As I conclude my time as president and return to my role as provost, I do so with immense gratitude for the privilege it has been to serve this extraordinary institution in a time of transition and transformation.
I must also acknowledge that the wildfires are impacting many of our employees, our students and our communities and have been top of mind for all of our leaders this week. I encourage anyone who is impacted to reach out for support through the channels Dr. Morrison shared earlier this week.
Deep commitment
We are beginning an exciting new chapter in Memorial’s evolving story. I feel personally inspired and energized by President Morrison’s deep commitment to student success and academic excellence, and by her unwavering dedication to the communities we serve.
Over the past few months, Dr. Morrison has been actively ramping up behind the scenes, listening, learning, meeting and engaging, so I know that as I pass her the baton, she will hit the ground running.
1/ First day drop-ins
President Morrison took some time on Monday, Aug. 11, to visit members of the Memorial University community. She met with The Commons staff in the Queen Elizabeth II Library to chat about the supports they provide to students. With Dr. Morrison and are Arham Tamim (at left), a computer science student, and Rajin Hasan (at right), who is a double major in commerce and computer science.
2/ Student Experience Office
President Morrison spent time learning about one of her favourite things: student-focused support units. Dr. Morrison is pictured in the Student Experience Office in the University Centre with (at left) commerce student Nicholas Cummings and science major Dania Rizvi (at right).
3/ Pin tent
Engineering students Ahmad Hajahmad (middle) and Alif Ayman (at right) had a presidential visitor while they made Memorial University pins for the Canada Games athletes to add to their collections.
4/ Protective Services
Campus Enforcement and Patrol officers Michael Nolan (at left) and Otto Kallio (at right) give Dr. Morrison a rundown of their duties on the St. John's campus.
5/ Cutting-edge technology
Dr. Morrison tried out Kaijie Shi's robotic hand during a visit with the doctoral student.
6/ Green screen fun
One stop on the campus tour was at the Centre for Innovation and Learning Technology, where Provost Jennifer Lokash and President Morrison posed in front of the unit's green screen.
Her message reminds us of the great potential that lies within Memorial and of the shared purpose and courageous leadership that must guide us forward.
She is calling on us to embrace the opportunity of this moment: “to boldly reimagine what higher education can do by shaping and strengthening Memorial to fuel a brighter, more socially resilient and prosperous future for Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Together, we will continue to build a university that is inclusive, focused and responsive to the challenges of our complex and changing world. Together, we will meet this moment.
As provost, I look forward to working closely with President Morrison and with all of you — students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners — to realize a thriving future for this place we all love.
I want to acknowledge all those who have stepped into interim roles over the past months and years. Your dedication to Memorial is remarkable, and I sincerely thank you for it.
Welcome to Memorial, President Morrison!
