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

Welcoming Mizzou’s KC Scholars

Oct. 10, 2023

I joined UM Board of Curators Chair Michael Williams and Vice Chancellor for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) Maurice Gipson to welcome 48 new and returning KC Scholars to campus, along with KC Scholars Chief Operating Officer Natalie Lewis.

KC Scholars helps outstanding, Pell-eligible students from the Kansas City area attend college and receive the support they need to reach their goals. In 2018, the UM System committed to investing $30 million in the program, with a match of $30 million from KC Scholars. The outcome is impressive: KC Scholars at Mizzou have a 95% return rate, and last spring 73% were on the Dean’s List.

Achieving these strong results takes a team effort. I’d like to thank Center for Academic Success & Excellence (CASE) Director Dr. E. Andre Thorn, as well as CASE student service coordinators Ana-Maria Fernandez, Leo Medal, LeAnn Stroupe and Edwin Davis for supporting our KC Scholars. I’m also grateful to Susan Hartnagel and Cynthia Travis from Student Financial Aid and IDE Assistant Vice Chancellor for Inclusive Engagement Erika Aaron for their dedication to student success.

— Mun

Applauding excellence in teaching

Oct. 5, 2023

Today is World Teachers’ Day, and I’m proud to recognize Mizzou’s incredible faculty and their commitment to our students and state.

One of the many ways we honor their dedication is through awards for faculty accomplishments in the classroom. Our highest campus-level teaching award is the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence. Applications are open now and include input from students and the MU community. Other opportunities include the Governor’s Award of Excellence in Teaching, the Maxine Christopher Shutz Award and Lecture for Distinguished Teaching and the Provost’s Outstanding Junior Faculty Teaching Award.

Starting this week, faculty also can nominate their colleagues for UM System honors for teaching and research, such as Curators’ Distinguished Professorships, the Thomas Jefferson Award and the C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship.

These awards celebrate our incredible faculty as they change the world and prepare the next generation of leaders. We’re pleased to show our appreciation today and throughout the year.

— Mun

Breaking ground on MURR’s future

Oct. 3, 2023

Yesterday was an important milestone for the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR). Elected officials, curators, community leaders and university staff and faculty gathered for the ceremonial groundbreaking of MURR West, which will add expanded production, laboratory and collaborative research space to the original reactor. The event included a video message from U.S. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, who shared his strong support for our lifesaving work, as well as remarks from Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, UM Board of Curators Chair Michael Williams and MURR Executive Director Matt Sanford.

MURR is the world’s most important university research reactor for fighting cancer, and each year 1.6 million patients benefit from the medical isotopes we produce. Where other healthcare providers expect patients to travel to receive world-class care, MU’s central location means we can quickly send medical isotopes to those who need them most.  

When completed, the 47,000-square-foot addition will be the latest chapter in MURR’s more than 50-year legacy of safety and excellence. Looking ahead, our ambitious plans include NextGen MURR, a new state-of-the-art reactor that will complement our existing facility and improve life for Missourians, and those across the country and world. 

We are thankful for the incredible support of elected officials and the entire Mizzou community as we grow our status as an innovative hub for nuclear medicine. 

— Mun

Kicking off our 2023 United Way Campaign

Sep. 29, 2023

Yesterday, I was part of the kick-off event for our annual United Way campaign. Leaders from across campus joined our partners from Heart of Missouri United Way and Leadership Circle donors at the Stephens Indoor Facility to celebrate our impact and encourage others to support the campaign. 

We’ve collaborated with Heart of Missouri United Way for more than 75 years, and these campaigns help give back to some of the most vulnerable in our area. Last year we raised more than $436,000, and I know we can reach this year’s ambitious goal of $460,000. Your support will be put to good use because 99 cents of every dollar donated stays in Missouri. 

Mizzou and United Way share a mission of service and dedication to our community. It’s what makes our partnership so strong and their work so important. I hope you’ll join me in supporting this year’s campaign.  

— Mun

Sharing the impact of our Value Partnership

Sep. 21, 2023

I enjoyed participating in a panel discussion with other health care leaders at the Siemens Healthineers Value Partnership Forum. I described how our innovative collaboration, the Alliance for Precision Health, has benefited communities across Missouri. I also offered advice for organizations developing their own partnerships.

Launched in 2019, the Alliance is a ten-year initiative with Siemens Healthineers, the UM System and MU Health Care to give clinicians, researchers and students access to the latest medical technology – while bringing world-class resources to underserved parts of rural Missouri. We began with a focus on radiology and have quickly expanded to additional areas, including lab, cardiology and oncology.

Together, we’ve achieved remarkable results. For example:

• We helped pioneer the syngo Virtual Cockpit. This technology puts skilled imaging technicians within reach for more rural communities and provides remote scanning of organ donations, boosting the speed of lifesaving transplants.
• We collaborated on a new MRI protocol, Fast Abdomen, that reduces scan time by half while increasing image quality.
• We installed the MAGNETOM Terra 7-Tesla (7T) MRI in the Roy Blunt NextGen Precision Health building. The 7T makes Mizzou’s campus a hub for research clinicians who use its accuracy to create breakthrough treatments.
• We developed a training program to address the shortage of clinical engineers. Our faculty also work with Siemens Healthineers scientists on new research and our students have access to hands-on internships.

We’re eager to partner with Siemens Healthineers on even more ambitious projects, including opportunities to enhance the lifesaving work of the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) with our new, state-of-the-art research reactor, NextGen MURR. It was great to share our progress and discuss how we can grow our impact in Missouri and beyond.

— Mun