Accolades

Feb. 10, 2021

Gassmann Named Director of the Bond Life Sciences Center

Walter Gassmann, professor in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Division of Plant Sciences, was recently named the director of the Bond Life Sciences Center (LSC). Gassmann has served as the interim director at Bond LSC since July 2017. He is a member of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG), one of CAFNR’s Programs of Distinction. Gassmann joined the University of Missouri in 2000 as an assistant professor in the Division of Plant Sciences. He became an associate professor in 2006 and a professor in 2013. Gassman’s research is aimed at understanding the…

Feb. 1, 2021

Cheryl Recker Receives CAFNR Above & Beyond Award

Cheryl Recker, senior research and lab technician at Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center, was the January 2021 recipient of the Above and Beyond Award from CAFNR Staff Advisory Council. This award recognizes staff who have gone the extra mile in their jobs. She was nominated by Sarah Lovell, associate professor, School of Natural Resources.

Jan. 27, 2021

Roberts, Spencer Named Society for the Study of Reproduction Distinguished Fellows

Two University of Missouri faculty were among 15 individuals recently named Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) Distinguished Fellows. R. Michael Roberts, Chancellor’s Professor with appointments in animal sciences and biochemistry, and Thomas Spencer, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences, were both honored. This is the inaugural year of the program. From the SSR press release about the Distinguished Fellowship honor: The SSR Distinguished Fellowship is one of the highest professional scientific honors awarded for outstanding contributions to the scientific discipline of reproductive biology. The SSR Distinguished Fellowship recognizes the impact of active SSR members and their outstanding contributions…

Dec. 21, 2020

CAFNR Graduate Students Receive Foundation for Soy Innovation Scholarships

Two University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) graduate students recently received 2020 Foundation for Soy Innovation scholarships: Caio Canella Vieira and Haylee Schreier. Both students are working toward degrees in plant, insect and microbial sciences. The Foundation for Soy Innovation offers an annual scholarship program to empower individuals working to further the soybean industry. To read more about the honor, as well as learn more about Canella Vieira and Schreier, visit the Missouri Soybean website.

Dec. 21, 2020

Jared Decker Awarded Wurdack Chair in Animal Genetics

Jared Decker, associate professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, has been awarded the Wurdack Chair in Animal Genetics. The appointment is effective Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. The appointment will allow Decker to focus on leading the livestock genetics research program in animal sciences at MU. Decker received his bachelor’s degree in animal science from New Mexico State University before earning his PhD in genetics from the University of Missouri in 2012. After earning his PhD, Decker served as a USDA-NIFA postdoctoral fellow at MU for a year before joining the faculty as an assistant professor in the Division of…

Dec. 16, 2020

CAFNR Office of Research Recognizes Drivers of Distinction

The CAFNR Office of Research recently recognized 10 faculty members as Drivers of Distinction. The honor was given to the faculty members, listed below, who had the highest total shared credit research expenditures over the past 10 years (2011-20). David Diamond – director, Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership (School of Natural Resources) Felix Fritschi – C. Alice Donaldson Professor in Bioenergy Crop Physiology and Genetics (Division of Plant Sciences) Shibu Jose – associate dean, CAFNR Office of Research; professor (School of Natural Resources) Henry Nguyen – professor (Division of Plant Sciences) Craig Paukert – cooperative professor (School of Natural Resources) Randy…

Dec. 14, 2020

Seth Meyer Named USDA Chief Economist

Seth Meyer, associate director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) and research professor, Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS), has been named the USDA’s Chief Economist. Meyer plans to take an extended research leave from DASS to serve in this new role, which he will begin in January 2021. The Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) is the focal point for economic and policy-related research and analysis for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. OCE aims to inform public and private decision makers by providing unbiased information and data-driven analyses of current and emerging issues impacting agriculture, according…

Dec. 10, 2020

Harold Chapman Receives Mumford Award for Distinguished Service as Part of 2020 Celebration of Excellence

Harold Chapman, general manager for eight Missouri locations of Crown Power and Equipment, received the Frederick B. Mumford Award for Distinguished Service as part of CAFNR’s 2020 Celebration of Excellence. Chapman received his Bachelor of Sciences degree in Agricultural Mechanization from the University of Missouri in 1985. Chapman worked with John Poehlmann, now-retired assistant director, Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, to help design an equipment lease program with CASE IH equipment that has transformed CAFNR’s Ag Experiment Station with its network of research centers across the state. Since the program’s inception in 2011, more than $9 million of farm equipment has…

Dec. 7, 2020

Three IPG Faculty Listed Among 2020 Highly Cited Researchers

Ron Mittler, professor of plant sciences; Bing Yang, professor of plant sciences; and Shuqun Zhang, professor of biochemistry, all part of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) at the University of Missouri have been recognized by the Web of Science list of Highly Cited Researchers for 2020. This list recognizes world-class researchers selected for their exceptional research performance, demonstrated by production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1 percent by citations for field and year.

Dec. 7, 2020

Yanu Prasetyo Received Outstanding Student Contribution Award from MU Council on International Initiatives

Yanu Prasetyo, PhD student in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, recently received an Outstanding Student Contribution Award as part of the 2020 MU International Engagement Awards. These recognize the meaningful and outstanding international work carried out by faculty, staff and students. This work can be carried out on campus or brought back from engagement abroad. A sampling of his international work includes publishing two research articles in international scientific journals related to his dissertation on the impact of Walmart closures in rural Missouri, leadership involvement with the Deaton Scholars Program and supporting MU African Interdisciplinary Studies Hub (Africa Hub).