the darr difference

DifferenceThe

A Lasting Legacy

Hope for Haiti

Volume 1- Spring 2015

The story of Bill and Virginia Darr

Helping an impoverished nation through agriculture

You’ve probably been wondering why you haven’t received your copy of the spring 2015 Ag Review. We’ve made a few changes with our communica-tion practices this year, and you actually won’t be receiving a printed copy. Let me explain why.

The Ag Review has been such a great communi-cation piece for us, and a way to share short sum-maries of a lot of exciting things going on in the Darr School of Agriculture. However, we felt we were missing an opportunity to show the depth of who we are. As a result, The Darr Difference was created. It is a feature story magazine written and designed by junior and senior level agricultural communications students, under the direction of Samantha Warner, as part of a capstone type

course. Features highlight accomplishments and human-interest stories about students, faculty, staff and alumni.

As you know, we have historically mailed the Ag Review to students, alumni and other stakeholders, but with the addition of The Darr Difference we published the Ag Review online and are mailing The Darr Difference. You can find an elec-tronic copy of the spring 2015 Ag Review at issuu.com/mostateag and ag.missouristate.edu/publications.

Now a little more about the new magazine…

The School of Agriculture is one of dozens of groups throughout the Ozarks who have felt the positive differences made by Bill and Virginia Darr and the Darr Family Foundation. These differences have been through their personal gener-osity of sharing, not only funds but also, encouragement, enthusiasm and influ-ence.

When Samantha and the agricultural communications staff developed this first edition of a communication piece to our alumni, The Darr Difference seemed the appropriated title.

We hope you will enjoy the features that relay how the Darr School of Agricul-ture demonstrates ”Excellence with the Care Factor.”

Anson ElliottDirector, Darr School of Agriculture

Director’s Notes

3 | The Darr Difference

As children, we all envisioned who we would grow up to be. Some

wanted to be astronauts, others doc-tors and a few of us wanted to be Batman. Whoever your five year old self wanted to be, it is probably very different than who you are today.

When Bill Darr was a child, he prob-ably didn’t imagine himself being a successful businessman, community contributor and the namesake of the Darr School of Agriculture at Missouri State University.

Bill and his wife, Virginia, are passion-ate about agriculture, but specifically agriculture at Missouri State. The

School of Agriculture has had many opportunities to expand and reach their goals, but the success would not have been possible without Bill and Virginia.

If you ask Bill to tell you about his life, the most important story he tells is how he met Virginia, his wife of 27 years. They grew up in a small town where they attended school together; Virginia’s older sister was in Bill’s class. They dated in high school, but went their separate ways after Virginia went on to college and after a short while in the working world Bill went to the working world and then was drafted into the Army.

“While she was going to school, I was keeping the home front safe for her.”

Thirty-nine years later, the two ended up back in Springfield. After Bill found Virginia in the phonebook, he gave her a call and set up dinner. A few dates later, the Bill and Virginia were mar-ried.

Backing up a bit, the Darrs grew up in Ellington, Missouri, in the southeast part of the state. Bill grew up on a small livestock farm with his parents and six siblings.

“Living on the farm we did all the chores that most farm kids do: milk

Spring 2015 | 4

3 | The Darr Difference Spring 2015 | 4

was looking for, but Darr bought a truckload for him to make sure it was what he really wanted, and it was. Down the road, Iams would ask for refrigerated chicken instead of frozen chicken, and Darr again rose to the occasion.

Today, the company operates out of plants in Alabama and Missouri to provide Iams with dehydrated chicken. Since the product is dehydrated, they are also able to produce broth and chicken fat. Campbell’s Soup is the primary consumer of the broth and chicken fat, while companies like Uni-

the cows, feed the chickens, hogs and cattle.” Bill said.

Growing up on the farm sparked his passion for agriculture, and that is where his journey to becoming the successful business-man he is today, began.

After graduating high school, Bill moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he got his first job off the farm, a car hop at White Castle. A few years after he started at White Castle, the Korean War began. He was drafted into the Army and spent 11 months in Korea. Upon his return to the states, he decided to pursue his college education at Missouri State.

“My younger brother had started at Missouri State, while I was in Korea, so he convinced me that Missouri State was a pretty good school” Bill said.

During his career at Missouri State, Bill spent a lot of time working. He worked part-time at PepsiCo Inc. in Springfield for a year and a half. After his time with PepsiCo, his advisor told him about an opening with a dehydrat-ed food company in town. Thinking it was related more to his major, Bill took the part-time job in the quality control department of Henningsen Foods. Working 40-48 hours per week as a part-time employee, he tested the quality of angel food cakes. Bill laughed and said he can still make a mean angel food cake. After graduating from college, Bill took a full-time job with the company in Iowa. In 1974, he left the company for business pursuits in Jackson, Mississippi. Once in Mississippi, Bill became the president of a joint venture until 1978 when he re-turned to the Springfield area.

