Exemplary service with ROTC

May 12, 2023

Last week, I was honored to attend the ROTC Joint Services Pass in Review. This tradition highlights the excellence of cadets and midshipmen in our Army, Air Force and Naval ROTC programs. Service members and veterans from across the state were also present, including from the St. Louis Navy League, the Marine Corps League, Air Force and several honorees from the MU Army ROTC Hall of Fame.

Many ROTC cadets and midshipmen go on to positions of leadership, such as Navy Capt. Jack Punches. He was a 1973 Mizzou civil engineering graduate who was commissioned from MU’s Navy ROTC program. After a highly decorated career, Capt. Punches retired in 2000 before returning several months later as a senior civilian employee. He was killed in the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Capt. Punches’ graduation from Mizzou. I was proud to honor him previously during our Patriot Day Memorial and again at Pass in Review. A tribute to Capt. Punches is located on the first floor of Crowder Hall.

ROTC prepares cadets and midshipmen for incredible lives of service. It was a privilege to celebrate their skill and accomplishments.

— Mun

Applauding alumni excellence at the Golden Quill Awards

May 9, 2023

We recently honored four influential Tigers with the Jefferson Club Golden Quill Alumni Excellence Award. Recipients are nominated by the Mizzou community and selected by the Jefferson Club Board of Trustees for their outstanding achievements and commitment to the university’s values.

This year’s winners are:

• Robert K. Dixon – senior advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy and co-founder and lead author of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize

• Natasha Kaiser-Brown – world-class runner and associate head coach for the Mizzou track and field team

• Jonathan B. Murray – television and documentary producer and co-founder of reality television company Bunim/Murray Productions

• David C. Novak – co-founder and CEO of David Novak Leadership and co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands, Inc.

Along with an award, their names are now displayed on the Notable Alumni Wall in Jesse Hall alongside a host of MizzouMade Tigers, including Emmy Award-winning journalist Jim Lehrer, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Sheryl Crow, former Jamba Juice and Ocean Spray CEO James White, Panda Restaurant Group co-founders Peggy and Andrew Cherng, and so many others.

Each recipient sets high standards for us and provides a proven example of excellence to the next generation. They show the power of a Mizzou education to inspire change and discover new possibilities. Congratulations to all the winners.

— Mun

Honoring our incredible faculty

May 4, 2023

Yesterday we celebrated the 2023 William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence, the highest teaching award given on our campus. Each year, Mizzou and Commerce Bank team up to honor MU faculty members who have a deep commitment to student success. This is the 33rd class of fellows since the awards were established in 1991 by the William T. Kemper Foundation.

During the ceremony, the five new fellows were celebrated by their families, school and college colleagues and past Kemper recipients. Before they received their golden apple award, each was introduced by a former student who shared the direct impact that faculty member had on them.

The Kemper Awards Ceremony marked the conclusion of our annual Faculty Excellence Week. This year, the celebration grew to include seven events recognizing a variety of faculty accomplishments, including book publications, prestigious awards and, of course, teaching excellence. 

Each faculty member makes valuable contributions to our state and world. It was great coming together to celebrate all they do.

— Mun

The outsized impact of CEHD

May 2, 2023

Throughout the academic year, I visited with each of our 13 schools and colleges. On my final stop, I met with faculty and staff from the College of Education & Human Development (CEHD) to recognize their many accomplishments.

CEHD is home to more than 1,000 undergraduates, including future teachers who complete hands-on training in classrooms across the state. The college’s commitment to student success is paying off. Their graduation rate is an impressive 81%, and 99.5% of CEHD students have a positive career outcome within six months of finishing their degree.

CEHD also has an outsized contribution to our research. Their faculty received $107 million in research awards from 2019 to 2022. This translates to innovative programs that make a difference in our state. The National Science Foundation supported two recent CEHD projects to provide STEM research opportunities to students with disabilities and to implement a green energy curriculum in rural Missouri schools. Three world-class MizzouForward researchers have also joined CEHD, expanding the college’s impact even further.

Faculty want to join the college because of its excellent reputation. Our students know that CEHD prepares them to lead and launch careers in high-demand fields that make a difference.

— Mun

Inspiring young leaders with Missouri FFA

April 27, 2023

Last week, we hosted around 9,000 Missouri FFA members, parents and guests for their annual convention. The inaugural convention was held on Mizzou’s campus in 1929. What started with a few hundred members in Waters Hall now fills the Hearnes Center and brings in participants from around the state.

FFA members are current high school students studying agriculture and natural resources. They also engage in leadership development throughout the year. During the convention, members had the chance to expand on these skills through Career Development Events facilitated by CAFNR faculty. Since FFA members have a range of career interests, we also offered tours of our Sinclair School of Nursing, College of Engineering and College of Veterinary Medicine.

