Happy trails, Dan!

Hey there.  It’s me, Dan’s Blogmother.  I’ve taken over the blog today to share bittersweet news.  Dan, one of my Admissions pals from way back, is moving on to a new position and, as often happens, my reaction is happy/sad.  How can I not be happy for him that he’ll have the chance to explore an admissions-adjacent field, while also reaping the benefits of a somewhat shorter commute?  (A high priority when there’s an adorable almost-three-year-old and a new puppy waiting at home.)  But I’ll also miss working together, which we’ve done since (OMG!) 2011.

Back when I was the Admissions blogger, Dan introduced himself this way.  The Admissions team tends to look a lot like the Fletcher community, with deep international interests.  Dan fit that mold perfectly — with his Peace Corps roots.  It’s part of what made him a good teammate.  That and excellent critiques of movies and television shows.  Naturally, his years of experience in the Admissions Office meant his transition to Admissions Director in 2020 was as smooth as a pandemic-era change can be.

When it was time for me to move on from Admissions in 2018, much of my work shifted directly to Dan.  Not only did he take over the blog, but he became the Admissions liaison to the PhD program, enabling us to continue working together once I landed in my PhD role.  Our long history as colleagues has led me to especially appreciate his opinions on PhD matters.

Sigh.  There’s more I could say, but I won’t go on, except to reiterate that this is all bittersweet.  Suffice it to say that I’ll miss working with Dan, but I hope blog readers will join me in wishing him well in his new job!