January Faculty and Staff Newsletter

Dear Colleagues,

While campus may feel quiet during winter break, the work across CAHNR never truly pauses. Research continues, Extension programs remain active across the state, and faculty and staff are preparing to launch another semester of teaching, discovery, and outreach. I want to thank all of you who’ve kept the momentum going even when the rhythms of campus life slow down.

This point in the year often feels like the crest of a roller coaster: we know that soon the spring semester will carry us through a packed season of the highs and lows of academic life. Before we know it, we’ll be celebrating another class of CAHNR graduates, ready to take their place among our alumni doing great work near and far.

Thank you for all you do for our College.

Kumar Venkitanarayanan
Interim Dean and Director

Have an idea for the newsletter? We are grateful for the creativity and diverse opinions of our College community.

Contact cahnrdean@uconn.edu for consideration

Featured Story of the Month

Natural Resources

Following the Fisher: Tracking a Solitary Forest Inhabitant

A new study aims to gain more knowledge about the fisher, a mysterious and nimble animal often mistaken for a cat, and understand why their population is in decline

Read the full article at UConn Today

Hallmark Husky

January Awardee

Matthew Syrotiak – UConn Extension

Matt has been awarded this month’s Hallmark Husky for his outstanding leadership and dedication to student engagement through the inaugural Explore UConn event. He conceived and led this new initiative to help students from CT and MA explore CAHNR programs and envision their academic pathways- an effort that extended well beyond his expected responsibilities. At the same time, Matt skillfully navigated multiple unexpected challenges, including resolving a lost payment that impacted UConn 4-H registrations, addressing canceled flights for youth attending a national event, and preparing contingency plans for additional out of state travel. Matt’s resilience, problem-solving, and genuine care for our 4-H youth and chaperones were evident throughout, and the success of Explore UConn has already generated strong interest for future participation. Thank you, Matt, for your leadership and commitment to excellence in CAHNR.

January is Mental Wellness Month

As the new year begins, CAHNR is proud to recognize January as Mental Wellness Month. This initiative underscores a commitment to fostering a supportive campus environment by providing a directory of mental health resources specifically tailored for the university community.

Gratitude Ninjas

We’re excited to celebrate and recognize the many ways our colleagues make CAHNR such a great place to work — here come this month’s CAHNR Gratitude Ninjas! These paper Ninjas are on a mission to spread appreciation, connection, and smiles throughout our college community.

From left to right:

Ann-Marie Grimason in AHS received a Gratitude Ninja from Haley Fabrycki
Chad Rittenhouse received a gratitude ninja from Bob Fahey for C&C help with NRE forestry courses.
Donna Liska received a Gratitude Ninja with some kind words and a small gift card to buy Diet Coke!
Omar Simpson received a Gratitude Ninja from Alicia Huckle for doing an amazing job, being reliable, having positive energy, and stepping in while the Business Office dealt with staffing changes.
Jason Sheldon received a Gratitude Ninja from Jessie McBride in appreciation for his flexibility to show up for events outside of business hours.

Save the Date

Spring 2026

January 12, 2026: CAHNR Winter Workshop
March 25, 2026: Awards and Honors Ceremony
April 17, 2026: Faculty Standards Committee Forum
May 8, 2026: Spring Faculty and Staff Meeting
May 9, 2026: Commencement

Winter 2026 CAHNR Winter Workshop

Career Readiness in the CAHNR Curriculum: Making the Implicit, Explicit
Jan 12, 2026 from 11AM – 2:30PM, YNG 327

calendar_month

Faculty Standards Committee Forum

The Faculty Standards Committee of the University Senate will hold two distinct forums on faculty promotion, tenure, and reappointment on Friday, April 17, 2026, via WebEx. The purpose of the forums is to ensure that all faculty are aware of PTR and PR procedures and expectations at the university and have the opportunity to have their questions answered by the administration.

9:00am – 11:00am | PTR Forum (Tenure Track)

1:00pm – 2:30pm | PR Forum (CIRE Faculty)

Welcome to CAHNR

Jessica Goldman, Educational Program Assistant, Middlesex County Extension

Updates from the Business Office

What’s January’s favorite workout? Snowga.

There’s more fun in this month’s edition of the CAHNR Business Office newsletter. Each month, the team in CAHNR’s Business Office will update the CAHNR community on deadlines, policies, procedures, staffing changes, and all kinds of other useful information. Visit the CAHNR Business Office site for more.