MIZZOU Winter 2024 Trulaske College of Business edition

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mizzou.com | Winter 2024

Truth be Told Two decades of the True/False Film Fest

TRULASKE COLLEGE OF

BUSINESS

SPECIAL EDITION

N

FIRST LOOK TIGERS POUNCE If you noticed a brief delay in receiving this issue of MIZZOU, this photo offers an explanation. Confident that the football Tigers would emerge victorious at the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic against the Ohio State Buckeyes, we held the presses.

It was the right call.

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MIZZOUMAGAZINE

COURTESY GOODYEAR COT TON BOWL CLASSIC

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WINTER 2024

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MIZZOU

FROM THE EDITOR

®

Editorial and Advertising Mizzou Alumni Association 123 Reynolds Alumni Center 704 Conley Avenue Columbia, MO 65211 phone: 573-882-6611 mizzou@missouri.edu Executive Editor Erin Allen Editor Randall Roberts Art Director Blake Dinsdale Class Notes Editor Jennifer Manning Editors Emeriti Karen Worley and Dale Smith Advertising Scott Dahl: 573-882-2374 Mizzou Alumni Association 123 Reynolds Alumni Center Columbia, MO 65211 phone: 573-882-6611, fax: 573-882-5145 Executive Director, Publisher Todd A. McCubbin, M Ed ’95

UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES C:11/13/3

MU’s Bankable Byline MIZZOU relies almost entirely on our alumni to write, report, edit and design our stories. Virtually every time a byline appears in this issue, you can be assured that someone schooled at MU is responsible for the work. At other institutions, that might challenge an editor to accept substandard pitches based more on allegiances than ideas to populate the magazine. At MIZZOU, it’s a windfall.

In 2010, when I accepted the music editor job at The Los Angeles Times, the internal hiring announcement noted that I attended the University of Missouri. Within a few days, I’d been welcomed by at least a dozen MU alumni also working at the paper — an instant community that immediately made me feel at home and filled me with pride. I’ve carried that professional confidence with me ever since.

I felt like I had been given a secret handshake, one that allowed me to ask silly process questions, bounce ideas off brilliant minds and commiserate when breaking news consumed our lives. The Missouri School of Journalism has been marketing this global posse by selling Mizzou Mafia shirts, the implication being that we’re working in the shadows everywhere. Although I’d maybe suggest the more righteous-sounding Mizzou Bureau of Investigation — we’re the good guys, after all — it doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.

One of my former Times editors, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mary McNamara, BA, BJ ’85, alluded to the so-called Mizzou Mafia (though she didn’t call it that) in a 2020 column.

It started, “Dear Brad Pitt. You probably don’t

remember me, but we MU journalism went to college togeth- students in the er, at the University school’s original of Missouri’s journal- home, Switzler ism school.” She then Hall, in 1913. reminisces about their shared time there — “You were in advertising.

I was in print” — writing that “[i]t’s been fun watching your career, knowing that we both spent time on the same campus, which means we both know what the Columns are and remember how cool the Shack was before they tore it down.”

Near the end, the columnist writes about their divergent paths and their professional choices: “It takes a lot of guts for a boy from Springfield, Missouri to pull up stakes and fling himself at Hollywood, where good-looking guys with movie-star smiles are thick on the ground, many of them with long-established industry connections.”

Noting that her son was attending the School’s documentary program, McNamara expressed hope that he’d finish (he did) and her admiration of Pitt’s gamble. “I also hope he has the courage and conviction to pursue his dreams wherever they lead him.”

When he does, rest assured he’ll have thousands of Mizzou alumni supporting him.

Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of the University of Missouri or the Mizzou Alumni Association. ©2024 Statements of Purpose The Mizzou Alumni Association proudly supports the best interests and traditions of Missouri’s flagship university and its alumni worldwide.

Lifelong relationships are the foundation of our support.

These relationships are enhanced through advocacy, communication and volunteerism.

MIZZOU magazine reports credible and engaging news about the University of Missouri community to a global audience.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Mindy Mazur, BA ’99 President-elect Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, BS HES ’89; BS Ed 90; M Ed ’91 Immediate Past President Jeff Vogel, BS Acc ’90 Treasurer John Gamble, BS ’00 Secretary Todd McCubbin, M Ed ’95 Diversity and Inclusion Committee Chair Vanessa Vaughn West, BA ’99 Directors Clarissa Cauthorn, BS ’15; Morgan Corder, BA ’18; Renita Duncan, BS Acc, M Acc ’08; Kevin Gibbens, BS BA ’81; Christine Holmes, BS BA ’10, MBA ’17; Matt Jenne, BS CiE ’97, MBA ’15; Cheryl Jordan, BA ’84; Emily Kueker, BS ’02; Stephen Neuman, BA ’98; Daniel Pierce, BA, BJ ’99; Amber Rowson, BS ME ’99; Martin Rucker, BS ’07; Mark Russell, BJ ’84; Nick Ruthmann, BS ’05, MD ’13; David Townsend, JD ’00; Kim Utlaut, BS ’89; Janet Wheatley, BS HE ’77 Student Representative Ben Henschel MIZZOU magazine Winter 2024, Volume 112, Number 2 Published triannually by the Mizzou Alumni Association

RANDALL ROBERTS, BA ’88

Editor

WINTER 2024

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Departments

MORE MIZZOU ONLINE

1 First Look

The Tigers and their fans turned the Cotton Bowl black and gold during a thrilling New Year’s Six bowl win in Arlington, Texas.

6 Around the Columns

CONTRIBUTORS Nina Mukerjee Furstenau, BJ ’84, is the author of Green Chili and Other Impostors and Biting Through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America’s Heartland, the latter of which won the 2014 M.F.K. Fisher Grand Prize for Excellence in Culinary Writing.

She explored the Mizzou coffee world in “Columbian Brew.” Page 16.

Blaire Leible Garwitz, MA ’06, is a St. Louis-based journalist and feature writer whose work has appeared in publications including Washington, Script and the Webster-Kirkwood Times. She wrote about the College of Education & Human Development’s statewide endeavors for “Mapping Education Innovations.” Page 30.

Kelsey Allen, BA, BJ ’10, has been a regular contributor since 2012. The communications specialist for Meals on Wheels People in Portland, Oregon, Allen has also served as MIZZOU’s copy editor for six years.

This is her final issue in that role. For Semper Mizzou, she wrote about curator, gallery owner and designer Liz Lidgett. Page 64.

Toronto-based artist and illustrator Kathleen Fu’s work has appeared in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Globe and Mail. She illustrated this issue’s cover for the story “Truth Be Told.”

About the cover For Marcus Wilkins’ feature on the True/ False Film Fest, Toronto illustrator Kathleen Fu crafted a finely detailed depiction from a bird’seye view (with artistic license) of the annual event. Page 24.

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MIZZOUMAGAZINE

facebook.com/mizzou twitter.com/mizzou instagram.com/mizzou @mizzou

46 Mizzou Alumni News

The Mizzou Hall of Fame class of 2023, the Faculty and Alumni Awards, the minds behind Cell Origins, a conversation with the executive director of St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Alumni Bookshelf, Mizzou podcasts and more

47 Class Notes

Our alumni are an impressive lot, and we’ve got the latest on their successes, anniversaries, publications, weddings and babies.

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Semper Mizzou

From Architectural Digest and Martha Stewart to Ten Minute Masterpieces, Liz Lidgett, BJ ’07, is delivering artful advice beyond the canvas.

Council for Advancement & Support of Education Awards 2022: Bronze, Periodical/Magazine Design 2021: Gold, Feature Writing (“Who Was I in College?,” Winter 2020) 2020: Bronze, Feature Writing (“Forever Young,” Spring 2019) 2019: Bronze, General Interest Magazine Society for Publication Designers Awards 2023 medal finalist “A LIFE in Focus,” Spring 2022 2022 merit awards “The Long Quiet,” Winter 2021; “International Reach,” Spring 2021; Spring 2021 cover 2021 merit awards “Eli’s Calling,” Fall 2020; “A Third Act,” Spring 2020

M I Z Z O U AT H L E T I C S

Tigers Tackle Metallica During the Nov. 11 halftime show, Marching Mizzou (M2) performed a heavy-duty Metallica medley that mirrored the football Tigers’ run toward a 10–2 record and the Cotton Bowl. M2 touched on potential new-season nightmare scenarios with “Enter Sandman” and fought some demons with “Master of Puppets” — “I’m your source of self-destruction” — before prevailing with “Seek and Destroy.” Watch a video of the performance here: mizzou.us/metallica

Walt’s right hand; the truth about women, hunting and atlatls; a food scientist’s tips for clean cooking; how to travel through the fourth dimension; an MU wrestler wins the world championships; the football Tigers’ remarkable run toward the Cotton Bowl; and more

Features

Hogs on Russ Kremer’s farm in Frankenstein, Missouri graze on acorns and walnuts. The farmer has long been a national advocate for sustainable livestock farming. Page 32.

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ABBIE LANKITUS

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Columbian Brew

From a cup of Joe at Ernie’s to a morning cortado at Acola, Columbian coffee has supplied the Mizzou campus with comfort, opportunity and caffeine for all. story by nina mukerjee furstenau, bj ’84

A Marriage of Minds

Wendy and Bill Picking’s scientific and life adventures have led them on complementary MizzouForward missions in veterinary pathobiology. story by jack wax, bs ed ’73, ms ’76, ma ’87

Truth Be Told

As the True/False Film Fest embarks on its 21st year celebrating nonfiction filmmaking, the bonds among Columbia, campus and cinema are stronger than ever. story by marcus wilkins, ba ’03

30 32 38

Mapping Education Innovations

Mizzou’s College of Education & Human Development’s footprint extends across the state to advance education in all 114 Missouri counties through outreach programs, service-learning projects and partnerships. story by blaire leible garwitz, ma ’06

Hog Harmony

Missouri farmer Russ Kremer and his followers are bucking the system to protect hog and human health. story by cynthia levesque washam, ma ’84

All in the Family

In an era when coaches are continually recruiting their own players, Coach Dennis Gates is striving to create a tight-knit crew with a unified mission. story by tony rehagen, ba, bj ’01

WINTER 2024

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AROUND THE COLUMNS

This year, Mizzou banked grants, praise, breakthroughs, transfers, touchdowns, 3-pointers, pins, checkmates and more. We also banked talent.

Below, data on the student body who arrived in the fall.

Incoming freshmen:

Current seniors:

5,617 7,116

23,629 Total undergraduates:

7,412

Total graduate/professional students:

Total female enrollment:

Total male enrollment:

17,517 13,524 (Note: Data on nonbinary students is unavailable.)

31,041 Total student body:

FROM THE PRESIDENT Record-breaking Research

U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the University of Missouri as a Top 10 best value school among all flagships in the country. That puts us ahead of the institutions in California, Illinois, Florida, Iowa, Georgia and Kansas. This recognition is a direct result of Mizzou’s high-quality education and experiential learning opportunities.

We earned our place thanks to a record 76% graduation rate, an all-time high 91.3% retention rate and a 95.4% positive outcome rate. Most students who enroll at Mizzou graduate from here and start a great career, continue their education or join the military. I’m so proud of their contributions to our communities and to our society.

As a proud member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), we are recognized as one of America’s leading research institutions, and we have the expertise to address the most difficult challenges facing society. Last year, we spent a record $460 million on research. We’ve also hired more than 400 faculty members over three years, and MizzouForward continues to attract worldclass talent to campus. The University of Missouri Research Reactor remains a global leader in medical isotope production.

Beyond campus, we also serve the citizens of Missouri and deliver a 25-to-1, or $5 billion, return to our communities on the resources they entrust to us. Our faculty are making an important impact throughout the state in agriculture, rural broadband and rural health care. Kathleen Quinn and Whitney LeFevre, for example, recently received a $16 million federal grant to recruit rural students to study medicine and then return to serve in their home communities — directly addressing the critical shortage of rural health care providers.

Mizzou is providing more value than ever before to our students, our state and people around the world. We also need your help to share our incredible impact.

With your support, we can continue to build on our 184-year legacy of excellence and make a difference for those we serve.

MUN Y. CHOI, PHD

Find more data at mizzou.us/enrollment2023 6

MIZZOUMAGAZINE

President, University of Missouri

ADOBE STOCK , BLAKE DINSDALE

2023 by the Numbers

TIGER’S EYE

Walt From the Vault

POET OF THE BODY An icon of the transcendentalist movement best known for his ever-evolving book of poems Leaves of Grass, Whitman (1819– 92) was interested in making his readers attentive to his physicality and, through him, their own physicality: “I am the poet of the Body” he proclaimed in “Song of Myself.”

ABBIE LANKITUS

HARLAN: SAM O’KEEFE; TREELINE: BLAKE DINSDALE/MIDJOURNEY

The University of Missouri Libraries Special Collections and Archives division houses thousands of historical documents, rare books and artifacts. But one of its most unusual and mysterious items is a plaster cast of influential American poet Walt Whitman’s right hand.

Taken by sculptor Truman H. Bartlett during Whitman’s 1881 visit to deliver a speech on Abraham Lincoln in Boston, the life-size (5 1/2 x 8 3/4”) cast was used to create a series of sculptures that now reside in multiple collections — including those at the Library of Congress, Boston Athenæum and Hood Museum at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.

How the plaster piece came to be in MU’s possession remains a mystery.

POST-DISPATCHED In 1879, Whitman was stricken ill after a trip to Kansas and spent time in the Show-Me State to recover. While visiting his brother in St. Louis, he sat with the St. Louis PostDispatch for multiple interviews — the published version of which displeased him. In it, he referred to editors as “fossils” who were preventing young authors from being published.

TATE FAVORITE Whitman has figured prominently over the years within the handsome confines of Tate Hall, home of MU’s Department of English.

His work appears in the graduate seminar “Nineteenth-Century American Poetics” taught by Alexandra Socarides, professor and associate provost for academic programs, as well as English 3300, a survey of American literature from the beginning to 1865, taught

by Socarides and Professor John Evelev.

WHAT’S IN A DATE? Whitman published the sixth edition of Leaves of Grass the same year as Bartlett cast his hand. That hand had facilitated the addition of more than 50 new poems in the decade prior. Whitman referenced it in “Song of Myself” when he wrote, “My right hand pointing to landscapes of continents and the public road …” A year after the casting, at 63, Whitman published his autobiography, Specimen Days.

WINTER 2024

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AROUND THE COLUMNS #MizzouBuzz @NathalieABC17 Year one for #Mizzou volleyball coach Dawn Sullivan: - Upped attendance - More than quadrupled the SEC win total from last season - Made the team's first NCAA Tournament since 2020 - One of the SEC Coaches of the Year Phew

A game-changing technology new during the Ice Age may have altered gender roles — and upended historical assumptions.

Mizzou anthropologist Rob Walker is throwing a skeptical light on the long-held view that men were pretty much the only hunters in prehistory. In scientific terms, his new study asks, “Could men and women have thrown spears with roughly equal facility?” Or, to put a cultural point on the question, “Who brought home the mastodon bacon?”

The answer may have begun to shift about 50,000 years ago with the invention of a technology known as the atlatl, a rod with a handhold at one end and a projection at the other to secure a spear in place until release.

The atlatl was a major advance, Walker says, as it essentially gave hunters the added leverage of a much longer arm. Suddenly, they could throw smaller spears called darts much faster (65%) and farther than they could heave the larger and heavier javelins that had been around for hundreds of thousands of years.

Anthropologists had speculated for decades that the weight of javelins largely excluded women from hunting. But newer thinkers wondered whether the atlatl’s mechanical advantage and low learning curve may have served as an equalizer. Walker and his colleagues at Kent State University recently became the first to test the idea.

They compared the velocity at which 108 men 8

MIZZOUMAGAZINE

and women threw darts using atlatls versus javelins using arm power alone. Total throws: 2,160.

Results for javelins decisively favored men, as expected. Males threw at speeds ranging from 8 to 16 meters a second, women at 5 to 12. When it came to atlatls, however, the difference between genders largely vanished. Men launched darts at 10 to 24 meters a second, women 10 to 20. Why the difference? Walker’s Kent State colleague Michelle Bebber observed that men in the study “became frustrated because they were trying too hard and attempting to use their strength to launch the darts.” In contrast, Walker points out, atlatl technique relies more on timing and coordination of finer skills, such as flicking the wrist.

Walker says the relative equality of atlatl scores could suggest that women were more than capable of joining hunting parties. If so, that role goes against entrenched assumptions.

“There’s been a double standard in how we interpret the archaeological record,” he says.

“We’ve long assumed that any female burials with weapons were for special purposes unrelated to hunting.” However, the new study suggests that Ice Age women probably were highly valued on the hunt — a unification of labor rather than division. Read the study at tinyurl.com/ MIZnature. — ­ Dale Smith, BJ ’88

@SickosCommittee Power rankings should mean something - so we ranked schools by the power output of their nuclear research reactors. Congrats to Mizzou who edges out MIT and UC Davis! @PowerMizzoucom Had a chance to talk with #Mizzou AD Desiree Reed-Francois today.

Two numbers she was proud of: • Student-athletes have the highest GPA in school history.

• Tiger Scholarship Fund is at an all-time high with 13616 donors. It was at 5992 when she took over in August of 2021.

ABBIE LANKITUS

Who Really Bagged That Mastodon?

@mujschool Congrats to @Dave_ Matter, BJ ’00, who’s been named assistant AD for communications and storytelling at @MizzouAthletics.

Matter was a longtime Mizzou Tigers beat writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. #MissouriMethod #MizzouMade #SportsJournalism

Briefly • An international team of scientists, led by University of Missouri’s Haojing Yan, used NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope to discover 14 new transient objects during their study of a galaxy cluster called MACS0416. Scientists have dubbed it the “Christmas Tree Galaxy Cluster.”

KANTHA CHANNAIAH IS

SAM O’KEEFE

BACTERIA’S WORST NIGHTMARE Kantha Channaiah carries out his faculty role as a food safety expert with equal parts grim realism and sunny optimism. He knows that just a few unchecked bacteria could multiply enough to sully an otherwise spotless piece of broccoli. And he’s just as certain that science-based methods of dealing with food can prevent all outbreaks of foodborne illness. That’s right, he says, “100%.”

The Food and Drug Administration writes and enforces safety rules for large companies whose foods sell nationwide. “The back of a name-brand frozen pizza package may say, ‘Bake at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.’ But how do we know it’s really safe to eat?” Channaiah, a food scientist in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, finds out by conducting research on “validated” recipes that big firms are mandated to implement to ensure food safety.

“Recipes differ in their fat, carbohydrates, water activity and sugar, each of which influences how well bacteria survive and how harmful they can become,” he says.

For small and medium-sized producers, state and local health departments do a good job of ensuring food passes minimum standards, Channaiah says. For households, he offers the following guidelines: Get on Board: The Channaiah kitchen is equipped with two sets of cutting boards and chopping knives. To prevent cross-contamina-

tion, he recommends using dedicated implements for fresh produce and separate ones for meat and poultry products.

Buyer Beware: Consumers should be vigilant for a range of contaminants, he says, including physical (bone, glass, plastic), chemical (sanitizer, lubricants) and microbial (Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Escherichia coli). And take care not to add your own: Wash your hands before food prep, and steer clear of the kitchen when ill.

Control the Chaos: Channaiah says the best way to manage harmful microbes is to buy fresh meats from “temperature-monitored” cases. At home, don’t leave food sitting out.

Storing in the freezer is safest, followed by the fridge, though refrigeration won’t slow growth of Listeria for long.

