Fall Semester Welcome Message

Dear Emory Community,

It is exciting to be with you at the beginning of a new academic year at Emory University, as our campus awakens anew with the promise of fresh starts, life-changing experiences, and a sense of unbounded possibilities.

This semester, I join in these feelings of hope and renewal as I prepare to begin my term as interim president at Emory, my alma mater, on September 1. It is with honor and gratitude that I have accepted this leadership role, and I’m delighted to welcome our students, faculty, and staff to the Fall 2025 semester!

For many of you, this week represents a new beginning, filled with first-time experiences. Whether moving to campus, preparing to teach new classes, or transitioning to a new department or position, you are part of an extraordinary community, and we are stronger for the talent, ideas, curiosity, and passion that you bring to it.

Yesterday, I was honored to join our first-year students at the Emory College of Arts and Sciences Convocation to open the Fall Semester. I spoke of how Emory’s enduring strength lies in its power of transformation, a place where ideas become discoveries, where inspiration leads to world-changing breakthroughs, and where promising individuals, nurtured by a community of peers and scholars dedicated to their success, emerge as leaders of character.

For nearly 200 years, Emory has served as an engine of transformation, creating and sharing knowledge that uplifts humanity, launches careers of leadership and service, advances health and well-being, and changes the world.

Not only have I seen this remarkable alchemy in action across generations of students, I have also experienced it in my own life. Emory changes lives for the better. And I’m thrilled that each of you will be a part of that ambitious and rewarding mission.

With steadfast determination, bold aspirations, and a spirit of collaboration, we will continue to address both the opportunities and challenges before us to write Emory’s next impressive chapter. As we look ahead, our path is guided by a commitment to integrity, fairness, compassion, and belonging, ensuring that every member of our community, as well as those we impact, has the chance to thrive. Together, I’m confident we can accomplish great things in the year ahead, anchored in these shared values.

Sincerely,

Justice Leah Ward Sears 80L
Interim President-Elect