Stories

May 14, 2020

CAFNR Outstanding Senior: Caleb Quinlan

Growing up on his family’s farm, Caleb Quinlan developed a passion for agriculture and drive for success. That passion and drive only became stronger when Quinlan joined the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) four years ago. Now, celebrating his senior year and nearing graduation, Quinlan is planning on taking that passion and drive into the workforce. “My experience on my family’s farm operation allowed me to develop that initial passion for agriculture and drive for success in my life,” said Quinlan, a plant sciences major. “It also allowed me to understand the value of…

May 13, 2020

CAFNR Outstanding Junior: Jacob Blank

Jacob Blank didn’t realize it at the time, but coming to the University of Missouri would open his eyes in ways he would have never believed. Originally, Blank was attending MU out of necessity – as Mizzou features a strong veterinary school and Blank was interested in obtaining a doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM). Once Blank got more involved in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), he felt a new inspiration. “In all honesty, my personal decision to attend Mizzou was truly unbeknown to me until I started participating more frequently in CAFNR,” Blank…

May 12, 2020

Jason Entsminger Receives Catalyst Award

Jason Entsminger, a PhD student in the Division of Applied Social Sciences (Managerial, Behavioral & Organizational Economics), recently received the Catalyst Award from the Mizzou LGBTQ Resource Center. Entsminger is an active leader in Students for Cultivating Change at Mizzou. Established in 1998, Catalyst Awards is an annual event aimed at bringing together LGBTQ activists, volunteers, students and community members. Any group, individual or event may be nominated for a Catalyst Award, which is reviewed by a committee overseen by the LGBTQ Resource Center Coordinator.

May 12, 2020

CAFNR Outstanding Sophomore: Lauren Quinlan

Hands-on learning opportunities are a key part of the CAFNR Experience. Those opportunities showcase the uniqueness of the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and include student-run retail, competitive judging teams, research labs and policy centers. For Lauren Quinlan, these types of opportunities are exactly why she chose CAFNR. She has worked with Tiger Garden, the full-service floral shop ran by MU students, for the past year. “Hands-on experience is truly the backbone of CAFNR,” Quinlan said. “I am a very hands-on learner, so I thrive off of the opportunities to apply what I have learned…

May 11, 2020

CAFNR Outstanding Freshman: Kensie Darst

Kensie Darst’s best advice to high school students gearing up for their first semester of college may be common encouragement, but it’s held true for her – don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. Darst, from Aurora, Mo., followed her own advice when she made the decision to step foot on the University of Missouri campus this past fall. “Being from a small, rural community in southwest Missouri, it is difficult for many graduating high school seniors to want to attend a college that seems to host more students than our own town’s population,” Darst said. “Making…

May 9, 2020

Jessica Kansman Honored with Student Leadership Award

Described as the embodiment of a student leader, Jessica Kansman, a graduate student in Plant, Insect and Microbial Sciences, has served on numerous board positions where she has organized and help planned a variety of social and recruitment events. For this, she received the Excellence in Student Leadership Award as part of the Mizzou Graduate Professional Council Awards. Her passion for mentorship and communication has had a deep impact on both graduate and undergraduate student. Not only does she do extensive outreach for the community, Jessica also remains committed to assisting her fellow colleagues.

May 8, 2020

Lisa Groshong Earns MU Distinguished Dissertation Award – Discipline Winner

Lisa Groshong is being honored by the MU Graduate School with the MU Distinguished Dissertation Award for her dissertation titled “Looking Broadly and Deeply into Perceptions of Local Climate Change Impacts Among Visitors to Missouri State Parks.” This work was supervised by Sonja Wilhelm Stanis, associate professor in the School of Natural Resources. The results of Lisa’s research suggest opportunities for state park managers to take action toward locally oriented climate change mitigation, education and communication. Groshong is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri.

May 8, 2020

Man Huynh Honored with Postdoctoral Research Award

Man Huynh, a postdoctoral fellow in Plant Sciences, has received the Postdoctoral Research Award from the MU Graduate School. He developed an artificial diet to address the impact of northern corn rootworm. This pest is devastating to maize crops across North America. This research led to multiple first-authored publications, external funding and a commercially-available diet in partnership with Frontier Agricultural Sciences. His advisor, Debbie Finke, associate professor in the Division of Plant Sciences, shared this sentiment in her nomination letter for the award: “Dr. Huynh is a selfless researcher who takes the time to teach and train others, including colleagues…

May 8, 2020

Ben Knapp Earns Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources Outstanding Young Alumni Award

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes the accomplishments of individuals who have excelled in professional and civic accomplishments and have graduated from Purdue FNR within the last 15 years. Ben Knapp, who earned his bachelor’s degree in forestry from Purdue in 2003, is an associate professor of silviculture in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. After completing his master’s and doctorate degrees at Clemson in 2005 and 2012 respectively, Knapp began teaching at Missouri as a tenure-track assistant professor. In 2018, he was promoted to associate professor. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in silviculture…

May 8, 2020

Harold Chapman Named Alumnus of the Year by CAFNR Alumni Association

Harold Chapman, who received a bachelor’s in Ag Mechanization from CAFNR in 1985, has been named 2020 Alumnus of the Year by the CAFNR Alumni Association. Chapman is the complex general manager for eight Missouri locations of Crown Power and Equipment and was instrumental in helping design an equipment lease program with CASEIH equipment that has transformed CAFNR’s Missouri Ag Experiment Station and its network of research centers across the state. Chapman worked with John Poehlmann, now-retired Assistant Director, Agricultural Experiment Station Director, and Don Schindler, Manager of Farm Operations, to provide the research centers with top-of-the-line equipment. The program…