“Who wants to make a tackle? Who wants to make a play? Who wants to be a leader?” I can still hear my high school football coach yelling these questions at the 40 men who had their helmets off and were taking a knee during halftime. I can still smell the grass and the hot dogs, and I remember – no matter what the score was – how our coach was able to bring our team together with each halftime speech.

For most of us, standing at the edge of a precipice is downright scary. There’s no other way to put it. Peering over the edge of a cliff, right into the eye of uncertainty, is not at all comfortable, but Luvvie Ajayi is right, “comfort is overrated.”

Seven years ago, Marise Robbins-Forbes joined the College of ACES Office of Advancement. On December 21, she will retire and the impacts of her contributions to the college will continue for decades.

As one of the writers on the marketing and communications team for the College of ACES, I get to learn new things about science every single day and then use a bit of creativity to explain it to the public. I don’t just want my writing to make sense and be scientifically accurate, although those things are key; I also want to write in a way that captures readers’ attention and describes how they can use the information in their lives.

In early December, our office had the great honor of hosting the Director General of the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) Ruben G. Echeverría to present the 2018 ACES Distinguished International Lecture.

It was great to see so many students taking advantage of the opportunity to hear Dr. Echeverría speak about “Magical Realism…How to Achieve a Sustainable Food Future” because he was speaking directly to th em.

If you missed the lecture, it is now posted for viewing.