I am thrilled to join Fairfield as the new dean of the Graduate School of Education and Allied Professions (GSEAP), and especially enthusiastic to be working with such a dynamic and creative faculty and staff. While it has been challenging to step into this position from a distance, it has been especially rewarding to connect with the Fairfield community.

As you will see in this newsletter, faculty have adjusted to remote teaching under unusually challenging circumstances, yet they have found time to make significant contributions in the community and within their disciplines. In collaboration with community partners, everyone has worked hard to adjust clinical and fieldwork experiences so students are able to complete all of the necessary hours needed for graduation and licensure. These efforts underscore the importance of connection and the solidity of the partnerships GSEAP has created over the years, and we will continue to draw on these relationships as we educate children, counsel clients, and support community agencies.

As we look toward the second half of this academic year, GSEAP will continue to recruit new students to engage in these important fields while furthering our commitments to social and racial justice.

Laurie L. Grupp, PhD
Dean