CAFNR Puts Its Pride Points On Display
/
In 2019 the University of Missouri’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) set out on its “Drive to Distinction,” a six-year strategic plan. At this month’s Agricultural Business Council of Kansas City meeting and luncheon – which coincided with the CAFNR plan’s sixth year – Council members received a progress report from Christopher Daubert, Ph.D., CAFNR’s Vice Chancellor and Dean. He emphasized that just because the plan’s formal timeline had been reached, it didn’t mean the work was done. “No one on the team will be stepping on the brake pedal. We will continue to accelerate in 2026,” he said.
Dr. Daubert commented that the state of Missouri is fortunate to have strong agricultural and natural resources supported by strong financial and healthcare industries. “These allied partners provide CAFNR an opportunity to affect the lives of every Missourian by providing unbiased, relevant and accessible education, information and resources.” This fall (2025) CAFNR intends to launch a capital fundraising campaign to finance new research facilities and support grand ideas that go beyond the successes of its current Drive to Distinction.
The goal of MU’s Drive to Distinction is to double the value of agriculture in Missouri by 2030 while sustaining the states natural resources. Key objectives include these:
Growing the economy by collaborating with stakeholders to create new science-business pipelines.
Providing life-long learning opportunities that build the state’s agricultural economy and sustain its natural resources.
Recent Milestones
While Dr. Daubert has his eye on the future, he was mindful of the accomplishments of the last six years. This past fall, CAFNR enrolled its largest new undergraduate class in the school’s history. Its current postgraduate agricultural student body is the largest in ten years, and the number of research FTEs has surpassed 2017’s high mark. CAFNR Vice Chancellor Shibu Jose, Ph.D., has noted, “We had more than $115 million in research grant awards. This is an incredible record-breaking accomplishment which has placed CAFNR among the elite agricultural colleges in the nation in terms of external grant funding.”
But the key focus at CAFNR, Dr. Daubert repeated several times, is ensuring student success. The goal is to educate students to be decision-makers who cultivate a healthy world. MU recruits, retains and graduates students from diverse backgrounds. The faculty and staff provide a supportive environment that promotes scholarship, leadership, service and personal growth, Dr. Daubert explained. “They have created an inspirational, collaborative and productive teaching, mentoring and advising environment that instills the spirit of discovery, knowledge-sharing and application for all students,” he said. CAFNR graduation statistics are impressive. In recent years, 90% or more of graduates report landing a job in the agricultural space within six months. Over half of them are employed in Missouri.
One of those grads is Meagan Kaiser. The recent past-Chair of the United Soybean Board, she also spoke to Agricultural Business Council members. Kaiser earned a degree in Soil Science from the University of Missouri and currently serves as a soil scientist and Chief Operating Officer for Perry Agricultural Laboratory.
Kaiser commented that she was not a self-made person. “I am a product of people who believed in me.” Kaiser added she couldn’t have achieved what she has in the ag industry “without CAFNR.”