Tigers, register to vote!

Oct. 5, 2022

It’s almost Election Day. Before heading to the polls on Nov. 8, you’ll need to make sure you’re registered to vote. The registration deadline for Missouri residents is next week, Wednesday, Oct. 12.

No matter where you’re from, there are helpful resources to make the process simple.

Boone County residents can register through the County Clerk’s office. Our own Hearnes Center will serve as a central polling location where any registered county residents can vote. Information for all Missouri voters can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

More details about how to be prepared for Election Day 2022 can be found on Show Me Mizzou.

Tigers support our local, state and national communities in so many ways – including by voting. It’s an essential part of our civic duty, so register today and make sure your voice is heard.

— Mun

Community college leaders visit NextGen

Oct. 4, 2022

At Mizzou, we’re thrilled to welcome students continuing their education from one of Missouri’s excellent community colleges.

Last week, 32 presidents and leaders from the Missouri Community College Association – along with MU administrators – toured the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building and discussed how we can better serve all our students.

This semester, 605 Missouri community college students transferred to Mizzou. On average, they received $3,137 of institutional aid per person. Programs such as Transfer Experience & Advising Mentors (TEAM) and Tiger Pathways continue to help transfer students find their place here.

A high-quality, innovative education should be in reach for all Missourians. Partnerships between Mizzou and community colleges help us grow our Tiger community and build our state’s future.

— Mun

Tailgating with Mizzou Wheelchair Basketball

Oct. 3, 2022

Tailgates aren’t just for Tiger football. Last Saturday before the Georgia game, I stopped by MizzouRec for a day of activities supporting our Mizzou Wheelchair Basketball team.

Head Coach Ron Lykins — the winningest coach in international wheelchair basketball history — and many of his players greeted fans and showed their skills on the court. Student volunteers from our Parks, Recreation and Sport program also helped out.

Curator Robin Wenneker and I joined nearly 400 other attendees who came to learn about the game and even try the sport.

This year’s Mizzou Wheelchair Basketball schedule will be announced soon. I hope Tiger fans fill historic Brewer Fieldhouse to cheer on another great Mizzou team.

— Mun

Inclusive excellence in action at the GOBCC

Sep. 29, 2022

The Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center (GOBCC) is more than just a facility for students to study, take classes and develop professional skills. It’s also a place to hang out and build a sense of community and belonging.

Recently, Maurice Gipson, John Middleton and I visited the GOBCC. We met with students and staff and took a tour led by AnDrea Jackson, senior student support specialist, and Khesha Duncan, assistant director of student support services. It was great to be back and hear updates on their important work.

In addition to outreach on campus, the GOBCC collaborates with city partners to make the Columbia community a more welcoming environment for people from all backgrounds.

The GOBCC is just one example of our commitment to inclusive excellence.

— Mun

MU School of Law marks 150 years

Sep. 27, 2022

Founded in 1872, Mizzou Law is nationally recognized for its academic excellence and commitment to service. We’re proud of its award-winning faculty, remarkable students and outstanding hands-on programs, such as the Center for the Study of Dispute Resolution and Veterans Clinic.

Last weekend, the Mizzou Law community past and present commemorated the school’s 150th anniversary.

By educating and preparing future lawyers and judges, our law school helps support the entire state. For example, five of the seven Missouri Supreme Court judges are Mizzou Law grads.

The School of Law is one of three sesquicentennials this year, including the School of Medicine and College of Engineering. We have a lot to celebrate!

— Mun

MU alumna and Pulitzer winner visits campus

Sep. 22, 2022

Dr. Marcia Chatelain, professor at Georgetown University and Mizzou alum, returned to campus on Tuesday to deliver the 2022 Lloyd B. Thomas Lecture: “History, Social Change, and What We Need Now.” Dr. Chatelain’s book Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in History.

During her visit, Dr. Chatelain met with students and faculty from across campus, including our Middleton Center Scholars. On Wednesday evening, we did an early presentation of the Faculty Alumni Award she is receiving this year for her personal accomplishments and service to higher education. She is one of 10 honorees receiving an award and is unable to attend the formal ceremony in November.

Intellectual pluralism – a commitment to respectful dialogue and viewpoint diversity – is central to Mizzou’s education, research and outreach mission. Dr. Chatelain’s visit is part of our ongoing responsibility to encourage these important conversations.

It was great welcoming Dr. Chatelain back to Columbia.

— Mun

ROTC volunteers clean up Memorial Stadium

Sep. 20, 2022

After the win, after Marching Mizzou plays the Alma Mater and after the fans leave Faurot Field, a different team gets to work.

Members of the Mizzou Air Force, Army and Naval ROTC programs volunteer to clean Memorial Stadium after each home game. Following our win against the Abilene Christian Wildcats on Saturday, Kirsten Robinson, Kylie Quinn and Lucas Iffrig were helping out.

ROTC began in 1917 at Mizzou with an infantry regiment. For more than a century, these cadets and midshipmen have shown their dedication to service. Thousands have gone on to successful careers as commissioned officers.

I can’t thank them enough for their continuing commitment to our university and our country.

— Mun

X-raying the origins of life

Sep. 14, 2022

Two Mizzou professors are doing fascinating work to understand the origins of life – from a worm.

Jim Schiffbauer, associate professor, and Tara Selly, assistant research professor, are using the Zeiss micro-CT in the X-Ray Microanalysis Core facility to analyze the oldest known gut from a worm that lived more than 550 million years ago.

I visited their lab in the Department of Geological Sciences along with College of Arts & Science Dean Cooper Drury, Associate Dean for Research Tim Glass and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs John Middleton.

In addition to their research, Profs. Schiffbauer and Selly educate and train students ranging from high schoolers to postdoctoral fellows.

I’m so proud of them and their work, which is a strong example of MizzouForward, our $1.5 billion long-term investment strategy to expand and sustain research excellence at MU.

— Mun

Mizzou hosts Patriot Day memorial with city

Sep. 12, 2022

Yesterday, I had the honor of joining our university and city community alongside new Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe to remember the nearly 3,000 who died on Sept. 11, 2001.

Among those lost was Navy Capt. Jack Punches, a 1973 Mizzou graduate with a degree in civil engineering. Capt. Punches was commissioned from our Naval ROTC program and went on to a decorated career. After retiring from the Navy, he served as a senior civilian employee in the Pentagon, where he was killed in the attack.

Representatives from the City of Columbia, first responders, ROTC and military members as well as MU Health Care personnel attended our community memorial and wreath-laying ceremony in the Jesse Hall Rotunda.

Together, we honored Capt. Punches and all those lost while also recognizing the many who continue to serve.

— Mun

Accelerating graduate student excellence

Sep. 8, 2022

This semester there are nearly 5,800 graduate students at Mizzou, representing all 50 states and more than 60 countries.

To support new, returning and prospective students, the Graduate School is expanding resources, including year-round fellowship application assistance and advising opportunities before key award deadlines (such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship due in October). There are also events for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows pursuing a Fulbright and other external funding programs.

In addition, we’re creating more ways to applaud excellence and build a welcoming community.

At a recent reception, we celebrated graduate students who earned competitive MU and external fellowships. We also honored a select group known as “MU Graduate Students of Distinction” for receiving highly-prestigious external fellowships and awards.

Graduate students are a key part of our research enterprise. We’re investing in what they need to make an impact.

— Mun