Stories

July 8, 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…

June 22, 2020

MU Faculty Part of Gene Editing Task Force

The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) recently announced an 11-person Gene Editing Task Force, which includes two individuals from the University of Missouri: Bhanu Telugu (associate professor) and Londa Nwadike (food safety state specialist, MU Extension). The 11-person task force is comprised of scientists and industry leaders who will map out recommendations for regulating this emerging genomic technology in animal agriculture with appropriate safeguards and procedures.

June 1, 2020

Robin Rotman Honored with Win Horner Award for Innovative Writing Intensive Teaching

Robin Rotman, an assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources, was recently honored with the Win Horner Award for Innovative Writing Intensive Teaching for the 2019-20 academic year. Inspired by early Campus Writing Programs Director Win Horner, this award celebrates innovative approaches to teaching writing in the disciplines. In her Environmental Science 4400W course, Professor Rotman mentors students through complex legal writing, and, by the conclusion of each semester, her students create their own Journal of Environmental Law, Policy, and Justice.

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.

May 8, 2020

Jessica Kansman Honored with Student Leadership Award

Described as the embodiment of a student leader, Jessica Kansman, a graduate student in Plant, Insect and Microbial Sciences, has served on numerous board positions where she has organized and help planned a variety of social and recruitment events. For this, she received the Excellence in Student Leadership Award as part of the Mizzou Graduate Professional Council Awards. Her passion for mentorship and communication has had a deep impact on both graduate and undergraduate student. Not only does she do extensive outreach for the community, Jessica also remains committed to assisting her fellow colleagues.

May 7, 2020

Lisa Groshong Earns MU Distinguished Dissertation Award – Discipline Winner

Lisa Groshong is being honored by the MU Graduate School with the MU Distinguished Dissertation Award for her dissertation titled “Looking Broadly and Deeply into Perceptions of Local Climate Change Impacts Among Visitors to Missouri State Parks.” This work was supervised by Sonja Wilhelm Stanis, associate professor in the School of Natural Resources. The results of Lisa’s research suggest opportunities for state park managers to take action toward locally oriented climate change mitigation, education and communication. Groshong is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri.

May 7, 2020

Man Huynh Honored with Postdoctoral Research Award

Man Huynh, a postdoctoral fellow in Plant Sciences, has received the Postdoctoral Research Award from the MU Graduate School. He developed an artificial diet to address the impact of northern corn rootworm. This pest is devastating to maize crops across North America. This research led to multiple first-authored publications, external funding and a commercially-available diet in partnership with Frontier Agricultural Sciences. His advisor, Debbie Finke, associate professor in the Division of Plant Sciences, shared this sentiment in her nomination letter for the award: “Dr. Huynh is a selfless researcher who takes the time to teach and train others, including colleagues…

May 7, 2020

Ben Knapp Earns Purdue Forestry and Natural Resources Outstanding Young Alumni Award

The Outstanding Young Alumni Award recognizes the accomplishments of individuals who have excelled in professional and civic accomplishments and have graduated from Purdue FNR within the last 15 years. Ben Knapp, who earned his bachelor’s degree in forestry from Purdue in 2003, is an associate professor of silviculture in the School of Natural Resources at the University of Missouri. After completing his master’s and doctorate degrees at Clemson in 2005 and 2012 respectively, Knapp began teaching at Missouri as a tenure-track assistant professor. In 2018, he was promoted to associate professor. He teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in silviculture…

May 6, 2020

Karl Kerns Honored with Distinguished Dissertation Award

Karl Kerns, a postdoctoral fellow in animal sciences, has received the MU Distinguished Dissertation Award from the Graduate School as part of the Sixth Annual Graduate and Postdoctoral Award Ceremony. Kerns’ dissertation, “Zinc Ion Fluxes on the Pathway to Mammalian Sperm Fertilization Competency,” was supervised by Peter Sutovsky, professor of animal sciences. The research used a combination of new techniques to explain sperm zinc ion fluxes and develop a new sperm fertilization competency test. The test has been submitted for international patenting by the University of Missouri. The findings from Kerns’ dissertation have been published in the highly regarded Nature…

April 20, 2020

Anita Carter Receives Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award

Anita Carter, program/project support coordinator in the School of Natural Resources, was awarded the Chancellor’s Outstanding Staff Award in the Part-Time/Temporary category. This award is presented to a staff member who exemplifies the university’s values through temporary or part-time employment and consistently display characteristics that are valued and appreciated by their coworkers. They lead by example, motivate those around them, demonstrate compassion and bring innovative ideas to their teams.