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

Bringing precision health to rural Missouri

April 6, 2023

MU School of Medicine’s Mobile Simulation unit provides training to doctors, nurses and first responders throughout Missouri to ensure high-quality care in every county. Their new two-room vehicle features realistic simulations of emergency situations, including infant and OB care, as well as life-size models to practice using a defibrillator and intubating patients. 

The program is part of the Russell D. and Mary B. Shelden Clinical Simulation Center and began more than 10 years ago in a 30-foot Winnebago. It has grown along with the need for highly trained medical professionals, especially in rural areas. 

In the coming months, the Mobile Simulation team will visit more than 15 communities, including Tarkio, Sikeston and Moberly. I want to thank Dena Higbee, executive director of simulation, and Kathleen Quinn, associate dean for rural health, for their work and service to Missouri citizens.

We are invested in the health and future of our state. Mobile simulation is one of many ways we make an impact.

— Mun

Greek Week Blood Drive

April 4, 2023

I was honored to be a VIP Donor for the 2023 Greek Week Blood Drive in MizzouRec. Since 1990, our fraternity and sorority community has collected nearly 80,000 total donations. On Monday they gathered 804 units, the highest one-day total in Greek Week history.

The event is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through April 5. To participate, you can sign up on the Red Cross’s website by entering the code MIZZOU.

The blood drive is one of many Greek Week activities that emphasize hands-on service, sportsmanship and teamwork. I want to thank Greek Week organizers and volunteers for hosting this lifesaving event.

— Mun

Serving Missouri with Extension

April 4, 2023

All 114 Missouri counties (and St. Louis) were represented at Extension’s MU for You conference. The high-energy gathering was the first since 2019.

More than 200 Extension council members and staff traveled to Columbia to share ideas, participate in workshops and tour MU’s campus. It was also a chance to listen and learn how we can better serve all Missourians. I was pleased to attend and congratulate Extension members receiving awards for decades of service.

Council members are locally elected and serve as a bridge between their communities and MU. They work every day to maximize Extension’s impact throughout the state.

We are a land-grant university with a focus on teaching, research and service that makes a difference. Extension is central to how we fulfill that mission.

I am grateful for their important work.

— Mun

Maize researchers win career achievement awards

March 28, 2023

Two faculty members were recently honored for their groundbreaking careers researching maize (corn), one of Missouri’s leading crops.

Kathleen Newton, professor emerita of biological sciences, received the R. Emerson Lifetime Maize Genetics Award. David Braun, professor of biological sciences and plant sciences, received the L. Stadler Mid-Career Maize Genetics Award. Both were recognized by the Maize Genetics Cooperation.

Prof. Emerita Newton is the third member of MU’s world-renowned Interdisciplinary Plant Group to receive the lifetime achievement award. Mizzou is the only university with multiple recipients.

Prof. Braun’s award is named after Lewis J. Stadler, who held a joint appointment at MU and the USDA for more than 30 years. Stadler co-discovered that X-rays cause mutations, a tool now commonly used in plant research. Prof. Braun continues that tradition of excellence as director of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group and the Missouri Maize Center.

We are leaders in ag research and stewards of a legacy that continues to deliver for all Missourians.

— Mun

Curator Wenneker honored with Lieutenant Governor’s Women of Achievement Award

March 22, 2023

University of Missouri Board of Curators Vice Chair Robin Wenneker was recently named as a recipient of the 2023 Lieutenant Governor’s Women of Achievement Award. The award recognizes the accomplishments of 10 Missouri women in conjunction with Women’s History Month.

Curator Wenneker was appointed to the Board of Curators in 2020 representing District 4, including Columbia. She’s a Mizzou alum and incredible supporter of our research, learning and outreach mission.

The recipients were announced by Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and will be honored during a ceremony on March 23 at the Missouri Capitol. Congratulations to Curator Wenneker!

— Mun

Preparing communities at the Earthquake Summit

March 22, 2023

Running from southern Illinois, across the Missouri Bootheel and into northern Arkansas ­– the area surrounding the New Madrid Fault is one of the most active seismic zones in the country.

Last week, I joined several Missouri elected officials and representatives from state and federal agencies for the annual Earthquake Summit. Hosted at our Fisher Delta Research, Extension, and Education Center in Portageville, I shared the work of researchers systemwide to understand and prepare for earthquakes in Missouri and across the region.

A great example of our impact is fellow presenter Brian Houston, an MU communications professor and director of the Disaster and Community Crisis Center. Prof. Houston studies community awareness about that fault’s risk and its impact on earthquake insurance.

Also attending were Eric Sandvol, MU professor of geological sciences and chair of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission, as well as Conne Burnham, an emergency management coordinator with Extension. Conne is leading a collaborative USDA grant to train Extension staff to respond in an emergency.

As Missouri’s land-grant university, we have a duty to stand with our state. I appreciated this opportunity to highlight research that supports communities now and for years to come.

— Mun

Meeting our E-Week Royalty

March 21, 2023

Mizzou Engineers’ Week (also known as E-Week) dates back to 1903. One of the week’s oldest traditions is to name two students as E-Week King and Queen. Last Friday, I stopped by the college’s awards banquet to congratulate the ten members of the 2023 Royal Court, and all faculty, staff, alumni and students who were honored during the ceremony.

Court candidates received a proclamation from Gov. Mike Parson recognizing E-Week and the accomplishments of all Mizzou engineers. At the St. Patrick’s Ball on Saturday night, students officially crowned Trenton Foster and Kyarra Gorham as King and Queen.

The College of Engineering is a leading innovator for our state and world. E-Week ­­­– and its many traditions ­– celebrates that legacy and the lasting impact of our community.

— Mun

Study Abroad offers global perspectives

March 15, 2023

One out of every five Mizzou undergraduates studies abroad. For the 2022-23 academic year and summer term, around 1,100 Tigers will venture to more than 40 countries across the globe. Managing this complex operation is the well-traveled Mizzou Study Abroad team.

Miguel Ayllon, executive director of international partnerships and study abroad, shared a tour of their recently updated space in Memorial Union. He also introduced me to many of the eleven full-time staff members.

Mizzou Study Abroad matches students with programs that fit their goals. In alignment with the U.S. Department of State, they also provide 24/7 health, safety and security assistance to program participants. Their office is full of flags and artwork showing the connection between our university and those in the U.K., Kyrgyzstan, Belgium, South Korea and South Africa, among many others.

Study Abroad prepares students for a global workforce and helps share Mizzou with the world.

— Mun