Over the course of this past week, NYU New York faculty, staff members, and students have been swept away by Inauguration Week festivities, all enacted in honor of the university’s 16th president, Andrew “Andy” Hamilton. From the Health Center’s Wellness Expo to this year’s Community Squares and NYU Talks series, all members of the NYU community were given the opportunity to join in on the action. Lynne Brown, NYU’s Senior Vice President of University Relations and Public Affairs, stated, "President Hamilton made clear that he wanted the inauguration to be a celebration of the entire NYU community, and an a opportunity to showcase the talents and achievements of our faculty, students and employees.” In response to my question on which qualities of Inauguration Week NYU’s new president plans to bring forth through the rest of his presidency, Brown responded that the Week’s overarching theme of inclusiveness -- both between schools and between campuses -- is an important aspect of the university that President Hamilton hopes to foster during his term at NYU.Brown added, "Two themes that have marked the early days of President Hamilton and that I predict will carry over into the future is his focus on affordability, [namely] looking for ways, large and small, to bend the cost-curve at NYU and therefore make it easier for students to attend and stay at the university.” She also noted that a vision of President Hamilton’s is building a “diverse community of scholars and learners in which everyone feels welcome and respected and important to NYU's success.”Brown is not the only community member who is looking forward to, or at least hopeful about, the new president’s term at NYU. President Hamilton has established himself thus far as an authority figure who is willing to listen and work with the members of his community. He has set forth the lowest increase in cost of attendance in two decades. Another noteworthy accomplishment under his watch was banning the “box” on the Common Application and replacing it with a “narrower” question on students’ criminal histories. Hamilton’s willingness to approach issues with an open mind will hopefully be a refreshing change for many students and faculty members, and give us the cautious optimism that he will lead NYU out of John Sexton’s ‘corporate’ vision of the university and into a new era of research, innovation, and inclusiveness.You can watch a livestream of the inauguration here. This article was written by Katie-Rose Nunziato. Please send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: NYU Photo Bureau