Message from the Dean

In times of change, one thing will always sustain us: the larger-than-life WSU Cougar heart.

Courage, generosity, perseverance, humility, integrity, intensity, expertise, and service. These are some of the key traits that define what it means to be a Coug. They help us maintain our direction and power our forward progress.

These Cougar traits will also fuel the Drive to 25, our university-wide mission to be recognized as one of the nation’s top 25 public research universities, and these traits will also prepare us to welcome and embrace new leadership in the college.

The next Dean of CAHNRS is Dr. André- Denis Wright, an outstanding person with the perfect skill set to lead the next chapter in the evolution of our college. As for me, I look forward to returning to research and the classroom after five years of service as Dean of CAHNRS. It has been a great privilege to serve as Dean of this extraordinary college, and to be able to observe the outstanding accomplishments and successes of our faculty, staff, and students.

Contributions large and small, by individuals and organizations alike, provide substantial support for the success of CAHNRS Cougs, both in the classroom and in their futures after graduation. Cougs give in all manner of ways; they give of their time, their farms, their experience and perspectives, their skills and talents, and their dollars. In the pages of this issue of ReConnect, you’ll read about the hearts of many real Cougars. The generosity of our alumni, the perseverance of our students, the hard work of our staff, the commitment to excellence by our faculty, and the courage and heart of so many members of our CAHNRS family: these stories provide vivid reminders to all of us about why we do what we do.

Please join me in celebrating the tremendous gifts our fellow Cougs have shared, and the heart with which they have done so.