He ran. He biked. He swam. He did bodyweight workouts. 

The exercise helped Edelstein, who became the on July 1, think about where he wanted to take his career. At that time, Edelstein was finishing his second book, working toward a promotion to full professor and had taken on new administrative responsibilities at Georgetown. 

He leaned into endurance sports as an outlet, competing in marathons and triathlons. He later finished two full Ironman competitions, each consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. Nowadays, Edelstein enjoys running, biking and strength training at the gym.

By fitting workouts and training sessions into his busy schedule 鈥� often early in the morning before dawn 鈥� Edelstein said he has become a more well-rounded person. It has given him something to focus on besides his work schedule. In short, he鈥檚 applied the values of cura personalis, or care of the whole person, to his life.

鈥淚t is important to have something other than your work,鈥� Edelstein said. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be a triathlete, and you certainly don鈥檛 have to be an Ironman triathlete or a marathon runner. It can be going for a half hour walk every day. It can be painting. Whatever it is, I think having something that gives you a distraction from other things that you鈥檙e doing and makes you a more well-rounded person just makes you a healthier person.鈥�

Going the Distance

Edelstein鈥檚 interest in sports started early.

Growing up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, a suburb of Philadelphia, he became a fan of all professional Philadelphia sports teams, with a particular love for the Philadelphia 76ers and Olympic sports. But Edelstein鈥檚 fandom didn鈥檛 translate to participation in sports.

Beyond playing recreational soccer or basketball, he did not join any sports teams in school. Edelstein was more interested in his schoolwork and learning about politics, history and economics.

He certainly never thought he would become a competitive triathlete as an adult.

鈥淔ifteen-year-old me would be shocked by what 50-year-old me was doing,鈥� he said.

But when Edelstein turned 40 years old with two young sons, he realized he was not as healthy as he wanted to be. 

So, he started doing resistance and bodyweight workouts in his basement at 4:30 in the morning. After six months of only that, Edelstein got bored. He needed a new goal.

鈥淚 said, all right, well, I鈥檒l run a marathon, right? That鈥檚 a good goal to have,鈥� he said.

Edelstein had run occasional 5Ks for fun but never raced longer distances. He asked his sister-in-law, a marathon runner, for a training plan, and soon, pre-dawn basement workouts became runs on the Capital Crescent Trail.

鈥淭here鈥檚 always been something about workouts first thing in the morning, where no matter how the rest of my day goes, I feel I have accomplished something,鈥� Edelstein said. 

In 2014, he ran the and finished the race in 3 hours, 26 minutes and 10 seconds 鈥� a pace of 7:52 per mile.

The day after the marathon, Edelstein got out of bed with pain in his knees, and his wife, in a moment Edelstein jokes that she likely regrets, encouraged him to try triathlons, which includes running, swimming and biking. Even though he had never swum competitively, he signed up for triathlons and quickly discovered his new passion. 

鈥淚 was never bored with it, because I was always doing some other different type of workout,鈥� Edelstein said. 

Edelstein completed his first triathlon in the summer of 2014 in Culpepper, Virginia. It was a sprint triathlon, which consists of a 750-meter swim, a 14.3-mile bike ride and a 5K run. He finished in the middle of his age group. For about a decade after that, Edelstein worked with a local triathlon coach, David Henkel, and went on to complete around 20 triathlons.

鈥淚 knew he had a lot of potential physically,鈥� Henkel said. 鈥淐ombine that with his mental aptitude and excitement for the sport, and it was clear he was going to be special.鈥�

Racing Against Yourself

Edelstein has found that exercise and training benefit his work life. It allows him to better focus, he said, and his job at Georgetown and race preparation both require strategy.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of strategizing in the triathlon,鈥� Edelstein said. 鈥淵ou’re racing against other people, but, in many ways, you鈥檙e racing against yourself, and thinking about how to make your way through the three different disciplines.鈥�

Prior to his role as dean of the 海角论坛 of Arts & Sciences, Edelstein served as the vice provost for education, vice dean for faculty affairs in the 海角论坛 and a professor in the Department of Government and the Walsh School of Foreign Service. He has written two books that examine military intervention and great power politics.

