Greetings for the new year 2026, everyone! It is my great pleasure to welcome students, faculty, and staff back to our campuses and centers as we begin another remarkable year of learning, discovery, and impact across CAHNRS.
As we commence our spring semester, I am filled with a profound sense of optimism and hope. Optimism is the belief that good things are ahead, and that our future is brighter than our past. Optimism fuels our motivation, strengthens our well-being, and propels our success. It allows us to see possibilities where others see obstacles and to move forward with confidence and purpose. Hope is even more important—it’s the belief that a better future is possible, and that we have the power to create it. It inspires us to act, to innovate, and to shape the world we want to see. As we embark on this new journey together, may our optimism lift us, and may our hope guide us. I look forward to all that we will achieve—together—in 2026.
We also begin this year with several exciting opportunities ahead. These are made possible by the Cashup Davis Family Endowed Deanship, a $5 million endowment that supports excellence in our college. In the coming weeks, we will issue a call for nominations for the inaugural Cashup Davis Dean’s Fellows. These awards are designed to recognize excellence and empower faculty across CAHNRS who are engaged in or are undertaking high-impact projects that embody the spirit of Cashup Davis, advance our mission, and deepen collaboration with the dean’s leadership team. The Cashup Davis endowment will also open new doors for our students by supporting them in experience-building competitions, professional development activities, and hands-on-learning opportunities that prepare them to lead, innovate, and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
We are a university because of our students, and it is because of them we exist, grow, and strive for excellence. I am grateful for the work of our academic advisors who ensure that our students feel supported, valued, and well cared for. This past week, I met with CAHNRS academic advisors alongside team members from Student Success & Academic Programs. In many ways our advisors are the face of our institution. They are the first and most consistent point of connection for our students. They build trust, develop meaningful, close rapport with students, guide them through their academic journeys, and often help them deal with unexpected challenges that life brings. Their work is an important reminder that student well-being is everybody’s responsibility and not just the job of academic advisors. Every interaction, moment of support, and act of care contributes to a student’s sense of belonging and success. I encourage each of us to prioritize student well-being in our daily activities.
I recently had a wonderful time interacting with incredibly talented faculty in the Institute of Biological Chemistry (IBC). During a January 8 tour of their facilities, I learned about IBC research investigating vitamin synthesis in plants and efforts to enhance nutritional quality in crops, as well as cross-disciplinary work enhancing the storage capabilities of plants for high-value products. Imagine how this technology could improve production of useful crops and compounds for humanity! One particularly exciting development is the planned cross-disciplinary USDA-funded high-throughput phenotyping facility, which will use track-mounted mobile cameras to capture detailed images of plants from above. This cutting-edge capability will allow us to understand plant behavior faster and more precisely. During my visit, faculty expressed their gratitude for the institute’s excellent support-staff, whose expertise and dedication are catalysts to their success.
We are starting “Coffee Beans with Deans” this month as an informal drop-in opportunity for CAHNRS faculty and staff to connect, share ideas, and engage in conversation with the college’s leadership. Whether you would like to discuss specific topics or simply enjoy casual conversation over coffee, we welcome your participation. You should have received an email for the first session, which is 8 a.m. Tuesday, January 20, in Hulbert 409. Over coffee, I look forward to seeing new faces and learning more about you and your activities in our college.
Kudos Corner
Welcome to Zack Seekford, a new assistant professor in the Department of Animal Sciences who joined CAHNRS on January 2. Another new hire, Bryan Mader, joined us December 1 as a new assistant professor and public health nutrition specialist with the Extension Youth and Families Program Unit. Welcome also to Sieg Snapp, who will join CAHNRS as the new associate dean for research on April 1. Sieg, a WSU alumna, returns to the university from her position as global director of the Sustainable Agrifood Systems Program at CIMMYT, an international research organization.
Work on Christmas trees by Plant Pathology Emeritus Professor Gary Chastagner and School of Food Sciences Regents Professor Carolyn Ross was featured in the Spokesman-Review newspaper over the holidays. They are part of a multi-institutional team deploying a $7.5 million USDA-NIFA grant to develop improved holiday trees for growers and consumers.
Congratulations to Matt Booth, program coordinator with the WSU Extension Energy Program and nominee for the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance’s Leadership in Energy Efficiency Award for Innovative Collaboration. Booth helped coordinate and manage a high-performance, high-capacity heat pump project in collaboration with the Bonneville Power Administration.
Until next time, Go Cougs!
Sincerely,
Raj