Dean’s Letter
Dean’s Letter
DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS
The stories in this wonderful issue of BU Wheelock exemplify the journey we’re on and the good work our faculty and alumni have done since we launched the new BU Wheelock College of Education & 人类发展 five years ago. The best part? We’re just getting started. Read about Project AVANT (page 2), a cross-university and cross-city collaboration—codirected by Melissa Holt and Jennifer Greif Green—that is giving youth who are transgender or nonbinary a voice in identifying their own needs in the face of increasing oppression.
You’ll also learn about the ways we’re addressing inequities in our public education systems that have existed for centuries (page 6), work that is critical if we want to meet the needs of all students and support our nation’s democratic and economic goals. To bring this article to life, designer Max Weber chose a stock image that reminded him of Norman Rockwell’s painting (bottom left) of Ruby Bridges, the courageous young girl who in 1960 integrated a historically segregated school in Little Rock, Ark. We have made many strides as a society since desegregation, but BU Wheelock exists to ensure that today’s Ruby Bridgeses are able not only to participate in public education but to thrive because of that experience.
Finally, we introduce Anthony Abraham Jack (page 20). Dr. Jack arrived at BU Wheelock this fall as a foremost expert on the needs of first-generation college students, many of whom come from underrepresented and marginalized groups. He is an associate professor at BU Wheelock and serves as faculty director of BU’s Newbury Center, working to help guide the University’s strategies for supporting first-generation students. In light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down race-conscious college admissions, Tony’s work is as vital as ever, and we are positively thrilled to have him join our faculty.
This issue of BU Wheelock, like our college’s faculty and alumni, shines bright. May these stories inspire you as they’ve inspired me!
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