鈥淭he common thread among these different interests is strategy,鈥� Edelstein said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 in sports or politics, how you achieve your goals, in some sense, has always been fascinating to me.鈥�

He said the chance to lead and guide the 海角论坛 as its dean excites him. His priorities include building the 海角论坛鈥檚 identity and developing its global presence. He feels a sense of pride in what the 海角论坛 does, both at Georgetown and beyond. 

鈥淚’ve been at Georgetown for a long time now and worked in the 海角论坛 dean鈥檚 office for several years, and I have such admiration and affection for the institution,鈥� Edelstein said. 鈥淚ts smart, dedicated and caring people 鈥� faculty, staff and students 鈥� are its special sauce.鈥�

Reaching the Top

After completing several half Ironman triathlons, Edelstein set his sights on his next goal: a full Ironman. 

In 2021, he signed up for his first full Ironman in Lake Placid and finished in just under . Half way through the eight-hour drive home the following day, Edelstein stopped to get lunch and stretch his legs. When he opened his email inbox, an unexpected message popped up inviting him to register for another Ironman.

Edelstein had qualified for the , an iconic and scenic race through lava fields and along the coastline.

鈥淢y head exploded,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was immediately texting everybody I know in the triathlon world.鈥�

In the race, which took place in October of 2022, Edelstein moved up in the rankings in each of the three legs of the race and finished in the middle of his age group. He had competed in the world championships in just his second full Ironman.

鈥淚鈥檝e been to the top of the triathlon mountain,鈥� Edelstein said. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 the fastest to get there, but it was an amazing experience.鈥�

These days, Edelstein isn鈥檛 competing in triathlons. Instead, he goes to his local F45 Training gym at 5:30 a.m. six days a week, incorporating both cardio and strength training. On the weekends, he usually goes for a long run or bike ride.

To Edelstein, few things are better than an early morning run.

鈥淚鈥檝e always said that I do my best thinking when I鈥檓 walking or running or moving in some way,鈥� he said.

(Top photo taken at the 2021 Ironman Lake Placid by The IRONMAN Group/Finisherpix.com)

What drew you to the Georgetown community?

I have been an administrator at the University of Michigan for a good number of years now and received lots of inquiries about positions at other schools. Because of the tremendous opportunities I had at the University of Michigan, I knew I would not leave Michigan unless the perfect opportunity came along. 

When I first looked at the Georgetown 海角论坛 Dean position, I was immediately interested. What drew me in was the strong sense of Jesuit values and principles. As I read more, I thought 鈥楾his is me, I deeply believe in all of these values.鈥� The more I met people and got to know Georgetown, the more I realized that those words weren鈥檛 just nice words for a flashy brochure 鈥�  people really believe them and it is a part of the community, the ethos and spirit of Georgetown. 

How do you balance all of your different roles as an academic, a professor and a dean?

I love the different roles that academics get to pursue: teaching, research and service to their departments, university and research fields. Personally, I think that if I was doing one thing all of the time, I would get bored. I get energized from doing lots of different types of activities.  

My primary focus when I start at Georgetown will be the administrative aspects of leading the 海角论坛. I do not see that as something I do alone, but something that I do in collaboration with our communities of students, faculty and staff. I am also eager to teach at Georgetown because I love teaching and it is a great way to get to know students. I ultimately look forward to continuing my research as well.  

How do you see your role as coming in and contributing to the healing of a community?

We are living through an incredible historic moment. The pandemic has caused an enormous amount of disruption and loss in many people鈥檚 lives and has revealed major systemic inequities that persist in our society. We cannot pretend that we are going back to 鈥渘ormal.鈥� Instead, we must find ways to learn from this.

I think the pandemic has fractured our sense of community in some ways, and it is important to enter into a stage of healing. We need to come together to find new ways of supporting each other and working together to create a new 鈥渘ormal鈥� despite the challenges brought on by new variants.

My leadership style is based on listening and collaboration. My goal is to work together with faculty, staff and students to find solutions that help everyone to excel and to be successful at Georgetown. You can only do that by reaching out, listening and learning about what people need.

