Dear Colleagues,

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Colorado meeting with several CAHNR alumni. While each conversation was unique, they all shared one common thread: a deep appreciation for the education they received at UConn and a genuine enthusiasm for the future of our College.

During my visit, I met with Sidway McKay ’85, a Physical Therapy alumnus in Boulder whose career began as an athletic trainer for field hockey at UConn and retired as a physical therapist and victim’s advocate. In Colorado Springs, I enjoyed reconnecting with John DeFrancesco ‘58, a Horticulture alumnus whose career spanned from military service to public relations to painting instructor and is passionate about CAHNR students who look to benefit society through horticulture.  I also had the pleasure of visiting with Bob Hough ‘84, an Animal Science alumnus, a nationally recognized expert in beef cattle genetics and management, with a distinguished career spanning academia, industry leadership, and production agriculture. He now spends his retirement writing historical nonfiction books on everything from the history of the horse industry in the United States to his latest title, “A Native American Story: the Art and Artists of the Early 1800s.”

What struck me most was not only the diversity of these alumni and their accomplishments, but also their continued connection to CAHNR. While they all graduated several decades ago, each expressed excitement about the direction of the College and a desire to help us succeed for the future. These conversations are an important reminder that CAHNR’s community extends far beyond Storrs. Our alumni remain some of our strongest ambassadors, and I look forward to continuing to strengthen these relationships in the months ahead.

Thank you for all you do for our College.

Kumar Venkitanarayanan
Dean and Director

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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.

When is it safe to dive into a pool? It deep ends.

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.

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