President-elect Frederick Lawrence spoke to students and other Brandeis community members Monday night at an event held in the South Campus Commons. The event was the first time those students who arrived on campus after the beginning of first-year orientation were able to meet the president-elect. Lawrence, who was confirmed by the Board of Trustees July 8, will officially take over as president on Jan. 1, 2011. He currently serves as dean of the George Washington University Law School.

"The opportunity to actually meet the students even before I officially start is a chance to hear some of the things that they're thinking, but also I don't want to be someone who is new to [students] as of Jan. 1," Lawrence said in an interview with the Justice after the event.

Lawrence gave a brief address but spent most of his time at the event speaking directly to students one-on-one and in small groups. In his address to those in attendance, Lawrence said "It is an extraordinary honor for me to be the next president of Brandeis. I can't tell you, really, what it means to me to be joining this community. ... There is literally no other job in higher education that could pull together all the threads of my personal and professional life the way that this opportunity does."

Lawrence also said in his address that he was attracted to Brandeis because of both its roots in social justice and its position as a research university that is, "at its core, a small liberal arts college."

Student Union President Daniel Acheampong '11 introduced Lawrence prior to his address. President for Student Affairs and Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer, Associate Deans of Student Life Maggie Balch and Jamele Adams, Director of Student Development and Conduct Erika Lamarre, and Senior Director of Community Living Jeremy Leiferman were also present at the event, among others.

Lawrence additionally praised the atmosphere of the student body in his address claiming that he found it differentiated the University from other institutions.

"Listening to you [students on the student advisory committee] describe your experiences here and just seeing the vitality and the energy of the students there, and it's only been confirmed over and over again by the experiences I've had the last week and a half on campus. You guys think this is college, this isnt college. this is Brandeis," he said in his address.

In his interview with the Justice, when asked what challenges he expected to face as president, Lawrence said, "Higher education in general is facing issues that deal with cost; I think that financial aid is a pressing challenge. ... The fact that we are increasing the size of the undergraduate class is going to raise some issues in the school that we need to continue to work on."

Heddy Ben-Atar '11, who was a member of the Student Advisory Committee to the Presidential Search Committee and who attended the event, said that Lawrence "had a real passion for the differences of Brandeis. He really understood Brandeis and understood its development and really loved the University." She reiterated that the increasing size of the student body presents some of the greatest challenges Lawrence will face as president.

When asked if he planned on maintaining student involvement in the decision-making process, Lawrence responded; "I sure hope so. My plan is to try to have open lines of communication, to have students involved in the issues and also, certainly, my wife and I spend time with students."

Lawrence struck a lighter tone in his address when he said that during the interview process with the Student Advisory Committee, "each person around this table introduces him or herself with this just extraordinary litany of activities of involvement. You know, I spent last summer negotiating a couple of international treaties and rescuing children from burning buildings and, during the year, I'm actually the deputy mayor of Waltham and I'm a Biochemistry major and I sing a cappella and I play varsity soccer. ... I sort of thought of the Jerry Maguire line, 'You had me at the introductions.'"

Ben-Atar also said that she felt Lawrence's personality was compatible with the needs of the student body.

"We were doing our survey last year, [and] one of the biggest issues ... within the student body that we found was school spirit ... and he really embodies a love of Brandeis that makes him fit to lead the University in the coming years," she explained.

Students who attended the event appeared impressed with Lawrence.

Ilana Sidorsky '12, who attended the event, said, "[Lawrence] seems really knowledgeable and really friendly, and I'm very impressed that he wants to get to know all of us."

Ilana Silverstein '11 said "I like that he's funny. He seems very down-to-earth.