What are your research areas of interest?

I have two lines of research 鈥� one focuses on infertility and reproductive difficulties among women of color and the other examines how adolescents cope with community violence in poor and dangerous neighborhoods. In both of these areas of work, I rely on a resilience framework, as I鈥檓 interested in identifying the strengths that help people cope with difficult life circumstances.

As far as I know, I conducted the first study to focus exclusively on African American women鈥檚 experiences with infertility in the U.S. In this qualitative work, I interviewed 50 African American women with a range of socioeconomic backgrounds about their difficulties conceiving. For many reasons, this was one of the most rewarding research projects that I have done. 

In my work with adolescents, we know that adolescents who are exposed to neighborhood violence are at higher risk for increased symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD. As an example of our work, we found that engagement in certain types of after-school activities can help protect adolescents from exposure to community violence and help ameliorate the negative effects of violence on well-being

Can you speak to the importance of interdisciplinarity and intersectionality in your work?

I believe in the importance of thinking about people鈥檚 lives from an intersectional perspective. For example, how people experience difficulty getting pregnant and difficulty having a child is greatly based on the intersection of their social identities.

Social identities, like gender, race, socioeconomic class and sexual orientation profoundly influence how people experience the same phenomena. It is difficult to statistically account for how our social identities affect our experiences. Nevertheless, it is so crucial to understand people鈥檚 experiences from a more complex, intersectional starting point.

What are three fun facts about yourself? 

First, I was lucky enough to go to a summer camp in Maine. There, I got to know and perform in plays with Yeardley Smith, now the voice of Lisa Simpson on 鈥淭he Simpsons.鈥�

Second, I grew up in Washington Heights in New York City in a poor, immigrant Dominican family. When I was a little girl, I loved ice skating. We couldn鈥檛 afford ice skating lessons so I used to go to a public ice skating rink to try to teach myself how to figure skate.   

When I had my own children and lived in Michigan, I enrolled both my daughter and my son in ice skating lessons, but realized it was unfair of me to live vicariously through them. So I signed up for figure skating lessons as an adult!

The last one is just a proud accomplishment of mine. At Michigan, our students really pushed the Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies Department to make our minor in 鈥淕ender and Health鈥� into a major.  During my time as chair of the department, I was able to make that happen. It is so meaningful to me that this new major was motivated and initiated by student interests. The new major in 鈥淕ender and Health鈥� quickly became an important major for many of our students while not detracting from the already-established WGST major in the department.

Related News

What project are you most looking forward to working on as dean? 

I look forward to continuing to help the 海角论坛 express its deep liberal arts mission grounded in the search for truth and its social justice mission rooted in the Jesuit tradition. I am most looking forward to continuing to expand research opportunities for undergraduates and emphasizing how that research reflects the central tenets of the 海角论坛 through the intersection of teaching, independent study and mentorship. Research is a central part of how we search for the truth, which is at the core of everything we do here whether it be in the sciences, arts, social sciences or humanities. Allowing students to be a part of this prepares students for independent thought once they leave the university. This is crucial, as many of the jobs our students will hold in their lives do not yet exist, so many of the questions we will seek answers for in the future have not yet been asked. There are so many areas of our world that will be served by our education. My goal is to strengthen that mission. 

How do you balance your many roles as a professor, academic and dean? 

One of the things that I learned early on in my career is the importance of teams. I am very grateful that I entered this position with both an excellent team in the Dean鈥檚 Office and of faculty partners. I work well in collectives and one of ways I am able to create balance is to pull from united strength. Mentors and the people who came before are essential in helping me to navigate the path ahead. I will draw from their shared wisdom. I also have to remember that I am here to make Georgetown a more expansive place. Keeping this in mind helps me to stay on the right path when making decisions.

What do you see as this position’s greatest challenge? 

I think the greatest challenge right now is leading in the midst of a crisis. One of the things that we know is that when you’re in a crisis you have to triage and attend to the most pressing issue in the moment. And for us that鈥檚 everyone’s safety, health and making sure that our education criteria are being met. That being said, there needs to be time to be carved out for our vision for the future. The pandemic has created a spotlight on the many ways that our culture must adapt and improve so that our society is more accessible and equitable for all. My challenge is managing day to emergencies while also setting aside time to plan for the future of our school to ensure that we are implementing the changes that must be born out of what we have learned from this time. 

