I am privileged to be called upon to help lead the D'Amore-McKim School of Business through this transition as Interim Dean. While operating in a seemingly constant state of change can be challenging, it can also be invigorating. So, as the fiscal year comes to a close and we look ahead to the next year, I want to offer a few thoughts on our latest transition.
First, I'd like to offer my heartfelt thanks to our outgoing Dean, Raj Echambadi. It has been an honor and a privilege to work with Raj over the past four years. His leadership has brought bold new opportunities to D'Amore-McKim, and his steady hand has guided our faculty, staff, and students through the tumultuous and unprecedented COVID-19 challenge. He also worked to create a more inclusive culture; raise our awareness of the importance of diversity, inclusion, and belonging; and address the challenges of our role working to eliminate systemic barriers and create a sustainable economy that provides opportunities for all. After four years as Dean, it's a testament to Raj's ability, impact, and character that he has been called upon to lead a highly respected university as its president. Congratulations, Raj, all the best, and we will miss you. You will always have friends at D'Amore-McKim.
I have been at Northeastern for 33 years, and I have participated in and witnessed our unprecedented upward trajectory. Over these years, our entire institution has transformed, including our faculty, staff, students, and facilities. We have accomplished this while retaining our identity as an institution focused on experiential education and use-inspired research. It's incredibly gratifying to see the significant progress we've made in recent times to raise the stature of D'Amore-McKim as a research school while still retaining our identity. Our success is the result of the outstanding team we have at D'Amore-McKim. This team of faculty and staff has worked tirelessly to support our research mission and provide our students with a world-class educational experience. We also need to acknowledge the invaluable support of our alumni, advisory boards, corporate partners, and others who contribute so much to our success. The ongoing work of our entire community is the key to our success going forward.
As we move into the new fiscal year, I know we can continue to meet our challenges and move ahead with the pipeline of new programs and initiatives that Raj and our team have started. Some D'Amore-McKim community members know me very well, and others not as much. I've been a Finance Group faculty member and served as its Group Chair. In addition, for the past seven years, I've served as the Senior Associate Dean of Faculty and Research, focused primarily on faculty issues. My intention is always to be transparent, purposeful, and principled in doing my part to lead us forward. I hope that the faculty I have worked with over the past seven years will reinforce this view, and I look forward to bringing the same qualities to working with our staff and other stakeholders.
I will be reaching out to many D'Amore-McKim teams in the coming weeks to arrange meetings to get to know everyone better and answer any questions about the transition and the year ahead. I look forward to working more closely with the broader community. My goal is always to be honest, transparent, and inclusive. I invite anyone to reach out to get to know me better and to share concerns if you feel our goals and values are not being met.
In closing, a sincere thank you to all faculty and staff for your hard work and dedication, particularly over a very challenging fiscal year. We're looking at another challenging year ahead, but I'm confident that we are well-equipped to meet these challenges and thrive thanks to the resilience and agility of our team. Again, I look forward to working with you.
All the best for a close to the year and to a happy 4th of July weekend.
Emery Trahan
Interim Dean
D'Amore-McKim School of Business