Welcome back from Spring Break!

At CAFNR, the RISE Experience doesn’t stop just because classes aren’t in session. This spring break, CAFNR had students across the globe and across the nation exploring new learning experiences through Study Abroad and Mizzou Alternative Breaks. I hope you all are returning to campus refreshed and ready to finish strong, and then launch into a summer filled with more RISE opportunities through CAFNR!

Bryan Garton
Senior Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs

In the spirit of service that was the cornerstone of the 1839 founding of the University of Missouri, the Mizzou Alumni Association Student Board presents the Mizzou ’39 Award to 39 outstanding seniors each year.

Serving as a forecaster in both tropical Hawaii and arctic Alaska, Furgione learned how to serve communities through science.

Through the NutriZou clinic, dietetics students provide free nutrition counseling to the Columbia community.

Every spring, CAFNR’s Personal Financial Planning majors work with community members to prepare their taxes for free, using their financial skills and getting to know their clients.

Join agricultural education students for their food drive service project for the Team and Organizational Leadership course with Dr. Tummons.

Bring canned or non-perishable food items to the Student Center from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., April 8-10, to be donated to the Columbia Food Pantry.

Hospitality Management students Fiona Heeney, Kira Pankow, and Amy Norman attended the Club Management Association of America World Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 4-8.
In addition to attending workshops with industry professionals, Fiona Heeney facilitated a student workshop.

The Missouri Park and Recreation Association Annual Conference and Expo took place at the St. Charles Convention Center March 5-8. Parks, Recreation, Sport and Tourism faculty Dr. Jennifer Wentz and Jason Young took 14 undergraduate and graduate students to attend and participate in conference activities. Students volunteered at the conference, attended education sessions, networking events, and the expo hall with 400+ parks, recreation, sport and tourism professionals across the state of Missouri and beyond. They also participated in programs designed specifically for students.
The Mizzou PRST Alumni Social and Live Auction was held during the conference. Thanks to donated items from our supporters, we raised $2,000 at the auction (in just one hour), which goes directly to the Mizzou PRST Alumni Student Scholarship Fund.
Thirteen of the students were awarded scholarships from the MPR Trust Scholarship Fund and were recognized at the MPRA Awards Banquet on the evening of Thursday, March 7.
On Thursday, Wentz and Young presented at conference on the topic of artificial intelligence in the workplace: “A.I. All The Way: Turning Average Employees into A.I.mazing Superstars!

Personal Financial Planning students got to network with potential future employers during their Industry Advisory Board Day on March 14 in Memorial Union. Alumni of the program engaged in roundtable and panel discussions with the students about their goals, future plans, and advice on entering the industry.

King had always planned to become a doctor, but didn’t expect how much her undergraduate degree would impact her patient care.

• Four CAFNR undergraduates won awards at the 2024 Midwest American Society of Plant Biologists Meeting held at Purdue University. Award winners include:
  • Will Thives Santos (Junior, Biochemistry, Craig Schenck lab) – 3rd place poster presentation award
  • Felicity Guttmann (Junior, Plant Sciences, Soyon Park lab) – 1st  place poster presentation award
  • Carissa Bersche (Sophomore, Biochemistry, Antje Heese lab) – 2nd place poster presentation award
  • Eric Fritschi (Junior, Biochemistry, Antje Heese lab) -3rd place for oral presentation award
• The Mizzou Animal Sciences Academic Quadrathlon Team tied for first place with Kansas State University at the American Society of Animal Sciences Midwest Section competition held at the University of Wisconsin – Platteville. This year’s team is the third team from Mizzou to place first at the regional competition. Team members included animal science majors Kaden de Jong, Megan Espeland, Seth Hansen, and Parker Krudop. Their faculty mentor was Kelsey Fuller.
• For the first time, seven Mizzou students competed in the National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC) conducted through the National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP). These seven Division of Plant Sciences students joined over 650 other students from 49 different schools across the nation at the BYU campus in Provo, UT, March 12-16.All Mizzou students experienced some level of success, including one top 20 finish and two top 10 finishes.
• CAFNR student Lara Stefani, biochemistry, received the DAAD Research Internship in Science and Engineering award to study abroad in Germany. RISE Germany offers summer research internships in Germany for undergraduate students from North America, Great Britain and Ireland. In their internships, students are carefully matched with doctoral students whom they assist and who serve as their mentors. Interns receive a monthly stipend to cover everyday costs.