Monthly Newsletter-December | College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources

Dear Colleagues,

I have to admit something - December, the end of the semester, and the close of 2024 have snuck up on me. This time of year always feels like a marathon with a sprint finish—final exams, projects, year-end deadlines, and, of course, all the good work that goes into supporting our students and one another along the way. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle, and we all grow accustomed to the ebbs and flows of the academic calendar. I hope you’ll take a moment to reflect on the many successes the College has accomplished together. Our faculty, staff, and partners have shown up with grace, humor, and a resilience that’s hard to match. Thank you for bringing your best, even on the days that call for a bit more coffee and maybe a second wind. Let’s finish this semester strong and look forward to the opportunities that await in the new year.

As always, thanks for all you do.

Best,

Indrajeet Chaubey
Dean and Director

Established by the CAHNR Staff Advisory Council (SAC), the Hallmark Husky program offers a method to acknowledge staff achievements with the broader college community. This recognition celebrates staff for exceptional efforts, whether through consistently high performance or exceeding expectations, celebrating excellence independent of performance evaluations. There is one recognition per month through the academic year; activities during completed June-May of the academic year are eligible. Activities conducted during the summer months will be considered in the Fall.

Learn more at the CAHNR Faculty & Staff Resource page.

Amanda Masztal, HR/Payroll Leadin the CAHNR Business Office, has been awarded the Hallmark Husky in recognition of her exceptional work on the UCPEA Progressions Project, where she successfully coordinated with multiple supervisors to support over eighty progressions. She streamlined complex HR materials, making them more accessible and helping supervisors create clear and timely frameworks for career progression. Amanda's adaptability was key in navigating updates to previous submissions due to changes in competency frameworks. Beyond this project, Amanda is a valued team player and consistently demonstrates an unwavering dedication and collaboration to CAHNR.

Congratulations, Amanda! Thank you for your hard work!

Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory

The CVMDL and the UConn Office of Emergency Management conducted a successful in-person “Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Among Lactating Cattle in New England Tabletop Exercise" that brought together multiple stakeholders (Department of Agriculture, USDA, DPH, University Communications, State Veterinarian, ACS, Extension, etc.). This was a great team effort put together by Mary Rose Duberek from the Office of Emergency Management, Holly McGinnis and Zeinab Helal from the CVMDL, as well as Guillermo Risatti and William Shea.