In your life, there are some people who have a profound impact on you as an individual. It could be a grandparent, coach, or director who believes in you and sees your potential even when you don’t see it in yourself. Dr. Joe Bailey is that person for countless people in QUEST. He has been with QUEST since 2009, and I have been amazed by the number of people that he has had a profound impact on during my four years in the QUEST program. It is a testament to not only who he is as a person but also how lucky we have been to have Dr. Bailey in our community. As he moves on to his new role as Interim Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs at the Smith School of Business, I wanted to talk to some QUEST students about the impact he’s made on them.
I was able to speak to Jess Strongin (Cohort 36), who worked with Dr. Bailey this semester as his Teaching Assistant. She was absolutely beaming when she started talking about Dr. Bailey. “Dr. Bailey has inspired students in ways that words can’t describe. Not only has his wisdom shaped our education, but his positivity and empathy have made him a role model to everyone he meets.” I think this especially is one of the things that makes Dr. Bailey so special. If you pay attention, he is always giving people compliments, showing that he is paying attention to each person individually. It is a beautiful gift that he shares with the world and shares often.
Dr. Bailey and students at his thank you party in the QUEST Lab earlier this month
Recently, I wrote an article about QUEST alumnus Jeff Lue. When we met up for our interview, one of the things we got to talking about was Dr. Bailey. Lue told me about the impact that Dr. Bailey had on him not only during college, but when he started his career. If Lue ever needed to talk about career decisions or just catch-up, Dr. Bailey always made time in his schedule for him. This is just another example that shows over the years how many lives Dr. Bailey has changed for the better.
Dr. Bailey has had a long tenure with the QUEST program. He has been with the program for over ten years where he served as both a professor as well as the executive director of the program. Luckily, in his new role, Dr. Bailey is going to be right down the hall from the QUEST Lab and still overseeing QUEST on a higher level. We are all so incredibly blessed to have had you in QUEST, Dr. Bailey. We are sad to see you go but proud of you for everything you already have done and will do in the future. Returning to my conversation with Jess, she said it best, “Being Dr. Bailey’s teaching assistant allowed me to see what it takes to be more than just a great professor, but a great mentor. I can’t wait for him to bring his passion for teaching to all students at Smith!”