Message from the Dean
June 2021
Dear Faculty, Staff and Students in the Klingler College of Arts & Sciences,
I hope that your summer is off to a wonderful start. No matter your primary occupation
during this season, I encourage you to find time to reflect, relax and have some fun.
Having arrived in Milwaukee just over a year ago, I am still discovering the joys
of the city in summertime. A recent highlight was sailing on Lake Michigan. What glorious
natural beauty and what an opportunity to admire the Milwaukee skyline from a broader
perspective!
Speaking of perspective, recently we welcomed not only the arrival of summer but the
start of the Ignatian Year. From May 20, 2021 through July 31, 2022 we celebrate and commemorate St. Ignatius’s
conversion following his injury on the battlefield of Pamplona, his founding of the
Society of Jesus and his canonization. The story of Ignatius is a good reminder that
every life includes ups and down, twists and turns, challenges and opportunities.
Not everyone undergoes an experience as dramatic as a cannonball-inflicted injury
but all of us can identify and reflect upon “cannonball moments” in our lives. Often
it is not such singular, dramatic moments that make the difference. Rather, it is
frequently a slow realization or an unfolding transformation that sets us on a new
path. Our responsibility is to remain open to the event of transformation, to the
call from beyond ourselves.
Here on campus, our College faculty and staff remain ever alert to the call of needs
on the part of students and the world. This summer, students are engaged in a wide
variety of high-impact experiences that distinguish an Arts & Sciences education at
Marquette. Many students are conducting research under the guidance of faculty mentors
across the natural and computational sciences, humanities and social sciences. The
Departments of Biological Sciences and Physics have a notably large number of their
undergraduates currently engaged in research. The Department of Computer Science is
hosting a diverse cohort as part of an REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates)
program funded by the National Science Foundation. The REU students are conducting
research in healthcare, social sciences, cybersecurity, computer science education,
data science education and spatial analytics. Other undergraduate researchers come
from the Departments of English; History; Languages, Literatures & Cultures; Psychology
and Social and Cultural Sciences. In addition, numerous students are engaged in College-supported
internships this summer, including opportunities with not-for-profit organizations
right here in Milwaukee. Made possible thanks to the generous support of donors, all
of these experiences have a transformational effect in the lives of students and help
them discern the work they are called to do. We will continue to highlight students
and their high-impact experiences on our social media channels.
We are already preparing for the 2021–22 academic year, including a campus-wide focus
on student success. We will work with colleagues across the College and beyond to
ensure that all students have equitable access to research, internships and other
experiences that help them discern their pathway and develop as persons. This Ignatian
Year will bring plentiful opportunities to reflect and engage.
As always, please feel free to contact me with questions, concerns or suggestions. I appreciate hearing from you and exploring
ways we can all work together for the common good.
Sincerely,
Dr. Heidi Bostic Dean, Klingler College of Arts and Sciences
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