Tigers show entrepreneurial spirit

Nov. 30, 2023

On Tuesday, we hosted the annual pitch competition for Entrepreneur Quest (EQ), a program that helps students turn big ideas into viable companies.

Over the course of the semester, participants work alongside like-minded peers and receive coaching from leading entrepreneurs. At the final pitch competition, they compete for part of a $30,000 total prize pool to make their business a reality.

This year’s first-place venture was Parker’s Brick Builds, created by Parker Owens, a third-year law student. His business uses LEGO-style blocks to create customized build kits. 

Since 2018, EQ has awarded more than $175,000 in seed funding while providing more than 50 student teams hands-on experience founding innovative startups. Many Tigers have used EQ to launch and grow successful businesses.

Congratulations to all this year’s participants.

— Mun

A moving evening of music

Nov. 29, 2023

My wife, Suzanne, and I were guests of Professor Megan Murph, director of the Budds Center for American Music Studies, for a performance of “Music of the Underground Railroad: An Evening of Spirituals, Freedom Songs and Gospel Music.” The event was sponsored by the Budds Center, Missouri Folk Arts Program and Missouri Humanities.

The performances held at Sheryl Crow Hall in the Sinquefield Music Center featured the MU Sankofa Chorale and the Columbia College Unified Voices Gospel Choir, conducted by Professor Brandon A. Boyd and Mr. Ronnie Wilson, a doctoral student at Mizzou.

The evening’s performances ranged from spirituals written by Missouri composers Kyle Kelley and Anita Watkins-Stevens to the powerful “A Change is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke. Music students also provided historical vignettes of the period.

Suzanne and I were so moved by the songs and the talent of our students and faculty.

— Mun

MU, Siemens Healthineers interns explore precision health solutions

Nov. 15, 2023

Last week, we welcomed back leaders from Siemens Healthineers for our Alliance for Precision Health governance meeting. It was great to celebrate the Alliance’s incredible progress and discuss next steps in our ambitious, ten-year value partnership.

As part of the meeting, we also heard from three MU undergraduates who completed internships with Siemens Healthineers. Each shared how hands-on experience with the Siemens Heathineers team prepared them for the future. A great example is Kelsee Mortimer, a health sciences major who served as a partnership management intern. Kelsee participated in governance and strategy development meetings for multiple partnerships across the country and observed how Siemens and hospital leaders evaluated and made decisions that impacted their organizations. After graduation, she will begin her master’s in health administration.

Our collaboration with Siemens Healthineers brings lifesaving technology to more Missourians – and offers one-of-a-kind opportunities for students. Together, the Alliance for Precision Health is preparing a new generation to create advanced solutions that make a difference.

— Mun

Honoring our military community 

Nov. 14, 2023

Before Saturday’s win against the University of Tennessee, we joined with Whiteman Air Force Base to commemorate both Veterans Day and the annual Whiteman Day tailgate at Mizzou. This is the 25^th year that Joe and Fran Scallorns have sponsored this event to honor the brave men and women who serve our country. The event was held at the Hearnes Center and attended by more than 500 service members, veterans and families of the Whiteman Air Force Base.

During the game, we also celebrated Mizzou Football’s Military Appreciation Day, which was one of many 2023 Veterans Week highlights. I was on-field with members of the University of Missouri Board of Curators, elected officials and other Mizzou leaders to recognize veterans as well as the important work of our MU School of Law Veterans Clinic. The clinic’s students, faculty and staff have helped more than 1,600 veterans secure VA benefits and correct service characterizations over the last ten years. Bob Langdon, a ’73 MU alumnus, presented the clinic with more than $100,000 in contributions by School of Law alumni from the 1970s.

Thanks to important initiatives like the Veterans Clinic and the Student Veterans Resource and Support Center, Mizzou is often recognized as a great university for veterans and military-affiliated students. We are proud to give back to those who served, and grateful for their dedication to our country.

— Mun

Supporting first-gen student excellence 

Nov. 8, 2023

Today is National First-Generation Student Day, and at Mizzou we’ve been celebrating with an entire week of activities. We’re proud that one in four Mizzou students identifies as first-gen. These students have overcome unique challenges on their journey to become Tigers, and we’re here to support them with campus resources that encourage their ongoing success.

We kicked things off last Friday with a ribbon cutting for the new First-Generation Initiatives Office and recognition of First-Gen Tigers as an official student organization. Undergraduate Studies also handed out first-gen buttons, stickers and t-shirts to students during the It’s Sweet to Be First event on Monday. Events continue through this Thursday with opportunities for first-gen students to network, explore available resources and build community.

We’re grateful to all our first-gen students for choosing Mizzou, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish next.

