Emily Althoff has joined CAFNR as an assistant extension professor and state extension specialist in urban entomology. Hers is a joint position with Lincoln University in Jefferson City, where Althoff serves as an assistant extension professor. Her extension program focuses on the intersection of insects in our everyday lives (our homes, gardens and trees), and her research is in insect chemical ecology; how insects use their sense of smell to navigate the world around them. Althoff received two graduate fellowships, and has interned at both the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the Illinois Natural History Survey: Insect Collection. She has given dozens of extension and other outreach talks. She received her Ph.D. in entomology at the University of Minnesota in summer 2024, while she also served as a visiting lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Reach Althoff at emilyalthoff@missouri.edu.

Joseph Lynch has joined Mizzou as an assistant professor in the Division of Plant Science and Technology. His current research focuses on the intercompartmental nature of plant metabolism, with a particular interest in how apparent functional redundancy of pathways sustains and regulates specialized metabolism. The overarching goals of this research are to better understand agriculturally and ecologically relevant stress responses, and to enable enhanced production of beneficial phytochemicals. Lynch has published more than 20 peer-reviewed articles and been principal investigator on grants from USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the NASA Space Biology Program, in addition to receiving a NIFA postdoctoral fellowship. He was hired as part of the MizzouForward initiative, and previously served as an assistant professor of biochemistry at West Virginia University. He received his Ph.D. in molecular plant sciences from Washington State University. Contact Lynch at jlynch@missouri.edu.

Rasel Parvej joins Mizzou as the new state extension specialist and assistant professor in soil testing and interpretation. In this role, Parvej will direct both the MU Soil and Plant Testing Laboratory and the Soil Health Assessment Center (SHAC). His responsibilities include overseeing soil testing services, interpreting results, and providing guidance on soil fertility and health to support agricultural productivity and sustainability. Prior to this position, he was an assistant professor and state soil fertility specialist at Louisiana State University. Parvej grew up in Bangladesh, where he began his academic journey, earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Crop and Soil Sciences from Bangladesh Agricultural University. He then went on to earn his Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas in Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition. You can reach him at mrparvej@missouri.edu.

Carson Roberts joins the Division of Plant Science and Technology as an assistant research professor and state extension specialist in forage agronomy. He is based out of the Northern Missouri Research, Extension and Education Center’s Cornett Research Farm in Linneus, Missouri. There, he leads an applied research program on forage-livestock systems to support one of the largest beef herds in the U.S. He has a particular interest in regenerative systems that improve drought resiliency. He has received four first-place honors in poster competitions, has given nearly 20 extension and field day presentations, and performed in-field studies for cover crop and tillage practices in cotton. Roberts received his Ph.D. in plant and soil science from Mississippi State University in May 2024. Reach Roberts at carson.roberts@missouri.edu.