Dear Whiting School Community,

Challenge is a concept that cuts across all activities at Johns Hopkins. It takes form in an intellectually challenging curricula and academic discourse between students and faculty members, and it’s what drives our research—a desire to challenge prevailing knowledge and approaches to problem-solving and come up with something new.

Changes in industry needs and in student expectations and the advent of technologies that offer new modalities for learning are among the many factors shaping today’s rapidly shifting landscape of higher education. These broad societal shifts not only provide the Whiting School with a new set of challenges but also exciting opportunities to redefine our role, grow our audiences, and make a positive and lasting impact on the world.

Among the challenges we now face is balancing our traditional strengths with the need to adapt and even redefine our role. We’re already doing this with great success in our expanded nondegree offerings, such as our partnerships with corporations, through which we provide highly specialized educational programs to address their specific needs. We now offer a coding boot camp, designed for working professionals seeking to enhance their skills and advance their careers. And we also are planning both new online certificate programs for international students and increased online STEM programs for pre-K–12 students.

Though I always enjoy sharing news about new academic programs and initiatives designed to address current student and industry needs, I want to emphasize that although the school is evolving, our values, our commitment to excellence, and our honor of tradition—in curricula, mentorship, and the student experience—remain steadfast.

Our alumni and friends are critical to our success in our every endeavor. Thank you for all you do to support the school.

Sincerely,

Ed Schlesinger
Benjamin T. Rome Dean