A world opened, a world changed
In reflecting on her education, Dr. Kathy E. Magliato ’85, a highly successful cardiothoracic surgeon, notes “Union opened up my world and anything seemed possible.” Her assessment of her Union experience reminded me that our work is to educate young people. That may seem self-evident but consider what it means to truly educate. Bruce Wilshire, in his book The Moral Collapse of the University, observed that there is a certain genius to the Latin word educere, which means to lead or draw out. Wilshire argues, and I agree, that to liberally educate, colleges must be concerned with far more than merely passing along knowledge. They must also be concerned with leading students out of the world they “know” when they arrive on campus, exposing them to new ways of understanding, helping them see connections they weren’t aware of, creating opportunities for them to discover that seemingly discrete events can and must be contextualized within a larger framework, helping them fall in love with ideas and find their passion, and asking them to imagine the possibilities for making a difference. It is precisely these qualities of education, properly understood, that makes teaching, learning and working in a place like Union so compelling.
In this issue, we celebrate the many alumni of Union College who had their world opened and embraced the possibilities of making a difference in the world of medicine and health care. Dr. Ira Rutkow reminds us of Union’s remarkable contributions in the 19th century. They were founders of major schools of medicine, pioneers in new specializations, innovators of new intervention strategies and surgical techniques. Dr. Rutkow’s own contributions, and those of others highlighted here, remind us that this rich and remarkable tradition continues today. Whether in medical practice, research, health care or medical administration, publishing, hospice work, or emergency response services, graduates of Union College have been pioneers and leaders and changed the very world in which we live. Despite the varied paths their careers took, they are unified in their view that their experiences at Union prepared, inspired and changed them just as they have gone on to prepare, inspire and change others. Those featured here are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Indeed, we could fill the pages of a hefty volume with the stories of the other men and women who have made great contributions in this area.
This issue also provides a summary of some of the ideas that have emerged from Union’s strategic planning process. We believe that the strategic plan provides us with a roadmap that will guide us as Union continues to educate, make a difference in the lives of those who come through our gates, open minds, and change lives. If we execute the plan well, rest assured that the inspirational stories of students we educate today will one day fill the pages of another issue of this magazine.