From the Dean...

What a year it has been!

Our College is measurably better this year than last: enrollments are up, grant activity has increased, the entering students are the strongest we have ever seen, and our faculty are receiving the international recognition they deserve.

Since I joined Ohio State, I have been inspired by the outstanding faculty, humbled by the dedication of the staff, and delighted with the students. It's a great privilege to work everyday with these colleagues, and our College is measurably better this year than last: enrollments are up, grant activity has increased, the entering students are the strongest we have ever seen, and our faculty are receiving the international recognition they deserve.

We are especially pleased with the arrival of our newest Ohio Eminent Scholar and Professor of Biochemistry, Dr. Peng Wang. He brings expertise in glycobiochemistry (how sugars are used by organisms) that has wide-ranging applications. He and the two other Ohio Eminent Scholars in the College, Dr. Robert Tabita (Microbiology) and Dr. Stephen Osmani (Molecular Genetics) bring strong research profiles to the College that help us attract students, recruit faculty, and retain talented staff.

We have at last moved into the Aronoff building, the new home for three of our departments. We are embarked on major renovation projects in the Biological Sciences building and the Museum, and are planning for the complete renovation of Jennings Hall, formerly known as B&Z. As science research and education advances, so must our facilities!

The College of Biological Sciences has also cemented key alliances within the last year. The five Colleges of the Arts & Sciences are now formally federated, which will allow us to offer new programs to our students and new research opportunities for faculty. The Federation complements already-strong relationships with other science units on campus (notably in the College of Medicine and the College of Mathematics & Physical Sciences), and we are poised to take advantage of important interdisciplinary opportunities.

Our Alumni Society was again recognized for its outstanding work by the University Alumni Association. Our dedicated alums are involved in numerous service activities that benefit our College and the community, and I hope you will find them of interest as well. Please do check out the AlumNews on page 18 to see how you might become involved.

President Holbrook visited our College last spring, and she has since remarked to me more than once how impressed she was with the faculty and students we honored. I hope the stories in this issue of Synergy will impress you, too, and that you choose to remain connected with us. We value your friendship!