Describe the main tasks you’re tackling as the
new president of the Seattle campus.
Like so many schools in the country, this
have
year we have enrollment challenges. Those
. The first, most
direct budgetary implications
and
pressing challenge is to increase enrollment
out
control spending so that the budget works
responsibly. But even as we meet that, we have
to press ahead to explore and build on new
opportunities or we’ll be left behind and we
a
won’t really fulfill the potential we have. It’s
es
combination of meeting the current challeng
s and look for
even as we grow new program
new opportunities.
In terms of social justice, how is the world
for your twins dif ferent from the world you
experienced as an eight-year-old?
h
The ethnic diversity of our culture is so muc
in. My kids were
greater than what I grew up
raised for the first six years in Washington,
rican
D.C., which is predominantly African-Ame
ey
and very diverse in other cultures as well. Th
in classes [alongside
are so accustomed to being
of
peers] of multiple ethnicities and countries
origin and languages. Skin color and language
are just not huge issues for them. They take
it for granted. It’s hard for them to even
es
understand a world where racism or prejudic
have been such big problems. There’s no
just
plausible way they would tolerate it. They
that is.
inherently get how wrong
On the other hand, I think there are some
challenges for children who are fortunate
and
enough to live in a relatively affluent family
of the struggles that
society to appreciate some
eled
people elsewhere have. Last spring we trav
the
to South Africa and made a point of taking
boys to Robben Island, where Mandela was
imprisoned. We went out to the townships.
We wanted them to see people living in
n
different circumstances. We have an obligatio
better
to try and be part of making the situation
for everybody.
What happens after you leave work today?
.
I get home and try to do things with the kids
Oftentimes that’s soccer practice or chess club
with
or something like that. Fix dinner, snuggle
atypical
them, and then get back to it. It would be
n,
that I got to bed any earlier than 11 p.m. Ofte
ities until well after
I’m working on AUS activ
midnight. I cannot fathom what it is like to
t ch
atch
have time in the evening to sit down and watc
ie
ries
a TV show, much less follow a whole series
ha c ers
characters.
about the characters.
across the years and care
tivities?
Do you still find time for outdoor activities?
old
bold
Two weeks ago, we went on a pretty bold
.
lookout.
adventure. We hiked up to a fire
he
he
of the
Because of AUS duties, I didn’t get out
office until late in the afternoon. We hit bad
traffic and got to the trailhead at 8 p.m. at
night with a light mist falling. We had to hike
rain
up a trail by headlamp. The mist turned to
and then lightning and thunder. We pressed
on through the awful weather and got to this
fire lookout, where we had arranged to sleep
overnight. We went inside, fired up some hot
chocolate and warm oatmeal, and slept snug
as bugs. The next day we had a lovely day
No
hiking around the ridgeline. No Internet.
n I’m
computers. I’m never happier than whe
with my wife and kids in the outdoors.
Do you prefer the weather in D.C. or Seattle?
I despise D.C. summer weather. The heat
ou
ou
you
and humidity are not what I’m made for. If
r
are
back there are
notice that all of their mascots
est,
est,
west,
reptiles, that tells you a lot. In the Northw
ive
iv
live
our mascots are mammals. You want to live
mammals. -KF
where the mascots are
"we have to press ahead
to explore and build on
new opportunities."
J0953_GroundswellR.indd 9
Photo by Walter Baird,
Dr. Baird’s son.
12/18/13 11:17 AM