Scan the Wrapping: Although shoppers can sometimes save money buying foods marked down for damaged packaging, Channaiah recommends against this brand of bargain hunting. “Always look for signs of damaged containers where the seal is compromised. I’m careful about this.”

Mind the Calendar: Channaiah practices what he preaches on this one, too, by adhering to expiration dates. If you’ve ever seen a fellow reaching way back into the milk case to get the freshest batch, it could have been him.

— Dale Smith, BJ ’88

• Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Latha Ramchand, who was instrumental for Mizzou’s success as a land-grant, flagship, AAU research university, has accepted the position of executive vice president and chancellor of Indiana University Indianapolis.

• The MU Research Reactor (MURR) completed its first commercial shipment of no-carrier-added radioisotope lutetium-177 for use in cancer treatments and is providing weekly deliveries to pharmaceutical company Novartis. These shipments are a significant milestone in a yearslong development project by researchers at MURR. • Rajiv Mohan, a Curators Distinguished Professor of Ophthalmology and Molecular Medicine in the University of Missouri’s School of Medicine and College of Veterinary Medicine, will serve as leader of the Provost’s Task Force with India, a new MU initiative that aims to improve research collaborations between the United States and India.

WINTER 2024

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AROUND THE COLUMNS

Among the first of its kind in the U.S., a new electric, autonomous tractor serves as a proprietary model for research and learning at MU.

10 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

Look out onto Sanborn Field, and you might see a tractor moving through the rows. It’s a small, gray vehicle that could be mistaken for a souped-up golf cart. But there’s one very nontraditional element of this particular tractor: There’s no one in it.

Known as the Monarch MK-V tractor, it is one of the nation’s first electric, autonomous tractors — and Mizzou is the first university to own one.

Purchased with funding from a grant awarded by the Department of Agriculture’s Equipment Grants Program, the tractor will be used for teaching, research and demonstrations by the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR); the College of Engineering; and MU Extension.

“We are in a digital age of farming,” says Jianfeng Zhou, an associate professor in CAFNR. He calls it “one of the important tools to demonstrate how this technology can make a change to our farming system, how we can make our society more sustainable and how we can generate more impact on the next generation of farmers.”

The tractor is 100% electric and can operate for more than 10 hours from a four- to five-hour

charge. Cameras and sensors allow it to be driven remotely for tasks such as plowing, harvesting and mowing. Its artificial intelligence capabilities are designed to collect data, which can give farmers information on field and crop health and long-term yields as well as alert them to problems such as irrigation leaks or crop discoloration.

Kent Shannon, a CAFNR assistant teaching professor in the agricultural systems technology degree program, is already using the tractor as a teaching tool to explore how farmers can use autonomy to more efficiently manage labor and optimize farm operations. In addition to studying the autonomous function of the tractor and the tractor’s ability to use artificial intelligence to enhance precision agriculture, researchers will work with MU Extension’s AgrAbility Program to understand how people with disabilities can benefit from this technology through the use of its autonomous features.

“We hope through this project we can demonstrate the farming of the future,” Zhou says.

— Kelsey Allen, BA, BJ ’10

ABBIE LANKITUS

Thinking Outside the Barn

B L A K E D I N S D A L E /A D O B E S TO C K ; 1 9 74 S AV I TA R

MUVR: SHAPING TOMORROW’S INNOVATORS Austin Barr grew up in a world of virtual- and augmented-reality technology. At the time, VR headsets were basically used to play games like Half-Life and Beat Saber. But when Barr, a senior information technology major, joined the University of Missouri’s Virtual Reality Organization (MUVR), he was amazed to discover how much the use for — and users of — the tech had grown. “There are meditation applications, meetings with a virtual whiteboard, even doctors using VR to practice surgeries,” Barr says. “It’s pretty cool that it’s gone from a game to a training tool for neurosurgeons.”

That’s why Barr is working with his fellow IT and computer science majors to raise awareness of MUVR across campus and open the club and the Collaborative Research Environments for Extended Reality (CREXR) Lab to students from all disciplines. “ln 2016, the lab was the only place for students to access this technology,” says Fang Wang, associate teaching professor and director of CREXR Lab. “Today’s students have their own headsets. They’re more interested in using them to solve problems in their own disciplines.”

For example, Wang says that they’ve worked with an archaeology student to build a 3D VR model of a dig site using drone footage. She is also currently working with the nursing school on training simulations using virtual reality.

Barr says that these new interdisciplinary interactions have done more than provide archaeologists and nursing students with cutting-edge tech — it has also given engineers and IT people like himself new ideas that push the technology further. “It depends on where I go,” he says. “But understanding the devices now might help me in my future.” — Tony Rehagen, BA, BJ ’01

Golden Frequencies

On Halloween night 2023, KCOU programmers, staffers, listeners and alumni convened at the Rose Music Hall in downtown Columbia to celebrate the station’s 50th anniversary as an MU-student-run, FCC-licensed broadcaster.

That 88.1 FM survived even the decade as one of the first such FM stations in the country was hardly a foregone conclusion, let alone to celebrate its golden anniversary. In 1993 after a particularly chaotic year, KCOU was shuttered, renamed KEJJ “The Edge” and reprogrammed as a Top 40 station. A blow to the hearts of the 1970s, ’80s and early ’90s DJs who had helped introduce listeners to R.E.M., Prince, De La Soul and Bleach-era Nirvana, students rallied in 1997 to secure a new ownership model through the Missouri Students Association.

Thirty years after that near-death, the station remains a bastion for musical outsiders — current shows include Walden Pond Swim, Club Cyberia and The Stolen Spoon — while serving as a vital portal for sports and news journalists and podcasters looking for on-air experience. The station also offers mixing and mastering sessions for music-minded students with tracks to finish.

At the Rose for the sold-out 50th birthday bash (the actual date of the first KCOU transmission was a month earlier), the station booked a quartet of Columbia bands to celebrate, including the five-piece indie group the Tri-County Liquidators, Drona, Laika and the Telepathy Club. It was, of course, the hippest party in town. Want to check out what’s airing? It livestreams at KCOU.FM.

TRAVELING THROUGH THE FOURTH DIMENSION One Mizzou engineer’s work is taking him to another dimension — the fourth dimension, that is. While most people think of objects as having three dimensions (width, height and depth), Guoliang Huang is now using a synthetic dimension (4D) to create materials. This “allows us to manipulate the energy wave path to go exactly where we want it to go as it travels from one corner of a material to another,” he said in a recent interview with Popular Mechanics.

Known as topological pumping,

this discovery could be used to make buildings in earthquake-prone areas more structurally sound. “Most of the energy — 90% — from an earthquake happens along the surface of the Earth,” Huang, the Huber and Helen Croft Chair in Engineering, added. “Therefore, by covering a pillow-like structure in this material and placing it on the Earth’s surface underneath a building, it could potentially help keep the structure from collapsing during an earthquake.”

— Blaire Leible Garwitz, MA ’06 WINTER 2024 11

AROUND THE COLUMNS

A SEASON FOR THE BOOKS

2023 Highlights

SEPT. 16 Harrison Mevis kicks a 61-yard field goal to beat Kansas State.

*

Honor Roll

OCT. 14 Luke Bauer throws a touchdown pass to Marquis Johnson on a fake punt at Kentucky.

NOV. 11 Cody Schrader shreds Tennessee’s defense for 321 total yards.

NOV. 18 Brady Cook connects with Luther Burden III on fourth-and-17 to keep the gamewinning drive alive against Florida.

DEC. 29 The Tigers defense prevents Ohio State from ever reaching the red zone during their 14-3 Cotton Bowl victory.

2023 By the Numbers

11-2

Season record (6-2 SEC)

32.5

Average points per game

50

Total touchdowns

3,317 yards 1,627 yards 1,212 yards Passing leader: Brady Cook

Rushing leader: Cody Schrader

12 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

Breakout running back Cody Schrader won the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded to the nation’s best player who started his Division I career as a walk-on. The consensus All-American rushed for 128 yards against Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl, in the process becoming the Tigers’ record-holder for single-season rushing yards.

Receiving leader: Luther Burden III

435.1 Avg. total yardage per game

8.5

Sack leader: Darius Robinson

11,000+

Tiger fans attended the Mizzou Alumni Association’s official Cotton Bowl tailgate at the Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field

Cody Schrader Consensus 1st Team All-American; 2023 Burlsworth Trophy winner; Doak Walker Award finalist

Brady Cook SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year; Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist; Cotton Bowl Offensive MVP Eli Drinkwitz SEC Coach of the Year: SEC coaches and Associated Press AP 1st Team All SEC: CB Kris Abrams-Draine, WR Luther Burden III, T Javon Foster, DE Darius Robinson and RB Cody Schrader Senior Bowl invites: CB Kris Abrams-Draine, DE Darius Robinson, LB Ty’Ron Hopper and RB Cody Schrader

C OT TO N B O W L , TA I L G AT E : A B B I E L A N K I T U S ; H O N O R R O L L : M I Z Z O U AT H L E T I C S

The 2023 Missouri football team captured the attention of the nation and the affection of their fans with a season that saw Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers finish the regular season ranked ninth in the nation.

Mizzou supporters came along for the ride, selling out Faurot Field five times and roaring with the team at the Cotton Bowl. In their first New Year’s Six bowl appearance in program history, Mizzou beat the seventh ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 14-3. Cody Schrader and Luther Burden III each scored touchdowns. — Joe Walljasper, BJ ’92

Scoreboard

61 — Length in yards of the field goal kicked by Harrison Mevis to lift the Tigers to a 30–27 victory over Kansas State Sept.

17. It was the longest kick in SEC history, though not quite the longest in Mizzou history. Tom Whelihan, BS Ed ’88, kicked a 62-yarder against Colorado in 1986.

M I Z Z O U AT H L E T I C S

Mizzou’s Mat Maestro As Mizzou wrestling Coach Brian Keegan O’Toole dominated Smith headed toward the mat for the Iowa State’s David Carr 165-pound final at last season’s NCAA to become the third-ever Championships, he turned to assistant Mizzou wrestler to win multiple NCAA titles.

Kendric Maple and told him he’d never been more confident that one of his wrestlers was about to win a title. Keegan O’Toole was facing an undefeated opponent who had handed him his only two losses of the season, but he projected an unmistakable confidence.

“I saw him walk on the stage smiling and embracing it and enjoying the moment,” Smith recalls. “I just knew.”

O’Toole dominated Iowa State’s David Carr 8–2 to become the third-ever Mizzou wrestler to win multiple NCAA titles. He equaled Ben Askren, BA ’07, as a two-time champ and has a chance to join J’den Cox, BA ’17, as a three-time winner this season.

When asked what makes O’Toole great, Smith launches into a 3-minute answer that doesn’t include any mention of physical abilities. Smith firmly believes O’Toole can follow the footsteps of Askren and Cox and become an Olympian. O’Toole provided more evidence of international credentials in October when he won the 74-kilogram gold medal at the U23 World Championships in Albania.

“He has this unbelievable ability to learn and move forward from mistakes and not blame others for those mistakes,” Smith says. “He wants to continue to grow and is constantly innovating. Ben was very similar. I was standing next to Ben when he came down for a match last season, and we were talking about how special Keegan is. I said, ‘Ben, I think he’s moved beyond you.’ He said: ‘Without a doubt, and I’m proud of that. That’s a great thing.’” — J.W.

Tiger Makes an Aggressive Leap Mizzou softball player Alex Honnold had quite the year.

In her first two seasons at Mizzou, the outfielder posted a respectable .281 batting average but hit just two home runs. As a junior in 2023, Honnold hit .396 with 14 home runs, earned AllAmerica honors and played for Team USA against Japan.

9 — Number of years Jean Cerra, PhD ’85, served as an athletics administrator at Mizzou, where she helped women’s sports programs transition from the physical education department to the athletics department in the 1970s. Cerra earned the Nike Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women Leaders in Sports national convention in October.

11 — Goals scored last season by sophomore forward Kylee Simmons, the most by a Mizzou soccer player since Kristin Andrighetto, BS HES ’11, scored 14 in 2007.

Simmons earned firstteam All-SEC honors.

14 — Years Chase Daniel, BS BA ’09, played quarterback in the NFL before transitioning in 2023 to a media career as an analyst for various outlets, including the NFL Network.

WINTER 2024 13

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14 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

When Giving Becomes a Family Affair “B” and Peggy shared their love of their alma mater with all six of their children. For Christmas one year, many decades ago, the children chipped in for something special: a scholarship in their parents’ name.

Since their parents’ passing, the Bearman siblings have continued to hear from recipients of the Bernard L. and Peggy K. Bearman Scholarship — even getting to meet some, on occasion. And thanks to additional investments through a sibling’s charitable gift annuity, the scholarship fund has continued to grow.

It’s a family tradition that’s even better with age. “B” and Peggy would be proud.

Charitable gift annuities support the causes you love while providing dependable income in your retirement years. Contact the Office of Gift Planning at 573-882-0272 or giftplanning@missouri.edu to learn more.

WINTER 2024 15

From a cup of Joe at Ernie’s to a morning cortado at Acola, coffee has supplied the Mizzou campus with comfort, opportunity and caffeine for all.

NINA MUKERJEE FURSTENAU, BJ ’84 ABBIE LANKITUS MIZZOU Winter 2024

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FEATURE

18 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

Kaldi’s, Shortwave, Toasty Goat, Vida and more.

Want the diner variety? A cup of Ernie’s java is still there for you. The many options have transformed the city’s coffee culture. Although houses such as the Chez are no longer, the aim remains the same: providing comfort, opportunity and caffeine for all.

The Marvelous Berry

Coffee as a drink is believed to have been discovered in Ethiopia by Kaldi, a herdsman. Although competing narratives abound, Kaldi, it’s said, found his goats dancing and leaping after nibbling on the marvelous berry. After that, with something approximating a leap, the intriguing drink crossed oceans and land routes to arrive in cups across the globe.

Early American settlers, though, were partial to tea (with a tip of the hat to the British). The 1773 Boston Tea Party, which occurred in response to issues surrounding the leaf’s sourcing and taxation, forever altered attitudes and trade routes.

When Boston rebels dumped (mostly Chinese) black tea being imported by the British East India Co., merchants and distributors began shipping the leaf directly from the source.

Tea was an important enough commodity that, though expensive, travelers to the western frontier as early as 1810 packed it. In 1831, a pound of tea cost $1 — the same as 5 pounds of coffee, according to Robert Hellyer in his 2021 book Green with Milk and Sugar: When Japan Filled America’s Tea Cups. As the so-called Gateway to the West, St. Louis stocked heavy for these westward travelers.

“Coffee’s early availability in St. Louis could be tied to one factor — location,” says Katie Moon of the Missouri Historical Society. The city’s spot on the Mississippi, which would become one of the country’s major shipping routes, enabled steamboats from New Orleans as early as 1817 to push coffee north. In the 1850s, hundreds of riverboats were making stops at St. Louis docks.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ARCHIVES

In 1969, the National Coffee House Conference in New York named the Chez Chandelle Coffeehouse on Hitt Street one of its five outstanding American coffeehouses.

he Chez Chandelle Coffeehouse on Hitt Street began offering coffee and music in 1964 in the Presbyterian student center, now part of the First Presbyterian Church. For more than 30 years, its coffee-and-folk-music culture developed around bistro tables in a basement room.

Lighting was dim, but that didn’t dispel the air of anticipation, especially on open mic nights. In its heyday, the Chez was cooperatively managed by eight university students who kept the coffee shop open seven nights a week in exchange for room and board.

By then, coffee, “the cup that cheers but not inebriates,” was thought to be the “indispensable beverage of strong nations” and the “drink of democracy,” according to All About Coffee, a 1922 book published by the Tea and Coffee Trade Journal. Its editor, William H. Ukers, bestowed coffee with other mantles: “the thought-inspiring beverage from Arabia,” “the marvelous berry” and the “invigorating drink which drives sad care from the heart” among them.

During its prime, the culture at the Chez involved some combination of folk music, bellbottoms, John Lennon-approved Gitanes cigarettes and earnest open mic nights. Beloved locally, it was also recognized by the wider world when, in 1969, the National Coffee House Conference in New York named the Chez one of its five outstanding American coffeehouses. Aside from diners and gas stations, it was among the only spots outside home kitchens to get your morning coffee in Columbia.

More than 50 years and billions of dollars later, coffee is a way of life. In Columbia today, patrons can pick from Acola Coffee Co., the Grind, Starbucks, Love Coffee, Lakota, Scooters, Fretboard,

Coffee had become a staple.

For a while, St. Louis was the largest inland coffee distribution hub in the world. In 1845, its 35,000 residents had a choice of 50-plus coffee shops. It was clear that Missouri was all in for the bean.

Vanilla Lattes and Blend 700

The number of coffee drinks ordered in 45 minutes one morning at Kaldi’s Coffee in Cornell Hall revealed students ingesting nearly 200 liquid ounces of the world’s favorite as they studied in nearby chairs, scrolled on their phones or went to class, barely breaking stride.

“Vanilla lattes are probably the most popular,” a student barista says while steam hisses from the espresso machine, adding that she’s “using Blend 700 right now.”

Howard Lerner and Suzanne Langlois founded St. Louis-based Kaldi’s in 1994. A decade later, Josh Ferguson, BS ’03, and Tricia Zimmer Ferguson, BS BA ’03, invested to become business partners. In 2007, the couple and Tyler Zimmer, BS ’08, (Tricia’s brother) bought the rest of the company. Kaldi’s has since introduced canned cold brew in groceries and, after acquiring Firepot teas, is expanding further into that sector.

Currently, the company has 11 locations in St. Louis, four in Atlanta and two in Columbia — at Cornell Hall and inside a local Schnucks location.

Trips to coffee-producing countries and frequent cuppings (tastings) are central to devel-

oping Kaldi’s blends. Company values extend to how beans are purchased, says Louis Nahlik, brand manager at Kaldi’s, and they often enjoy direct relationships with the farmers who cultivate their beans.

Unlike the vanilla latte boom at Cornell Hall, the trend in specialty coffee is based more on the freshness of the coffee, not syrups. Dale Bassham, Kaldi’s roaster in St. Louis and former owner of Shortwave Coffee in Columbia, compares it to a tomato. “You can get a tomato at the grocery store all year long, but if you get it when it’s really fresh — that’s what a tomato should taste like.”

Kaldi’s roasting facility in St. Louis is located just east of Forest Park beneath the I-64 corridor.

The scent of roasted coffee not only fills the facility, but sometimes commuters are also treated to wafts of it as they drive on the highway above. On a recent day, Bassham works with one of the older machines, a 1937 German roaster, and stops to explain that the raw coffee is heated to 403 degrees.

“It’s about to get real loud in here,” he says. Steam erupts as beans slide into a cooling tray, bringing down the temperature to 72 degrees in 3 minutes.

After roasting, the fragrance, aroma, flavor and aftertaste are scored.

The Kaldi’s connection with Mizzou extends into the classroom. Using a coffee shop business simulator, students in the Trulaske College of Business can input data on pricing, profit margins, productivity and other trackable data to see the effects on the shop’s bottom line.

The scent of roasted coffee overseen by Jake Simorka not only fills the Kaldi’s roasting facility in St. Louis, but sometimes commuters are also treated to wafts of it as they drive on the I-64 corridor above.

WINTER 2024 19

FEATURE

Above: Kaldi’s coowners Tyler Ferguson, BS ’08 (left), and Tricia Zimmer Ferguson, BS BA ’03, perform quality control on recently roasted beans.

