A September Message to Blue Jay Families
Dear Blue Jay Parents and Families,
My name is Alanna Shanahan, and I am excited to be the new Vice Provost for Student Affairs at Johns Hopkins. Having served as the university’s Director of Athletics and Recreation for three years, I have worked with hundreds of our talented athletes. In my new role, I will be able to support our students more broadly, and I am thrilled for this opportunity.
Our Student Affairs division is committed to helping students thrive both academically and socially. Our goal is to provide our Blue Jays with the resources they need to make the most of their time at Hopkins, including leadership-building student organizations, career and life design guidance, academic advising, and more.
But we also recognize the integral role you have played in preparing these gifted scholars for this stage in their journey. Thank you for entrusting us with their care and development. I hope that you will continue to offer them your wisdom and encouragement, and that you will be active members of the Blue Jay community yourselves. Our Parents and Family Relations team is eager to help you keep informed of campus life; please reach out and stay connected.
Once again, I thank you for all you do to support your students. I look forward to meeting them—and you!—on campus throughout the year.
Sincerely,
Alanna Shanahan
Vice Provost for Student Affairs
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Blue Jay Family Feature: Meet the RamakrishnasLooking around at any first-year student move-in day, it can be hard to tell whose emotions are running highest—the students’ or their families’. The excitement for a new beginning is paired with a fear of the unknown. The joy of meeting new people is tinged with the sadness of saying goodbye to loved ones.
It’s an understandably charged moment, the culmination of months and years of planning, preparation, and even some wishful thinking. For Naren and Nandini Ramakrishna, having their daughter Shanthi attend Johns Hopkins was a longstanding dream. Naren received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Hopkins in 1985 and has shared stories of his experience with Shanthi and her younger sister throughout their lives.
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Johns Hopkins Launches National Search for Vice President for SecurityA search committee has been convened to consider candidates for the vice president for security for Johns Hopkins University and Medicine.
The committee, which includes community, student, faculty, and staff representatives, is tasked with helping to identify a permanent replacement for Melissa Hyatt, who became chief of police for Baltimore County in June. Connor Scott, former chief of staff for security, is serving as acting vice president for security during the search.
With more than 1,200 personnel, the Johns Hopkins safety and security operation serves the Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System and its 57,000 employees, 24,000 students, and more than 111,000 annual inpatient admissions, as well as nearby neighbors across academic, medical, and administrative locations throughout Maryland, in the Washington, D.C. area, and in Florida.
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Student Financial ServicesAlthough the 2019-2020 academic year is still getting started, it’s time to start thinking about financial aid for next year. The FAFSA and CSS Profile both open on October 1, and the deadline for continuing students to renew their financial aid is January 15. The financial aid application for 2020-2021 will collect information regarding your 2018 taxes. Visit Student Financial Services’ website for more information, and feel free to contact the office with any questions or concerns.
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Hopkins Concert Orchestra Kicks Off 2019-20 SeasonHopkins Concert Orchestra opens the 2019-2020 season with a free concert at the Bunting-Meyerhoff Interfaith Center, led by conductor Jordan Randall Smith. The program includes orchestral works by Schubert and Faure, with small chamber ensembles featured at the beginning of the concert, on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 3 p.m. The concert is free and no tickets are required. Information can be found on the HSO website or by contacting our office at hso@jhu.edu or 410-516-6542.
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Parent Support Provides a Great Start to the Year!
The Hopkins tradition of parent giving fuels the non-academic experience for your Blue Jay and all students by providing an array of programs and initiatives which enhance campus life.
Fall Student Involvement Fair: Friday, September 6, 2019, 2–5 p.m., Ralph S. O’Connor Recreation Center
Filled with fun, giveaways, and opportunities to connect with leaders on campus, students explore opportunities to engage in one or more of the 350+ registered student organizations!
Blue Jay Opening Day: Saturday, September 14, 2019, 5–7 p.m., Athletic Circle
The annual tailgate to kick off the football season with games, food, Jay the Blue Jay, giveaways, and school spirit packed in for an evening of fun!
Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium
Established in 1967, this student-run fall lecture series delivers world-class speakers to the university and the surrounding community. The MSE Symposium has earned a reputation as a forum for the free exchange of ideas, inviting speakers whose analysis of important issues is fresh, incisive, and at times unsettling. All events are free and open to the public, with the first lecture scheduled for September 25.
Join your fellow Blue Jay families who support the Hopkins Parents Fund by making your gift today!
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Important DatesFriday, Sept. 6
Fall Student Involvement Fair
Friday, Sept. 13Last Day to Add Classes
Saturday, Sept. 14Blue Jay Opening Day
Saturday, Sept. 21President's Day of Service
Thursday, Sept. 26Fall Career Fair
Oct. 25–27Family Weekend
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Did You Know?Hopkins Launches an Official Website Promoting Health and Wellness for StudentsJohns Hopkins strives to promote awareness of and holistic support for student wellness. To that end, the university is pleased to announce the official launch of wellness.jhu.edu. This website, which is a direct result of goals set out in the Task Force on Student Mental Health and Well-Being, serves as a centralized location for health and wellness information for all students across all of our campuses and schools. It includes direct services and other resources available to students, as well as wellness news and an events calendar.
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The Johns Hopkins wellness wheel serves as a visual guide to better understand the seven elements of health and well-being: emotional and mental, physical, social, sexual, spiritual, professional, and financial. These types of wellness are inherently interconnected and symbiotic, and Johns Hopkins encourages students to actively engage in the management of their health. Supporting personal health and wellness is a key part of the university’s mission to educate students and cultivate their capacity for lifelong learning.
Please visit the site, and follow @jhuwellness on Instagram.
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A Note Regarding Family Weekend RegistrationPlease keep in mind that when you go to register for Family Weekend—scheduled this year for October 25 to 27— you may see some programs that are sold out. However, these are only programs that require registration. Please keep in mind not all programs require registration. There are over 55 programs planned for that weekend and NOT all, or the majority, are sold out. Additionally, we have recently added some new opportunities. Please make sure to peruse the entire Family Weekend schedule and find programs that suit your family.
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Parents Internship Network
Parents can play an instrumental role providing experiential opportunities for Blue Jays through the Parents Internship Network. Can you or your company sponsor a future summer internship? If the answer is yes, please contact parents@jhu.edu today! Help us build a diverse and robust inventory of internship postings in partnership with the Homewood Life Design Lab.
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