Spring is always busy, but it’s also one of the best times at a university, as it means awards season! I hope you will all join us for our college’s annual Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony Tuesday, April 16, beginning at 4 p.m. at Bond Life Sciences Center, with appetizers in the atrium. The program starts at 5 p.m. in Monsanto Auditorium, and desserts and congratulations to the winners will follow in the foyer! We will present awards for outstanding students, researchers, teachers, advisors, staff, service and much more. No RSVP required; just join and help us celebrate! We are in an exciting season of growth for our college, both on campus and at our REECs across the state, celebrating a groundbreaking last week – and will have a topping off ceremony yet this afternoon! A groundbreaking (pictured above) was held Friday, April 5, for the Roy Blunt Soil Testing and Research Laboratory at the Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center (FD-REEC) in Portageville, Mo. This $4.6 million facility will enhance agriculture research programs housed at the center, offering advanced resources for soil, water and plant-tissue testing. This afternoon, we celebrate the “topping-off” of the new Learning Center at the Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Farm (HARF) in New Franklin, Mo. This new building will upgrade the ability of the farm to host educational and outreach events, and support the local community, including producers and landowners. HARF is part of the Central Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center. I was thrilled to help celebrate the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute’s 40th anniversary, as well as the 10th iteration of the Abner Womack Missouri Agriculture Outlook Conference last week. The talks were outstanding, as usual, and showcased the leadership of FAPRI in analysis of markets and policy across the globe. Also this month I have: - Participated in the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station’s Statewide Advisory Board Meeting at Cornett Farm in Linneus, MO
- Presented, along with Chad Higgins, Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement, at the Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City’s annual “Mizzou Showcase”
- Attended the Ag Hall of Fame event in Jefferson City
- Spoke to the Paris Rotary Club, at the invitation of alumnus Chuck Brazeale
- Attended the 4-H Grand Ham Breakfast
- Performed associate deans and directors evaluations
- Participated in interviews for the dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine search
Yet to come, I will: - Participate in interviews for the dean of the College of Engineering search
- Visit alumni in St. Louis with our CAFNR Advancement team
- Attend a Campus Master Plan working group meeting
- Participate in the Mizzou Book Authors event. (The Mizzou community has an open invitation to join this year and celebrate Mizzou authors, including those in CAFNR! The event will be 4-6 p.m. Thursday, April 25, at the Museum of Art and Archaeology; CAFNR’s panel begins at 4:15.)
See you on Tuesday as we recognize and celebrate our people! CAFNR Proud, Christopher R. Daubert, Ph.D.
CAFNR Vice Chancellor & Dean |