<div dir="ltr"><div><span id="m_-5590591310680311829gmail-docs-internal-guid-0b3e12fc-7fff-1e26-9c26-37d3552d42b9"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Dear Campus Community,</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It is with deep sadness that I share the passing of Professor Jodie Holt of the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Jodie passed away on April 27. She was a distinguished scholar, dedicated educator, visionary leader, and cherished colleague whose decades of service left a lasting mark on UC Riverside and far beyond.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Professor Holt joined the UC Riverside faculty in 1982 and devoted more than three decades to teaching, research, and service. An internationally respected plant scientist, her work advanced the understanding of weed ecology, invasive species, plant physiology, and sustainable management practices that support agriculture and protect natural ecosystems. She was widely regarded as a leader in her field and mentored generations of students and scholars.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Jodie also served as Chair of the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, followed by a term as Divisional Dean of Agriculture and Natural Resources in CNAS. Following her retirement in 2015, Jodie returned to campus leadership as director of the UCR Botanic Gardens, where her vision helped strengthen the gardens as a place of beauty, education, research, and community engagement.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">CNAS Dean Peter Atkinson shared the following reflection:</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt;margin-left:30pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I had the distinct pleasure of working with Jodie for several years. I saw firsthand her bold vision for the UCR Botanic Gardens and her unwavering commitment to bringing that vision to life. She understood that the Gardens could serve as a place of beauty, education, research, and community engagement. The Botanic Gardens today remain one of the most visible and enduring expressions of her legacy.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Jodie will be remembered not only for her many professional accomplishments, but also for her warmth, generosity, and deep love of the natural world.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A fuller tribute to Professor Holt’s life and legacy is available </span><a href="https://cnas.ucr.edu/news/2026/05/01/memoriam-remembering-jodie-holt-scholar-educator-and-campus-leader" target="_blank" style="text-decoration:none"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">here</span></a><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:12pt;margin-bottom:12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Please keep Jodie’s family, friends, students, and colleagues in your thoughts during this difficult time.</span></p></span><span id="m_-5590591310680311829gmail-docs-internal-guid-a58d48ec-7fff-77ef-f169-37b780ec80e8"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Sincerely,</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><br></span></div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial">Liz<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Elizabeth Watkins, PhD</span></b><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor</span></i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Professor of History</span></i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">University of California, Riverside<u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">951.827.1129 | <a href="mailto:Elizabeth.Watkins@UCR.edu" target="_blank">Elizabeth.Watkins@UCR.edu</a><u></u><u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0px 0px 12pt"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:rgb(31,73,125)"><img border="0" width="198" height="61" src="cid:image001.png@01DB719C.EFF85DB0" class="gmail-CToWUd" style="width: 2.0625in; height: 0.6354in;"></span></p></div></div></div></div>