More students are turning to the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences for their education, and we're not surprised.

The word is spreading about the hands-on opportunities this college offers, through undergraduate research, international experience, and leadership training.

Our annual Undergraduate Research Forum spring quarter highlighted 35 undergraduate research projects in animal and life sciences; nutrition; food and meat science; environmental and plant sciences; and social sciences.

As you'll see on page 3 of this issue, 134 CFAES students studied abroad in the last academic year, in 23 different countries. This opportunity is now open to freshmen through the CFAES Freshmen Experience in Mexico, giving first-year students experience with the Mexican culture, the global economy, and labor issues.

And you can hear directly from Renee Starkey on page 1. This 2009 graduate discusses her experiences as a CFAES Ambassador, just one of many leadership opportunities available to CFAES students.

All of these positives for the college are manifesting into an anticipated increase in incoming freshmen for autumn quarter 2009. We're seeing a 9 percent increase in the number of applicants admitted into our college and an impressive 20 percent increase in the number who have paid admittance fees. This is nearly double the university's paid admittance numbers.

We're seeing growth in majors across the field, but especially in the environmental sciences, animal sciences, and food sciences.

Again, we're not surprised. Many of the hottest issues facing society today have their solutions in our college. Clearly, our incoming students are a part of that solution.

Bobby D. Moser

Vice President for Agricultural Administration and

Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences