Dear Roosevelt Community,
As I reflect on the past semester, I am grateful to the Roosevelt University community for your determination and creativity in the face of obstacles. In a year when many of you personally endured challenges, I am proud to witness your commitment to your classmates, your students, your colleagues, and the causes you believe in.
Today, 1,789 students will earn their Roosevelt degrees, a tremendous accomplishment that testifies to the hard work of our students, faculty, and staff. Your determination is the modern embodiment of our founding mission.
Of course, the pandemic has brought — or brought to light — many difficulties and disappointments. The past several months have proven that much remains to be done to address systemic racism, poverty, and a broken immigration system. In short, an inequitable access to the American dream. However, I do not believe we should feel discouraged. Social justice is never a finished project. Our pursuit of this ideal gives us focus and meaning.
Our job is to move both Roosevelt University and our country closer and closer to our ideals. As we continue this work, I am thankful for your enthusiasm and resilience. There are many reasons to be hopeful about our future.
This year, Roosevelt honored the social justice award winners and their work to uphold our values. The award celebrated some of the strongest representatives of Roosevelt’s mission: Professor John Fountain and his journalism students, who reported on important stories neglected by the media. Professor Heather Dalmage, who brought the Roosevelt community together through the Mansfield Institute. And the RU COVID-19 task force, who championed the safety and well-being of all of us.
The new Deutsch Herczeg Scholars program selected its first cohort of women leaders. The eight scholars represent majors from piano performance to political science, but all share the same civic-minded commitment. I look forward to following these students’ learning and growth over the next academic year.
As vaccine availability expands, we are optimistic about positive trends both locally and nationally. The fall semester will be a transition to normalcy, but we do expect that many of our students will have face-to-face courses. I look forward to meeting in person again this fall while continuing to follow health guidelines. Please continue to monitor the COVID-19 website for updates and answers to your questions.
These are just a few examples of the impressive work that continues across the University. I am excited to see what the future holds for our community. Be proud of everything accomplished this year and yourselves.
With Warm Regards,
Ali R. Malekzadeh, Ph.D.
President