Every morning, as I walk my dogs along the Lakewalk, I gaze in awe at Lake Superior. The lake can be calm and placid, or it can be ferocious with large waves crashing on the shore, but it always instills a sense of majesty. When I go for hikes through the Bagley Nature Area or the Hartley Nature Center, I take joy in how I can be in the middle of a city and so close to campus, yet completely immersed in nature. And when I get a delightful ham and cheese croissant at Duluth’s Best Bread and run across the street for some much-needed caffeine from Duluth Coffee Company, I delight at living in a place of such bounty.
It’s this same sense of wonder that attracts so many of our students to come to Duluth. That wonder comes from the natural beauty that surrounds us, the strong connections between campus and the community, and the top-notch and unique educational experiences that CAHSS can offer.
By bringing together the fine arts, humanities, and social sciences, CAHSS offers its students, staff, and faculty incredible opportunities to collaborate in innovative ways to make a difference and engage with the wider world. I see it every day when I walk around campus. From the thought-provoking speakers who bring new insights thanks to the Alworth Institute for International Studies, to the student presentations about their Undergraduate Research Opportunities Projects (UROPs) undertaken in close collaboration with faculty, to the use of motion capture technology in the MMAD (Motion + Media Across Disciplines) and Viz Labs, to local school kids working with our Art Education students to make party hats and crowns before attending a performance of Dragons Love Tacos in the Marshall Performing Arts Center, CAHSS is a place where wonder thrives.Â
We’re also thrilled about new opportunities for wonder on the horizon. With the renovations to AB Anderson Hall coming to completion, we’ll be able to welcome students, staff, and faculty back into classroom, office, and collaboration spaces where people can work together to create and innovate.
As you read this issue of Confluence, I hope that you will discover some of the many ways that wonder animates and excites members of the CAHSS community—and be prepared to be amazed.
Jeremy Youde
Dean, CAHSS