eCALSconnect vol. 13-1, Fall 2006

Message from the Dean

Susan A. Henry
The Ronald P. Lynch
Dean of Agriculture
and Life Sciences

For the 138th time since Cornell University opened its doors in 1868, we are in the midst of welcoming a new crop of students to campus. Applications were higher than ever for this year’s freshman class, allowing us to be more selective than ever before in our offers of admission. This class is more diverse than our College enjoyed in earlier decades, but we have more work to do to fulfill our goal of achieving a fully representative balance. Still, I am delighted to say that the talents and accomplishments of our students, both new and returning, are exceptional, and we look forward to a wonderful year of teaching and mentoring.

This fall, we are also welcoming a number of outstanding new faculty members to the College. In January, we look forward to the arrival of several others. The expertise of these new assistant professors and other more senior faculty is broadly representative of our four priorities — including areas of horticulture, animal science, communications, computational biology, molecular genetics, agricultural education, economics, Latino studies, and food psychology and marketing. The level of creativity, leadership, and scholarship in this group is genuinely impressive.

Please join me in welcoming our new colleagues. Find out who they are and more about them in this issue of eCALSconnect.

Our faculty, students, staff, and alumni have a long history of extraordinary contributions to economic and social development, personal and corporate enterprise, our understanding of fundamental life processes, agricultural science, and environmental preservation and remediation. Our research, teaching, and outreach have bettered the lives of millions around the globe. Our vision for this year’s newcomers, as for those who are already established here, is that all will join in addressing the many serious challenges that still face the world.

With 4,680 campus subscribers, this quarterly newsletter offers a useful medium for us to communicate among ourselves and strengthen our diverse and remarkable community. I encourage you to communicate often with the editors at calsconnect@cornell.edu and participate in making this e-publication as relevant as possible to your information needs.

I’d like to close with the comments I shared with the freshman class on August 18 when I welcomed them and their parents to campus: Whatever your interests, you will find so many opportunities to make a difference here at CALS. Take full advantage of the resources that are available to you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Try new things.

My best wishes to each of you for a productive and satisfying year.

Susan A. Henry
The Ronald P. Lynch Dean of Agriculture and Life Sciences

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