eMcCormack Resource Center

Message from the Interim Dean, Rita Kiki Edozie

Dear McCormack Leadership, Faculty, Staff, and Students:

Those of you who have worked closely with McCormack will recognize the boot above - David Cash's favorite shoes - his cowboy boots! He wears them whenever the College holds a high-profile event:))

Today, as we now wish former Dean David Cash farewell, and he passes on the baton to me; I'm reminded that I have deep boots to fill in carrying on his legacy! I feel a bit like acting Mayor, Kim Janey in relation to former Mayor, Marty Walsh! David, like Marty, a very charming and popular/populist leader, will be a tough act to follow!

I wish to thank you all for your well wishes and congratulatory tributes in assuming the role of interim Dean today, August 3rd. I'm honored and humbled, and even though I feel prepared to lead, I am still a bit dazed by the quick and sudden turn of events as they occur today especially following these tumultuous times of a hard to get rid of global pandemic!

Be that as it may, I am ready to lead! To this end, I'd like to thank Provost Berger, Chancellor Saurez-Orozco, and "You" for supporting my interim candidacy as set forth in the current appointment.

My first act is to have you join me in showing great gratitude to David Cash for what I like to see as his distinctive "branding" of McCormack into our small college-school's current performance, visibility and progressive reputation in Greater Boston, the Commonwealth, the Nation, and the Globe as a foremost policy, public service, and global affairs' college! We are grateful for David's leadership and will severely miss his graciousness in forging our current dynamic and collegial McCormack identity. I will try to continue David's tradition.

The past few weeks in my capacity as Associate Dean, with David, we have been carefully reading through the annual strategic reports submitted by each of your units (departments/centers/institutes) in preparation to develop the college-level report. I agree with David when he noted to me that he is proud of what we, as a community, have accomplished and equally proud to be part of such an amazing group of scholars, educators and staff devoted to the mission!

Despite what will no doubt be a difficult "return to open" semester and year ahead after a year and a half of surviving and adjusting to the global pandemic off-campus remotely; David and I deduced from your reports the following shared key strategic priorities. We wrote, 

"In tandem with the university-wide strategic planning process, in addition to engaging a parallel college-led dialogue about a prospective academic master plan and internal structuring; AY’ 21-22 strategic priorities include fundraising and strengthening the college’s extramural grant awards; strengthening cross-campus collaborations to grow and expand the college’s academic programs to enhance student success; and  conducting multiple DEI initiatives that will serve to diversify doctoral student enrollments, increase faculty and staff of color appointments, and improve the curricular and workplace compositional climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion at the college." (extract, MGS Strategic Annual Report, AY'20-21).

All right... sort off...beginning shortly... through mid-August, I'm going to... "virtual Disney-land" for a much-needed stay-vacation...of sorts! No worries, I will still be around and available to you, preparing for the transition to physical campus and the interim deanship ahead. However, in between "Mundo Zoom", I do want to take some work-life balancing spaces here and there before MGS (Dean's Office) officially starts back on campus in our offices on Monday, August 16th.

Thank you again, much more later, and see you soon!

Warmly, 
Rita Kiki Edozie, 8/3/2021