President Choi’s Blog
Celebrating 115 years of Scouting America
Feb. 7, 2025
Tomorrow, we join scouts and supporters around the country in celebrating Scouting America’s 115th anniversary! Mizzou is a longtime partner of Scouting America, and we are proud to help them impact the next generation – including our local scouts in the Great Rivers Council.
Each year since 2010, we have collaborated with Scouting America to host Mizzou Merit Badge University. From across the state and region, over 1,000 scouts visit our campus to earn merit badges by attending courses that reflect the range of hands-on programs offered at Mizzou. The topics range from robotics and space exploration to art and citizenship. Many are taught by our world-class faculty and graduate students.
Congratulations to Scouting America for this remarkable achievement! We look forward to many more years of working together to prepare bold leaders for our state and nation.
— Mun
Sharing Mizzou excellence with the Higher Learning Commission
Feb. 5, 2025
Earlier this week, I was pleased to meet with external reviewers from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC team was on campus conducting a site visit for our 10-year reaccreditation, which evaluates and recognizes the quality of our university programs.
The HLC held numerous listening sessions with stakeholders across campus, including curators and senior leaders, as well as faculty, students and staff representing all 13 Mizzou schools and colleges. Together, participants discussed Mizzou’s progress since the last accreditation visit and opportunities for continued growth in support of institutional excellence.
At Mizzou, we are driven to deliver our land-grant mission of service and make a difference as Missouri’s flagship university. A commitment to HLC accreditation shows our dedication to world-class teaching, groundbreaking research and meaningful engagement. We were proud to share our community with the HLC and the many ways we promote student success, support faculty excellence and impact our state.
— Mun
USS Missouri crew members visit Mizzou
Jan. 30, 2025
We were recently joined on campus by crew members from the USS Missouri fast-attack submarine: Commander Gieorag “G” Andrews, Senior Chief Robert Weaver and Petty Officer Colten L. Schmidt.
As part of their visit, both AD Veatch and I hosted the crew at Mizzou Arena to watch our Men’s Basketball team defeat Ole Miss. During the game, they also received a special on-court recognition, alongside Bruce Loewenberg, a dedicated Mizzou supporter who has served on the Commissioning Committee for the USS Missouri.
The delegation also met with Naval ROTC faculty and midshipmen in the College of Engineering to discuss their work and the importance of the USS Missouri to our nation’s security. After several days on campus, the crew members traveled to Jefferson City to meet with Gov. Mike Kehoe and attend the State of the State address.
Mizzou is proud to support all who keep our country safe, including veterans, active-duty military and ROTC cadets and midshipmen. I want to thank the entire crew of the USS Missouri for their service and example of leadership.
— Mun
CAFNR graduate recognized at State of the State
Jan. 29, 2025
I was honored to attend Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s first State of the State address and to hear him especially acknowledge a recent Mizzou alumna.
Gov. Kehoe recognized Addie Thessen, a 2024 CAFNR graduate with a degree in plant sciences with an emphasis in crop management. Addie is from Taos, Missouri and from an early age pursued her interest in agriculture, including through FFA and Missouri 4-H (an MU Extension program). Using her Mizzou degree, Addie now works on her family farm and in precision agriculture – advancing innovations that benefit local producers. Gov. Kehoe included her among the next generation of Missouri’s agricultural leaders.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant university, it’s our mission to prepare Tigers like Addie to make a difference. We share Gov. Kehoe’s support for agriculture – as well as workforce development and securing a strong future for Missouri. We’re proud to work alongside Gov. Kehoe and all our state’s elected officials to impact each Missouri community.
— Mun
Tiger spirit in Newport Beach
Jan. 24, 2025
As the new year begins, we continue our series of exciting alumni events that celebrate Mizzou’s incredible impact and ambition. This week, nearly 90 Tigers turned out for a seaside gathering in Newport Beach, California. We were joined by many notable guests, including members of the Shelden family, whose parents endowed the groundbreaking Shelden Clinical Simulation Center.
An inspiring keynote was provided by MU College of Engineering Dean Marisa Chrysochoou. Dean Chrysochoou shared Mizzou’s strong support for neurodiverse communities and the ways we leverage AI to make a difference for people in Missouri and around the world. Representatives from the Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, the University of Missouri Research Reactor and the Shelden Clinical Simulation Center were available to provide interactive demonstrations of our work in these important fields.
As guests in the Los Angeles area, we were also sensitive to the numerous residents – including Tiger students and alumni – impacted by the ongoing fires. We were honored that so many still chose to attend and show their support for Mizzou. University leadership was proud to make contributions to causes benefiting those affected.
I enjoyed seeing fellow Tigers and hearing what makes them passionate about Mizzou.
