Dean’s Column: March 2014
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EmailWhile the cold weather has been colder than usual, and hung around a little longer than we'd like, this winter has been full of important visits and work.
While the cold weather has been colder than usual, and hung around a little longer than we’d like, this winter has been full of important visits and work that’s setting the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources up to be one of the preeminent places in the country.
As you will read, in December, we wrapped up a statewide tour of What’s Now? What’s Next visits that helped us get a handle on what people outstate are thinking and expecting of us. I’m proud to say that these visits reinvigorated me and reminded me why the CANR is so important.
After a bitterly cold start to the semester, our students and some faculty welcomed President Obama to campus. Yes, the President! It’s a big deal when the president comes to campus, but when he comes to campus to sign the 2014 Farm Bill … that’s a huge deal. About 20 of our students had the opportunity to attend President Obama’s speech and signing. President Obama took the time to stop by the student section and talk with our future leaders. Some of our faculty also had the chance to meet President Obama and explain their research during his visit to Michigan Biotechnology Institute. You can see him enjoy some potato chips with Dave Douches on this White House video (be sure to watch the whole thing because it circles back to Michigan at the end).
MSU President Simon and her University Research Corridor counterparts and I testified before the Michigan State Senate Higher Education Appropriation Committee. You can read the testimony that I gave about the importance of research, outreach and scholarship. We were happy to welcome members of that group, and colleagues from other Michigan research universities, to campus.
As our students are warming up on Spring Break, we are celebrating the 99th Annual Agriculture and Natural Resources Week. It’s a fun time on campus for all the groups that host meetings and activities. It’s also a time when we honor faculty, alumni and friends during the annual ANR Week Luncheon. We have been celebrating this week, in one form or another, for nearly a century, and it’s still a great way to experience the depth and breadth of agriculture and natural resources.
We are preparing to begin celebrations with our students as well. The CANR Honors Banquet will take place in March, and Commencement in May. Remember our grads when you’re hiring for a job or an internship. They are excited, capable and world-changing people.
Sincerely,
Fred Poston
Dean
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources
