Accolades

A man with dark hair, brown eyes, and black-rimmed glasses in a black t-shirt with a Mizzou athletic tiger emblem on it stands in front of a public art sculpture in the bond Life Sciences building. He is smiling and leaning on a railing

April 17, 2025

David Mendoza-Cozatl receives the Roger L. Mitchell Fellow Award as part of 2025 Celebration of Excellence

David Mendoza-Cozatl, associate professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology, is the recipient of CAFNR’s 2025 Roger L. Mitchell Fellow Award.    Mendoza-Cozatl is a world-leading expert in plant metal nutrient acquisition and detoxification, with a focus on enhancing food security through biofortification. He has secured nearly $8 million in federal funding and leads numerous collaborative research projects across institutions, including international partnerships in South Africa.   David Mendoza-Cozatl Mendoza-Cozatl has published 54 peer-reviewed papers, holds an h-index of 29, and is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, such as the NSF CAREER Award, PEW Innovation Fund Investigator and MU…
Riley Sullivan receives award

April 17, 2025

Riley M. Sullivan has received the 2025 CAFNR William R. Lamberson Distinguished Thesis Award as part of Celebration of Excellence

Riley M. Sullivan has received the 2025 CAFNR William R. Lamberson Distinguished Thesis Award for her groundbreaking research on maternal recognition of pregnancy in pigs. She received her M.S. in Reproductive Physiology in 2024.   Riley Sullivan Her thesis, “Functional Analysis of Pregnancy in the Pig: The Two Essential Conceptus Maternal Recognition Signals for Preventing Luteolysis,” redefines a 50-year-old model by demonstrating the essential and combined role of conceptus-derived estrogen and prostaglandins in maintaining pregnancy.  Under the mentorship of Rodney Geisert, professor emeritus in the Division of Animal Sciences, Sullivan used advanced CRISPR gene-editing to develop a triple knockout model targeting…
A light-skinned woman with long, dark hair smiles in front of a stone wall. She is wearing a black button-up shirt.

April 17, 2025

Samantha Carter receives the 2025 CAFNR William R. Lamberson Distinguished Dissertation Award as part of Celebration of Excellence

Samantha Carter received the 2025 CAFNR William R. Lamberson Distinguished Dissertation Award for her dissertation, “Natural Resource Justice as an Anticolonial Practice: Policies of Sovereignty.” Carter earned her Ph.D. in Natural Resources in summer 2024 and now serves as a postdoctoral scholar at Northwestern University.  Samantha Carter Her research explores Indigenous rights and natural resource law through an anticolonial lens, blending legal and social science methods. Her dissertation includes three manuscripts: one analyzing mining jurisdiction post-McGirt v. Oklahoma (Montana Law Review), another examining cannabis regulation in Indian Country (Mercer Law Review) and a third comparing Indigenous resource governance in New…
Students posing in a group.

March 31, 2025

Plant sciences students see success at National Collegiate Landscape Competition

The University of Missouri Collegiate Landscaping Team received 15th place out of 54 schools attending the National Collegiate Landscape Competition at Colorado State University, March 19-22.
Students pose with awards.

March 31, 2025

CAFNR students earn awards at Midwest American Society of Plant Biologists

Biochemistry and plant sciences students attended the Midwest American Society of Plant Biologists meeting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, March 21-23, and competed in both oral and poster presentation competitions.
Four students pose with a plaque.

March 14, 2025

Students see success at Midwest American Society of Animal Science Meeting

Animal sciences students attended the Midwest American Society of Animal Science Meeting March 9-12 in Omaha, Nebraska. At the meeting, the Academic Quadrathlon Team secured their fourth consecutive first-place finish. The team includes seniors Kaylee Spencer (Griggsville, Ill.), Shannon Draper (Sedalia, Colo.), Grace Lloyd (Ellington, Mo.), and Ben Byrd (Troy, Mo.), who participated in the two-day event consisting of lab practical stations for a variety of species, oral presentations to industry professionals and scholars, a written exam, and a quiz bowl. Two students also earned honors in the research presentation contest. Angela McClaskey, a senior from Kansas City, Mo., won…
A group of students pose for a photo.

March 5, 2025

CAFNR students earn Mizzou 18 and Mizzou ’39 honors

This week, the Mizzou Alumni Association and Alumni Association Student Board named the 2025 Mizzou 18 Award and Mizzou ’39 Award recipients.
Gurbir Singh

Feb. 5, 2025

Plant Sciences and Technology faculty member recognized for early career contributions by Universities Council on Water Resources

Gurbir Singh, assistant professor and state Extension specialist in soil science, agroecology and landscape management, was recently named as the recipient of the 2025 Early Career Award for Extension, Outreach and Engagement by the Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR). Gurbir Singh The UCOWR Early Career Award for Extension, Outreach, Engagement recognizes outstanding early contributions through extension, outreach and engagement activities related to water. Awardees have a significant record of accomplishment in these areas and show promise of continued professional growth and recognition. Singh will be recognized at an awards luncheon during the UCOWR annual conference in June.
Nine people line up and post with an award in an office.

Jan. 23, 2025

Foremost Dairy staff honored with Driver to Distinction award

CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert honored the Foremost Dairy farm staff with the Driver to Distinction award. Daubert acknowledged the significant advancements occurring at the dairy and expressed gratitude to the staff for their commitment and effort in furthering the land-grant mission as implemented through Foremost Dairy. The honorees included: Adam Shetley, farm manager; Joe Ancell, dairy worker; Will Tackett, dairy worker; Drew Edwards, research specialist; and Maria Poock, dairy worker. Others in attendance were State Rep. Adrian Plank; CAFNR Associate Dean Shibu Jose; Central Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center (REEC) Assistant Director for Livestock Josh Peak…

Dec. 12, 2024

CAFNR Students Selected as Missouri Farm Bureau Ambassadors

Claire Walker, sophomore agribusiness management major, and Karson Calvin, junior agricultural education major, were named the 2025 Missouri Farm Bureau Ambassadors at the 110th Missouri Farm Bureau annual meeting at the Lake of the Ozarks during the second weekend in December.