From the Dean's Perspective

November 15, 2013

Paul Winistorfer and Bob Mollenhauer — The college experienced record gift income under Bob Mollenhauer (right), who has moved on after serving five years as director of development. According to Dean Paul Winistorfer (left), Bob helped open a window of donor opportunity into the lives of the college, faculty, and students.

The college is doing well by all measures as we settle into another academic year. We finished the fiscal year ending June 30 with record high three-year research expenditures and record gift income for the college. We started the fall semester with a record undergraduate enrollment of nearly 750 students. And we’ve added several new faculty members to our ranks in the past few months. Perhaps routine for us, a new academic year brings a world of new experiences and opportunities to our students. With each passing fall I am reminded that it is about our students, their future, and their stewardship of our natural resources and the environment.

Our cover story on the Conservation Management Institute’s work in the Amazon Basin and a story on study abroad in Nepal reveal just how small the world is today. We are all more connected than ever before, and modern travel puts us just 24-36 hours travel time from almost anywhere on the planet. Our faculty and students are working worldwide, almost regularly. It is impressive how engaged they are in the global community.

The stories in this issue also help reinforce how the college continues to evolve into a comprehensive and modern education, research, and outreach endeavor. You will read about geospatial education, interdisciplinary teamwork, solving environmental and health issues in Africa, working on drug bioavailability, and field experiences for geography and meteorology majors, just to name a few. Our new packaging systems and design program, now enrolling over 50 students, is the recipient of significant new equipment donations from industry partners.

I want to personally thank Bob Mollenhauer, the college’s director of development, for his contributions to the college and our programs over the past five years.
Bob accepted a position at the Woods Hole Research Center on Cape Cod and began work there in October. Bob demonstrated vision, energy, enthusiasm, professionalism, a positive can-do attitude, and follow-through, and has helped open a window of donor opportunity into the lives of our college, faculty, and students. Every day, Bob embodied the traits that we’d like to impart to our students. Bob’s actions and the support of our many donors make a difference to us each and every day. So thank you Bob for all you did for us, and thank you donors for your generous contributions in support of our mission and our students.

Warm regards from our faculty, staff, and students.

Paul