Message from the Dean

I have been reflecting this year on our brand in CSBS "Connections that Matter." To me it nicely captures the various connections we have in the college among scholars in research teams, with our graduate and undergraduates in the classroom, our community partners, and our alumni and friends of the college. I have become convinced that it is these connections that are central to our mission as social scientists as we study how individuals connect with others, their environment, and the societies in which individuals live.

As we as social scientists seek to understand some of the most pressing challenges that we face in the 21st Century (climate change, poverty, water crises, political instability, obesity, mental health and well-being), strengthening these connections will allow us to conduct high quality research that can inform policy and be translated into implementable programs in the community. The connections among our fields of study can be utilized to train our students in an interdisciplinary approach to social science.

As you'll see within this annual report, we have spent time this year strengthening these connections, with some exciting results! In the fall nearly one-half of our faculty members participated in a research mixer that uncovered numerous research connections that will be the basis for new research grant proposals. Out of this research mixer, we developed and received funding for two proposals for a new Transformative Excellence Program funded by VP Watkins', which will provide new faculty lines within CSBS in two areas: 1) Exploring how the family can be used as a vehicle for the promotion of health behaviors and dealing with chronic illnesses and 2) How water resources and climate extremes affect society. These proposals represent a partnership with nearly every college on campus and will greatly expand interdisciplinary opportunities for research and training in these areas. We also strengthened our connections between students and alumni through initiating a CSBS Mentor's lunch connecting our alumni with students to facilitate students' potential for future work in their area of study.

We look forward to an exciting year ahead as we strengthen the connections among students, faculty, community partners, and alumni. Through these connections we strive to enrich the meaningful experiences of our large undergraduate student body (CSBS graduated nearly 25% of all degrees at the U in 2014) through Hinckley Internships and other field experiences, University Research Opportunity Program awards (we doubled our undergraduates' participation this year), and the kinds of connections that happen both in and outside of the classroom. We are exploring building plans for OSH that can facilitate greater connections in the college through informal meeting places, a café, and collaborative research spaces.

I want to close by offering my gratitude to our faculty, students, and staff for their dedication and commitment that makes these connections a reality. You'll see in this annual report evidence of excellence in research, teaching, community partnerships, and mentoring that foster connections within our university and across our nation and world. I would like to express my gratitude to all of you who contribute in important ways to help support CSBS students, at a time when the costs of higher education make such an opportunity challenging for many of our students. Finally, I want to close by thanking those in the Dean's office this year for their assistance as Associate Dean Richard Forster and I learned the ropes in the dean's office: Emily Bennett, Cindy Brown, Dennis Bryant, Scott Enroughty, Demian Hanks, Rick Haskell, Adele Imanbekova, Jude Mikal, Rick Pike, Dan Poole, Gina Shipley, Aleta Tew, and the new members of our team Bobbi Davis, Mary Herndon, Rob Hunsaker, and Cathleen Zick.

We look forward to an exciting year ahead!

Cynthia Berg
CSBS Dean