Moving Forward Together in 2021
Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon University Community:
As we begin this new year, I send my best wishes to each of you for a successful spring semester. When I look back on 2020, I am inspired by how much we have accomplished together, across our different locations and time zones. Our global community has responded to the pandemic through a shared commitment to the health and well-being of our community, innovative research and teaching contributions, and supporting the university and our local communities through volunteering and philanthropic giving.
Looking ahead to 2021, hope is on the horizon in many forms, including the development and distribution of vaccines, promising treatments, and increased testing in many of our cities and countries. In our own community, we have set up a state-of-the-art Tartan Testing program on the Pittsburgh campus. Our research teams are making leading contributions to understanding and combatting the pandemic. And our community raised more than $1 million for the Tartan Emergency Support Fund to help CMU students impacted by COVID-19 and raised a record-breaking $81,436 for the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
Our faculty, instructors and staff continue to go above and beyond every day to ensure the continuity of our education and research mission through innovations in teaching, student support services, and health and safety. And our domestic and international students have embraced Tartans, All In to keep one another safe and support a CMU student experience like no other.
We also know that the pandemic has magnified the realities of systemic racism and structural inequality, underscoring the need to further our work toward justice and equity, sharpen our commitment to the values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and fulfill our charge to make CMU a more inclusive and equitable place while also doing our part to combat racism at the university and beyond. We look forward to welcoming our inaugural Vice Provost for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Wanda Heading-Grant, to CMU in April. And we hope that no matter where you are around the globe, you will participate in the many ongoing events Celebrating the Life & Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including the virtual keynote lecture by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. While the pandemic has led to increased feelings of isolation and has created barriers to inclusion, I ask that every member of our community continue to support their fellow Tartans and actively reach out to help others feel welcomed, respected and valued.
While there is so much to be grateful for, including our shared and growing optimism for the future, now, more than ever, we must reaffirm our commitment to keeping our community safe and healthy. For our community to thrive this semester, we will rely on each of you to follow the very best science and public health practices by staying committed to continued physical distancing, washing hands and wearing facial coverings. We must remain vigilant and maintain our commitment to Tartans, All In.
Amanda Gorman, the inaugural poet for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris shared, “For there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it. If only we're brave enough to be it.” Here in Pittsburgh and around the globe, I encourage you, the Tartan community, to continue to be brave enough to see and be that light that Ms. Gorman spoke of. As we move forward together in 2021 and start the spring semester today together, may each of you stay healthy and have continued success in all of your endeavors at Carnegie Mellon University.
Sincerely,
Jim Garrett
Provost and Chief Academic Officer