Four CAFNR undergraduate students and one organization were recently honored during the 2023 Celebration of Excellence ceremony, which was held Tuesday, April 11, at Bond Life Sciences Center. Congratulations to:

• Outstanding Freshman: Morgan Watkins
• Outstanding Sophomore: Abby Loesing
• Outstanding Junior: Grant Norfleet
• Outstanding Senior: Hailey Schepers
• Outstanding Student Organization: Sigma Alpha

Steward T.A. Pickett shared insight into his career as an ecologist during Executive-in-Residence Program visit

CAFNR plays a big role in the Missouri State FFA Convention each spring, and this year was no exception! Thanks to everyone who helped plan and execute this important event, held last week at the Hearnes Center.

• CAFNR sponsored/hosted more than 3,100 students in 16 agriculture, food and natural resources Career Development Events. Career Development Events provide students with the opportunity to learn skills, explore careers and prepare for educational opportunities beyond high school. Career Development Events also help develop employability skills, including leadership, decision making, communication and teamwork. Due to the relationship between success in CDEs and academic achievement, CAFNR provides scholarships to students attending MU who have achieved top honors at the state level.
• Mizzou “piloted” campus tours for students with the Sinclair School of Nursing, College of Engineering, and School of Veterinary Medicine.
• Dean Daubert and President Choi were invited guest speakers during two of the five convention sessions.
• CAFNR’s degree programs participated in the Career Expo on Friday.
• Eleven of the newly elected State FFA Officers for 2023-24 will be attending Mizzou next fall, all with majors in CAFNR, including Sam Tummons, President; Owen Neely, First-Vice President; and Karson Calvin, Secretary. Interesting note, all three have parents who are alums of MU-CAFNR.

Unique collaboration between three Mizzou Colleges offers environmental sciences students an opportunity to study weather through virtual reality

Gowdy serves as an academic advisor for the plant sciences degree program

Bailey Henry is educating the next generation of agriculture students after earning degrees in agricultural education from Mizzou

• The Mizzou Livestock Judging Team was named Reserve Team Overall at the Blue Dragon Classic in Hutchison, Kansas, held in early April. The team placed third in Reasons, Cattle and Sheep & Goats, and fourth in Swine. Team members who placed include: Allison Eitel, senior in agriculture, 11th Overall; Sam Wheeler, junior in agriculture, 12th Overall; and Addie Thessen, junior in plant sciences, 14th Overall. Additional team members include Brady Schnelten, junior in animal sciences; Shane Vehige, junior in animal sciences; Jenna Blessing, senior in agriculture; and Grant Stafford, junior in agriculture.The team is coached by Tawnie DeJong, instructor of animal sciences.
• Kristen Barwick, junior in biochemistry, was one of four University of Missouri students selected as a Goldwater Scholar for 2023. Each year, universities nominate up to four students for this prestigious national scholarship — this year, all four nominees from Mizzou were named to the scholar program. The Goldwater Scholarship is a competitive national scholarship program that recognizes outstanding undergraduate students in the fields of mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. This year, 413 scholars were selected nationwide.
• The MU Collegiate Soil Judging Team took fourth place in the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Judging Conference 2023 Soils Contest, held April 12-15, in Modesto, California. Two students from the Mizzou team also placed in the top ten: India Williams, freshman in environmental sciences, placed sixth; Kali Dolson, sophomore in environmental sciences, received seventh place. In addition to Williams and Dolson, the team was composed of the following students: Sophie Teddy, sophomore in environmental sciences; Paige Simpson, sophomore in environmental sciences; Bit Sochacki, sophomore in environmental sciences; Rosie Garza, senior in environmental sciences; Alayna Kruse, junior in environmental sciences; Alex Kalisz, junior in environmental sciences; Lauren Clasbey, senior in environmental sciences; Heidi Gaertner, freshman in environmental sciences; V Marshall, senior in environmental sciences; Randi Noel, junior in plant sciences; Joey Meinert, assistant coach and graduate student in natural resources; Isaac Reinwald, senior in environmental sciences; Pierce Taylor, junior in plant sciences; Jeremy Wease, senior in environmental sciences; Dylan Sutton, senior in environmental sciences; Chris Kalogeris, senior in environmental sciences; Madisyn Branch, senior in environmental sciences. The team is coached by Kerry Clark, assistant research professor and director of CAFNR International Programs.
• The Missouri FFA Association named a number of CAFNR faculty and staff members Honorary State FFA Degree recipients at the 95th Missouri FFA Convention held April 20-21 in Columbia. This recognition was given for years of service as state superintendents for an agriculture, food and natural resources Career Development Events. Those honored include:
  • Matt Arri, Agricultural Sales CDE
  • Andrew Biggs, Agronomy CDE
  • Addison Byrne, Livestock Evaluation CDE
  • Andrew Clarke, Food Science & Technology CDE
  • Lesleighan Cravens, Floriculture CDE
  • Chris Daubert, Support of CDEs and the Convention
  • Tawnie DeJong, Livestock Evaluation CDE
  • Deborah Finke, Entomology CDE
  • Laura Friedrich, Agricultural Sales CDE
  • Tim Moloney, Nursery/Landscaping CDE
  • Teagan Schnurbusch, Meats Evaluation CDE
  • Bongkosh Vardhanabhuti, Dairy Foods Evaluation CDE
  • Dusty Walter, Soils Evaluation CDE