Stories

Photo of Grant Norfleet. Boy with brown hair, wearing a black blazer over a white shirt with a bow tie.

April 11, 2023

Grant Norfleet Received Outstanding Junior Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence 

Grant Norfleet, an agricultural education major, was named Outstanding Junior at CAFNR’s 2023 Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held Tuesday, April 11.   Norfleet, who is also completing a minor in both agribusiness management and digital storytelling, has taken on numerous leadership roles in CAFNR. He is currently a CAFNR Ambassador, where he serves as president, and discusses all that the College has to offer to prospective students. As president, Norfleet also manages 40 student ambassadors through meetings, campus events and volunteer hours.    Norfleet is a member and past president of…
Photo of Abby Loesing. Girl is smiling and wearing a blue dress, sitting down in front of tall green grass.

April 11, 2023

Abby Loesing Received Outstanding Sophomore Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence 

Abby Loesing, an agricultural education major, was named Outstanding Sophomore at CAFNR’s 2023 Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held Tuesday, April 11.   Loesing is a CAFNR Ambassador and member of Sigma Alpha. She is also part of the Agriculture Education Society, where she serves as part of the executive team.    Loesing spent her first semester at Mizzou working for Tiger Garden, Mizzou’s student-run floral shop. She was an events associate where she planned, coordinated and assisted with delivery, set up and pick up of event pieces.    …
Photo of Morgan Watkins. Young girl with blonde hair smiling, leaning against an old barn with peeling white paint

April 11, 2023

Morgan Watkins Received Outstanding Freshman Award as Part of 2023 Celebration of Excellence  

Morgan Watkins, an agricultural education major, was named Outstanding Freshman at CAFNR’s 2023 Celebration of Excellence awards ceremony, held Tuesday, April 11.   Watkins is an active member of Missouri 4-H and the National FFA Organization. She is currently serving as a 2022-23 Missouri state FFA vice president, where she educates high school students and is focused on building a bright future for the agricultural industry. The vice president role allows Watkins to network with industry leaders, and she has facilitated numerous events during the past year.   Since coming to the…
A group of seven students, four men and three women, pose for a group photo with a competition banner

April 9, 2023

Livestock Team Named Reserve Team Overall at Blue Dragon Classic

The Mizzou Livestock Judging Team was named Reserve Team Overall at the Blue Dragon Classic in Hutchison, Kansas, held in early April. The team placed third in Reasons, Cattle and Sheep & Goats, and fourth in Swine. Team members who placed include: Allison Eitel, senior in agriculture, 11th Overall; Sam Wheeler, junior in agriculture, 12th Overall; and Addie Thessen, junior in plant sciences, 14th Overall. The team is coached by Tawnie DeJong, instructor of animal sciences. Team members pictured left to right are Brady Schnelten, junior in animal sciences; Shane Vehige, junior in animal sciences; Eitel; Jenna Blessing,…
Vice Chancellor and Dean Daubert

April 6, 2023

Daubert Elected Incoming President of Institute of Food Technologists

CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert has been chosen as the president-elect of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). He has been part of the Board of Directors of IFT since 2000, and has also served as Food Engineering Division chair. “I am excited to lead an organization dedicated to advancing science and promoting people who are addressing global challenges associated with food access,” Daubert said. “Throughout my career, IFT has been a steady and positive influence; a community that provides and shares resources to best serve our industry.” He will become IFT’s 85th president when…
Awardees holding awards with President Choi, Vice Chancellor and Dean Daubert and Senior Associate Dean Garton.

April 4, 2023

Advisors Recognized as Drivers of Distinction

CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert recognized 10 individuals as Drivers to Distinction. The awards were given in honor of their exceptional work advising students. The recipients were: Each Driver of Distinction received a trophy from CAFNR Vice Chancellor and Dean Christopher Daubert during the CAFNR Faculty/Staff Meeting April 4, 2023. President Choi and Senior Associate Dean Garton joined in the award presentation as well.
Head shot of David Braun

April 4, 2023

Interdisciplinary Plant Group Director Recognized by Maize Genetic Cooperation

David Braun, professor of plant science and technology and biological sciences and director of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group, was awarded the 2023 L. Stadler Mid-Career Award from the Maize Genetics Cooperation. The L. Stadler Mid-Career Maize Genetics Award is given to an individual who has been in a permanent position for between nine and 20 years and has an outstanding track record of discovery research in maize or related species genetics. This award is named after Lewis J. Stadler who held a joint appointment at the University of Missouri and USDA from 1921 to 1954. Stadler was…
Jen Anderson

April 4, 2023

NEP Research Specialist Awarded Outstanding Preceptor Award

Research Specialist Jen Anderson, nutrition and exercise physiology, was recently awarded the Outstanding Preceptor Award from the Nutrition and Dietetic Educator and Preceptor practice group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Representing more than 112,000 credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.
Images of sperm captured through image-based flow cytometry show irregularities that can affect fertility. From left to right, the images show a knobbed acrosome, nuclear vacuoles and mitochondrial aplasia and piriform head.

April 3, 2023

Putting the AI in AI

Peter Sutovsky, professor of animal sciences, and one of his postdoctoral researchers, Lauren Hamilton, were recently awarded a $1.3 million grant by USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to support their work in creating artificial intelligence they hope will not only help farmers and the agriculture industry, but couples battling infertility, too. “We want to translate this into any area of science where it can be beneficial,” Sutovsky said. “That could be livestock, humans or even endangered species.” The project itself involves examining tens of thousands of images of sperm samples from 85 genome-sequenced bulls for…
After finding a passion for agriculture in high school through the National FFA Organization, Bailey Henry was incredibly involved during her time at MU, especially with Block and Bridle and the Swine Club. She helped coordinate the Steers and Stripes Cattle Show (pictured here, second from left) and was also active with the Chi Alpha campus ministry. Photo courtesy of Bailey Henry.

April 1, 2023

Finding Her Passion

Although she didn’t grow up with a traditional agriculture background, Bailey Henry found a passion for the industry through the National FFA Organization. That passion led her to the University of Missouri – and eventually to a career where she is educating high school students about all things agriculture. Henry earned her agricultural education degree from Mizzou in 2019. She has been an agriculture instructor and FFA advisor at Marceline High School since finishing her bachelor’s degree. “Once I got involved in FFA, I was really hooked,” said Henry, who also earned her master’s degree in agricultural…