CAFNR

John Tummons receiving award

Nov. 11, 2019

Teaching Excellence

The son of junior high school teachers, it was only natural that John Tummons would eventually find himself in a classroom setting, empowering and equipping students to make a positive impact throughout the world. Tummons knew where he wanted to make that impact, too. Tummons earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from the University of Missouri, and it was while he was working toward his degree that he made a decision – he wanted to return to his alma mater as a professor. Now, 20 years later, Tummons is being honored on a national stage for his devotion to…
The University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) celebrated the grand opening of the new Land of the Osages Research Center on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The center will further research in agroforestry, a sustainability-focused system that combines trees and shrubs with crops — and sometimes livestock — to be managed on the same piece of land as a single ecosystem. Pictured, from left to right: Sarah Lovell, director for the Center for Agroforestry and co-superintendent of the Land of the Osages Research Center; Geoffrey Standing Bear, Principal Chief of the Osage Nation; Norman Akers, Chairman of the Traditional Cultural Advisors Committee; Alexander Cartwright, Chancellor, University of Missouri; Joe Tillman, Speaker of the Osage Nation Congress; Christopher Daubert, vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Nov. 4, 2019

A Grand Celebration

The University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) celebrated the grand opening of the new Land of the Osages Research Center on Tuesday, Oct. 29. The center will further research in agroforestry, a sustainability-focused system that combines trees and shrubs with crops — and sometimes livestock — to be managed on the same piece of land as a single ecosystem. Chancellor Alexander Cartwright spoke during the opening festivities about how the new center will impact the surrounding communities in the Lake of the Ozarks area. “The Land of the Osages Research Center will bring more transformative…
Rob Kallenbach’s appointment as associate dean of CAFNR Extension/senior program director of Agriculture and Environment Extension is effective immediately.

Oct. 31, 2019

An Exciting Mission

It was more than 20 years ago when Rob Kallenbach joined the University of Missouri as an assistant professor and state Extension specialist in forage crops. Kallenbach served farmers and producers across the state, educating, answering questions and building relationships. With more experience, Kallenbach gained more responsibility, which in turn led to more leadership opportunities. Those opportunities led to new positions, and, last year, he was named the interim associate dean/senior program director of Agriculture and Environment Extension in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) at MU. The interim tag has now been officially removed. Kallenbach’s appointment…
Tim Safranski, professor in the Division of Animal Sciences and a state swine Extension specialist, received the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Golden Apple Award for going above and beyond in teaching and advising Tuesday morning, during his writing intensive swine production course. Safranski was surprised by the unexpected interruption, led by Bryan Garton, senior associate dean and director of academic programs, and Shari Freyermuth, assistant dean and director of student services.

Oct. 8, 2019

A Golden Surprise

Just four years into his tenure as an assistant professor at the University of Missouri, Tim Safranski was given the Provost Award for Creative Extension Programming by New Faculty. A year later, Safranski was honored with the National Pork Producers Council Swine Industry Award for Innovation in Education. Education has always been a focus for Safranski, who is a professor in the Division of Animal Sciences and a state swine Extension specialist, and the teaching awards continue to come. Safranski received the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Golden Apple Award for going above and beyond in…
Mizzou's historic columns

Oct. 8, 2019

Honoring CAFNR’s Top Alumni

The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has honored its second class of recipients of the CAFNR Column Award for Distinguished Alumni. This is the only award specifically for alumni presented by the college. The awardees include one graduate from each of CAFNR’s six divisions, reflecting the six historic columns at the University of Missouri. “We are proud to recognize these six impressive graduates of our college with the highest alumni honor from CAFNR,” said CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher R. Daubert. “This award is unique – and prestigious – as it is given directly by the college…

Sep. 17, 2019

Accepting the Challenge

Kristy Weber, MD, hasn’t been afraid to challenge the status quo and break barriers throughout her lifetime, regardless of where life has taken her. As a student working toward an animal sciences degree at the University of Missouri, Dr. Weber was the only female in her artificial breeding class. That didn’t stop Dr. Weber, who grew up in St. Louis, from earning an ‘A’ in the course, which primarily featured students who had grown up on the farm. When Dr. Weber made the decision to pursue medical school, she chose orthopaedics, mainly because many people told her that women couldn’t…
MOFLUX tower at Baskett.

June 27, 2019

Throwing New Light on Photosynthesis

In the summer months, Jeff Wood, a biometeorologist in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri, likes to spend his days with his head in the clouds, or at least the canopies of forests. Sometimes starting before dawn and staying until dusk, he uses a 32-meter tall instrument-studded tower at the Missouri Ozark AmeriFlux site (MOFLUX) at the Baskett Wildlife Research and Education Center near Ashland, Missouri, to monitor the “breathing” of the forest. Using tools to measure the flow of carbon dioxide and water from the level of the individual leaf to the entire forest, he…
Kerry Clark, at right, at a village meeting in Mozambique where she taught people how to grow soybean.

June 21, 2019

A Lifetime of International Work

Kerry Clark, assistant research professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS) and project manager for smallholder productivity for the USAID Soybean Innovation Lab (SIL), has been named director of CAFNR International Programs, effective Aug. 1, 2019. Clark has worked internationally throughout her career. Through the USAID Soybean Innovation Lab, she works with a multidisciplinary team to bridge seed quality and sociological research for development in Ghana and Mozambique. She worked for 15 years with Costa Rica Seeds advancing University of Missouri soybean lines in a winter nursery in Upala, Costa Rica. Since 2016, Clark has been developing and…

June 12, 2019

A Life of Service and Innovation

Robert J. Jones, chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has an inspiring list of professional accomplishments over his years in higher education, first as a researcher and teacher, and now as a leader. Robert J. Jones is pictured with family in December 2018 when he returned to Mizzou to receive an honorary degree. From left to right: Clifford Browner, brother-in-law; Glenndale Williams, son-in-law; Taara Hassan Williams, daughter; Lynn Hassan Jones, wife; Jones; and Mary Alice Browner, sister. Still, he says the achievement of receiving an honorary degree from the University of Missouri last December was near the top…
Amanda Patterson joined the Division of Animal Sciences in November 2018 as an assistant professor. She has a joint appointment in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health with the MU School of Medicine as well. Patterson’s research is focused on understanding how the uterus is repaired after pregnancy, in both animals and women.

May 10, 2019

A Combination of Research

Last year, Amanda Patterson was looking for a place where she could combine her reproductive research interests in animals and her stem cell research interests in women. She found the perfect opportunity at the University of Missouri. Patterson joined the Division of Animal Sciences in November 2018 as an assistant professor. She also has a joint appointment in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health with the MU School of Medicine. Patterson’s research is focused on understanding how the uterus is repaired after pregnancy, in both animals and women. “During pregnancy, there is a dramatic remodeling, growth and change that happens within…