December 19, 1978 was an impor-tant day for Bill, as that is when he started his first company. He bought some property and built a small plant in Verona, Missouri, where he continued in the dehy-drated food business, mostly eggs.

Shortly after, Bill became acquainted with Clay Mathile, who went on to own the Iams Company. Mathile came to Bill in search of a product to include in his pet food, and over dinner one night they decided on mechanically sepa-rated chicken. “I had no plans at that time, but I bought a 40 pound block of frozen chicken from another company that produced the product, sent that to him and coincidentally it was exactly what he was looking for,” Bill said.

The frozen chicken was what Mathile

Spring 2015 | 4


“If I had to describe generosity, this

would be it.”-Anson Elliott

lever, Nestle and Kraft Foods are also consumers of Darr’s product.

Bill adamantly expressed the reason for the success of his businesses is a direct result of the people who work for him.

“We have really good people that have grown with the company,” Bill said. I remember a young man came to inter-view for an engineer-ing position at my house and he was carrying a six month old child. That child now has a master’s degree and is getting married this sum-mer.” Having stepped back from the day-to-day operation of business, Bill and Virginia spend time with their family and provide support for the communities they live and oper-ate in through the Darr Family Foun-dation. The Darrs have a passion for serving others that is unmatched. They have provided sup-port for projects for the School of Agri-culture such as the Christopher S. Bond Learning Center at the Darr Agricultural Center and renova-tions to Karls Hall on the Springfield campus.

The Darrs also pro-vide scholarships to students at Missouri State and high school seniors in their hometown of Ellington, Missouri. These scholar-ships help young people get an educa-tion, which they both value. Especially Virginia, who was a school teacher for over 20 years.

“Our educations meant more to us

than they do to some people today, be-cause I knew when I finished I would have to find a job and go to work.”

Christine Sudbrock is a 2009 gradu-ate of the School of Agriculture. She is one of the 47 agriculture students and counting who have benefitted from the Douglas W. Darr Leadership Scholar-ship.

“I am so very thankful for the Darr Leadership Scholarship. The schol-arship allowed me to participate in a study away opportunity with the School of Agriculture in Belize that otherwise wouldn’t have been pos-sible,” Sudbrock said.

Through the Foundation, Bill and Vir-ginia have been able to help students, as well as the communities they do business in.

“Each community has their needs and we like to give back there,” Bill said. They have helped places like the Boys and Girls Town of Missouri in Spring-field and the Good Samaritan Boys

Ranch.

Anson Elliott is the director of the School of Agricul-ture at Missouri State. He works closely with Bill and Virginia to ensure their support is used properly and in the most effective way.

“If I had to describe generosity, this would be it. Gifts with no strings, and it better be going to help somebody,” Elliott said. “They are so involved in the process; it’s not just a gift, not for recognition, but being present and being involved.”

The legacy Bill and Virginia have created is built on generosity, determi-nation and a strong work ethic. They continue to build that legacy, and it will undoubtedly last the test of time.


Celebrating 110 Years of Missouri State Agriculture You’re Invited

to the third annual

Ag Celebration with Alumni & Friends on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at the

Bond Learning Center located at 2401 S. Kansas Expressway, Springfield, Mo.

Come support the outstanding students of Missouri State Agriculture. This event will include dinner, live music, silent auction, live auction and more. Tickets are $25 per person. To purchase tickets visit ag.missouristate.edu or call 417.837.2500.

Spring 2015 | 65 | The Darr Difference

Celebrating 110 Years of Missouri State Agriculture You’re Invited

to the third annual

Ag Celebration with Alumni & Friends on Saturday, October 17, 2015 at the

Bond Learning Center located at 2401 S. Kansas Expressway, Springfield, Mo.

Come support the outstanding students of Missouri State Agriculture. This event will include dinner, live music, silent auction, live auction and more. Tickets are $25 per person. To purchase tickets visit ag.missouristate.edu or call 417.837.2500.

BringingHomeThe

PURPLE

In the middle of the ring, two Missouri State University students stand with

their Hereford cow-calf pair at the National Western Stock Show. The stands are full, the ringside is full, and everybody is waiting in suspense for the selection of the Hereford reserve national champion cow-calf pair.

The judge gets on the microphone, “Ladies and gentlemen, please give these exhibitors a round of applause as I select your reserve champion cow-calf pair.”

The judge puts down his microphone, takes one last look down the row before slapping the cow from Missouri State. The crowd goes wild and the students’ faces light up because they now know their hard work paid off.

