July 5, 2023
Dear Tufts Community,
It is my privilege to write to you today as the 14th president of Tufts University for the very first time.
Several months ago, a dean told me that I would come to realize that Tufts is a special place. The more people I spoke to, he said, the clearer that realization would become. He was right. I have met many people and exchanged messages with many more over the past few months. The affection that our outstanding faculty, students, staff, and alumni feel towards the university stands out. There is no doubt in my mind that Tufts is a truly special place.
The Tufts community wants the university to be a stronger, more impactful Tufts, and not morph into some other university. In order to be stronger and more impactful, it wants the university to deliver even more effectively on its responsibility to society: to educate especially engaged and responsible future leaders; and to contribute more than its fair share to advancing knowledge and addressing the world’s pressing problems.
Over the coming months, I will seek your input as we forge our collective ambition for the next decade. Those of you who are on our campuses in Medford/Somerville, Boston, and Grafton should not be surprised to see me walking the hallways, popping into classrooms, or knocking on office doors to learn more about your work and listen to your ideas. But you don’t have to wait for me – feel free to reach out to me at president@tufts.edu at any time. I welcome every voice however different it may be.
Finally, I want to thank Tony Monaco, whose leadership of this institution over the past 12 years has been nothing short of exceptional. He leaves behind a very strong university. Tony, who has been named president emeritus by the board of trustees, will remain on the Tufts faculty as a university professor and continue his research. I am grateful for the counsel and support he has given me over these past several months.
I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to lead our special place and I will do my utmost.
Until next time,
Sunil