Stories

Growing up in a town of less than 300 people, Elizabeth Gunter’s graduating class at DeKalb High School consisted of just 15 students. Coming to the University of Missouri, with enrollment above 30,000 students, was a big change of pace. The MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) made that change much easier. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Gunter.

Sep. 27, 2021

Feeling Right at Home

Growing up in a town of less than 300 people, Elizabeth Gunter’s graduating class at DeKalb High School consisted of just 15 students. Coming to the University of Missouri, with enrollment above 30,000 students, was a big change of pace. The MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) made that change much easier. “It was definitely a little intimidating being in a lecture hall with more people in it than my entire town,” Gunter said. “However, through CAFNR I was able to meet so many students who had that same rural background who felt the…
CAFNR’s most recent partnership with Agriculture Education on the Move is the College’s biggest yet, and brought more than 50 Missouri high school FFA students to the Mizzou campus for a one-day curriculum training. CAFNR students led the training and are pictured, from left to right: Evan Davidson, Lauren Quinlan, Elizabeth Brooks, Hattie Grisham and Reagan Limbach.

Sep. 15, 2021

Agriculture Education on the Move

Agriculture Education on the Move (AEOTM), a program of Missouri Farmers Care, began in 2011 as a way to bring free, hands-on agriculture education to third and fourth grade students throughout the state. John Tummons, an assistant teaching professor of agricultural education and leadership in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS), has been involved in the program since 2014. Tummons has partnered with the program in a variety of ways, including serving as a curriculum advisor. CAFNR’s most recent partnership with AEOTM is…

Aug. 23, 2021

Q&A With Emma Baer

Why did you decide to come to the University of Missouri and major in nutrition and exercise physiology, with a focus in human physiology and translational sciences? What do you enjoy about the program itself? The field of study? Coming to Mizzou as a pre-med student, I knew I wanted a degree program that would provide me the core knowledge I needed to advance throughout my studies, but that would also engage me and my interests in the process. I landed on this particular path because I had a basic understanding of the impact nutrition had on overall…
An early passion for broadcast meteorology and a desire to get a degree from a university in the state he grew up in led Matt Beckwith to the University of Missouri. Beckwith thought the atmospheric science emphasis area within the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) environmental sciences degree program would help prepare him for a career as a meteorologist. When Beckwith, who grew up in the Kansas City area, walked onto campus in 2015, he knew right away that he made the correct decision. Photo courtesy of Matt Beckwith.

Aug. 22, 2021

A well-rounded experience

The environmental sciences degree program prepared Matt Beckwith for a career as a broadcast meteorologist.
The Italy study abroad program is one of several summer offerings in CAFNR. The program takes place in the city of Florence, and is primarily for students interested in restaurant management or event planning – as well as Italian culture. Lauren Tippen was able to participate in the program this summer, after the program was cancelled last year. Photo courtesy of Lauren Tippen.

Aug. 22, 2021

Finding Joy in New Experiences

As a hospitality management student, Lauren Tippen was excited to participate in the Italy study abroad program last year through the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). That program is focused on the hospitality industry in Italy, as well as Italian culture. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the program, though, and Tippen, a senior, was unsure if she would have a similar opportunity during her collegiate career. “When it got cancelled, I was so upset and I really didn’t think I would have this opportunity again,” Tippen said. When Shanon…

May 16, 2021

Q&A With Kyle Watkinson

Why did you decide to come to the University of Missouri and major in natural resource science and management? What do you enjoy about the program itself? The field of study? Having grown up in the Columbia area, the question “Where do you want to go to college?” has never been tough to answer. I am a legacy student who has been chanting “MIZ-ZOU” since preschool. As luck would have it, CAFNR offers one of the most high-quality educations in Natural Resource Science and Management in the nation! I developed a passion for the outdoors and conservation at…

April 14, 2021

Q&A With Katie Crider

Why did you decide to come to the University of Missouri and major in food science and nutrition? What do you enjoy about the program itself? The field of study? My decision to come to the University of Missouri was a fairly easy one after I visited campus and met with the CAFNR staff. Everyone I met was very friendly and made me feel very welcome. Originally, I was an animal sciences major; however, that was very short-lived when I realized that field was not for me. I quickly switched to hospitality when I discovered that I liked…
Chloe Dobson has stayed busy during her time at MU, and as she heads toward graduation in May, she is participating in her most unique project yet – a virtual international internship with Camerata Salzburg, an internationally-renowned chamber orchestra based in Salzburg, Austria. Photo courtesy of Chloe Dobson.

April 14, 2021

A ‘Mind-Blowing’ Experience

When Chloe Dobson arrived at the University of Missouri in 2017, her declared major was political science. Dobson said she was hoping to eventually attend law school. A Thomas Rhett concert at Mizzou changed all of that. Dobson signed up as event staff for the concert, which took place in late 2017. After working the entire event, Dobson switched her major to hospitality management in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). “I was really, really broke at the time, so when I saw an email about a paying job working the concert, I…
Abigail Turner, a senior studying agricultural education, has spent a good portion of her collegiate career at the University of Missouri traveling – through study abroad experiences and other opportunities. Those experiences have offered Turner the chance to gain valuable insights and broadened her view of the world. Photo courtesy of Abigail Turner.

March 17, 2021

Gaining a New Perspective

The day after Abigail Turner graduated from high school she jumped on an airplane and flew to Australia with the encouragement of her parents, who love to travel. Turner grew up in Brookfield, Mo., a town of less than 4,500 people, and the trip to Australia was her first foray into international travel. It wouldn’t be her last. Turner, a senior studying agricultural education, has spent a good portion of her collegiate career at the University of Missouri traveling – through study abroad experiences and other opportunities. Those experiences have offered Turner the chance to gain valuable insights…

March 16, 2021

Q&A With Toyin Jackson

Why did you decide to come to the University of Missouri and major in food science and nutrition? What do you enjoy about the program itself? The field of study? The initial reason I was drawn to the University of Missouri was because I was selected to be in the inaugural class of MU Stamps Scholars through the Honors College. I visited campus during my latter years of high school, specifically the food science program and Dr. (Ingolf) Gruen. What stuck out to me during that visit was the program’s level of autonomy and the freedom to carve…