Stories

Photo of Amanda Alexander. Woman with long dark hair smiling, wearing a black shirt against a white background

April 11, 2023

Amanda Alexander Received Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence  

Amanda Alexander, associate teaching professor, Division of Applied Social Sciences, was named the Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor during the 2023 Celebration of Excellence event, held Tuesday, April 11.     Alexander teaches hospitality management courses at all undergraduate levels, from the intro course up to the senior capstone course. Additionally, she advises an average of 32 undergraduate students per semester, as well as serving as the faculty advisor to the Mizzou Special Events Society and the MU chapter of the Club Management Association of America.    “Dr. Alexander is a cornerstone of the undergraduate…

Photo of Grant Norfleet. Boy with brown hair, wearing a black blazer over a white shirt with a bow tie.

April 11, 2023

Grant Norfleet Received Outstanding Junior Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence 

Grant Norfleet, an agricultural education major, was named Outstanding Junior at CAFNR’s 2023 Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held Tuesday, April 11.   Norfleet, who is also completing a minor in both agribusiness management and digital storytelling, has taken on numerous leadership roles in CAFNR. He is currently a CAFNR Ambassador, where he serves as president, and discusses all that the College has to offer to prospective students. As president, Norfleet also manages 40 student ambassadors through meetings, campus events and volunteer hours.    Norfleet is a member and past president of…

Photo of Abby Loesing. Girl is smiling and wearing a blue dress, sitting down in front of tall green grass.

April 11, 2023

Abby Loesing Received Outstanding Sophomore Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence 

Abby Loesing, an agricultural education major, was named Outstanding Sophomore at CAFNR’s 2023 Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held Tuesday, April 11.   Loesing is a CAFNR Ambassador and member of Sigma Alpha. She is also part of the Agriculture Education Society, where she serves as part of the executive team.    Loesing spent her first semester at Mizzou working for Tiger Garden, Mizzou’s student-run floral shop. She was an events associate where she planned, coordinated and assisted with delivery, set up and pick up of event pieces.    …

Photo of Morgan Watkins. Young girl with blonde hair smiling, leaning against an old barn with peeling white paint

April 11, 2023

Morgan Watkins Received Outstanding Freshman Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence  

Morgan Watkins, an agricultural education major, was named Outstanding Freshman at CAFNR’s 2023 Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held Tuesday, April 11.   Watkins is an active member of Missouri 4-H and the National FFA Organization. She is currently serving as a 2022-23 Missouri state FFA vice president, where she educates high school students and is focused on building a bright future for the agricultural industry. The vice president role allows Watkins to network with industry leaders, and she has facilitated numerous events during the past year.   Since coming to the…

Awardees holding awards with President Choi, Vice Chancellor and Dean Daubert and Senior Associate Dean Garton.

April 4, 2023

Advisors Recognized as Drivers of Distinction

CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert recognized 10 individuals as Drivers to Distinction. The awards were given in honor of their exceptional work advising students. The recipients were: Each Driver of Distinction received a trophy from CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert during the CAFNR Faculty/Staff Meeting April 4, 2023. President Choi and Senior Associate Dean Garton joined in the award presentation as well.

After finding a passion for agriculture in high school through the National FFA Organization, Bailey Henry was incredibly involved during her time at MU, especially with Block and Bridle and the Swine Club. She helped coordinate the Steers and Stripes Cattle Show (pictured here, second from left) and was also active with the Chi Alpha campus ministry. Photo courtesy of Bailey Henry.

April 1, 2023

Finding Her Passion

Although she didn’t grow up with a traditional agriculture background, Bailey Henry found a passion for the industry through the National FFA Organization. That passion led her to the University of Missouri – and eventually to a career where she is educating high school students about all things agriculture. Henry earned her agricultural education degree from Mizzou in 2019. She has been an agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at Marceline High School since finishing her bachelor’s degree. “Once I got involved in FFA, I was really hooked,” said Henry, who also earned her master’s degree in agricultural…

March 24, 2023

2023 AFA Institute Selections Include Several CAFNR Students

Several CAFNR students were recently chosen as 2023 Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Animal Institute and Food Institute selections. AFA experiences connect students to a diverse community of peers and professionals who are passionate about food and agriculture. The goal of the experiences is to challenge the way students think about themselves, their potential career and the agriculture industry. 2023 AFA Animal Institute Selections: 2023 AFA Food Institute Selections:

A woman stands outside next to her cattle operation. The sky is great and it looks windy.

March 16, 2023

Annie’s Project empowered Marion County farmer Amy Lehenbauer

Annie’s Project, a program offered by University of Missouri Extension for two decades, gave Amy Lehenbauer the confidence she needed to become active in the family farm. Lehenbauer is one of more than 19,000 women across the nation who completed the program during the past 20 years, says MU Extension agriculture business specialist Karisha Devlin. The program celebrates two decades of helping women in agriculture gain skills in leadership, business and estate planning, self-defense and self-care. “Annie’s Project educates and empowers women in agriculture and encourages them in whatever role they choose to have in their farming…

March 12, 2023

Mid-Career Research Development Program Accepts Hospitality Management Faculty

Pei Liu, associate professor of hospitality management, was accepted into Mizzou’s Mid-Career Research Development Fellows Program for a two-year term beginning fall 2023. This is a partnership program between the Office of the Provost and the Office of Research, Innovation, and Impact. It is designed to provide research development opportunities to post-tenure/mid-career faculty prior to promotion to full professor. Selected faculty participate in workshops and career-building events that focus on research support including topics of balancing service commitments, engaging in collaborative work, understanding promotion criteria, and other topics of concern to mid-career faculty.

March 12, 2023

Hospitality Management Professor Receives Fullbright Award

Dae-Young Kim, professor of hospitality management, was selected by the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board as an award recipient for 2023-24. Kim is a Fulbright U.S. Senior Scholar for the upcoming academic year. He will use his scholarship to teach and conduct research on sustainable tourism in Las Palmas, Spain, for five months. The Fullbright program provides awards to approximately 8,000 students, scholars, teachers, artists, and professionals each year from the United States and 160 countries. Fulbright is unique in its binationalism and noted for its merit-based selection process and academic prestige. Fulbright alumni from the United States and…