Welcome to the Fall 2025 edition of the Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS) alumni newsletter!

I am Harvey James, Director of the Division. I have been serving in the role as Director or Interim Director since November 2022. Previous Division Directors include Joe Parcell (2017-2022), Jill Findeis (2011-2017), and the late Mike Nolan (1995-2011).

DASS is one of six Divisions within the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). Our focus is on the social sciences. The other five divisions (animal science, plant science, food science, environmental and natural resource science, and biochemistry) emphasize the sciences. If you think of the sciences as pillars or silos (vertically), then as a social sciences division, DASS cuts across all of them (horizontally). Because we intersect and interact with the other college divisions, I like to think of DASS as the glue that holds the college together.

The Division has four undergraduate programs: agribusiness management, agricultural education and leadership, hospitality management, and personal financial planning. There are also graduate programs in agricultural and applied economics, agricultural education, and personal financial planning.

Our Division is currently undergoing a strategic planning process. Part of that process included the development of a new mission statement for the Division, as follows: The Division of Applied Social Sciences is dedicated to advancing knowledge and practice through effective teaching, innovative research, and meaningful engagement. We strive to bridge the gap between social and natural sciences, to enhance the capabilities of individuals, communities, and enterprises in the agricultural system and beyond, and to prepare students to address complex societal challenges and make a positive impact in a world of opportunity. By fostering a culture of community, creativity, collaboration, and commitment to lifelong learning, we ensure that our teaching, research, and engagement efforts are informed by social context, human needs, and robust scientific methods. We aim to deliver a small college experience within a large university, providing personalized attention and cultivating strong connections among students, faculty, and staff.

We have had several important changes and transitions among our faculty and staff, some of which include the following:

• Shokhrukh (Shok) Jalilov joined the Division as assistant research professor in water economics, working with the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) and the Missouri Water Center in the College of Engineering.
• Elizabeth Owsley joined the Division as an instructor of agricultural science and communication.
• Annette Kendall has accepted the position of Associate Teaching Professor in the Division. Previously she was Assistant Extension Professor.
• Effective Sept. 1, Mary Hendrickson was appointed to the D. Howard Doane Distinguished Professorship, Alejandro Plastina was appointed to the Frank Miller Professorship, and Jon Simonsen was appointed to the Fred V. Heinkel Professorship of Agriculture.
• Corinne Valdivia retired effective Sept. 1, 2025.
• Adauto Rocha (Assistant Extension Professor) resigned to become assistant professor of cooperative extension and UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) specialist in Small Farms Agricultural Economics and Rural Economic Development at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
• Juo-Han Tsay (Assistant Extension Professor) resigned to join the TIAA Center for Farmland Research within the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois.

In addition to these recent hires, the Division is actively searching to fill key faculty vacancies. These include a tenure-track livestock economist with a focus on research and extension and a non-tenure-track extension economist with a focus on livestock economics.

In other news …

The Mizzou National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) Competition Team won first place in the national 2025 Student Marketing Competition. Anna Eitel (senior, agriculture), Rachel Ancell (junior, agribusiness management), Emma Steele (sophomore, agricultural education), Teagan Engle (sophomore, agricultural education, NAMA president), and Elsie Kigar (junior, agribusiness management) presented at the national competition. Annette Kendall is the Mizzou NAMA advisor.

The MU Financial Planning Association (FPA) team, comprised of Ian Mueller (senior, personal financial planning), Lindsay Peters (senior, business administration) and James Kelleher (senior, personal financial planning), has been selected as one of eight teams to compete in the final phases of the national FPA Financial Planning Challenge and annual conference in November. Jim Green is their advisor.

There are 34 ranked teaching, research, and extension faculty and almost as many staff and supporting employees within the Division. We currently have 529 undergraduate students in the four programs in the Division, which represents a nearly 6 percent increase compared to the previous year. Graduate student enrollment increased from 80 to 89 within the Division. On the research side, Division faculty published 7 articles per research FTE and had $6.1 million in grant expenditures in the 24-25 fiscal year.

All said, the Division is moving forward well. We see a bright future.

If you have any questions or comments, please direct them to: hjames@missouri.edu

Harvey James
Director, Division of Applied Social Sciences