The son of a physician, Laith Almashharawi chose the pre-med path when he made the decision to attend the University of Missouri, and the biochemistry degree program at MU offered him exactly what he was looking for. Almashharawi grew up in Columbia and attended Rock Bridge High School, and said Mizzou was his first choice when it came to secondary…
Student and Faculty Achievement ⋅ Page 3
Senior Spotlight: Wes Bradshaw
Bradshaw will graduate with a degree in agricultural systems technology
When Wes Bradshaw made the decision to attend the University of Missouri, he was in search of a degree program that would be the most helpful to him as he returned to the family farm after graduation. Bradshaw’s family has farmed for generations, and he wanted to make sure his education at Mizzou would allow him to build on his…
Senior Spotlight: Audrey Hannah
Hannah will graduate with a degree in agribusiness management
Audrey Hannah knew that she had multiple options when she chose to study at the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR). Hannah’s father is a farmer who also enjoys speculative trading, and Hannah said they spent a lot of time discussing both topics. Hannah’s enjoyment of numbers, plus her enriching discussions with her father, led…
Senior Spotlight: Elias Bunting
Bunting will graduate with a degree in natural resource science and management
Elias Bunting has been able to gain valuable research experiences as an undergraduate student at the University of Missouri through the McNair Scholars Program. Bunting, who will earn his natural resource science and management degree in May, has spent nearly three years taking part in various research projects across the Mizzou campus. Those hands-on research opportunities have opened multiple doors…
Senior Spotlight: Gina Vekkos
Vekkos will graduate with a degree in hospitality management
An avid sports fan, Gina Vekkos was able to secure an internship last summer with the Schaumburg Boomers, a professional independent baseball team that plays in the Frontier League. There was just one minor problem – baseball wasn’t a sport that Vekkos knew much about. However, with the encouragement of a professor in the hospitality management degree program, Vekkos’ major,…
CAFNR Professor Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Blake Meyers is the 12th MU faculty member to be elected to the prestigious academy
Blake Meyers, a professor of plant science and technology in the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, was elected as a member of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Election to membership in the NAS is considered one of the highest honors a U.S. scientist can receive. Meyers was notified of his selection Tuesday, May 3, and is…
Success On and Off the Mat
Keegan O'Toole and Rocky Elam, NCAA Div. I Wrestling All-Americans, work hard to balance their sport and their studies
Sophomores Rocky Elam and Keegan O’Toole had a singular goal in mind when they began the 2022 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships – win a national title. Both wrestlers improved on their finishes from last season, with O’Toole claiming a national title at 165 pounds and Elam securing a fourth-place finish at 197 pounds. The duo joined elite company in…
Senior Spotlight: Hunter Seubert
Seubert will graduate with a degree in plant sciences
As a college freshman, Hunter Seubert was working toward a degree in aviation when he realized that path wasn’t the correct one for him. He returned home to Blue Springs, Mo., and was soon connected with Colonial Gardens, a community greenhouse and local nursery. Seubert worked for Kevin Keilig, greenhouse manager at Colonial Gardens, who introduced Seubert to the University…
Senior Spotlight: Libby Orr
Orr will graduate with a degree in environmental sciences
When she was young, Libby Orr said she remembers watching her local weatherperson share the upcoming forecasts and being interested in how the weather could change at a moment’s notice. As she got older, her interest in tracking storms continued – and when it was time to choose a college degree Orr knew it would be related to weather. Orr,…
Taking Home Top Honors
Mizzou NAMA team wins National Student Marketing Competition
Last year, the Mizzou National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) team placed fourth during NAMA’s National Student Marketing Competition — the first time Mizzou NAMA had made it to the final round of the national competition in more than 10 years. This year, Mizzou took home top honors. Their first-place presentation centered on the GerriRig Grain Management System, a product the team…