Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

As we reach the end of another academic year, a new wave of graduates has transitioned from students to alumni. Their time at UConn may have come to an end, but this momentous occasion marks a new beginning for them on their personal and professional journeys. It also signifies the addition of another ring in the CAHNR tree, which is already strong thanks to support from our community of dedicated alumni, faculty, staff, and volunteers.

CAHNR is also experiencing a revitalization in our faculty and staff due to a wave of recent retirements. We thank those colleagues for their contributions over the years, and we seek to take advantage of the opportunity to explore how we can maximize new expertise in new hire searches. With hiring activity in every department, CAHNR will have welcomed over 60 new faculty members between the 2021-2023 school years. With these new colleagues come new ideas, new energy, and new strengths. We’re excited to welcome them to CAHNR and see the impact they will have on our College now and in the future.

Thank you all for your continued support of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture. I wish you a safe and healthy summer.

Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

At the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR), the new year and the new semester have started off with excitement, promise, and some snow. This productive “wintry mix” has energized us as we continue to advance our three mission areas: research, teaching, and extension outreach. It has also added to the inherent beauty of the Storrs campus, both figuratively and literally.

Beyond the wonders of winter in New England, we’ve got a lot to look forward to over the next few months. From the first-ever UConn Cannabis Symposium to time-honored traditions like seeing our students graduate at Commencement, I’m so excited for what this semester and this year hold for our College.

As a national leader in cannabis research, education, and extension outreach, CAHNR has organized an event that explores many aspects of this growing field. As laws and perspectives on cannabis change, we are responding to the need for scientific research and real-world job training to support industry and our students. Learn more about CAHNR’s expertise in cannabis research and register for the symposium on March 16-17, 2023.

The fourth annual UConn Gives campaign is near, and we’re so excited to see how the CAHNR community will show their pride. In all previous campaigns, projects led by our College have excelled in this 36-hour event, and I hope we’ll keep the tradition going in 2023. CAHNR is all about making a difference for the people we serve, and UConn Gives is a great opportunity to support these efforts. Let’s go “All Paws In” on March 8-9, 2023.

I hope that the CAHNR community will go “all paws in” on March 29 as well, when the College holds our annual Awards & Honors event. This celebration provides a moment to recognize the many faculty, staff, students, and alumni who make CAHNR such a special place. Please RSVP for the event by March 14, 2023. [link to be added when ready]

On behalf of all of us at CAHNR and the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture, thank you for your continued support of our mission and our students.

Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

Let me paint you a picture of UConn’s Storrs campus just a few short weeks into the semester. Buildings that had been quiet over the summer months are now alive with activity. Students who are just beginning their UConn journey, and others who are returning for their last fall semester, are exploring their interests and making connections that will last a lifetime. Needless to say, it’s an exciting time to be a Husky.

While the campus may have been quieter over the last several months, many CAHNR students took their educations “in the field.” Whether it was in the lab or working with the community, our students took advantage of their time off to expand their knowledge and make a difference. Please visit the My CAHNR Summer website if you would like to learn more about the internships and research projects some of our students worked on this summer.

The new academic year also gives us an opportunity to reflect on noteworthy accomplishments from the last fiscal year. The College experienced growth in all areas of our land grant mission to support our students, our community, and our world:

• $900,000 for student scholarships
• $37 million in external research funding, the highest ever for CAHNR and a 42% increase over the last five years
• 158,000 people reached through UConn Extension
• 32% undergrads identify as First Gen, underscoring our commitment to making a CAHNR education more accessible

Many of these activities rely on philanthropic support from the CAHNR community. Thank you to all of you for your incredible generosity and commitment to our College. None of this would be possible without you.

As we look to the future, we are thrilled with these accomplishments, and will continue to build on our momentum this year and beyond. Thank you, as always, for your support of the CAHNR mission to serve our communities through innovative research, transformational educational, and dedicated extension outreach.

Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

Recently, one turn of a tassel changed the lives of hundreds of students. On May 7 and 9, 2022, the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) held in-person commencements and celebrated the achievements of our undergraduate and graduate students. To say that these were momentous occasions would not be an exaggeration.

Commencement is one of my most treasured aspects of higher education. In addition to being a time-honored tradition, it reminds everyone – from students and faculty to families and alumni – of what CAHNR graduates are capable of. They hold the promise of a sustainable world, a healthy society, and a resilient environment. Their CAHNR education has prepared them to make an impact, no matter how big or small, for people and places around the world and right in our own backyard. During their UConn careers, they have faced adversity and moved mountains to complete their degrees during challenging times. There is no limit to their potential, now or in the future.

As they move forward on their post-UConn path, these talented graduates join the ranks of our alumni network – over 20,000 strong and growing – a community for which I am truly grateful. Thank you all for your continued support of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture.

I wish you all a safe and healthy summer. Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

Happy New Year! In my last message, I encouraged you to take a look back at all that the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources accomplished in 2021. Today’s message is also one of reflection and celebration.

