College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Alumni & Friends

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Alumni Board is dedicated to connecting nearly 60,000 CANR alumni around the globe with meaningful opportunities to engage with the college after they graduate.

The Alumni Board consists of volunteer members representing each college department, MSU Extension, young alumni and at-large members. They play a vital role in promoting college events, enhancing philanthropic opportunities, and supporting CANR students.

Elected in September 2023, Cassaundra (Cass) Edwards started her term as Alumni Board president last month. She is excited to expand the impact of the Alumni Board and use her position to inspire future leaders in agriculture and natural resources. Currently a supplier quality manager with Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA), a dairy company located in the Pacific Northwest, Edwards graduated in 1994 with a bachelor's degree in food engineering.

As she steps into this new leadership role on the board, Edwards shares her goals as president, her vision for strengthening connections among CANR alumni and her commitment to enhancing support for current CANR students.

As the new president of the CANR Alumni Board, what are you most excited about?

I am most excited about the opportunity to inspire the next generation of technical leaders in the industries for food, agriculture, pharmaceutical, medicine, sustainability and government. Also, leading the board provides me with a unique opportunity to bring more awareness to the phenomenal research happening in the college and its relevance to the various industries that our board members operate in daily.

As a leader in the CANR alumni community, what do you think makes this college so unique and special?

Without question, the diversity that the college inhabits makes it uniquely differentiated from many of the colleges across MSU. There is such a wide range of curricula and degree programs and the quality of research that targets the most challenging problems of the 21^st century and beyond. CANR is filled with dedicated individuals who are passionate about their students and advancing our strong research programs. This next generation of students will be well prepared for the challenges they will face as technical leaders.

How would you recommend our alumni who no longer live in Michigan remain engaged and involved with the college?

One of the ways that I’ve professionally stayed connected to the university was that I took MSU with me wherever I went after graduating in 1994. What that means is that I found ways to partner with the university to help me solve problems within the jobs that I’ve held throughout my career. My continued relationship with the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering (BAE) has enabled me to leverage cost-effective resources within the department through student-led projects. Organically, there has been meaningful student-alumni engagement, contributions back to the department that advances their goals and heightened student academic experiences. My recommendation for alumni is to find ways to partner with CANR and MSU that are mutually beneficial. Also, if you are in a position in your career to influence the talent pool in your organization, advocate for recruitment from CANR and represent your organization during recruitment activities such as career fairs.

What are some ways CANR Alumni Board support current students?

The Alumni Board supports scholarships for high academic achieving students and who are also exemplifying leadership characteristics within their degree programs. The board also contributes to the Whole Student Success Fund (WSSF) which was designed to help students with more critical needs during their college career. Students dealing with personal challenges around food security, paying rent, or even difficulties with paying for school tuition and books, can seek relief from the WSSF to remove some of those everyday life burdens. Life is stressful enough as a student, so board members want to remove those barriers to success allowing them to fully achieve their academic and personal development goals during their time at MSU.

Favorite memory as a student?

One of my favorite memories as an undergraduate at MSU was spending long hours in the engineering computer lab with my study partners trying to complete homework assignments or preparing for exams. We goofed off for much of that time and consumed way too many Mountain Dews to keep ourselves energized. It was one of the more challenging times in my academic career, but the friendships developed, and the many late-night talks and giggles were all worth it.

Learn more about the CANR Alumni Board here.