‘The Crisis in Afghanistan’ panel discussion

Aug. 31, 2021

Tomorrow (Sept. 1) from noon to 1 p.m., join a diverse panel of Mizzou experts as they discuss the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan. Drawing on a range of student and faculty perspectives, the panel will enable our community to hear more about what the rapidly developing situation could mean for the country, the region and the world.

Among the panelists are representatives from our Afghan student and military veteran communities — as well as scholars of history and international relations. As a university with global reach, we know many on our campus have a personal connection with Afghanistan. This event lets us come together as a Mizzou community, listen to one another and discuss this critical topic.

The webinar will be moderated by Mary Stegmaier, vice provost for International Programs. I hope many of you are able to attend.

— Mun

Announcing Black & Gold Fridays!

Aug. 30, 2021

I’m thrilled to join our new Director of Athletics, Desiree Reed-Francois, in announcing Black & Gold Fridays — a new and exciting Tiger tradition. Every Friday, in anticipation of game days for MU’s 20 different sports and in support of our more than 550 student-athletes, we’re asking Tiger fans across the state and around the world to wear black and gold. It’s an easy way to show your pride in Mizzou and your support of our teams.

Join us for the inaugural Black & Gold Friday this Friday, Sept. 3. Let’s all come together to #StripeTheState and build a championship culture here at Mizzou.

M-I-Z!

— Mun

Mizzou research paves the way

Aug. 28, 2021

Just off campus, crews with the Missouri Department of Transportation have been hard at work resurfacing portions of Stadium Boulevard. What looks like regular maintenance is actually part of an innovative collaboration between Mizzou, Dow (the global material science company), and MoDOT.

Students and researchers from the Mizzou Asphalt Pavement and Innovation Lab (MAPIL) — located in our College of Engineering — are creating more sustainable asphalt pavement mixtures by incorporating recycled materials such as plastic and tire rubber. To test this mixture in real-world conditions, it was applied to a nearly two-mile stretch of Stadium Boulevard. Researchers are hopeful that this is the first step towards greener, more durable driving surfaces that also reduce landfill waste.

Through key partnerships such as this one, Mizzou faculty and students are helping generate cutting-edge solutions that benefit our state and world.

— Mun

Empowering Missouri’s youth

Aug. 27, 2021

Yesterday, I enjoyed speaking at the Chancellor’s Reception for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri. This “Countdown to Kickoff” event promotes the important mentorship opportunities that Big Brothers Big Sisters provides for our community’s youth. It was great talking with fellow supporters and sharing the amazing stories of “Bigs” and their “Littles.”

As Missouri’s public, flagship, land-grant university, Mizzou strives to empower young people in every community across our state. Mentorship through Big Brothers Big Sisters is a vital extension of that critical work. Through our shared commitment to education, access and outreach, MU and BBBS are working together to support the next generation of leaders who will help our communities thrive for decades to come.

It’s just one more way Mizzou works to fulfill its mission and build a brighter future for all Missourians.

— Mun

Welcome to the Fall Semester!

Aug. 24, 2021

The fall semester is here! To mark our return, I wanted to bring you a short video because we have a lot to celebrate.

After so much hard work over the last year, we are returning to full, in-person operations. I am so excited we can take this important step together. Our community has shown incredible resilience, commitment and respect for others as we work to protect our core missions and enhance the ways we serve our communities and Missouri. These values remain essential to our continued success and ability to have the kind of fall semester we know is possible.

More than 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students are joining us as the newest members of our Tiger family. Already, we have been able to commemorate some of our great fall traditions such as Tiger Walk and First Roar. And I had the opportunity on Saturday to join Marching Mizzou at its final weekend of Band Camp to thank our remarkable student musicians for making the student experience at Mizzou so special.

We also officially welcomed our new Director of Athletics, Desiree Reed-Francois, to Columbia yesterday. She is all moved in and ready to lead Mizzou Athletics into its excellent future.

There are so many incredible milestones for Mizzou in the coming months: a return to a full fall Mizzou Football schedule, the groundbreaking celebration of MU’s new Children’s Hospital on Oct. 1, the grand opening of our transformative NextGen Precision Health building on Oct. 19, Homecoming, and much more. It’s going to be a busy few months, but it will also be an extraordinary time as we move Mizzou forward in our research, academics and impact.

Thank you to everyone — our faculty, staff, coaches, alumni, supporters and students — for all that you do to support our university and the many communities we serve across Missouri and around the world.

