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Happy New Year!
I hope this letter finds you well rested with batteries fully charged and ready to take on a new year. Our winter break was longer than usual. We had final exams and the December Commencement a week earlier and we are returning to classes for the spring semester a week later. There will be no excuses accepted for not hitting the ground running! This time of year is a great time to take inventory, reflect on the past year and make plans and set goals for the new year.
Let’s take a moment to reflect on last year. We are blessed with excellent faculty members who excel in the classroom, conduct meaningful research and provide service to society. We have been fortunate to add to our faculty numbers and transition some positions from instructors to tenure-track. Our student enrollment and semester credit hours generated continued to rise to all-time highs. The majority of our students come from Texas, but more students chose to come to our College from out-of-state than any time in history. Many of our students are first- generation and we attract a more diverse student body than ever before. Our graduates are well-prepared through classes, experiential learning opportunities and internships. Our graduates are sought by industry and highly successful in gaining acceptance to and performance in graduate and professional schools. We should take pride in attracting good students to walk in our doors and producing a great product walking across the stage at Commencement.
Our student organizations, clubs and teams have performed well on the regional and national stage with several awards, including national and world championships. Thank you to the leaders for the time spent working with these student groups. Our students respond to challenges and continuously set new standards of success. Our students in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences are in leadership positions in student government including the student body President, Vice President
and much of the executive committee.
Our alumni, friends and supporters have continued to be generous in supporting our students, faculty and facilities. We received a Land Legacy gift to enhance our research and teaching mission in the agronomic and water efficiency area. We have received additional professorships and scholarship endowments and a gift to support and establish a new program in Companion Animal Studies. The delivery of new furniture for the Natural Sciences Building will allow us to start off the year in style. 2022 was a great year for the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences! We have much for which to be thankful as we build on the blessings we have already received.
We appreciate the support and leadership we receive from the University’s President, Provost and cabinet. We anticipate success and legislative support from the state of Texas and continued support from alumni, friends and foundations that share our goal of excellence. During 2023, we expect to raise funds to remodel research laboratories, expand animal teaching and research facilities, and monies to design a new greenhouse complex that will be a model to the world on providing accessibility to all students and researchers.
I remain truly grateful for the opportunity to serve as the Dean of the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences and remain thankful for the vision and support of Paul Engler and the Engler Foundation. The positive attitude, strong work ethic and can-do spirit continue to be an integral part of the fabric that makes people of the Panhandle strong and makes members of the WTAMU community resilient as we strive for excellence.
Keep informed of the activities and successes of the college by reading the Buff Brief, available each Monday at 6:00 AM. Don’t forget to attend the Spring Back-To-School Palooza on January 24th from 5:00 to 8:00 in the Piehl-Schaeffer Pavilion. There will be plenty of food, fun and fellowship!
Looking forward to a wonderful, prosperous and fruitful 2023.
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