President's Page
Category: President's Page
photography: Chris Hartlove
Dear UB Alumni and Friends:
Sometimes we don't recognize moments of lasting importance in our lives while they are happening. A chance conversation may cause you to view a problem as an opportunity. Hearing a story about someone you disagree with may help you to see that you have more in common than you previously thought. Seemingly small moments can have an enormous impact in how we see the world around us.
In a similar vein, we don't always appreciate the impact of our day-to-day actions until someone else points it out to us. Perhaps you have been lucky enough to have a child, a colleague or a friend tell you how something you said or did made a difference to them when they were going through a difficult time. Or you have reached out to offer help in your neighborhood and seen the positive effects go far beyond what you were expecting.
In this issue of the magazine we examine some of the ways those in the UB community are reaching out and making an impact in ways they never could have imagined. Using sophisticated data and partnering with experts in public policy, law enforcement and social services, they are tackling pressing, complex issues, such as Baltimore's opioid epidemic. They are seeking essential improvements to the health, welfare and living conditions of veterans and lower-income tenants. And their research is providing insights about our city's businesses, social conditions and history that are instrumental to making informed policy decisions.
Our featured alumni continue making a difference as well—supporting UB students with new scholarship opportunities and contributing to our city as entrepreneurs and role models for success.
Here's the bottom line: Even though we cannot perfectly predict the results of our actions, we do know those actions have the potential to be transformative, even exceeding our expectations. Assured by that knowledge, we continue reaching out as a community, engaging with people and striving to connect—investing our time and energy not only in what is, but in the promise of what can be.
Sincerely,
Kurt L. Schmoke
President, University of Baltimore