With classes recently starting again and students just settling in, this short week always seems a bit too close to the winter break. I took advantage of the holiday to get caught up on a number of things, and I appreciate the week of events to celebrate the life and accomplishments of Martin Luther King Jr.
The work week started with a special Board of Natural Resources meeting to welcome the new Commissioner of Public Lands (CPL). After travel challenges the past two months, I participated in this special meeting by Zoom. It lacked the emotion and theatrics of more recent meetings, though the public clearly has high expectations of the new CPL. Time will tell.
The week winds down with a daylong review of the endowed chairs who work to support the grain industry. This is always a good meeting, as it is fun to hear about the faculty’s accomplishments and their plans for the upcoming year while also engaging with a few members of the industry. Next month is the research review, another opportunity to hear from these faculty and others, including our USDA Agricultural Research Service scientist partners, about their research findings and next steps. I recall it was snowy on last year’s endowed chair review day. I suspect those traveling from across eastern Washington appreciate the dry roads this week brings.
The storm is just around the corner. While my schedule feels a bit light now, I know it is a matter of weeks before annual review season blows in with a tight schedule and much reading to be done. In the meantime, I continue to work on my apple consumption resolution, though I don’t foresee achieving an average weekly consumption of five apples like some of you. I hope all of your New Year’s resolutions are going well.