the conversations that lie ahead, and I look forward to engaging in them with you.
Here we go!
With my best wishes for a productive and enjoyable semester,
Cristle Collins Judd
President
president@sarahlawrence.edu
Instagram: @slcprez
Recent Announcements
Welcome, Class of 2027!
I’m excited to get to know our newest undergraduate students this week! The incoming class is composed of just over 400 dynamic, thoughtful first year and 35 transfer students from 44 states and more than 30 countries who are eager to bring their curiosity and creativity to SLC. We can’t wait to have them here in just over a week.
Remembering Sarah Gund ’65
The College lost a devoted alumna and friend when Sarah Gray Gund ’65 passed away earlier this month. Sarah was a member of the Board of Trustees for 14 years, a generous supporter, and a tireless volunteer for the College she loved so dearly. Read more about Sarah on our website.
Go Gryphons!
Our student athletes are ready to go! Tennis, soccer, volleyball, and cross country will be back in action starting September 1—see the full schedule of athletics events and all things Gryphons at gogryphons.com.
Welcome, New Trustees
Please join me in welcoming the four newly elected members of the Board of Trustees, who start their tenure this year:
David Berger ’83
Founding partner of Allegaert Berger & Vogel LLP, based in New York City
Deborah Mooney Harris MFA ’98
Creative writing instructor at WriterHouse (Charlottesville, VA) and Hudson River Community Education (Dobbs Ferry, NY)
Kyle Hawley
Founder and Creative Director of Letterpress PLAY, a design and letterpress studio based in Austin, TX.
Alan J. Wilson P ’17
Portfolio manager at Capital Group, based in Los Angeles, CA
Also, we welcome Elke Zuern (Politics) as the newly elected faculty trustee.
Library Podcast
Did you know that the Library has a podcast? It’s a great way to get to know staff, faculty, students and alumni. Host Tim Kail, the Library’s Creative Resources Coordinator, does a great job of taking us “behind the scenes” of the lives, careers, and passions of the people that make SLC great. Give it a listen!