Inaugural Message as Dean | Yoko Hamada (Dean, Faculty of Environment and Information Studies)
November 7, 2017
On Sunday, October 1, 2017, my first day as dean, my first task was to greet prospective students who had come for their interviews. Although I had been gradually preparing for my inauguration since being elected as the next dean in July, the reality of it hadn't quite sunk in. But as I stood before the nervous applicants and saw their earnest gazes fixed upon me, I felt the full weight of the dean's responsibilities with my entire being.
Until now, as the Director of the SFC Wellness Center, I have taught a course on "Mind and Body Wellness" and worked with staff from the Health Center, physical education, and student counseling to address the health issues of the entire campus. I have also served on committees for student life, scholarships, and harassment prevention, which has brought me into contact with many students, faculty, and staff. Through these experiences, I have learned that there are many people on campus who, while facing various physical, mental, or socioeconomic difficulties, are striving to the best of their ability in their studies, research, and work. As a clinical psychiatrist, it is my greatest joy when students I have supported find what they want to do during their time at SFC, grow significantly as individuals, and graduate, or when students who graduated after overcoming struggles report back that they are doing well in society, making use of the diverse perspectives they gained at SFC.
In high school, I was in the mountaineering club and enjoyed hiking. After becoming a doctor, the first place I worked was a psychiatric hospital in the mountains of Ome. Lately, due to a busy schedule and lack of physical stamina, I haven't been able to go hiking, but I still love mountains. I get excited as the Tanzawa mountain range and Mt. Fuji come into greater view on the way from Shonandai to SFC. In this spacious, green campus environment, and on a campus where diversity is guaranteed and respected, and where research in various fields is actively pursued, I believe that everyone can find their place—physically, in their field of research, and even psychologically. I intend to do my utmost during my term to further enrich a campus where each individual can leverage their own personality and characteristics to achieve what they want to do, and where creativity is born from the clash of individualities.