Stories

agriculture building with flowers blooming

Feb. 12, 2021

CAFNR Welcomes New Faculty

Our college has welcomed new faculty members each fall, but we have expanded our faculty welcomes to the spring, so that relevant introductions can take place at the beginning of each semester. The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri is proud to welcome new faculty members who are ready to immerse themselves in teaching, research and Extension as integral parts of furthering our land-grant mission. Our four new faculty members bring expertise in their fields, and will be representing three of our six divisions: Animal Sciences, Applied Social Sciences and Plant Sciences. Our college…
An Asian man with short, dark hair and glasses wears a grey sweater with 3/4 button closures inside of a building wiht large windows and a staircase behind him. He stands with his hands clasped in front of him.

Feb. 11, 2021

A Deserved Distinction

Chung-Ho Lin, associate research professor in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) School of Natural Resources (SNR), was recently honored by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI). Lin was elected to the rank of NAI Senior Member. “I am honored to earn the rank of NAI Senior Member,” Lin said. “I appreciate the advisory committee and board of governors for selecting me for the award, and I look forward to working with the organization in the future.” The NAI Senior Member program is an exclusive award distinction created to showcase the innovative ecosystems at…
Walter Gassmann

Feb. 10, 2021

Gassmann Named Director of the Bond Life Sciences Center

Walter Gassmann, professor in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Division of Plant Sciences, was recently named the director of the Bond Life Sciences Center (LSC). Gassmann has served as the interim director at Bond LSC since July 2017. He is a member of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG), one of CAFNR’s Programs of Distinction. Gassmann joined the University of Missouri in 2000 as an assistant professor in the Division of Plant Sciences. He became an associate professor in 2006 and a professor in 2013. Gassman’s research is aimed at understanding the…
Faculty in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Department of Biochemistry recently received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to bring a state-of-the-art instrument to the MU campus – a Chirascan V100 circular dichroism (CD) spectrometer. Photo courtesy of Kamal Singh.

Feb. 9, 2021

A State-of-the-Art Instrument

Faculty in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Department of Biochemistry recently received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant to bring a state-of-the-art instrument to the MU campus – a Chirascan V100 circular dichroism (CD) spectrometer. The spectrometer is a widely applicable biochemical method for probing the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins, and nucleic acids in solution. The instrument will be housed at the Molecular Interactions Core, located in the Bond Life Sciences Center on the MU campus. It will be available for users across Mizzou on a fee-per-use basis. The new…
Cheryl Recker

Feb. 1, 2021

Cheryl Recker Receives CAFNR Above & Beyond Award

Cheryl Recker, senior research and lab technician at Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center, was the January 2021 recipient of the Above and Beyond Award from CAFNR Staff Advisory Council. This award recognizes staff who have gone the extra mile in their jobs. She was nominated by Sarah Lovell, associate professor, School of Natural Resources.

Jan. 27, 2021

Roberts, Spencer Named Society for the Study of Reproduction Distinguished Fellows

Two University of Missouri faculty were among 15 individuals recently named Society for the Study of Reproduction (SSR) Distinguished Fellows. R. Michael Roberts, Chancellor’s Professor with appointments in animal sciences and biochemistry, and Thomas Spencer, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Animal Sciences, were both honored. This is the inaugural year of the program. From the SSR press release about the Distinguished Fellowship honor: The SSR Distinguished Fellowship is one of the highest professional scientific honors awarded for outstanding contributions to the scientific discipline of reproductive biology. The SSR Distinguished Fellowship recognizes the impact of active SSR members and their outstanding contributions…
Nearly 30 years after it was established in 1888, researchers at the University of Missouri began the process of taking and studying soil cores at Sanborn Field. About every 25 years, those cores are taken again to gain an understanding of the changes in the soil over time, given the variety of treatments and rotations that occur each year. It’s been more than 30 years since the soil cores have last been studied. Tim Reinbott, director of Sanborn Field, worked throughout 2020 to secure funding and was able to put together a team of partners who removed the cores in November 2020.

Jan. 27, 2021

‘Just the Tip of the Iceberg’

Nearly 30 years after it was established in 1888, researchers at the University of Missouri began the process of taking and studying soil cores at Sanborn Field. About every 25 years, those cores are taken again to gain an understanding of the changes in the soil over time, given the variety of treatments and rotations that occur each year. It’s been more than 30 years since the soil cores have last been studied. Tim Reinbott, director of Sanborn Field, worked throughout 2020 to secure funding and was able to put together a team of partners who removed the cores in…
John Fisher was honored, and a tad surprised, to learn that he was the out-of-state recipient of the Tiger Pride Award in 2020, given by the University of Missouri Alumni Association. The honor recognizes sustained, outstanding volunteer efforts. Photo courtesy of John Fisher.

Jan. 26, 2021

‘I Bleed Black and Gold’

Each year, the University of Missouri Alumni Association hands out a trio of volunteer leader awards – the Alumni Legacy Award, the Tiger Pride Award and the Mizzou G.O.L.D Award. There are two honorees for each award, one for a Missouri resident and one for a volunteer out of state. John Fisher was honored, and a tad surprised, to learn that he was the out-of-state recipient of the Tiger Pride Award in 2020. That honor recognizes sustained, outstanding volunteer efforts. “Mizzou has such a strong group of alumni who are so involved, so it was incredibly nice to be recognized…
Dr. Heike Bucking

Jan. 25, 2021

Planting New Seeds

Heike Buecking, professor and head of the Biology and Microbiology Department at South Dakota State University (SDSU) College of Natural Sciences, has been named professor and director of the Division of Plant Sciences at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). Buecking’s appointment is effective April 1, 2021. Buecking has held the department head position at SDSU since early 2020; she previously served as associate dean for research and scholarly activity in the College of Natural Sciences at South Dakota State. She has served as a professor in the Biology and Microbiology Department since 2015,…
Balaji

Jan. 21, 2021

Q&A With Balaji Cherupalla

Why did you decide to come to the University of Missouri and major in biochemistry? What do you enjoy about the program itself? The field of study? As someone who has grown up in Missouri and spent a considerable amount of time in Columbia, Mizzou was my clear choice for college. Coming into my first year at MU, I knew that I wanted to become a physician. I contemplated several majors, but the Department of Biochemistry stood out to me due to the quality of the faculty and how the coursework would prepare me for medical school. The Department of…