— Mun

Committed to community 

Nov. 3, 2023

This week, we welcomed members of the Alliance of Missouri Community Foundations for a gathering at the Reynolds Alumni Center. The Alliance acts as a resource for regional community foundations throughout the state to offer assistance, spark collaboration and make Missouri a better place. We were also joined by eight outstanding Mizzou students who received scholarships from the community foundations.

MU shares the Alliance’s commitment to service, and I appreciated the opportunity to highlight our incredible impact, including a record graduation rate (76%) and Extension’s presence in each Missouri county. We also discussed important topics that connect with our land-grant mission, such as improving rural health care and providing the best education for Missouri students. After the meeting, attendees had a chance to tour the MU Research Reactor and learn more about our role as a leading producer of lifesaving radioisotopes. 

Working with community partners helps us create meaningful change for all Missourians. I enjoyed meeting the Alliance’s dedicated members, and I am grateful for their generous support of Mizzou.

— Mun

A focus on Missouri’s youth 

Oct. 27, 2023

We recently concluded the University of Missouri System Extension and Engagement Week – an annual event that brings together experts from University of Missouri Extension, MU and the UM System to support outreach throughout the state.

Over three days, more than 650 faculty, staff and state partners explored the theme “All Things Youth” and how to prepare Missouri’s future leaders. We also welcomed keynote speaker Orion Jean, TIME’s 2021 Kid of the Year, who shared how we can all use kindness to make a difference for today’s youth.

On Wednesday, I was honored to address attendees alongside Interim Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement and Interim UM System Chief Engagement Officer Chad Higgins. Together, we shared how Extension is delivering for all Missourians – including the next generation – through more than 300 programs focused on youth development, community health and agriculture, among many others.

I want to thank our dedicated faculty, staff and community partners who bring impactful research from our campus to nearly 800,000 Missourians each year. Their work makes Missouri a better place for our citizens and our children.

— Mun

Best Homecoming ever

Oct. 24, 2023

We just finished another unforgettable Homecoming weekend.

I appreciate the hard work of Tri-Directors Jonathan Jain, Adela Keller and Annie Watson along with all students on the Steering Committee. I also want to congratulate Christian Hall and Josie Johnson, MU’s 2023 Homecoming King and Queen, as well as the three outstanding alumni we welcomed into the Mizzou Hall of Fame:

• Margaret Holt, B.J. ’73, retired standards editor for the Chicago Tribune.

• Sara Parker Pauley, B.J. ’87, J.D. ’93, director of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

• Rodger O. Riney, B.S. C.I.E. ’68, M.B.A. ’69, founder of Scottrade, Inc.

On Saturday, Mizzou Football won big over the University of South Carolina. Congratulations to the team, as well as to Coach Drinkwitz, the coaching staff and Athletic Director Desiree Reed-Francois. Mizzou Football now has an impressive 7-1 record and is ranked #16 in the country. Georgia, here we come!

I want to again thank our Mizzou alumni and students for making this the best Homecoming ever!

— Mun

Serving our community this Homecoming 

Oct. 17, 2023

Happy Homecoming to Tigers everywhere! In addition to favorite traditions like campus decorations, the parade or the Mizzou Football game at Memorial Stadium, there are many ways we show our spirit by giving back during the Homecoming season.

Already this year, Tiger Food Fight nearly tripled the previous donation record by collecting 132,597 pounds of food for the Food Bank of Central and Northeast Missouri, which benefits Tiger Pantry on campus. The Mizzou community also gave 4,744 units of blood as part of the Homecoming Blood Drive, potentially saving more than 14,000 lives. This is the event’s 40th anniversary, and it remains one of the country’s largest student-run blood drives. For our annual Homecoming Day of Service, more than 850 students generously volunteered more than 1,700 hours across the Columbia community.

Alumni can also support the future of Mizzou Homecoming through the Homecoming Endowment, and the Mizzou Alumni Association is still looking for dedicated Homecoming Ambassadors to help track event attendance and show why our traditions are the best in the nation. Of course, we also need everyone to show up and roar loudly on Saturday as the Tigers take on the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. 

I’m proud of what our community has accomplished, and I look forward to celebrating with you throughout the week. 

M-I-Z! 

— Mun

Recognizing our newly promoted and tenured faculty 

Oct. 12, 2023

On Tuesday, Provost Latha Ramchand and I helped celebrate faculty who received promotions or were granted tenure during the last academic year. In total, we honored 102 members of our academic community, including 21 newly tenured faculty, across multiple disciplines.

Mizzou’s world-class faculty is committed to teaching, research and meaningful engagement that serves our students and all of Missouri. Receiving a promotion or earning tenure is an incredible milestone and the culmination of years of hard work and scholarship. I want to applaud our faculty for their dedication to excellence.

The foundation of any university is its faculty. I enjoyed recognizing these remarkable individuals alongside their family, friends and the Mizzou community.

— Mun