All,
Welcome to 2022. I would like to thank you all for all the hard work in 2021. We are beginning this year back where we were at this time last year, teaching on-line and facing another surge in cases. To our co-workers that were unfortunate in 2021 to contract covid, I hope that all have recovered (or are recovering). We need to be alert and stick to the protocols that have proven to work in reducing cases as we begin the new year. Our plans in 2021 for more intensive research were set back with covid cases at Carman and building restrictions on campus. We worked hard and I hope we had a relatively successful 2021. We saw colleagues leave (thank you for all your dedication to the department) and there were new additions to Plant Science in 2021 and we will continue to experience arrivals and departures in 2022. We are anticipating the hiring of two new academics this year (Weeds Chair and a genomics academic). To the technicians, graduate students, support staff, post docs and research associates, thank you for all your hard work in keeping the department, academic programs and research programs functioning under stressful conditions. Your contributions have not gone unnoticed, and we are grateful for your expertise and dedication. We will be trying a new leadership model in 2022 with three acting Associate Heads: Academic (Rob Gulden); Field Research (Rob Duncan); and Controlled Environments (Belay Ayele). Please welcome them and assist them in their endeavours. I am hopeful that we will be able to get past the restrictions that covid-19 has placed upon our work and homelife environments in 2022. While 2021 allowed for greater interaction than in 2020, the omicron variant has demonstrated that vigilance is still required. Please be safe. Lastly, I would like to thank Dr. Claudio Stasolla for his leadership through the last year. Amongst the challenges of 2021, he led us through the priority planning for the department and I look forward to our continuing to both implement and revise the vision that our department has adopted. Change is inevitable and we need to continue to evolve as a department. All the best in 2022.
Douglas Cattani Acting Department Head, Assistant Professor, Perennial Crop Breeding Department of Plant Science, University of Manitoba (204) 474-6071 Doug.Cattani@umanitoba.camailto:Doug.Cattani@umanitoba.ca