Stories

March 8, 2022

Q&A with Jenna Monnig

What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri? I am a livestock specialist headquartered in Mercer County in the North Central portion of the state. I also currently serve as the superintendent of the Thompson Farm. As a livestock specialist, I work to answer questions for producers about all species of livestock and bring them unbiased research-based answers that will hopefully help improve their operations. Most of my work focuses on beef cattle reproduction through AI schools, calving clinics and the Show-Me-Select heifer program. I also answer many nutrition and management questions and questions about other…
Sunset river picture

March 8, 2022

MU Announces the Creation of the Missouri Water Center

The University of Missouri today announced the creation of the Missouri Water Center, a central hub for research on the state’s water resources. The new academic center will combine existing resources and improve coordination across campus — tackling emerging water quality issues and factors that contributed to record flooding in 2019 and years of persistent drought — as well as facilitate new collaborations among faculty, government and industry partners. The Missouri Water Center was created by merging two existing centers at MU: The Missouri Water Resource Research Center in the College of Engineering and the Center for Watershed Management and Water…

March 3, 2022

Two CAFNR Students Honored as Mizzou 18 Award Recipients

This week, the Mizzou Alumni Association and Alumni Association Student Board named the 2022 Mizzou 18 Award and Mizzou ’39 Award recipients. The Mizzou 18 Award is dedicated to honoring 18 University of Missouri graduate and professional students in the last year of their degree eligibility. Recipients are chosen for their world-class research, collaboration with faculty and staff, and their demonstrated leadership with undergraduate students. The two CAFNR students to earn the honor are: Jibin Baby, Hospitality Management Lucy McGowan, Agricultural and Applied Economics…
Rural scenes

March 3, 2022

Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center Announced

The University of Missouri (MU) College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) has formed a new Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF). The center will study how policies and agricultural markets affect farm and rural finances by U.S. region. At 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 9, Sarah Low will present “Introducing the Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center” as part of DASS’ Engaging 4 MO webinar series. During the 30-minute webinar, she’ll share more details about RaFF and highlight its first issue brief about rural economic drivers. The event is free and open to the public.
Mackenzie Ewing

Feb. 25, 2022

Get to Know Mackenzie Ewing

What are your job duties/job responsibilities in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources? I am the Senior Academic Advisor for the Division of Plant Sciences & Technology. I advise, assist with recruitment, and teach career development for Plant Sciences & Agricultural Systems Technology students. How long have you worked in CAFNR? I have been in CAFNR since August but have been advising students at MU since April 1, 2015, no joke. What do you enjoy about working for CAFNR/Mizzou? I love how welcoming everyone is, it truly is one big family. Our students are fantastic, I have enjoyed…
Rice Field rows.

Feb. 24, 2022

Liakat Ali Awarded the 2021 Outstanding Papers in the Plant Genetic Resource Division of the Crop Society of America

Liakat Ali, a research scientist at the Fisher Delta Research, Extension and Education Center soybean breeding program, has been awarded the 2021 Outstanding Papers in the Plant Genetic Resource division of the Crop Science Society of America. The paper is titled Enhancing the searchability, breeding utility, and efficient management of germplasm accessions in the USDA-ARS rice collection. …
Eric Meusch holding goat.

Feb. 21, 2022

Q&A with Eric Meusch

Meusch enjoys working with livestock producers in seven counties over three regions. What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri? I am a field specialist in livestock. I am based in Salem, and I serve seven counties in the East Central (Dent, Phelps, Pulaski, Crawford), Southeast (Shannon and Reynolds) and Southwest (Texas) regions. How long have you worked in this position? I started this position in March of 2021. I have been with Extension for three years. What is your favorite part about the work you do? I like working with producers who are…
Marco Walden, a junior majoring in plant sciences, was the first student to receive the Henry Kirklin Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded annually to underrepresented minority students studying plant sciences. Photo courtesy of Marco Walden.

Feb. 21, 2022

An Eye-Opening Honor

A member of the Missouri National Guard, Marco Walden was called into disaster and humanitarian relief efforts during the initial COVID-19 pandemic outbreak in mid-2020. Walden served the state in multiple ways as a combat medic, from helping with testing to providing vaccinations for individuals in smaller communities and towns. Walden, a junior majoring in plant sciences, took a gap year to help with the efforts. When he returned to the University of Missouri last year the first thing he did was meet with Mary Ann Gowdy, his advisor and an assistant teaching professor in the Division of Plant Science…
For nearly two years, graduate student Jermayne Smith has been researching the effects of remnant and restored prairies on small mammal and tick diversity. The goal of the work has been to examine how prairie type affects small mammal and tick diversity, as well as how the time since restoration impacts both species abundance and tick diversity. Photo courtesy of Jermayne Smith.

Feb. 21, 2022

A Rewarding Journey

When Jermayne Smith began the search for a graduate school experience he had one main goal in mind – find a project where he could work with small mammals. Samniqueka Halsey, an assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources within the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), had the perfect research idea in mind. For nearly two years, Smith has been researching the effects of remnant and restored prairies on small mammal and tick variety. Remnant prairies are true native prairies, with restored prairies being land that has been returned to a prairie state.
Craig Paukrt is presented with the Fisheries Excellence Award

Feb. 17, 2022

Craig Paukert Wins Fisheries Excellence Award from North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society

Craig Paukert, cooperative professor in fisheries and wildlife, received the Fisheries Excellence Award through the North Central Division of the American Fisheries Society. This award is given to a North Central member who has made outstanding contributions to the fisheries profession. This contribution may be a single activity or a collection of achievements over the individual’s career.