A message from Dean DeWalt sent to the CBS community on January 17, 2024. 

Colleagues,

I hope you had a chance to recharge over the winter break. As we embark on a new semester, I  look forward to continuing to meet with members of this community and hearing about the work you do, what you find most energizing and how we can make CBS even better. I have learned so much already and look forward to learning more over spring semester. 

Inclusive Excellence Symposium
The Inclusive Excellence Symposium is coming up January 24. It’s an opportunity to hear about best practices relating to research and scholarship on diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM education. You’ll also have a chance to engage with 2023 Inclusive Excellence Fellows  during a poster session. I encourage you to attend if you are able, please RSVP here.

Employee Engagement Survey results
Thank you again to all who took the time to complete the Employee Engagement Survey last fall. Results will be available in late January. The results provide a jumping off point for conversations at every level about what is working and where there’s room for improvement. I am committed to personally reviewing the survey results and reading every comment, then working with my leadership team to identify next steps.

Connecting with alumni
Earlier this month we welcomed Lyndsay Stevens, our new alumni relations and annual giving manager, to the advancement team. As a college, we work hard to create a sense of community. I believe it’s important that those bonds remain strong after graduation and that the college continues to engage and support our alumni. Over the coming months, Lyndsay will be getting to know the college so please don’t hesitate to reach out to her about all-things alumni!

Have an excellent spring semester!

Best regards,

Saara DeWalt
Dean, College of Biological Sciences