— Mun

Missouri State Fair

Aug. 19, 2021

It’s the middle of August, which means it’s time for the Missouri State Fair! And what a wonderful fair it is this year.

I’ve had the chance to visit with Kevin Roberts, chair of the Missouri State Fair and a Mizzou Law alumnus, and watch America’s Band, The Beach Boys. I also took the opportunity to stop by the Mizzou tents and got to meet many of our great citizens and alumni who support the university in many ways.

This year’s fair is particularly special as we continue to commemorate Missouri’s bicentennial — two hundred years of excellence and impact for our state. I’m so proud to support this great tradition of celebrating Missourians and to represent the University of Missouri in this historical moment.

— Mun

Congratulations to our 2020 Henry S. Geyer Award winners

Aug. 18, 2021

Last night, I had the privilege to help celebrate two individuals whose advocacy has made an impact on higher education in Missouri and the university we all love. We honored U.S. Senator Roy Blunt and Mary Anne McCollum (a former Columbia mayor and two-time Mizzou graduate) as the recipients of the 2020 Henry S. Geyer Award — right here in the Jesse Hall rotunda.

Both recipients have dedicated their lives to public service, and they have been essential partners in MU’s journey to serve citizens throughout our state.

Senator Blunt’s leadership has directly resulted in the dramatic increase in NIH funding for biomedical research and for Pell grants, and he remains a staunch advocate of some our university’s top priorities including NextGen Precision Health. Mary McCollum is a thoughtful, committed and innovative leader who supports so much of the critical work of our faculty and staff, as well as the education of our students. Through her service on alumni leadership groups, she continues to advance the university’s priorities and growth.

Please join me in congratulating both of our 2020 Geyer Award recipients on this much deserved honor.

— Mun

A new era in Mizzou Athletics

Aug. 11, 2021

A new era in Mizzou Athletics begins today! We will win championships. Director Desiree Reed-Francois knows how important a culture of alignment is between excellence in athletics and the strong academic and research missions of an AAU institution. As she says, “We have to all be all-in.” I couldn’t agree more.

I am very excited to welcome the Francois family to Columbia!

— Mun

Happy 200th birthday, Missouri!

Aug. 6, 2021

Granted statehood in 1821, Missouri celebrates its bicentennial this year. Communities and organizations across the state have spent years planning this remarkable and comprehensive commemoration of our state’s history, its impact and its future.

Last night, I had the privilege to help kick-off Together for ’21 Fest at the new and beautiful State Historical Society of Missouri. I joined other statewide leaders — including Governor Mike Parson, Columbia Mayor Brian Treece, Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin and former Missouri Senator Kurt Schaefer — to reflect on our state’s legacy and shared purpose as Missourians.

Over the last 200 years, Missouri has overcome many challenges and risen to become a hub of exploration, transportation, invention, economic growth and artistic creation. I am deeply proud to be a Missourian, and proud that the University of Missouri (itself established in 1839) has become a common place where all Missourians from every background can come together to learn, discover and succeed.

If you have the chance, I encourage you to participate in the statewide festivities. As Tigers, we are all part of this incredible legacy. But most importantly, we are charting a future of excellence through our education, scholarship and engagement that will make Missouri’s next 200 years even more impactful.

— Mun

The Siemens Healthineers MAGNETOM Terra 7T MRI Scanner is here!

Aug. 4, 2021

Today we leap forward in our NextGen Precision Health project as the Siemens Healthineers MAGNETOM Terra 7T MRI scanner arrived for installation. Say hello to the future!

The only machine of its kind in Missouri, this state-of-the-art scanner is one of the most advanced imaging machines available. It provides resolution that is two times greater than the conventional scanner. Our researchers will be able to see complex brain and knee structures with remarkable detail, aiding the early detection and more refined treatment of neurological and knee injuries, as well as diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

As the centerpiece of our new NextGen Precision Health building, the 7T MRI scanner is part of a world-class imaging suite we are developing in partnership with Siemens Healthineers through the Alliance for Precision Health. Other technologies in this suite include a PET-CT and a conventional 3T MRI scanner. Together, these tools will enable our systemwide researchers to address some of the most challenging diseases for animals and humans — in both a research and clinical capacity.

Our mission to transform health care for communities across Missouri and around the world remains one of the University of Missouri’s top priorities. To do so, we have to think big and go bold. With revolutionary technologies such as the 7T and our cutting-edge imaging suite — housed in the university’s first research facility built in over a decade — we do just that.

What we’re building here may look like science fiction. But its impact is very, very real.

— Mun