The day after Abigail Turner graduated from high school she jumped on an airplane and flew to Australia with the encouragement of her parents, who love to travel. Turner grew up in Brookfield, Mo., a town of less than 4,500 people, and the trip to Australia was her first foray into international travel. It wouldn’t be her last. Turner, a…
Office of Academic Programs ⋅ Page 1
A Commitment to Social Responsibility and Public Service
Animal science course allows students to gain service learning experience
For the past five years, Rocío Melissa Rivera has helped students find ways to make a positive impact in the Columbia community through service learning. Rivera, an associate professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, teaches Animal Science 2140: Companion Animals, a course dedicated to teaching students about companion animals such as cats, dogs and horses. The course is one…
Q&A With Laura Friedrich
Friedrich is the student services coordinator for the CAFNR Office of Academic Programs
What are your job duties/job responsibilities in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources? I am a student services coordinator — so I always say my job is to help students (and families) get from where they are today to graduation. Whether that’s advising students, helping them change their major, declaring a minor, withdrawing from classes, or reviewing and…
Laura Friedrich Receives Mumford Award for Outstanding Staff as Part of 2020 Celebration of Excellence
Laura Friedrich, senior student services coordinator in the CAFNR Office of Academic Programs, has received the Frederick B. Mumford Award for Outstanding Staff as part of the 2020 CAFNR Celebration of Excellence Week. Friedrich has been part of the Office of Academic Programs for 10 years, impacting all CAFNR undergraduate students over the course of their studies. Her work on…
Going Global (Virtually)
Go Global! campaign preparing students for future study abroad experiences and virtual internships
Being adaptable is a major role for a director of study abroad at a university. Directors deal with program changes, passports that need updated at the last minute and students who miss their flights, among with many other important matters. Shanon Dickerson understands that serving as CAFNR director of study abroad requires her to think outside of the box quite…
Developing Learning Objectives
CAFNR's Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Curricula Team working on learning objectives focused on IDE and cultural competence for all CAFNR students
The University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ (CAFNR) Inclusion, Diversity and Equity (IDE) Curricula Team has been working to develop a core set of learning objectives focused on IDE and cultural competence for all CAFNR students. The 12-person committee, which includes representatives from each of CAFNR’s six divisions as well as four CAFNR students, has proposed…
Developing Student Leaders
Litton Leadership Scholars Program offers students a chance to grow as leaders
Nearly a decade ago, and just one year into his teaching career at the University of Missouri, Jon Simonsen traveled with a handful of MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) faculty and administrators to Chillicothe, Mo. The purpose of the trip was to meet with board members of the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation, which was created…
Focused on a Safe and Comfortable Return
Trowbridge renovations, other venues open up socially-distanced classroom space for CAFNR students
As the University of Missouri prepares to open its doors for the 2020 fall semester, the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) has spent the past four months making sure the return for its faculty, staff and students will be done safely and according to the Show Me Renewal Plan. An academic operations team comprising one individual…
An Educational Experience
Robert Sites earns inaugural MU Study Abroad Teaching Excellence Award for Thailand Study Abroad program
For 14 straight years, Robert Sites has led University of Missouri students to Thailand for an educational study abroad experience focused on biodiversity and conservation. The 3-week program, which takes place over winter break, coincides with Thailand’s dry season – the best time of the year to be in the country for biodiversity and conservation projects. When Sites, a professor…
A Different Look
CAFNR students adapt to remote learning during COVID-19 pandemic
In mid-March, the University of Missouri System announced that its four universities would conduct remote courses for the reminder of the spring 2020 semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most students traveled home and have been finishing their coursework remotely. Students in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) don’t only receive a degree during their time in…