This was the first year Missouri State took cattle to the National Western Stock Show (NWSS) in Denver, Colorado, and they came home with a national champion. The Darr School of Agriculture exhibited the 2015 Reserve Grand Champion Hereford Cow-Calf Pair.

Marty Lueck, Journagan Ranch herd manager, was in Denver with the stu-dents the day of the show, and couldn’t be more proud of them.

“Both of the girls turned to each other with huge smiles on their faces. They wanted to jump up and down and fist bump,” Marty said. “The smiles on their faces showed it all and that was the special moment that overwhelmed me with pride. It was at the picture backdrop that we finally jumped up and down and fist bumped.”

Five students went on the trip and helped prepare the cattle for show day: Julie Choate, freshman agricul-tural communications major from Pleasant Hope, Missouri; Michaela Haley, senior animal science major

from Sedgewickville, Missouri; Ryan Poythress, senior animal science ma-jor from Jackson, Missouri; Benny McWilliams, junior agricultural educa-tion major from Asbury,Missouri; and Nathan Warner, senior animal science major from Archie, Missouri.

These students, along with their men-tor, Justin Sissel, worked through Christmas break rinsing and work-ing with the cattle to prepare them for the weeklong trip. Lueck, knew the University would be competitive but never dreamed they would do this well. The University took two senior year-ling bulls and a cow-calf pair to exhibit, which averaged about 1200 head of Hereford cattle.

Sissel stated, “Once we got to the yards at the NWSS, we were amazed by how many cattle were there, but we were also very overwhelmed. We were very fortunate to have many alumni of Missouri State to help us figure out who we needed to talk to and figure out where to go.”

Every day the students made sure the cattle were presented in a good man-ner to represent Journagan Ranch and Missouri State University. Journagan Ranch is known for its production ge-netics, but to have those good traits show ring presentable, made people do a double take as they walked by the stalls. There were many spectators and exhibitors who commented on the hard work and passion that the Missouri State students displayed.

Sissel said, “Winning was awesome, but the comments and job offers that the students received is what made me proud of what they accomplished.”

On the day of the show, the students and alumni helped make the reserve national champion possible.

Every person who gave a helping hand


was connected to Missouri State in some way.

Poythress said, “I have never been to any other show like the NWSS. The experience was very eye opening and it was neat to have all the alumni help us.”

Jocelyn Washam, from Wentworth, Missouri, was one of the alumni who helped the day of the show. Washam stated, “I was once in their shoes and appreciated all the advice I was given. So, to be able to give back and help the students learn and grow is rewarding.”

Before receiving the donation of the Journagan Ranch, Missouri State would show any breed they had on the farm, which included Angus, Charolais, Limousin and Simmental. The Northwest Arkansas District Fair was the first show Missouri State attended in 2001. In 2010, when the Journagan Ranch was donated, the University switched to showing Herefords.

Sissel said they now attend other shows like Ozark Empire Fair, Missouri State Fair, American Royal and Southeast Missouri District Fair.

The win at the NWSS wasn’t the Hereford’s first sucess. In 2010, the University received Show Bull of the Year from the American Hereford Association and many other divi-sion winners. However, the National Champion will set high expectations

for the students to strive for. None of this would have been possible without support from Anson Elliott, director of the School of Agriculture, alumni, and Journagan Ranch.

“I am excited to see how this will ex-pand the interest in a possible show team and getting more students in-volved for the future of the cattle indus-try,” Sissel said.


Five students spent part of their winter break at the NWSS.

In 2012, the National Center for Education Statistics reported there

were eight million students over the age of 25 registered for college. This growing number leads to a greater amount of parents and children receiv-ing degrees.

The Darr School of Agriculture is home to two special families who represent what it means to make college a fam-ily affair. The two families include both students and parents who are enrolled at the university.

The Arthur family consists of twins, Cheyenne and Dakota, and their moth-er, Sandra. The girls are graduates of Missouri State University, where they earned degrees in agricultural business and animal science. Sandra is an exec-utive assistant in the office of the pro-vost, and is earning a degree in general agriculture with a minor in agricultural business. Cheyenne and Dakota have returned as well to obtain their mas-ter’s degrees in plant science.

The Arthur family has never been afraid

of a challenge. They juggle 30 head of registered Angus cattle, farm duties and jobs. Without flinching they took on the addition of another chal-

lenge, the opportunity to further their education.

“I have always wanted to finish my de-gree,” Sandra said.

Not using the free credits given to her by the university would be like throw-ing money away, Sandra said. She de-cided since the girls are teachers assis-tants and no longer needed the credit hours she would utilize them.

“My mom has supported me all through my undergrad and on into grad school. Now it’s time I get to support her,” Dakota said.

