Dear Colleagues,
I am thrilled that Michael Drake will return to UC as its next President; he brings a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of higher education in addition to a strong track record of growing programs, supporting all aspects of the university community and advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Dr. Drake is very familiar with California and is excited to “come home” as he said yesterday.
As the former Chancellor of UC Irvine and Vice President of UC Health Affairs, and as a past board chairman for the Association of American Universities and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, Dr. Drake understands the importance of our land-grant university mission and is well-positioned to ensure its achievement. He knows the importance of Cooperative Extension outreach to communities from his tenures at The Ohio State University and UC Office of the President. During our meeting yesterday, I was very excited when he brought up the positive role that soil and agriculture can play in climate resiliency, the importance of food security and how UC research was essential to supporting those critical goals.
It's an exciting time for UC, with the first person of color at the helm. I look forward to showing him what UC ANR is doing and learning more about how Dr. Drake's vision and experience will shape the future of UC ANR. His achievements in widening access to higher education will undoubtedly help inform our efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in our organization as well as expand and enhance our program delivery.
I look forward to working with him to advance our mission and support our communities. I also look forward to receiving feedback and ideas from all of you during the next month as we refresh our strategic plan.
Every Tuesday in August, UC ANR leaders will be hosting two-hour online meetings to share draft 5-year goals and get your input into the ANR Strategic Plan 2020-2025 Refresh. Teams of goal owners will briefly overview challenges currently facing our organization and the draft goals designed to position UC ANR for a strong and sustainable future. We will use breakout groups for you to discuss the issues with colleagues and submit your ideas to inform the final ANR strategic plan.
All UC ANR staff and academics are invited to participate.
See below for specific dates for certain topics and respective draft goals – mark your calendar! More details and registration will follow.
Date and Time |
Topic |
8/4 10 am – 12 pm |
Increasing Program Resources |
8/11 1 pm – 3 pm |
Strengthening Partnerships |
8/18 10 am – 12 pm |
Fostering a Positive Work Environment |
8/25 1 pm – 3 pm |
Expanding Virtual Reach |
As always, thanks for all you do and stay safe out there!
Glenda Humiston
Vice President