Agriculture Education on the Move (AEOTM), a program of Missouri Farmers Care, began in 2011 as a way to bring free, hands-on agriculture education to third and fourth grade students throughout the state. John Tummons, an assistant teaching professor of agricultural education and leadership in the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Division of Applied…
Division of Applied Social Sciences ⋅ Page 1
MU Plays Crucial Role in New NSF Artificial Intelligence Institute
Collaborative institute will use AI to realistically predict how crops respond to various conditions
The U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced the establishment of the AI Institute for Resilient Agriculture (AIIRA), one of 11 new NSF National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes that will work to advance AI technologies and their associated benefits to society. The AIIRA will be led by Iowa State University (ISU) and feature collaboration across eight institutions, including the University…
Unconscious Biases can Drive Foodborne Illness Outbreaks, MU Researchers Find
Study concludes outbreak prevention policies should account for inadvertent behaviors
In the midst of a pandemic that has claimed more than 2 million lives worldwide and disrupted nearly every facet of society since it appeared more than a year ago, understanding the factors that create and facilitate disease outbreaks is more important than ever. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have determined that cognitive biases — patterns of errors…
Nudging Landowners and Tenants Toward Environmental and Social Stewardship
Grant will focus on promoting societal goals by fostering new leasing communication practices and contract clauses that incorporate landowners' social ethics
Ray Massey, Extension professor, and Michelle Segovia, assistant professor, both faculty of agricultural and applied economics in the Division of Applied Social Sciences, recently received a grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The grant is for $498,833 and is titled, “Nudging Landowners and Tenants Toward Environmental and Social Stewardship.” The grant was part of a recent…
Agricultural Markets Still Face Uncertainty, but University of Missouri Analysts See Signs of Optimism
FAPRI releases annual U.S. Agricultural Market Outlook
Farm income could decline in 2021, in spite of large increases in the value of crop and livestock sales, according to the latest analysis of national and global agricultural trends from the University of Missouri. Lower government payments and higher farm production costs could outweigh the increase in sales. Even with the decline projected by analysts at the Food and…
Making a Difference for Communities in Need
Melody Muldrow named George Washington Carver Graduate Fellow
It all started with a high school economics book. Melody Muldrow’s passion for economics was born when a high school teacher gave her an economics textbook to prepare for a city-wide high school economics competition. She spent an entire weekend thumbing through the book, soaking in as much information as she could. Muldrow was instantly hooked. “Economics would forever change…
Teaching Excellence
John Tummons earns USDA Teaching Award
The son of junior high school teachers, it was only natural that John Tummons would eventually find himself in a classroom setting, empowering and equipping students to make a positive impact throughout the world. Tummons knew where he wanted to make that impact, too. Tummons earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education from the University of Missouri, and it was…
After Hours: Dog Tags
The Sykuta family dog, Ella, is an Instagram star
Ella, in many ways, is just like any other 2-year-old golden retriever. She loves attention, going on walks and spending time with her family. But there is one thing that separates her from the pack of other lovable canines and that is her sizable Instagram following. Ella, or @ella.m.thegoldengirl, has amassed a considerable number of followers online. One of her…
A Passion for Rural Communities
Sarah Low’s entire career has been devoted to rural economic development
Growing up, Sarah Low watched acid rain from Chernobyl decimate the industry around her home in southwest Scotland. She watched the economic and social fallout and decided, as an 9-year-old, she wanted to help rural communities. Low’s entire career has been devoted to rural economic development. She recently joined the University of Missouri as the Fred V. Heinkel Professor in…
An Icelandic Adventure
Mary Hendrickson awarded 2019-20 Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant
Mary Hendrickson and her husband had been itching to do some traveling. Hendrickson had kicked around the idea of applying to become a Fulbright Scholar, or find something in the same vein. An opportunity of that nature would give her the chance to not only travel, but to teach and do research on another continent. Carol Lorenzen, a professor in…