Warmest greetings from Athens, where there have been significant changes in the Graduate School since the last issue of this magazine was published. Most notably, Dean Suzanne Barbour has departed the Graduate School to assume the role of Dean at another institution. We deeply appreciate her excellent leadership and wish her success in her new role. In the interim, it is my distinct honor to serve as the Graduate School Dean. As a brief introduction, I have been a professor of plant pathology at UGA for the past 20 years, and since 2017, I have served as Associate Dean for the Graduate School. My familiarity with the Graduate School, combined with the professional and dedicated staff, have resulted in a seamless transition.

Another important change is the appointment of Jack Hu as UGA’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. He joins us from the University of Michigan, where he served as the vice president for research. The entire campus is buzzing with excitement as the Provost starts to lay out his vision, which, I am excited to say, prominently features the expansion of the research enterprise and graduate education.

Even with these changes, we are forging ahead with creating an environment of inclusive excellence in which graduate students can thrive. As usual, this issue of the magazine highlights several outstanding graduate students that contribute to the rich fabric of the UGA community. I hope that by reading these profiles you are inspired to support and promote graduate education at UGA. This is particularly timely, because nationally many graduate students are experiencing financial hardship as they pursue their advanced degrees. We are fortunate that UGA President Jere Morehead has graciously committed $200,000 over the next two years to support our Graduate Student Emergency Fund. This program provides up to $2,000 for students who are experiencing acute and unexpected financial emergencies. We hope to keep providing this and other resources to support our graduate students in the future.

Once again, I hope you enjoy reading about our wonderful graduate students. I am always inspired by their excellent scholarship and personal stories. I am confident that with these students as our next generation of leaders, our collective futures are bright.

With sincerest appreciation,

RON WALCOTT
INTERIM DEAN AND PROFESSOR OF PLANT PATHOLOGY