Stories
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…
April 12, 2023
Missouri Farm Income Projected to Decline in 2023
Missouri’s net farm income is predicted to fall in 2023 following a record-setting 2022, according to the spring 2023 Missouri Farm Income Outlook report. The report, released by the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF) at the University of Missouri, provides comprehensive insights that can equip industry stakeholders and policymakers with information to understand the state-level impacts of economic factors, weather and policy initiatives on the agriculture industry. One factor that could explain this projected drop in farm income is the state’s livestock receipts, which were impacted by the country-wide drought that reduced cattle inventories and supported Missouri marketings, which…
April 12, 2023
Kathy Haynes Honored with Mumford Award for Outstanding Staff as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence
Kathy Haynes, CAFNR’s chief financial officer, has received the 2023 Fredrick B. Mumford Award for Outstanding Staff. The award was given as part of the college’s Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held April 11. Haynes joined CAFNR nine years ago, and has overseen the areas of business, finance and human resources for the college ever since, with a focus on customer service and patient mentorship of staff, including the six divisional fiscal officers in the college. “She is curious and inquisitive and uses these qualities to find efficient processes for and effective resolutions to the…
April 12, 2023
Felix Fritschi Receives Mumford Award for Outstanding Faculty as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence
Felix Fritschi, C. Alice Donaldson Professor in Bioenergy Crop Physiology and Genetics in the Division of Plant Science and Technology, received the 2023 Mumford Award for Outstanding Faculty during CAFNR’s Celebration of Excellence ceremony held Tuesday, April 11. Fritschi is the interim director of the Missouri Soybean Center and the Missouri Plant Transformation Core Facility. He has advised 25 graduate students and 32 postdoctoral fellows. Fritschi’s research focuses on crop improvement for farmers, specifically tolerance to drought and heat, and water and nutrient use efficiencies. Fritschi has secured almost $14 million in research grant support for his…
April 12, 2023
Amanda Alexander Received Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence
Amanda Alexander, associate teaching professor, Division of Applied Social Sciences, was named the Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor during the 2023 Celebration of Excellence event, held Tuesday, April 11. Alexander teaches hospitality management courses at all undergraduate levels, from the intro course up to the senior capstone course. Additionally, she advises an average of 32 undergraduate students per semester, as well as serving as the faculty advisor to the Mizzou Special Events Society and the MU chapter of the Club Management Association of America. “Dr. Alexander is a cornerstone of the undergraduate experience in hospitality…
April 12, 2023
Antje Heese Received Outstanding Graduate Advisor Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence
Antje Heese received the 2023 CAFNR Outstanding Graduate Advisor Award at the Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony April 11. She is an associate professor of biochemistry and part of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group; she chaired the Graduate Admissions Committee for biochemistry from 2018-20. Heese’s graduate students have achieved highly, thanks to her expert mentorship, according to nominators. For example, her students have given a total of 19 talks, including 10 at international conferences; presented 35 poster presentations; received 18 travel grants; been awarded nine fellowships; and have published 11 scientific publications. “Antje has high expectations…
April 12, 2023
Eric Aldrich Received 2023 Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award at Celebration of Excellence
Eric Aldrich, assistant teaching professor of meteorology in the School of Natural Resources, received the Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award at CAFNR’s 2023 Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held April 11. During the past five years, Aldrich has been the faculty advisor of the Mizzou Meteorology Club. He participates in the SNR Student Mentorship program where he mentors 12 Environmental Science students in the field of atmospheric science. Aldrich’s philosophy of teaching is centered on creating a learner-centered environment that allows students to take an active role in their own learning process. His instructional goals…
April 12, 2023
Deborah Finke Received Outstanding Senior Teaching Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence
Deborah Finke, professor and director of undergraduate studies, Division of Plant Science and Technology, was honored with the Outstanding Senior Teacher Award as part of the 2023 Celebration of Excellence event, held Tuesday, April 11. Finke is dedicated to inquiry-based student learning and teaches courses including Insect Pest Management, Plant Stress Biology and Insect Ecology, with teaching evaluations consistently higher than average. She leads a study abroad opportunity to Italy, is the advisor for the C.V. Riley Entomological Society student organization, and works with faculty on the development of courses and curriculum as the undergraduate program director.
April 12, 2023
Bing Yang Receives Distinguished Research Award as Part of 2023 CAFNR Celebration of Excellence
Bing Yang, professor of plant science and technology, received the Distinguished Research Award at the Celebration of Excellence held April 11, due to his groundbreaking contributions in crop genome engineering and plant pathology. Yang has cloned and characterized a rice disease resistance gene used by breeders to protect rice plants from a devastating bacterial pathogen. Additionally, his research program focuses on developing and applying genome editing technologies for gene/trait discovery and for engineering improved traits, such as disease resistance in crop plants. Yang’s research has been published in top-tier journals, including Nature Genetics…
April 12, 2023
Scott Peck Received Roger L. Mitchell Fellow Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence
Scott Peck, professor of biochemistry, received the 2023 Roger L. Mitchell Fellow Award at the CAFNR Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony April 11. Peck joined Mizzou in 2005 and has made numerous seminal discoveries on the functions of specific protein kinases and phosphatases that control plant defense responses to bacterial pathogens. His papers have garnered more than 10,000 total citations. Peck has been appointed as an Extraordinary Professor at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, and as a Joint Professor at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology in Japan. He continuously…