Dean Gillaspy sent the following message to CALS faculty, staff and grad students on Jan. 20, 2026: 

In challenging times — or any time, for that matter — it’s important to take note of the good things that are happening, the bright sparks of optimism that can be missed when our attention gets diverted into our day-to-day demands. I want to start off our spring 2026 semester with a message of hope. At CALS, I see many examples of our excellence, and these indicate a promising and impactful future for our college. 

One light I see is the recent uptick in our undergraduate numbers. We’ve clearly strengthened our engagement of students, both by revamping some of our academic offerings and by telling the story of the college’s value in better ways. Now, we’ll be preparing even more undergrads to tackle society’s biggest challenges, and we’ll be preparing them in better ways. This can already be seen in two of our newest majors, Animal and Veterinary Biosciences and Global Health, where our faculty and staff are working hard to educate a growing cohort of motivated students. Others in the college are implementing or designing new courses and programs that will help us fully pursue our land-grant mission, which holds teaching at its core. I remind myself that we are gathering young minds, keen and hopeful and eager to change the world for the better, and this is an uplifting prospect.

Moving on to some encouraging developments in the realm of research. Nine newCALS faculty hired as part of UW’s Wisconsin RISE Initiative are now on campus, beginning their vital research, teaching, and outreach related to sustainability, health, and artificial intelligence. They join other new CALS RISE faculty who joined us last year, plus one more arriving next Fall. Resources are available to support this work. The Igniting Interdisciplinary Innovation (I3) initiative, led by UW’s Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, launched in November 2025. It provides seed funding and networking opportunities for forming cross-campus research partnerships that fall within or complement the RISE themes. In addition, although the federal funding landscape has changed, those agencies largely remain open to us, and the CALS Research Division will be communicating the agency’s newly stated priorities where possible. 

At UW, the Wisconsin Idea is always a source of illumination, one that kindles inspiring work, which CALS continues to carry into rural Wisconsin. We are uniquely poised to strengthen our engagement with rural communities in the coming years. Last June, our Wisconsin Rural Scholars program welcomed 26 rural high school students and seven of their teachers to give them a taste of college life at CALS and help them consider how higher education can fit into their future plans. The program will continue to connect with Wisconsin’s rural youth in 2026. It’s part of the Wisconsin Rural Partnerships Institute, where CALS is a campus leader and through which our faculty, staff, and students bring research and outreach to bear on rural issues. CALS-based projects are focused on statewide weather and soil monitoring, rural livability, and Indigenous food sovereignty. Of course, our ongoing partnership with Extension and its long history of impactful work in the state’s rural communities augments each of these efforts.

The last area I want to address is college workplace climate. We have the tools to create an environment where we can address important issues together. CALS has a strong collaborative research culture, and we can apply that same talent in problem-solving to find ways to strengthen our climate. Related efforts are already underway. For my part, I am committed to increased transparency. I will continue to hold the open office hours I began in the fall semester. We’ll also continue to host townhall-style discussions, as we did in fall with two sessions related to Act 15 and its potential impact on instructional workload. Also, to directly address graduate student climate and success, I have formed a committee, led by Sean Schoville, which will conduct a search for a new Associate Dean of Graduate Education. The associate dean will work with both graduate students and postdoctoral scientists to ensure their impacts and issues are recognized and addressed by the college. I am confident these conversations and efforts will help us work together to ensure CALS remains an excellent place to work.

So, with a healthy dose of optimism, I welcome you all to the spring 2026 semester. I look forward to working with you all!