Last night, I had the privilege to help celebrate two individuals whose advocacy has made an impact on higher education in Missouri and the university we all love. We honored U.S. Senator Roy Blunt and Mary Anne McCollum (a former Columbia mayor and two-time Mizzou graduate) as the recipients of the 2020 Henry S. Geyer Award — right here in the Jesse Hall rotunda.

Both recipients have dedicated their lives to public service, and they have been essential partners in MU’s journey to serve citizens throughout our state.

Senator Blunt’s leadership has directly resulted in the dramatic increase in NIH funding for biomedical research and for Pell grants, and he remains a staunch advocate of some our university’s top priorities including NextGen Precision Health. Mary McCollum is a thoughtful, committed and innovative leader who supports so much of the critical work of our faculty and staff, as well as the education of our students. Through her service on alumni leadership groups, she continues to advance the university’s priorities and growth.

Please join me in congratulating both of our 2020 Geyer Award recipients on this much deserved honor.

— Mun