Stories

A collage of two headshots -- David Braun and Deborah Finke

Feb. 7, 2023

CAFNR Faculty Selected to Participate in LEAD21 Program

David Braun, director of the Interdisciplinary Plant Group (IPG) and professor, plant science & technology and biological sciences; and Deborah Finke, professor and director of undergraduate studies, plant science and technology; were selected as participants in the 19th class of the LEAD21 program, a leadership program aimed at developing leaders in land-grant institutions and their strategic partners who link research, academics and extension for leadership roles at colleges and universities across the nation. LEAD21 provides an immersive professional development program for academic leaders from the land-grant system. Working in regular small groups meetings combined with three week-long immersive sessions, the…
portrait of TaylorAnn Washburn

Feb. 6, 2023

Get to Know TaylorAnn Washburn

What are your job duties/job responsibilities in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources? I am the program manager for the newly formed Rural and Farm Finance Policy Analysis Center (RaFF). In this role, I manage relationships with our collaborators at other land-grant universities, oversee all communications and public relations efforts for the center to gain visibility, and generally keep all our projects on track! I also offer communications and PR assistance to the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI). How long have you worked in CAFNR? I joined CAFNR in May 2022 –…
Three people stand in front of a wall of live plants. From left to right they are Scott Peck, a white man with glasses and grey hair wearing a black cardigan over a button-up; Antje Heese, a white woman with long, red hair wearing a black jacket; and David Mendoza, a Latino man with dark hair and glasses wearing a black sweater.

Jan. 31, 2023

The Joy of Collaboration

One year ago, a team of plant scientists and biochemists from Mizzou was among faculty awarded the first-ever CAFNR Joy of Discovery Seed Grant funding. Today, that team has parlayed that funding into a $1.25 million National Science Foundation grant that could lead to a deeper understanding of how plant immunity impacts the plant nutrient systems than ever before. The Joy of Discovery program, through the CAFNR Office of Research, aims to provide faculty with funding for interdisciplinary research that will produce preliminary data to make faculty projects more competitive to major funding sources. It provides up to…
A man in glasses and a long-sleeved, pale pink button-up shirt

Jan. 31, 2023

CAFNR Plant Scientist Named AAAS Fellow

In recognition of nearly two decades of work creating rice varieties resistant to certain types of bacteria, Bing Yang, professor of plant sciences, was named as a 2022 American Association for the Advancement of Science fellow. “The recognition of my work and my group inspires me to work harder – to do a better job,” Yang said. The recognition from AAAS did not come without a long list of accomplishments, however. Fueling his work along the way was Yang’s desire to make an impact on global food supply issues. “Years of work for my lab…
Memphis Bancroft is in the accelerated master’s program within the food science and nutrition degree program, which allows student’s to complete both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in just five years. Bancroft is a senior, which means she is close to finishing her undergraduate degree while getting a jumpstart on her master’s degree.

Jan. 29, 2023

Finding the Perfect Degree

When Memphis Bancroft made the decision to pursue a food science and nutrition degree at the University of Missouri she didn’t realize the real-world application of what she was studying would be so immediate. When Bancroft chose the degree program her mother was on a very restrictive diet due to a colon cancer diagnosis. “With the effects of surgery we had to find food that fit the bill and wouldn’t cause more issues,” Bancroft said. “Her diet was really tough – she really couldn’t have much fiber, protein or dairy. I was taking what I was learning…
With an eye toward student health and well-being, the School of Natural Resources (SNR) and Tiger Garden teamed up last semester to create a more welcoming environment in six classrooms across the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources (ABNR) Building. Funding for the project, which includes a variety of enhancements, was awarded through the University of Missouri Office of the Provost.

Jan. 29, 2023

Creating a Welcoming Environment

With an eye toward student health and well-being, the School of Natural Resources (SNR) and Tiger Garden teamed up last semester to create a more welcoming environment in six classrooms across the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources (ABNR) Building. Funding for the project, which includes a variety of enhancements, was awarded through the University of Missouri Office of the Provost. A trio of SNR faculty helped make the award a possibility – Robin Rotman, assistant professor; Sonja Wilhelm Stanis, professor and associate director; and Patrick Market, director. “This was something that we really felt called to do,” Rotman said.
Nick and his girlfriend pose for a photo. His girlfriend holds up some fish that she caught.

Jan. 18, 2023

Q&A with Nick Wesslak

What do you do in your current role with the University of Missouri? I am an agronomy field specialist based in Marion County. I cover the eight northeast counties of Missouri. How long have you worked in this position? I have worked in this position since April 2022. What is your favorite part about the work you do? It is hard for me to pick one favorite part, so I will list a few. I thoroughly enjoy working with my Extension team. It is very much an all-for-one, one-for-all environment. I also appreciate my…
A white man with white hair and a white, neatly-trimmed beard in a dark grey button-up shirt stands in front of a sign that reads,

Dec. 18, 2022

National Academy of Inventors Names MU’s Randall Prather to 2022 Fellows Program

Prather is one of only 169 academic inventors to receive the prestigious honor this year.
Katie Ogan (Barthel) and Laura Friedrich (right) serve as academic advisors for the agriculture degree programs.

Dec. 16, 2022

CAFNR Advisor Spotlight: Katie Ogan (Barthel) and Laura Friedrich

Ogan and Friedrich serves as academic advisors for the agriculture degree program.
A capstone course within the food science and nutrition degree program, the Food Product Development (F_S 4970) class allows students to integrate the various disciplines of food science to create new food products. This semester, students were tasked with creating a Kansas City-style barbeque sauce, which is typically sweeter in nature. That food product focus wasn’t random – Sonja Derboven, licensing director at the University of Missouri, asked Andrew Clarke, an associate professor, if there would be an interest in having the students take on such a project before the semester began, with the goal of potentially taking one sauce to market in the future.

Dec. 16, 2022

A Tasty Experience

Food science and nutrition students spent the fall semester developing a variety of barbeque sauce flavors.