What is your favorite thing about Georgetown? 

The people. I was drawn back to Georgetown because of the relationships that I formed here with friends and mentors, faculty colleagues and students. I met my husband here. I experience care for the whole person most profoundly in the Georgetown community. 

What do you think makes Georgetown a unique place? 

Georgetown鈥檚 the best! It combines a world class education with a commitment to social justice that is all unfolding in the nation鈥檚 capital. There are other universities grounded in Jesuit values, and there are other prestigious schools even in Washington, but the combination of those two things and its location distinguishes Georgetown from similar institutions. This again provides opportunities and responsibilities for our students, faculty and staff. 

What advice do you have for our students?

I would advise Georgetown 海角论坛 students that they are in a unique educational environment where they have access to a robust liberal arts education that coincides with the mission of the university to be people for others. Given our historical moment, we understand more deeply how connected and interdependent we are. And our liberal arts education allows us to wed different fields of knowledge. Our mission is to apply that knowledge towards the common good. I encourage our students to explore areas that feed them, bring them joy and make them want to get out of bed in the morning. I also want them to understand that the work they do is towards being people for others and that is a great opportunity and responsibility. 

What are three fun facts about yourself? 

Before the pandemic, I was an avid theatergoer — my favorite playwright is Lorraine Hansberry, who I am writing a book about that will be released this spring. I graduated from Georgetown with one major – it is possible to do one thing and go on and to be successful! I also feel a strong relation to my zodiac sign of Capricorn.

On January 6, 2020, we witnessed a violent attempt to upend the democratic process. Echoing President DeGioia鈥檚 , 鈥淭hese acts are reprehensible and have no place in our country.鈥� The occupation of the capitol marked a low point in our national history but as with most crises the foundation for the breach had been laid years in advance. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University has hosted several conversations about how the virus has exposed weakness in our healthcare system, justice system, and educational systems, including a . Similar to the pandemic, the appalling events yesterday demonstrate a pre-existing weakness, in this case, in our democracy. The unequal access to civic protections symbolized by the display of confederate flags during yesterday鈥檚 riot calls attention to much deeper fissures in our nation that we must redress. In a year filled with the loss of many taken for granted in different aspects of our lives, it was deeply disturbing to see such a blatant and criminal affront to our democratic ideals.聽

As an institution of higher education, we must ground our work in the pursuit of truth and learn from the past in order to imagine and create more just futures. In the weeks and months to come, we will take time to consider our collective losses and how we will move forward. As a community we cannot attempt to rebuild, however, without acknowledging what we have lost and the structures in place that facilitated the crises. We then must hold ourselves and representatives accountable to the shared ideals that we aspire to realize. 

To the Georgetown 海角论坛 community, please continue to take care of yourself. If you need support, please see for available resources. Our community shines brightest in its ability to help one another. 

Just as I believe in the promise of democracy, I believe in the ideals at the heart of our Georgetown community. Crises do not erupt without warning. Similarly, justice emerges through the cultivation of systems and structures. Together we will build more durable and just versions of our institutions based in truth, fairness, racial equity, and inclusion.

What are some of the most rewarding lessons that you have learned during your time as dean?

All of the lessons that I have learned from the instilled Jesuit values at Georgetown have been valuable, but the most profound is the idea that the same value that is placed on the intellect should also be ascribed to feelings and emotions. There is also a deeply rooted service culture at the school, which is a good anchor for any institution to have and is something I will try to uphold moving forward. 

I have also found through my time at Georgetown that there is a strong presupposition in the good will of others. I will remember that most fondly and will carry it with me always. 

What will you be taking with you in your next role?

I hope that I can bring my experiences working with faculty, students and fellow deans to help create connections across the university. 

What part of campus will you miss the most?

I will certainly miss looking out my window in White Gravenor and seeing the outline of Healy. My wife Anna Celenza and I have grown quite fond of hearing the chime of the bells from that tower throughout the day and I am sad that I will no longer be able to do so. 

