I am excited to welcome everyone back to campus! The campus atmosphere is much more exciting when our students, faculty and staff are all interacting daily. I hope each of you have a rewarding and successful year!

Another year in CAFNR is another year of student success. Our top priority is recruiting talented students with a desire to cultivate healthy food systems, economies, environments, people and animals. We’re opening this semester with 779 new students enrolled in CAFNR! This is the largest new student enrollment in the history of the college.

For new students, one measure of academic success is a successful first year and return for their second year at Mizzou. With a 93.0% opening day retention rate, our second-year students, with the help of our faculty and staff, have knocked academic success out of the park. If you’re returning to CAFNR for your final year, you’re about to join a successful club: CAFNR graduates, with 96.8% of our most recent graduates employed, serving in the military, or pursuing advanced degrees in graduate or professional schools within six months of earning their degree. This is the fifth year in a row that we have achieved our goal of 95% of graduates with Career Success — and 51% percent of those graduates earned their degree debt free.

Let’s make this semester as successful as our opening day stats. Mizzou-Rah! 

Bryan Garton
Senior Associate Dean
Director of Academic Programs

Fall Round-Up Event Scheduled for Wednesday, August 28

Students are invited to learn more about the 40-plus CAFNR clubs and organizations during the CAFNR Fall Round-Up event at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, in the Trowbridge Event Center. Each of CAFNR’s 14 degree programs have activities tailored to its students, in addition to many college-wide opportunities. Getting involved is a great way to expand on classroom learning, meet others with similar interests — and have some fun along the way!

CAFNR offers many opportunities for high school students to explore the different majors in the college during the summer.

Current CAFNR students worked hard this summer to make new Tigers' “day one” at Mizzou the best it could be.

Devyn Keller, Libby Kleinsorge and Claire Walker joined the staff making the 11-day event happen in Sedalia this August.

Rachel Felton (M.S. ’14), Lindsey Fallon (B.S. ‘20, M.S. ’22) and Taylor VanDeVoorde followed their love of research from Columbia to San Diego.

• The University of Missouri Torq’N Tigers had two teams compete in the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) International Quarter-Scale Tractor Student Design Competition earlier this summer. The A-Team finished 5th place overall and placed first in the Overall Performance Event and Durability Competition out of 21 teams. The X-Team brought home 1st place in their Performance Event out of nine teams, finishing first in both pulls.The event took place May 31 – June 2 at the Peoria, Illinois, Expo Gardens.The team provides its members the opportunity to apply classroom knowledge and gain hands-on experience, as well as develop professional skills and network. Students are challenged to harness the power and torque of a specified stock engine during the competition, to maximize performance during a series of challenges. Members of the 2024 Torq’N Tigers Team include:
  • Sierra Beaver, junior, agricultural education
  • Gracen Clark, junior, agribusiness management
  • Ethan Gutz, spring 2024 graduate, agricultural systems technology/agribusiness management
  • Jonathan Ebbesmeyer, senior, mechanical engineering
  • Will Hanson, senior, plant sciences
  • Aidan Engbert, junior, information technology
  • Andrew Kabrick, junior, mechanical engineering
  • Trevor Blanken, junior, mechanical engineering
  • Avery Thomas, sophomore, mechanical engineering
  • Kohl Bush, sophomore, mechanical engineering
  • Braden Denning, sophomore, mechanical engineering
  • Evan Masterson, junior, agricultural systems technology
  • Jake Lakenburger, junior, mechanical engineering
  • Jack Knop, junior, mechanical engineering
  • Kent Shannon, coach
• Twelve Mizzou students were selected to receive Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Scholarships. AFA’s mission is to “build bridges for young leaders, fostering engagement and innovation in food and agriculture.” Students selected include:
  • Clara Bailey – Freshman, Agricultural Education, Pike County
  • Grant Oaks – Freshman, Agricultural Systems Technology, Sullivan County
  • Avery Pickering – Freshman, Animal Sciences, Sullivan County
  • Andi Belt – Freshman, Agricultural Education, Shelby County
  • Marissa McEwen – Freshman, Agriculture, Shelby County
  • Austin Wilson – Freshman, Plant Sciences, Shelby County
  • Aliza Yoder – Freshman, Plant Sciences, Shelby County
  • Gage Benskin – Freshman, Agricultural Systems Technology, Monroe County
  • Katrina Thomas – Freshman, Biochemistry, Monroe County
  • Shelby Dotson – Freshman, Agribusiness Management, Pettis County
  • Gavin Rhode – Freshman, Agribusiness Management, Clinton County
  • Kelsey Rathbun – Freshman, Agricultural Systems Technology, Andrew County
• Alison Rutledge, senior academic advisor in biochemistry, and Jenna Fusinatto, senior student services coordinator in the School of Natural Resources, were selected to participate in the 6th annual cohort of the University of Missouri System Advisor Development Program (ADP). This program is dedicated to recognizing and investing in the important role high-achieving student success professionals play in advancing the central mission of our universities. Rutledge and Fusinatto were identified as role models by other leadership in the college to participate in the program, which aims to celebrate their contributions to student success while providing new opportunities for continued excellence, impact, and personal and professional growth.
• The MU Student American Institute of Floral Designers (SAIFD) Chapter placed 2nd in the nation in the student competition during the American Institute of Floral Designers National Symposium in Orlando, July 2-6. Individual placings are as follows:
  • Emma Baepler:
    • 1st place Overall Student
    • 3rd Fashion Flowers
  • Beth Joffe
    • 5th Fashion Flowers
    • 8th Flowers to Carry
    • 8th Overall Student
  • Korrin Zerr
    • 2nd Fashion Flowers
    • 2nd Flowers to Carry
• The Cherng Summer Scholars program allows Honors College students at the University of Missouri to explore their passions through research projects aimed at questions they are interested in analyzing.Students who are accepted into the nine-week program participate in projects that are individually designed, with the support and mentorship of a Mizzou faculty member.At the end of the program, students present at the Summer Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum, hosted by the MU Office of Undergraduate Research. The forum gives each student the opportunity to showcase their discoveries. This year’s CAFNR scholars include:
  • Noelle Abend – Plant Sciences
  • Blake Arciga – Biochemistry
  • Kylie McHargue – Biochemistry, Ancient Mediterranean Studies
  • Dustin Peters – Biochemistry
  • Hannah Rice – Biochemistry
  • Mackenna Rodgers – Biochemistry