Spring has arrived on campus! The trees are blooming and there are vibrant flowers everywhere. The sky is a brilliant bright blue, and the sun finally feels warm. Spring is one of the most tangible examples of change and a reminder that we are firmly rooted in growth and rebirth. As an institution, it is our business to facilitate growth and change in ways that inspire faculty to encourage greater understanding and expanding thought, while creating impactful solutions that educate and support our students and the communities we serve.  

Celebrating new leadership

In the spirit of change, last week we had the pleasure of announcing the new dean for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences! I am pleased to welcome Dean Ashley Stokes to our community. Stokes, a professor of veterinary large animal clinical sciences, served as dean of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture’s UT Extension, overseeing a budget of $100 million and 1,000 faculty and staff. She also has held leadership roles at Colorado State University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa and has more than 30 years of experience in higher education. She brings a collaborative and empathetic approach to her work, and I am confident in her ability to continue our interdisciplinary culture and mission while serving the needs of our students, faculty and staff, and dedicated partners. Her official start date is July 1, and we are excited to welcome her to campus!

The latest Highlights

This month’s edition of Highlights celebrates several stories and individuals who inspire hope through change. Salmon have returned to a restored Putah Creek—an encouraging sign that restoring streams and waterways can recover salmon runs and surrounding environments. Our researchers have cracked the code on pistachio genetics, which will help farmers with sustaining future crops. Collaboration with community groups have brought air quality monitoring into backyards and neighborhoods with a simple solution that empowers individuals with greater knowledge about the air they breathe. And a fire modeling study conducted by UC Davis and the University of Nevada, Reno, found that forest thinning followed by a prescribed burn could greatly improve resistance to catastrophic fire. 

I am excited to announce that once again, QS World University Rankings named CA&ES first in the nation and second in the world for  agriculture and forestry programs! This announcement marks almost a decade of recognition of our national and international excellence! We also celebrate and congratulate Sue Ebeler, who received the 2024 Women in Philanthropy Impact Award for three decades of leadership and mentoring; Dario Cantù, Stephanie Hampton and Huaijun Zhou who were recently named fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; and Danny Karp, who was recently named a Chancellor’s Fellow. 

Inspiring hope through science

The connection between the work of academics and their dedication to making our world a healthy and safe place to live resonates throughout our everyday lives—from the food in our stores grown by farmers and ranchers connected to the land, to the scientists who study plants and animals to make sure we have nutritious food sources, beautiful open spaces and resilient crops. Behind every solution is a team of dedicated people creating a cure or preparing us for a safer future. For almost every problem that exists, there also exists a curious and creative human with the drive to better humanity. These people are right here on our campus and exist in similar institutions all over the world. They are our changemakers, and they bring me great hope for the future. It is important that we continue to support their efforts and remember the valuable connection they bring to our everyday lives. Thank you to our faculty, staff and students—our college’s brightest and most dedicated changemakers.

Go Ags!