President Choi’s Blog
Ag leaders with IMPACT
June 22, 2022
Curator Robin Wenneker and I visited with Missouri Farm Bureau President Garrett Hawkins and members of the IMPACT leadership initiative.
IMPACT is an intensive year-long program for young farming leaders from across Missouri to network and learn about emerging agricultural issues. All participants have direct ties to the ag economy, including livestock and crop production, processing and sales.
CAFNR Dean Chris Daubert and Associate Vice Chancellor for Extension Chad Higgins also provided an update on the value-added agriculture programs they’re leading.
We’re proud to support leaders who make Missouri agriculture a $93.7 billion industry and the state’s top economic driver. This support is an important part of our mission as a land-grant university.
— Mun
Softball standout named a 2022 Academic All-American
June 13, 2022
MU Softball player Kimberly Wert earned one of the highest distinctions in college sports last week when she was named a 2022 Academic All-American®, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
This honor isn’t the first recognition of Kimberly’s excellence on and off the field. Twice, SEC leaders named her Player of the Week. Softball America recognized her as a Third Team All-American. And she holds the all-time Mizzou home run record. She graduated in May with dual degrees in psychology and health sciences and a 3.64 GPA.
Congratulations to Kimberly on this accomplishment.
— Mun
Distinguished faculty member retires after 52 years
June 7, 2022
We recently celebrated Professor Emerita Mary Sebacher’s 52-year career at the University of Missouri’s radiography program.
Though officially retired in 2003 from the School of Health Professions, she remained at Mizzou through the spring of 2022 in an adjunct role. She served in leadership positions throughout her career and was honored with the title of Assistant Clinical Professor Emerita in 2019.
Professor Emerita Sebacher trained generations of radiographers – giving them the skills they need to help patients and achieve their goals. Her impact is felt wherever her students serve.
— Mun
MU, NextGen faculty working to cure diabetes
May 31, 2022
New research by MU School of Medicine professors Haval Shirwan and Esma Yolcu could lead to better treatments for Type 1 diabetes.
Their recent publication in Science Advances is the result of 20 years of research from the conception of the immunomodulatory strategy to testing in various small animal models. In a recent study collaborating with Harvard and Georgia Tech faculty, the researchers found that transplanting insulin-producing pancreas cells can successfully treat Type 1 diabetes in a large animal model. The next step is working with industry partners to translate these advances into treatments that could help patients around the world.
Drs. Shirwan and Yolcu are among the first faculty in the new Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building to publish in a high-impact academic journal. They’re also husband and wife.
We’re proud their accomplishments are generating global media buzz, and we look forward to even more NextGen-powered breakthroughs.
— Mun
MU football player gives back at Special Olympics Missouri State Summer Games
May 24, 2022
Last weekend, Mizzou helped host the Special Olympics Missouri State Summer Games.
During the opening ceremony parade of athletes, MU football player Jalani Williams escorted the St. Louis metro area competitors. He bonded with them over a shared passion for competition and will plan additional statewide events during his summer internship with the organization.
More than 1,000 athletes and coaches came to Columbia for a weekend of events – many held on campus. We are proud that our Tiger community came together to make these games a success. Mizzou last hosted in 2014.
Thanks to the many other volunteers and families of the athletes who make this event possible.
— Mun
Celebrating Staff Recognition Week (with BBQ)
May 20, 2022
We are grateful to all of our MU and UM System employees and their many contributions to advance our teaching, research and engagement missions.
Throughout this week, we honored our collective commitment through our annual Staff Recognition Week. On Wednesday, several administrators served a free meal to about 1,300 of our employees.
As part of the celebration, we also distributed awards for outstanding service and hosted opportunities for staff to meet and build new connections.
— Mun
A poignant exhibit
May 17, 2022
I recently visited the photo exhibit at the Reynolds Journalism Institute that depicts Ukrainian life in the midst of war. This exhibit was curated by Irynka Hromotska (Kohut), a Fulbright Scholar and a graduate student in photojournalism from Ukraine.
The images show a people who are resilient, patriotic and fighting for dignity. It was a powerful and moving experience for me.
I encourage you to stop by and see it for yourself.
— Mun
Creating faculty connections
May 11, 2022
On Tuesday, we hosted a reception for the more than 400 new faculty who joined Mizzou in 2020 and 2021. Scholars from across campus met one another, shared their research and built new connections.
This reception is one of many events that celebrate faculty accomplishments and promote new interdisciplinary partnerships.
Later this week, we’ll recognize recipients of the National Institutes of Health T32 grant – which helps recruit predoctoral and postdoctoral students to address significant health-related needs. Faculty interested in the grant are welcome to attend and learn more about the process from current recipients and staff with MU’s Division of Research, Innovation and Impact.
By working together, we can discover even more ways faculty can connect and collaborate.
— Mun
From Cape Town to Columbia
May 10, 2022
Last week, we hosted a delegation from the University of the Western Cape (UWC) – our longtime partner university located near Cape Town, South Africa. I visited UWC in 2019, and I’m glad that we could return the favor.
As part of the University of Missouri South African Education Program, a group of administrators from the UWC Office of Research and Innovation toured Mizzou, as well as UMSL and UMKC. While in Columbia, they met with faculty from across campus and at the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building. We discussed how to cooperate on precision medicine research and other opportunities to improve our communities.
The UM System’s connection to UWC goes back more than 30 years. It began as an effort to support South Africans disadvantaged by their then-government’s apartheid policies. Though much has changed, this program continues to produce valuable opportunities for exchange and collaboration.
— Mun
Honoring our ROTC legacy
May 6, 2022
On Friday, I participated in the Joint Services Pass in Review – one of our oldest Mizzou traditions. For more than 150 years, the university’s ROTC units have publicly demonstrated their training and readiness. It was an honor to see them parade on Stankowski Field and to celebrate their accomplishments.
A great example of MU’s ROTC legacy is the late Gen. John A. Gordon, an Air Force ROTC cadet and a 1968 physics graduate. He went on to become the first Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
Last month, the Department of Energy opened its new state-of-the-art NNSA facility in Albuquerque and named it after him. You can also find his name on our wall of notable alumni in Jesse Hall. Recently, I met Gen. Gordon’s wife, Marilyn, who remains a committed member of the Mizzou family.
We are grateful to our ROTC cadets and midshipmen for their continued example of true service.
— Mun