 As Dean of Rackham Graduate School, it's my honor and pleasure to offer congratulations to the 2021-22 Rackham pre-doctoral fellows on behalf of the university and the graduate school. Established in the 1930s, the pre-doctoral fellowship is the most prestigious award conferred to students by Rackham, and it is an important part of the graduate school's rich history. In 1935, Mary Rackham worked with U.M. President Alexander Ruthven to endow the graduate school to support fellowship and research, as well as provide funds for a building that would bring faculty and graduate students together for intellectual exchange across disciplinary boundaries. The Rackham Fund's trustees also allocated a $4 million endowment, equivalent to $75 million today, to fund faculty research and fellowship support in the graduate school. At the time, the endowment was the largest gift ever in support of graduate education in the United States. It is that endowment that makes the pre-doctoral fellowships possible. As members of the newest cohort of pre-doctoral fellows, this year's recipients add to a legacy of outstanding scholars who have come before them. We're proud of each recipient, and I encourage you to learn more about their research by visiting our pre-doctoral fellowship page on the Rackham website, where you will find brief descriptions of their dissertation research. The wide range of subjects, methodologies, and disciplines offers a fascinating portrait of the research being done by our graduate student community to create and discover in ways that serve the common good. Reaching the final year of PhD studies is a significant milestone in the career of any doctoral student. To have come through the last year's unprecedented events and also be recognized as Rackham pre-doctoral fellows is a major achievement, and I applaud our scholars for their accomplishments. At the same time, I'd also like to acknowledge the family members, friends, faculty advisors, and selection committee members who have supported and encouraged our fellows throughout their doctoral journey. Congratulations to each of you. I know we all look forward to seeing you bring your work to a successful conclusion. I offer you my best wishes in that endeavor.