CAFNR
promotes progress in Kansas City
Sean Comstock, posted Nov. 6, 2006
CAFNR faculty, staff and alumni traveled to Kansas City, Mo.,
on Wednesday, Nov. 1, to educate alumni on the prospects of
MU’s agricultural programs. The outreach program, aptly
named Mizzou to You, was created to “give local alumni,
prospective students and donors a chance to learn about developments
in agriculture at Mizzou,” said Kristin Smarr, CAFNR
director of external relations.
Guests gathered in the extravagant Arrowhead Club at Arrowhead
Stadium where Vice Chancellor and Dean Tom Payne presented
recent CAFNR advancements. Payne noted an 8 percent increase
in enrollment for CAFNR for the fall semester of 2006, as
well as higher female and minority applicants. Payne also
highlighted new integrated disciplines with the college that
have allowed for combinations of degrees that were nonexistent
in the past.
“It’s not simply cows and plows,” he said.
Payne also commented on MU’s importance to the state
of Missouri. Mizzou is the only university in the state that
offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees
in agriculture and tourism, which are the two leading industries
in Missouri.
MU is also the only place in the nation with a National Swine
Resource and Research Center where scientists are currently
cloning pigs in hopes of transplanting pig organs for human
use. “These organs will be less acceptable to diseases
and more tolerant,” said Payne. CNN also recently visited
Mizzou to cover John Viator and his experiments with early
detection of melanoma from regular red blood cells.
“Agriculture is much more diverse than people think.
Only a small percentage of graduates actually go back to the
farm,” said Laura McCann, assistant professor of agricultural
economics. McCann attended the event in order to keep up to
date on the skills needed to fulfill growth potential for
her courses.
Several MU professors were honored for recently receiving
awards for higher education. Professor of Fisheries and Wildlife
Mark Ryan was recognized for his recent appointed as a curators’
teaching professor.
Christy Borrowman, an agricultural journalism alumna and market
communications specialist at Blasdel Cleaver Schwalbe Communications,
described the Agriculture Alumni Association as a “close-knit
community,” and a “family away from home.”
Borrowman said establishing relationships with her professors
helped as they continue to be valuable resources.
MU Agriculture alumni Dallas Ford and Matt Stuever commented
on the legacy of MU. Stuever, a commodity merchandiser for
Bartlett Grain and former agribusiness management major, said,
“Mizzou has by far the best Ag school and has the best
professors, who really care for their students.”
Ford earned a degree in agricultural systems management and
stays connected to the college to stay updated on advancements
within the school. “Agriculture as a career presents
a large amount of options, not only for the traditional uses,
but with recent research avenues you can do something really
unique,” he said.
“Mizzou gives an identity, a heritage. It’s a
huge family that always feels like home,” Stevenson
said.
CAFNR currently gives more money in scholarships than any
other college in the university. The next fundraiser for the
school is the Ag Unlimited Banquet and Auction, planned for
5:30 p.m., Jan. 27, at the Holiday Inn Executive Center in
Columbia.
