Dear colleagues,
Happy almost-spring.
I am writing to share the news that Blanche Staton, Senior Associate Dean and Director of the Office of Graduate Education, will be retiring at the end of this academic year.
Given that Blanche has been part of the fabric of MIT for 25 years, life here without her warm laugh, huge smile, and, of course, signature hugs and high fives is utterly impossible to imagine. She has been an institution within our Institution, influencing the lives of thousands of our graduate students, staff, faculty, and just about anyone with the good fortune to cross her path. I consider myself a huge beneficiary of her knowledge, passion, and wisdom, and I am just one among many who have similarly benefited.
In a beautiful essay she authored in The Tech about the importance of civility, she described an ethos that I — and I think everyone should — take to heart: “Let’s all choose actions that affirm our best vision of ourselves and our community. Let us treat others as we expect and desire to be treated. No matter where we stand today, or how our vital conversations proceed, we will remain members of the same community.”
In fact, she has led with that collaborative generous spirit throughout her career. Blanche came to the Institute in 1997 from Penn State University, where she directed one of three regional offices dedicated to undergraduate recruitment and admissions. Her career in higher education has also included leadership roles at the University of Pennsylvania as director of minority admissions and associate director of admissions for the Wharton School’s MBA Program; at Temple University as a senior recruiter/counselor at the School of Medicine; and in her own firm as a private educational consultant.
In the course of leading OGE (formerly the Office of the Dean for Graduate Education) for over two decades, Blanche has advised countless graduate students, faculty, and administrators; served on numerous Institute committees; provided support to graduate students; and created and sponsored programs designed to enhance graduate student life and prepare future alumni for leadership.
Her presence is ubiquitous — both because of what she herself does but also because of how she has empowered and inspired others. She credits the MIT Leader to Leader program she completed in 2006 with helping her further hone her leadership skills, and she, in turn, served as a project coach for the program for several years. She has built an impressive office and led an outstanding team, navigating gracefully many organizational and leadership changes, including the creation of my office. I can only note a few of the many initiatives she has led (look for a future MIT News article to do the rest).
Blanche has helped advance efforts to educate the whole student through programs like the Path of Professorship workshop, which aims to give a boost to graduate and postdoctoral women at MIT who are considering a tenure-track position in STEM. Another long-standing hallmark has been the Graduate Community Fellows Program, which sponsors a cadre of graduate students who foster graduate community, giving them many opportunities to learn and lead outside of the classroom and lab. She has collaborated with numerous student groups, including the Graduate Student Council and GWAMIT (Graduate Women at MIT), to on-board and welcome students.
I know she takes particular pride in the MIT Summer Research Program (MSRP), which seeks to promote the value of graduate education; to improve the research enterprise through increased diversity; and to prepare and recruit the best and brightest for graduate education at MIT.
I also want to call attention to the work she and her GradSupport team have done, especially during challenging times such as the pandemic, and for more broadly guiding an approach to our students that is focused on putting care and caring first. Under her watch, our collaboration with graduate student leaders has led to many advances on critical topics such as financial security, belonging and community, and professional development; support for students with families and for international students; and providing a range of programs for those with the most pressing financial needs. It’s not hyperbole to say that Blanche has touched — and strengthened — every aspect of the graduate student experience at the Institute. Truly remarkable.
Beyond MIT, Blanche is a noted leader and expert throughout higher ed. She holds an MEd with specialization in counseling and has authored numerous articles on student life and community, including co-authoring the article “Making the Case for Graduate Community” in the Journal for Higher Education Strategists as well as a chapter in the book Forward to Professorship in STEM: Inclusive Faculty Development Strategies that Work (Elsevier 2016). Among other honors, Blanche was selected as Black Achiever of the Year by Black Opinion Magazine, and she has been recognized for her leadership and tireless commitment to students through an MLK Leadership Award and MIT’s Infinite Mile Award in 2004; a Gordon Y. Billard Award in 2010; a Tribute to Outstanding Women award from the Cambridge YMCA in 2013; the Collier Medal in 2018; and a Lifetime Service Award for her dedicated service to the black community by Black Alumni at MIT (BAMIT).
Blanche once said, “I feel like I’m working with superheroes here because the students have so much passion and energy.” I think they, and all of you, will agree that she is a superhero, with a magnificent legacy at MIT.
Please join me in congratulating Blanche on the next phase of her life, which no doubt will include a lot more time on the beaches of Mexico, one of her favorite places to visit.
Sincerely,
Ian
Ian A. Waitz
Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate and Graduate Education and Jerome C. Hunsaker Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
P.S. We have retained Isaacson and Miller to help us launch a national search for Blanche’s successor. If you have suggestions, you can contact KateTrimble who is chairing the search at ktrimble@mit.edu or refer interested candidates to Tim Lanigan at tlanigan@imsearch.com.
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