Dedicated students, distinguished colleagues and dear friends,

Happy Friday!

The news of late reminds us that life is situational and subjective and there are no guarantees! Of course, we know that, but making decisions in the absence of clear information, let alone the presence of misinformation, could lead us to hasty decisions, and, in turn, subject others to a chain reaction of, well, hasty decisions of their own.

Let me explain. As I started writing this message earlier this week, a series of national news bulletins relating to academic research funding emerged, creating a level of uncertainty on so many fronts for us as a national research university. Our phones were ringing off the hook as our center directors, principal research investigators, doctoral fellows and others were wondering what the future holds for them and their programs. Considering the pace of rapid-fire announcements and little guidance, we had chaos on our hands. Flash forward two days, and the freeze on federal funds was rescinded! Of course this is not the end of disruption, or reform, depending on your perspective. The fact remains, however, that we are in for a ride as the system transitions from disruption to reform and finds the new equilibrium. Through it all, leadership must endure.

Another point that presented itself was that we had to stop trying to make sense of every move, every announcement and every new proposal. Rather, we decided to remind ourselves of our purpose and why we are here doing what we have done for over 150 years. History tells us that disruptions come and go, but they offer opportunities, and we must be ready to take advantage of them.

In my years at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the nation’s largest University Affiliated Research Center (UARC), we faced many similar situations when policy would shift, and teams of scientists and engineers would scramble to identify a path forward. In particular, the sequestration of 2013 was going to derail research at national laboratories. We had meetings and discussions about how to deal with a 10% cut in our budget. I recall how I used to wonder why we were focused on the 10% reduction and not the remaining 90%, and how we should focus on getting a bigger piece of that 90% pie, rather than strategizing on how to deal with a 10% cut! Interestingly, APL’s budget is more than $2 billion annually, three times the budget in 2013.

To our students, faculty and staff, I say, what you are doing endures regardless of disruption, change and reform. The current situation notwithstanding, every time you feel someone or something is gunning for you and your work, the best strategy is to buckle down and continue doing the best that you can. In times of uncertainty, it is easy to focus on what’s wrong in what’s right instead of what is right in what might seem wrong. That is leadership, and we need you to be leaders today as we evaluate the new horizon. You will be rewarded for motivating yourself, and you will inspire others.

Today, more than ever, the question is not what will change, rather how can we be clever in understanding the new environment, identify new opportunities and reframe the picture?

Warmly,

-Mo.

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Mohammad Dehghani, PhD
Chancellor
mo@mst.edu | 573-341-4116

206 Parker Hall, 300 West 13th Street, Rolla, MO 65409-0910
chancellor.mst.edu