Accolades

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).

Dec. 7, 2020

Rebecca Mott Appointed to Committee With American Association for Agricultural Education

Rebecca Mott, assistant Extension professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, has been appointed to a three-year term on the North Central Region’s Program Improvement Committee with the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE). AAAE aims to foster excellence in the discovery and exchange of evidence-based solutions for social science challenges in agriculture and related sciences. Her service term will continue through 2023.

Dec. 7, 2020

Sarah Low Receives Provost’s Award for Creative Extension Programming by New Faculty

Sarah Low, associate professor of regional economics in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, received the 2020 Provost’s Award for Creative Extension Programming by New Faculty. This award recognizes faculty with a current (at least 25 percent) Extension appointment who have had exceptional extension or continuing education accomplishments in their first four years of their service to the University of Missouri. Low’s Extension program focuses on economic and entrepreneurial development as a rural and regional economic development strategy and enhancing economic development opportunities by providing high-quality research and insights to partner organizations.

Dec. 6, 2020

Kevin Bradley Recognized as North Central Weed Science Society Fellow at Annual Meeting

Kevin Bradley, professor in the Division of Plant Sciences, was recognized as a North Central Weed Science Society Fellow at the 2020 NCWSS annual meeting. The virtual meeting was held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. Selection as a Fellow is recognition of substantial contributions to weed science endeavors and service in the north central region of the United States. Bradley’s faculty appointment includes Extension and research responsibilities in the area of weed management in corn, soybean, wheat, pastures and forages. Bradley also teaches a graduate level class in herbicide mechanism of action. In addition to evaluating new herbicides and…

Dec. 6, 2020

Mandy Bish Earns Distinguished Achievement Research Award

Mandy Bish, Extension specialist in the Division of Plant Sciences, was recognized at the 2020 North Central Weed Science Society annual meeting with a Distinguished Achievement Research award, which recognizes outstanding research achievements in weed science. The virtual meeting was held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. Bish has been with the university since 2014 and is responsible for assisting with direction and focus of research and education programs related to weed management in Missouri. She has experience in both basic and applied science research. Her PhD work at the University of Maryland focused on molecular genetic approaches to study ethylene…