Hello Colorado State University students, faculty, and staff,

Welcome to the start of a semester like no other. It’s usually the most hopeful (and busy) time of year as we greet students, prepare course content, and generally gear up to deliver on our mission of improving the health of animals, people and the planet. The pandemic has helped remind us how connected we all are. Deep connections will sustain us as we work through these global challenges right here in Fort Collins.

Many of us have been on campus all along, working in labs, clinics, offices, and classrooms on essential research, teaching, and service. Others have shifted to home offices set up on dining room tables or in basements, connecting with colleagues in a never-ending stream of video meetings. Some faced the painful reality of suspending their work in the early days of the pandemic. I know it’s been hard, both professionally and personally. And we are still facing so many unknowns, but we will face them – in our masks, of course – and we will prevail.