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College of Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Dean’s Monthly Newsletter // November 2020
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On the Friday before the week of Thanksgiving, I typically host Novemberfest and share my appreciation for your hard work, dedication and devotion to CAFNR. Yes, 2020 has been unlike any year I’ve experienced, but I remain so very thankful to work alongside the wonderful and talented faculty and staff of CAFNR.

As we pause at Thanksgiving to count our blessings, I am especially grateful to you for working so hard through these unprecedented challenges. I am also thankful to our students, who have demonstrated, with grit, their determination to face down the challenges imposed by this pandemic.

We are a great college because of you all – our faculty, staff, students and stakeholders. My sincere and heartfelt thanks to you, for your many selfless contributions along our Drive To Distinction.

CAFNR Proud,

Christopher R. Daubert, Ph.D.
CAFNR Vice Chancellor & Dean

@CAFNRDean
CAFNR Dean
@CAFNRDean

We are blessed with amazing @Mizzou students. Thank you @cafnr student council for all you do for every student in our college; I enjoyed our visit last night! You all make me #CAFNRproud! #MIZ!

10:33 AM - Oct 22, 2020
Tiger Roars!

Congratulations to the faculty and staff surprised and recognized as part of our virtual 2020 Celebration of Excellence last week! Honorees included:

Congratulations to the faculty and staff honored with 2020 SNR Awards earlier this month. Awardees included:

  • Outstanding Citizen Award – Sonja Wilhelm Stanis
  • TIGER Award – Cindy Greenwood
  • Outstanding Faculty Award – Stephen Anderson
  • Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award – Evan Travis
  • Outstanding Graduate Student Award – Michael Moore
  • SNR Black & Gold Alumni Award – William Lockwood

Congratulations to the CAFNR IT Team, presented with the CAFNR Proud Award last week for their hard work this year. Team members include:

  • Drew Backues
  • Matthew Keeler
  • Tonya Mueller
  • Cynthia Richards
  • Greg Rotert
  • Chris Shriver
  • Matt Stanley
  • Gary Tyler
CAFNR ReGenesis Update

CAFNR ReGenesis is considering three initiatives to boldly prepare the college for a post-COVID world as part of our Drive to Distinction. Every other month, we will update you on the progress on these initiatives:

Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station Restructure (Associate Dean Shibu Jose, lead):
The external review team has been formed, and they will conduct their review virtually Dec. 7-11. Review team members are:

  • German A. Bollero (Chair), Associate Dean for Research & Director, Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES), University of Illinois
  • Jerry Fankhauser, Assistant Director, Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Florida
  • Blake Hurst, President, Missouri Farm Bureau
  • Kenneth Scaife, Director, Agricultural Operations, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University

CAFNR Reorganization (Senior Associate Dean Bryan Garton, lead):
Division directors are reviewing administrative and/or academic processes, procedures and/or policies that could be refined or even eliminated. It is anticipated that most suggestions will require additional review, discussion, and action, but this initial step by the DDs to uncover possibilities is a starting point.

  • Have we maintained processes, procedures, and/or policies over the years simply because we have done so in the past?
  • What about the faculty committee structure in the college? Could there be some consolidation or even elimination reducing faculty commitment to “service” within the college?

Nine-month Faculty Appointment Conversion (Associate Dean Rob Kallenbach, lead):
The 9-month appointment committee meets again the first week of December. The committee will consider potential net savings, comparison to peer-institutions and equity to faculty. From their review, the committee will develop recommendations for the Dean to consider before moving forward.

Of Note

The Cambio Center has welcomed three new faculty members to its Board of Directors: Mansoo Yu, professor, social work; Irma Arteaga, associate professor, Truman School of Public Affairs; and Rocío Melissa Rivera, associate professor, animal sciences.

The Missouri Youth Institute has created a newsletter and the second edition is out now, highlighting the 2020 Global Youth Institute and World Food Prize events. They are also accepting student papers and applications from interested high school students for Spring 2021. Deadline is Feb. 1. Please contact Kristin Bilyeu for more information on subscribing to the newsletter and/or about applying for the 2021 event.