Stories
May 10, 2021
Senior Spotlight: Michelle Maile
When Michelle Maile transferred to the University of Missouri, her love for the outdoors led her to select biological sciences for her area of study. Once she got to Mizzou, though, she realized that there were multiple degree programs that hit on her true interests, which are related to natural resources and plant sciences. “At the community college I was at, they didn’t have any natural resource programs,” Maile said. “I honestly didn’t even know they existed. I figured biology was close to what I was interested in, but when I came here, almost everyone was pre-med or pre-vet. I…
May 10, 2021
Senior Spotlight: Luke Eaton
During his freshman year, Luke Eaton decided to join the soil judging team on a whim. Eaton didn’t know it at the time, but that decision would open up a new world of opportunities – and help him find the perfect emphasis area to study. Eaton knew he was going to major in environmental sciences when he first came to the University of Missouri; he just wasn’t sure which of the four emphasis areas to choose. He started in atmospheric sciences, but switched to a soil emphasis after joining the judging team. “Rachel Owen was my soil judging coach and…
May 3, 2021
Greg Snellen Named Alumnus of the Year by CAFNR Alumni Association
Greg Snellen has been named the 2021 Alumnus of the Year by the CAFNR Alumni Association.
April 28, 2021
Two Retired CAFNR Professors Receive 2021 Awards from Missouri Park and Recreation Association
Two retired CAFNR Parks, Recreation and Sport professors recently received awards from the Missouri Park and Recreation Association. Jerry Hitzhusen (pictured left at a previous award ceremony), associate professor emeritus, was inducted into the Missouri Recreation and Parks Hall of Fame. His career, which started with Mizzou in 1974, focuses on therapeutic recreation. He is an international advocate for disabled athletes and is committed to recreation therapy for veterans and advocacy for minority aging populations. Hitzhusen secured more than $6 million in therapeutic recreation grants and programs over his time at Mizzou, and has received the PALESTRA Leadership Award…
April 7, 2021
CAFNR Announces Dissertation Research Improvement Grantees
The University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Office of Research recently announced its inaugural award winners of the CAFNR Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (C-DRIG). Each grant is worth up to $2,000 to support or partially support dissertation research projects proposed by doctoral students in the College. Proposals were evaluated by the CAFNR Research Council, an advisory body that advises the CAFNR Office of Research and is made up of representatives from each division in the College. Student: Pawan Basnet (Plant, Insect and Microbial Sciences) Advisor: Andrew Scaboo (Assistant Professor, Division of Plant Sciences) Development…
Dec. 16, 2020
CAFNR Office of Research Recognizes Drivers of Distinction
The CAFNR Office of Research recently recognized 10 faculty members as Drivers of Distinction. The honor was given to the faculty members, listed below, who had the highest total shared credit research expenditures over the past 10 years (2011-20). David Diamond – director, Missouri Resource Assessment Partnership (School of Natural Resources) Felix Fritschi – C. Alice Donaldson Professor in Bioenergy Crop Physiology and Genetics (Division of Plant Sciences) Shibu Jose – associate dean, CAFNR Office of Research; professor (School of Natural Resources) Henry Nguyen – professor (Division of Plant Sciences) Craig Paukert – cooperative professor (School of Natural Resources) Randy…
Nov. 20, 2020
Emily Piontek Receives Distinguished Thesis Award as Part of 2020 Celebration of Excellence
Emily Piontek received the 2020 Distinguished Thesis Award as part of this year’s virtual Celebration of Excellence Awards. This past spring, she graduated with her Master’s in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and a Certificate in Public Policy. During the completion of her research, Piontek was advised by Sonja Wilhelm Stanis, associate professor in the School of Natural Resources. Both Piontek and Wilhelm Stanis were honored as part of Celebration of Excellence. Piontek’s thesis, Residents’ perceptions of ecosystem services & environmental justice in urban greenspace: A mixed methods exploration in St. Louis, Missouri, provided…
Nov. 16, 2020
Rebecca North Receives Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award as Part of 2020 Celebration of Excellence
Rebecca North, assistant professor of water quality in the School of Natural Resources (SNR), received the Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award during CAFNR’s 2020 virtual Celebration of Excellence awards celebration. North joined the University of Missouri in 2016 as an assistant professor of water quality in the School of Natural Resources. Before coming to MU, she served as a research associate for the Global Institute for Water Security at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatchewan, Canada. North earned her bachelor’s degree (environmental science) and PhD (limnology) at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. She was a postdoctoral fellow for…
Nov. 13, 2020
Rebecca North Serves as Editor of Special Issue in Prestigious Journal
Rebecca North, assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources, recently served as an invited editor of a special issue in Frontiers in Environmental Science and Frontiers in Marine Ecosystem Ecology. The focus of the special issue was on climate change and light in both freshwater and marine ecosystems, including the variability and ecological consequences. Along with serving as a guest editor, two of North’s graduate students published papers in the Environmental Science section in the issue. “The goal of this research topic was to provide a broad overview of how aquatic light environments are changing at present, and…
July 9, 2020
Charles Nilon Named the Newest Holder of the William J. Rucker Professorship in Fisheries and Wildlife
Charles Nilon, professor of urban wildlife management in the School of Natural Resources, was recently named the newest holder of the William J. Rucker Professorship in Fisheries and Wildlife. From its inception in 1944, the William J. Rucker Professorship in Fisheries and Wildlife’s purpose has been for the “instruction of youth upon the subject of the value and preservation of wild life.” Funds are used primarily to support graduate research assistant stipends. “I have known Dr. Nilon almost since the start of my MU career, when I arrived in 1999,” said Pat Market, interim director of the School of Natural…