(gentle music beat)
– Hello everyone. I'm Jack Knott,
the new dean of NYU Steinhardt's School of
Culture, Education and Human Development.
I am very proud to be joining
the Steinhardt community.
At this challenging time, I hope you are all
doing what you can to stay safe and well.
I also hope you are practicing self-care,
which is crucial right now.
I am fully committed, of course, to all the
actions we're taking to keep people safe
and combat the coronavirus.
However, the current practice
of physically distancing ourselves from
one another is a challenge for me.
The very reason I first pursued higher ed
administration is that I love to work closely
and collaboratively with people,
people trying to reimagine something,
build something, and improve something
to make the world a better place.
Things work best when we approach them
with an open mind and pursue consensus,
when we respect the distinctive needs of
each scholar, program and department
while erecting bridges so we
can work with each other.
Having spent my career assembling diverse
teams to address research on critical issues
in public policy, I'm a great advocate
for interdisciplinary enterprises.
And this is a space in which Steinhardt
is uniquely positioned to excel.
And that's what I have seen as I have observed
NYU Steinhardt in action these past weeks.
Your courage, your creativity and
humanity have been on full display,
and it's been so heartening to see a now
dispersed community come together
to innovate, educate and somehow
grow closer with each day.
This is a testament not only to
the Steinhardt community spirit,
but to Interim Dean Pamela Morris's
excellent leadership.
The school's offerings are all-encompassing.
With a mission to improve the health
and well-being of people and communities
around the world, to face the biggest issues
and challenges of our time and try to
address them hollistically, together.
I can't wait to join you all on August 1,
and to support you in this
very important endeavor.
Stay well, and I look forward
to seeing you soon.
(gentle music swells and ends)
