Published on April 10, 2019
Updated on Dec. 18, 2019
Dear Mizzou community,
This spring semester has been one for the books. There has never been a better time to be a Tiger, and I hope you are as proud as I am to walk around in black and gold. We are only a few months into 2019, and I am thrilled to have a list of outstanding accomplishments to share. We are telling our story, and the world is listening! Here are a few of this semester’s highlights:
NOBEL SCHOLARSHIP GIFT
On March 12, Nobel Laureate George P. Smith and his spouse, Professor Emerita Marjorie Sable, announced that they chose to donate Smith’s Nobel Prize money — more than $243,000 — to a scholarship fund dedicated to Mizzou students in the College of Arts and Science. Both Mizzou and the UM System will add a combined $200,000 through the Missouri Compact Promise & Opportunity Scholarship Program. In fact, their gift inspired a new tradition: Every time faculty members win a Nobel Prize, Mizzou will give $100,000 toward scholarships in their honor. Dr. Smith’s selfless support for future students is an inspiring vote of confidence in our educational community.
MORE SUPPORT FOR LIFE-CHANGING RESEARCH
Our researchers are continuing to attract more national funding for 
their life-changing work. At the end of February, the U.S. Department of Education awarded nearly $10 million for the establishment of a new National Center of Rural School Mental Health at MU’s College of Education, which will support the mental health needs of rural students across three states. This comes on the heels of more than $5 million from the National Science Foundation to establish yet another state-of-the-art research and outreach center, the Advancing Research and its Impact on Society Center.
TEACHERS HONORED WITH KEMPER AWARDS
In mid-March, five teachers in five very different subjects (health science, education, marketing, soil nutrition management and music) were celebrated with William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence. These fellowships, which are awarded to teachers who have had profoundly positive impacts on their students and colleagues, each come with a $10,000 award. Let me once again congratulate Botswana Blackburn, Jennifer Fellabaum-Toston, Donald Meyer, Peter Motavalli and Brian Silvey for their inspiring contributions to Mizzou’s academic environment.
NCAA MAKE IT RIGHT CAMPAIGN
I want to thank everyone — our students, staff and faculty to our extended family of alumni, supporters, elected
officials and friends — for continuing to stand behind Mizzou’s students and our athletic programs to “Make it Right” concerning the penalties leveled by the NCAA Committee on Infractions. The sanctions on our athletic programs, which we formally appealed on March 25, will not prevent our athletes’ seasons from proceeding, so we will look forward to seeing our fans pack the venues and cheer on our Tigers in every sport. While we are concerned about the impact of these sanctions could have on our students and athletic programs, we are encouraged by the groundswell of support for our student-athletes and our efforts to make our case and represent our principles.
This only scratches the surface of the exciting things happening on campus, and there is much more to come.
Notably, don’t miss our first Show Me Mizzou Day on April 13, where more than 100 family-friendly events — from a special lecture featuring our Nobel laureate, Dr. Smith, to an immersive virtual reality experience — will showcase some of the many ways our university is delivering incredible advancements and experiences to the world. Everyone is welcome at this open-house event, and I am eager to see our community come together.
Thank you, as always, for your constant support of this great institution. I am inspired by and grateful for the work you are doing across campus and out in your communities — keep making your Mizzou family proud. Until next time — M-I-Z!
Sincerely,
Alexander N. Cartwright, PhD
Chancellor