Harvard dean known for inspiring commencement speech to become UVA president
The University of Virginia announced that James E. Ryan, dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, will become its next president in a statement Friday morning.
Ryan’s term will begin in fall 2018, five years after he arrived at Harvard. A statement from the university highlights his many contributions, but he is best known for a commencement speech he gave at the education school in 2016. The speech, which has more than 9 million views on Facebook, encourages graduates to ask five types of questions in order to live a fuller life: “Wait, what?” “I wonder…?” “Couldn’t we at least…?” “How can I help?” and “What truly matters?”
“If you never stop asking and listening for good questions, you will feel beloved on this Earth, and just as importantly you will help others, especially students, feel the same,” Ryan said.
Public response to the speech led Ryan to write a book titled Wait, What while continuing to lead the graduate school. Harvard president Drew Faust called him “an outstanding academic leader, teacher, and scholar.”
“Harvard will miss his thoughtful and compassionate leadership, and I will miss Jim’s voice, wisdom, and humor as a member of the Council of Deans and a leader here on campus,” Faust said in a statement.
You can watch his 2016 commencement speech below.
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https://www.facebook.com/HarvardEducation/videos/10153898240346387/
