Plant Science and Technology
Feb. 23, 2023
Enhancing Learning Opportunities
With funding help from the University of Missouri to enhance teaching and learning across campus, the Henry Kirklin Plant Sciences Learning Laboratory has added even more features to help with student success. A team of Division of Plant Science and Technology faculty secured $100,000 to buy state-of-the-art equipment – and the division also added funds to make it even more worthwhile. Photo courtesy of Soyon Park. Two years ago, CAFNR recognized Henry Kirklin, a celebrated Black farmer and educator who lived in and around Columbia from 1858 until his death in 1938, with the naming of the Henry Kirklin Plant…
Feb. 23, 2023
2023 CAFNR Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program Winners Announced
The second batch of proposals funded by CAFNR’s Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program has been announced. The Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program supports nascent, collaborative, multi transdisciplinary research with the goal of developing a competitive proposal for federal funding. The following proposals were selected (listed by the PI, Co-PI/s and title of the project): David Braun, Zachary Traylor, Sherry Flint-Garcia and Pavel Somavat; Developing the new “craft whiskey” market: Evaluation of Missouri heritage corn lines Jill Kanaley and Abdelnaby Khalyfa; Sleep Restriction, Exosomes and Insulin Resistance Abraham Khoo; Novel ways to increase biomass oil production Mengshi Lin and Jung Mun (Journey) Yang; Development…
Feb. 15, 2023
Doug Spaunhorst
Educational background Ph.D., Botany and Plant Pathology, Purdue University M.S., Plant Insect and Microbial Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia B.S., Plant Science – Crop Management, University of Missouri-Columbia…
Feb. 13, 2023
Endless Educational Opportunities
As part of ensuring student success, the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) offers its students numerous opportunities to connect in meaningful ways with industry professionals. Those interactions come through a variety of programs, from CAFNR-sponsored experiences to degree-specific trips. Recently, CAFNR students met with a variety of professionals through the Agribusiness Career Connections Program, Dickinson Scholars Program and Biochemistry Industry Tour. The Agribusiness Career Connection program is designed to connect CAFNR undergraduates to various agribusinesses located throughout the Midwest. Students hear from businesses and organizations, with a focus on possible internships or future job opportunities. The…
Feb. 9, 2023
Three CAFNR Researchers Honored by WSSA
Three CAFNR researchers — Haylee Schreier, senior research associate; Mandy Bish, extension specialist; and Kevin Bradley, professor — were recently honored by the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) for their outstanding contributions to the field of weed science. The trio was presented with the Outstanding Paper award during the organization’s 2023 annual meeting. The award-winning paper is The Impact of Electrocution Treatments on Weed Control and Weed Seed Viability in Soybean. It was published in Weed Technology in July.
Feb. 8, 2023
CAFNR Faculty Selected to Participate in LEAD21 Program
David Braun, director of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) and professor, plant science & technology and biological sciences; and Deborah Finke, professor and director of undergraduate studies, plant science and technology; were selected as participants in the 19th class of the LEAD21 program, a leadership program aimed at developing leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners who link research, academics and extension for leadership roles at colleges and universities across the nation. LEAD21 provides an immersive professional development program for academic leaders from the land-grant system. Working in regular small groups meetings combined with three week-long immersive sessions, the…
Feb. 8, 2023
Richard Ferrieri
Rich Ferrieri earned his PhD degree in Nuclear & Radiochemistry from Texas A&M University in 1979, and then became a postdoctoral fellow under Alfred Wolf at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL). He was later hired onto the scientific staff at BNL working on the medical applications of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) for animal and human research. In 2002, he shifted his interest away from medical research, and into plant biology leveraging many of the same imaging and radiochemistry tools to study basic plant functions. He is credited with developing the first radiolabeled PET plant hormone (11C-jasmonic acid) to study its transport…
Feb. 7, 2023
Richard Dixon
Educational background DPhil, Botany, University of Oxford, UK MA, Biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK…
Feb. 1, 2023
CAFNR Plant Scientist Named AAAS Fellow
In recognition of nearly two decades of work creating rice varieties resistant to certain types of bacteria, Bing Yang, professor of plant sciences, was named as a 2022 American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow. “There is so much diversity within the Society, and it is an honor to be among them,” Yang said. “The recognition of my work and my group inspires me to work harder – to do a better job.” The recognition from AAAS did not come without a long list of accomplishments, however. Fueling his work along the way was Yang’s desire to make an…
Jan. 12, 2023
Chase Floyd
Chase Floyd joined MU Extension in 2023 as an assistant research professor and state extension specialist for crop protection. In this position, he targets both entomological and pathological research and develop thresholds to maximize producer yield retention and incorporate new technology and methods to aid Missouri producers in controlling pests and retaining yield. His dissertation focused on creating a management regime for the rice billbug, which has recently earned major pest status. His time in Arkansas was spent obtaining as much biological and ecological information as possible on the previously unresearched pest. He developed techniques for controlling the rice billbug,…