The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources honors its outstanding faculty, staff, and students each spring during the Celebration of Excellence ceremony. The 2026 event was held on Thursday, April 24, at the Bond Life Sciences Center. Awards recognized excellence in academics, teaching, research, advising, extension, service to the college, and safety leadership.
Frederick B. Mumford Awards
(Sponsored by the CAFNR Foundation)
- Outstanding Staff: Matt Arri
- Outstanding Faculty: Chung-Ho Lin
- Distinguished Service: Keith Dietzschold
Outstanding CAFNR Student Awards
- Outstanding Freshman: Gwynivere Newbrough
- Outstanding Sophomore: Clare Staley
- Outstanding Junior: Katy Parcell
- Outstanding Senior: Carissa Bersche
- Outstanding Senior: Morgan Watkins
- Outstanding Student Organization: Mizzou Collegiate Farm Bureau
Graduate Student Awards
- William R. Lamberson Distinguished Thesis: R. Tharindu Rambadagalla (advisor: Morgan Davis)
- William R. Lamberson Distinguished Dissertation: Mehdi Hajikhani (advisor: Mengshi Lin)
Staff Award
- Outstanding Staff: Amy Moum
Safety Leadership Award
- Safety Leadership Award: Michelle Niemeyer
Teaching Awards
- Outstanding Early Career Teacher: Kent Shannon
- Outstanding Mid-Career Teacher: Rebecca Mott
- Outstanding Senior Teacher: Ben Knapp
Advising and Mentoring Awards
- Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor: Robyn Holliday
- Outstanding Graduate Mentor: Pei Liu
CAFNR Teaching Academy Inductees
J.W. Burch State Specialist Agricultural Extension Award
Research Awards
- Early Investigator Research Award: Amy Petry
- Outstanding Mid-Career Research Award: Andrew Scaboo
- Distinguished Research Award: Marc Libault