The two-day visit opened Thursday evening with a preview of the Undergraduate Research Festival, where students presented original research projects to board members during a reception and dinner at the Life Sciences Complex.

Board Chair Lisa Courtice '84 opened the formal program, which included remarks from Provost Lois Agnew and a State of the College update from Dean Behzad Mortazavi. Together, those presentations gave board members an inside look at College and University plans and priorities.

A highlight of the meeting was a hands-on exercise in which board members discussed A&S' values and vision, and the most effective way to be ambassadors of the ASP and College.

Faculty engagement ran throughout the two days. Board members were seated alongside faculty champions during lunch, organized around the ASP's key strategic pillars, creating space for candid conversation about emerging initiatives and opportunities for deeper board involvement. An afternoon session offered a deep dive into the College's proposed interprofessional clinics model, highlighting cross-disciplinary efforts to prepare students for careers in health while expanding community-based care.

The meeting concluded with "A&S in Action: The Problems We're Built to Solve," a showcase of faculty and student work addressing complex challenges across the College's pillars — from justice-impacted communities and environmental sustainability to neurological therapies and the physics of living systems.