But I will truly miss my colleagues in the Dean鈥檚 Office and all of the excellent vice deans that I have had the privilege to work alongside. However, I know that I leave them in excellent hands with Soyica Colbert鈥檚 appointment to interim dean. From the moment I met her, she has shown herself to be a leader who is able to both listen well and make good, impactful decisions. She is a leader with vision and energy, and I think she鈥檒l do a great job. 

What were you most proud of during your time as dean?

Georgetown is home to an incredibly strong body of accomplished faculty members. In my time as dean, I was very happy and proud that we paid special attention to diversifying the faculty in the 海角论坛. I feel very fortunate to have worked alongside such high level academics and researchers. I console myself that we aren鈥檛 too far away and we are still united by the republic of letters. I know we will read each other鈥檚 work and continue to learn from one another for years to come. 

How do you balance your many roles as a professor, academic and dean?

Your calendar can be your best friend or worst enemy. At the end of the day, you have to take control over your own time and set boundaries. It鈥檚 important to take time for self care and disconnect for a while. 

What advice do you have for our students?

Our students are our future leaders who are working through the most difficult time in our country鈥檚 recent memory and I admire their resilience. As we emerge from this pandemic, I encourage students to begin reflecting on what you have learned. How did this change your worldview? In all likelihood, it changed every aspect. 

Before the pandemic, there were people like grocery store clerks, postal workers and bus drivers who were often neglected. There were communities that were not given the care they should have received and are still fighting for justice. My advice would be to never forget that. Everyone has value. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.

Making Positive Change

Colbert has already had a profound impact on the 海角论坛 since she was chosen to serve as vice dean earlier this year. In her time in this position, she hosted the series 鈥淪uch a Time As This: Racial Justice and the University鈥� which explored how research by Georgetown faculty advances racial justice. This series is part of the Racial Justice Initiative created by Colbert and Robert Patterson that will formally launch in the spring of 2021. 

The professor will continue to teach courses in the performing arts and African American studies departments. This spring, she will co-instruct “Combating Anti-Black Racism: History and Ideology, Justice and Resistance鈥� alongside Patterson. She was also recently named as an associate director of the Shakespeare Theatre Company in addition to her accolades at Georgetown. 

Chris Celenza, current Dean of Georgetown 海角论坛 and Professor of History and Classics, will be stepping down from his position in January of 2021 to accept a deanship at the Krieger School at Johns Hopkins University. He says that Colbert鈥檚 vision, clarity and ability to inspire students and faculty make her the perfect candidate for the job. 

鈥淚t is with great pleasure that I congratulate and thank my colleague, Soyica Colbert, on accepting the role,鈥� says Celenza. 鈥淧rofessor Colbert is an excellent scholar, teacher, public intellectual and academic leader. I am confident that she will lead with dignity and passion for our students, faculty and staff while maintaining the highest standards for academic excellence.鈥� 

More About Colbert

Colbert is the author of The African American Theatrical Body: Reception, Performance and the Stage (Cambridge University Press, 2011) and Black Movements: Performance and Cultural Politics (Rutgers University Press, 2017). Colbert edited the Black Performance special issue of African American Review (2012) and co-edited The Psychic Hold of Slavery (Rutgers University Press, 2016).

Earlier this year, she co-edited Race and Performance After Repetition through Duke University Press. Her next book, Becoming Free: An Intellectual Biography of Lorraine Hansberry, will be released in 2021. 

Colbert has published articles in American Theatre, African American Review, Theatre Survey, Modern Drama, Boundary 2, South Atlantic Quarterly, Scholar and Feminist Online, and Theatre Topics and in the collections: Black Performance Theory, Contemporary African American Women Playwrights, and August Wilson: Completing the Cycle.

She is the recipient of the Schomburg Scholars-in-Residence Fellowship, Woodrow Wilson Foundation Career Enhancement Fellowship, Stanford Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship, Mellon Summer Research Grant, and the Robert W. Woodruff Library Fellowship. Her research interests span the 19th-21st centuries, from Harriet Tubman to Beyonc茅, and from poetics to performance.