I taught a B400 section in both fall and spring, and while different from the usual classroom experience, it was a small dose of something resembling normality to walk into our Morrison Hall classroom twice a week and be able to be in the same space with the students.

Our graduating class this year exceeded 150, with many students receiving Phi Beta Kappa honors, and moving on to graduate and professional programs as well as entering the workforce. Unfortunately, our program graduation event was required to be remote, but a number of our students were able to attend the in-person commencement ceremony at Memorial Stadium. This year we had our first student graduate with honors from the HUBI program. It may seem odd that in over the past 13 years no one has accomplished this, but the interdisciplinary nature of our degree presents a challenge in formulating an original research project that integrates science with a social and cultural perspectives. So congratulations to Melanie Forbes whose honors thesis was titled “The effects of oxidative stress on RNA editing with insight into the relationship between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease”.

On a personal note, this year has been different than previous years as now both my daughters are away at college. Empty-nesting turned out to be quite pleasant, but it has been a nice adjustment to welcome them both home for the summer. We are now looking forward to a family vacation close to Zion National Park in July - it’s going to be hot!

I would like to end by thanking our faculty, staff, and students for their hard work and patience this year. I would also like to express thanks to those alumni who are working in healthcare for your dedication during what must have been a very difficult year. It is my hope and expectation that we can look forward to the next year with excitement and optimism.

Stay well and keep in touch