Sandra said, taking classes the girls

have already taken is a plus. It allows them to serve as guides for her college experience.

“Helping each other out has been a big role in our support system,” Cheyenne said.

The girls also assist Sandra by proof-reading, explaining APA style, how things work on Blackboard and sharing their knowledge of classes they have al-ready taken.

Cheyenne and Dakota are both excited about having their mom as a part of the School of Agriculture. They do, howev-er, share the opinion that it is different to see her sitting in the computer lab working on homework.

Sandra said she is excited about her next adventure in life, and is glad to

Missouri State... A Family Affair roots run deep


“I always wanted to finish my degree.” —Sandra Arthur

younger days at MSU. Tales of bravery, cunning and study habits that prob-ably would not be recognized by any of those who attended school with me,” Clint said about his daughters’ decision to attend Missouri State.

After graduating from Missouri State in 1982, Clint began a career with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). After a rewarding 32 year ca-reer with MDC, spanning nine differ-ent positions, he began a project be-tween Missouri State and the MDC.

“This project would apply conserva-tion practices on MSU-owned land to serve as examples, demonstrations and learning tools for students, landown-ers and other interested groups,” Clint said.

As a part of the program plan, Clint will attend school and earn his master’s de-gree in natural and applied science in agriculture, while serving as the project coordinator.

“The fact that I have been so long re-moved from the student role and get-ting my mind back into that mode has been somewhat tricky,” Clint said. Assisting each other outside of school is one thing Kaylyn considers to be a key part of being a support system. This also translates into their school work.According to Kaylyn having extra study partners is just one positive to having your family attend college with you. “It’s a true family affair,” she said.

With a degree in agricultural education under her belt, Kaylyn is in the process of earning her master’s degree in natu-ral and applied sciences in agriculture and wildlife management.

The Arthurs and the Dalboms have found a way to bridge a gap between balancing family life and finding their place at Missouri State University.

share it with her daughters.

“They are my biggest supporters and my role models,” she said.

Alongside the Arthurs is another hard-working family who share the bond of education, the Dalbom family.

The Dalboms include Kaylyn, her fa-ther, Clint, mother, Karen, and sister, Alison. Kaylyn, Clint and Karen are a part of the School of Agriculture; Alison found her home in anthropol-ogy. When asked about the family ex-

perience, Kaylyn replied simply with, “it makes us unique.”

“Missouri State has always been an option that we have discussed. I often times shared college tales from my

“The fact that I have been so long removed from the student role and getting my mind

back into that mode has been somewhat tricky.”

—Clint Dalbom


Dakota and Cheyenne Arthur with their mom, Sandra.

Karen Dalbom, Kaylyn, Alison and Clint Dalbom.

Haiti: the most impoverished coun-try in the world. As the students

and professors journeyed from village to village, is was obvious that help had come, but it hadn’t stayed. At one time, a huge influx of support had begun reconstruction on infrastructure and buildings in Port au Prince, the coun-try’s capital. Now, efforts to help exist on a much smaller scale, providing as-sistance one family or one village at a time.

In Pignon, the group’s destination, a few organizations are working with locals to improve their quality of life. Home of Hope orphanage, operated by members of a congregation in Kansas City, Missouri, provides housing and care to children, and has open dormi-tories for the visitors. Project Hope, an organization also based in Kansas City, Missouri, is just across the road. A large building is under construction, which will one day house workers and visitors from abroad, as well as provide seminar and demonstration space for the staff agronomist and visiting ex-perts. Surrounding the construction site are seven acres of donated farm-land, which is where our story begins.

Five Missouri State University students

and two professors, as well as a few Project Hope volunteers, settled in to their dormitory at the orphanage. Other collegians had checked in to luxurious hotels for their spring break adventures, but this group had different goals in mind. They had prepared seminars on a wide range of topics, from water conservation and composting to human nutrition. Students came from a variety of agricultur-al backgrounds to learn about the communities in central Haiti and bring their knowledge to farmers in the area.

“You don’t have to be an agronomy expert to help,” said Melissa Remley, an as-sociate professor from Missouri State. “The main thing was to have that desire to learn about their culture and have that interaction – to want to be there and help.”

The agricultural land next door provides an opportunity for demonstrations and projects to benefit farms and families in surrounding villages. Mike Burton, the lead professor on the trip, said initial projects will likely include testing water re-tention systems on the landscape with terracing and diversions as well as trials of other practices that will increase long term profitability.

Hope for Haiti

Missouri State University students work alongside Haitian natives to make agricultural improvements in Pignon.


Students presented their seminars in two local villages. Outreach to the rural communities was facilitated by contacts previously established with the orphanage. The seminar audienc-es were farmers relying on agriculture not as a career, but as a subsistence effort to support their families.

