Following the events of September 11, one of the most remarkable aspects of our national experience has been the way that Americans from all walks of life have contributed not just money and time, but their intellectual resources. Relief workers flooded into lower Manhattan from across the country, Pashtun-speaking translators have enlisted in the army, and financial planners and lawyers have provided services for families of the victims. The Stern School responded by providing knowledge.

Perhaps one of the best examples of our ability to offer knowledge as a form of aid has been the formation of Stern Rebuilds. The student-initiated group, comprising faculty, students, alumnae, and local bankers and lawyers, was formed last fall to offer pro-bono consulting and advice to small businesses affected by the World Trade Center attacks. In November, Stern hosted a “Back to Business” forum, which was attended by more than 300 business owners. By December, more than 60 businesses – restaurants, bars, retail shops, limousine services, and professional services firms – had submitted requests for assistance to Stern Rebuilds.

A similar impulse echoes throughout this issue of STERNbusiness. For in it, we see not only the exceptional range and intellectual imagination of our faculty, but the ways in which they apply their knowledge to contemporary problems. More broadly, faculty and members of the Stern community have contributed to our understanding of the current economic and national security situation, and have offered solutions as well.

I’m confident you’ll find this issue as thought-provoking as I did.

George Daly
Dean