Welcome from Dean Bridget Terry Long

Dear Prospective Student,Bridget Long, Dean of HGSE

         On behalf of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE), I would like to warmly welcome you to our 34th Annual Find Yourself Here Program.  At HGSE, we strive to create a vibrant learning environment in which all people—regardless of their backgrounds and identities—are heard and valued.  As our authentic selves, we aspire to be a community that can question conventional wisdom and assumptions; engage in robust debate in the quest to advance our knowledge and understanding; and remain united in our shared respect for each other and in our faith in the power of education to change the world.

         To help cultivate diverse perspectives in our community, HGSE offers a rich and wide array of learning opportunities.  We prepare future education leaders through innovative courses, experiential internships and engagements with practitioners in the field, meaningful extracurricular activities, and collaborative research with our renowned faculty.  We offer master’s programs that train students from all over the world for impactful careers in every niche of the education sector; a three-year Ed.L.D. program that prepares system-level leaders to transform education; and a Ph.D. in Education program that equips students to tackle complex problems in education using interdisciplinary scholarship and methods. 

          At HGSE, simply appreciating diversity is not enough.  We aim to ensure that every member of our community can fully belong and can equitably access the extraordinary opportunities here.  From the Equity and Inclusion Fellows program to our many community-wide and program-specific opportunities to explore issues related to identity and difference, we strive to deeply embed diversity, equity, and inclusion into the HGSE experience.  But we know there is always room for improvement.  We invite and encourage you to share your own gifts and talents to help make HGSE, and the Harvard University community more generally, a better place for all people.  

          I am thrilled that you are here, and I hope these next two days will give you greater insight into life on Appian Way as well as a greater sense of connection to the faculty, students, and staff who make up our remarkable community.  Thank you for coming, and I hope to welcome many of you to HGSE next fall.

Sincerely,
 
BTL Signature
 
Bridget Terry Long, Ph.D.
Dean
Saris Professor of Education and Economics
Harvard Graduate School of Education