What are your job duties/job responsibilities in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources?

I am the Director of CAFNR Grants. Our office handles the pre-award side of sponsored grants and contracts for all of CAFNR and the College of Business through a MOU which is mostly done by the Grant Writers in our office. I do help out with proposals as needed which it has been recently as we have an open position. My proposal specialties are USDA, commodity groups, and foundations. I leave the big NIH, NSF, DOE, and DOD for Angie Hake and Monica Flynn as much as possible. I handle all straight-to-award projects which usually come from state agencies or for-profit entities and any revised budgets at award time or that might be required for continuation funding. I also handle all of the administrative work for Capacity Funds which includes Hatch, Hatch Multi-state, Animal Health and Disease Research, and McIntire-Stennis. This includes setting up faculty on new projects, annual financial reports (which are not done by Sponsored Programs), annual reports, and final reports.

How long have you worked in CAFNR?

I’ve officially been a CAFNR employee since April 2022, but I feel like I’ve been part of the family since early 2010 when I was moved to a CAFNR portfolio while I was a Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator with the then Office of Sponsored Programs Administration eight months after I started with Mizzou. At that time, Pre-Award Staff actually had office space in the college that they worked with, so I sat in a little cinder block office outside Business Services before their remodel.

What do you enjoy about working for CAFNR/Mizzou?

I enjoy working for CAFNR because it is like coming home. I grew up on a farm in rural Missouri, so I can understand most of the science and work being done. CAFNR is like a big family. Everyone really does want to be here to help each other. And, I think our faculty and staff are the best!!!!!

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Free time…not really sure what that means. As I’ve told a lot of people, I have “no life” so text me or call me if you have questions or need something related to grants anytime. My daughter (Ani Sci ’23) and I love to travel and usually try to do at least one trip a year, but general, everyday free time mostly is relaxing with TV or a good Podcast. I’m thinking about joining a women’s hiking group I just found out about here in town, so I might get a life outside of work.

What is something your co-workers/other CAFNR employees don’t know about you?

I used to be an avid collector of many things (Precious Moments, Longaberger Baskets, Cherished Teddies, Boyd’s Bears, Mary’s Moo Moos), but have gotten rid of almost all of those. Now, my daughter helps me collect furry grandchildren…I’m up to 11 and trying really hard to keep her from adding anymore!!!