Greetings from LER!
This year’s note is so much more fun to write than last year’s note. Our building is alive again, with all of our continuing students joining us in the classroom for the first time, and our new cohort of fresh faces learning to make their way on campus. Our faculty and staff are back, the building is open, and the program is running smoothly.
Our campus has taken great pains to ensure that our environment is a safe and productive one, working with departments to implement protocols for vaccination and testing to keep our faculty, staff, and students healthy. Those protocols have caused little disruption in our daily routines, and we have been able to resume a nearly-normal routine. Classes are in session, speakers are joining us both virtually and in person, and events are being held in the building. Having the Scholarship Reception back on site was heartwarming—you never know how much you miss the uproar until it goes silent.
Please read on to learn more about the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and PhD students in the past year. See examples of the success that many alumni enjoy in their careers, attaining leadership roles with unique and challenging organizations. And see how our LER community is creating leaders in their workplaces and communities, whether in Illinois or around the globe. As always, we are proud to create the next generation of thought leaders and provide them with robust workplace knowledge from our faculty. That data helps our alumni make the workplace better for the organizations they lead and the people they serve.
I’m more honored than ever to be a part of the LER family this year and to share our story with you. This year’s report is very special to me, since it will be my last as dean. Don’t worry, though... I will be honored to remain part of your community and share in the celebration of our collective success well into the future. Stay tuned in 2022 as we announce the next dean, and the next steps on the road to success.
Cheers!
Fritz