We are planning this year’s AGNR Cornerstone event, to be held on October 23. Please mark your calendars. Admittedly, sometimes I can be a bit slow to catch onto things. I wore a pin this week that said "AGNR: The Cornerstone College of UMD." All of a sudden it clicked why we were referring to the October 23 event as a "Cornerstone" event. I suspect it was obvious to many, but perhaps not those within AGNR.
This week is our annual meeting with the Provost and her team where the associate deans, our Assistant Dean for Finance and Administration, Jessica Vernon, and I attend. Our Communications Director, Graham Binder, and the rest of the attending group did the heavy lifting for the meeting. I look forward to the conversation because the AGNR team tells me it is very useful in helping us frame our priorities and share our successes and goals. We will highlight a few examples of faculty, staff, and student accomplishments as well as identify where and how we will align efforts for future improvement. I appreciate that, annually, the Provost and her team take the time to have these conversations with each college to provide support as we all advance in a common direction. As a newcomer, the preparations have offered me a concise look at the status of AGNR to better see forward.
It's fair season! Last week, I attended the ag leadership luncheon in Howard County. It was a great event and a good chance to connect with leaders across the County. I anticipate this could be an annual thing for me, assuming an invitation is extended. I sincerely appreciate Lynn Rubin Traversa hosting me and making introductions to her network of partners. This week, I head to the same in Montgomery County, followed by a large portion of the day in Queen Anne’s County. I must be getting in shape for the Maryland State Fair 3-week extravaganza. No doubt, our Extension offices throughout the state are working above and beyond to host field days, conduct seasonal research, and prepare youth and volunteers for the fairs. I am grateful for the cooler temperatures to make things a bit easier for these high-performing teams!
We are developing plans for an AGNR retreat for early September. This will be a good chance for me to get to know the talented leadership team a bit better, and vice versa, as we steer the college. Our Chief Development Officer, Carolyn Fernandez, and her team are eager to engage partners in working with us to bring ideas to life. In addition, we continue to think about preserving and expanding existing partnerships with units throughout the campus and beyond, including our important partners at USDA-ARS in Beltsville. Thanks to everyone who worked with their chair to provide input about existing collaborations with the ARS scientists. The information is of great value to me as I learn about the college and will have application for other purposes as well.
I hope everyone is enjoying summer and recharging for a busy fall semester!