Pardee School Welcomes New Dean’s Ambassadors
At a lunch reception held on October 27, 2016 at the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, Dean Adil Najam welcomed five new Pardee School Dean’s Ambassadors including Saliha Agha (IRGL), Michael Cavanaugh (IRAF), Tara Moore (ENIR), Shanuki Tillekeratne (IRAF) and Ruiming Zhu (IRIC).
The new Dean’s Ambassadors, all graduate students, were joined at the reception by a current batch of undergraduate students continuing as Pardee School Dean’s Ambassadors from the last academic year. The group heard from Pardee School academic leaders including Dean Najam, Director of Graduate Studies Prof. Robert Loftis and Director of Undergraduate Studies Prof. Joseph Fewsmith.
Najam charged the new Dean’s Ambassadors with the mission of representing the ideals and excellence of the Pardee School to both the Boston University community and wider world.
“I would love this to be a program that when you graduate that you speak about it with a passion as something that added value to your time at Boston University,” Najam said. “We ask of our Ambassadors their best effort and input on ideas of how to make the school even better.”
Amb. Loftis, former U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho, told the students, “think of yourselves as being a representative of the school — the outreach for people who are coming to visit, thinking about joining us or visitors who are coming to speak,” Amb. Loftis said. “You are going to be the face of the Pardee School. Think of this as a real opportunity to help shape the school into what it is going to look like in the future.”
Fewsmith said he hopes to see more interaction between the undergraduate and graduate programs at the Pardee School — a dynamic that he’d like to see the Dean’s Ambassadors foster.
“I’m really glad we have both the graduate and undergraduate ambassadors here together,” Fewsmith said. “One of things I hope to explore is how the two groups can work together. I’d like to see more interaction between the undergraduate and graduate programs.”
The Pardee School Dean’s Ambassadors are renewed on an annual basis in two cycles (Fall and Spring) and chosen in a rigorous process from among BA and MA program. The role of the Dean’s Ambassador is to represent the Pardee School Dean and the school at special events, with prospective students, alumni, and distinguished guests. They serve as a liaison to the wider Boston University community as well as prospective students and families. Dean’s Ambassadors are outstanding student citizens and leaders from the Pardee School’s graduate and undergraduate academic programs. They are passionate and knowledgeable about the Pardee School and about Boston University.