Top right: Packaged pounds of Kaldi’s Coffee, ready to brew. Bottom right: the Kaldi’s coffee shop business simulator software used to educate students at the Trulaske College of Business.

20 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

“I wish they would have had something like this when I was in school,” says Zimmer Ferguson. Her likeness is featured in the simulator software. She calls it “pretty cool that we have evolved to using technology like this that can be applied to real-life learning. I like this structure, as it can be applied to many business applications.” It made sense to connect MU students with the wider coffee world for Zimmer Ferguson. She describes “lifelong connections to this university,” adding, “I look forward to carrying forward that relationship for years to come.”

Columbia’s enduring coffee shop, Lakota, is managed by co-owner Andrew DuCharme, BS ’09, and now has three locations — downtown, on Green Meadows and on the University Hospital campus.

“We are the longest-standing coffee shop in Columbia,” says DuCharme, adding that when his dad, Skip, opened the shop in 1992, “if you wanted a cup of coffee, you had to go to a diner.” Lakota roasts between 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of coffee a week, depending on business. DuCharme’s brother, Jon, does the roasting, 25 pounds at a time.

Lakota’s Ninth Street shop is abuzz on a recent afternoon, which is typical given its role as a community hub: Toward the front, a few small groups talk while students with open laptops occupy the back. Baristas pass cold brew orders over the counter at a good clip. A 2023 remodel has added a contemporary vibrancy to its familiar aesthetic.

The company sources most of its beans from trusted importers. In early autumn, Lakota was

awaiting the arrival of beans from Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Sumatra and Colombia.

DuCharme’s an espresso drinker. His favorite region? “Nicaragua beans have a chocolate undertone that is natural that I really like.”

Riding the Third Wave

American coffee history is divided into three waves. The so-called first wave was imported preroasted, ground and packaged. The second wave hit the U.S. in the late 1960s when Dutch immigrant Alfred Peet began roasting high-quality beans in small batches and infusing European style into his Berkeley, California, coffee shop.

With the early 1970s rise of Starbucks, coffee knowledge spread. Suddenly, Americans were ordering grande and vente cappuccinos and lattes.

“Third-wave coffee is relatively new,” says Brian Ott, a visiting assistant professor of sociology in the College of Arts and Science, who calls it “the market segment of connoisseurs.” Ott researches the sociology of work and the social components of how we learn to taste. He prefers a morning cortado, a drink originally from Spain that’s equal parts espresso and milk that he gets from third-wave shop Acola on Tenth Street.

“Historically, coffee has been this beverage that’s widely accessible,” Ott says. “But now in coffee shop culture, they are not only talking about country of origin for the beans but of specific farms. They are providing information on altitude and soil types that you might see with wine.

They introduce ideas of tasting notes.”

Refined coffee expertise may seem new, but early in its history, Missouri was a U.S. coffee influencer. The state can thank the French for that.

As part of the Louisiana Territory, the region was greatly shaped by French settlers, themselves early adopters of coffee from Arabia. Paris had some 1,800 cafes around the time St. Louis was founded, according to the coffee magazine Standart.

French Missourians brought that taste of home with them, says Moon of the Missouri Historical Society. Even the 1803 sale of the territory to the United States didn’t stop the flow.

More than 200 years later, coffee drinks have evolved. Shops make each cup to order — think a pour-over with a focus on a single bean source.

“The third wave distinguishes itself by saying coffee is the centerpiece,” Ott says. “They might say, ‘If you order a mocha, you’re not really into coffee; you’re into chocolate.’”

Industries that focus on taste expertise tend to develop more refined methods for identifying and talking about their products, he notes. “Setting itself up as ‘the third wave’ is establishing itself as something different. It’s a way of creating boundaries.” Knowledgeable baristas are another focus of the third-wave evolution.

Back in the Chez heyday, coffee was on the cusp of revolution, and the shop culture made an impact. “I hear people talk about the Chez all the time,” says Nancy Thomas, First Presbyterian Church member and vice president and senior registrar of the Boone County Historical Society.

Her recent church project to organize and preserve materials on the Chez, which shuttered as an ongoing concern in 1999, unearthed menus from the 1980s, newspaper clippings describing the rich community of folk musicians and photos of a capacity crowd relaxing and listening to live music just feet away.

Even then, coffee concoctions were part of the draw. Various menus offered 17 types of coffee and tea, ranging from the Jamaican — coffee made with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 a cinnamon stick, 1 clove, 1 drop orange extract and 1 drop rum flavoring — to Café Borgia, made with 1 teaspoon instant milk, 1 teaspoon chocolate syrup, 1/2 cup hot water, 1 drop orange extract and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Decades — and millions of pumpkin spice lattes — later, coffee culture has matured in ways once unimaginable. So much so, in fact, that a current trend is currently making inroads: Tea in its myriad forms has become a feature of coffee shops everywhere — including Kaldi’s and Lakota. It’s a faint — but discernable — historical ricochet. M

When Andrew DuCharme’s (top) dad, Skip DuCharme, opened Lakota Coffee in 1992, “if you wanted a cup of coffee, you had to go to a diner,” says the son. Lakota roasts between 2,000 to 4,000 pounds of coffee a week. Bottom: Jon Ducharme works with coffee beans.

WINTER 2024 21

A MARRIAGE OF MINDS Wendy and Bill Picking’s scientific and life adventures have led them on complementary MizzouForward missions in veterinary pathobiology.

STORY BY JACK WAX, BS ED ’73, MS ’76, MA ’87 PHOTO BY SAM O’KEEFE, BJ ’09

22 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

MIZZOUFORWARD

W W

Wendy and Bill Picking are equal partners in a marriage of the heart and a marriage of careers.

The husband-and-wife team started their life together 35 years ago as graduate students with complementary research interests. Since then, both have earned PhDs, followed by several postdoc fellowships that prepared them for careers in academia.

The foundation of those careers is a mix of commitments to research and the students they mentor or teach. In August 2022, both were recruited into the College of Veterinary Medicine as MizzouForward professors of veterinary pathobiology; Bill has since become department chair, taking on an expanded administrative role in addition to his research and teaching responsibilities.

Although the Pickings recognize that being part of the MizzouForward mission to bring world-class researchers to the university is an honor, it has another layer of meaning for them.

“It means we’ve finally made it,” Wendy says. “We came from a small town in north Kansas and are first-generation college graduates.”

Long before their work together at MU, they learned to separate their lives at work and home.

“We’re together 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” quips Wendy, who has a droll sense of humor. “We have a line, and he has stuff on his side, and I have stuff on mine. Rarely does he ever get on my side.”

While they can joke about the challenges of maintaining a work-life balance, they are serious about their research and teaching. Bill explains: “Wendy has extensive training in molecular biology. My training is in basic bacteriology and protein biophysics. So, we both understand proteins and the purification of proteins, but the biophysics and bacteriology stuff are usually on my side of the line, while the vaccinology is on her side of the line, along with the management of research funds.”

Veterinary medicine conjures up images of horses, cattle or family pets, but the Pickings study creatures that are only visible with a micro-

scope — the pathogens that cause diseases in humans and animals. It’s no surprise that they are strong advocates of the vet school’s One Health approach, which emphasizes the interconnectivity of all life on Earth. “We are living One Health,” Wendy says. Bill adds: “I wish the world would appreciate One Health for what it is: We impact the environment, and the environment affects us.

The environment affects animals, and animals affect us. Everything is related.”

To explain the specifics of their research, with its focus on shigella and salmonella, Bill relies on an illustration of these bacteria. Both types can cause serious illnesses in animals and humans and lead to death. He compares their structure to a syringe consisting of a plunger and needle, and he considers the organism itself a molecular machine. The plunger is the reservoir, storing proteins that it produces, which can then be injected into an animal’s cell with its needlelike tip. “We’re trying to stop this molecular machine from being able to inject its proteins. I’m trying to understand the whole structure so that we can someday find small molecules that will shut off the part of the bacteria that contains the proteins.

Wendy is looking at vaccines that recognize the material at the tip of the needle,” Bill says.

When they began studying shigella and salmonella, the scientific community had limited knowledge about this family of bacteria. These and similar kinds obviously caused severe illness, such as dysentery and shigellosis. How they infected cells, though, was a mystery. By discovering the structure of the bacteria — now known as a type III secretion system — the Pickings have forged a path for future development of vaccines and other therapeutic interventions. And it’s not just these two bacteria that have a plunger-and-needle arrangement. “All the pathogens we work with have that structure,” Wendy says. “It’s not the same proteins, but it’s the same structure.”

The progress they’ve made understanding bacterial type III secretion systems, while formidable, is only part of the Pickings’ legacy. Their relationships with students are a source of pride and satisfaction. A few years ago, they received a text from a former student whose work had been essential in creating the first lab test to detect COVID-19. He was about to take part in a White House news conference, and as he was preparing for this career highlight, he wanted to share the moment with the Pickings. “Our success isn’t measured only in how much grant money we bring in,” Wendy says. “What’s really rewarding is when the students who come out of our labs become successful at whatever they want to do.” M

“We impact the environment, and the environment affects us. The environment affects animals, and animals affect us. Everything is related.”

WINTER 2024 23

MIZZOU MAGAZINE

Winter 2024 24

As the True/False Film Fest embarks on its 21st year celebrating nonfiction filmmaking, the bonds among Columbia, campus and cinema are stronger than ever.

Story by MARCUS WILKINS, BA ’03

Truth be Told 24 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

WINTER 2024 25

March 2018, audience members exited Jesse Auditorium’s north doors into the unseasonably warm air blanketing the University of Missouri. It was closing night for the 15th edition of the True/False Film Fest, an annual jubilee of nonfiction cinema that, though not quite as historic as the nearby Columns, had become its own enduring symbol of Columbia’s penchant for cultural and artistic appreciation.

The final screening was Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, a critically lauded, heartstring-yanking documentary about children’s TV legend Fred Rogers. Attendees channeled Mr. Rogers’ trademark kindness with damp cheeks and warm grins, exchanging hugs while traversing Francis Quadrangle toward downtown drinks and discussion.

It was the type of crowd-pleasing film intentionally slated by the festival’s programmers to punctuate the four-day weekend of cinematic celebration. Yet the fest’s yearly run of films inspires a range of emotions for rapt audiences. Outrage, compassion, contempt, joy, motivation, wonder and inquisitiveness barely scratch the surface. True/False (T/F) films span the globe, zoom in on the microscopic, reach into the cosmos, elevate the arts, celebrate playfulness and harness the human spirit.

“It’s not that people necessarily need all of the films to be positive or upbeat — because that would feel fake — but that particular film really inspired hope,” says Arin Liberman, T/F executive director. “One of the moments that stays with me was Mr. Rogers’ line that whenever there’s a crisis, ‘look for the helpers.’”

Five years later, when a fire ignited in the second-floor T/F headquarters at 820 E. Broadway, that adage became especially poignant. No one was hurt during the Sept. 15 blaze, but the resulting smoke and water damage has shuttered the office — and Tellers, the adjacent restaurant — for the foreseeable future.

For T/F organizers still striving to reinvigorate post-pandemic attendance for the upcoming fest Feb. 29–March 3, 26 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

2024, the response to the setback highlighted the inseparable bond between festival and community.

City and campus venues including the Missouri Theatre, Tiger Hotel and Rhynsburger Theatre have hosted hundreds of screenings and ancillary events over the years. Cornerstone restaurants such as Sycamore, Shakespeare’s and Café Berlin serve the masses. The streets of Columbia themselves are transformed into galas and galleries. Major sponsors, including Showtime, the National Endowment for the Arts, National Geographic and Netflix have provided support. And perhaps most critically, about 600 volunteers — many of them Mizzou students and alumni — provide the muscle and machinations that power the documentary film celebration.

“One of the things that sets True/False apart is that it is distinctly ‘of’ a place,” says festival co-founder David Wilson. “In addition to its programmatic vision, it is deeply ‘of’ Columbia.

We opened up aspects of the fest and Columbians, mid-Missourians, took it on, made it their own and have made it better than we could have imagined.”

Another lure for True/False was, of course, Mizzou. “It certainly wasn’t lost on us that the University of Missouri has one of the best journalism programs in the country, and there were a lot of people in town who would be interested in that aspect of documentary filmmaking.”

PAUL AND DAVID VS. GOLIATH

Once upon a time, three years before the specter of the millennium threatened to seize our computers and halt civilization, Wilson met Paul Sturtz at the now-defunct downtown Columbia dance club Shattered.

Wilson was a punk-rock-loving townie, born and raised in Columbia and back home after earning a degree at Hampshire (Massachusetts) College. Sturtz was an Oregon transplant, a journalist with eclectic tastes and a passion for nonfiction storytelling. The two became fast friends, a dynamic duo that would soon change the college town’s arts landscape.

“I’d never been to the Midwest, and I had this romantic idea

PHOTOS BY SAM O’KEEFE AND COURTESY TRUE/FALSE FILM FEST

TRUE/FALSE

The Deep End of Filmmaking MU’s Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism separates fact from fiction.

P H OTO C O U RT E SY T H E M U R R AY C E N T E R

Clockwise from left: The opulent Missouri Theatre has hosted thousands of True/ False screenings over the festival’s two decades; The Ragtag Cinema is housed in an old Coca-Cola bottling plant on Hitt Street; The annual festival kicks off with the March March, a parade that traverses downtown CoMo; T/F brings adjacent events to the community, including the Boone Dawdle — a group trail ride culminating with film and fete in Rocheport, Missouri; Cosplay has been integral to T/F since its inception; Q Queens, including Carolyn Magnussen (red cape) are the flamboyantly dressed enthusiasts who help festgoers navigate screenings and events.

of wide-open spaces and big prairies,” Sturtz says. “My partner and I were raising a 2-year-old, and I thought I’d get a library degree and work at The New York Times or someplace where my research and reporting would be an asset.”

Sturtz soon conceived of the Ragtag Film Society, a film series at the Blue Note that spawned the brick-and-mortar Ragtag Cinema.

The theater-café hybrid became an oasis infusing Columbia with international and underground films galore. The local appetite was insatiable, and downtown seemed to be a perfect incubator.

“Growing up in Columbia, that spirit was hard for me to see because it was already a part of my DNA,” Wilson says. “Not only did I come from a family that had a tradition of starting things — a mental health center and community theater — but my friends were also starting bands, zines and music venues.”

In what was a pivotal period for documentary film, the early 2000s produced international hits including Bowling for Columbine, Winged Migration and Capturing the Friedmans. Documentary was becoming more mainstream. Sturtz and Wilson thought the time was ripe for their next big idea.

“These were movies that wanted to be seen in a theater, with other people, and discussed,” Wilson says. “Suddenly, documentaries didn’t have to be pedantic or ‘good for you.’ They could be just as thrilling, interesting and character-driven as fiction films.”

It also helped that nonfiction films are budget-friendly and accessible in a way that most Hollywood films aren’t. The pair set out to assemble a list of films and launch the inaugural fest in 2004. But first, it needed a name.

Established in 2014 with a $6.7 million gift from TV and film producer Jon Murray, BJ ’77, the Jonathan B. Murray Center was also made possible in no small part by the True/False Film Fest.

Murray made his fortune helming hits including MTV’s The Real World and Keeping Up with the Kardashians. He also has a passion for documentary filmmaking. When he sought to manifest his generosity in the form of a cutting-edge center at his alma mater, he wasted no time asking fest founders Paul Sturtz and David Wilson to help map it out.

A foundational aspect of the center is its filmmaker-in-chief position, a job held by True/False veteran Robert Greene. Embedded at the School of Journalism, Greene harnesses the Missouri Method by incorporating students in his filmmaking process.

“I’ve involved students as assistant editors, and when I shot my film Bisbee 17, almost the whole crew were students and alumni and they came to Bisbee, Arizona,” Greene says. Being the only person with a creative appointment at the School of Journalism, he adds, “puts good, positive pressure on me to make successful films.”

As the center nears its first decade, alumni are landing jobs in the film industry in New York, Los Angeles and locations in between.

“The Murray Center throws you into the deep end of filmmaking,” says Bella Graves, BJ ’18, who is a camera operator and photography director in New York. “There isn’t overt hand-holding through every step of the filmmaking process and production. The Murray Center provides a framework, but really it’s up to each individual student to explore and pursue their own interests.”

The True/False Film Fest, of course, is an integral part of the spring semester. Students dive in, attending dozens of screenings, interacting with international directors, participating in workshops and panels, and digesting the entire experience with an academic lens.

“The success of the center has far exceeded my expectations,” Murray says. “The whole process by which the program came into existence, led by the late Kent Collins, was so thoughtful — including David and Paul, choosing Stacey Woelfel as its first director, hiring Robert Greene.

Adds Murray, “While not all graduates of the program go into documentary journalism, the skills they master in the program are invaluable in pursuing other careers.”

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TRUE/FALSE

28 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

saw your film and it really stayed with me.’” Schnack teamed with Wilson to direct the 2013 film We Always Lie to Strangers, about the lives of Branson, Missouri, entertainers.

For Sturtz and Wilson, the dream had been realized. Every February, the crisp Columbia air had been abuzz in anticipation of a new slate of films. Fans elsewhere had begun scheduling annual vacations to return, and locals would plan staycations to fully absorb the four days of revelry.

“Filmmaking partnerships and lifetime friendships were forged,” Sturtz says. “There was this magical moment in time where everything came together in a beautiful way with True/False.”

In addition to its slate of nonfiction films, the True/False Film Fest incorporates visual arts, performance art, music and an array of entertaining events beyond cinema.

MARCHING HAND-IN-HAND

For a film festival to be successful, meticulous and unwavering attention must be paid to the selection of films. “Programmatic vision” is often cited when organizers describe what separates T/F from other international festivals, and the breadth and depth of the screening schedule never disappoints.

But it’s possible the festival’s endurance can also be attributed to the surrounding events, entertainment, arts and activities that weave color and life into the hours spent in dark theaters.

The festival kicks off with a parade, something the city of Columbia does well. Resplendent with wild costumes, handmade decorations, provocative signage and a cacophony of percussive clangs, the March March rings in the new festival and ramps up the town’s collective joy as it elbows from Walnut down Ninth Street toward Mizzou.

“This is a festival that’s very interested in the little details, which other festivals might overlook,” says Chloe Trayner, T/F artistic director. “I inherited a philosophy of radical hospitality

PHOTOS BY SAM O’KEEFE AND COURTESY TRUE/FALSE FILM FEST

“We were brainstorming, and there were a lot of bad ones, like ‘Doc Doc Goose,’” Sturtz says. “David sketched the T and the F with the slash between, and then we started adding circles radiating out. It just captured our imagination from the get-go.”

Robert Greene, Mizzou’s filmmaker-in-chief at the MU Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism (see sidebar, Page 27), was a burgeoning New York artist in the mid-2000s when the fest’s logo caught his eye on a friend’s hoodie. Greene has since shown five feature films at the festival: Actress, Bisbee ’17, Fake It So Real, Kate Plays Christine and Kati with an I. “True/False is so good at turning every screening into an event,” Greene says “There’s music playing, there is a host, and it just feels like art matters, stories matter, human beings matter and the vibe matters.”

The first film shown at T/F was Touching the Void, a harrowing true story about a pair of mountain climbers’ perilous journey in the Peruvian Andes directed by Kevin Macdonald.

When the final credits rolled, the packed house filled the Missouri Theatre with a raucous standing ovation.

