March 2013
Our students, our future
Dear Alumni and Friends:
Over several weeks this spring semester my wife, Lourdes, and I have been proud to carry out a Johnson tradition of hosting informal receptions for small groups of students in our home. Over the course of many delightful evenings, in numerous, lively discussions over cocktails, I have learned what’s on their minds and what they are passionate about, and I’ve shared my vision for Johnson, where we’re headed, and the challenges we face. Hosting these students in my home has been an excellent experience. They are bright, energetic, creative, and very passionate about Johnson. They tell me what they’ve enjoyed and what we can do better, they ask questions — and their questions cause me to reflect, so I also learn. It’s a give-and-take process and exchange of ideas about how to make Johnson stronger.
As many visiting executives told us after meeting our students during Johnson’s Marketing Executive One-on-One Coaching program earlier this month, Johnson students are bright, poised, and thoughtful leaders. These are qualities expected in Ivy League graduates; but what distinguishes Johnson students is their sensitivity to what is happening in the world around us and their collaborative behavior. I see them eager to make a good mark for themselves and also to help each other. Even if they disagree, their interactions are constructive and positive. It’s clear they want to do something different, they want to make a difference in the world, and they actively seek ways to do that.
While many students will go on to careers in finance and consumer goods, and some will pursue careers with nonprofits, they all dream of building a better future for the world — not just for themselves. Today’s Johnson students will soon become responsible, young leaders in business and society who will help improve the state of the world.
Our students will soon become our alumni. They are passionate about Johnson, they have had a wonderful experience here, and going forward, it is very important to keep and strengthen this bond; it binds us all together. Our school is in the midst of an important transition — not just because of new leadership, but because we have a new focus, on Cornell NYC Tech and on extending our global reach. It’s very important in this transition that our leadership, our students, and our alumni are all engaged.
As dean, I’m very proud of our students, and I care very deeply about them. We do our best to live up to and meet their high expectations. As I look to them I see the future of the school. When I see them as our alumni, I know our school is in good hands.
Soumitra Dutta
Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean
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