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 2023/2024 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 driving you towards in-demand careers, pointing you on a trajectory to solve some of the world’s most immediate and relevant challenges. We know you have come to AGNR to make a real difference, and we’re thrilled to be alongside you for that journey.
We will continue our commitment to establishing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture within our college. We have a college-wide plan for diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR), and a number of related student initiatives. Please visit this page to read our plan and see how you can get involved. A community with a vibrant climate of inclusiveness contributes to AGNR’s continued excellence. We look forward to your partnership and leadership in framing our college as a campus-wide leader in this space.
I want to mention just a few events coming up this fall that we hope you will plug into your calendar.
On October 24, we will host our 5th annual Cornerstone Event with a focus on Advancing Innovative, Profitable, and Sustainable Agricultural Production Systems, representing our fifth strategic initiative as we complete the Cornerstone cycle. This topic comes at a very opportune time given the recent effects of climate change and sea level rise, and important global conversations around food and nutritional security, safety, soil health and water quality. Headlining the event will be keynote speaker Randy Day, former CEO of Perdue Farms, Inc. Registration will open soon through AGNR’s website and we hope you will attend and participate.
Our Welcome Back Bash focused on our students will be held on September 6 from 4-6 pm in the courtyard adjacent to the Animal and Avian Sciences building.
Our annual AGNR tailgate for faculty, staff, and students on September 30 in the Animal and Avian Sciences building courtyard.
Our annual Pick and Treat event during UMD’s Family Weekend, October 17 - 19. Come pick a pumpkin and nosh on some delicious fall treats.
As you look to the future, know that our alums are working in an incredibly diverse array of fields and industries including food and product safety, agriculture education, human and animal health, environmental policy, environmental horticulture, bioenergy, landscape architecture, and many more. I am confident that the future holds great things for each of you, and take pride in knowing that our college will be the springboard for your success.
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
