Letter from the Director
/Dr. Nael McCarty
I have just finished my first month as the new Director of the GDBBS. What a month it's been! The Division is such a complicated enterprise, so there has been a lot of learning – the fact that this is such an important enterprise makes a comprehensive understanding of all of its parts absolutely crucial. During this first month, I've gotten connected to the outstanding Division Staff, all of whom are committed to providing top-notch customer service to our students, our faculty, and the Programs that tie them together. We are in very good hands. To facilitate a team approach to graduate education, I also have made it a priority to meet with all of the eight Program Directors who work so hard to make their Programs the excellent sources of training that they already are. I have learned about some of the great strengths of our programs, and some of the challenges that they face. This month, I will be meeting with all of the Directors of Graduate Studies in the Programs, in order to also learn from them. One of my major goals is to help these Program Leaders learn from each others' long experiences in program development and management, to the benefit of all.
The GDBBS has a bright future, made possible by the hard work of countless program faculty, LGS Deans, and prior Division Directors – particularly that of our most recent Director, Dr. Keith Wilkinson. My 21 years of experience as a member of the training faculty in a variety of contexts, my strong experience in leadership roles in a wide variety of training-related activities, and my deep commitment to our students and faculty set me up for this important task of carrying on this tradition of excellence. My motivation for this effort lies in my deep commitment to graduate education and research training, on behalf of both the students and the training faculty – with the support of our GDBBS alumni, I will do my very best to ensure that our training programs maintain their excellence, building upon the strong momentum established by my colleagues and predecessors, to ensure the bright future of the GDBBS.