Dear Students,
On behalf of our faculty and staff in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (AGNR), I want to officially welcome you to the 2024/2025 academic year! For those of you returning we are thrilled to have you back on campus, and to our new students, we can’t wait to meet you at one of our upcoming events.
Here in AGNR, we are passionate about guiding you towards in-demand careers, pointing you on a trajectory to solve some of the world’s most immediate and relevant challenges. Helping achieve clean water, food for all and combating the effects of climate change are hallmarks of AGNR. You have come here to make a real difference and be part of the solution. We know you will confidently excel and turn your passion into action.
This is my final year as dean of the college, and I've been so privileged to be along for the ride as you experience all that UMD and AGNR has to offer. You’ve been part of groundbreaking research, helped Maryland thrive through community focused projects and outreach, and studied under some of the brightest faculty minds in the world. We’ve elevated the educational experience and enhanced our reputation as a premiere institution where students and faculty are solving the grand challenges of our time, and this is largely due to the enthusiasm and passion of our student body.
I want to mention just a few events coming up this fall that we hope you will plug into your calendar.
On October 29 from 5- 7 pm, we will host one of our signature MomentUMD Live events featuring Lisa Munoz, founder and president of SciComm Services, science content strategist and author of Women in Science Now. This is a Q&A style event with heavy audience participation.
Our Welcome Back Bash focused on our students will be held on September 19 from 4 - 6 pm in the courtyard adjacent to the Animal and Avian Sciences building.
Our annual AGNR tailgate for faculty, staff, and students will be on September 21 in the Animal and Avian Sciences building courtyard.
Our annual Pick and Treat event will be on October 24. Come pick a pumpkin and nosh on some delicious fall treats, also in the Animal and Avian Sciences courtyard.
As you look to the future, know that AGNR offers a total placement rate of 95% with our alums working in an incredibly diverse array of fields and industries including food and product safety, environmental planning, horticulture, forestry, veterinary, agriculture education, disease prevention, environmental policy, bioenergy, landscape architecture, and many more. These are careers that will make a profound difference in the future of our planet, and you will be on the front lines of this important work.
We are delighted you have chosen our college for your academic home. We look forward to working with you to develop an educational experience that fully prepares you for an exciting and impactful future in your field.
Please introduce yourself whenever you see me, as I would very much like to meet each of you and learn more about your interests and your future goals.
Have a wonderful upcoming academic year, and go Fearlessly Forward!
Warmly,
Craig Beyrouty
Dean and Director
