Congratulations to the football team! I wasn’t expecting football to be such a big deal here. Parking, alone, is quite something. Clearly, I need to keep the schedule in mind as I consider getting out and about on weekends.
Last week ended with a meeting about the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund. Martin Rabenhorst presented at the meeting as an AGNR recipient of the fund benefits as the Ray Weil Endowed Professor. Marty did a great job sharing his entrepreneurial success. I applaud the state for their foresight in establishing the program. Listening to universities, colleges, and community colleges from across the state share the impact of the program, there is no doubt that the return on investment has been high. Hopefully we can have more endowed professors/entrepreneurs in AGNR.
Did you know that we held the 14th Annual Aquaponics Conference on campus this week? It is the world’s largest aquaponics event, hosted by the Aquaponics Association and welcomed over 250 attendees to College Park. I had the pleasure of providing a brief welcome to participants at the Stamp Union.
Also at the Stamp Union is the third of five Meet & Greets. I appreciate all who are available to come out and say ‘hi’ on Tuesday afternoon. The first two events, while smaller, were a great opportunity to meet people that are employees and friends of AGNR. During conversations, I have been reminded once again how small a world it really is. A conversation with one couple at the Wye REC revealed that they have long been friends with the parents of my college roommate. Later that evening, after the event, UMD Extension Associate Dean Jinhee Kim and I discovered that her daughter and my sister fenced at the same club. I can’t help but wonder, that if we all kept in mind how connected we are, we might put a bit more effort into being kind to one another.
This week I will meet with a few AGNR partners to learn about their motivations to partner with us. AGNR’s Director of International Programs, Jimmy Smith, is hosting a group from Gondar University that I will visit one evening. Plant Science and Landscape Architecture Department Chair, John Erwin, will host a visitor from California whom I will meet. In addition, I will visit one of our AGNR donors. Last week, I had a chance to meet members of the turfgrass industry to hear their ideas and needs. I appreciate these conversations as we look to have a greater impact in our efforts and align with stakeholder needs.
I hope to see many of our faculty and staff at Convocation this week!