Last week, I celebrated my first 100 days in AGNR! Last week I also received a hard copy of the M Book and I must say that I think I am doing pretty well checking boxes off the UMD Bucket List. My favorite attraction on the ‘Must-See UMD’ list? The campus farm, of course!
Reflecting on my first three months, here are some highlights of my observations.
- AGNR is mighty with outstanding faculty who are committed to excellence in the full range of teaching, Extension, and research missions.
- The Extension mission represents partnerships that are highly valued across the state, to the extent that there is a desire for ‘more’ across the state.
- The UMD Do Good commitment is real and I am sold on it!
- AGNR is fully committed to ‘doing good’ and doing more not only for greater impact but for the sake of continuous improvement as a pillar of excellence.
- Despite all that is going on around us, there is good energy in the faculty and staff. The energy and positivity are felt by our students and their families and instills optimism and confirms that they have made the right choice in coming to College Park.
- I have been reminded repeatedly that the world is a small place and that we are more connected than we often consider. For example, at one of the Meet & Greets, I met a couple for the first time and learned that they are longtime friends with the parents of one of my college roommates. Note that they have always lived in Maryland and I went to college in New York where both my roommate and I grew up. During our Alumni Weekend Tailgate, I met one of our freshmen and her parents. The student’s father attended California Baptist University (ever heard of it?). My college roommate’s daughter is currently one of the less than 12,000 students at California Baptist University. We all have similar connections that we likely don’t think about.
- I have come to recognize that a distinct advantage for AGNR is that we have room to grow, and grow, and grow. We have space to expand our partnerships, internally and externally. This isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing better (greater impact) without needing to find more bandwidth.
I shared with one group last week that I strongly believe that we control our destiny if we choose to do so. We have the talent, tools, and connections to be whatever we envision for our future state. To get there, let’s start by asking questions like “What haven’t we tried?” and “Imagine if…?” framing it not around where we are today but how we best meet client needs in 2030 and beyond. And let’s engage our clients as a central part in that questioning.
Over the course of the last 100 days, perhaps 10 months, it has become clear to me that there is no better time than now to do what we previously thought impossible, to advance when it is more comfortable to ‘wait and see’, and to partner in ways we have never considered before. As others stand still or tiptoe back, we can step forward, fearlessly.
The first 100 days in AGNR provided a strong introduction to the possibilities and potential. I am honored to be a part of this amazing team and outstanding institution, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish together!