More than 130 students, accompanied by their families, joined staff, faculty, and donors for the annual Scholars Celebration held by UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR). The event celebrated student achievement, acknowledged the generosity of scholarship donors, and affirmed the College’s commitment to community and student success.
Thanks to strong philanthropic support, CAHNR awarded over $1 million in academic scholarships across majors, enabling hundreds of students to engage more fully in their academic and professional journeys while easing the financial burden on families.
Associate Dean of Academic Programs Kristen Govoni opened the celebration by welcoming the students, their families, and donor supporters.
Following the welcome, CAHNR Interim Dean Kumar Venkitanarayanan expressed deep gratitude to alumni, donors, faculty, and family partners whose support makes transformative educational opportunities possible. He also shared words of celebration with the student award recipients.
“This moment is a milestone in your academic journey, but it’s also a reflection of something bigger: your dedication to learning and your desire to make a difference. And I have no doubt you will carry those qualities forward into whatever comes next.”
Also speaking was Amy Gorin, vice provost for health sciences and interdisciplinary initiatives, who highlighted the hands-on learning ecosystem at CAHNR.
“These scholarships represent far more than financial assistance. They open doors. They allow students to pursue research, fieldwork, and hands-on learning across critical areas — from health and food systems to the environment, agriculture, and animal science,” Gorin says.
Former interim dean and professor of animal science, Cameron Faustman, shared why he and his wife decided to support students through the Cameron and Carol Faustman Food Science Scholarship: address financial challenges, affirmational messaging, and food science.
“High-achieving students often under-appreciate their potential. They have a focus on the here-and-now of learning and earning good grades without taking a step back to look forward toward options that increase substantially with high achievement,” said Faustman.
Beyond those reasons, there was one more Faustman couldn’t ignore.
“I have an absolute love for the institution of higher education and all that it can facilitate for those who seek and take advantage of its opportunities. It coincides with the passage from youth to adulthood, where lifelong friends are made and intellectual independence is fostered.”
The celebration also recognized a student recipient, Savanah Battles, who spoke about the impact CAHNR scholarships have on a student’s academic success and opportunity.
“Thanks to scholarships like these, I’ve been able to focus on my education instead of being consumed about how I’d afford tuition or textbooks, which I think we can all admit is stressful […] This allowed me to work toward a career where I can make a real impact on how we feed the world.”
The annual celebration reaffirms CAHNR’s role in the UConn land-grant mission: advancing education, driving scientific innovation, and engaging communities across Connecticut through outreach and extension.
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