The inaugural fest featured 49 films, a number that would eventually settle around 60. During year two, more than 50 international filmmakers accompanied their movies to midMissouri, and by 2007, festival attendance neared 15,000. Bigname directors, including Oscar winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side), became regulars.

“This is my first stop after that event in Hollywood,” Gibney told a Columbia audience after accepting the 2008 T/F True Vision Award, a prize given for the advancement of nonfiction filmmaking. “I looked at [the Academy Awards] as a warm-up to True/False.”

For director AJ Schnack, BJ ’90, every trip to Columbia was a homecoming. When About a Son, his film about Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, landed at T/F, he saw the local landscape through a different lens. “Many filmmakers found the T/F audiences to be among the best in the country, particularly for documentary-focused festivals,” Schnack says. “Someone will come up to you at Shakespeare’s two days later and say, ‘Hey, I

“ ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SETS TRUE/FALSE APART IS THAT IT IS DISTINCTLY ‘OF’ A PLACE. IN ADDITION TO ITS PROGRAMMATIC VISION, IT IS DEEPLY ‘OF’ COLUMBIA. from David and Paul, and for me, that is a key part of why True/ False is special. Filmmakers love showing their work here, and even when they don’t have something to show, filmmakers still flock to True/False because of the feeling of being in this place, having this incredibly immersive experience.”

Buskers are omnipresent in venues and throughout the streets of downtown, crooning and plucking while attendees settle in their seats. Those glowing, elaborately dressed royals you see dispensing smiles and information? They’re Q Queens, hostesses of a T/F system that allows patrons a chance to see sold-out films by lining up 15 minutes before showtime.

“Flamboyant,” says Carolyn Magnuson, PhD ’81, T/F’s longest-serving Q Queen. “That was the only costume instruction we were given. There’s a wonderful and diverse array of Queens who dress however we want. There’s even someone who dresses as a warlord.”

Sturtz adds: “Columbia isn’t an expensive city, so you get this great volunteer energy without people looking at their watches thinking they just gave away $50 when they could’ve been working. Downtown is also walkable, meaning the fest doesn’t get absorbed or obliterated by a massive city — which happens in New York. True/False takes over downtown Columbia.”

T/F organizers are relying on that energy as they rebuild in a post-pandemic landscape. The film business has been waylaid by moviegoers’ reluctance to return to theaters with the same regularity, a reality that has hit festivals particularly hard.

The World Health Organization publicly characterized COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020, three days after that year’s festival for which 46,600 tickets were sold. Although the following year was devastating, the timing gave organizers the maximum window to prepare for the 2021 outdoor and virtual version of the fest — a significantly reduced affair bumped

out to May and mostly confined to Stephens Lake Park. But despite T/F 2021’s relative success (9,500 tickets sold), sales haven’t bounced to pre-pandemic levels. There were 21,300 tickets sold in 2022 with only modest gains in 2023 (28,900).

“Everyone’s habits suddenly shifted during the pandemic,” says Liberman, who also serves as the Ragtag Film Society’s executive director. “People had subscribed to more streaming services — which, of course, now they had to use to justify the expense — and parents lost touch with their babysitters. When things opened back up, it wasn’t as simple as: ‘We can go back to the movies? Great, let’s go!’”

As Columbia’s international film festival looks for temporary headquarters and recovers from the $75,000 in fire damage — including destroyed computers, projection equipment, office supplies and furniture — the team again looks to the community. They’ve set a goal of $10,000 toward recovery (visit truefalse.org/support/donate to contribute) and continuing to bring the best nonfiction cinema to Missouri.

“True/False, at its heart, is a film fest and always will be,” Wilson says. “It is also a music fest and a visual arts fest.”

Wilson adds that while he’s enormously proud of True/ False: “I try to keep my role in perspective. I worked really hard on it, and I’m proud of that work, but a lot of people worked really hard on it. It feels like its successes are the successes of a community.” M

2024 True/False Film Fest When: Feb. 29–March 3, 2024 Price: Weekend passes range from $135-$995 More info: truefalse.org WINTER 2024 29

OUTREACH

Mapping Education

Innovations Although Mizzou’s College of Education & Human Development is physically located in Boone County, its footprint extends across the state to advance education in all 114 Missouri counties through outreach programs, service-learning projects and partnerships.

Adventure Club is a before- and after-school enrichment program for elementary students in the Columbia Public School District. Mizzou students serve as site assistants to gain valuable childcare experience.

The Assessment Resource Center provides assessment and evaluation services to educational leaders so they can collect the information they need to make meaningful, data-driven decisions.

The Center for Family Policy and Research works to develop more effective public policies for children and families.

The Child Development Lab is a teacher-training and research laboratory for Mizzou students to work with preschool children in an educational setting. eMINTS Educator Training helps educators understand how to use technology effectively and meaningfully in the courses they teach.

Heart of Missouri Regional Professional Development Center provides professional development opportunities for educators.

Missouri Prevention Science Institute works with schools and families to prevent behavioral problems and promote social and academic success.

Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support helps improve social and emotional outcomes for students by helping schools develop behavioral expectations and address behavioral issues.

30 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

Mizzou Academy educates more than 7,000 middle and high school students around the world through engaging online courses.

MU Partnership for Educational Renewal connects universities with pre-K–12 schools in all Missouri school districts to improve learning outcomes and ensure equal access to knowledge, especially in rural areas.

ParentLink provides free assistance to all Missouri families by connecting them to resources on parenting, family, home and daily living supports.

Pre-Employment Transition Services works with special needs high school students to help them gain skill sets and competencies necessary to secure jobs.

ShowMe Healthy Relationships is a five-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to strengthen Missouri families, particularly low-resource families, by strengthening their relationships, parenting skills, personal well-being and economic stability.

Through all these outreach activities, the college is helping improve learning environments in Missouri and beyond. “Our faculty, staff and students who are involved in engagement and outreach are passionate about their work and are truly making a difference,” Moore says. “Our outreach efforts are changing lives in our communities and advancing education for all.”

— Blaire Leible Garwitz, MA ’06

ADOBE STOCK

“W

e’re putting the research and theories we are teaching our students into practice in the real world,” says Joi Moore, associate dean for outreach.

“Through our outreach efforts, we can both improve education around the state and also learn from our communities how to better train our future teachers and researchers.”

Engagement in rural areas is key as these communities are more likely to experience teacher shortages — especially in science, technology, engineering and math — and can lack technology resources.

“We can’t overlook rural areas,” Moore says. “By engaging with rural school districts, we can ensure equal access to knowledge and improve learning environments for all Missouri students.”

The adjacent map shows the College of Education & Human Development’s outreach efforts occurring in each county.

Atchison

Worth

Schuyler

Putnam Nodaway Holt

Andrew

Buchanan

Gentry

Dekalb

Mercer

Harrison

Scotland Clark

Adair

Knox

Sullivan

Daviess

Lewis

Grundy Marion

Linn Macon

Livingston

Clinton

Shelby

Caldwell Randolph

Chariton

Platte Clay Jackson

Carroll

Ray

Audrain

Pike

Howard Lafayette

Saline

Lincoln Montgomery

Boone

Pettis Cass

Ralls

Monroe

Callaway

Cooper

Johnson

Moniteau

Osage

Cole Morgan

Henry Benton

Bates

Camden

Warren St Charles St Louis Gasconade

Phelps Hickory

Barton

Laclede

Cedar Dade

Jefferson

Miller

St Clair Vernon

Polk

Crawford Washington

Dallas

Dent

Newton

Lawrence

Christian

Webster

Wright

McDonald

Stone Taney

Iron Reynolds

Texas

Madison

Wayne

Perry

Cape Girardeau Bollinger

Shannon

Ozark

Stoddard

Carter

Douglas Barry

Ste Genevieve

St Francois

Pulaski

Greene Jasper

Franklin

Maries

Howell

Oregon

Butler

Scott Mississippi

New Madrid

Ripley

Pemiscot

Dunklin

WINTER 2024 31

32 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

H

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R

M

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Y

Russ Kremer’s transformational journey toward sustainable farming Story by Cynthia Levesque Washam, MA ’84

MIZZOU

WINTER 2024

33

x Photos by Abbie Lankitus

F

olks in tiny Frankenstein in rural Osage County are used to seeing Russ Kremer’s hogs lumbering through the woods, chomping on walnuts and acorns.

The 66-year-old farmer has grazed his herd outside for more than three decades. Recently, though, neighbors spotted a new curiosity on the farm: a small meat-processing plant so rare in the United States that Kremer, BS Ag ’78, had to import it from Italy.

The plant is the latest step in the fifth-generation farmer’s lifelong quest to reshape pork production in a way that’s best for hogs, humans and the planet. Within the next few years, he envisions similar plants sprouting up among farming communities throughout the Midwest. It’s part of a mission he calls 50/50/5. That means 50% of meat should come from both a farm and a processing plant within 50 miles of its marketplace within 34 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

five years. After five years, he hopes the percentage will increase.

If he succeeds, it will be a hard-fought victory, says David Wallinga, senior health officer for Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and friend of Kremer. “He’s bucking up against a system leading America in a different direction.”

Kremer wasn’t always a renegade. After graduating from the University of Missouri with a degree in animal husbandry, now called animal science and part of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, he followed conventional wisdom by building a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) for his family’s hogs.

Confining swine in small, individual pens was considered the best way to boost efficiency and profits. “I had to enlarge our income stream,” Kremer says. “My dad and I thought this was the quickest and best way to expand.”

Modern production also involved feeding livestock with subtherapeutic doses of antibiotics in their feed. “We were told these antibiotics increased growth,” Kremer says. But growth came with a downside. Low doses of antibiotics kill only weak bacteria. Strong bacteria survive by mutating resistance to the antibiotics. Close

PROFILE

confinement enables these superbugs to easily spread through the herd.

Almost from the start, Kremer noticed the hogs had more respiratory and gastrointestinal infections than when they roamed freely outside.

But he persisted for a decade until 1989, when he developed a stubborn, nearly fatal infection after being gored by one of his boars. Lab tests revealed the bacteria that caused his infection were the same type sickening his pigs.

That experience prompted him to abandon the CAFO and all the modern, “efficient” practices that came with it. He began by buying a secluded nearby farm surrounded by hills and trees that served as natural barriers against disease and pests. Then he culled his sick pigs and replaced them with disease-resistant heirloom breeds. He gave antibiotics only to sick hogs and only after homeopathic remedies failed. He went beyond avoiding antibiotics to eschewing all herbicides, pesticides and genetically modified crops. “I felt after doing research that natural feedstuff made more sense,” he says.

The hogs fared better than he expected.

Mortality plummeted. He saved $17,000 that first year on drug and veterinarian costs. Contrary to conventional wisdom, he found that “because the animals are so healthy, feed efficiency, growth rate and livability rate improved.”

Financial success did not. Kremer’s buyers in the 1990s were unwilling to pay more for organic, antibiotic-free hogs than for those raised in CAFOs. He tried to persuade other farmers to adopt his approach, knowing that together, they’d be better able to negotiate higher prices. Most balked. “To mimic what I did, they would have to

repopulate the herd and bring in new animals,” he says. “That’s a huge cost, and there’s no guarantee.”

Clean and Green Eating

W

hen he wasn’t caring for his herd, Kremer taught. He spent more than 20 years teaching computer recordkeeping classes to adult farmers in the evening and farming classes to high school students during the day. He has also served as president of the Missouri Farmers Union and the Missouri Pork Association.

The experience has given him a platform for sharing the story of his goring and the robust health of his free-roaming hogs. “He’s probably influenced everyone who’s heard him speak,” says Melinda Hemmelgarn, MS ’84, of Columbia. She’s the host of Food Sleuth Radio. “It’s a powerful story.” Maybe so, but back then, Kremer recalls, few farmers were swayed. “I was told I was crazy,” he says.

Still, he stuck to his mission, and in 1999, his outlook started to brighten. That year, Kremer visited farmers and meat processors in Europe with a grant from MU’s rural sociology department and was encouraged when he saw small farmers thriving through jointly owned co-operatives.

Some bought their own processing facilities. Kremer calls it “a life-changing experience. It gave me hope for small hog farmers.”

Simultaneously, Americans were waking up to the benefits of clean and green eating. Believers were willing to pay more for meat produced without herbicides, pesticides, antibiotics or genetically modified crops.

Left: Russ Kremer spreads hay in a barn on his property. Right: Sows and piglets graze on a tract of land that was initially grass, since picked clean.

WINTER 2024 35

PROFILE

Within a few years, “We’re going out of our way Kremer had enlisted 31 to develop a network of new other hog farmers to establish the Ozark Mounfarmers, working with a lot of tain Pork Cooperative. minorities and women as well All committed to raising as fifth-generation farmers their swine in open, organic pastures, feeding who say, ‘I want to do it right.’ them non-GMO grains I’m more optimistic today and eschewing nontherathan I ever have been.” peutic antibiotics. Their Heritage Acres-labeled products were sold in major supermarkets including Costco and Whole Foods, often after Kremer dropped in for a chat with the chief executive.

As the co-op gained recognition, so did Kremer. In 2013, he earned the annual Growing Green Award from the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Articles about him appeared in a few media outlets including The New York Times. Co-op membership, meanwhile, grew to 150 members throughout the Midwest. In 2009, members stopped working as a co-op, instead continuing as a network of independent producers. A California-based family of artisan meat producers formed a partnership with network members to process and market their meat under the True Story label. True Story is major purveyor of organic, non-GMO pork products.

Kremer used his expertise to promote farming policy. In 2006, he served as a delegate to the World Farmers’ Congress in South Korea and was appointed to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Biotechnology. He visited Maryland legislators in 2017, urging them to pass a law restricting antibiotic use in healthy livestock. The law passed. So did a similar one in California.

The Italian Way

W

ith his co-operative swine production firmly established, Kremer turned his attention toward regenerative agriculture, raising his pigs in a way that enhances the environment. He planted trees to shade his hogs and provide them with acorns and nuts while at the same time sequestering carbon. Hogs grazing in the forest fertilize the soil with their waste, further enriching the plants and trees. This cycle Kremer fostered mimics the natural harmony of an ecosystem in the wild. A bonus he’s proud to point out is the “very healthy meat” coming from a diet high in acorns and nuts.

Kremer was at the top of his game in 2017 when once again he cheated death, this time from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare type of cancer. “I’m a man of faith,” he says. “I realized I should use this challenge to make me grow.”

Growth meant thinking small. Kremer had come to see the corporately controlled meat supply chain as long and vulnerable. He’d made his impact on farming practices.

It was time to focus on meat processing and distribution. Kremer points 36 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

out that four multinational conglomerates control about 85% of the world’s meat supply. Such narrow concentration could make our food supply vulnerable to unpredictable events, he says, including trade wars, extreme weather and diseases such as the avian influenza, which caused a nationwide egg shortage in 2022.

Such consolidation also threatens the environment at a time of growing concern over climate change. Trucks spew carbon into the atmosphere as they transport livestock from farms to processing plants sometimes hundreds of miles away.

Processors then distribute their products widely, further fouling the air.

The alternative Kremer espouses is a resurgence in family farms coupled with a shift to small processing plants serving their communities. It’s what inspired him during his first trip to Europe and influenced him to return in 2021.

There he visited Italian processors churning out products for neighbors they’d known for years.

Kremer took the first step on his new mission by installing the Italian-made plant on his farm, where his Wildwood Farm prosciutto, salami and other gourmet products are processed. Within a year, he expects to surpass his 50/50/5 goal with all his customers living within 50 miles of his farm.

He plans to expand his processing plant soon, as

other local swine farmers start using it to process their pork. He also ordered a small Italian beefprocessing facility he will co-own in northern Missouri and a chicken-processing plant he’ll install on his farm to serve local poultry farmers.

To shorten distribution chains beyond his own farm, Kremer co-founded Nature’s Atlas, a nonprofit that recruits, educates and offers funding support to small farmers who embrace the 50/50/5 model. “We’re going out of our way to develop a network of new farmers, working with a lot of minorities and women as well as fifth-generation farmers who say, ‘I want to do it right.’ I’m more optimistic today than I ever have been.” M

Kremer's standing with his "teenagers," as he calls them. Nearby is a mass of saplings that replicate a foragerfriendly Spanish forest he has visited.

WINTER 2024 37

38 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

In an era when coaches are continually recruiting their own players, Coach Dennis Gates is creating a tight-knit crew with a unified mission.

By Tony Rehagen, BA, BJ ’01

This year, Missouri men’s basketball Coach Dennis Gates has a tough act to follow — his own.

Gates arrived in Columbia in March 2022 as an off-the-radar analytics wonk from Cleveland State scrambling to piece together a roster in disarray after the dismissal of Cuonzo Martin. After convincing junior star forward Kobe Brown to stay out of the transfer portal and bringing in a few key transfers of his own, including several from his previous post, Gates only managed to lead the Tigers to their best season since joining the Southeastern Conference in 2012.

More than the 25 wins, including a record-tying 11 in conference and the Tigers’ first “W” in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 13 years, Gates won over the masses. Fans and alumni once again packed Mizzou Arena, and media gushed (no less than the Washington Post claimed Gates’ community-building approach to the job could “transform college basketball”). Even opposing coaches had to acknowledge that the new coach had created an atmosphere of seemingly boundless optimism in and around Mizzou hoops.

WINTER 2024 39

TIGER BASKETBALL 2023–24

ut more than the star ratings of high school and junior college prospects, Gates is focused on the young men behind the numbers. He dedicates himself and his staff to not only making them better players on the hardwood but also better humans off the court. His mantra, which each of his players recites without hesitation, is “friendship, love, accountability, trust, discipline, unselfishness, enthusiasm and toughness.” To his studentathletes, at least, Gates embodies each of these virtues just enough to make them ring truer than some trite locker room poster.

Make no mistake: Gates is a salesman. He is peddling his system, his program and his univer-

sity. But he is also selling himself. And in an age when any college athlete can become a free agent at virtually any time, it’s vital to Mizzou’s success that the right players keep buying.

MIZZOU talked to three Tigers who bought in: a returning player, a transfer from another school and a standout freshman. They say Gates and his assistants tailored their recruiting approach to each of them and their unique situations. The overall pitch and promise, however, was the same for all three. As Kobe Brown, now a forward for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers, once told this magazine: “The first thing [Coach Gates] told me was, ‘If I’m not invited to your wedding, I didn’t do my job coaching you.’”

Mabor Majak, Center, Returning Senior

Mabor Majak was walking around the Cleveland State campus with his phone in his hand, reluctant to release the device from his grasp. He didn’t want to miss the call.

It was early spring 2022, and only days before, Coach Gates had told the team that he had accepted the head coaching position at the University of Missouri. The man who had brought Majak and his teammates to Cleveland was moving on.

Majak remembers feeling many emotions after that announcement. Sadness was not one of them. He was genuinely happy for his coach and mentor. Coach Gates had been one of the first college coaches to come watch him practice and play at Hamilton Southeastern High School outside of Indianapolis, where Majak had fled from civil-war-torn South Sudan in the middle of his seventh-grade year. Majak had left much of his family in poverty to seek opportunity, and he had worked hard to strengthen and train his 7-foot-2 frame into the body of a top-3 Indiana prospect. He eventually got interest from the state’s basketball powers, IU and Purdue. But Gates had been there first.

Of course, it was more than that. Gates

“ I don’t remember where I was or what I was doing,” Majak says. “I just remember that it was good news and that I was really excited. I didn’t hesitate in saying yes.

I trust Coach Gates with my future.”

