Stories

April 29, 2024
Collaborative CAFNR research paper published in American Journal of Botany
“Halophytes and heavy metals: A multi-omics approach to understand the role of gene and genome duplication in the abiotic stress tolerance of Cakile maritima” was published in the American Journal of Botany, a combined effort between CAFNR students and computer sciences students.

April 29, 2024
Three CAFNR students and alumni honored by National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.

April 17, 2024
Craig Schenck honored with 2024 Outstanding Early Career Teacher Award
Schenck awarded the Outstanding Early Career Teacher award at the 2024 Celebration of Excellence Awards.

April 17, 2024
Jay Thelen honored with 2024 Distinguished Research Award
Jay Thelen, professor, Biochemistry, has received the 2024 Distinguished Research Award. Thelen’s career highlights include establishing a successful research program focusing on understanding the regulation of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in plants and algae. His research program excels in grantsmanship, scholarly activity and entrepreneurship, with notable achievements including over $18 million in extramural grants, 150 research publications and four licensed patents. Jay Thelen Thelen’s pioneering work in phosphoproteomics, particularly the development of the Kinase Client assay, has garnered international attention and significantly advanced understanding of plant signal transduction. Additionally, his research on fatty acid biosynthesis has practical implications for…

March 5, 2024
2024 CAFNR Joy of Discovery Seed Grant Program Winners Announced
The third 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. The following proposals were selected (listed by the PI, Co-PI/s and title of the project): Mandy Bish (Plant Science and Technology); Characterization of Soil Microbial Communities Across Ecoregions as a Step TowardsImproving Soil Health Indicators Gary Stacey (Plant Science and Technology), collaborator from Yeshiva University; Development of Novel Calcium Sensors Chung-Ho Lin (School of Natural Resources), Isa Kupke (School of Natural…

Jan. 26, 2024
Three CAFNR faculty awarded MU Research Council Grants
The University of Missouri’s Division of Research, Innovation and Impact awarded the second round of Research Council Grants in December to 16 faculty members, three of which call CAFNR home. The CAFNR faculty awarded and their projects are: Lesa Beamer, Professor, Biochemistry, Obtaining Preliminary Data on Enzyme Structure for CryoEM StudiesGlyphosate Dreams Samniqueka Halsey, Assistant Professor, Natural Resources, Identifying Tick-Borne Pathogen Prevalence Among Prairies in Central Missouri Zipei Zhang, Assistant Professor, Food Science, Development of Novel Bioflim Inactivation Adjuvants to Enhance Food Safety This internal funding of up to $15,000 supports research, scholarship and creative endeavors that lead to book…

Sep. 20, 2023
Curators’ Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry Receives Fellows Award from Academy of Science-St. Louis
Gary Weisman, curators' distinguished professor of biochemistry, was recognized by the Academy of Science-St. Louis as a 2020 fellows awardee. The organization delayed their 2020 celebration due to COVID-19, and recognized those awardees, including Weisman, in its 2023 celebration on Sept. 20.

Aug. 18, 2023
Mizzou Students Awarded Agriculture Future of America Scholarships
Seven Mizzou students were selected to receive Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Scholarships. AFA’s mission is to “build bridges for young leaders, fostering engagement and innovation in food and agriculture.”

May 10, 2023
CAFNR Students Tapped for Honor Societies
CAFNR students took part in induction ceremonies for Mizzou honor societies April 28 as part of 2023 Tap Day. Inducted were Andres Mesa, Trillion Rosborough and Kathryn Wenger.

April 13, 2023
CAFNR Represented Among 14 MU Students, Alumni Honored by National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. The five-year fellowship includes three years of financial support including an annual stipend of $34,000 and a cost of education allowance of $12,000 to the institution. This year’s recipients included three CAFNR students and alumni: Daniel Lamm, BS ’20 (biochemistry); Joseph Fritsche, BS ’21 (biochemistry); and Chantelle Wimms, current graduate student in natural resources. Alyssa Smolensky, current graduate student in natural resources, received an honorable mention. Wimms and Smolensky…