On Thursday, August 28, 2025, the Global Change Center (GCC) at Virginia Tech kicked off the new academic year with its annual Fall Welcome Reception at the Peggy Lee Hahn Horticulture Garden. Nearly 100 members of the GCC and Interfaces of Global Change (IGC) IGEP community came together to celebrate the start of the semester.

Collage with images of attendees mingling with one another.
Attendees enjoyed light refreshments and engaging conversation.

Gathered under the marquee on a beautiful late-summer afternoon, attendees enjoyed light refreshments and conversation while reconnecting with colleagues and meeting new members of the community. The event opened with remarks from Dr. Meryl Mims and Dr. Jennifer Russell, who shared exciting updates about ongoing initiatives and the year ahead.

Collage of images taken during Mims & Russell's talks.
GCC faculty affiliates Dr. Meryl Mims and Dr. Jennifer Russell welcomed attendees and shared important program updates.

This year’s welcome reception carried special significance as it marked the beginning of the GCC’s 10th academic year. Over the past decade, the center has grown into a vibrant hub for interdisciplinary collaboration, fostering research and education on the world’s most pressing global change challenges. This year’s milestone made the reception not only a kickoff to the semester, but also a chance to reflect on the growth and strength of the GCC community over the past ten years.

Fall Welcome Reception, August 2025

We’re grateful to everyone who joined us for this milestone gathering. Here’s to another year of advancing global change research, education, and outreach together!