40 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

didn’t just arrive on Majak’s radar early — the coach came with a vision for the young center. He had coached 7-footers before at Cleveland State and as an assistant at Florida State. He sat down with Majak and his parents to map out what he saw as Majak’s role on the team and projected development through all four years of college. He also pledged personal growth — something that struck young Majak and his family. “He tries to learn about the person to a deeper level and understand them,” Majak says. “My dad is a major influence in my life, and he liked Coach Gates as much as I did.”

That sincere personal interest didn’t stop when Majak signed his letter of intent. At Cleveland State, the freshman was impressed by the close-knit team environment — the way his teammates and coaches were always openly rooting for one another. And Coach Gates’ door was always open, especially when Majak wanted to talk about the struggles back home in South Sudan. “He is always asking how my family is doing back home,” Majak says. “They go through things, and I can go into his office and talk about those issues. He guides me through the different obstacles. He’s not just a coach on the court.”

So, when Coach Gates revealed that he was leaving Cleveland State, Majak was rooting for his mentor. But part of him was also hopeful that, after the dust settled, Coach would call to invite him to accompany him to Mizzou. And eventually, Majak’s phone rang.

“I don’t remember where I was or what I was doing,” Majak says. “I just remember that it was good news and that I was really excited. I didn’t hesitate in saying yes. I trust Coach Gates with my future.”

Tamar Bates, Guard, Junior Transfer from Indiana University

Tamar Bates was looking for a reset.

In 2021, Bates chased his basketball dreams from his home in Kansas City to the University of Indiana. He arrived as a five-star high school recruit, No. 23 overall in the entire country and sixth among shooting guards. He was even projected as a potential NBA draft pick. But that star-bound trajectory didn’t launch at the angle he had hoped. Bates appeared in 32 games for the Hoosiers in his freshman year, shooting just 33% from the field and averaging only 3.9 points per game. His sophomore year showed glimpses of greatness, including 22 points against Jackson

“ I was blown away by the detail of the plan he had for me,” Bates says.

“It wasn’t just something they tell everybody; it was tailored for me.

State and 17 in a huge conference win over Michigan to close out the regular season, but he failed to score a single point in IU’s two NCAA Tournament games.

Beyond that, life had changed for Bates. He had become a father to a daughter, Leilani, who was living with the rest of his family back in Kansas City. Suddenly, Indiana without fanfare or family was a very lonely place. The pull of home was stronger than ever.

The day Bates entered the transfer portal, Mizzou assistant Coach Kyle Smithpeters reached out. Coach Gates called Bates the next day.

“I was blown away by the detail of the plan he had for me,” Bates says. “It wasn’t just something they tell everybody; it was tailored for me.

They told me the things they felt I was already doing well and the things I need to improve on.

He looked at the data and what my percentages were. You can’t argue with the numbers. He said

Tamar Bates chased his basketball dreams from Kansas City to the University of Indiana. But after two years, Indiana without fanfare or family was a very lonely place.

“Coach Gates comes in every day with a hug,” Bates says. “It’s a loving culture.”

Mabor Majak says Coach Gates “is always asking how my family is doing back home. They go through things, and I can go into his office and talk about those issues. He’s not just a coach on the court.”

WINTER 2024 41

“ He’s straightforward,” Robinson says. “He never changes for the camera. He’s always 100% himself.

And it’s not just him talking to me; I could talk to him.” family right here in Columbia. “Coach Gates comes in every day with a hug,” Bates says. “It’s a loving culture.”

Anthony Robinson II, Point Guard, Freshman

Anthony Robinson II: “Here, anybody can check someone. It could be a senior talking to a freshman or a freshman talking to a senior.

We all accept that they’re doing it for the betterment of the team.”

42 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

I’ve always been a good defender, but here is how I could become a first-team all-defense guy. They talked about playing at the next level and what the NBA is looking for out of guys of my stature and length and what Missouri is looking for.”

But much more than that, Gates talked about family.

“He went into things that most coaches don’t address,” Bates says. “He talked about the PTSD factor of what players go through at their previous schools. He was patient. He understood that it would be a process of getting me back to playing the way I’m supposed to and being myself on the court.”

An important part of Bates being more comfortable on the hardwood will likely come from being that much closer to KC and his family and Leilani. But he says he’s also found another

A point guard is a floor general, calling plays and ensuring the rest of the team is where it needs to be. The position requires intelligence, vision and a commanding presence. More than anything, it requires an authoritative voice.

Anthony Robinson II made himself head running point for Florida State High School in Tallahassee, where he led the team to a state championship while building a four-star college recruiting resume. But that hype can make it even more daunting for a freshman to dribble to the top of the key at a Division I school and direct a group of juniors and seniors.

Maybe that’s why Coach Gates stood out.

During a long and grueling recruiting process, through which hard-charging college coaches were bombarding Robinson and his family with their sales pitches, Gates and his assistants always wanted to hear what Robinson had to say. “He’s straightforward,” Robinson says. “He never changes for the camera. He’s always 100% himself. And it’s not just him talking to me; I could talk to him.”

That open atmosphere continued after Robinson arrived on campus for his freshman year.

“He’s helped me a lot of with the point guard spot,” says Robinson, adding that Gates has “helped me with small things about talking and communicating and being more vocal on and off the court.

Here, anybody can check someone. It could be a senior talking to a freshman or a freshman talking to a senior. We all accept that they’re doing it for the betterment of the team. It’s not personal.”

The two-way line of communication isn’t confined to the court, the locker room or the arena. Even when Gates has had to come down on Robinson or one of his teammates on the floor, the coach will call or text to check up on them to make sure they are alright. And that has laid the foundation for the entire team and staff to naturally want to bond, learn about one another, share their thoughts — and, of course, bring home a National Championship. M

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WINTER 2024 43

THE 96TH MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE WAS A ONCE-IN-ALIFETIME OPPORTUNITY FOR MARCHING MIZZOU.

With just 18 months to prepare, the 350-student band had a full slate of practice runs and drills for their historic performance in New York City. Luckily, the funding was already taken care of — their travel costs would be handled by the Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence, an unrestricted fund that can be tapped when time is of the essence.

Help ensure that when opportunity strikes, Mizzou is always ready to seize the moment.

THANKS TO THE CHANCELLOR’S FUND FOR EXCELLENCE, THEY WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT.

44 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

SCAN ME

Support the Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence today at mizzou.us/cfe or call 573-882-6511.

YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE AWAITS! Why book with us?

- Skip the planning. No matter the destination, our experts and tour guides ensure all the finer details are accounted for.

- Worry-free travel. Even when the unexpected happens, our operators will ensure your trip still meets expectations.

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The world is waiting.

Book your next adventure today: Mizzou.com/Travel

WINTER 2024 45

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS

A TRIO OF TRIUMPHS

Mizzou’s latest Hall of Fame class dazzles with journalistic, financial and conservation achievements.

The University of Missouri boasts more than 300,000 alumni worldwide. From actors, artists and musicians to business leaders, politicians, inventors and more, our Tigers leave the Mizzou campus prepared to change the world for the better.

Margaret Holt, BJ ’73

Standards Editor, Chicago Tribune (Retired) Margaret Holt, standards editor for the Chicago Tribune, built a renowned career in journalism over 50 years before retiring in 2022.

When she was named to the Tribune’s masthead, the editor described Holt as a recognized pioneer and expert in reader engagement, diversity and ethics. The accuracy program she led became a model for the industry, and Holt was often invited to participate in workshops and media sessions across the country.

Holt graduated from the School of Journalism in 1973 and held journalism positions in downstate Illinois, Dallas and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., joining the Chicago Tribune as its first woman sports editor in 1993. She was selected as one of the 20 most influential women in Chicago sports media history in 2022.

The Illinois Associated Press Media Editors honored her with its 2021 Lincoln League of Journalists award, recognizing her work in accuracy and ethics.

She is a former member of MU’s Jefferson Club board of trustees and is a member of the Indigenous Journalists Association.

46 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

Created in 2016, the Mizzou Hall of Fame honors high-achieving alumni who have exhibited excellence in their chosen field. Each year, a class of Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized during Mizzou Homecoming. Congratulations to the 2023 inductees.

Sara Parker Pauley, BJ ’87, JD ’93

Director of the Missouri Department of Conservation Sara Parker Pauley, director of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), became the first woman to hold the position with her appointment in 2016. Under her leadership, the department’s more than 1,700 employees carry forward the mission to protect and manage the fish, forest and wildlife resources of the state.

Parker Pauley has a long track record of serving the state of Missouri, including her time as director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, chief of staff for the speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives and president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

A Columbia native, Parker Pauley is a two-time Mizzou alumna and member of the Mizzou Alumni Association, earning her bachelor’s in journalism in 1987 and a law degree in 1993. She was instrumental in the creation of the Johnny Morris Institute of Fisheries, Wetlands and Aquatic Systems at MU, which is a partnership between the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, MDC and the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.

Rodger O. Riney, BS CiE ’68, MBA ’69

Founder, Scottrade

Rodger O. Riney founded Scottrade Inc. in 1980 to compete in the new business of discount stockbrokerage.

Under his leadership, the firm expanded to 3 million client accounts and $170 billion in assets under management, with over 500 branch offices in 48 states.

In 2015, Riney was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and made the difficult decision to sell the firm to TD Ameritrade in 2017. Three years later, Schwab acquired TD Ameritrade as the industry continued to consolidate.

Riney graduated from the College of Engineering in 1968 before earning an MBA from the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business in 1969.

He and his wife lead the Paula and Rodger Riney Foundation, which supports research into uncovering a cure for multiple myeloma and related cancers. The foundation also has supported research into neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Riney is a life member of the Mizzou Alumni Association and member of Traditions Circle.

Class Notes 1960

HLarry Moore, MA ’68, of Belton, Mo., was inducted into the KMBC-TV Hall of Fame.

1970

Stephana J. Landwehr, PhD ’72, has republished the book she co-authored in 1981, Politics of War and Peace: A Survey of Thought.

HArthur Holliday, BJ ’76, of St. Louis was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

1980

Saturdays in CoMo

SAM O’KEEFE

On game days, I frequently park at the Reynolds Alumni Center and weave my way to the stadium, navigating through campus and Greektown. I pause at various tailgates, connecting with alumni and friends while forging new bonds with Tiger fans. The palpable hospitality and sense of community make this ritual one of the highlights of my job.

Approaching the stadium, my attention is usually captivated by the imposing video board, and my heartbeat quickens. The feeling of being home never fades. However, during one early game this season, as I crested the hill, the sight of the large south scoreboard brought me to a momentary halt. It read, simply, “Saturday in CoMo.” Within those three words, though, is an entire universe.

As Tigers, few days rival the significance of football Saturdays. The tailgates, reunions, traditions and the collective roar of 60,000 fans create an extraordinary experience. These Saturdays unite the state of Missouri and our alumni base around the world. I deliberately take the scenic route to campus on these days, meandering through downtown and Ninth Street to fully absorb the atmosphere. Couple that with the first and finest Homecoming on one gameday each season, and you have the epitome of the college town experience.

The past season was a remarkable collection of Saturdays. Surpassing all expectations, the Tigers played lights out — although we did “light the dome” a bunch! We discovered players with compelling storylines and witnessed five consecutive sellouts, a feat not achieved in recent memory. What a joy.

To all who made Saturdays in CoMo special, thank you. Your support and pilgrimages contribute to making Mizzou an extraordinary place. Your alumni association membership in 2023 undeniably Made Mizzou Stronger, and I’m grateful. I can’t wait to see what the Mizzou family will achieve in ’24!!

Take care and M-I-Z! TODD MCCUBBIN, M ED ’95 Executive Director, Mizzou Alumni Association Email: mccubbint@missouri.edu X (formerly Twitter): @MizzouTodd

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Stephen Plaster, BS BA ’80, of Lebanon, Mo., was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

HHEric McDonnell, BS Ed ’82, M Ed ’86, of Columbia, Mo., retired after 41 years as an athletic trainer for Mizzou Athletics.

Michael Heim, BS EE ’83, of Houston was named to the 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America.

Mike Scanlon, BS PA ’83, MPA ’85, of Osawatomie, Kan., is a consultant at Shockey Consulting.

Mary Schrag, BHS ’84, of Springfield, Mo., was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

HHTodd Graves, BS Ag ’88, JD ’91, of Edgerton, Mo., was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

HHStephen Knorr, BS Ag ’88, of Columbia, Mo., was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

HGary W. Rhoades, BA ’88, of Culver City, Calif., retired after 17 years in the Santa Monica city attorney’s office and received a commendation from the city for his service.

HHLisa Schaberg, BS ’89, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was named to the Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri for 2023 by Women We Admire.

1990

HHJeff Moore, BJ ’90, of Iowa City, Iowa, was appointed to the Iowa Golf Association board of directors.

Mark Spraul, BS CiE ’90, of Festus, Mo., is a project executive for Brinkmann Constructors.

Gabriela RamirezArellano, BS BA ’91, of St. Louis was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women 2023.

Jeff Taylor, MA ’91, PhD ’97, of Sioux Center, Iowa, is an Iowa state senator.

Alisa Warren, BS HE ’86, MPA ’95, PhD ’10, of St. Louis was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women 2023.

Lisa Stehno-Bittel, PhD ’92, of Kansas City, Mo., was named to the Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri for 2023 by Women We Admire.

Tracy Whelpley, BJ ’86, of St. Louis was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women 2023.

HHJayme Salinardi, BA ’94, JD ’99, of Leawood, Kan., is assistant chief immigration judge at the U.S. Department of Justice.

WINTER 2024 47

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS

Events

January 14, Tierney Sutton & Tamir Hendelman Duo, Murry’s 23, The Mountain Goats, The Blue Note February 3, Missouri Bacon and Bourbon Festival, Bur Oak Brewing Company 6, North: The Musical, Jesse Auditorium 17, STL Mizzou Trivia Night, Moolah Shrine Center in St. Louis

KNOW YOUR GREAT MIZZOURIAN

Who: Mary Margaret McBride (1899–1976) Degree: Bachelor of Journalism, 1918 Birthplace: Paris, Missouri Claim to fame: Considered to be the “First Lady of Radio,” McBride was “one of the first to create and promote daytime radio programming that went beyond the soap opera and to prove that it was possible for daytime programming to be profitable,” according to the Library of Congress. Starting in 1934 as Martha Deane, a fictional grandmother with an exaggerated Missouri drawl, McBride offered advice and discussed her many imaginary offspring for WOR in New York. On her daily

afternoon radio Mary Margaret McBride (right) speaks to Eleanor show for NBC’s Roosevelt in an undated New York affiliate, photo. McBride was which first aired dubbed "The First Lady in 1941, McBride of Radio." interviewed hundreds of influential figures, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Tennessee Williams, Bob Hope, Mary Pickford, Tallulah Bankhead and Zora Neale Hurston.

Further reading: It’s One O’Clock and Here is Mary Margaret McBride: A Radio Biography by Susan Ware (New York University Press, 2005).

HHLiz Austin, BA ’95, of St. Louis was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women 2023.

Business Women 2023.

Award from the University of Missouri.

Richard Coats, MD ’97, of Kansas City, Mo., is a surgeon at Sano Orthopedics.

Stacey Kamps, BS Acc ’95, of St. Louis was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Business Women 2023.

Angela Greiling Keane, BJ ’98, of Washington, D.C., is president of the Journalism and Women Symposium.

Kerri McBee-Black, MA ’96, PhD ’20, of Columbia, Mo., received the Lee Henson Access Mizzou

Sara Stock, BA ’98, of St. Louis was named to the St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential

48 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

HHChristopher Hemeyer, BJ ’99, of Lillington, N.C., is senior associate athletics director of external affairs at Campbell University.

HHMindy Mazur, BA ’99, MA ’03, of St. Louis was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

2000

Monica Bailey, BA ’00,

MPA ’06, of Rock Port, Mo., was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

J. Kendall Walker, MD ’00, of Liberty, Mo., is a staff physician at Optum Kansas City.

Brooke Hanes Cover, BS BA ’01, of Kansas City, Mo., is director of client experience for Pulse Design Group.

22, Hairspray, Jesse Auditorium 29, True/False Film Fest (through March 2), Downtown Columbia March 6–10, Women’s SEC Basketball Tournament Greenville, South Carolina 8, Tab Benoit, The Blue Note 13–17, Men’s SEC Basketball Tournament Nashville, Tennessee 16, Show-Me Opera: Ariodante, Missouri Theatre Marty & Jay Ashby Quartet, Murry’s April 10, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Jesse Auditorium 11, Blippi: The Wonderful World Tour, Jesse Auditorium

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Stripes of Distinction On November 10, the Mizzou Alumni Association recognized 13 distinguished faculty and alumni through the annual Faculty and Alumni Awards. Since 1968, these honors have been celebrating individuals for their notable contributions to the university’s growth and core mission.

Faculty are chosen based on their accomplishments in

68th Annual Distinguished Service Award 1. Ronald R. Wood, B.S. E.E. ’64; president and CEO, B&V Energy, retired, Black & Veatch Corporation 64th Annual Distinguished Faculty Award 2. Earnest L. Perry Jr., M.A. ’95, Ph.D. ’98; professor and associate dean for graduate studies and research, Missouri School of Journalism

their respective fields, excellence in fulfilling academic responsibilities and positive relationships with students.

Alumni receive recognition for outstanding professional achievement and dedicated service to their community and alma mater.

Here are the 2023 Faculty and Alumni Award recipients:

2023 Faculty and Alumni Award Recipients

sociate teaching professor of English, Honors College

3. John R. Dodam; professor and chair, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine

6. Ray Klinginsmith, B.S. B.A. ’59, J.D. ’65; general counsel and professor of business administration, retired, Truman State University

4. Jeri L. Doty, M.S.N. ’81; chief planning officer, retired, MU Health Care 5. Rachel Palencia Harper, M.A. ’97, Ph.D. ’04; associate dean, as-

7. Amy M. Knopps, B.S. Ed. ’01; associate director of bands and director of athletic bands, College of Arts and Science

8. Reuben Merideth, B.S. B.A. ’70, D.V.M. ’78; co-owner — Animal Eye Associates STL, founder — Eye Care for Animals

11. John W. Shaw; B.A. ’73, M.A. ’77, J.D. ’77, partner, Berkowitz Oliver LLP

9. Stephanie A. ReidArndt; senior associate dean and professor, College of Health Sciences

12. Benjamin C. Thomas; B.A. ’70, J.D. ’73, litigation attorney, retired, Thomas Rubin & Kelley PC

10. Jay Sexton; Rich and Nancy Kinder Chair of Constitutional Democracy and director, Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy

13. Wamwari Waichungo; M.S. ’94, Ph.D. ’96, vice president, global safety assessment and regulatory affairs, SC Johnson WINTER 2024 49

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS HHKellye Crockett, MA ’02, of Kansas City, Mo., is vice president of candidate recruitment at LaunchCode.

HHAshley Burden, BJ ’03, of Columbia, Mo., is director of communications for the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri.

Brian Whorley, BS IE ’03, of Columbia, Mo., was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

HHAmy Fiscus, BJ ’03, of Washington, D.C., is deputy national editor for the Washington Post.

Pin oaks are one of the most short-lived oak species; with a lifespan of 70-90 years, Mizzou’s original trees were considered end-of-life.

Andrew Bailey, BA ’04, JD ’13, of St. Louis was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

Our newly transplanted white oaks have a natural lifespan of over 200 years, and have been growing on MU’s South Farm for 6 years in preparation for their transplantation to our Francis Quadrangle.

