As this academic year draws to a close, I invite you to consider how cycles of generation and regeneration shape the stories of our lives. One of the most significant works of medieval literature, Giovanni Boccaccio’s “The Decameron,” written in the shadow of the bubonic plague of 1348, provides a helpful frame for this exercise. In it, ten young people seek refuge in the countryside and create a community of intellect, laughter, memory and hope. Their storytelling is a generative act: from uncertainty, they build something enduring.
So it is in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Our students, faculty and staff engage in acts of renewal — through research, teaching, discovery and dialogue. This issue of Ytori reflects that spirit, highlighting the experiences that shape our next generation of leaders, thinkers and storytellers, who, like Boccaccio’s narrators, draw strength from difficulty.
Inside, you’ll find stories that embody this theme. We spotlight undergraduate research — its vitality made possible by faculty mentorship and donor support. You’ll read about Beyond120, our signature experiential learning initiative, and meet students whose paths, though unexpected, have become deeply meaningful thanks to the guidance of academic advisors. We explore the foundational role of communication in liberal arts education, honor a remarkable first-generation student, and share the inspiring community-building work of Jewish Studies. Psychology’s innovations in experiential learning and outreach are profiled, as is the heartening work of helping “discontinued” students complete their degrees.
As I reflect on today’s generation of CLAS students, I’m reminded of how often my own generation voices concern about “kids these days.” I do not share that concern. I see a generation marked by purpose and promise. Around the globe, young people are demonstrating extraordinary energy and vision — Greta Thunberg’s environmental advocacy, the late Carlo Acutis’s deep faith and Nila Ibrahimi’s courageous pursuit of equal rights. Our students walk alongside them: emerging from the shadow of a global pandemic with clarity, resilience and the drive to shape a brighter future.
While we await the start of the new academic year, I am hopeful that you will be inspired by the spirit of regeneration and the renewal these stories offer for us all.
Sincerely,
Mary Watt
Interim Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences