Sabbatai zevi 1666

Dean Shoulson: Brandeis has always been an institution that I've admired from a distance.

Birkat haminim in english

I don't think I fully appreciated its distinctive qualities until I started to look more closely at this position and the kind of unusual combination of a Research 1 institution with a very, very high research profile but also the size of a small liberal arts college that really focuses on undergraduate education. That combination really appealed to me.

I think its history — its legacy as an institution that was founded specifically for the purpose of providing access to opportunities in higher education for people who have been shut out from other places because of their identities and backgrounds — is a very compelling aspect of Brandeis' identity that I think continues to inform its mission.

The role of Dean of Arts and Sciences seemed like a really good match for my interests and where I wanted to go next. TJ: What is your vision for the future of the College of Arts and Sciences and what steps do you plan on taking to achieve this vision? DS: I'm especially interested in amplifying what I think is already in place for a lot of undergraduates, which is the opportunity for undergraduates to work closely in a kind of experiential and hands-on ways with our researchers to gain experience in what it means to do research across all disciplines.

We currently have opportunities for students to work with our wonderful science researchers and programs like the Humanities Fellowship and the QBReC Fellows program, which are terrific. However, I'd like to see what we can do as far as making those kinds of opportunities available for all Brandeis undergraduates, beginning very early on in their careers and making that a kind of cornerstone or almost a kind of calling card of the Brandeis undergraduate experience.

I consider that to be a particularly important honor and achievement in my career. I think from a scholarly point of view, I'm very proud of the books that I've written and the research that I've done. My first book was awarded the American Academy of Jewish Research's Prize for first book, and that's something I'm very proud of.

I've also had the opportunity to spend a couple of years at the University of Pennsylvania at the Katz Center for Advanced Jewish Studies where I've done a lot of research — those were really wonderful opportunities for me. With respect to my teaching, I think I take the greatest pleasure in reconnecting with students that I've taught years before who have gone on to do interesting things and who stay in touch.

It is a wonderful thing, and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that hearing from former students is a real delight.