Both Missouri FFA and Mizzou share a mission to serve and educate the next generation of state leaders. We enjoyed hosting the convention and building on our historic partnership.

— Mun

A day of discovery with NSF Director Panchanathan

April 25, 2023

On Monday, we launched the President’s Distinguished Lecture Series with Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, the 15th director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), as the inaugural speaker. University of Missouri Board of Curators Chair Michael Williams, Vice Chair Robin Wenneker, chancellors from UM System universities and many elected officials joined a packed house in Monsanto Auditorium.

During his energetic presentation, Dr. Panchanathan shared his vision for partnerships that support opportunity across the nation. He specifically cited Mizzou research excellence, including NSF-funded work by Curators’ Distinguished Professor Ron Mittler and Associate Professor David G. Mendoza-Cózatl. Their study of how plants respond to iron deficiencies has the potential to improve human nutrition. As the event concluded, we presented Dr. Panchanathan with a personalized Mizzou Football jersey.

NSF is the only government agency charged with advancing all fields of scientific discovery, technological innovation and STEM education. Throughout the day, Dr. Panchanathan had the opportunity to tour Mizzou and meet with faculty, staff and students, who shared some of their discoveries.

It was the perfect way to kick off the President’s Distinguished Lecture Series, which brings leaders to campus to discuss grand challenges and how MU is positioned to make a difference. I want to thank Dr. Panchanathan for visiting our community.

— Mun

A friend to all: remembering Harlan

April 21, 2023

A large crowd — including many dogs — gathered in Peace Park to dedicate a white bench in memory of Harlan, the beloved Great Pyrenees who passed away in February.

I was joined by Harlan’s owners, Cris and Linda Wood, as well as outgoing Missouri Students Association President Josiah Mendoza and Vice President Molly Miller.

I met Harlan when I first arrived at MU and always enjoyed his friendly greetings. It was moving to hear the joy he brought to so many others. After Harlan died, students wanted something iconic to remember him on campus. This tribute invites all walking by to recall his warmth and kindness.

I want to thank Josiah, Molly and MSA for making this tribute possible, as well as Cris and Linda for sharing Harlan with our community.

— Mun

Building futures with the Trulaske College of Business

April 20, 2023

On a warm spring day, I stopped by the Trulaske College of Business to thank faculty and staff for their work supporting our students and the university.

The college’s numbers are on a good trajectory, with more than 4,400 undergraduates enrolled in fall 2022. Their results are even more impressive when you consider widespread declines in university attendance across the nation. Mizzou is bucking the trend of declining enrollment because we prepare students for great careers and have the graduation rate (75%) and job placement rate (95.4%) to prove our value.

We’ll continue working with leadership to nominate nationally-recognized prospective College of Business faculty for MizzouForward. We’re spreading the word that MizzouForward provides startup costs, salaries and fringe benefits while also investing in projects that support student success.

Whether students want to lead a major company – or start their own – Trulaske is the perfect place to launch an incredible future.

— Mun

CAFNR prepares students for success

April 12, 2023

MU’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) excels at helping students graduate and launch great careers. The statistics are impressive. For graduates from the 2022 academic year, 98% reported career success within 6 months – and 68% of them are employed in Missouri.

I met with more than 120 faculty and staff to applaud their work and see how we can further improve. I also helped congratulate nine CAFNR staff and a faculty member who received awards for their dedication to student advising.

CAFNR has shown solid growth in undergraduate enrollment. It’s up to us to continue that momentum and share the value of our university – and a Mizzou education.

Agriculture is Missouri’s number one economic driver, and CAFNR is dedicated to training the next generation of industry leaders. I’m proud of their accomplishments.

— Mun

Student-researchers at the Missouri Capitol

April 10, 2023

Last week, we hosted our annual Undergraduate Research Day at the Missouri State Capitol. Elected officials mingled with nearly 50 student-researchers from across the UM System, including 11 from Mizzou, who shared their groundbreaking work. I also encouraged researchers to connect with their peers from other UM System universities.

One accomplished pair of MU presenters was Aravind Kalathil and Noura Alhachami. Both research at MU’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment and are focused on improving the understanding and treatment of autism. Their work is partially funded by the Department of Defense.

Aravind has been researching since his freshman year, and will attend graduate school next semester. Noura’s brother is autistic, and their family initially moved to Columbia to be closer to the Thompson Center. Noura said the move has benefited her family, and she is also able to explore her interest in research. She plans to pursue a PhD in clinical psychology.

This event shows the immense talent of our students, who are already creating the next generation of breakthroughs for Missouri.

— Mun