Alumni

Castro

Sep. 27, 2021

Seeds of Change

Humberto Castro BS Ag ’50, MS ’59 is not one to normally boast about himself. Even with all of his both business-related and personal successes and accomplishments achieved in the more than nine decades of his life, Humberto prefers to not have the limelight pointed at him. Instead, the man who is still very active at 98 years old, normally lets his actions do the talking. “So we’ll do it for him,” says his oldest son, Leslie Castro. Talk to his family members and they will tell you of a Peru native who first came to the United States in…

An early passion for broadcast meteorology and a desire to get a degree from a university in the state he grew up in led Matt Beckwith to the University of Missouri. Beckwith thought the atmospheric science emphasis area within the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) environmental sciences degree program would help prepare him for a career as a meteorologist. When Beckwith, who grew up in the Kansas City area, walked onto campus in 2015, he knew right away that he made the correct decision. Photo courtesy of Matt Beckwith.

Aug. 23, 2021

A well-rounded experience

The environmental sciences degree program prepared Matt Beckwith for a career as a broadcast meteorologist.

Don Hollingsworth recently received an honor from CAFNR, in the form of a Dean’s Certificate for his outstanding Extension career, as well as recognizing him as an alum.

May 27, 2021

A Passion for Peonies

Don Hollingsworth's work with peonies has gained him international recognition.

May 10, 2021

Senior Spotlight: Jordan Duenckel

As a senior in high school, Jordan Duenckel knew that he was going to continue his education at the University of Missouri – what he didn’t know was what he was going to study. As Duenckel searched through the MU course catalog, an interesting entry caught his eye. “As I was flipping through, I noticed food science and nutrition,” Duenckel said. “I love to eat, so studying food seemed fun. Science was my best subject in high school, so when I saw something that combined the two, I thought I would give it a go.” To go along with his…

John Fisher was honored, and a tad surprised, to learn that he was the out-of-state recipient of the Tiger Pride Award in 2020, given by the University of Missouri Alumni Association. The honor recognizes sustained, outstanding volunteer efforts. Photo courtesy of John Fisher.

Jan. 26, 2021

‘I Bleed Black and Gold’

Each year, the University of Missouri Alumni Association hands out a trio of volunteer leader awards – the Alumni Legacy Award, the Tiger Pride Award and the Mizzou G.O.L.D Award. There are two honorees for each award, one for a Missouri resident and one for a volunteer out of state. John Fisher was honored, and a tad surprised, to learn that he was the out-of-state recipient of the Tiger Pride Award in 2020. That honor recognizes sustained, outstanding volunteer efforts. “Mizzou has such a strong group of alumni who are so involved, so it was incredibly nice to be recognized…

Awards

Oct. 27, 2020

CAFNR Proud, Column Strong

The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has honored the 2020 recipients of the CAFNR Column Award for Distinguished Alumni. Although the recognition process looks different for this year, CAFNR’s outstanding alumni were still celebrated for their notable accomplishments. The Column Awards are the highest honor given by the College to recognize outstanding achievements of its accomplished alumni. The awardees represent graduates from each of CAFNR’s six divisions, reflecting the six historic columns at the University of Missouri. Animal Sciences Eldon Cole // MS Animal Husbandry ’63, BS Agriculture ’62 Eldon Cole has been a long-time presence in southwest…

After earning her PhD from Mizzou, Rachel Owen (center) has been named the director of the Missouri Science and Technology Policy Fellows (MOST). The goal of MOST is to place PhD candidates, who recently received their PhD in a STEM discipline, in Jefferson City. Photo courtesy of Rachel Owen.

Aug. 17, 2020

Making the Most Out of an Opportunity

While she didn’t know how, Rachel Owen knew in high school that she wanted to help people. A soil science class at Iowa State University opened her eyes to numerous possibilities down that path – and her time at the University of Missouri solidified the direction she wanted to take. Owen came to MU in 2015 to work on her PhD, which looked at how climate change impacts natural ecosystems. Just two years into that work, Owen help co-found the Missouri Science and Technology Policy Fellows (MOST). Now, after earning her PhD from Mizzou, Owen has been named the…

Woodland & Floral Garden, Parents Weekend, fall 1979

July 31, 2020

History in Bloom

Successful efforts by a handful of energetic horticulture students in the late 1970s led to the planning and execution of an ambitious garden project located next to MU’s Agriculture Building. The space was dedicated as the Woodland and Floral Gardens in April 1980. A public celebration to mark the garden’s 40th anniversary and rededicate what remains of the original landscape as the Missouri Woodland Garden was scheduled to be held April 2020, but has been postponed until further notice. Left to right: Kevin Karel and Bill Ruppert, the horticulture students who worked to design and build the Woodland & Floral…

Kamal Yadav, middle, pictured during the 2019 College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Column Award for Distinguished Alumni award night. Yadav is pictured with CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert (left) and Michael Chapman, chair of the Department of Biochemistry.

June 22, 2020

An Entrepreneurial Spirit

When Kamal Yadav came to the United States from India in 1961, he had never seen snow before. Working toward his master’s degree in biochemistry at the University of Missouri, Yadav stepped out of his apartment early one snowy morning during his first semester and didn’t make it very far before slipping and hurting his back. The injury forced Yadav to miss several classes, which caught the eye of his PhD advisor George B. Garner. Garner found where Yadav lived and went there right away to check on him. Yadav appreciated his advisor’s visit – and was shocked when Garner…

CONGRATS to our Mizzou Grads 2020

May 16, 2020

CAFNR Congrats: 20 Words or More for our 2020 Graduates

“You will shape the world in a whole new way with your epic 2020 insights and Tiger resiliency and pride — no matter where you land. ROAR FIERCELY!” — Mary Simon Leuci, BS ’77, faculty/staff “You’ve earned your stripes. Now go forth and embrace them and show them off to the world.” — Madison Byrd, BS Science & Agricultural Journalism ’18 “Stay a life long learner. Seek to learn something from every person and every situation. Learn about yourself, your community, your industry, your family and friends. Ask questions and really listen to the answers.” — Robin Wenneker, BSBA ’91,…