Emily Althoff joins CAFNR as an assistant extension professor and state extension specialist in urban entomology. Hers is a joint position with Lincoln University in Jefferson City, where Althoff serves as an assistant extension professor. Her extension program focuses on the intersection of insects in our everyday lives (our homes, gardens and trees), and her research is in insect chemical ecology; how insects use their sense of smell to navigate the world around them. Althoff received two graduate fellowships, and has interned at both the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the Illinois Natural History Survey: Insect Collection. She has given dozens of extension and other outreach talks. She received her Ph.D. in entomology at the University of Minnesota in summer 2024, while she also served as a visiting lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Reach Althoff at emilyalthoff@missouri.edu.
Jason Franken joins the Division of Applied Social Sciences as an associate professor of agricultural economics and management and MFA Chair in Agribusiness. His research focuses on how agriculture markets are organized to add value and manage risk, with implications for market performance and policy. He has received awards for teaching excellence and has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles. Franken previously served as professor of agricultural economics at Western Illinois University; other positions have included assistant professor of agribusiness at Sam Houston State University and business/marketing analyst at Value Agriculture LLC. He also served as a post-doc at Mizzou after receiving his Ph.D. from University of Illinois in agricultural and consumer economics (specialization in price analysis and marketing and agribusiness). You can reach him at frankenj@missouri.edu.
Lijing Gao has joined the Division of Applied Social Sciences as an assistant professor in the agricultural education and leadership program. She was trained as an agricultural science communication specialist and an environmental sociologist, focusing on the interconnectedness of agricultural systems with socio-economic, political and ethical decisions. Her current research focuses on understanding perceptions of livestock biotechnology, particularly genome editing. Gao joined Mizzou from Boston College, where she was a postdoctoral research fellow, as well as an instructor. She has taught courses including Sociology of Natural Resources, Transition in Agriculture and Introduction to Sociology. Gao is a member of the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society, the American Sociological Association and the Rural Sociological Society. She received her Ph.D. in sociology and sustainable agriculture, minor in statistics, from Iowa State University. You can reach Gao at lghbc@umsystem.edu.
Kristin Gibson joins CAFNR as an assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources. Gibson’s research focuses on how people interact with the environment. Specifically, she explores the most effective methods for educating and communicating with the public about environmental issues. Gibson teaches Foundational of Environmental Education, Methods in Research and Evaluation, and Program Development and Evaluation in Informal Settings. She has worked as an environmental educator, assistant park ranger, and, via AmeriCorps, as a coastal community engagement specialist and data evaluation assistant. Gibson has received honors for research papers and articles, helped author nearly 30 peer-reviewed articles, and been part of grant projects from the Center for Disease Control, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). She received her Ph.D. in agricultural leadership, education and communication from the University of Georgia in 2024. Contact Gibson at kghxk@umsystem.edu.
Jim Green joins the Personal Financial Planning program in the Division of Applied Social Sciences as an associate teaching professor. He has been at Mizzou since 2018 as an adjunct professor for PFP and director of the Office for Financial Success. His research interests include personal finance by investigating factors influencing financial behaviors, developing effective financial education interventions and assessing their impact on individuals’ financial well-being. He is also interested in the design and evaluation of financial education programs and interventions, particularly those delivered through university-based student money management centers. Before coming to Mizzou he served as a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley and as adjunct professor of finance at the University of the Incarnate Word in Texas, where he also received his Doctor of Business Administration. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and an Accredited Financial Counselor®. Contact Green at jimgreen@missouri.edu.
Wonjin Jeong has joined the School of Natural Resources as an assistant teaching professor. Jeong’s research focuses on the intersection of leisure, urban greening and well-being. Her overarching goal as a teacher and scholar is to build better inclusive policies and practices for communities to address disparities in recreation opportunities and health outcomes. She has taught courses including Research Methods & Analysis and Nature and American Culture. Her honors include numerous fellowships for her graduate studies, as well as travel awards for conference presentations. She has also worked as a consultant for UNESCO in Indonesia and as a researcher for the Korea Water Resources Corporation Research Institute. She received her Ph.D. in recreation, sport and tourism from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024. Contact Jeong at wjeong@missouri.edu.