“What we find is that through what we consider pretty typical practices that we would talk about in the soil con-servation class or the sustainable ag-riculture class or plant nutrition and fertility, are all skills that are readily and desperately needed in those vil-lages,” Burton said.

Even something as simple as treating a crop before a rain was a challenge for the communities they visited. The visitors faced challenges because of their assumptions about the tools and education available to villagers. Peo-ple might have cell phones, Burton said, but they don’t have calendars, and they don’t necessarily know what the temperature is outside. Most have never seen a radar weather map.

“In a developing nation, everything is more difficult when you don’t have the

right tools or materials, even for simple things,” said Ben Rodabaugh, a natu-ral resources student from Lowry City, Missouri, one of the students in the group. “It takes a lot more work to do it by hand and by improvising.”

The trip was eye-opening for students and advisors alike. Remley said the most poignant experience for her was seeing all the communities and church-es there to help build an infrastructure and improve people’s lives.

“It’s basic human rights that we’re try-ing to give these people – proper food, clothing safety,” she said. “So it’s really humbling to see how joyous they are as a people and how helpful they are to one another despite what they don’t have.”

At one village location, students pre-sented seminars on recycling nutrients in compost and saving water. When they gave the audience time for ques-tions, it became clear that it wasn’t wa-ter for crops that was their concern.

“Their main concern was to have enough drinking water,” Remley said. “As one man put it, ‘I can have crops,

I can have food, but I have no water to cook my food in.’”

Silas Myrick, a senior agriculture stu-dent from Blue Springs, Missouri, spoke about human nutrition for his seminar. It’s really difficult, he said “telling somebody that they need to drink a certain amount of water every day and then having them reply that of-ten they go days without water because it is difficult to get.”

A common sentiment from participants was one of humility and help. Myrick said the group’s goal was to find needs and try to amend them in any way they could. Remley said it was eye-opening to go there and see with their own eyes how people lived and provided for themselves.

“It’s the public affairs mission at its finest,” Remley said. “I was amazed by these students. We were literally in huts in the middle of these villages talking with people about their issues, going out and seeing their farms and seeing what they’re doing and talking aobut ways we can give them improve-ments. We learned more than we were

Silas Myrick works with a translator to present his seminar on human health.

American and Haitian workers joined together to improve quality of life for subsistence farmers in the Pignon area.


telling them, and that gave us a really good idea of what we should go back and research on so we could come back with some helpful answers for them.”

They were also eager to return and con-tinue helping the people they met. “For most of our students, they had never been someplace where they are the mi-nority,” Burton said. “And certainly, they had never been someplace where they were not only the minority, but they also couldn’t speak the language.”

Between deforestation, poverty, and unpredictable rain, he said Missouri State students and faculty need to go back. “Not to shock our students, but to help where we can and for our students to learn all they can about what might be done,” he said.

Students in the Darr School of Agricul-ture will likely have the opportunity to visit Haiti in coming semesters, as Mis-souri State is developing a partnership with the University of Haiti to facilitate agricultural improvements, which will soon allow Haitian students to study at Missouri State and Darr students to study for longer periods in Haiti, whether it’s a semester-long Study Away program or master’s research.

For students who might be interested in future study away oppor-tunities, the participants from this year’s trip had some words of advice and encouragement.

“For a student of animal science or a student of agronomy, or hor-ticulture, or business to participate in a trip like this means that you recognize that your skills might be valuable here in the US, but they are essential to survival for people in other parts of the world. You might find a job in the US, but you will be recognized and wel-comed in a country that’s hungry.” – Dr. Burton

“Don’t go anywhere expecting to teach the world, you don’t have to be the smartest person out there but a student who walks humbly will be used by God to do some pretty crazy things, so brace your-self.” – Ben Rodabaugh

“It changes your perspective on agriculture, on what you’re learn-ing and why. It gives you a sense of the worldwide issues in agricul-ture, so not only are you learning how to change things and make things better here, but the real need is to help all of these people trying to make a living in agriculture trying to feed their own fami-lies, let alone make a living at it in these other countries.

It’ll also give you the travel bug to want to travel to more places, I guarantee it.” – Dr. Remley

Explore Global Agriculture!

“Haiti is a beautiful, heart-breaking country. The need in Haiti still exists; the work we started is not finished.” – Silas Myrick


Join the Darr School of Agriculture on social media!

Find the Spring 2015 Ag Review at http://issuu.com/mostateag/

@mostateag@mostateag Missouri State University School

of Agriculture


OLLOWING ROCEDUREPFFrom the day students step on a col-lege campus, professors and mentors push them to “get experience” or “get involved” during their college careers. Whether it’s classroom experience, getting involved in student organi-zations or getting real-world work experience, it is drilled into their head from day one.

