Dear CMC Community:
Seven months ago, my family and I embarked on a humbling, inspiring journey: humbling, to follow in the broad, deep footprints of Presidents Benson, Stark, and Gann; inspiring, to be asked to lead this eminent liberal arts college with its singular mission to make a difference in the world.
Priya and I are extremely grateful to each of you for your incredibly warm welcome to the CMC community. We wish to express our congratulations to President Gann on her outstanding tenure and special thanks to Harry McMahon '75 P'08 P'09 (Chair of the Board of Trustees) and David Mgrublian '82 P'11 (Chair of the Presidential Search Committee) for their strong support.
Now, as I begin my first day, I grow even more impressed, more excited. CMC’s brilliant faculty, charismatic students, visionary trustees, superb staff, dedicated alumni, parents, and friends are second to none. And after all of my trips to CMC this spring and the innumerable meetings and conversations about the College’s amazing accomplishments and exciting plans for the future, I am now more thrilled than ever to get to work. One central question emerges from these observations: how do we build on the College’s stunning success?
More specifically, how can we bring the CMC community even closer together to integrate our special areas of expertise in the investigation and resolution of the most pressing local, national, and global problems? How can we further enhance the innovation and value of a CMC experience and simultaneously moderate the financial burdens on students and families? And how will we lead our peers in these and many other endeavors in higher education, not just to be the best, but also to do greater good—through our students, through our research, and through our example?
As I settle in this summer, as many of you recharge, and as we approach the fall semester and the inauguration in early October (with its theme of the Liberal Arts in Action), let’s work together in creative, collaborative ways to provide powerful, practical answers to these questions. I have much to learn from each of you and ask for your continued support and counsel. Please send me your thoughts and feel free to suggest times when we can connect to continue the conversation.
Thank you all for this special opportunity to serve.
Very best,
Hiram