Southwestern Magazine | Fall 2019

SINCE THAT FIRST DAY, Southwestern has undergone an intellectual, cultural, and physical renaissance. We crafted an innovative Paideia curriculum that invites students to think, create, and connect inways they never experienced before in their educations. We launched Mosaic, an initiative that encourages students to intentionally construct their cocurricular experiences in mindful andmeaningful ways, and theResidential Experience, a program that empowers students to extend their learning experiences into the residence halls.We expanded and reimagined the Fondren–Jones Science Center—the home of the new Garey School of Natural Sciences—to foster an integrated, cross-disciplinary community and reflect Southwestern’s commitment to inquiry- based discovery and active learning. These and many other transformationswithin theUniversity inspired the theme of this issue of Southwestern . As one of the finest undergraduate institutions in the nation, Southwestern University o”ers a meaningful and transformative educational experience.It’smeaningfulinthatweencourageour students to growandflourish and to become better versions of themselves, and it’s transformative in that we teach students how to think, not what to think—allowing them to change as they make up their own minds and create themselves. Beyond teaching facts and dates, our faculty model practices of analysis, creativity, and thought that transcend any subject. They teach the algorithms and methodologies, but they also encourage students to engage in high-impact educational experiences beyond the classroom, such as study abroad, internships, and collaborative research. They teach the what and the where, but they also teach students how to be creative, agile thinkers in the ever-unfolding 21st-century world. Ultimately, we promote lifelong learning and a passion for intellectual and personal growth. And it’s not just our students who are constantly learningandgrowing;weareallworksinprogress— individually as well as institutionally. We are never our “best,” and we are never “done,” but we can always be better, and there are always greater heights to realize. It is in this forward-thinking spirit that I determined this is the right time for Southwestern to change through its leadership. O F F I C E O F T H E P R E S I D E N T Always Looking Forward hen I first stepped onto campus as the new president of Southwestern University, one of my initial observations was how everyone—from sta— and faculty to students and alumni—was committed to the University’s overarching mission to engage minds and transform lives. W 6 SOUTHWESTERN