Mizzou 2017 Homecoming will be celebrated the weekend of Oct. 21. Enjoy Campus Decs from 6-9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 20. See Natural Resources Alumni’s “Bloat” (float + boat!) in the parade Saturday, Oct. 21, at 7:30 a.m. Join the Mizzou Ag Alumni Association for their homecoming tailgate at 9 a.m. on the east side of Mizzou Arena. Food and beverage will be available free of charge while it lasts. The football team takes on Idaho at 11 a.m. See all of the events and join in the fun!

Plant sciences student strives to obtain an education for the greater good

And just like that, Field Day season is over! I enjoyed visiting many of our Agricultural Research Centers around the state these past couple of months. It was a great way for me to be introduced to the useful research being done on such a wide variety of crops and to the communities our science is serving. Our outlying Research Centers truly are the University FOR Missouri to their communities and fully embody our land-grant mission. They represent us well! Congratulations to everyone who helped with all of the successful events this summer and fall – and thank you for the warm welcome at each of them.

As the days get shorter and colder, it’s that time of year to reflect on everything that we are thankful for. For me, this includes our dedicated faculty and staff. I hope you have marked your calendar for Novemberfest, Friday, Nov. 17, from 3-5 p.m. This gathering will be an opportunity for me to inform the CAFNR community what I’ve learned since August 1. I’ll share a state of the college address and present a roadmap for the next few months for CAFNR’s drive to distinction.

I also hope you will be part of helping CAFNR plan for our shared future. I have been meeting with a variety of our constituents around the state, listening to what they need from our college. Next will be a formal strategic planning project. We expect to launch facilitated planning around the first of the year and will be engaging key constituents throughout the process. Your input will be critical to our success in crafting a vision for CAFNR.

It’s a matter of choice versus chance. In this challenging financial climate, failure to plan will promote reaction rather than pro-action. We choose to define what CAFNR will become through the planning process. The plan will serve as a map to guide and inform decisions and future investments. I challenge CAFNR to be bold and audacious. Together, we will re-envision a college that is truly a distinctive model for a 21st-century land-grant college.

CAFNR Proud!

Christopher R. Daubert
Vice Chancellor and Dean

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

• Caroline Brock, assistant teaching professor, rural sociology, celebrated five years of service Sept. 1.
• Mary Hendrickson, assistant professor, rural sociology, celebrated 20 years of service Sept. 1.
• Tiemin Ji, assistant professor, statistics, celebrated five years of service Sept. 1.
• Tammy Knierim, office support assistant IV, biochemistry, celebrated five years of service Sept. 1.
• Thomas McFadden, professor, animal sciences, celebrated five years of service Sept. 1.
• Sharon Reed, research scientist, plant sciences, celebrated five years of service Sept. 1.
• Wade Welshons, associate professor, veterinary biomedical sciences, celebrated 30 years of service Sept. 2.
• Grant Zane, research specialist senior, biochemistry, celebrated 15 years of service Sept. 5.
• Mary Levy, grants and contract specialist, biochemistry, celebrated 10 years of service Sept. 6.
• Kory Davis, system administrator-expert, OSEDA, celebrated five years of service Sept. 10.
• Tim Reinbott, assistant director, Agricultural Experiment Station, celebrated 30 years of service Sept. 15.
• Matthew Arri, coordinator of career services, celebrated five years of service Sept. 19.
• Ryan Milhollin, extension specialist, ag extension-social sciences, celebrated 15 years of service Sept. 20.
• Wenjuan Wang, senior research associate, School of Natural Resources, celebrated five years of service Sept. 20.
• Danny Crane, agriculture equipment operator III, field operations, celebrated 25 years of service Sept. 21.
• Kenneth Ladyman, farm manager, animal sciences, celebrated five years of service Sept. 24.