The More Things Change

Williams
Photo by Jerry Meyerle

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Isn’t that how the saying goes? There are certainly a lot of changes going on around SWAG these days, and we’ve tried to capture as much of the change as we can in these pages.

First, we’re thrilled to welcome our new Director to U.Va.! Renowned anthropologist Kath Weston is just the person to take our program to new levels of growth and excellence. You’ll find a few words from her here, and you’re certain to hear more from her in the coming months.

But if getting one renowned scholar isn’t enough, we’re also delighted to welcome Geeta Patel to our faculty. A specialist in Urdu literature, she brings us strong international and interdisciplinary connections.

And if amazing new faculty aren’t enough, we’re very lucky to have Laura Mellusi join SWAG as our new office manager. She’s already proven herself invaluable in just the few months she’s been with us.

As always we’ve included pieces by our students and alumnae about their remarkable experiences and achievements.

So in the midst of all this change, I’ve been casting about looking for signs of what might be staying the same! And the answer, of course, is easy: the remarkable community that is SWAG. The support we get comes in many forms, all of which we value deeply. In this newsletter you’ll find the names of those who have manifested their support in financial terms. We would love to add your name to our next list! If and when you’re able, please support SWAG with just a couple of mouse clicks at our online giving page. No contribution is too small to make a big difference.

I am enormously grateful for the wonderful privilege of directing SWAG for the past two years. As I return to research and teaching, I’m sure this remarkable community will rally around Kath Weston just as you did for me—and that’s how SWAG won’t change!