Hello, CALS,

The month of May is always full of changes. With classes concluded, finals completed and grades submitted, faculty and staff can finally take a well-earned breath. We paused to celebrate our students at convocation and commencement, recognizing not only their achievements but the promise they carry forward into the next chapter of their lives. Students packed up their dorms and apartments, and campus became quieter.

This year, that sense of change was especially profound as we marked a significant leadership transition in our college. After 7.5 years of dedicated service, Dean Dan Robison announced his return to the NREM faculty. His leadership has left a lasting legacy, guiding our college to a remarkable ranking of fourth in the nation among agricultural and forestry programs. We are deeply grateful for his vision, commitment and impact.

In my convocation remarks, I encouraged our graduates to embrace opportunities. That message resonates just as strongly for all of us now. Moments of change invite us to reflect on where we have been—but even more importantly, to imagine where we can go next. I am honored to step forward as acting and then interim dean of CALS during this pivotal time. My goal is to ensure a steady and thoughtful transition, while together we continue to build on the excellence that defines our college. With our dedicated leadership team—and with each of you—we will keep embracing opportunities to strengthen our teaching, research, Extension and outreach missions.

In the months ahead, I will work closely with our leadership team, faculty, staff, stakeholders and center directors to position the college for its next chapter and to recruit our next dean. This is a collective effort, and it is your daily contributions—your dedication to students, to scholarship and to one another—that make our progress possible. Thank you for all that you do to move our mission forward and to support one another. Together, we will continue to grow, adapt and thrive.

My best - Ruth