Make a gift today to support the Legacy Oaks project, and ensure our campus remains beautiful for decades to come.

SCAN TO GIVE

MIZZOUGIVEDIRECT.MISSOURI.EDU/SUPPORT-LEGACYOAKS 573-882-4240

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CUSTOMIZED WORKFORCE TRAINING Didn’t see what you were looking for? The MU Career Accelerator partners with employers across industries to build customized solutions for your company’s workforce training needs.

GET STARTED mizzou.us/careeraccelerator

WINTER 2024 51 careeraccelerator@missouri.edu

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS

ORIGIN Without phages — viruses that infect bacteria — there would be no Cell Origins, a biotech LLC housed in the MU Life Science Business Incubator in Columbia. And without George Smith, who conducted the pioneering work on phages, earning the MU distinguished professor emeritus of biological science the 2018 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, phages would be little known, less understood and certainly not useful to humanity. It’s no coincidence that the company is based on the MU campus, the epicenter of phage research. All three of the founders of this womenowned company — CEO Leann Kuhlmann-Qi, MBA ’16; COO Jessica Newton-Northup, BS Ag ’00 and Chief Scientific Officer Mette Soendergaard, PhD ’14 — are Mizzou alumni.

Although the scientists at Cell Origins are experienced cancer researchers, the company isn’t competing to find the next wonder drug.

Instead, it enables other biomedical scientists in the pharmaceutical industry or at academic research laboratories to conduct their own investigations more effectively and cost-efficiently.

“Our clients work in a field called peptide discovery, where they try to find molecules that can target cancer cells,” Soendergaard says. “Once you find the right peptide, you can link it to a drug or a radioisotope that can kill cancer cells.”

Everything Cell Origins does revolves around Mizzou alumni Jessica Newton-Northup, BS Ag ’00 (right) and Mette Soendergaard, phage display, a laboratory technique that idenPhD ’14, are co-founders, along with Leann Kuhlmann-Qi, MBA ’16, of Cell Origins. tifies proteins and peptides — short chains of amino acids. Phage display isn’t just another lab technique: It’s an ongoing revolution started by Smith and In addition to providing labs with phage display libraries, continuing to advance biomedical research and improve the the company also offers consulting services to help academics health of millions throughout the world. “Many, many drugs and pharmaceutical companies develop research strategies. on the market wouldn’t be there if not for phage display,” Soen- Currently, Cell Origins is working on another product line to dergaard says. “The whole field is exploding right now.” improve cellular research. The company is assembling a netPhages, which exist everywhere and in everybody, are so work of academic labs to beta test a kit that would verify that small that they can’t be seen by ordinary light microscopes. the cells researchers are studying haven’t changed or evolved To genetically modify a phage, various protein-encoding genes over time, a common problem. Soendergaard envisions a fuare changed in the virus; this results in phages that display a ture where the company manufactures and markets the test modified protein on their surface. Once genetically modified, a kits. Until then, the company relies on producing phage dissingle virus can be cloned, making billions of them in hours. play libraries for others. “For many years, it’s been very difA soup of variously modified clones (called a phage display ficult to purchase high-quality phage display libraries, and library by researchers) is then tested against different target that’s what we want to change,” she says. “If you don’t have cells and tissues for their effectiveness at binding to them. The high-quality display libraries to use in experiments, then you phages that show the most promise are collected, cloned and aren’t going to get high-quality results.” tested again and again in a process of controlled evolution.

— Jack Wax, BS Ed ’73, MS ’76, MA ’87

52 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

ABBIE LANKITUS

STORY

Mike Deering, BS ’04, of Montgomery City, Mo., was recognized as one of Ingram’s 2023 50 Missourians You Should Know.

Felicity Pino, BS BE ’04, of Kansas City, Mo., was named to the Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri for 2023 by Women We Admire.

Helen Wade, JD ’04, of Columbia, Mo., is an attorney at the law firm of Evans and Dixon LLC. Trey Cunningham, BS HES ’05, of Kansas City, Mo., is Kansas City market president for Midwest BankCentre.

Tanisha Montgomery, BA, BS BA ’05, of O’Fallon, Mo., was named to the Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri for 2023 by Women We Admire.

Brandon Common, BS Ed ’06, of Baton Rouge, La., is vice president for student affairs at Louisiana State University.

Meghan Schulte, BA ’06, of Kansas City, Mo., was named to the Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri for 2023 by Women We Admire.

Heather Hoffman, BA ’07, MA ’16, PhD ’22, of Columbia, Mo., is assistant dean of professional development and leadership at the University of Missouri Graduate School.

HChristine Tew, BS ’08, MS ’10, of Jefferson City, Mo., received the Valent Game Changer award from Valent U.S.A. LLC.

2010

Tony Billmeyer, BJ ’13, of St. Louis was named to the St. Louis Business

Journal’s 2023 40 Under 40 honorees.

HBryce Osman, MPA ’14, of Columbia, Mo., is a senior director for Mizzou veterinary advancement.

Annemijn Steele, BS BA ’14, of Parkville, Mo., was named to Kansas City Business Journal’s 2023 NexGen Leaders.

Stephanie Weber, BJ ’14, of St. Louis is lead UX designer at Michaels Stores.

Jazmin Burrell, BJ ’15, of New York is vice president of strategy at Obsidianworks.

Jennifer Gravley, MA ’15, of Columbia, Mo., wrote The Story I Told My Mother: Poems and an Essay (Twelve Winter Press, 2023).

DeAmbra Crochrell, BS ’16, of St. Louis was named to the Top 50 Women Leaders of Missouri for 2023 by Women We Admire.

HHAllison Porter, BS BA ’16, of Prairie Village, Kan., was named to Kansas City Business Journal’s 2023 NexGen Leaders.

Kyrah Davis, BJ ’18, of South Holland, Ill., is a senior communications specialist for Chicago Public Schools.

HMolly Mehle, BJ ’18, MBA ’23, of Dallas is an account executive at LST Marketing.

Morgan Schlueter, BJ ’18, of Chesterfield, Mo., is a vice president at FleishmanHillard.

Kasey Carlson, BJ ’19, of Chicago is social media community manager

specialist for Barilla Group.

Allison Holmes, BS BA, BJ ’19, of Redmond, Wash., is a member of the 2023 ADCOLOR FUTURES class.

Ellie Stitzer, BHS ’19, of Columbia, Mo., is accessibility and ADA manager for the Office of Accessibility and ADA at the University of Missouri.

2020

HGrant Adams, BS BA ’20, of New York is an assistant district attorney at the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

Lauren Chabaya, BJ ’20, of Columbia, Mo., is social media strategist for MU Health Care.

HHGenevieve Borello, MPA ’22, of Alexandria, Va., is an Association Forum 2023 Forty Under 40 recipient.

RIDE WIPTRHIDE! TIGER Show your pride every day with the ultimate fan accessory!

Choose a standard-issue license plate number for your Mizzou plate, or get creative with a personalized vanity plate.

ORDER TODAY AT MIZZOU.COM/PLATES

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WINTER 2024 53

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS

MEET COLUMBIA THROUGH THE EYES OF MO LOUIS RADIO DJ, 102.3 BXR, DISC GOLF ENTHUSIAST Mo Louis is a man of many scenes — music, disc golf, social, culinary, microbrew — and for him, Columbia checks off all the right boxes. Whether it’s catching a live show at Rose Music Hall or trying to beat the world-renowned disc golf course at Harmony Bends, there’s a good chance you’ll find Mo making the most of his Columbia any day of the week. See his story and others at MeetCOMO.com.

The Mizzou Alumni Association is grateful for the support of our partners, whose contributions help sustain and enhance our programming and traditions.

Please join us in thanking the following 2023 MAA sponsors:

Interested in becoming an MAA sponsor?

Visit mizzou.com/sponsorship for ways to boost your business and brand, while Making Mizzou Stronger at the same time.

54 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

Homecoming planning is a year-round affair, and our students are already hard at work on next year’s celebration. Thanks to the generous support of our members and volunteers, we’re ready to make Homecoming 2024 our best yet.

Help ensure future generations experience what makes ours the First and Finest Homecoming celebration in the nation. Make a gift to the new Homecoming Endowment and support our most beloved tradition in perpetuity.

MIZZOU.US/HOCOENDOWMENT

WINTER 2024 55

“He quickly went from taking just a few steps to squatting, running, and jumping... he’s a typical, rambunctious little boy now. His energy only drops when he’s asleep.”

- Kristen, Mother of Hudson (age 3) , Children’s Miracle Network Champion Child Hudson was an MU Health Care patient even before he was born.

Ultrasounds showed bilateral limb differences and issues with his heart, kidneys, spine, esophagus and lungs. His first surgery was 24 hours after his birth; over the next two years, he’d require additional surgeries, weekly checkups and complex support.

He’s now thriving, thanks to his dedicated team of specialists and caregivers. (And, perhaps, a little encouragement from his hero, Truman the Tiger.)

Our new Children’s Hospital, opening in Summer 2024, brings our world-class pediatric resources under one roof — allowing even more children like Hudson to receive the care they need, while remaining close to home.

We’re building up the future of health care.

Join Us Today You can make a difference for children in mid-Missouri and beyond.

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573-882-3276 mizzougivedirect.missouri.edu/buildingup

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS

Alumni to the Rescue

U N I V E R S I T Y A RC H I V E S C 0 -3-8

The birth of the Mizzou Flagship Council advocacy organization Mizzou was in crisis mode in 2005. A move afoot to relocate the School of Medicine to the University of Missouri System’s Kansas City campus could have done far-reaching damage to MU’s educational offerings, finances and tradition of caring for Missourians across much of the state. So, board curator Tom Atkins, BS Acc ’59, convened a group of local alumni leaders to brainstorm ways of countering the threat. Among the attendees was Richard Mendenhall, BS Ed ’70, M Ed ’72, who told the group what he’d learned about the business of cultivating governmental support while serving as president of the National Association of REALTORS©. In so doing, Mendenhall, winner of Mizzou Alumni Association’s Distinguished Service Award in 2022, outlined a political path toward safeguarding the university’s future.

There was just one catch. The Hatch Act prohibits university employees from politicking. It would be up to alumni to make it happen.

Within weeks, the group of loyal Mizzou graduates formed the University of Missouri Flagship Council advocacy organization and its affiliated Flagship Council Political Action Committee (PAC).

“It’s amazing how many people from every corner of the state have stepped forward since 2005 to join this group and advocate for Mizzou,” says Ed Turner, BS Ag ’62, current chair of Flagship Council’s board. He outlines a three-pronged strategy by which the council and PAC highlight Mizzou’s annual

budget request and other priorities at Dean Roscoe Pullen in front of the rising the state Capitol.

For starters, the council has University Hospital employed lobbyist Tom Rackers, in 1954. former mayor of Jefferson City, since its inception.

Second, Flagship Council members constitute a small army of advocates who “develop relationships with members of the executive and legislative branches so they can make Mizzou’s case one on one,” Turner says.

Finally, the PAC raises money and donates it to carefully selected legislative candidates. “We’re not a red party or a blue party; we’re a black-and-gold party,” Turner says. “Flagship Council can’t endorse anyone, so this is how we support candidates on both sides of the aisle who are sympathetic to the University of Missouri.”

Such contributions have risen dramatically since 2016, says the council’s executive director, Mary Anne McCollum, BA ’72, BS Ed ’76. During the 2016 election cycle, the PAC donated $15,750 to candidates in amounts ranging from $500 to $1,000, rarely reaching the legal limit. In 2022, the PAC donated $55,000 to candidates, with many receiving the maximum amount. All but one was elected.

The School of Medicine, needless to say, remains securely ensconced on the Mizzou campus. — Dale Smith, BJ ’88 To join or learn more: flagshipcouncil.com WINTER 2024 57

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS Euphenie Andre, BJ ’23, of Columbia, Mo., is a multimedia journalist at KMIZ-TV ABC17 News.

Athena Hood, BA, BJ ’23, of Washington, D.C., is a press assistant to U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran.

Shane Palma, BJ ’23, of Bristol, Conn., is a digital video content associate at ESPN. Sarah Petrowich, BA, BJ ’23, of Dover, Del., is state politics reporter at Delaware Public Media.

Births

Hadas Cohen Dewey, BS ’19, and Thomas Dewey of Dallas announce the birth of Nili Esther Oct. 10, 2023.

Weddings

Lindsey Robinson, BS ’18, and Rob Johnson of Wellsville, Mo., Oct. 7, 2023.

Faculty Deaths

HRichard Guyette, BA ’79, MS ’81, PhD ’91, of Ashland, Mo., Aug. 29, 2023, at 76. He pioneered research in dendrochronology and helped establish the Center for Tree Ring Science at the University of Missouri and retired as a professor emeritus.

HEdwin M. Kaiser, of Columbia, Mo., Oct. 29, 2023, at 85. He was the first director of the Honors College at the University of Missouri and a Curators’ Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Chemistry.

Deaths

HBilly Claybourn, BS ChE ’48, of Fort Worth, Texas, Sept. 23, 2023, at 97. He served in the U.S. Army.

HElizabeth “Betty” Waller, BJ ’48, of St. Joseph, Mo., Oct. 15, 2023,

at 99. She was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha.

HHGlenn F. Felner, BJ ’49, of Scottsdale, Ariz., Oct. 17, 2023, at 97. He served in the U.S. military.

HHEd Meyer, BJ ’49, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., Sept.

25, 2023, at 99. He was a reporter and newscaster for WMAL radio and WMAL-TV in Washington, D.C., for 30 years.

HCarl “KR” Raymond Pierpoint, BS Ed ’49, of Creston, Iowa, June 6, 2023, at 98. He served in the U.S. Navy.

HHAlbert Price, BS ChE ’49, of Columbia, Mo., Sept. 8, 2023, at 96. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta and served in the U.S. Navy.

Nancy Pippin Vostal, BS Ed ’49, of Overland Park,

Kan., Oct. 6, 2022, at 94.

She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

He served in the U.S. Navy.

HHJames L. McKown Jr., BS PA ’53, of St. Louis Sept. 25, 2023, at 93.

He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha.

HHEdwin D. White Jr., BJ, BS Ag ’49, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., July 28, 2023, at 97. He served in the U.S. Navy.

HBetty “Betsy” Charlson, BS Ed ’54, of Lafayette, La., July 3, 2022, at 90.

HWilliam A. Winslow, BS ME ’49, of Washington, Ill., Oct. 20, 2023, at 97. He served in the U.S. Army.

HHJohn Rogers Whitmore, BA ’54, JD ’58, of Washington, D.C., Aug. 9, 2023, at 89. He was a member of Sigma Chi and served in the U.S. Navy.

HW. Thomas Coghill Jr., JD ’50, of Phoenix July 25, 2023, at 96. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and served in the U.S. Navy.

HV. Elaine Franklin, BS HE ’50, of Independence, Mo., Sept. 27, 2023, at 94. She was a member of Delta Gamma.

HHWilliam “Don” Sally, BS BA ’55, of Lake Forest, Ill., Aug. 12, 2023, at 92.

He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and served in the U.S. Army.

HHTheodore B. Runge, BS ME ’51, of St. Peters, Mo., Aug. 13, 2023, at 96.

HHRobert D. Lang, BS BA ’56, of Tampa, Fla., Aug. 18, 2023, at 88.

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58 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

H M I Z ZOU ALU M N I ASSOCI ATI ON AN N UAL M EM B ER | HH L IF E ME MB E R

ALUMNI BOOKSHELF

ALUMNI PODCASTS

The Written Word

The Spoken Word

Captivating narratives, insightful memoirs and groundbreaking works penned by Tigers: This season’s offerings illuminate the versatility of our alumni. Are you an alum with a forthcoming or recently published book? To be considered for coverage, please send a digital copy to randallroberts@missouri.edu or mail the book to Randall Roberts, MIZZOU magazine, 302 Reynolds Alumni Center, Columbia, Missouri, 65211.

The written word isn’t the only way Tigers communicate their skills, wit and insight. For listeners interested in putting their AirPods to good use, the following podcasts were produced by, or feature, Mizzou alumni and faculty.

They’re available on most major podcasting platforms.

Have you published a book or produced a podcast? Let us know by emailing us at mizzou@missouri.edu.

Missouri Weird and Wonderful by Amanda Doyle, BJ ’94, and Dan Zettwoch (Reedy, 2023).

Hope on Top: A Mitch Hedberg Oral History, hosted and produced by Julie Seabaugh, BA ’02.

The LA-based comedy journalist produced this Comedy Central podcast on the late comedy legend Hedberg, which “features commentary from some of Hedberg’s closest friends and fellow comics, including Doug Stanhope, Dave Attell and Todd Barry.”

Pandora’s Gamble: Lab Leaks, Pandemics, and a World at Risk

by Alison Young, the Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting at the School of Journalism (Center Street, 2023).

The Sea Captain Way for Financial Advisors by Phil Bender, BA ’86 (Independently published, 2023).

The Promise of Public Service: Ideas and Examples for Effective Service by Michael M. Stahl, MPA ’80 (Routledge, 2023).

A Season in Delhi

by Scott Alexander Hess, BJ ’84 (Rebel Satori, 2023).

Impossible Journey: Danger, Death, and Deceit on the Lewis & Clark Expedition by Paul Martin, MA ’73, (Gemini Originals, 2023).

Coyotes Among Us: Secrets of the City’s Top Predator

by Stanley D. Gehrt, PhD ’94 (Flashpoint, Feb. 2024).

TED Talks Daily with Elise Hu, BJ ’03. The MU alum hosts a show dedicated to “thoughtprovoking ideas on every subject imaginable — from artificial intelligence to zoology and everything in between — given by the world’s leading thinkers and creators.”

Supporting the Spectrum, produced by the MU Thompson Center for Autism & Neurodevelopment, explores the latest news, research and resources for individuals with autism.

Voice In, a project of the Digital Media and Innovation Lab in Ellis Library, was created to learn about students’ lives and their relationship to libraries.

The Agroforestry Podcast, produced by the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, “explores topics ranging from forest farming medicinal plants and mushrooms to soil and water conservation with hedgerows and buffers and everything in between.”

WINTER 2024 59

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS M-I-Z Q&A

Clear Skies Ahead The executive director of St. Louis Lambert International Airport sat down to discuss how a spring break trip as a Mizzou undergrad sparked a lifelong interest in aviation.

Over the past four decades, Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, BA ’82, has broken barriers in a maledominated industry and rose through the ranks to run the airport operations department for the world’s largest airline. The executive director of St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL) is steering the transportation hub toward new heights after enduring several challenges, including the end of Trans World Airlines (TWA), a 2011 tornado and a global pandemic. Under her leadership, the airport is now thriving. Passenger numbers are almost back to pre-2020 levels, and Lambert has added more carriers and international flights. Additionally, an ambitious master plan is underway that will carry the airport into the 2030s and well beyond. — Blaire Leible Garwitz, MA ’06

How did you arrive at St. Louis Lambert?

TWA bought Ozark, and I moved to St. Louis where the TWA headquarters was being located. I had several roles 60 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

over the years, including the director of passenger services at the hub in St. Louis, head of the Eastern region of airports and later as the director of the STL hub. It was a dream come true, and because there weren’t many women in aviation who were in operational roles, I was getting noticed.

