A Message to Alumni

from Dean's Desk, Alumni E-Newsletter
May 20, 2004

Dear Yale SOM Graduates,

Since its founding, one of Yale School of Management’s distinct characteristics compared to other leading business schools has been its close ties to its parent university. As Dean, one of my top priorities has been to build upon, and strengthen, these vital relationships. In this effort, I’m especially grateful for the unwavering support the school has received from Yale’s top leadership – President Richard Levin and the past and present Provosts, Alison Richard and Susan Hockfield.

The strong connection which has flourished between SOM and Yale has been incredibly rewarding for our students, faculty, and alumni. Our students have unparalleled access to courses throughout Yale, and many participate in one of our nine joint degree programs, the newest addition being the MBA/MD program with the Yale School of Medicine.

Links between our faculty and their colleagues elsewhere at Yale are reflected in the vitality of the school’s research centers. To take just two examples, the International Center for Finance, directed by Professor Will Goetzmann '86, brings together scholars from throughout Yale University – the Economics Department and Yale Law School – to examine the critical issues facing the global financial community. The Environment Management Center, directed by Professor Garry Brewer, joins the strengths of SOM and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies – two schools, as you know, that have been at the forefront of bringing together business and the environment in innovative and constructive ways for many years.

As alumni, you are interacting and networking with your fellow alumni throughout Yale, and Yale is reaching out to you, in ever-increasing and innovative ways. Recently, you should have received an email notice from the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA) announcing the exciting launch of a new online service for all Yale alumni — the Yale Career Network — which allows you to join a password-protected database of thousands of Yale alumni who are making their career profiles available to other alumni, and to students, for career advising, career networking, and career information exchange. And, beginning with the current May/June 2004 issue, you should also start receiving, thanks to an interim grant from the university, a complimentary subscription to the bimonthly Yale Alumni Magazine – the oldest independent alumni magazine in America.

I’m also very happy to announce that on April 29-30, 2005 – after a hiatus of a few years and the great success of the Charter Class Reunion this past fall – we will re-start our annual reunion program. As part of this kickoff 5-year reunion weekend - for the classes of 1985, 1990, 1995 and 2000 - we will be partnering with the Association of Yale Alumni (AYA) for a joint university-wide Spring Conference. The theme of the conference will focus on “Innovative Business Leadership” and will prominently feature our very own distinguished faculty and alumni in the joint university-wide sessions.

We are partnering with Yale for this joint event in another effort to bring together our alumni with other Yale alumni - not just by class year affiliation, but also by shared professional and intellectual interests. It has been inspired by the success of the recent conference for Yale alumnae, which some of you may have attended, “In the Company of Scholars: Yale Women in a Changing World” – which was hosted jointly by the Association of Yale Alumni, the Women Faculty Forum, and the university. Similarly, our 5-Year Reunion weekend – AYA Spring Conference promises to be a terrific event, and you will be receiving more information about this in the upcoming months.

In addition to the renewal of annual reunions, we will continue to celebrate the milestone 25th Anniversary Class Reunions each fall – a new tradition that was started at the school last year with the Charter Class of 1978, which will continue on October 1-2, 2004 for the Class of ‘79. Both the President and the Provost of Yale will be participating – another sign of the school’s strong links to the university.

And last, but certainly not least, after careful consideration, we have decided to re-merge our Alumni Affairs with Development to form a newly constituted Development and Alumni Relations Office. Under the leadership of Nevin E. Kessler, Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, this new office is well-poised to utilize the talent and resources of both teams to bring the wonderful resources of SOM and the broader Yale community within your easy reach.

As we close our academic year here in New Haven, I wish you a wonderful summer.

Best regards,

Jeffrey E. Garten, Dean