In honor of Black History Month, we are telling the story of one of UConn’s most important alumni, Alan T. Busby. The first Black student and graduate of the Connecticut College of Agriculture, which would later become the University of Connecticut, Mr. Busby embodied the spirit of UConn and CAHNR. Please take a moment to hear his story.

The legacy of excellence exemplified by Mr. Busby lives on in CAHNR today. On March 10, we will celebrate student scholarship recipients and the generous donors who make these scholarships possible. These two groups are the heart and soul of our College. I am so thrilled to come together virtually to recognize the tremendous work of our students and the continued commitment from our community to keep education accessible for CAHNR families.

We’ll also come together March 31 to recognize many faculty, staff, students, and donors at our annual Awards & Honors event. While every member of the CAHNR community contributes to our mission, this event provides an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of a select few. Several new awards will be given this year, including Spirit of the Land Grant; Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion; and Excellent in Early Career Research.

While we come together for this event, the third annual UConn Gives campaign will also be wrapping up. I am proud to say that CAHNR has always excelled in this 36-hour event, and I hope 2022 will be no different. Participation and community support are the foundation of our College, so let’s show off our CAHNR pride during UConn Gives March 30-31, 2022.

On behalf of all of us at CAHNR and the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture, thank you for your continued support of our mission and our students.

Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

The fall season has brought much beauty to all of UConn’s campuses. As the autumn leaves continue to turn and the end of a busy semester approaches, we are reminded of all the achievements that our students, faculty, staff, and the University as a whole have experienced.

Despite all the challenges we have faced during the pandemic, our community continues to thrive in the three mission areas that make UConn a top public university: research, education, and extension outreach.

Remarkably, for the first time in UConn’s history, our researchers won over $300 million in external funding for research, service, and other sponsored program awards. Faculty from the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources contributed significantly to this total, winning $31.4 million in external funding last year. To continue to add to this growth, the College is also conducting many faculty searches across departments this year, with an impressive total of 20 new hires. Every department will have open positions to fill, and we are confident that we will attract phenomenal candidates who support our mission and our strategic focus areas.

UConn Extension and their programs in all 169 Connecticut towns continue to be the gold standard for connecting communities in our state with resources and research that improve quality of life. In 2020, UConn Extension reached over 100,000 people, including over 15,000 youth participants through programs like UConn 4-H and UConn’s Natural Resources Conservation Academy.

The return to primarily in-person classes this semester has allowed our students and faculty to come together and learn from one another again. Thanks to high rates of vaccination among students and faculty/staff, combined with a commitment to the UConn Promise, the fall semester was as close to normal as we could have hoped for. This is a testament to the UConn community’s collective ability to work together, practice patience and compassion, and focus on the common good above all.

These successes fill me with a great sense of appreciation and gratitude. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I would also like to express our sincere gratitude to our dedicated community of alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends who make our College the special place that it is.

On behalf of all of us at CAHNR and the Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture, we wish you health, happiness, and togetherness this Thanksgiving season.

Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

Dear Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that I reach out to inform you of the passing of Emeritus Professor Dr. Michael Darre.

Mike served the College and the Department of Animal Science for 37 years, teaching popular courses, overseeing the Little International Livestock Show, and working on collaborative research projects related to poultry production. In addition, he was heavily involved in 4-H programs in the state and provided invaluable information to local poultry farmers and enthusiasts across New England for many years.

Mike received numerous awards for his teaching and public service and was deeply committed to the student experience. He devoted many weekends and evenings to facilitating co-curricular activities. Mike also represented our College in many university-wide committees and was active in the University Senate, particularly with issues related to curriculum and General Education. For many years, he served as University Marshal for Commencement and was instrumental in this important celebration’s transformation to its current form.

You could always count on Mike for a well-timed joke, dedication to his students and colleagues, and commitment to CAHNR. He will be missed by the Department of Animal Science, the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, and many within the University of Connecticut.

Sincerely,
Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

It’s here again. The beginning of a new semester and all the promise it holds. This fall may look different for Husky Nation, but we will tackle it together with the enthusiastic and collaborative spirit that makes UConn such a special place.

Since my last message at the end of the spring semester, faculty and staff have continued to make extraordinary strides in their research, teaching, and extension efforts. They helped prepare US Olympic athletes to beat the heat at the Tokyo games, launched new trademarks for native plant cultivars, and worked to develop better feeding practices for crossbred calves. I encourage you to learn about the countless faculty accomplishments by subscribing to UConn Today for weekly updates.

Many of our students also had transformational summers working with the community or conducting innovative research in CAHNR labs. I am so proud of our College for providing students with experiential opportunities to grow, learn, and find their paths. Please visit the My CAHNR Summer website if you would like to learn more about the internships and research projects some of our students worked on this summer.

While our gaze is firmly on the horizon and what the new academic year holds, it’s also important to take a moment to recognize several noteworthy accomplishments from the last fiscal year. I’m so pleased to share that, with your help, the College enjoyed its most successful fundraising year in history. As you know, private support from alumni and friends like you makes it possible for the College to ensure that our programs, students, and researchers have the resources necessary to fulfill our mission. Thank you to the CAHNR community for your incredible generosity, especially during a time with so many physical, emotional, and financial challenges. We could not do it without you.

