Message from the Dean (Cont.)
We are also engaged in several research collaborations, connecting pioneering researchers at our Boston campus with research institutes in this region. We are involved in regional initiatives including preventative health care, computer science training and creating new ways to engage girls in STEM careers. This fall our campus will continue to be the center of key regional issues.
On September 10th, we will feature a morning discussion on a topic much closer to many companies – how they successfully brand themselves as an attractive employer to the best talent. The goal of employer branding is to attract, engage and retain talented candidates and employees to help an organization reduce costs and reach their goals. The discussion will include a presentation from Universum, the global leader in employer branding, to provide an overview of the results from the 2013 Global Student Survey and Ideal Employer rankings. Joining Universum will be David Lee, former consultant and current Global Employer Brand Leader at Amazon. To learn more about and RSVP for this program, click here.
On September 25 at noon, we will convene a moderated discussion on a key issue facing all leading regions such as ours, namely the question of how sustainable cities attract and retain the technology companies which now and in coming years will be the source of much innovation and job growth. Recent national publicity on Amazon and its astounding growth in Seattle has highlighted the importance of every region understanding and getting behind these economic development trends. We will bring together on September 25, at our campus Northeastern’s leader on urban sustainability, Dr. Joan Fitzgerald, and several local leaders – including Tomm Aldridge, Director, Energy and Sustainability Lab, Intel, a major local developer Greg Johnson, President of Wright Runstad & Company, and Hilary Franz, President of Futurewise, an environmental nonprofit committed to sustainable and attractive compact urban growth. We welcome you to join this interactive discussion on our city and region’s future path in this area. Click here to find out more and to RSVP for this event.
Earlier this summer we launched here in Seattle the G.A.M.E.S. Program (Girls Advancing Mathematics, Engineering, and Science), in conjunction with the National Girls Collaborative Project and the Institute of Systems Biology, a national initiative committing ourselves to use the medium of video games to try and encourage more girls to choose to pursue STEM careers. This is a challenging and complex task, and one which will require a lot of dedicated people and organizations across the country to make this goal a reality. However we are off to a great start. Here is a short video on our launch of this effort earlier in the summer, and a short memo setting forth how we propose to make this vision a reality. Let me know if you are interested in participating.
Lastly, I’d like to personally welcome returning and new students to our Seattle campus and their new classes – no matter whether they are taking them virtually or as hybrid. A new academic year brings a fondness and eagerness of “back to school” that we celebrate with our students. Have a great September and fall term!