The members of should be especially excited about Gary May鈥檚 appointment as chancellor.
He said some of the factors that led to his early interest in STEM fields were Legos, Erector sets, comic books and science fiction 鈥 especially Star Trek. , and the previous year he took up the mantle of Trekkies everywhere, donning Capt. Kirk鈥檚 uniform for a photo shoot and .
President Janet Napolitano, in recommending May鈥檚 appointment as chancellor, did not take sides in the Star Trek-Star Wars debate, but she did quote some of Capt. Kirk鈥檚 truisms that May has adopted as his own, as noted in May鈥檚 blog:
鈥淚n the words of Captain Kirk and Gary May,鈥 Napolitano told the Board of Regents, 鈥淒on鈥檛 believe in no-win scenarios. Live with awe and wonder. Take action. Overlook honest mistakes. Get your hands dirty. Get involved in your own life and explore the world.
鈥溾楾hese Kirk truisms have become part of my leadership style,鈥 Gary wrote on his blog. 鈥楰irk led by example, he empowered his crew, he was decisive when the time came, and he forged new ground. All leaders need to be a Kirk at times. Whether it is through encouraging creativity and innovation, radically changing course when circumstances dictate, or assembling a team with diverse opinions and backgrounds, we can help lead our companies, our schools, and even our lives into places where no one has gone before.鈥欌
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