Dean Kelley's Welcome
Own the 21st century. And nothing short of it.
A new decade is nearly upon us, and with it is a reminder about what the college graduates of this era are poised to do:
Own the 21st century. And nothing short of it.
Don’t believe me? Do the math. Those entering the work force in their early 20s likely will work as long as previous generations, if not more. Which means retirement for many of them will be in the years 2060 or 2070 or perhaps even a bit beyond. That’s a long stretch, in the heart of the century.
And there will be a bunch of them. Generation Z at the University of Oklahoma and elsewhere is now the largest demographic in the country.
As one of their elders I have utmost faith in this generation. I’m fortunate to interact every day with bright, energetic and earnest young people in Gaylord College, many of whom are anxious yet excited to begin their careers upon graduation.
My great colleague Debbie Yount, as she does every fall semester, takes a group of Gaylord students to New York, where they tour agencies and get a glimpse of what it takes to make it in the media capital of the world. During the trip this year Debbie counted five Gaylord graduates working at the MullenLowe offices. “Pretty cool to have five graduates at one agency in New York,” she said.
Debbie’s right. Thanks to work by her and other talented faculty, our graduates are prepared to take their rightful places in interesting spaces all over the country and even the world. And it’s not just undergraduates.
One of the best moments of my five years as dean came earlier this year, when I got word that Mohammed Yousuf, who earned his doctorate at Gaylord, was hired for his first teaching position at the University of New Mexico. He will be taking what he learned at Gaylord College to educate and inspire students for decades to come, just like our faculty did for him.
What my colleagues do at Gaylord is an example of what takes place all across our alma mater on a daily basis. I like to tell anyone who will listen that educators do the most important work on earth. For they shape this huge, promising cohort of young people, who in turn will shape this century -- for a long time to come.
Ed Kelley, Dean
Class of 1975