Stories

March 30, 2024
School of Natural Resources researcher works to develop guidelines for industrial hemp producers in Missouri
In the early 20th century, Missouri was a leader in hemp production, ranking second in the nation. Still, after more than a century of the crop being categorized as a controlled substance, the rich knowledge Missouri farmers had of the crop was lost. Researchers at the University of Missouri are now working to learn how to recapture the value that growing industrial hemp could provide for the state’s farmers. “We are looking at this like a new crop, and, like any new crop, there are ups and downs,” said Gurpreet Kaur, assistant research professor at MU’s School of Natural Resources.

March 26, 2024
Executive-in-Residence Laura K. Furgione, B.S. Atmospheric Science ’93 and Chief Administrative Officer of the U.S. Census Bureau, encourages CAFNR students to step outside their comfort zone
Serving as a forecaster in both tropical Hawaii and arctic Alaska, Furgione learned how to serve communities through science.

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…

March 1, 2024
CAFNR Students Named Mizzou ’39
In the spirit of service that was the cornerstone of the 1839 founding of the University of Missouri, the Mizzou Alumni Association Student Board presents the Mizzou '39 Award to 39 outstanding seniors each year.

Feb. 20, 2024
SNR faculty named Conservation Federation Missouri Forest Conservationist of the Year
Hank Stelzer, associate professor of forestry and natural resources extension education director, was announced as Forest Conservationist of the Year by the Conservation Federation Missouri. The honor is part of the organization’s 2023 Conservation Achievement Awards, which recognize Missourians who better the outdoors through personal efforts. Stelzer will be recognized at Conservation Federation Missouri’s 88th Annual Convention.

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…

Jan. 10, 2024
MU Center for Agroforestry to host 15th Annual Symposium
The University of Missouri’s Center for Agroforestry’s 2024 symposium, Silvopasture in Practice, is slated for Wednesday, Jan. 17, and will feature a full day of presentations, panels and discussions on long-term silvopasture research, early adopters and innovators, intergenerational land management approaches, regional insights and challenges, and the environmental, economic and social impacts of silvopasture as a land-management strategy.

Dec. 14, 2023
CAFNR Senior Spotlight – Q&A with Jack Dorson
Get to know Park, Recreation, Sport and Tourism senior, Jack Dorson

Dec. 1, 2023
CAFNR fish ecologist’s research indicates need to conserve iconic migratory snook in Mexico
A new study on the common snook, a prized game fish, will inform conservation policy in the Usumacinta River in southern Mexico.

Dec. 1, 2023
Riding the whims of the wind
Researchers develop a model that analyzes the future survival of plants in a changing climate based on how far wind can carry a plant’s seeds.