Stories

May 2, 2021

Carol Swaim Receives Haynes Distinguished Service Award from the CAFNR Alumni Association

Carol Swaim, administrative assistant, Agricultural Education and Leadership program, has been named the recipient of the 2021 Dana Brown Haynes Distinguished Service Award, given by the CAFNR Alumni Association each spring. Swaim has been part of the Agricultural Education and Leadership team for 16 years, and at Mizzou for 27 years. She is a three-time recipient of the CAFNR Staff Advisory Council’s Above and Beyond award (2009, 2013 and 2018). In 2015 she received an Honorary State FFA Degree – the highest degree presented by the Missouri FFA Association to individuals for their dedication to furthering agricultural education and FFA.

April 6, 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. 15, 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…

Dec. 6, 2020

Rebecca Mott Appointed to Committee With American Association for Agricultural Education

Rebecca Mott, assistant Extension professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, has been appointed to a three-year term on the North Central Region’s Program Improvement Committee with the American Association for Agricultural Education (AAAE). AAAE aims to foster excellence in the discovery and exchange of evidence-based solutions for social science challenges in agriculture and related sciences. Her service term will continue through 2023.

Nov. 4, 2020

Hua Qin Wins National Excellence Award as Part of Research Team

Hua Qin, associate professor of environmental and resource sociology/demography in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Division of Applied Social Sciences (DASS), is part of a multidisciplinary, multi-institution research team that was recently awarded the National Excellence in Multistate Research Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This prestigious and highly competitive award recognizes scientists who conduct exemplary research and outreach efforts across multiple states and in doing so enhance the visibility of USDA multistate programs. The team was awarded the Western Region Excellence…

May 11, 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.

Sep. 17, 2019

Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) Celebrates its 35th Anniversary

This year, the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) celebrates its 35th anniversary. With its more than 20 contributing faculty, staff and students, FAPRI works with Congress to shape U.S. farm policy. It provides objective analysis of agricultural markets and policies and uses economic models to estimate how those policies affect consumers and markets. Access more information about the institute and its work at fapri.missouri.edu.

Nov. 6, 2018

Pat Westhoff Named to Howard Cowden Professorship

Pat Westhoff has been named as the newest holder of the Howard Cowden Professorship. Dr. Westhoff is a professor of agricultural and applied economics, and the director of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) at MU. His contribution to agricultural policy is critical to agricultural cooperatives and their member-owners in Missouri and across the nation. Dr. Westhoff and his FAPRI colleagues also work regularly with congressional staffers and USDA leaders to evaluate proposed agricultural legislation intended to provide farmers with a solid economic footing. The professorship is named for Howard Cowden, a southwest Missouri native who started his cooperative career with…

July 11, 2018

Jon Simonsen Earns Golden Apple Award

Students selected to be a part of the Litton Leadership Scholars cohort engage in a yearlong seminar course centered on leadership and impactful change. The students have the opportunity learn from Jon Simonsen, a stellar leader. “Simo,” as Simonsen’s students affectionately refer to him, was surprised with a Golden Apple Award from the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources during a trip to Chillicothe, Missouri, on April 26, where members of the cohort meet with the Jerry Litton Family Memorial Foundation. Simonsen’s wife Michelle, along with colleague John Tummons and former professor from The Ohio State University, Robert Birkenholz, were there to watch a surprised Simonsen receive the award. Simonsen is an associate professor, chair and leads the graduate studies program for agricultural leadership, communication and education. He also serves as…