In light of continued health restrictions, we convened a series of virtual Parents Council meetings to keep you informed and connected. During these gatherings, campus leadership shared updates, considerations that informed their thinking, and engaged in dialogue on issues of importance to parents.
October 8 – Executive Committee Meeting
Members met in committee with Chancellor Andrew D. Martin, Provost Beverly Wendland, and Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Rob Wild. The conversation included updates on academic planning as well as other topics.
October 23 – New Member Social Hosted by the Executive Committee
Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and the Executive Committee welcomed new families to Parents Council. Executive Committee members hosted breakout rooms to provide an opportunity to learn more about Parents Council and meet fellow families.
November 12 – Parents Council Meeting and Open Forum
Chancellor Andrew D. Martin and Provost Beverly Wendland provided an update on university planning and priorities, followed by an open forum discussion with other key campus leaders: Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, Rob Wild; Professor of Medicine in Infectious Diseases, Dr. Steven Lawrence; Vice Chancellor for Operations & Tech Transfer, Dedric Carter.
December 4 – Interactive Discussion with Dr. Jeffrey Gordon, Father of the Microbiome
Dr. Jeff Gordon, MD, Director of the Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences & Systems Biology, joined us for an interactive discussion on his work addressing the root causes of both obesity and malnutrition and the broader repercussions for human health. Gordon’s groundbreaking interdisciplinary studies have revealed that children suffering from malnutrition possess gut microbial communities that fail to assemble normally. His work with malnourished Bangladeshi children has led to the development of therapeutic foods directed at repairing their microbiome and restoring healthy growth.
As always, if you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.