Dear SoE graduate students,
In this, my last letter to you for the academic year, I want to congratulate all of you for completing what has been by any measure an incredibly complex and challenging year. In addition to your coursework and research, made even more demanding by the pandemic, many of you have faced and managed profound personal challenges. And even though conditions throughout most of the United States continue to improve dramatically, I know that many of the communities in which you and your loved ones live – both in the U.S. and around the world – continue to suffer in many ways. I hope, however, that all of you will take a moment to reflect on everything you've achieved this year. Along with all of the other faculty and staff in the School of Engineering, I’m immensely proud of you.
In recorded remarks for our graduating students, I observed that if the events of the past year have taught us anything, it’s that the world needs people like you more than ever before: individuals who have the skills, knowledge, and talent to make progress on solving the world’s most urgent challenges. And whether you’re graduating this weekend or continuing on with your studies at Stanford, I hope the events of the past many months will inspire you to serve the world and your communities.
I look forward to seeing some of you at the commencement ceremony this Saturday, and I'm thrilled that I'll have the opportunity to see many of you on campus this coming fall. The Science & Engineering Quad has been too quiet for too long! I also hope that those of you who are graduating will visit us in the months and years ahead, whether it’s at a reunion or alumni event, or to meet up with faculty and friends. In the meantime, I wish you all the very best for a healthy and rejuvenating summer.
Jennifer Widom
Dean, Stanford School of Engineering
