The fall colors are incredibly vibrant this year with their red, orange and yellow leaves glowing against a backdrop of bright blue sky. We have so much to be grateful for this November, and I want to express my gratitude for all of our dedicated faculty, staff and students who remain focused on the mission of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The fall temperatures are finally dropping and the campus is busy! The bike paths are packed with students heading to and from classes, the Arboretum is teeming with wildlife and people taking time to relax in the beautiful weather, and everyone is settling into the new school year.

Welcome to the start of the fall 2022 school year! Here in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, we are excited to usher in a new class of freshmen and transfer students. Last week, Student Housing and several volunteers moved in 6,500 new and returning students into the resident halls. While COVID-19 continues to move through our communities, we’ve learned to adapt, grow and accept this shift in our world, and it is heartening to see our campus humming with activity and our students and colleagues settling into comfortable routines.

We have so much to celebrate this June! The class of 2022 is graduating after a profound and successful school year, and we look forward to the first spring commencement in two years, happening June 10-12. This year, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is graduating approximately 1,844 undergraduates and 106 graduate students.

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.