Jay Johnson joins Mizzou as an associate professor of animal welfare and stress physiology in the Division of Animal Sciences. The overreaching goal of his research program is to develop scientific measures of animal welfare to allow for an objective evaluation of animal agricultural practices and the improvement and/or development of methodologies that can enhance animal welfare and increase productivity. He was hired as part of the MizzouForward initiative, and previously served as research leader with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Livestock Behavior Research Unit in West Lafayette, Indiana, as well as an adjunct associate professor at Purdue University. Johnson has been first or co-author on 75 refereed publications, been part of more than $10 million in grants, and received early career awards from the USDA-ARS, MDPI Animals and American Society of Animal Science, for which he’s also helped plan conferences and symposiums. Johnson received his Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from Iowa State University. You can reach him at jsjohnson@missouri.edu.
Qian Liu joins the School of Natural Resources as an assistant professor. Liu’s research focuses on four aspects: climate and atmospheric factor detection, segmentation and retrieval using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies; spatiotemporal theories and analysis in big earth data; remote sensing and climate/environmental data record processing and generation; and the ability of using the above to solve pressing issues in extreme weather events, climate change and natural disasters. Liu previously served as research assistant professor at the Environmental Science and Technology Center at George Mason University. She has received honors for best papers and graduate research excellence, as well as scholarships and fellowships for her studies. Liu has been part of grants from NASA, USDA and NSF, and 25 peer-reviewed publications. She received her Ph.D. in earth systems and geoinformation science from George Mason University. Reach Liu at qlrkt@missouri.edu.
Joseph Lynch has joined Mizzou as an assistant professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology. His current research focuses on the intercompartmental nature of plant metabolism, with a particular interest in how apparent functional redundancy of pathways sustains and regulates specialized metabolism. The overarching goals of this research are to better understand agriculturally and ecologically relevant stress responses, and to enable enhanced production of beneficial phytochemicals. Lynch has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles and been principal investigator on grants from USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the NASA Space Biology Program, in addition to receiving a NIFA postdoctoral fellowship. He was hired as part of the MizzouForward initiative, and previously served as an assistant professor of biochemistry at West Virginia University. He received his Ph.D. in molecular plant sciences from Washington State University. Contact Lynch at jlynch@missouri.edu.
Stephen Mukembo has taken a faculty position in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, promoted from postdoctoral fellow to assistant professor and director of the McQuinn Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership. Mukembo’s interdisciplinary research aims to advance entrepreneurship and innovation as a tool for addressing societal challenges, promoting economic growth and improving community livelihoods. He also previously served as a business development specialist and county engagement specialist for MU Extension. Mukembo has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed journal articles, is part of a USDA-NIFA grant, and has received awards for his presentations and journal articles, in addition to graduate fellowships from the Ford Foundation and the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development. He received his Ph.D. in agricultural education (with a minor in entrepreneurship) from Oklahoma State University, and an MBA in entrepreneurship and strategy from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Contact Mukembo at mukembos@missouri.edu.
Kate Nelson has joined Mizzou as an associate professor in the School of Natural Resources. Her research examines the joint influences of environmental hazards, land use, and socioeconomic conditions on the sustainability of socioenvironmental systems. The goal of this work is to identify policy and practice solutions that promote social equity and the preservation of natural resources and ecosystems for future generations. Nelson joined SNR from Kansas State University, where she worked as assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Geospatial Sciences. She has also worked in the Nano Research Facility at Washington University in St. Louis, where she received her Master’s. Nelson has published more than 25 peer-reviewed articles and has received grants from USDA-NIFA and the National Science Foundation, including an NSF early career award. She received her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University. You can reach her at katherinenelson@missouri.edu.
