Go Big Red! I am excited to call Nebraska home. Since joining the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) on January 1, I've had the opportunity to log thousands of miles touring the great state of Nebraska. I have enjoyed meeting many wonderful individuals and seeing all that Nebraska has to offer. The blue sky in Nebraska is simply amazing, and the Sandhills are breathtakingly beautiful. Pictures really don't do Nebraska justice, until you can see and experience it firsthand.

Prior to coming to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, I was a professor of plant pathology and vice provost at Ohio State. I also had the honor of serving in the military for 20 years. While I may be a plant pathologist by training, I'm really a student of all subjects.

My natural curiosity spurs my love of the land-grant system. Our land-grant mission is exciting because we have the opportunity to put discoveries and intellectual capacity to use on major challenges facing society. It's our responsibility to not only think about local challenges, but also what's facing our region, nation and globe. We must think globally and act locally.

The real fun of working in academics is bringing a team together to drive a mission forward. Working with producers, companies, government officials and other stakeholders is critical to IANR's success.

This spring, we had the opportunity to create a gentle collision of minds and purposes at a science summit. It was a wonderful opportunity for integrated collaboration amongst our faculty members and was a great lead-in to a much larger event we have planned for this coming fall where we hope to bring together our faculty, staff, students, alumni, organizations and industries.

We also hope to see many of you at the Burr/ Fedde and Friends reunion this June. We are elated to open the new East Campus Residence Hall this fall and can't wait for you to see it. The reunion will be a time of much reminiscing and celebrating how campus has evolved to better serve our students.

I want to close with a special shout-out to Steve Waller, Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, as he transitions from his current leadership role. When I was applying for this position, Steve reached out early on to tell me that the excitement on campus is real. It only takes a person a few seconds of visiting with him to realize why that excitement exists. We owe Steve our thanks and appreciation for the countless lives he has positively impacted during his years at the university.

Nebraska is a great living, learning laboratory and I can't wait to see it all! Given our location in the center of the country, we are perfectly positioned to be a global leader in higher education. We have outstanding students, talented faculty and staff, and amazing supporters.

I'm truly honored to serve as your Vice Chancellor and Vice President. My wife Connie and I look forward to seeing you down the road soon!

Michael J. Boehm, Ph.D.
Vice President, Agriculture and Natural Resources
University of Nebraska

IANR Harlan Vice Chancellor,
University of Nebraska–Lincoln