Graduate students in Associate Pro-fessor Chin-Feng Hwang’s research lab in the Darr School of Agriculture, took that advice to heart. The molecular breeding of grapes in their research lab is the primary

focus of Hwang and Research Special-ist Li Ling Chen. The two, originally from Taiwan, have made their home in the Ozarks and at Missouri State University. Not only do Hwang and Chen manage the lab, but Hwang also team-teaches a plant-breeding course with Anson Elliott, director of the School of Agriculture. As a wild rice

breeder, Elliott teaches the traditional breeding side, and Hwang teaches the molecular breeding aspects. The lab houses five graduate students, each with a specific research project related to plant science. Under the

watchful eyes of Hwang and Chen, the lab produces research in the lab and in the field. In the four and a half years Hwang and Chen have been at Missouri State, the lab has received ten grants and published research. The graduate students—Daniel Adams, Logan Duncan, Mia Mann

and Brigette Williams—are gaining experience in things like using basic lab techniques and more advanced technology. Surya Sapkota is also a student in the lab, but he is a col-laborative doctorate student with the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Back Row: Daniel Adams and Logan Duncan; Back Row: Dr. Hwang, Brigette Williams, Mia Mann, Li Ling Chen, Surya Sapkota


The lab’s projects deal primarily with grapes, but other plant species are studied. All students are working with various grape cultivars including the Missouri state grape, Norton. Mann has identi-fied the similarities in the genotype of Norton and the Arkansas state grape, Cynthiana. Duncan is studying rooting systems for Norton and working on a project to improve insect resistance in giant pumpkins. Sapkota is working on breeding Norton with the popular wine grape Cabernet Sauvignon to improve the disease resistance, cold hardiness and berry quality. Williams’ research has been in leaf morphomet-rics, and focused on the genetic basis of leaf shape. “I’m looking for the correlation be-tween the genotype and phenotype

of the species,” Williams said. “What genetic factors affect leaf shape? That is what the lab is trying to find out.” Graduate school is different than undergraduate studies because of the specificity of the work. Not only is the class work more advanced and special-ized, but the working opportunities are more abundant as well.

“You’re open to more opportunities in a graduate program than in un-dergraduate research. There’s more critical thinking and growing connec-tions,” Duncan said. Most of the students in the lab are looking ahead to a doctorate program once finished with their master’s de-grees. There are distinctions between having a master’s degree and having a doctorate in the research field. “In general, there are more opportuni-ties. With a Ph.D., you get to design and implement research, whereas with a master’s you can be a technician; you can execute someone else’s ideas and thoughts, but you don’t get any direc-tional control over it,” Williams said. Looking towards the future, Hwang,

Chen and the graduate students will perform more research, working at the State Fruit Experiment Station and trying to answer the questions of the grape industry. The graduate students will continue to gain experience in a lab setting and hone their laboratory skills in hopes of getting jobs in the research field.

Daniel AdamsNewellton, Louisiana

Master’s in Plant ScienceCold hardiness in berries

Logan DuncanSpringfield, Missouri

Master’s in Plant ScienceRooting of Norton and insect resistance in giant pumpkins

Mia MannLeonard, Missouri

Master’s in Plant ScienceIdentification of DNA satellite

markers of Norton and Cynthiana

Surya SapkotaChitwan, Nepal

Cooperative PhD. in AgricultureBreeding grapes for wine

production

Brigette WilliamsSpringfield, Missouri

Master’s in Plant ScienceMorphometrics of Norton

Hwang, Williams, Mann and Chen work on lab techniques


Imagine uprooting your life and mov-ing over 5,000 miles away from

your family and friends for a year, to an obscure culture where you have the inability to communicate with some.Disregarding these obstacles Rim Ben Haj Yahia, an exchange student from Tunisia, found her way to Missouri State University.

Rim, a middle child, grew up in Tunis, Tunisia with her mother, father and two sisters. A desire to experience other cultures led Rim and her younger sister to en-ter an exchange program. With her sister in Spain, Rim began her journey to America.

In Tunisia after students graduate from high school they attend two years of proprietary school, a school that teach-es vocational skills. This was where Rim decided engineering would be a good fit for her.

“I love math, physics and biology,” Rim said, which led her to choose food industry engineering at the National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia.

The exchange program in Tunisia auto-matically places you at a university, but Rim was made aware of what Missouri State had to offer from a friend who at-tended the year before.

“At first I didn’t like having the univer-sity chosen for me but before I applied I knew I wasn’t going to get to choose

so I was prepared” and “I was happy because my friend came last year,” Rim said.

