Letter from Acting BOLD Center Director, Amy Moreno

I’m writing this message with a lot of gratitude and enthusiasm for the opportunity to join the BOLD Center staff and student leaders in creating an engaging learning and working environment with you all. I’m so proud to be connected more directly with BOLD so that I can more deeply understand today’s goals, needs, and challenges for CEAS students to continuously transform the culture and enhance the sense of belonging in our college.

As a first-generation, woman of color pursuing a STEM degree as an undergraduate at Iowa State University, it was a group of professional staff and student peer mentors like the BOLD Center that enabled me to understand the campus culture, resources, and opportunities available to me, make friends in my classes and across campus, clarify my personal values and goals, and cheered me on as I navigated what felt like a whole new world. It was the graduation celebration with the Multicultural Vision Program that I still remember and cherish the most after earning a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. This group also inspired a vision for my future career as I continued to pursue a graduate degree in education and ongoing opportunities to engage with students, staff, faculty, and administrators in enhancing equity and inclusion.

Although we are all working hard these final weeks of the spring semester, I’m looking forward to connecting with many of you at upcoming BOLD events and celebrations. My hope is that BOLD is a space in which you feel a sense of belonging, care, and support to achieve your academic and professional goals. The BOLD Center student and professional staff are so dedicated and skilled that I am confident we will be able to enhance the development, community, and retention of our active BOLD students. We also want to be sure to incorporate your ideas and suggestions to continuously enhance our offerings. I encourage you to participate in the BOLD Community survey that will be sent to your inbox soon. As a team we will be spending our summer planning and welcoming our incoming class of BOLD students.

Beyond the opportunity to focus on inclusion, equity, and belonging within CEAS, I also have my own consulting company and have had the opportunity to connect with individuals and groups globally around diversity, equity, and inclusion. I absolutely love traveling and exploring new places. You can often find me on a trail hiking and/or camping in the back country during the summer months. I also love to learn, so last summer I completed a graduate certificate from our Engineering Management Program. I welcome you to stop by and share about your studies and please share any podcasts, articles, and/or new ideas that you have.

As we approach finals and graduation, please stay connected with our BOLD community. We are here to support you, offer resources, and celebrate all of your hard work and accomplishments. I want to say a very special and happy graduation to our BOLD graduates! I look forward to celebrating with you soon.

Take good care,

~Amy E. Moreno-Sherwood, M.Ed.