It has been almost three years since our last in-person Picnic Day, and this coming Saturday, April 23, marks the first celebration we’ve had to spotlight our campus in an incredibly long time. The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be out in force with multiple exhibits to show visitors why we continue to uphold our ranking as first in the nation and second in the world in agriculture.

We are seeing signs of spring everywhere, and in the world of academia, spring is marked by the beginning of the admissions cycle. With that said, it is time to congratulate our newly admitted Aggies!

The almond orchard blossoms have exploded into beautiful pink and white hues, and the numerous sunny days lull many of us into believing that spring has sprung, yet it is hard not to acknowledge the paradox of feeling warmed and invigorated by the sunshine while recognizing the very real concern of yet another desperately dry year.

Happy holidays from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences! Thank you to our faculty, staff, students, friends and partners for your dedication and commitment to the college and campus this year. Your contributions made our college and campus a place of excellence. We are incredibly proud of our accomplishments and the strength and resilience that resonates within our community. Our holiday video captures examples of that excellence and the spirit of our work throughout the past year.

The season of gratitude is upon us, and we have so many reasons to feel joyful this fall. We are thankful for the campus’ approach to managing COVID-19 and the diligence applied to keeping us safe through vaccinations and accessible testing. Our vaccination rates are at 98 percent with a positivity rate of 0.06 percent for the past 30 days.

Fall is here! The campus is active, students and faculty have settled into a routine, and the leaves are beginning to turn colors. We also celebrated the first rain in several months for our parched state. While our transition to in-person instruction has gone smoothly and our COVID-19 numbers stay manageable, we know that many members of our community are experiencing additional stress and anxiety due to the ongoing pandemic.

Welcome to the start of a new school year! The energy on campus is quickly shifting as students settle into campus. It is great to see new faces and our colleagues in person, and I am definitely excited to see food trucks and places to purchase coffee! We have been working from home for an unprecedented amount of time, and while we expect this next phase of transition to take us time to adjust, I am continually reminded of how resilient and adaptable we are within the college, even in the face of the unknown.

Congratulations to the graduating class of 2021! We are so proud of all they have accomplished to reach this important milestone. We salute their resilience, creativity and perseverance. The skills that helped them reach this moment will be the skills that will help them succeed throughout their lives in whatever they choose to do.

Last year, the horrible death of George Floyd prompted a national discussion about race in a way that has been eye-opening, soul-searching and incredibly important. While we’ve seen an increase in violence toward people of color, we also acknowledge that more and more people are recognizing a deep need for change in how we engage with, support and lift each other.

Spring is a traditional time of renewal, a reawakening of life. We see this through the new growth in our fields and greenhouses, the births happening in our barns and from the energy in our communities as people start to enjoy the outdoors. This year feels even more renewing as our society rebounds from the pandemic, and we are experiencing that here as our town and campus slowly come back to life.