We all know how great our faculty and staff are. They make outstanding efforts in the lab, classroom and community. Again this year, the sheer numbers of awards and other forms of recognition are truly impressive and reflect that exceptional level of commitment so prevalent throughout the College. Congratulations to all and keep up the excellent work!
American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow
American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows
American Ornithological Society Brina Kessel Award
American Society of Plant Biologists Fellow
Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography Sustaining Fellow
Charles Albert Shull Award
Ecological Society of America Fellows
Helmholtz International Fellow Award
Valery Forbes, Dean, College of Biological Sciences and Professor, Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
Royal Society of London Fellow
Sloan Research Fellow
Stanley L. Miller Early Career Award
Strategic Leader Award from the National Society of Genetic Counselors
Whitman Center Early Career Fellow
Distinguished McKnight University Professor
Michael Travisano, Professor, Plant and Microbial Biology
Horace T. Morse - UMAA Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education
David Matthes, Professor, Biology Teaching and Learning
McKnight Land Grant Professor
Ran Blekhman, Assistant Professor, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, and Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
University of Minnesota Outstanding Community Service Award
Jim Krueger, Building and Grounds Supervisor, Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
John and Abigail Wardle Chairs in Microbial Ecology
John S. Anderson Leadership Award
Stanley Dagley-Samuel Kirkwood Undergraduate Education Award
Jan Norrander, Assistant Professor, Genetics, Cell Biology and Development
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards
Commencement is something I look forward to each year. It’s wonderful to celebrate the achievements of our graduating class. Our students are impressive as scholars and as people. It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, but commencement marks a beginning as well. That sense of possibility and promise come through when you talk to our graduating seniors as they nervously prepare, and it comes through in the student spotlight we show at commencement each year highlighting the voices of a handful of soon-to-be-alumni. You can preview this year’s video here.
A while back, everyone should have received an announcement about the new CBS intranet. I encourage you all to take a few minutes to explore the site. It’s a great resource that will make your life easier. The intranet is designed to bring together frequently requested resources in a single, easy to access place online. You will find information about policies, commonly used forms, administrative contacts and much more.
In April, we held our first alumni reception for alumni based in New York City. We had a great turnout, and I got to meet and talk with alums doing really interesting work in business, medicine, research and other fields. You can read a brief Q&A with one of those alums — Beau Miller, a 2014 biochemistry and genetics, cell biology and development grad who works in investment banking. We often talk about the sense of community within the College, but connecting with alums farther afield and seeing their desire to connect with each other reaffirmed the sense that CBS is truly special.