When American Airlines bought TWA in 2001, I worked on the integration of the two airlines from the airports division perspective, and once that was completed, American asked me to transfer to Dallas. But I needed to stay in St. Louis with my family. So, they offered me the opportunity to return to running the St. Louis hub again. It was a difficult role over the next several years because I was tasked with dismantling the hub. I was getting close to saying goodbye to aviation, but area leaders reached out to see if I had an interest in becoming the airport director, and I took the opportunity once again to look for a different path. Ultimately, I was offered the opportunity to be a part of Mayor [Francis] Slay’s cabinet and took over as the director of St. Louis Lambert International Airport in 2010.

St. Louis Lambert has faced several challenges. How has it bounced back?

Our employees are resilient and wanted to keep moving forward after the loss of the hub, so we began the undertaking of a strategic plan and connecting with the business community to see how we chart a path forward.

Then the F4 tornado hit in 2011, and I reached out to business leaders for help, and assistance came pouring in.

We opened the airport the next day for arriving flights, and the following morning, we opened with 70% of our traffic. Within three days, we were back to 100%. It was an amazing effort, and we could not have done that without the community support.

Since then, we have partnered with Southwest Airlines to grow dramatically and push connecting traffic through STL, brought in new carriers that served STL for the first time, and in 2019 processed 16 million passengers through STL. COVID was tough, but again, we managed through it and our 2023 passenger numbers are almost as high as 2019.

In 2024, I think we’ll exceed them. We’ve also added flights

to Frankfurt [Germany], Montreal, Burbank [California] and Norfolk [Virginia], and we have broadened our carrier base.

What’s next? Hopefully a bigger baggage claim area for Southwest because two carousels just aren’t enough!

Yes, that’s in the works as well as our airport master plan! The FAA approved our plan in the spring of 2023, and we’re negotiating with the airlines now on a new use and lease agreement and the design of a new consolidated modern terminal.

It’s a proposed $2.8 billion project that has a potential completion in 2031. We’ll have a single-terminal, 62-gate concept that keeps St. Louis Lambert’s iconic domes.

Besides that life-changing spring break flight, how else has Mizzou impacted your life?

I wouldn’t trade my time at Mizzou for anything. I received amazing support from faculty and staff and found lifelong friends. The best thing Mizzou taught me was to not fear opportunities and that life should be adventurous. I’ve carried that with me my entire career.

B I L L G R E E N B L AT T

You were a German major.

How did you land in aviation?

I wanted to travel and work for the CIA, and I thought a foreign language would be a great asset. However, I didn’t take my first flight until I was traveling to Florida during a Mizzou spring break. I was fascinated by the whole experience from watching the plane get off the ground to the inflight service to the landing at Fort Lauderdale, and the experience sparked my interest in aviation. I returned to Mizzou and my senior year started looking for job opportunities and briefly embarked on the lengthy CIA interview process. After graduation, I needed a job and landed an interview with Ozark Airlines and eventually took a job at LaGuardia Airport in New York. I loved working for Ozark and moved up the ladder quickly. So the CIA process was short lived, and I decided to stay in the airline industry.

The best thing Mizzou taught me was to not fear opportunities and that life should be adventurous.

I’ve carried that with me my entire career.

WINTER 2024 61

MIZZOU ALUMNI NEWS HHDonald E. Meyer, BS BA ’56, of St. Charles, Mo., Sept. 22, 2023, at 88. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega.

HHRussell J. Cook, BS BA ’57, of Mount Laurel, N.J., Sept. 24, 2023, at 88.

He served in the U.S. Army.

HEllen Jane Smith, BS Ed ’57, of Columbia, Mo., Oct. 9, 2023, at 91.

HHNewton C. Brill Jr., BA ’58, JD ’64, of West Plains, Mo., Oct. 2, 2023, at 87. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp.

HHMarvin Wright, BA ’58, JD ’64, of Columbia, Mo., July 14, 2023, at 86.

He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and served in the U.S. Air Force.

HHJohn R. Bagley, BA ’59, of Pekin, Ill., Oct. 10, 2023, at 86. He was a mem-

ber of Beta Theta Pi and served in the U.S. Army.

HEdwin Rector, BA ’59, of Mount Juliet, Tenn., Sept. 10, 2023, at 87. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and served in the U.S. Marine Corp.

HOwen R. Worstell, BS Ed ’59, M Ed ’63, of Marshall, Mo., July 28, 2023, at 90. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp. and was a defensive tackle for Mizzou football.

HLois Meyer, BS HE ’60, of Bonne Terre, Mo., May 21, 2023, at 85. She worked for Missouri Natural Gas Co. for over 40 years.

Robert Lee Haas, BS Ed ’61, of Independence, Mo., July 29, 2023, at 85. He served in the U.S. Army.

He played football and baseball for the University of Missouri.

Carmen Hulehan Love, BS Ed ’62, of Dexter, Mo., March 9, 2023, at 81. She taught elementary school for over 30 years.

HJean Mershon, BS HE ’62, of Blue Springs, Mo., Sept. 15, 2023, at 83.

HHJack C. Stewart, BS Ag ’63, JD ’65, of Hillsboro, Mo., Oct. 14, 2023, at 82. He served in the U.S. Army.

HJerry M. Bland, BA ’63, MA ’65, of Omaha, Neb., Oct. 22, 2023, at 85.

HHDavid Patrick, MA ’64, of Hattiesburg, Miss., Sept. 1, 2023, at 85. He served in the U.S. Army.

HHGary Anderson, BS BA ’66, of Rogers, Ark., Oct. 26, 2023, at 80.

HHMarilyn K. Gordon, BS Ed ’66, of Columbia,

Mo., Nov. 2, 2023, at 76.

She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

Otto Wayne Koelling, BSF ’66, of Tebbetts, Mo., Aug. 24, 2023, at 81. He served in the U.S. Army.

Robert William “Bill” Parsons, BS Ed ’66, of Irvine, Calif., Nov. 12, 2023, at 79. He played tight end for Mizzou football.

HHDavid G. Neenan, BS BA ’68, of Fort Collins, Colo., June 26, 2023, at 80. He served in the U.S. Army.

HHRonald Lyon, BS CiE ’70, of Norborne, Mo., Oct. 6, 2023, at 75.

HScott Arnold, BA ’72, of Atlanta Oct. 24, 2023, at 73. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and set several Big Eight Conference records as

a member of the Mizzou swim team.

HHWilliam T. McNew Jr., MBA ’73, of Chesterfield, Mo., Sept. 6, 2023, at 75.

HHJames O. Gilkerson, DVM ’74, of Elmo, Minn., Oct. 24, 2023, at 75.

HHCharles W. Rogers, BS Ag ’76, of Springfield, Mo., Aug. 14, 2023, at 71.

HHMark A. Schwarzentraub, BS Ag ’76, MS ’80, of Hutchison, Kan., Sept.

17, 2023, at 69.

HGary Warren Bartel, BS EE ’82, of Marshall, Mo., Oct. 24, 2023, at 64.

HHJohn Searle, BS Ag ’82, of Columbia, Mo., Sept. 27, 2023, at 64.

HMargaret Dunsky Taylor, BA ’83, of Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 28, 2023, at 62.

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She taught English for 15 years.

’86, of Columbia, Mo., Aug. 29, 2023, at 79.

HMargaret L. Baggett, MS ’84, of Jefferson City, Mo., Aug. 3, 2023, at 76.

HRobert Rasche, BS ChE ’86, of Alton, Ill., Aug. 17, 2023, at 59.

He was a member of Phi Kappa Theta.

HMary Juettner, MS Acc

HSara C. Robertson, BHS ’95, MHS ’97, of Mexico, Mo., Sept. 27, 2023, at 50.

HHTimothy Steffens, JD ’06, of Kansas City, Mo., July 29, 2023, at 41.

DEGREE DESIGNATIONS 101H Bachelor’s degrees: BS Acc, accounting BS Ag, agriculture BA, arts BS BA, business administration BS Ed, education BFA, fine arts BS FW, fisheries and wildlife BGS, general studies BHS, health sciences BS HE, home economics BS HES, human environmental sciences BJ, journalism BS Med, medicine BSN, nursing BS, science BSW, social work

Bachelor’s degrees in engineering: BS ChE, chemical BS CiE, civil BS CoE, computer BS EE, electrical BS IE, industrial BS ME, mechanical Master’s degrees: M Acc, accounting MS Ag Ed, agricultural education MA, arts M Ed, education MS, science MSW, social work MPA, public affairs

Doctoral degrees: PhD, doctorate EdD, education JD, law MD, medicine DVM, veterinary medicine Did not graduate: Arts, arts and science Bus, business Educ, education Engr, engineering Journ, journalism HFor a more detailed list of current degrees, visit catalog.missouri.edu/ degreesanddegreeprograms.

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SEMPER MIZZOU

Masterpieces for All

From Architectural Digest and Martha Stewart to Ten Minute Masterpieces, Liz Lidgett is delivering artful advice beyond the canvas.

64 MIZZOUMAGAZINE

She also hosts a podcast, Ten Minute Masterpieces, where she shares stories behind famous works of art, and is regularly featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart and Architectural Digest. “I use the skills that I received in journalism school on a daily basis through communication and how to present myself and when I’m talking to people in the press,” says Lidgett, whose husband, Nick Renkoski, BJ ’07, also graduated from Mizzou. In September 2023, her gallery was named one of America’s top 70 small businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, selected from a record-breaking 15,000-plus applicants.

Lidgett’s most oft-shared tip? “Buy what you love,” she says. “I want to give people permission to like what they like.” — Kelsey Allen, BA, BJ ’10

In September 2023, Liz Lidgett’s gallery was named one of America’s top 70 small businesses by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, selected from a record-breaking 15,000-plus applicants.

ADAM ALBRIGHT

Liz Lidgett, BJ ’07, believes art is for everyone. As a little girl growing up in Iowa carrying a sketch pad everywhere she went, Lidgett took art classes at the Des Moines Art Center, where she spent time with Edward Hopper’s Automat and Francis Bacon’s Portrait of Pope Innocent. In her art history classes at Mizzou, she was shocked to open the textbook and see those same pieces. “I’d been hanging out around masterpieces without knowing it,” she says. “I feel lucky that I always had this access to artwork.”

After earning a master’s in curatorial practice and the public sphere from the University of Southern California, Lidgett returned to her hometown to start her business. “In LA to make a difference, you have to be a multimillionaire,” she says. “In Des Moines, you have to have a good idea and people rally around you to make it happen.”

She spent several years working as an art adviser, regularly making purchases from various galleries, before she decided she could do it better.

In 2019, she opened Liz Lidgett Gallery and Design with a commitment to representing at least 50% women and minority artists and offering artworks starting at an accessible price point of $150, making art more attainable for a wider audience.

“A lot of times, when people think about an art gallery, they think of going to New York and some snobby person barely acknowledges them and there are no prices on the wall,” Lidgett says.

“That’s the exact opposite of how we want to make people feel. The art world is for everyone. I will die on that hill.”

Although Lidgett’s gallery is welcoming, she ships 80% of the work she sells. The pandemic pushed Lidgett to rethink her business model and expand her social media presence. Now, she has nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram, where she not only showcases art that’s available for purchase but also art and design tips.

MIZZOU T R U L A S K E

C O L L E G E

O F

B U S I N E S S

S P E C I A L

S E C T I O N

Success in Full Spectrum Making an impact beyond the lecture hall

WINTER 2024 65

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS NEWS

Dean Balaji Rajagopalan’s 100-Day Sprint

Trulaske’s master’s programs redefine what it means to be a graduate student.

Flexible. Accessible. Convenient. These were the concepts that the Trulaske leadership team had in mind when considering the future of the college’s master’s degree programs.

A move to the to the virtual world, which was planned before the pandemic, has proven popular, attracting more students than ever — 250 this year — to degrees such as the accelerated Crosby MBA, the Crosby MBA and the Master of Science in finance.

Asynchronous and easily accessible to any admitted students, these programs are redefining what it means to be a Trulaske graduate student. “The days when business students worked full time a few years, quit their jobs, then returned to Columbia to work on their MBA on campus are over,” says Ryan Murray, Trulaske’s director of graduate programs. “Students are keen to work full time, raise their families and attend graduate school. With Trulaske graduate programs, students can do it all while living anywhere in the world.”

Through the accelerated Crosby MBA program, Trulaske undergraduates with at least 90 credit hours can start taking graduate courses and begin their MBA while completing their undergraduate studies. This program saves students valuable time and money at a stage of their lives when both are in short supply.

Although the program offers a new way to

access the MBA, it doesn’t shortchange the students on knowledge and professional skill development. “There’s a misperception that online classes aren’t as rigorous and robust as in-person classwork,” Murray says. “They are. Plus, we’re evolving in-person networking events in a variety of cities, such as Kansas City, St. Louis and Denver. Prospective students, current students, alumni and corporate partners can expand their networks at these live events.”

Trulaske master’s students can take one course at a time, a partial load or a fulltime load, once they’ve been accepted and enrolled in their program of choice. As they pursue their degrees, they can earn certificates in specialty areas such as marketing analytics, supply chain management, taxation and investments.

Students who are preparing to move into finance positions can acquire the knowledge and credentials they need by completing Trulaske’s online Master of Science in finance. “The required 30 hours of coursework provide a comprehensive study of finance — not a generalist’s approach but a specialist’s knowledge,” says Michael Dorigan, assistant teaching professor. Regardless of which online program Trulaske students choose, one thing is certain: They are making a good investment in their future.

66 MIZZOUMAGAZINE TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Balaji Rajagopalan hit the ground running — and listening and learning — July 5 as the new dean of the Trulaske College of Business. He immediately set out to meet all the college’s faculty and staff and as many of its alumni as possible. He also launched a planning group to bubble up ideas for Trulaske’s future.

In one-on-one sessions with faculty and staff, Rajagopalan takes a comprehensive approach. “It’s easy to gather facts but much more important to understand people holistically — why people do what they do, what makes them tick and what do they do for fun,” he says, adding that, at Trulaske, avocations range from climbing mountains to keeping pet rabbits.

During the dean’s first 100 days, he has met just as many alumni.

“Many come from humble beginnings in Missouri towns such as Moberly, Puxico and Marceline,” Rajagopalan says. Whether they left school for Wall Street or went back home to build their entrepreneurial ventures, they have one thing in common, he says. “They attribute their success to what they experienced at Mizzou and Trulaske and believe in supporting the next generation of students.”

Rajagopalan has charged the strategy planning group to dream “big ideas” about student success and faculty research in a rapidly changing world. Stay tuned in spring 2024 as new initiatives are revealed and implemented.

R A J A G O PA L A N : L .G . PAT T E R S O N ; I L LU S T R AT I O N : B L A K E D I N S D A L E

Mastering Business from Anywhere

Introducing the new head of the Trulaske College of Business.

ABBIE LANKITUS

Exchanging Ideas Abroad Nez Redi has always been a person of action.

Upon arrival at Mizzou in 2020, Redi quickly switched majors from mechanical engineering to finance because he wanted to stop studying for the future and start his career as an entrepreneur immediately. When he launched an online clothing brand, VSNFirst, he wanted it to matter. He donated a percentage of the profits to help build schools back in his native Ethiopia.

So, when Redi learned of the student exchange program Entrepreneurs Without Borders, which sends Trulaske College of Business students to South Africa, he jumped at the opportunity. “I moved from Ethiopia to Kansas City at age 10,” Redi says. “I come from a background where there’s one car in the whole village. I’m now in the land of opportunity. We get caught up in things and lose sight of the big scope. So many people out there can use my help.”

Entrepreneurs Without Borders is a pilot program between Trulaske and the University of the Western Cape (UWC). In July, Redi and classmate Michael Moriarty flew to Cape Town for a two-week stint, and this winter, two South African students will come to Columbia. The goal is to work with other student entrepreneurs, exchange ideas, experience different business climates and, hopefully, dispel any misconceptions about the nature of business in either nation.

“The campuses and countries are different,” says Scott Christianson, associate teaching professor and director of the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which sponsors the program. “There they are focused on more sustainable developmental goals to meet significant challenges that are going on in neighboring countries and in South Africa itself. I believe entrepreneurship is how we’ll solve a lot of the world’s problems.”

Christianson says that Trulaske has had a longstanding relationship with UWC, each school having informally hosted faculty members from the other. He wants this program to be a twoway exchange for students to not only broaden their respective worldviews but also their business contacts. “The illusion of a business founder alone in their garage is a myth,” Christianson says. “Entrepreneurship is not about an idea; it’s about execution, and that means bringing in people to help you. The best founders are coachable and seek our help and advice from a diverse background of folks.”

Redi says he returned to Missouri and is now focusing on launching software for independent gym owners with a renewed focus, a larger global network and an even greater drive. “When you take a step back, you realize how urgent the need is,” he says. “I want to be there now. I made a bunch of contacts with key players in South Africa. I shared my vision and goals. And they gave me the same advice: Just start.”

Nez Redi arrived at Mizzou in 2020.

“I come from a background where there’s one car in the whole village.

I’m now in the land of opportunity.”

Accounting School Earns STEM Status From stone tablets in ancient Mesopotamia to sophisticated software and cloud computing, accounting practices continue to expand and evolve. The School of Accountancy is at the forefront of that evolution. Recently, the school applied for and received STEM designation approval for its bachelor’s and master’s programs from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. The school has been working toward this approval for the past few years. As with other data-driven fields, accounting practices rely on a thorough familiarity with specialized software and the ability to navigate technology-enabled business organizations.

“There have been fundamental shifts in the emphases of accounting curriculum toward cuttingedge technology and analytics-based solutions for clients in delivering their audit, tax and advisory services,” says Vairam Arunachalam, director of the School of Accountancy. The new STEM designation is a recognition of the role technology plays in the school’s curriculum and the contemporary practice of accounting.

WINTER 2024 67

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS NEWS

Trulaske senior S’Riyyah DeBose says an Allen Access Program scholarship has given her confidence in herself and afforded her time to focus on her studies and extracurricular pursuits, like the Diverse Student Association, of which she is president.

As a St. Louis high school student, S’Riyyah DeBose knew that she wanted to start her own business someday. She knew that the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri would provide a strong path toward that goal. But as a young Black woman, she was also looking for a school that valued diversity and empowered students from all backgrounds to share their points of view. “When you go out into the world, you’re not just encountering people who look like you,” she says. “You need to learn how to navigate and be comfortable in those environments.”

At Mizzou, DeBose found that and more through the Allen Access Program, a new initiative to break down barriers and promote readiness and success for business students who don’t have the necessary resources.

In 2021, longtime MU financial supporter Pinney Allen; her husband, Charles “Buddy” Miller III; and her brother, Trulaske alum and faculty member W.D Allen, BS BA ’90, PhD ’06, pledged $5 million to provide scholarships, equipment and support for business students who are resourceful with limited means. The program includes the Allen Access Fund, which covers things like professional attire for job interviews, ACT and SAT

68 MIZZOUMAGAZINE TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

prep courses, housing for internships, and travel for school programs. The Allen Access Scholarships go toward tuition and are renewable annually in amounts ranging from $3,000 to $10,000.

Entering her junior year, DeBose was chosen to receive a scholarship that covered three-fourths of the tuition that she had been struggling to pay for herself through work, loans and grants. But the award did much more than that for her. She says it gave her time to focus on her studies and extracurricular pursuits, like the Diverse Student Association, of which she is president. It also gave her access to other scholars and mentors, including lunches with W.D and Pinney Allen.

More than anything, it’s given DeBose confidence in herself, her abilities and her career path and motivated her to pursue her goals with that much more vigor.

