Six CAFNR alumni were honored at a special ceremony Friday, Nov. 8.

I have enjoyed celebrating accomplishments of our CAFNR community this month!

We were proud to honor the outstanding efforts of Eric Aldrich, assistant teaching professor of atmospheric science, as he gave the Maxine Christopher Shutz Lecture for Distinguished Teaching in October (Eric is pictured second from left, above, along with Provost Matt Martens; Pat Market, director of the School of Natural Resources; and myself). In addition to campus colleagues, about 20 of Professor Aldrich’s students as well as his family joined the lecture, where he spoke of his teaching philosophy of fostering a “learning-centered environment.”

Recently, we gathered to recognize our 2024 CAFNR Column Award recipients at a lunch event. Each of our six divisions honors one alumnus each year, reflecting the six historic columns on the quad. I not only enjoy celebrating their accomplishments each year, but I also relish the opportunity to hear about how their CAFNR experiences have shaped their careers. Learn more about this year’s honorees.

That evening, two CAFNR alumni were honored as part of the Mizzou Alumni Association’s 2024 Faculty and Alumni Awards ceremony. Congratulations to alumni Chuck Brazeale (BS Ag ’57) and Sarah Geisert (BS Ag ’81). Both Chuck and Sarah are incredible supporters of CAFNR and Mizzou, and we were thrilled to see them honored on this stage! Learn more about this year’s honorees.

We also welcome Dr. Daniel Credeur, associate teaching professor in our Division of Food, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, to the Dean’s Office as our new CAFNR Faculty Fellow for AI, a position also supported by the Provost’s Office. He will share a message each month in this newsletter, to help us all stay up to date on this important topic. Please see his first monthly message below.

So far in November I have also:

• Met with Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council Executive Director Gary Wheeler
• Met with Missouri Agricultural Leadership of Tomorrow Executive Director Lucinda McRoberts
• Attended the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida
• Attended the Institute of Food Technologists Board of Directors Meeting in Chicago, Illinois

Yet to come this month, I will:

• Attend Missouri Farm Bureau Board meeting
• Travel to St. Louis to meet with potential donors
• Meet with Institute of Food Technologists St. Louis Chapter
• Meet with MO Pork Association Executive Director Scott Hays
• Attend Missouri Innovation Center Board meetings
• Meet with Provost Matt Martens
• Meet with Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement Chad Higgins

I look forward to gathering this Friday for our annual Novemberfest event! The annual reflection on the past year, and opportunity to say “Thank You,” will be held from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, in Monsanto Auditorium, Bond Life Sciences Center.

CAFNR Proud,

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

A photo gallery of CAFNR happenings.

CAFNR celebrates Native American Heritage Month with a Q&A featuring Envie Johnson, CAFNR dietetics student. Mizzou has a number of events planned this month in recognition, including exploring Indigenous art expression, movie and book discussions, and a presentation on careers that help Indigenous peoples.

Learn more about the experience of first-generation students in CAFNR, with Q&As featuring Laci Fuhlage, agricultural education; and brothers Branden and Cameron Lor, both natural resource science and management majors.

The last Podcast Club of the semester will be Thursday, Dec. 12. Join us in Room 210 ABNR from 10-11 a.m. Listen to the podcast for December’s meeting online.

As AI continues to expand its role across various sectors, including education, research and industry, one of the most common concerns is the potential for job displacement. Many fear that AI may replace traditional jobs performed by people, leading to an uncertainty in the workforce. However, recent studies and reports suggest a more reassuring story; AI, particularly generative AI, is not about replacing human workers but enhancing productivity, fostering creativity, and opening new opportunities across disciplines.

With rapid growth and evolution of AI, one of the primary goals in CAFNR is to leverage its capabilities to enhance productivity and foster communication across disciplines. Generative AI tools, like Copilot and ChatGPT, are currently being used on campus to break down communication barriers, allowing faculty, students and staff to collaborate more effectively, and helping researchers from agriculture, food sciences, natural resources and other fields work together more seamlessly. These AI systems are designed to streamline repetitive tasks, support innovation and open new doors for creativity and problem solving, which in turn will benefit the entire community. By integrating AI into academia, we’re building a future where technology enhances our work and improves interdisciplinary collaboration and communication, helping us to address complex challenges while empowering more people across the workforce.

In summary, AI is seen as a tool for increasing productivity and facilitating collaboration across different fields. This trend aligns with economic growth projections that predict AI will ultimately lead to more job creation and higher wages​.

– Daniel Credeur, CAFNR Faculty Fellow for AI

Supporting References:

Articles
Bessen, J. E. (2019). AI and Jobs: The Role of Demand. NBER Working Paper Series.
Makridakis, S. (2017). The Forthcoming Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolution: Its Impact on Society and Firms. Futures, 90, 46-60.

Media
PwC 2024 Global AI Jobs Barometer | PwC
The state of AI in early 2024 | McKinsey
The real benefit of AI is transforming good work into great | World Economic Forum
Generative AI’s impact on jobs and workflows | McKinsey

Join Vice Chancellor and Dean Daubert for the college’s annual Novemberfest celebration, where he shares the college’s successes from the past year, as well as Thanksgiving-themed food, with faculty and staff! This year’s event will be from 3-5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, in Monsanto Auditorium.

This month we recognize the following faculty and staff members for their years of service to Mizzou!

• Lynn Bradley, office support assistant IV, Division of Plant Science & Technology, celebrated 10 years of service Oct. 6.
• Alison Harman, analytical chemist II, Analytical Services, celebrated five years of service Oct. 14.
• Genevieve Howard, web and social media strategist, CAFNR Marketing & Communications, celebrated 20 years of service Oct. 25.
• Teng Lim, extension professor of agriculture systems management/bioengineering, Division of Plant Science & Technology, celebrated 15 years of service Oct. 26.
• Barry Eschenbrenner, senior farm manager, Central Missouri Research, Extension & Education Center, celebrated 10 years of service Oct. 27.
• Bryant O’Kane, agriculture associate II, Northern Missouri Research, Extension & Education Center, celebrated five years of service Oct. 28.