Alexander N. Cartwright
Chancellor
As spring turns to summer, the change in seasons represents a shift in the emphasis of the work at Missouri’s flagship. Many of our students have started their summer internships, research experiences, or are squeezing in some summer credit hours here on campus or online from home.
Regardless of where our Tigers spend these next few months, the work of your flagship continues. Let me tell you why:
First, the subject on all our minds. University of Missouri students, faculty and staff are providing support to those so severely affected by weather-related disasters. Ongoing flooding and destructive storms continue to impact Missourians in every corner of our state. As a trusted source for our community, MU is here to assist with the recovery process.
We are coordinating with Feeding Missouri, a coalition of Missouri Food Banks, to get supplies to those in our state who are affected by flooding. Members of the MU family are volunteering through the St. Louis United Way to assist tornado relief efforts. And MU Extension’s Community Emergency Management Program continues to be a valuable resource for educational and technical assistance for those recovering from and preparing for natural and man-made disasters. I encourage you to read about these efforts in case they can benefit someone you know.
Several of our deans, led by Marshall Stewart, Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement, recently traveled through rural Missouri to connect with community leaders throughout the state that spoke to the lives impacted on a day-to-day basis by work being done at MU. While natural disasters remain top of mind, the work of our teams is also visible in schools, hospitals, farms and workforce development efforts in each one of Missouri’s 114 counties, and the city of St. Louis.
We have a tremendous amount of pride in all three of our missions – education, research and engagement.
Soon, we hope Missourians and beyond will experience the many positive impacts of our new $220 million state-of-the-art research facility coming to MU. We break ground on this project later this month, and I can’t tell you how excited we are to see how this new space will foster innovation to help solve the most pressing health challenges. Moreover, by combining with the entire University of Missouri System through the system-wide precision health initiative, we will leverage expertise across the state to the benefit everyone.
This new facility will benefit from the support of dedicated legislators who ensured that $10 million in funding for the facility was included in the state budget this legislative session. We are grateful for the state’s support of higher education and the economic, technological and health benefits that the precision health initiative represents.
This fall we will have even more Tigers to help us contribute to these critical missions for the state. Based on early deposits, freshman enrollment is up more than 15 percent over last year. This is the second year in a row that enrollment has jumped by double digits – how incredible. When you consider that enrollment is in decline at many peer institutions across the country, these numbers provide a clear endorsement of the education, value and opportunities MU provides.
Thank you, friends, for your constant support. Enjoy the summer, and MIZ!