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Ronald J. Daniels
President
Walk the campus.
It's a simple idea, but one that never fails to energize and inspire me, especially in moments of stress and strain.
As you know, we have faced a steady stream of federal actions and directives aimed at restructuring the long-standing mission of American research universities. I regularly hear from faculty, students, and staff who are understandably anxious about the impact of these changes on our research and educational enterprise, including our capacity to recruit international students.
While we continue to advocate strenuously for our mission and take steps to address these impacts, I often share the simple advice that I first heard from our alumnus, trustee, and generous benefactor, the late Ralph O'Connor. "Walk the campus," Ralph urged, because there is no better way to understand the university than to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff what's on their minds, and gain perspective and optimism about the great work that goes on daily.
I have taken that advice to heart. I've walked our campuses and seen students darting between classes or engaging in spirited classroom debates. I've seen musicians tuning their instruments and student researchers and faculty mentors seeking the next breakthrough in their labs. I've watched our athletes leave it all on Homewood Field. I've observed our students proudly displaying the blue stoles signifying they are the first in their families to graduate from college.
These walks around campus never fail to remind me of the remarkable promise and power of the research university. This spring, I had a similar experience as I walked the grounds of another university campus—this time as a parent.
My family and I were there to celebrate my son's "match day," the day when medical students learn about their residency placements. Surveying the room as the students got their news, I saw a snapshot of our country at its best. The sea of beaming faces spanning all walks of life truly embodied the research university's promise: possibilities realized, expertise conferred, hard work and sacrifice rewarded. It was truly a joyous moment.
As my wife and I crossed the room to our son, a group of students waved at me. I could not quite place them … until I heard "Ronny D!"
They were Hopkins undergraduate alumni now in medical school. We couldn't resist a few selfies. Soon enough, other students approached. These future Johns Hopkins residents had just matched with us and were about to embark on their next chapter in Baltimore.
I departed that day filled with a sense of pride and optimism about all those students who had come so far and would soon use their knowledge to do so much for society—one patient, one insight, one discovery at a time.
If we are to have any chance of restoring confidence in higher education, we must share these stories that capture the magic of our universities, our role in creating and sharing knowledge, and our research and clinical care that improves and saves lives.
So, follow Ralph's advice. Walk our campuses and see firsthand all that we are and all that we do.
Ronald J. Daniels
President