While attending Missouri State Rim felt agricultural business would be a natural choice for her studies.

Rim describes the Darr School of Agriculture as “a family” where she

instantly fell in love. Becoming an active part of the School of Agriculture was one of her first goals so she could cultivate many friendships. Within the School of Agriculture, Rim was a part of Collegiate Farm Bureau and Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow.

Through her involvement in Collegiate Farm Bureau Rim

had the opportunity to attend the National Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, which gave her the chance to experi-ence a few other places in the United States.

Rim found her love for communica-tions after being a part of the agricul-tural communications class offered here at the university.

“It’s another perspective to see

“Literally my favorite year of my life!”

-Rim


agriculture and to look at the contro-versies in a different way,” Rim said.

In Tunisia you are only allowed to study classes for your degree, so expe-riencing agricultural communications here in the U.S. has opened her eyes. Rim shares that agricultural commu-nications could be in her future and is exploring the idea of obtaining her master’s degree.

Among the friendships Rim made at Missouri State was fellow agricul-ture student, Savanna Stanley. The two shared the experience of attend-ing the National Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference as well as being

involved in Collegiate Farm Bureau and Agricultural Communicators together.

“I loved her the moment I met her. She is the absolute sweetest soul and such a love for life,” Stanley said.

Missouri State as a whole is known for its outstanding cultural diversity and inclusion of international students. “I have met more people here than I have known my whole life,” expressed Rim.

She joins many other students in their international journey at Missouri State and 886,052 other international stu-dents in the United States, according to The Institute of International Learning. There are numerous organizations on campus that are great for international students. Rim was involved in Social Change Leaders a group led by the Office of Student Engagement and the Association of International Students.

Rim took advantage of all the universi-ty had to offer. When faced with having to choose a favorite organization she chose AIS.

“I met many people from all over the world, and I became more culturally engaged,” she said.

Not everything can be learned in a

classroom. Some things must be expe-rienced. Rim traveled with the School of Agriculture on several trips. These trips were filled with people who were extremely involved in agriculture and they inspired her.

“It’s hard to choose only one experi-ence because my journey in the U.S. is like an adventure and every day I have a wonderful different new unique expe-rience,” Rim said.

Participating in the International Banquet and Show was also a great experience Rim had at the university. After practicing hard for some time she performed a dance in front of 600 people. This challenged her but it gave her confidence.

“My experience is great here, but as an international student who is not famil-iar to agriculture in America, I would suggest to organize more trips to farms and industries to better understand the American agricultural practices.”

Rim’s stay at Missouri State wrapped up at the end of the spring semester, and she traveled back to her home in Tunisia where she will complete her final year of engineering school. She describes her experience as “really life changing and eye opening and every-thing, I love it!” and not to mention “literally my favorite year of my life!”

International student from

Tunisia finds second home in the School of Agriculture


Three years ago, a nervous freshman chem-istry major walked into Karls Hall with an

idea. Jim Bellis, the assistant to the director of the Missouri State University Darr School of Agriculture, helped him leave the office as a newly-minted agricultural business major with big dreams. Ambition and potential paired with a supportive environment gave Taylor Mize the tools he needed to grow into one of the Darr School of Agriculture’s chief exports – leaders.

Mize, now a junior studying agricultural busi-ness with an emphasis in finance and a minor in agronomy, says adjusting to Missouri State after growing up in rural Campbell, Missouri, was no easy task. “I was kind of blown away by all the opportunities available to me,” Mize said, “but I decided to just jump in and get going.”

Mize picked a few student organizations to join – some, he said, because they fit with his career goals, and others just because they sounded like a fun experience. One of those organizations was Collegiate Farm Bureau, a group he led as president this year.

Farm Bureau is a national organization with its roots in individuals from counties and

universities with a vested interest in farm policy and success. The general farm orga-nization focuses on developing leaders, and Mize took advantage of those opportuni-ties. He has traveled with Collegiate Farm Bureau to the National Young Farmer & Rancher Conference, as well as the organi-zation’s annual meeting and legislative vis-its in Washington, D.C., and Jefferson City, Missouri.

“Through Farm Bureau I’ve made so many great contacts and connections that I can use down the road when I have questions,” Mize said. He also values the window Farm Bureau gave him into the policy-making process. He said watching the development of policy like the recent Waters of the United States ruling and the role farmers and agricultural organi-zations played showed him that citizens have the capacity to positively impact the policies affecting them.

His team of officers has also taken note of his leadership skills. Bradley Dillner, Collegiate Farm Bureau’s vice president and a junior agricultural business major from Pilot Grove, Missouri, calls Mize’s leadership style “pocket


vision.” Wherever he is serving, Dillner said, “he can whip this vision out of his pocket at any time and provide guid-ance to others so they can be successful as well.” Dillner said he thinks Mize’s vision is what helps him stay on track toward achieving goals as a leader.

