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Missouri Governor Jay Nixon visited the Bradford Research Center on March 10, 2016 to highlight the excellence of plant science research and education at MU. During a roundtable discussion and press conference, the Governor emphasized the contributions of the IPG and recognized the accomplishments of several IPG graduate students and faculty. The Governor stressed the importance of investing in research and higher education, and underscored the unique focus within the state of the Division of Plant Sciences doctoral program. This impromptu event, which was organized by the Governor’s Office in collaboration with the MU Chancellor’s Office, provided significant exposure of the importance of MU plant science research and education to the state, nation, and world.

The graduate student community was represented by Morgan Halane, President of the IPG-Student Postdoc Organization (Walter Gassmann lab), Carola De La Torre Cuba (Melissa Mitchum lab), and Hallie Thompson (Felix Fritschi/Bob Sharp labs). The Governor and attendees were very impressed with the students’ comments, which reflected the value and importance of their educational and research experiences at MU.

Felix Fritschi, Melissa Mitchum, Jim English, and Bob Sharp were also invited to address the contributions of plant science to the state of Missouri and worldwide. In addition, Doug Randall was recognized as the founding director of the IPG. The roundtable was also attended by Interim President Mike Middleton, Provost Garnett Stokes, Interim Vice Chancellor Mark McIntosh, Vice Chancellor and CAFNR Dean Tom Payne, and Richard Fordyce, Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture.

At this event, MU also announced a $4.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation Plant Genome Research Program, which was recently awarded to a multidisciplinary team of IPG researchers to address the "Physiological Genomics of Maize Nodal Root Growth under Drought”. The “lab-to-the-field” grant was awarded to David Braun (Division of Biological Sciences), Felix Fritschi (Division of Plant Sciences), Trupti Joshi (Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology), Mel Oliver (USDA-ARS and Division of Plant Sciences), Scott Peck (Division of Biochemistry), and Bob Sharp (PI; Division of Plant Sciences). The project also has an integrated communications component led by Jonathan Stemmle in the School of Journalism. More information on Governor Nixon’s visit and the NSF grant can be found in the following press releases:

https://governor.mo.gov/news/archive/gov-nixon-highlights-mu%E2%80%99s-excellence-research-and-innovation

http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2016/0310-fighting-world-hunger-mu-multidisciplinary-team-receives-4-million-nsf-grant-to-advance-crop-research/