Dear CAES Family,

What a challenging year it has been! COVID recovery, product shortages and higher prices are just a few of the many challenges that growers, faculty and staff, students and our colleagues across the industry are facing this year. No wonder we are looking forward to the holidays and a new year!

But as usual, despite the challenges, the CAES found ways to grow and thrive in 2022. As we end the semester, I congratulate and thank all of you for everything that you have done to make this a successful year.

Here are some highlights to be proud of:

• We’re providing solutions like never before. This year, our externallly-funded research projects topped $34 million. That’s funding to provide millions of answers to the issues that citizens are facing every day, science-based solutions that will improve people’s lives.
• Search for us! We’re here. We’re improving our web pages for ReSearch magazine, our Cooperative Extension division and its impact magazine Solutions, and more, making them better available to web-based search engines. This makes information about our projects, programs and easier to find and more useful to you.
• Our footprint is getting bigger. Construction is underway at the University Farm dairy barn, adding space for our new robotic milker. We also have big plans for our Urban and Community Food Complex and other areas of our CAES complex.
• Our students are golden. Congratulations to animal science major Milosh McAdoo for his selection as a 2023 Farm Foundation Cultivator, and to sophomore Leila Noufal, who has been awarded the FFA American Degree, that organization’s highest student honor! Our students always make us proud, and we couldn’t be prouder of them.

As we reflect on our successes, we never lose sight of the fact that they are due to you, the CAES Family, who are so vital to what we do. Know that our family always includes our alumni, who make us so proud, and our sponsors and supporters, to whom we are most grateful. Please take some time during the holidays to reflect, relax, and enjoy the festivities that come with the season. You are all important family members; please take care of yourselves.

Have a happy and safe conclusion to 2022. We look forward to an exciting 2023!

In Aggie Pride,

Dean Mohamed Ahmedna