Welcome back everyone! I am excited for the new semester and what lies ahead for our college in 2019.

Although it has been quiet on campus, I recently attended several events around the state. I was invited to present at the Missouri Governor’s Conference on Agriculture Jan. 15 about the Show-Me-State Food, Beverage and Forest Products Manufacturing Initiative, the first of our “Grand Ideas” set to launch. The recently completed study showed there is significant opportunity for manufacturing of our ag and natural resource commodities in Missouri. I was also honored to have a meeting with Governor Mike Parson in early January to discuss that same initiative. I attended the 104th Missouri Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in December, spoke last week at the Missouri Forest Products Association’s Industry Summit, and attended the Heart of America Dairy Expo in Springfield.

The “busy season” for attending our Research Centers’ Advisory Board meetings has begun and will continue over the next couple of months. Our Research Centers are so important to CAFNR and serve as the front door to MU for much of the state. I enjoy hearing how they are working closely with local landowners and natural resource managers to share and implement our research findings.

For the remainder of January, I look forward to being at the Annual Boone County Legislative Forum on Higher Education hosted by the Boone Country chapter of the Mizzou Alumni Association; the Missouri Agriculture Quarterly Luncheon hosted by Missouri Farm Bureau; and the MU Center for Agroforestry’s 10th Annual Symposium. This symposium on Jan. 30-31 is focused on innovation and entrepreneurship and includes two speakers who are former colleagues of mine, Rodolphe Barrangou and Kelly Sexton. I know it will be a robust discussion and encourage everyone to attend. (See the full schedule of speakers and how to register online.)

Here’s to another successful semester for CAFNR! Let’s make it a great one.

CAFNR Proud!

Christopher R. Daubert
CAFNR Vice Chancellor & Dean

One-hundred percent of eligible first-time college Missouri residents were offered a CAFNR scholarship in fall 2018. Eighty-three percent of eligible continuing students who applied received a CAFNR scholarship. This all helps lead to the fact that 45.8 percent of recent CAFNR graduates graduated with no debt!

Don’t Miss!
The CAFNR Staff Advisory Council has resources to help fund staff members’ professional enrichment activities! All benefit-eligible, non-faculty employees who have worked in CAFNR for at least six continuous months when their proposed event/project occurs are eligible to submit a Staff Enrichment Award proposal. (Previous recipients are not eligible for new funding for one year after the original activity.) Activities that funding can cover include conferences, professional meetings, workshops, work-skills courses, etc., related to professional enhancement of the individual. The deadline for submission is noon on Wednesday, Jan. 30. Instructions and application are available on MyCAFNR. Contact Amy Moum or Cindy Greenwood with any questions.

Did You Know?
MyCAFNR is a valuable internal resource for faculty and staff – CAFNR’s own intranet! Find marketing materials like logos, photos and templates; forms for accounting, benefits and travel; listing of faculty committees and their members; CAFNR policies and bylaws; promotion and tenure guidelines; Staff Advisory Council forms and listing of members; information on how to reserve rooms, obtain keys, and receive routine building maintenance; and much more. Explore MyCAFNR today!