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What an exhilarating month it has been! I have enjoyed spending time with students, alumni, new faculty, emeriti faculty, faculty and staff, donors, stakeholders and friends over the past few weeks. I kicked off the month sharing with our CAFNR emeriti faculty members an update on the Food, Beverage and Forest Products Manufacturing Initiative. I value reconnecting with our retired faculty over periodic luncheons and keeping them updated on what is going on in the college. They are important to our legacy and wonderful advocates for our college! I appreciated the time with CAFNR stakeholders at the Our Time to Lead event in St. Louis, the Missouri Conservation Partners Roundtable, the Missouri Beef Industry Council, and via MU Extension Engagement Week, where we got to hear from CAFNR alumnus and University of Illinois Chancellor, Dr. Robert Jones, a keynote speaker. I had a great time with our energetic students at the CAFNR Week Food Fight Dodgeball tournament, although my team did not win. CAFNR Week activities this year were outstanding – and enjoyable! Thanks to our CAFNR Student Council for their hard work for a great week. It was inspiring to recognize the recipients of our second annual CAFNR Column Awards on Oct. 4. This award is the highest honor given to alumni by the college. Hearing from each of the honorees that night was a huge highlight. To learn how their CAFNR degree(s) changed their lives meant the world to me. I also enjoyed seeing one of our favorite alumna, Tyne Morgan, Oct. 11, as she taped her television program on campus – the U.S. Farm Report’s College Roadshow. It was fun to see lots of CAFNR spirit at the taping – and I know the student groups enjoyed the prizes that came with showing that spirit! Although we ended Field Day season this month with the Wurdack Research Center Field Day and the Missouri Chestnut Roast back-to-back, we still have much to celebrate at our research centers. Just last Friday we held the ribbon cutting for the Southwest Research Center Agricultural Education Center building. This is the first realization of the $6.5 million investment in our Agricultural Experiment Station, and gives this area of the state a convenient meeting place, and more opportunities to learn about research at the Southwest Center. And, I am very excited to share that we will be opening a new CAFNR research center tomorrow – the first one in more than 30 years! The Land of the Osages Research Center will not only be a resource for the Ozark region of the state, but will also establish a partnership with the Osage Nation to promote agroforestry innovations. It was wonderful to recognize Borlaug fellows from across the country on Oct. 16 at a CAFNR-hosted luncheon as part of the World Food Prize festivities in Des Moines. I am proud to be part of this important global event each year. Nearly $1,000 was raised for the United Way with our deans’ Pie in the Face fundraiser earlier this month. Great fun for a great cause (and that’s easy for me to say as I didn’t have to take the pie to the face, nor did I have to administer said pie!) Thanks to the associate deans for being good sports. So many great events this month with supporters of our college! It was inspirational to hear from a student panel about what scholarships and a CAFNR education mean to them at the annual CAFNR Scholarship Dinner. I also enjoyed visiting with our CAFNR Foundation, as well as the Litton Foundation and its Leadership Scholars, and attending a GICL Reception and Dinner. GICL’s impact on cooperatives around the world cannot be overstated. We proudly welcomed our new faculty members here in the college last week at a special reception in their honor. What a talented group! I know they will be a big part of our Drive to Distinction. Read more about our Fall 2019 new faculty members. Next up for me is the CAST Annual Meeting in Fayetteville, Arkansas, later this week. I am new to the CAST Board of Trustees. I hope everyone has made plans to join us for Novemberfest in a few weeks. We will gather at 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, to hear the state of the college address, and enjoy Thanksgiving-themed CAFNR treats. Novemberfest is a great way to say “thank you” to everyone in our college for all they do. Note the change in location from years past – we will be meeting at the Missouri Theatre on 9th Street. We have a lot to be thankful for! I look forward to celebrating with all of you soon. CAFNR Proud! Christopher R. Daubert, Ph.D.
CAFNR Vice Chancellor & Dean |