— Mun
Thanking our dedicated Campus Facilities staff
Jan. 17, 2025
On Thursday, I joined Associate Vice Chancellor of Campus Facilities Michael Graves in hosting a thank-you lunch for the crews who kept campus safe during the recent winter weather. In addition to clearing streets and sidewalks, Campus Facilities teams also helped prepare Memorial Stadium for a rare snow game on Nov. 30 against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Associate Vice Chancellor Graves, Chief of Staff John Middleton and I all expressed gratitude for the dedication of Campus Facilities team members. Their resilience supports Mizzou faculty, staff and students during the winter months and throughout the year.
Mizzou has more than 650 Campus Facilities staff who ensure we deliver our mission of teaching, research and meaningful engagement. I enjoyed meeting so many team members and showing our appreciation. They are an integral part of the Mizzou community.
— Mun
Looking to the future at Gov. Mike Kehoe’s inauguration
Jan. 14, 2025
I was honored to join leaders and fellow citizens on the south steps of the Capitol in Jefferson City for the inauguration of Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and the swearing in of many newly elected state officials. During the ceremony, Gov. Kehoe shared his incredible personal background – truly a great American success story.
We are proud to partner with lawmakers to advance our land-grant mission of teaching, research and meaningful engagement in each of Missouri’s 114 counties. Elected leaders know the incredible 25-to-1 return on investment Mizzou provides, and we are eager to find new ways to give back, foster economic development and make a difference. That’s why we are creating bold innovations that tackle our state’s most pressing challenges, including by extending lives through cancer-fighting medical isotopes produced at MURR, growing Missouri’s ag economy through research and engagement and educating a new generation of leaders to achieve excellence and meet our state’s workforce needs.
We are grateful to the 57th Gov. Mike Parson for his service, leadership and incredible support of the University of Missouri. We look forward to working with Gov. Kehoe and all elected leaders to advance new opportunities for growth across Missouri.
— Mun
Congratulations to our new Mizzou graduates!
Dec. 13, 2024
During commencement weekend, we’re proud to celebrate more than 1,750 graduates representing 10 Mizzou schools and colleges. These accomplished Tigers worked hard and were resilient in pursuit of their degrees. They’ve earned it, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.
No matter their goals, our new alumni are in good company. More than 95% of graduates have a positive career outcome within six months. Mizzou graduates also join an extensive alumni network of proven leaders in Missouri, the U.S. and around the world.
Congratulations to the December Class of 2024! I look forward to recognizing your incredible achievements alongside your family, friends and the Mizzou community.
— Mun
Mizzou Athletics is making history
Dec. 10, 2024
The momentum at Mizzou Athletics is undeniable! Across programs, our talented student-athletes are competing at the NCAA’s highest levels and bringing so much pride to Tiger fans in Missouri and beyond.
There are many recent highlights:
• Men’s Basketball defeated the (former) No. 1 team in the country: the Kansas Jayhawks.
• The same day, we learned that No. 19 ranked Mizzou Football is heading to the TransPerfect Music City Bowl in Nashville. They’ll take on the Iowa Hawkeyes on December 30.
• Mizzou Volleyball continued their historic post-season tournament run with a win against the SMU Mustangs. This will be the team’s first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2017. They’ll face the Kentucky Wildcats this Thursday.
• Last Saturday, Women’s Basketball won their fourth-straight game.
• Quarterback Brady Cook was named SEC Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year. It’s the second consecutive year he’s received this honor.
Congratulations to all Mizzou student-athletes and coaches! I’m also grateful for the strong leadership of AD Veatch and the incredible support of our fans.
These wins show the dedication of Tigers to compete for championships and the drive of our entire campus to achieve excellence.
— Mun
Mizzou’s hands-on impact in Houston
Dec. 6, 2024
We continued our tour of Mizzou Nation with a stop in Texas at the Nancy and Rich Kinder Building at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. Mizzou has strong ties with the Lone Star State, and we’re grateful to share our ongoing impact with alumni and friends.
At experiential stations around the gallery, guests interacted with demonstrations from the MU Research Reactor and the Russell D. and Mary B. Shelden Simulation Center’s Innovation Lab – including lifelike medical training tools sculpted at Mizzou by Damon Coyle. As part of the program, we received a special welcome from distinguished MU alumna, Linda Lorelle, an Emmy award winning journalist who spent nearly 17 years anchoring the evening news at Houston’s NBC affiliate.
We were also joined once again by Law School Dean Paul Litton, Director of the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy Jay Sexton and Ella Rose Ferguson, a junior studying political science and constitutional democracy. They hosted an important discussion about the role elections play in a constitutional democracy and our responsibility to educate the next generation of leaders.
I appreciate our many Houston alumni who attended. We are thankful for their dedication, and we share their excitement for Mizzou’s future.
— Mun