Shayla Coale, the secretary of Collegiate Farm Bureau and a sophomore study-ing agricultural education, said Mize exhibits great dedication to the organi-zation and has been a valuable leader to Collegiate Farm Bureau. “He is always willing to lend a helping hand, and goes out of his way to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard,” she said.

Mize also served the Darr School of Agriculture as a peer leader in a first year foundations course for agricul-ture students and as one of the Ag Ambassadors, a group of students who interact with high school and commu-nity college students at recruitment events. In both capacities, Mize said he particularly enjoyed working with young people and seeing potential in them.

“My favorite part of being an Ag Ambassador,” he said, “is trying to get new kids to Missouri State. We get to talk about the great programs we have, and then I just get to share my story about different experiences.” In the first year foundations course, Mize said, “it was neat to see my students in that class grow as individuals and as students.”

Bellis said he took notice of Mize as a leader through Ag Ambassadors. “Taylor is so sharp with such a posi-tive attitude,” Bellis said. “It didn’t take much pushing for him to step up as a leader.”

Mize said he looks up to Bellis because they share common values. “He has been huge in my college career,” Mize said, “because if there was something I wanted to do, he was supportive and said ‘we’ll find a way to make it hap-pen.’”

Whether he was considering student government or internships, Mize said Bellis was there to listen and guide him every step of the way. Beyond that, watching how Bellis overcame adver-sity in his own life inspired Mize. Bellis was diagnosed with cancer in the past year and underwent surgery to remove part of his leg. “He handled it with dig-nity, poise, and grace, I think,” Mize said. “In that situation, I think it would be really easy to get frustrated, but he never did that. He worked really hard at his job and he didn’t draw attention to himself in any way.”

Mize is not alone in his Darr School of Agriculture success story. It takes just a short walk through Karls Hall or the Bond Learning Center to find more students who credit their growth

as leaders to opportunities within the school. To Bellis, that success all comes back to how the faculty and staff sup-port students as leaders.

“So many of our ag faculty and staff understand that we must be available for students, whether it’s by attending club events or incorporating leadership activities into curricula,” Bellis said. He said the school’s faculty and staff are intentional about helping each student find a good fit in a campus leadership development activity.

The Darr School of Agriculture’s train-ing ground for leaders certainly seems to be working. “I’ve matured a lot as a person since starting college,” Mize concluded. “I learned that, unlike in high school where advisors were al-ways there to hold your hand, in col-lege if there’s something that I want to accomplish, it’s really taught me not to sit back and wait on somebody else to bring it up. I think that- which I will call being a do-er – will translate into my future career as well.”

Taylor Mize, left, poses with Missouri Senator Roy Blunt at Collegiate Farm Bureau’s annual Ag Forum.


DistinctlyDARRThe faculty, staff and students in the Darr School of Agriculture are constantly on the move, so there

is always something exciting going on. Unfortunately, it is impossible for us to cover every exciting event in The Darr Difference, but our annual newsletter, the Ag Review, does cover many more activi-ties. This is where ‘Distinctly Darr’ came from. This area briefly highlights a few stories from our Ag Review. If you would like to read the fully story, and others, you can find the spring 2015 Ag Review at issuu.com/mostateag or ag.missouristate.edu/publications.

The Missouri State Ranch Horse team competed in the American Stock Horse Association National Collegiate Championship show in Ardmore, Oklahoma, April 23-26. They placed third, coming in behind Texas A&M University

and Texas Tech University. The top finish means the Missouri State team has placed in the top 10 at the ASHA show 10 times. The team was adamant their success was a direct result of the dedication of their coaches Gary Webb, animal science professor, and Daniel Potter, agriculture graduate student.


The School of Agriculture hosted the first agricultural career fair in November. Eight companies from across Missouri and over 100 students attended in the event. Participating companies included: MFA Inc., Hummert International, FCS

Financial, Missouri Farm Bureau, Osborn Barr, Missouri Corn Growers Association, BWI Companies Inc. and the Missouri State Career Center. The next career fair has been scheduled for Oct. 6-7, 2015. If you would like more information about the event, contact Samantha Warner ([email protected] or 417-836-5092).

The School of Agriculture published a book about the historical relevance of The Woodlands in January. A Refuge in The Woodlands: A History of the Springfield Transient Camp in Springfield, Missouri was written by emeritus staff mem-

ber Sally Lyons McAlear. McAlear spent two-years researching and writing the book. A digital copy of the book is available at ag.missouristate.edu.

Spring 2015 | 22

DifferenceThe

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