As many of you know, I've been
at this university for almost 40 years. This is where I grew up. This is my home. I came as an assistant professor,
and for the last ten years it has been the honor of a lifetime
to be able to serve this university, this state,
as the president of this university. But I am now entering
the last year of my second five year term. And I won't be re-upping, so next year will be my last year
as president of this university. It has been the absolute honor
of a lifetime and I am very much focused on making next year an amazing year. But it is important
to make this transition a really good one. This should be a job that attracts
absolutely fabulous people because this is
such an amazing university. One of
the things that has been so rewarding about being present at this university
is watching and being part of making sure that our students, our faculty,
our staff have such an enormous impact
across the state. We really are the University
‘for’ Washington and for the world. The work that we do in terms of teaching, discovery, our research, our patient care is really just absolutely amazing. Some of you know that I'm a psychologist,
and my work as a psychologist was a lot about how do we make sure that
- and what are the barriers to low income kids,
historically marginalized kids being able to have access
to higher education because it changes their lives
and it changes communities. One of the things
that I really focused on in my presidency is
how do we make sure that students across the state,
regardless of their economic status have access to excellence and have the ability to get a world class education in Seattle, in Bothell, in Tacoma? I don't think that
I'm telling you any secrets when I say that there are huge challenges
in the world. Climate change, war,
threats to our democracy and we need all the talent that is out there
to be able to get the tools they need. We need to have a diversity
of perspectives at the table. The university needs to be and is a place where those students can come
and get the skills they need
to make a difference in the world. We've already made some real progress
in developing an impact ecosystem where the research work that our faculty
does, the discovery that they do can more readily and more quickly
translate into real action in our local communities
and around the world. Right now, my focus is on continuing
to do the work of this university. Working to make sure that this transition
is smooth, and making sure that the university continues
to be the university for Washington. This is not goodbye. This isn't even farewell or adieu. I am here. This will continue to be my home. And, no matter where I am,
the University of Washington will always be in my heart
and will always be what I am working for to make better.