Plant Sciences

May 4, 2022

Senior Spotlight: Hunter Seubert

Seubert will graduate with a degree in plant sciences.
Sophomore Khader Saleh is pursuing his passions for plants and horticulture as a double major at Mizzou. He is pursuing degrees in plant sciences and environmental sciences. Photo courtesy of Khader Saleh.

April 22, 2022

Connecting the Dots Between Soils and Plants

A double major, Khader Saleh is pursuing his passions for plants and horticulture.
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…

Dec. 13, 2021

Senior Spotlight: Maya Puller

Puller will graduate with a degree in plant sciences.
Mason Ward’s extraordinary research portfolio has earned him two undergraduate research awards from the Entomological Society of America (ESA). Ward earned the Undergraduate Student Achievement in Entomology award from the Plant-Insect Ecosystem (P-IE) section of the ESA, as well as the BioQuip Products Undergraduate Scholarship from the Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity (SysEB) section.

Sep. 28, 2021

Taking a Chance

As a freshman, Mason Ward took a chance and applied to the Freshman Research in Plants (FRIPS) Program with the thought that he would give research a try. Ward wasn’t sure if research would be a major part of his collegiate career, but figured by pushing himself he would certainly learn something new. Now, three years later, Ward’s extraordinary research portfolio has earned him two undergraduate research awards from the Entomological Society of America (ESA). Ward earned the Undergraduate Student Achievement in Entomology award from the Plant-Insect Ecosystem (P-IE) section of the ESA, as well as the…

May 10, 2021

Senior Spotlight: Abby Schmidt

The Missouri 4-H organization instilled a strong passion for agriculture in Abby Schmidt. She took that passion to the University of Missouri, where she has double majored in plant sciences and agribusiness management. In all, Schmidt said she will graduate in May with nearly 160 credit hours. “It took a lot of organization to make it work, but because I started early on, it was doable in four years,” Schmidt said. “I had 20-plus hours some semesters so that I could cruise along at only 12 credit hours in this final semester.” Schmidt, who is from Foristell, Mo., worked very…

May 14, 2020

CAFNR Outstanding Senior: Caleb Quinlan

Growing up on his family’s farm, Caleb Quinlan developed a passion for agriculture and drive for success. That passion and drive only became stronger when Quinlan joined the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) four years ago. Now, celebrating his senior year and nearing graduation, Quinlan is planning on taking that passion and drive into the workforce. “My experience on my family’s farm operation allowed me to develop that initial passion for agriculture and drive for success in my life,” said Quinlan, a plant sciences major. “It also allowed me to understand the value of…
Chris Elsik, associate professor of plant and animal sciences, and fellow CAFNR researcher and geneticist Bob Schnabel, associate professor in the Division of Animal Sciences, are applying their knowledge and experience of cattle and dairy genetics to the issue of Varroa mites in honey bees. The duo looks at the bees simply as little livestock.

April 13, 2018

Breeding a Better Bee

The honey bee is as busy as ever. From almonds to zucchini, honey bees pollinate more than 90 agricultural crops in the United States — worth more than $15 billion annually. In 2017, the apiculture industry provided pollination services valued at nearly $320 million, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. In addition, the bees also produced almost 150 million pounds of honey. Armed with a four-year, nearly $1 million grant from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, the CAFNR researchers will comb the honey bee genome in an attempt to find genetic markers predictive of resiliency…