Message from Dean Carmie Garzione - December 2021

Dear students, colleagues, and friends,

As the fall semester draws to a close, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our College and University community for supporting efforts to keep the campus safe and accessible for students, staff, and faculty. Our resilience in the face of the challenges of Covid speaks to what we can accomplish and how we are adapting to ensure a bright future for the College of Science.

In this issue, we add a new element that celebrates leaders in the College of Science. Please see the featured Scientist Spotlight article on Cesar Medina, a Neuroscience Ph.D. candidate and outstanding member of our community. Cesar was nominated by his peers for his continued commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion, mentoring, and service within the college. Cesar shares an inspirational story of perseverance and determination, and I am grateful for all his efforts to advance the College of Science.

I am also excited to share with you the return of Astrocharlas on Tuesday, December 7, 2021. Astrocharlas is an Astronomy public talk series that is delivered in Spanish to our community. It is given once a semester and will be available to stream live on YouTube beginning at 6 p.m. With the immense success of the Astrocharlas series, I am proud to share the College of Science will pursue additional Spanish lectures offered by other departments beginning in 2022.

Please join me in extending my early congratulations to our Fall 2021 graduates. I look forward to seeing you and your families at the College of Science Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, December 18. As you are about to graduate, I encourage you to keep being students; never stop learning and continue to explore and to discover. With the many challenges and opportunities that face our global society, this is a critical time to pursue science, and we encourage you to seize this opportunity to continue to ask questions, to listen and learn from new people and new experiences, and to share your knowledge and understanding. 

I would like to wish all our students the best of luck with their final examinations and research projects. I hope you all have a happy, healthy, and relaxing holiday season. I look forward to seeing you all in the new year!

Carmie Garzione
Dean, College of Science