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It has been a long winter in Missouri, but spring is officially here this week! I know we all hope it is here to stay! Thank you to all who participated in Mizzou Giving Day last week. This year’s event focused on showing Tiger spirit, looking back on fond campus memories, and giving back in an area that inspired you. CAFNR was in the Top 10 among Mizzou units in both the number of gifts (158) and the dollar amount raised ($407,401). I also enjoyed seeing all who attended the retirement celebration for Marc Linit on March 13. Marc has been a constant in our college, leading through many transitions over the years. He dedicated his career to CAFNR and Mizzou. We are so appreciative for his leadership, and wish him joy and happiness in retirement. My wife, Katie, and I had great fun at CAFNR Unlimited and Trivia in the Wild. Both of these fundraisers show the true spirit and support of our great alumni and friends. In March, my schedule sent me around the state for advisory board meetings at our Wurdack, Thompson, Graves-Chapple, Hundley-Whaley and Greenley Research Centers; and to meetings in Jefferson City with Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, Director Sarah Parker Pauley, Director Chris Chinn, and Gary Marshall, CEO of the Missouri Corn Growers Association. I also traveled to Washington, D.C., this month. On March 5 and 6, I joined Meagan Kaiser, CAFNR’s representative on the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) within the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), on Capitol Hill to push for a $125 million increase for the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the FY20 agricultural appropriations bill. We had the opportunity to share with many members of our Missouri Congressional delegation the great CAFNR projects that have resulted from federal funding that comes to CAFNR through Hatch, McIntire Stennis, Smith-Lever, and the Agriculture and Food Research Initiatives program areas. In addition, I recently visited the Poet biorefining plant in Laddonia with former Sen. Brian Munzlinger to learn of yet another value-added industry that benefits Missouri farmers. Last week, I met with the CAFNR Foundation executive committee to provide an update for our college. As always, we appreciate the foundation’s support of CAFNR. It is bittersweet to announce to you that our director of strategic communications, Kristen Smarr, has accepted the position of deputy chief marketing and communications officer for the University of Missouri and the University of Missouri System. Kristen has been with our college for nearly 18 years, and has led our communications efforts with energy, passion and commitment for the past 15 years. She most recently guided our Strategic Planning process, a project that will have a long-lasting impact for CAFNR. Her last day will be April 3. We are happy for Kristen and wish her the very best – and are happy that she will remain nearby! I wish everyone a happy and rejuvenating spring break! Whether that means you will be off campus or on, I hope it’s a quieter week that prepares everyone for a busy push to the end of the semester! CAFNR Proud! Christopher R. Daubert
CAFNR Vice Chancellor & Dean |
