The weather outside is frightful, but we do have places to be. Hopefully, our students are safely back in College Park and ready for the semester, in addition to being ready for spring. I left town on Saturday morning with plans to return Tuesday night. We will see how that goes.
I am in Chicago for a leadership training. We were given homework, which included thinking about what keeps us up at night. In general, I sleep very well. I don’t sleep long – 5 hours is typically enough, but it is a deep sleep. However, I worry about our faculty, staff, and students feeling safe. We can’t control what’s going on in much of the world or even area, but we can do everything possible to ensure people feel safe in AGNR. Ideas to make improvements are welcome. There’s always room to improve.
I worry about climate resiliency, too, and in no way interpret this storm as an indication that climate change isn’t our reality. Members across AGNR (researchers and Extension personnel) spent many months assembling recommendations to pave a path towards a resilient agriculture in Maryland. These same scientists and trusted community academics are best positioned to conduct the research that addresses gaps and ensures actionable science results that are implemented across the state. Science for the sake of science does not produce impacts and long-term change.
I suspect some of my fellow participants lose sleep over budgetary concerns. While challenging, we have some control in this space. We can use the situation to make changes we haven’t wanted to make and try things we haven’t dared try before. While new resources are not expected, we have tremendous talent and assets that could be repurposed to position us for a stronger future. It takes some courage and vision. AGNR is loaded with both! As a result, I sleep well.
Stay warm and stay safe! Spring break is just around the corner!