Dear colleagues,

As fall unfolds, I’m grateful for the chance to see so many of you around campus and to hear about your research and the work you’ve been doing with students, in classrooms and beyond. This season has offered many reminders of how our collective efforts—across academic departments, student affairs, advancement, and administrative teams—strengthen the student experience and our scholarly mission.

A few highlights that illustrate how partnership and intentional collaboration is showing up in our work:

• Undergraduate Student Affairs demonstrated real agility this term when Homecoming plans shifted: colleagues partnered with students and campus services to transform a planned bonfire into a new laser show. That kind of rapid teamwork reflects the student-centered problem solving I’ve appreciated all year.
• Community and spirit returned with the reopening of the Hopkins Center, and small moments—like the HR Halloween costume parade—reminded me how much our staff and faculty sustain campus life through everyday connections.
• Research and discovery took center stage as the Academic Clusters Initiative marked its 10th anniversary with a TED‑style research program Faculty across clusters presented the challenging questions they’ve been tackling in their research, underscoring the strength and vitality of research across the arts and sciences.
• The Dartmouth Center for Social Impact hosted a Social Impact Summit that brought together alumni, faculty, and staff for a day of dialogue, workshops, and a keynote from Maya Wiley ’86—celebrating a decade of collective impact and learning.
• Supporting student success remains a shared priority. The Center for Career Design’s new Career Communities are an example of programming that links advising, faculty mentorship, and employer engagement to give students clearer pathways after graduation. And, thanks to a generous gift from Tom and Gina Russo, Christie Harner’s role is now endowed as the Thomas A. 1977 and Georgina T. Russo 1977 Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education for Fellowships and Scholars Programs—a strong example of Advancement support underpinning our work.

These accomplishments reflect the kinds of coordination that we set out to build with the School of Arts and Sciences. Whether it’s operational problem solving, innovation in research, teaching, learning outside the classroom, or philanthropic partnerships, the results we’re seeing come from people across the school and Dartmouth working together.

A few brief operational notes: I hope you saw the announcement extending winter break to include Dec. 22–23. After a busy term, I know many of us welcome the chance to rest and reset. In the months ahead I’ll continue to share opportunities to engage—including office hours and community events—and I look forward to continuing conversations about how we can support and elevate Arts and Sciences.

An incredible amount of work has happened across the school to bring us where we are today, and there is more work yet to come—thank you for all you do for our students and for one another. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like to talk about these efforts or other priorities.

With best wishes,

Nina Pavcnik
Interim Dean of Arts and Sciences