Accolades

The East Campus Plant Growth Facility will promote the continued success and enhancement of the campus’ plant biology programs. The $28.2 million facility, funded by the University, will provide a major expansion of state-of-the-art greenhouse and plant growth chamber facilities with controlled lighting, temperature, humidity and CO2 environments. The project is expected to be completed by summer 2019. Photo courtesy Bill Lamberson/Robert Sharp.

Aug. 28, 2020

IPG Graduate Student and Postdoc Receive Awards for CROPS Seminar Presentations

The regional Collective Research Organization of Plant Scientists (CROPS) virtual seminar series, organized by graduate students and postdocs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, took place over the summer, wrapping up the final sessions earlier in August. On Aug. 18, biochemistry PhD student Shannon King and plant sciences postdoctoral fellow Jian Kang received awards for Graduate Student Presentation and Postdoc Presentation, respectively. King, who works in the labs of Scott Peck, Felix Fritschi and Robert Sharp, was awarded first place for graduate student presentation, and Jian Kang in the Robert Sharp and Mel Oliver labs, was awarded third place for Postdoc…
Samniqueka Halsey; glasses; grey suit coat

Aug. 20, 2020

Samniqueka Halsey Publishes Letter in Nature Ecology and Evolution

Samniqueka Halsey, assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources and CAFNR Faculty Fellow, is the lead author on a letter published in Nature Ecology and Evolution. “Elevate, don’t assimilate, to revolutionize the experience of scientists who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour” (SharedIt PDF version) outlines suggestions for how minoritized individuals can not only survive but thrive in ecology and evolutionary biology. The letter’s authors, five Black women who started as doctoral students at the same university, used their shared experience to develop a list of eight strategies. The strategies include: expect and use external support,…

July 21, 2020

Ray Massey Receives 2020 C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award

Ray Massey, Extension professor of agricultural and applied economics in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, received the 2020 C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award as part of the UM System President’s Awards. The C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award recognizes a University of Missouri faculty member who demonstrates commitment, dedication and effectiveness in advancing the land-grant mission through Extension, international education and agricultural economics programs. In these respects, Massey has performed at the highest levels throughout his career, according to the UM System. His work in agricultural economics has improved lives worldwide, and he is recognized for his contributions…
Dr. Sofia Ortega

July 17, 2020

Sofia Ortega Named Zamorano AGEAP USA Alumni of the Month

Sofia Ortega, assistant professor of reproductive physiology in Animal Sciences, has recently been recognized as the AGEAP USA Alumni of the Month. Ortega’s interest in reproductive physiology began at Zamorano (Class of 2003), through her work in Honduras. She received her MS in Animal Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and she completed her PhD at the University of Florida in 2016 in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology. Her CAFNR team utilizes a systems biology approach to optimize cattle fertility, using CRISPR knockouts to study preimplantation bovine embryo development. Ortega has published more than 17 peer-reviewed articles in…
Charles Nilon

July 9, 2020

Charles Nilon Named the Newest Holder of the William J. Rucker Professorship in Fisheries and Wildlife

Charles Nilon, professor of urban wildlife management in the School of Natural Resources, was recently named the newest holder of the William J. Rucker Professorship in Fisheries and Wildlife. From its inception in 1944, the William J. Rucker Professorship in Fisheries and Wildlife’s purpose has been for the “instruction of youth upon the subject of the value and preservation of wild life.” Funds are used primarily to support graduate research assistant stipends. “I have known Dr. Nilon almost since the start of my MU career, when I arrived in 1999,” said Pat Market, interim director of the School of Natural…
Randall Miles

July 7, 2020

Randall Miles Receives 2020 Thomas Jefferson Award

Randall Miles, associate professor emeritus of soil science in the School of Natural Resources, received the 2020 Thomas Jefferson Award as part of the UM System President’s Awards. The Thomas Jefferson Award is reserved for faculty who rise above excellence and demonstrate clear distinction, not only in their career, but also in service to the University of Missouri and humankind. Over his career as a beloved instructor at MU, Miles has made a major impact on student education. Beyond that, his profound passions for soil science, human health and community well­being have led him to make fundamental contributions to…
Chung-Ho Lin

July 7, 2020

Chung-Ho Lin Receives 2020 President’s Award for Economic Development

Chung-Ho Lin, associate research professor in the School of Natural Resources, received the 2020 President’s Award for Economic Development from the UM System. This award recognizes faculty for distinguished activity in meeting the University of Missouri’s goal of serving as an economic engine for the state and its citizens. Awardees demonstrate entrepreneurial innovation in using the classroom, outreach programs or the laboratory as vehicles for increasing or developing new economic activity in the state. Lin’s primary research involves the use of plants, microbes and engineered enzymes for bioremediation, ecological restoration and development of bioeconomy. He is the lead scientist…
Thomas Spencer

July 7, 2020

Thomas Spencer Receives 2020 President’s Award for Sustained Career Excellence

Thomas Spencer, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences, received the 2020 President’s Award for Sustained Career Excellence from the UM System. This award recognizes faculty for distinguished career-long, sustained excellence in scholarship, research or creativity, for a period of 15 or more years. Spencer, who is also associate vice chancellor for research (emphasis in STEM disciplines), joined the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) in 2015, and was a signature hire as part of the Mizzou Advantage program. He is an internationally recognized and respected leader in the fields of reproductive and developmental biology.

June 23, 2020

MU Faculty Part of Gene Editing Task Force

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) recently announced an 11-person Gene Editing Task Force, which includes two individuals from the University of Missouri: Bhanu Telugu (associate professor) and Londa Nwadike (food safety state specialist, MU Extension). The 11-person task force is comprised of scientists and industry leaders who will map out recommendations for regulating this emerging genomic technology in animal agriculture with appropriate safeguards and procedures.

June 15, 2020

Matthew Lucy Receives ADSA Award of Honor

The American Dairy Science Association® (ADSA®), the international organization of educators, scientists and industry representatives who are committed to advancing the dairy industry, recently announced the winners of professional and student awards for 2020. Matthew Lucy, professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, received the ADSA Award of Honor. The award recognizes unusually outstanding and consistent contributions to the welfare of the Association or distinguished service to the Association. The award is primarily for services to the American Dairy Science Association.