Despite unprecedented challenges in the last year, the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources has also moved forward in each of our mission areas in discovery, learning, and extension outreach, and has made substantial contributions to UConn’s key priorities:

• $700,000 for student scholarships
• $31.4 million in external research funding
• 100,465 people reached through UConn Extension
• Continued efforts to address structural racism

We are thrilled with these accomplishments, and plan to continue to build on our success in the coming months.

After a year that has tested us all in so many unforeseen ways, I look forward to the opportunity to come together in the future and thank you in person for your continued support of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture. Until that time, please know how much we value and appreciate your support.

Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

May 24, 2021

Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

Much has changed since my last message. While the COVID-19 pandemic still has an impact on our society, we have made great progress towards normalcy and togetherness. Thanks to scientific innovation in the form of vaccines and steady distribution across the country, soon we will all have the option to engage in activities that have been unavailable for the last year.

As we take this big step towards normality, I’m reminded of all of the ways the University of Connecticut and the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) responded to the challenge with creativity, compassion, and flexibility. While our approaches were necessarily altered, we never stopped working for the communities we serve. Transformational education, impactful research, and extension outreach – all of these core elements of our mission were maintained and, in many cases, strengthened during this crisis. Below are a few highlights of CAHNR’s achievements during this unprecedented time:

• We expanded academic programs, such as a new four-year baccalaureate program in Allied Health Sciences at the UConn-Waterbury campus, and an online Master’s degree in personalized nutrition. We also worked hard to keep CAHNR accessible and affordable for our students with scholarships totaling more than $690,000 for 330 students.

• Our faculty have continued to excel in research productivity. CAHNR labs opened with the state- and UConn-mandated safety protocols in place, and our researchers received $34.8 million in extramural grant funding in FY20. This represents an increase of more than 65% compared to FY19.

• In response to the pandemic, UConn Extension programming moved to virtual environments, and our educators continued to create materials that helped citizens in every town and city in the state. UConn Extension programs also addressed the food insecurity challenges caused by the pandemic by coordinating the donation of over 160,000 pounds of dairy products statewide.

• We have successfully completed a challenging academic year, which culminated with an in-person, socially distanced Commencement ceremony for recent undergraduate and graduate students. This welcome return of one of our most treasured academic traditions gave us the opportunity to personally celebrate the achievements of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture’s amazing graduates.

I am so proud of all that our faculty, students, and staff have accomplished during these remarkably challenging times, and I am optimistic that the fall semester will usher in an even greater return to regularity and connection.

As many of you have heard, there will be other transitions in the University’s future with President Katsouleas’ decision to return to the faculty this summer. During the transition, CAHNR will continue to work with the Office of the Provost and the Interim President Dr. Agwunobi to advance our goals of providing life transformation education to all CAHNR students, increasing research and innovation, and supporting local communities through extension outreach.

Thank you all for your continued support of the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources and Ratcliffe Hicks School of Agriculture. I wish you a safe and healthy summer.

Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director

Dear CAHNR Alumni and Friends,

I hope your new year has gotten off to a great start.

I am pleased to bring some of the highlights from CAHNR since my last communication to you. Our faculty, staff, and students successfully completed the fall semester. Despite many challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, completing the fall semester as initially planned was a no trivial feat. I am proud of the dedication, hard work, and determination of our faculty, staff, and students. The spring semester is well underway, and it looks very much like fall 2020 with reduced density in class rooms and offices. However, with the rollout of COVID vaccines, I hope that fall 2021 will bring much sense of normalcy for face to face teaching and interactions among faculty, staff, and students.

We have started implementing CAHNR strategic vision. Implementation teams are hard at work, developing a road map for each strategic priority. We have also initiated a Working Group on Structural Racism as part of the CAHNR’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The working group will explore opportunities to learn about the history of structural racism and share these learning opportunities with our colleagues throughout the college. This effort was spawned by a closer look at the Strategic Initiatives. The Working Group will consider how we can enhance the Strategic Initiatives by including or reflecting their findings.

On March 23-24, 2021, CAHNR will participate in UConn Gives, a 36-hour giving initiative that brings UConn Nation together to support the University we all love. I encourage you to participate in this event and spread the word to your fellow Huskies using #UConnGives. During the UConn Gives, you can maximize your gift’s impact through many opportunities for dollar-for-dollar matches and challenges. CAHNR’s commitment to providing life-transforming education to all of our students has remained constant during these uncertain times. I hope that you will support this commitment to excellence by participating in this event.

I hope you will enjoy reading some of the stories highlighting excellence in teaching, research, and extension in this issue of the newsletter. I always look forward to connecting with you and hearing your thoughts and ideas about how CAHNR can continue to bring excellence in our core mission areas of teaching, research, and extension outreach.

I wish you and your loved ones a new year filled with joy, peace, success, and hope.

Go Huskies.

Indrajeet Chaubey, Dean and Director