Alejandro Plastina joins the Division of Applied Social Sciences as an associate professor of agricultural finance and director of the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF). His area of specialization is agricultural production and technology, with an emphasis on farm business and financial management. Plastina has received a number of honors for his work in extension and agricultural economics, including the Impacting Iowa Award. He has published nearly 30 peer-reviewed articles; his current funding includes grants from the USDA Economic Research Service and USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities. His extension activities include nearly 30 decision tools; he is frequently interviewed by agricultural and business media outlets, including a monthly column in Wallaces Farmer. Prior to joining Mizzou, Plastina served as an associate professor of economics and extension economist at Iowa State University, and senior economist at the International Cotton Advisory Committee in Washington, D.C. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln agricultural economics. Contact Plastina at aplastina@missouri.edu.
Carson Roberts joins the Division of Plant Science and Technology as an assistant research professor and state extension specialist in forage agronomy. He is based out of the Northern Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center’s Cornett Research Farm in Linneus, Missouri. There, he leads an applied research program on forage-livestock systems to support one of the largest beef herds in the U.S. He has a particular interest in regenerative systems that improve drought resiliency. He has received four first-place honors in poster competitions, has given nearly 20 extension and field day presentations, and performed in-field studies for cover crop and tillage practices in cotton. Roberts received his Ph.D. in plant and soil science from Mississippi State University in May 2024. Reach Roberts at carson.roberts@missouri.edu.
Cecilia Constantino Rocha has joined CAFNR as an assistant research professor in the Division of Animal Sciences and state extension specialist in livestock systems, based at the Southwest Research, Extension and Education Center in Mt. Vernon, Missouri. The focus of her research is to reduce early pregnancy loss in beef cows by studying the biology of uterine tissues in the first three weeks of gestation to understand which changes are critical for pregnancy success. She received her Ph.D. in June 2024 in animal reproduction from the University of Florida, where she also served as a research assistant and was named Ph.D. student of the year. She also has received a Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) Early Investigator Grant, and has been first author or co-author on 30 peer-reviewed papers and more than 10 extension articles. Contact Rocha at c.constantinorocha@missouri.edu.
Seunguk Shin joins the School of Natural Resources as an assistant professor in the parks, recreation, sport and tourism program. Shin’s research explores how humans and nature influence each other and how we can manage natural resources in a sustainable way. His research suggests that contact with nature can improve human health and foster motivations to benefit the environment. He joins Mizzou from Texas A&M University, where he was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications. Shin has given more than 20 oral and poster presentations and has received fellowships, grants and awards for research and conference papers. He received his Ph.D. in natural resources and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. You can reach Shin at s.shin@missouri.edu.
Prashant Sonawane joined CAFNR as an assistant professor in the Division of Biochemistry. He previously was the group leader, Department of Natural Products, at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany. His research is focused around plant metabolism and explores the chemical diversity of specialized (secondary) molecules produced by plants, in addition to using synthetic biology and metabolic engineering platforms to pioneer applications in human health, nutrition, medicine and agriculture. Sonawane has received research fellowships from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India, the Council of Higher Education in Israel, and from the Weizmann Institute of Science, also in Israel. He has been lead or co-author on 38 peer-reviewed publications, including seven in Nature publications. He received his Ph.D. in biotechnology from Savitribai Phule Pune University in India. You can reach him at sonawanep@missouri.edu.
Shayne White has joined CAFNR as an assistant teaching professor of agricultural science communication in the Division of Applied Social Sciences. She teaches courses including Foundations of Agricultural Science Communication and Fundamentals of Communication, and advises the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow organization. White is a member of the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture and the American Association for Agricultural Education, and has helped with both 4-H and FFA livestock judging contests in both Oregon and Texas. She received her Ph.D. in agricultural communications and education in May 2024 at Texas Tech University, where she taught many of the same topics and served as a research assistant. You can reach her at swbdk@missouri.edu.
Michal Zigo has taken a faculty position in CAFNR, promoted from research scientist to assistant research professor in the Division of Animal Sciences. His field of research is reproductive biology with a specific focus on male fertility, sperm function and fertilization. He has published 31 peer-reviewed articles with lab collaborators, is part of three current multi-year USDA-NIFA grants, and has received numerous travel awards to attend and present at scientific conferences. Zigo received his Ph.D. from Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, and performed his postdoctoral work at the University of Missouri. You can reach him at zigom@missouri.edu.