The Institute for the Environment and Social Responsibility was announced in September at a Symposium at the opening of school. An Institute board members' retreat was held in Beijing in October. Paul Elsner, Sherry Liu (who left the SIAS Board to join the Institute board), myself, and other Institute board members met to lay the foundation for our future work. A second meeting will be held on SIAS campus February 28th.

A mentoring project was launched following the September Women's Symposium on Business and Entrepreneurs. Donna Chancellor and Lindsey Johnson Suddarth worked with me to establish a framework for the project. Shawn assigned Vivian Niu, a SIAS graduate employed at SIAS, to work with us, along with David (Rui Xing) and Carol Blanchard. A host of Board Members have helped find mentors and mentees. We are rolling … read more about it in this newsletter.

Kathy Palokoff and Denis Waitley have teamed to bring the Future Proof Workforce Symposium together for May 27-28. Shawn has secured the support of the China Ministry of Education while Paul Elsner and Jon Alexiou are engaged in inviting American and international university presidents to participate. The outcome promises new partnerships to add to the current list of 35 university partners who already signed agreements with SIAS. UCP-SARnet, (University Community Partnerships-Social Action Research Network) another program generated from a contact with Arizona State University. With a SIAS UCP-SARnet leadership team we will invite 45 international universities for a visit to SIAS during the 10th
Anniversary Celebration. How? Read more in this issue. The SIAS Prevention Institute Project conceived by Alan Brown and his colleague Jeff Jorde, President and CEO of Southwest Behavioral Health Services, took flight in December when they visited Shawn in Pasadena. This, "first ever for China" behavioral health services project will provide a training of trainers model, on-campus and online teaching, learning, consulting, research and partnership development with global entities.

The 3rd Annual Women's Symposium in May – Women Making a World of Difference will culminate with the opening of the World Academy on the Future of Women. You don't want to miss this event, May 23-24th.

Judith Luther-Wilder forges (not a pun) ahead with the SIAS Sculpture Garden. New and returning artists will be on SIAS campus this spring and remain for the 10th Anniversary. Nora Valdez's sculpture The Traveler, dubbed 'The Fat White Girl' by Shawn at the unveiling last May, continues to be a photo op for SIAS students who hug her as they pose. More to come this spring. Read the article in this issue.

Sharon Hake is poised to expand our Board with greater diversity and talent. This Board action will generate extraordinary talent and boundless reach to our current membership. With the elections in January and February we will be unstoppable by May! All Board members lead extraordinary and productive lives and their generosity to give their time, energy and resources to benefit the work of SIAS in untold and remarkable ways is deeply honored and appreciated. To serve with this dynamic group of individuals is a remarkable experience.