Stories

Head shot of David Braun

Jan. 31, 2022

New Growth

David Braun, professor of plant science and technology at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), has been named director of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG), effective Feb. 1, 2022. “I am humbled and excited to lead this incredibly talented group of creative and world-class plant biologists,” Braun said. “The IPG is part of my core identity at MU, and I am extremely grateful to it for all of the support it offers to faculty and staff members and the outstanding training environment it provides for our students and postdocs. I look forward to…
agriculture building with flowers blooming

Jan. 27, 2022

CAFNR Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program Winners Announced

The first batch of proposals funded by CAFNR's Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program has been announced. The Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program supports nascent, collaborative, multi transdisciplinary research with the goal of developing a competitive proposal for federal funding.

Jan. 24, 2022

Hannah Hemmelgarn Wins AFTA’s 2021 Early Career Award

Hannah Hemmelgarn, assistant program director in the Center for Agroforestry, received the 2021 Early Career Award from the Association for Temperate Agroforestry. 
IPG Logo

Dec. 22, 2021

Interdisciplinary Plant Group Celebrates 40th Year

Established in 1981, the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2021. The IPG is a community of University of Missouri (MU) faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and professionals pursuing transformative ideas in the field of plant biology. The group seeks to encourage cooperation between scientists engaged in plant molecular biology, physiology, biochemistry, genetics, biotechnology, evolution, ecology and computer science. Doug Randall (center), founding director of IPG, was part of IPG from the beginning. In the early 1970s, MU plant biologists already had a loose association for seminars and to share resources. In 1981 the group received the…
Maple trees tapped at the Baskett Research Center

Dec. 15, 2021

An Untapped Industry

Maple syrup production is most known in the Northeastern United States, but is there a potential maple industry in the lower Midwest? Hannah Hemmelgarn, assistant program director of the Center for Agroforestry, recently received a grant totaling $473,481 for the project, Putting Maple on the Map in the Lower Midwest, to explore just that.
Snow covers a tree limb with a stone building in the background

Dec. 15, 2021

Potential for a Warmer Winter

Tony Lupo, a professor of atmospheric science in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), said this past fall – the months of September, October and November – was the sixth warmest in Missouri since the state began keeping records in 1889.

Dec. 2, 2021

Taking Risk

Measuring financial risk tolerance is not always simple as many over or underestimate their true risk tolerance. What does this mean for investors and financial planners? That’s where the research of University of Missouri professor is coming in. Abed Rabbani teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in PFP. He also performs research focusing on risk tolerance and risk literacy. Abed Rabbani, assistant professor in personal financial planning (PFP), teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the department, along with performing research in risk tolerance. “Risk management is a broad topic,” said Rabbani. “My specific area focuses on the measurement of risk…
Funded by a series of grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Freshman Research in Plants (FRIPS) Program at the University of Missouri allows first-year/first-time undergraduate students an opportunity to get a first-hand look at the exciting plant research taking place at MU. Not only do these students have the chance to experience cutting-edge plant biology research, they are also able to learn from esteemed Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) faculty. Photo by Kate Preston.

Nov. 29, 2021

Sparking an Interest in Research

FRIPS Program allows first-year students an opportunity to get a first-hand look at plant research at MU.
a group of pink piglets

Nov. 4, 2021

Groundbreaking Work

Randy Prather, Curators' Distinguished Professor in Animal Sciences, speaks about the latest pig kidney breakthrough.

Nov. 3, 2021

A Big Plan for a Small Berry

Andrew Thomas has big plans for a small berry. Thomas, research assistant professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri, has received a Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the project Moving American Elderberry into Mainstream Production and Processing. The award is for $5,345,255 over a four-year period. Elderberry is a native plant found all over the Midwest and eastern United States. Thomas, who has conducted elderberry research for 24 years at CAFNR’s Southwest Research, Extension and Education…