There is no denying that the past few years have presented new and difficult challenges for all of us. Our kids will carry school memories vastly different from ours. We’ve missed so many family gatherings and milestones. Our workplaces likely will never return to pre-pandemic “normal.” Most of us are still mourning losses, even as we embrace the differences the rapid changes have left.
Over my first six months as Chair of the CAA Board of Directors, I have become acutely aware of both the challenges and the opportunities as they apply to our community of 25,500 Techers. As an organization, and as individual Caltech alumni, we understand that the future looks a little different from what we had expected.
As Caltech alumni, we also are trained to see things from a different perspective. We know that our world, our work, even our personal lives, they all are in a constant state of change, and we adapt our thinking as data change and provide new information. Balance is not a passive act, it requires constant adjusting as circumstances change. Just think of how Caltech has adapted and changed since its founding in 1891.
The CAA Board of Directors and staff are excited for the future. Our mission to grow and support alumni relationships is clear. We seek ways to encourage a community that cultivates creativity, satisfies curiosity, and promotes well-being. Even during the worst of the pandemic, we found ways to encourage community using new tools, all while safeguarding our health. Elements of our programs and traditions will change for this new world, just as they evolved previously.
For 2023, the CAA Board and staff are planning for new, timely, and valuable programming, ensuring new ways to deliver on our commitments. The pandemic showed us a clearer picture of the global Caltech community we serve. It’s a big challenge for our volunteers and a small-but-mighty professional staff of nine. So the CAA Board has approved an unprecedented investment of financial resources in FY23 to create and support the infrastructure needed for piloting new alumni programs and experiences in targeted regions throughout the U.S. and the world.
To achieve our goals, we need you to join this partnership. If you see a CAA event on the horizon, plan to attend—you never know who you might meet and what you might learn. Among CAA’s new initiatives for alumni to engage and volunteer is Dinner Is Served, slated for the summer of 2023. Its success will depend upon alumni like you to host and enjoy dinners all over the world, held in the homes of Techers.
Most of us are not on Caltech’s campus anymore, but our Caltech experience continues. We each bring a bit of Caltech to all of the communities in which we live, work, and play. I look forward to seeing you at our CAA events this year and hearing from you; my email is caaboardchair@alumni.caltech.edu.
Jennifer Lee, PhD ’10
Board Chair, Caltech Alumni Association
