Dean Maya Tolstoy welcomes the College community back to campus, and shares some of the exciting work we have ahead of us this year.

Dear College of the Environment Community, Like many of you, I am struggling to comprehend and respond to the racially charged events of the past weeks. The brutal and needless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery have sparked outrage and trauma in cities across America. These deaths highlight the patterns of violence and suffering that Black people have been and continue to be subjected to on a regular basis while shining a spotlight on persistent structural inequalities. 

I write this from my home office, where I have fashioned a standing desk from an ironing board and a stack of books. In the next room, I can hear my 17-year-old daughter trying to make sense of the virtual classroom environment that has been thrust upon her. It goes without saying that COVID-19 is testing all of us in different ways. 

Learn what Dean Graumlich shared at her annual address.