Growing up in Florida, my experience with the change in seasons was the weather shifting from pleasantly warm in the winter to hot and sunny in the summer. Upon arriving in New England for college, I learned how varied and beautiful the change of seasons can be. I also realized why our 10 weeks of New England summer are so cherished. This time of year comes with an almost ritualistic determination to escape to the beach, get on your bike, grill in the backyard with friends and family, or take in a ballgame at Fenway.
Photo: Webb Chappell
President Kerry Healey
While summer at Babson may appear a bit more laid-back than other seasons, take a closer look. Our campus is overflowing with students of all ages, and there is plenty of exciting news to report.
This summer, we welcome two outstanding new members to the College’s academic leadership team. I’m pleased to introduce Will Lamb as Murata Dean of the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. Will comes to Babson from Ohio University, where among other accomplishments he served as associate dean for graduate programs and associate professor of strategic management in the College of Business. We’re thrilled to welcome Will and his family to campus.
In addition, this spring I tasked a search committee with finding a new provost to oversee academic programs. The committee identified several incredible internal candidates for this key position, and we are fortunate that Fred Nanni, one of the most respected, experienced, and versatile faculty leaders during his 21 years at Babson, now is serving as our provost.
We also had a wonderful opportunity to deepen our expertise and leadership in one of our most long-standing areas of excellence: The Bertarelli Foundation made a generous gift to establish a Distinguished Professor of Family Entrepreneurship to advance the understanding of the unique challenges facing family businesses. The foundation’s co-chair is Ernesto Bertarelli ’89, a 2008 inductee to the Babson Academy of Distinguished Entrepreneurs. We are deeply grateful to the Bertarelli Foundation for its leadership and already have launched a worldwide search to fill this new chair.
At the heart of campus, construction on the Park Manor West residence hall—featuring The Leonard A. Schlesinger First-Year Innovation Center—is in full swing. The building will complete the Park Manor Quad and be a gathering and living space not just for first-year students but for the entire Babson community.
When students return to Babson recharged after a wonderful summer, they’ll be returning to a familiar place, but one that is constantly challenging itself to keep looking ahead. I hope this summer brings you back to Babson so that you can feel the energy on campus firsthand, even in this “most-relaxed” time of the year.
Kerry Healey