Thanks to everyone who attended our second annual Novemberfest last week. We had a tremendous turnout – it was standing room only! I enjoyed sharing highlights with you from the past year – and some delicious food in anticipation of Thanksgiving.

I was pleased to have the opportunity to attend the recent APLU meeting in New Orleans alongside CAFNR associate deans Bryan Garton and Rob Kallenbach, and Mizzou leadership – President Mun Choi, Chancellor Alexander Cartwright and Provost Latha Ramchand. I was proud to represent our college; it is important to be in these meetings at the national level.

I also had the opportunity over the past month to attend the U.S. Pork Center of Excellence (USPCE) Deans’ Policy Council Meeting in Kansas City, a Leadership Intensive Workshop in Chapel Hill, N.C., and MU Extension’s Pearls of Production: Women in Agriculture Conference here in Columbia. What an exciting time to be in agriculture!

I am pleased to share with you that I have named Dr. Shibu Jose the CAFNR interim associate dean for research (ADR) and director of the MO agricultural experiment station. Currently, Dr. Jose is the division director for our School of Natural Resources and superintendent of the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center in New Franklin, Mo. His new appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2019. I will be working with SNR faculty and staff in the coming weeks to identify an interim director of our School of Natural Resources.

I am spending this week with my family but will be back next week! I plan to attend the MFA Incorporated Annual Meeting, the fall research center superintendents’ meeting in St. Joseph, the Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council meeting, the Missouri Livestock Symposium, and the Missouri Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in the coming weeks.

The CAFNR commencement is scheduled for 12 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, at the Hearnes Center. I’m looking forward to celebrating with our outstanding students, and invite you to join us for this special time.

Thank you to each and every one of you for all you do for CAFNR! I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with your loved ones.

CAFNR Proud!

Christopher R. Daubert
CAFNR Vice Chancellor & Dean

CAFNR set a one-year college-wide retention record of 90.7 percent this fall. This is the first time in the history of the college that we surpassed a 90 percent retention. Last fall’s entering freshmen were academically successful at a record pace, which is a result of quality students and excellent student support services across the college.

The Mizzou Alumni Association recognized two CAFNR alumni and one CAFNR faculty member with Faculty-Alumni Awards this month. CAFNR alumni Glenn Blumhorst (B.S. Ag ’85) and Debra Parker Oliver (Ph.D. Rural Soc ’00), and CAFNR faculty member Sandy Rikoon, Dean of the College of Human Environmental Sciences and Curators Distinguished Teaching Professor of Rural Sociology, were recognized at a ceremony Nov. 9 (see full story). Since 1968, the Mizzou Alumni Association has recognized the excellence of faculty and alumni with the Faculty-Alumni Awards. This year the Association honored 12 individuals with the award.

Don’t Miss!
The Connector is hosting a “Broader Impacts 101” workshop to guide researchers in creating compelling Broader Impacts statements and effectively incorporating them into proposals for National Science Foundation grant submissions. The workshop will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, in the Eyler Room, S110 Memorial Union. Open to all faculty, staff and students; lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to theconnector@missouri.edu. 

The CAFNR Staff Advisory Council will hold their annual door decorating contest in December. The deadline to decorate is Dec. 14, voting will take place Dec. 17-20, and the winner will be announced on Dec. 21. For questions, contact Jenna Fusinatto, fusinattoj@missouri.edu.

Did You Know?
A total of 23 students, four faculty, and two staff members are taking part in the 2018 Agribusiness Career Connection Program in Indianapolis. The program started Saturday and runs through Tuesday. The group will visit employers including Corteva Agriscience, Eli Lilly and Elanco Animal Health. The purpose of the program is introduce CAFNR undergraduate students to various agribusinesses and to further strengthen our relationships with these industry partners.

The MU Division of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity has announced an Excellence Grant Initiative for students and employees. This new funding initiative provides one-time funding for students, faculty or staff to creatively strengthen teaching, pedagogical practices, or research with inclusion, diversity and/or equity implications for our increasingly diverse community and student populations. Please visit the following link for more information on eligibility, the application process, criteria and more: Excellence Grant Initiative for Employees. Please contact the grant administrators with any questions you may have at any point throughout the process at muideinclusiveeng1@missouri.edu.

CAFNR hosted its second annual student-run International Education Week (Nov. 12-14) with 140 participants in all. Events included info booths to get your passport ‘stamped’ for a free ‘walking’ taco, a study abroad panel and popcorn session, and an International Trivia Night at the Heidelberg. Franny Bruner won the photo contest with her photo of a rescue elephant in Thailand, and Eze Pojmann-Ezeonyilo won the drawing for the five-piece luggage and travel set for his upcoming spring semester in Costa Rica.