FROM THE PRESIDENT

An Institution of Opportunity

Diversity has and always will be part of our DNA.

We recognize that a diverse learning environment not only offers unique perspectives and sparks innovation but is key to preparing individuals to succeed in an increasingly interconnected and complex world. At EMU, we want to ensure people from different backgrounds have access to an excellent education that prepares them to thrive and contribute to society.

None of that is possible without our incredible faculty.

That’s why it’s so meaningful that our faculty members are leading the discussion about what it means to have an inclusive campus climate, and how it affects students when we fail. One compelling result of their work, a three-part video series that amplifies student voices to address diversity, equity and inclusion, is featured in “Claiming the Culture” on page 3. The stories are authentic and powerful and shed light on an EMU experience that many may naively think doesn’t exist. Yet it does.

I admire our students’ honesty and candidness, and I am profoundly grateful for the work that our faculty teams are doing to bring these stories to light.

Present to Past

This issue also tells the story of Mark Jefferson (page 5), a fascinating figure from our history who is much more than the namesake of a science building. Jefferson was one of the most celebrated geographers of his time and, as chief cartographer at the Versailles Peace Conference, was instrumental in helping draw national boundaries in Europe following World War I. He was a scholar, an innovator, and a thinker.

I hope you enjoy these stories and more in this issue of Eastern Magazine.

­James Smith, Ph.D. President, Eastern Michigan University