Page 2 - Impact - Winter 2021

A NOTE FROM
DEAN BUHR
Greetings to you from CFANS — I hope 2021 finds you well. In the midst of these challenging times, I want you to know that I’m grateful for your support today and always. Our students and
instructors are now into spring semester and continue to learn, teach, explore and thrive in a combination of distance, hybrid and in-person classes. Their creativity, perseverance and success, despite trying times, fills me with optimism as the class of 2021 approaches graduation.
In this issue of Impact, we highlight the legacy of the University’s most famous alumnus, Norman Borlaug, with stories that illustrate what his work means for us today and in the future. In December 2020, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of his receiving the Nobel Peace prize for his landmark research that launched the Green Revolution and saved billions of lives.
I believe Borlaug would be proud of how CFANS has steadfastly built upon his work, and in particular our emphasis on protecting
and preserving our environment if gains are to be sustainable. His passion for ending hunger and poverty through scientific advances in agriculture runs deep within our College.
We know that feeding the world while protecting the environment is a tall order. No entity can do it alone. To create a better tomorrow, we must take a cross-disciplinary approach that involves public and private institutions, governments, NGOs and food banks locally
and globally.
We must also take an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to science, creating solutions for Minnesota and the world. At CFANS, our approaches are diverse, reflecting the complexities of food insecurity. With the goal of teaching tomorrow’s leaders, we put our students first and involve them in hands-on work that prepares them to solve the world’s grand challenges with ingenuity and compassion.
I hope you enjoy these stories and encourage you to find more information online at cfans.umn.edu. Thank you and take care.
Sincerely,
Brian Buhr
Dean, College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
Thanks to the max!
Because of your support on Give to the Max Day last November, we received nearly $60,000 for various funds across CFANS.
In addition, the CFANS Student Emergency Fund now has more than $16,000 to provide CFANS students with financial support when they need it most. Your generosity is an inspiration and a testament to your deep commitment to students.
ON THE COVER:
A STATUE OF NORMAN BORLAUG, LOCATED ON THE ELDON SIEHL PLAZA,
IS A ST. PAUL CAMPUS HIGHLIGHT. DEDICATED IN 2016, THE STATUE FACES EAST, TOWARD INDIA, BANGLADESH AND PAKISTAN, WHERE BORLAUG’S WORK IMPACTED SO MANY PEOPLE. IT ALSO FACES BORLAUG HALL, HOME OF THE CFANS AGRONOMY AND PLANT GENETICS, PLANT PATHOLOGY, AND SOIL, WATER AND CLIMATE DEPARTMENTS.