Research

Students and a professor posing.

April 24, 2025

CAFNR students and mentor recognized at Show Me Research Week

Each year, the University of Missouri hosts Show Me Research Week, a celebration of student research and creative activity representing almost every field and discipline on campus.
image of ear tag app data

April 21, 2025

Cattle in the cloud: Wearable tech revolutionizes ranching

Researchers at the University of Missouri’s Southwest Research, Extension and Education Center (SW-REEC) are bringing 21st-century technology to the pasture. By outfitting beef cattle with smart ear tags, researchers hope they can help producers pinpoint the ideal time for breeding — blending traditional livestock know-how with cutting-edge innovation.
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…
Portrait of Abe Koo

April 17, 2025

Abraham (Abe) Koo receives CAFNR’s 2025 Outstanding Mid-Career Research Award as part of Celebration of Excellence

Koo is a leading plant biochemist known for his groundbreaking research on jasmonic acid (JA), a key hormone in plant defense and stress response.
Morgan Davis

April 17, 2025

Morgan Davis receives Outstanding Early Investigator Research Award as part of Celebration of Excellence

At Mizzou since 2020, Davis is a standout early-career researcher with a rapidly growing national reputation. His interdisciplinary work focuses on soil greenhouse gas emissions, soil health, cover crops and sustainable agriculture practices.
fountains at a park

April 10, 2025

A walk in the park? Research takes a deeper look at urban green spaces

Nilon’s work focuses on understanding how plants and animals use urban spaces and how people connect with those ecosystems.
Felix Fritschi

April 2, 2025

Felix Fritschi named AAAS Fellow in recognition of contributions to field of crop physiology

Felix Fritschi, the C. Alice Donaldson Professor in CAFNR’s Division of Plant Science and Technology and interim director of the Missouri Soybean Center, is among four University of Missouri researchers recognized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) as 2024 Fellows for their distinguished efforts in advancing various fields of science. Felix Fritschi These researchers push the boundaries of science to drive breakthroughs that transform lives. Their relentless curiosity fuels discoveries that shape the future of Missouri and beyond. “I am incredibly proud of Dr. Fritschi in receiving this fitting honor and humbled to work alongside scientists…
Dr. Mott and VanHouden pose for a photo with his poster.

March 31, 2025

Agricultural Education student presents at Undergraduate Research Day at the Missouri State Capitol

Jaron VanHouden, senior in agricultural education, teacher certification, presented his research on student teachers finding community in their programs.