Dr. Randall Gess’ time as Director of SLaLS is winding down – 14 days and counting – and a group gathered in Dunton Tower 2017 for a bit of a celebration.
Dr. Marie-Odile Junker took a lead in the event, organizing everyone into a circle, and people took turns sharing memories of Randall, tossing a stuffed bear from person to person to decide who was to speak next.
Here are just a few of the sentiments offered up:
- A great colleague and friend.
- He always took the time to listen.
- He really taught me a lot about what it means to be a Director.
- He always made an effort to speak to me in ASL and I really appreciated it.
- He was always open to and supportive of my wacky ideas.
- I interviewed with a panel. They were all watching me over Skype. It was a bit intimidating. But Randall had a friendly encouraging face so I decided to focus my attention on him.
- He showed in meaningful ways, his appreciation for support staff.
- He had a real vision for the School and an awareness/appreciation of all its unique parts.
It was a fond goodbye but not farewell. Randall will be on administrative leave next year, kicked off with a short sojourn in Italy, followed by more travel, research, and writing. We wish him well and look forward to his return and to continuing to work with him in the years ahead.
