When I sat to draft this letter, I realized there are few words that adequately describe the year 2020. It will most certainly be one to remember for most of us. In what felt like a blink of an eye, the Westfield State campus—along with colleges and universities around the world—emptied, as students, faculty, and staff grappled with how to continue to educate and support students while staying healthy and safe.
As often happens in times of crisis, Westfield State found itself with a number of selfless individuals who did their part, and more, to ensure that the safety and well-being of every member of the community was first and foremost. Our Dining Services team immediately stepped up to offer groceries on campus for faculty and staff who otherwise couldn’t conveniently purchase food. Hundreds of donors supported our Owls Helping Owls initiative to address the housing, food, transportation and technology insecurities faced by many of our students when the campus closed. Faculty more than rose to the occasion using every tool they could to provide a seamless transition to remote learning. Our facilities team immediately set about making our working environment safe and our staff, nearly all working remotely, continued to provide services for students and the campus community. You will read about some of these efforts on the following pages.
We are beyond proud of the many alumni, working in various industries, who experienced first-hand the impact of COVID-19 in their respective worlds and how they rose to that challenge. It is incredibly gratifying and inspiring to see the difference they continue to make in the world. As challenging as this experience has been, I have never been prouder to be a part of the Westfield State Owl family. I hope you draw as much comfort from these stories as we did reaching out to our alumni.
In the midst of all of this, we welcomed Kate Burke, the new Associate Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Fund, who you will meet in this issue. Kate comes to Westfield State with a strong background in alumni relations at a variety of institutions. We are so pleased to have her on board and excited about the new ideas she has brought with her. Some intriguing new initiatives and continued outreach are on the horizon. Additionally, our interim president, Roy H. Saigo, Ph.D., has hit the ground running as well, ensuring a continuation of the many efforts begun by retiring President Ramon S. Torrecilha, Ph.D., while we await our 21st president next year.
Typically, we would be hard at work now putting the finishing touches on Homecoming to ensure a terrific experience for our alumni. While we will have a virtual Homecoming this year, we promise to make it a fun “gathering” for all involved. Be on the lookout for updates.
In the meantime, please be safe, and take care of yourself and others.
By Erica Broman, Ed.D.