DeBose says the award and the program have elevated her and her fellow recipients as examples for incoming students. “I lacked a lot of confidence in my own abilities,” she says. “This ignited something in me, made me unafraid to speak up for myself and provided me with the passion to go out and network. Half of business is who you know, and I’ve met a lot of key people through the Allen Access Program.”

SAM O’KEEFE

Allen Access: Pushing Boundaries Forward

LESSONS IN

LATTE

Takeover!

SAM O’KEEFE

Trulaske researcher Adam Yore explores the connections among acquisitions though aggression, competition and … slack.

Associate Professor of Finance Adam Yore measures market instability.

Elon Musk’s hostile takeover of Twitter (now X) is the most recent high-profile example of the perennial strong-arm tactic, but it’s not new. “In the 1970s and ’80s, established managers may have had control of their company on a Friday, but there’d be a takeover that put in a whole new management team by Monday,” says Associate Professor Adam Yore, the Stephen Furbacher Professor of Organizational Change. Wall Street investors made money in the short run, he notes, but workers and managers were unlikely to fare as well. And so, one by one during the ’80s and ’90s, states responded by putting antitakeover provisions on the books.

Yore’s forthcoming study in the Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis considers whether antitakeover provisions deserve the dominant opinion — that they decrease firm value and unfairly shield underperforming managers — or whether they supply a needed check on rapacious capitalism.

As a proxy for a firm’s overall value, Yore plotted the monetary value shareholders placed on the line item in a balance sheet most susceptible to waste — excess cash reserves, or slack. Investors dislike slack.

Shareholders generally valued an extra dollar of cash at 62 cents. “That increases by about 24 cents after states enact antitakeover laws,” he says.

But there’s a twist. The increase accrues only to companies whose customers prize stability in management, including firms with a major industrial customer, Yore says. Antitakeover provisions reassure such customers that agreements, whether written or unwritten, will be honored because the vendor’s managers are likely to remain in place.

That picture changes in industries where a scarcity of rivals reduces competition. Managers with a stable customer base and little fear of hostile takeover tend to feel overly secure in their jobs, Yore says. That can be a negative because protecting job security can foster an excess of caution and dearth of effort, leading to a firm that misses chances to make money.

Students in Daryl Smith’s human resources management class have just taken over as the HR director of a Kaldi’s Coffee shop, and they need baristas. If they wisely hire, train and manage their workers, they’ll see employee engagement scores soar. If they choose poorly, they will deal with the bitter aftertaste.

Welcome to the latest version of the Trulaske Kaldi’s Sim, a video game created by Mizzou’s Adroit Studios Gaming Lab in collaboration with Trulaske College of Business professors.

“When they’re playing this game, the students see résumés, hear dialogue of actual interviews,” says Smith, an assistant professor of management. “They’ll make assessments of the candidates and rate them on certain aptitudes in terms of knowledge, skill and experience, and they’ll rate them on certain attitudes.”

The game emphasizes the direct connection between talent management and business outcomes.

“If students make great decisions relative to hiring, training and managing talent, their store will achieve higher sales and profits,” Smith says.

The Trulaske Kaldi’s Sim highlights a connection with the school’s past. Kaldi’s Coffee is a national chain co-owned by Tricia Zimmer Ferguson, BS BA ’03, and her husband, Josh Ferguson, BS ’03.

The first version of the game, which focuses on retail sales, debuted in 2022 in marketing classes and continues to be used. Smith tested the HR version of the game in one of his classes in the fall of 2023, with more widespread use planned in the future.

“Students get a chance to make business decisions and see the outcomes of their decisions,” Smith says, “but they get to do it in a safe environment.”

In the Trulaske Kaldi’s Sim, students manage a virtual coffee shop, including hiring and training would-be baristas.

WINTER 2024 69

By pinpointing passions and strengths, the program offers a comprehensive path toward business success.

From each student’s earliest days through senior year at the Trulaske College of Business, a professional development program adds layers of real-world experience and transferable skills — savvy that transcends the knowledge base of the most rigorous curriculum.

The Trulaske Edge program is a series of wide-ranging courses that frame the college experience for every student. It opens with an introduction to various paths in business, with emphasis on reflection to understand one’s best fit in the workforce. In subsequent courses, faculty mentor students as they take on semester-long projects helping companies answer key questions and, later, as they throw themselves into new settings and challenges in internships. The result is a graduate who has a habit of learning, considers their strengths and weaknesses, engages with colleagues, and contributes wherever they find themselves.

Check out the following guide to the elements of Trulaske Edge.

70 MIZZOUMAGAZINE TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

WINTER 2024 71

THE MISSOURI METHOD

BA 1500 – The Locator how to lean into their best abilities — whatever their interests.

One of Hill’s favorite course elements, the Organizational Field Experience, is a Trulaske student’s first set of formal explorations of functioning businesses. It’s typically an in-person exercise, which could include site visits, job shadowing, attending conferences and interviewing business professionals. Hill, for example, once got an email from someone in the San Francisco Giants’ front office who wanted to verify whether a student’s request to speak to the team’s CEO was legit. It was.

The student nailed the interview.

The 1500 course introduces a nationally recognized set of competencies such as leadership, communication and inclusivity — skills and lessons that not only inform their student days but will also influence their working lives. (See the sidebar “A Culture of Professional Competence,” to learn more about these touchstones.)

BA 1500 by the Numbers

1,319: students in 3 sections and 53 labs 1,396: unique field experiences with 1,674 hours served

950: student interactions with companies

793: informational interviews 252: new volunteer experiences *2022–23 academic year

ABBIE LANKITUS

Tim Hill, M Ed ’14, explains the introductory course succinctly to a lecture hall of up to 450 Trulaske students: “This class is all about you.” At one end of the continuum are freshmen who arrive seeming almost career ready.

Others have dutifully followed a recommendation to enroll in business as a “practical degree.” Regardless, they all benefit as Hill surveys the college’s range of majors and their potential careers paths. In addition to lectures, lab groups of 25 students meet weekly with instructors to cover course material. The classes help students make connections and develop a sense of belonging at Trulaske and the broader campus, Hill says.

Another core of the course is the CliftonStrengths assessment. The college covers the cost of this evaluation, which identifies a person’s strong points and highlights areas for improvement. Then, Hill says, students divide into teams based on strengths, where, through discussion and games, they explore

72 MIZZOUMAGAZINE TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

BA 3500 – Service Learners Up next: a course whose major project delivers a service to businesses and a semester-long learning opportunity for students. Teams of six to eight students in upper-level courses, typically sophomores and juniors, pair with companies seeking answers to a key question.

For example, Small Town Big Deal host Jann Carl, BJ ’82, asked students to propose marketing strategies for her nationally syndicated show; Blake Hoover, BS BA ’16, asked his team to create a business development strategy for Huhtamaki, an international food packaging company; and Kaldi’s Coffee coowner Tricia Zimmer Ferguson, BS BA ’03, tasked students with formulating an expansion strategy.

After students write resumes and cover

letters applying for the job, teams meet with businesses four times, ending with a final presentation. Trulaske instructors and graduate assistants who serve as senior project managers mentor the would-be entrepreneurs as they conduct market research and other tasks, says Assistant Dean Lauren Brengarth, BJ ’03, who teaches BA 3500 and oversees the Edge program.

As a graduate of the School of Journalism and a believer in the Missouri Method, she introduced a client-based project approach to the course in 2019. To place more than 100 student teams with businesses, Brengarth partnered with MU’s Office of ServiceLearning, University of Missouri Extension, and Trulaske alumni and business partners.

BA 3500 by the Numbers

859: undergraduates 17: graduate students 143: projects completed 36,078: hours of student

work invested in Missouri businesses

*2022–23 academic year

ANNIKA MILLER

BA 4500 – First Job The internship is a time-honored rite of passage for college students, many of whom would take most any such position to get some experience. Although tasks such as being the office barista might build social skills, businesses taking on Trulaske interns (72% earn an average hourly wage of $17.87) agree to give them responsibilities comparable to entry-level employees with college degrees.

Interns interact regularly with supervisors who are experts in the field and a team of fulltime professionals at the company.

Internships can be a stretch for students, and Trulaske faculty have their back, says Cody Miller, who coordinates the course. “At times, faculty are more like career coaches,” he says. Students complete assignments and meet with faculty, but it’s about much more than getting ready for work the next day.

“We ask students to think about what they are doing, how they feel about it,” Miller continues. “‘Do you like it, or has this experience convinced you that you’d rather work in a different field?’ And we can be a safety net, helping students sort out what is acceptable, expected. Or maybe there’s a time to push back a little, all while maintaining respect. We can guide them.”

Most students intern in Missouri (68%) or nearby in Illinois, Kansas and Texas (25%), and some go overseas (5%). Settings vary

BA 4500 by the Numbers widely, depending on whether students plan to work in law, nonprofits, marketing, administration or some combination of these.

“We’ve placed students in Columbia’s City of Refuge working with refugees to help with things like getting into school or filling out government paperwork,” Miller says. In contrast, “We’ve had students from rural areas who want to see what it’s like to live and work in a large metro area. One of these interned at a major bank in New York City on the 30th floor of a skyscraper.”

990: students in internships 72: percentage of students paid hourly

63: percentage of students working in person

$41: highest hourly pay rate; average, $17.87

*2022–23 academic year

WINTER 2024 73

THE MISSOURI METHOD

BA 4500 Internships Breakdown Domestic Internships

82 2

2 1

41

5

130 2

680 3

1

3

1

1

6

8

1

3

3

130 41

2

3

3

1

3

3

680 1

10

3

1

2

6 1

Internship Locations

2 6 3 1

3

•• •

Missouri

Out of state International

7

10 7

Edge Programming Offerings include: Lessons from a Life Lived at 1,500 mph with Taylor Fox, BS BA ’09, fighter pilot; US-Canada-Missouri Trade Relationships with Aaron Annable, consul, foreign policy and diplomacy service, Consulate General of Canada in Chicago; Delta Gamma Lectureship in Values and Ethics with Aly Raisman, third most decorated American gymnast of all time; and Giving and Receiving Feedback with Marsh McLennan Agency.

Students attend at least five hours of programs a year. The college buzzes with more than 100 such Edge programming events every semester from speakers, including faculty, alumni, representatives of numerous companies and conference presenters.

Aly Raisman, right, discusses values and ethics during an Edge event.

74 MIZZOUMAGAZINE TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Edge Programming by the Numbers

217: in-person events 111: online events 101: events aligned to professionalism competency 69: events aligned to

career and self-development competency

32: events aligned to critical thinking competency

*2022–23 academic year

SAM O’KEEFE

Trulaske Edge lectures, assignments, field experiences and internships play out against a backdrop of opportunities to hear speakers across a range of disciplines and topics, Brengarth says.

“Edge programming allows our students to explore new concepts and supplement what they’re learning in the classroom,” says Jennifer Ward, senior coordinator. “These events give students great exposure to leaders in the community with the opportunity to network and learn directly from industry experts.”

A Culture of Professional Competence

ANNIKA MILLER

Every student’s roadmap through a Trulaske education comes equipped with a compass — a set of nationally recognized competencies embedded into its curriculum and programming.

The competencies condensed below combine those of the National Association of Colleges and Employers with those of Trulaske faculty and alumni.

Communication: Articulates ideas, whether technical or emotional, orally and in writing, to varied audiences in appropriate detail. Knows one’s audience, when to speak and when to remain silent.

Career and self-development: Knows one’s strengths and how to achieve goals. Motivated by an internal drive to succeed. Understands and modulates emotions at stressful moments.

Leadership: Uses interpersonal skills cultivating others’ strengths to achieve goals. Builds a sense of belonging.

Influences others in support of an agenda. Maintains communication across individuals and groups.

Equity and inclusion: Demonstrates respect and openness to people across cultures, demographics, sexual orientations and religions. Responds to subtle cues, and integrates knowledge of diverse individuals.

Critical thinking: Employs sound reasoning to analyze issues, solve problems and make decisions. Acquires and uses knowledge, sometimes in creative ways.

Knows when to rely on analysis or go with one’s instinct.

Professionalism: Behaves ethically, with integrity and a strong work ethic. Understands verbal and nonverbal communication. Does what one says.

Teamwork: Builds collaborative relationships across cultures, demographics and viewpoints.

Sacrifices for others, and relishes shared responsibilities and rewards. Handles difficult situations and people with grace.

Technology: Uses technology ethically and efficiently to accomplish goals. Is a lifelong learner who focuses daily on key objectives, and reflects on experiences both successful and unsuccessful.

More on Trulaske Edge: business.missouri.edu/edge WINTER 2024 75

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

FROM COMO TO KUALA LUMPUR MIZZOU STUDENTS MASTER GLOBAL MARKETS.

IT TOOK NINE MIZZOU STUDENTS 16 weeks to get to Southeast Asia this past May. While the travel itself took about 30 hours, those in Marketing 4800 spent the semester preparing for their spring trip to Malaysia and Singapore. These students were hand selected by Assistant Professor Brady Hodges for his inaugural Entering Global Markets class at the Trulaske College of Business.

Jack Kish, a senior studying management and economics, says he took the course “to gain realworld experience. It wasn’t just theory and case studies. I want to go into management consulting, and this gave me the opportunity to consult for reallife companies looking to enter the global market.”

In the months leading up to their trip, students conducted market research and created marketing plans for two Missouri companies, one that eliminates pathogens in the air and the other a producer of protein powders. “When expanding to an international market, companies must think about what changes may need to be made to pricing, branding, marketing channels and more,” Hodges says. “The companies we partnered with are smaller and could benefit from our research and recommendations for global expansion.”

76 MIZZOUMAGAZINE TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Armed with their research findings and marketing plans, the class traveled to Asia for two weeks after the semester’s end and presented to the U.S. Embassy in Singapore. After receiving positive feedback and additional ideas on market entry strategy, participants headed to a TV studio and virtually presented their findings to the Missouri businesses.

“The students did an amazing job and gained a new confidence to go forward in their careers,” Hodges says, calling it “a win-win for everyone. We gained some wonderful experience, and the businesses benefited from our expertise and support.”

Global marketing experience wasn’t the only takeaway. “The cultural perspective the course gave me is unbeatable,” says Catherine Hinkebein, a junior studying finance. “There are many lessons and skills that you can’t get in the classroom that are transferable to the real world through study abroad.”

Shannon Breske, director of the Trulaske study abroad program, agrees. “Educating our students through this global lens will help them be more successful,” she says. “Studying abroad is such a rich, immersive experience, and many students say it was life changing and shifted their mindset.”

WINTER 2024 77

GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

Below: Students in the Entering Global Markets class present their research and marketing plans to commercial specialists at the U.S. Embassy in Singapore and mark the occasion with a group photo. Below right: Jack Kish, a senior studying management and economics, was part of the inaugural Entering Global Markets class.

Getting the Course Off the Ground When Hodges arrived at Mizzou four years ago, he dreamed of a course where students could get hands-on experience working in international business, so he helped create a global business certificate. “It included this capstone class,” Hodges says, “where students would consult for real businesses looking to enter foreign markets and would prepare marketing plans to help them do that.”

He contacted the study abroad program to further his mission. “Faculty are the experts on creating the program content, but we support them by handling recruitment, travel logistics, safety and cultural expectations in other countries,” Breske says, adding that the aim is “to create programs to expand the global competencies of our students.”

To secure funding for student travel scholarships, Breske worked with Jackie Rasmussen, director of the MU International Trade Center, on an application for a U.S. Department of Education

78 MIZZOUMAGAZINE TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Business and International Education grant. The team’s hard work paid off when they were awarded nearly $200,000 over two years.

With the funds in place, Hodges selected the course’s business partners. The MU International Trade Center, which conducts personalized market research for Missouri companies interested in growing their business internationally, had a network of companies seeking global marketing support. Hodges selected Far UV Technologies, a producer of UV light products that eliminate pathogens in the air, and SI03, a company that makes high-quality protein powders and dietary supplements.

It was finally time to launch the course in spring 2023. After students applied, 16 were interviewed and nine were ultimately chosen. Hodges purposefully kept the class size small because he “wanted it to be really hands on.”

Preparing Students for Departure It’s crucial for students to prepare for a global experience not only through academics but also through cultural education. “Students need to know what to expect culturally when they travel so they can be respectful global citizens,” Breske says.

To this end, each student researched and presented to the class on a cultural topic such as traditional food, appropriate clothing in a Muslim country, nightlife and transportation.

Hinkebein enjoyed the cultural education she received so much that she applied to be a student manager for the spring 2024 class so she could help prepare the next cohort of students. “It’s going to be such a cool leadership experience,” she says.

Experiencing Other Global Opportunities The Trulaske College of Business is committed to expanding students’ global knowledge, and Marketing 4800 isn’t the only international opportunity available. Students can study abroad in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Peru and complete internships at companies in London, Dublin, Sydney and Prague.

For students wanting a global experience without the travel, the MU International Trade Center hires 16 interns each semester to support global market research projects for Missouri companies. “It’s a great way to demonstrate the value of resources and expertise that is available through Mizzou and also contribute to the economic development activities in the state,” Rasmussen says.

Becoming Good Global Citizens Business no longer knows geographic boundaries, and it’s critical for students to understand this global nature. Kish says that as Americans, we often focus on our own interests at the expense of understanding how the rest of the world does business. “Studying abroad showed me how much we can learn by observing how other coun-

“ Studying abroad showed me how much we can learn by observing how other countries conduct business and maybe find ways to improve our own business practices.”

Students can study abroad in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Peru and complete internships at companies in London, Dublin, Sydney and Prague.

tries conduct business and maybe find ways to improve our own business practices.”

The international knowledge and understanding students can obtain at Trulaske will help set them up for success as they enter the job market, Rasmussen says. “Having this insight of the interconnectedness of business today is a core skill that new graduates can bring into their future workplace. It provides them with real-world exposure and makes them more employable.” M WINTER 2024 79

POST-DEGREE

Where Dreams and Job Offers Meet At Mizzou, the time-honored tradition of putting students and employers face to face at career fairs is not just surviving but thriving. The Trulaske College of Business holds both a general business fair and an accounting fair in the fall, where more than 250 companies come to recruit nearly 2,000 student attendees. Many meetings that lead to job offers and internships start here. A smaller spring fair accommodates firms that continue to recruit. Through a partnership with the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast conferences, Trulaske students also gain access online to firms along the eastern seaboard and southern U.S. The college’s most recent placement study shows that 94.5% of 2021–2022 graduates either were in graduate school or full-time employment within six months. That success derives in part from the so-called “soft” skills students learn through the Trulaske Edge program (See Page 70), says Matt Reiske, executive director of the college’s Business Career Services. “When recruiters meet our students, they can sense that broad competence,” he says.

In the fall, more than 250 companies came to recruit nearly 2,000 student attendees.

Nearly 95% of 2021-2022 graduates either were in graduate school or full-time employment within six months.

80 MIZZOUMAGAZINE TRULASKE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

O Business Career Fair Fall 2023 224 Employers 1,690 Students

O Accountancy Career Fair Fall 2023 57 Employers 257 Students

O Business Career Fair Spring 2023 206 Employers 917 Students

Fall 2022 215 Employers 1,338 Students

Fall 2022 52 Employers 231 Students

Spring 2022 163 Employers 843 Students

O *SEC/ACC Virtual Career Fair Spring 2023 29 Schools 114 Employers 2,300 Students

Spring 2022 33 Schools 203 Employers 1,975 Students

*Figures for all participating SEC/ACC institutions

SAM O’KEEFE

Trulaske’s career fairs offer boundless opportunity for students entering the market.

123 Fulton, MO 65251

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