With the fall semester underway, we are excited introduce and welcome the new faculty members in our college. The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri is proud to introduce seven new faculty members this semester who are equipped to advance our core missions of research, teaching and extension. They each bring a wealth of knowledge in their respective fields, and represent four of our six divisions: Animal Sciences; Applied Social Sciences; Food, Nutrition & Exercise Sciences and the School of Natural Resources. We are pleased to showcase the newest members of our college:
Gurpreet Kaur
Assistant Research Professor, School of Natural Resources
Kaur is an assistant research professor in the School of Natural Resources, based at the Northern Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center (NM-REEC) in Novelty, MO. Her responsibilities include conducting soil science research at the NM-REEC. Kaur earned her PhD in natural resources from the University of Missouri, where she also served as a graduate research assistant, evaluating nitrogen fertilizer sources for corn production under waterlogged soils. Prior to her current role at the NM-REEC, Kaur was an assistant professor at Mississippi State University in the National Center for Alluvial Aquifer Research. Here she evaluated best irrigation management practices, cover crops, crop rotations, and fertilizer applications. She holds memberships with Soil Science Society of America, Crop Science Society of America, and the American Society of Agronomy, where she has held multiple leadership positions. Kaur can be reached at gk478@missouri.edu.
Hong Im Kim
Assistant Research Professor, Division of Animal Sciences
Kim is an assistant research professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, and part of the new faculty group in the NextGen Precision Health Institute, where world-class researchers are seeking answers for the toughest diseases. Prior to joining CAFNR, she served as a senior researcher in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Michigan State University, where focused on identification and analysis of genes associated with survival rate in endometrial cancer and ovarian clear cell cancers. She received her PhD in Medical Science from Chung-Ang University in South Korea and completed post-doctoral training at Louisiana State University Health Science Center and the MD Anderson Cancer Center. She studies molecular and genetic characters that cause ovarian and endometrial cancers. Her work will intersect both human and animal health through pharmacological targeting which could lead to enhanced prevention, detection, and treatment. Kim can be reached at hikim@missouri.edu.
Adrienne Ohler
Associate Extension Professor, Division of Applied Social Sciences
Ohler is an associate extension professor in the Division of Applied Social Science, working with MU Extension’s Business and Community Development Division. She has extensive research and teaching experience in the field of applied economics and statistics. Ohler earned her PhD in economics from Washington State University. Her work rests at the intersection of regulatory economics, energy and health policy, and externalities impacting water quality, natural resource use, and human and animal health. Prior to joining the University of Missouri she was an associate professor of economics at Illinois State University, and Director of Outreach for the Institute for Regulatory Policy Studies. Her work employs survey and secondary data analysis, and simulation modeling to examine the impact of policy changes and institutional structure on health, the environment and economic outcomes. She has collaborated with a variety of organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, the Institute for Public Policy, the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute, the Financial Research Institute and the Center for Health Policy. Ohler can be reached at adrienne.ohler@missouri.edu.
Allison Pease
Assistant Professor, School of Natural Resources
Pease returns to Mizzou as an assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources. Her research centers around fish ecology with a research program intended to improve understanding of environmental change impacts and to support conservation of river and stream ecosystems, including the dynamics of aquatic food webs. In this role, she will also teach courses on fisheries management. She earned her PhD in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University. Pease was a faculty member at Texas Tech University Department of Natural Resources Management from 2012-19 where she taught a number of courses in freshwater biology, aquatic ecology and fisheries management. Pease completed her postdoctoral research at the University of Missouri in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey. Pease can be reached at peasea@missouri.edu.
Daniel Springer
Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Natural Resources
Springer joins CAFNR as an assistant teaching professor in the School of Natural Resources. His research examines the connection between sport and development in higher education through various developmental and organizational frameworks to construct a better contextual understanding of formal sport environments. Through this research, he aims to leverage and deliver sport within the higher education realm. He is teaching a number of courses in sport management, including Leadership & Management, Diversity & Ethics and Legal Aspects of Sport. Previously, Springer was a visiting assistant professor and academic advisor at Texas A&M University, the institution at which he also earned his PhD in Kinesiology. Springer has served as a committee member for the Association for the Study of Higher Education and Athletics, where he holds professional membership. Springer can be reached at dspringer@missouri.edu.
Stephan Sommer
Assistant Extension Professor and State Extension Specialist (Enology), Food, Nutrition & Exercise Sciences
Sommer is an assistant extension professor in the Division of Food, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, and is the state extension specialist for enology at the Grape and Wine Institute. In this capacity, he will conduct trainings for students and winery owners and industry professionals, while working with the Missouri Wine and Grape Board. He has international winemaking experience, having worked at various wineries and breweries before beginning his professional academic career. Prior to joining CAFNR, Sommer was the director of the Viticulture and Enology Research Center at California State University in Fresno. He also has served as an assistant professor and program director, teaching fermentation classes and labs at Appalachian State University. Sommer earned his PhD in microbiology and wine science from Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany. Sommer holds memberships in a number of professional organizations, including the American Society for Enology and Viticulture; Association of German Enologists; and the American Chemical Society. Sommer can be reached at ssommer@missouri.edu.
Andrew Zumwalt
Associate Teaching Professor, Division of Applied Social Sciences
Zumwalt joins CAFNR as an associate teaching professor of Personal Financial Planning in the Division of Applied Social Sciences. In this role, he teaches courses in Personal Financial Planning, including Tax Planning and Careers in Financial Planning. Zumwalt earned his Master’s Degree in Consumer and Family Economics from the University of Missouri and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Prior to joining CAFNR, he was an associate extension professor, serving the Trulaske College of Business at Mizzou and a co-director of the Center for Economic and Financial Education. He has taught a number of courses during his time at Mizzou, including Community Agencies & Volunteerism and Human Resource Management. Zumwalt also was the principal investigator on the MoTax Expansion Project with the Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service. Zumwalt can be reached at ZumwaltA@missouri.edu.