Dear CNAS Community,

Welcome to the 2021-2020 academic year! Whether you are new to the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences or you are returning to CNAS, starting the academic year in a virtual learning environment will be a new experience for all of us. I, for one, am thrilled to be on this journey with you. Each and every single one of us are trailblazers in our own right as there has never been a journey quite like the one we’re on now! As we continue to adapt to this ever changing world, rest assured that CNAS and UCR remain steadfast at providing the highest quality educational experience that we can offer.

• For the second consecutive year, UC Riverside ranked No. 1 in the country for social mobility in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings. UCR also rose up in the U.S. News & World Report charts in the overall rankings as well, now placing No. 34 among all public universities and No. 88 overall.

• CNAS surpassed its $100 million fundraising campaign goal which will advance faculty research, provide scholarships for students, and enhance programs throughout CNAS.

• Join me in welcoming 11 new faculty members representing the agricultural, life and physical sciences.

• The CNAS family also welcomes 1,775 first-year students, 406 transfer students, and 165 graduate students — overall, the number of new students increased over last year. 

• We celebrated more than 70 of our students’ summer research projects at the 2020 Research in Science and Engineering (RISE) Symposium.

• CNAS offers a variety of scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in the college. Applications for CNAS scholarships are being accepted now through October 31.  

We have so much to celebrate and be proud of at CNAS. The work we do across the college helps to strengthen UCR as an international leader in education and research. Our collaborative work contributes to advancing and solving some of the world’s most pressing issues. Despite the current challenges we face globally, our CNAS community remains resilient and continues to innovate -- characteristics that position each and every single one of us to succeed, even under the most difficult circumstances.

We are all in this journey together and resources are available to support your success:

CNAS Resources

• CNAS Undergraduate Academic Advising Center: cnasstudent.ucr.edu 

• CNAS Graduate Student Affairs Center: cnasgrad.ucr.edu 

• CNAS Faculty: cnas.ucr.edu/people/faculty/faculty-by-department 

• CNAS Departments: cnas.ucr.edu/academics/departments 

• CNAS Institutes and Centers: cnas.ucr.edu/academics/centers-institutes 

• CNAS Scholarships: cnas.ucr.edu/cnas-scholarships   

Campus Resources 

• UCR COVID-19: ehs.ucr.edu/coronavirus

• Campus Return: campusreturn.ucr.edu

• Ask UCR: ask.ucr.edu

• Keep Learning: keeplearning.ucr.edu

• Keep Teaching: (link no longer valid)

• Student Affairs: studentaffairs.ucr.edu

• Housing: housing.ucr.edu

• Student Health: studenthealth.ucr.edu

As we trailblaze through the new academic year, please reach out to any of the resources that are available to you — together we will succeed.  

Stay well, stay healthy, and the best of luck for a memorable and productive year!

Kathryn Uhrich
Dean, College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences