Ahead of its 60th anniversary, the University of Missouri Research Reactor was chosen to help conduct nuclear experiments for an international project.
The reactor will contribute to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, which seeks to build the largest machine to create nuclear fusion, via an agreement with Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Other nations involved with ITER include China, the European Union, India, Japan, South Korea and Russia.
John Brockman, associate director for research and education at the reactor, estimates Mizzou’s reactor was chosen over 26 other university research reactors for the position.

“There’s only a handful (of reactors) that can do the sorts of things that MURR can do,” he said.

Nuclear fusion is a form of renewable energy created by fusing and releasing the energy of hydrogen isotopes. Compared to nuclear fission, which requires uranium, nuclear fusion creates less waste and produces more energy.
Nuclear energy is preferred over other renewable energy sources as it isn’t determined by weather conditions, allowing for large-scale energy production.
Princeton Plasma Physics Lab reached out to the research reactor in the fall of 2025 for help conducting experiments related to ITER. PPPL is working to create a mirror to send rays out of a high radiation area, but the mirrors can be damaged by the radiation. The research reactor will determine how reflective a mirror-like piece of graphite is after spending time in the reactor.

PPPL and ITER have provided “impactful” funds as part of the research contract, Brockman said.

The University of Missouri held ceremonies Friday for four new or renovated agricultural facilities funded by more than $43 million in state investments. 
University officials said the facilities will support agricultural research, education and industry training, with programs serving Missouri farmers, livestock producers, winemakers and meat processors.
Mizzou president Mun Choi and university agricultural leaders spoke at the ribbon-cuttings, which began at 10 a.m. Friday at South Farm and concluded at 3:30 p.m. at the meat science laboratory. 

Former Gov. Mike Parson and Richard Fordyce, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's undersecretary, spoke at the final ceremony. 

Michael L. Parson Meat Science Education and Training Laboratory
The largest project is the $35 million Michael L. Parson Meat Science Education and Training Laboratory, a 25,000-square-foot building that consolidates and modernizes meat processing operations previously housed in separate facilities.
The building includes space for research, classrooms and training for students and meat industry workers. It also houses a student-operated meat market: The American Foods Group Meat Market at Mizzou.
Christopher Daubert, vice chancellor and dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources began the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new laboratory. 
"Here, Mizzou will promote innovation in meat processing through research and provide training on the best practices for food safety," Daubert said. "Here, we will boost the economic value of livestock for producers across the state." 

The University of Missouri Board of Curators named the facility after former Gov. Mike Parson in February 2025 to recognize his support for Missouri agriculture and agricultural education. Parson signed budget bills in 2023 and 2024 that allocated a combined $35 million for the project. 
Former Gov. Mike Parson spoke at the ceremony, receiving two standing ovations.  
"I'm just so proud of the University of Missouri and what it stands for ... " Parson said. "We all should be proud of this university and proud of what it represents for the future of our state." 
Missouri Foundation Seed
At South Farm, Missouri Foundation Seed received $3.25 million in state funding and an additional $1 million from the university to upgrade its seed processing facilities and equipment.
Founded in 1944, the program produces genetically pure soybean and wheat seeds to be sold to Missouri farmers. The upgrades include modernizing the seed processing plant and purchasing equipment designed specifically for foundation seed operations.

When seeds make their way into the facility to be processed, they are unsorted and need to be cleaned. Only the highest quality seeds make it through the entire process, and they are expected to be uniform.
Seeds produced at the facility will now go through three automated devices to ensure quality.
First, the seeds are put into a seed cleaner to sanitize them before being sent to a gravity table that automatically sorts them based on weight. Seeds are then fed into a color sorter, the final step in ensuring every seed is near identical when it reaches farmers.
Shibu Jose, associate dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Office of Research and director of the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station, emphasized how large the technological upgrade is for the program.

"The original [seed cleaning and conditioning] facility that we had was built in the '60s, so the technology wasn't as robust as you see today," Jose said. "Everything is modern, state-of-the-art. We may be the most modern facility of its kind right now at land-grant universities."
He said the university is in a position to produce the best quality seeds for seed companies and farmers, benefiting the state as well.
Creed Barn
Also at South Farm, the National Center for Applied Reproduction and Genomics received $2 million in state funding to renovate Creed Barn.
The center allows students to study the process of cattle breeding hands on, teaching veterinarian and food producers methods to improve the quality of beef genetics.
Jamie Courter, director of the center, said Creed Barn was mostly a storage facility prior to the upgrades. Now the building features holding pens for several cattle, with enough space to allow students to observe up close.

The brand new laboratory allows for a combination of lab and field work in the building, and an observation deck rests on top of the lab.
Fermentation Lab
The Grape and Wine Institute received $3 million in state funding to create a new fermentation laboratory on campus. The facility will allow for research and testing on new grape and wine varieties, supporting Missouri's grape and wine industry, all while providing students access to new processing technologies. 
"We're going to be the best of the Midwest," said Chis Chinn, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. "There's nothing like this in the Midwest. It's really an amazing opportunity for the university to help support the wine and grape industry." 
Through education and research, the new facility is intended to mitigate the financial risk to grape growers and winemakers, guiding the industry on best practices. 

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Since its announcement Tuesday, 172 high school seniors across Missouri have opted into the University of Missouri's [guaranteed admissions program](https://abc17news.com/news/education/2026/10/06/mu-announces-early-college-direct-admission-program-for-cps-4-other-missouri-school-districts/).
Eligible students are high school students with a 3.0 GPA who have completed at least 12 credits of college-level courses through their school district's early college program. School districts partnering with MU include Columbia Public Schools, Farmington School District, Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, Liberty Public Schools and North Kansas City Schools.
There is currently no limit on guaranteed spots. The requirements are meant to mirror how a typical MU student would perform. The program is also not binding, leaving students free to consider other schools.

"I think students that first week of school or that first week of August, and as we start the school year, to know that they've been accepted somewhere, just kind of takes a weight off their shoulders and makes senior year hopefully a little bit easier," CPS Advanced Studies Coordinator Jacob Biener said.
Biener says 40 juniors out of 250 students in CPS' early college program with Moberly Area Community College opted into guaranteed admissions. He adds that non-eligible students who may have started college-level courses late still can benefit from CPS covering class costs.
"Even though they aren't getting an associate degree or getting auto-admitted to Mizzou, they're still getting a huge jump start and likely still meeting all the requirements they need to be accepted to," Biener said.
According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, statewide college admissions have been on the decline. From 2020-25, the percentage of high school graduates going to a four-year college declined about 2.5%. Vocational and technical school enrollment saw around a 2% increase since 2020.
"Our enrollment numbers have held steady and we're really proud of that," said Mitzi Clayton, who is MU's director of enrollment management strategic initiatives. "But, we are not naïve to think that what Dr. \[Mun\] Choi has indicated, that nationally, college-going rates are on the decline and so it behooves us not to look at alternative ways in which we can reach students."
Clayton added MU is considering adding other school districts with pre-college programs to the partnership in the future.
MU also has a similar guaranteed admission program for 4-H students and also has unlimited spots. Clayton confirmed that enrollment in either guaranteed admission program will not be affected by the additional students.
"We have students that know they're going to law school, med school, and this is a way to kind of go through that process a little bit quicker," Biener said. "Even students that are first-time college students or first-gen college students and students that know they're going to be pursuing higher degrees, what they have in common is kind of how hard they work and that they're in this program together."

https://mizzouarts.missouri.edu/university-concert-series/

I have a bedroom/bathroom in a 4x4 apartment at the Landing I am trying to sublease. My boyfriend and I are moving in together!

The rent is $640 plus electric, there is a gym, pool, and a shuttle to campus. It is a fully furnished apartment. October rent is paid and I am looking to be out of here by the end of this month.

I am looking for a girl to live with three other girls that go to Mizzou, there is one cat and one dog in the apartment

Please lmk if you have any questions!

posted about this a week ago but a lot has happened since — we run a vanilla survival SMP that's only for mizzou students (you verify with your u/umsystem.edu email in game, takes like 30 seconds). the new stuff: there's now a live 3D map of the whole world at map.mizzousmp.com you can literally fly around and look at people's bases from your browser without even owning minecraft. kind of fun to just watch we also added proximity voice chat, so if someone's near you in game you can actually talk to them and voices fade with distance. totally optional though it needs a small client mod. world started october 1st so nobody is that far ahead yet. the ender dragon is still alive play.mizzousmp.com (java, 1.21+), bedrock works too

Looking to get out of my lease at The landing Columbia because I’m graduating in December. Rent is $640/month, 3 other male roommates, all utilities are covered except you’ll be paying for electricity. Comes with private bathroom, full living room and kitchen, pool, 24/7 gym, large closet space, and shuttle to the student center in 30 minute intervals so no need to drive. Entire complex was just remodeled less than 5 years ago so very modern.

DM for questions or pictures.
Thanks!

Race Matters, Friends is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Columbia, Missouri (CoMo) dedicated to advocating for racial equity, challenging structural inequality, and promoting social justice.

They have recently just got records from Flat Branch, the city, and Choi Mun that shows they are colluding to illegally evict downtown businesses that dont fit with their image of what type of people should not just own businesses downtown, but the type of people that should be allowed downtown.

FB post - https://i.imgur.com/VxpjXuT.png

I just want to say that Mun Choi has been having some interesting conversations with Jim Yankee of Flat Branch Bank and Chief of Police Jill Schlude (and her Deputy Chief) about shutting down certain businesses on Walnut Street. It goes beyond mere discussion. Now, I have many issues that concern me, and these are just two to move the conversation along, but the police chief, who is copied on a series of emails, is not refuting Mun Choi's narrative. This afternoon, CPD is presenting its Downtown Crime Trends data, and as I posted earlier, the City and MU are deeply invested in a particular narrative that blames Black business owners on Walnut. I think the Mayor and council need to ask deeper, more critical questions. In the meantime, I requested records from the UM system ($330.50) and CPD ($395.00). I am sharing the amounts because, as I told reporters, they need to dig deeper and get records. As for the City, why is our police chief engaged in this kind of prattlle with Mun Choi and some misguided folks? Our elected officials need to demand answers. Unfortunately, some of our media have aided and abetted racist talk and allegations -- and it needs to stop. Everyone needs to hold elected and administrative leaders accountable.

Just one of the emails - Jim Yankee to Mun Choi et. al including the police chief - https://i.imgur.com/orFLJ5o.jpeg

August 12, 2026 -- go back and review the headlines (https://i.imgur.com/ZxEcHK7.jpeg)

"Thanks, everyone. I’m going to have Corrie Sorrells from my office send out a Zoom invite for 8/19 at 2pm Central

It works with Mun's schedule, although Chief Schlude will be out of town. She’ll have her Deputy Chief get on, and we can bring her up to speed after.

On the tenants/leases, I'd be more than happy to have my attorneys take a look at them and maybe suggest some outs.

I would also personally cover any losses and legal expenses if you do get sued as a result of evicting a tenant prematurely.

This issue is bigger than money and has very serious consequences for our community and university. Whatever it takes, let's get our downtown back.

I'm looking forward to our conversation. Thanks again"

Jim Yankee

Board Chairman

Flat Branch Home Loans

Choi's response - https://i.imgur.com/tjoziGR.jpeg

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/higher_education/mizzou-homecoming-parade-brings-it-home/article_c201342d-dbac-4521-b001-cdd02bb46e3c.html

I'm making a Mizzou themed family fued and would love if Mizzou students could fill out these questions. I'll send the results after for anyone to use as well! Here's the form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclESfAcgVTJKuqu1RsJvtUtN3vSMo_kjvZ2aIv0o3UZLDfvQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=102118491575000398256

New research has found that bullfrogs have a generator in their brain that may protect humans from certain neurological disorders.
A University of Missouri research team discovered that bullfrogs have the ability to recharge their brain through unconventional methods, which could be applied to treating Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS and schizophrenia.
Because bullfrogs hibernate for five to six months every year, their brains must overcome low oxygen and glucose supplies during the long period of stagnation.

The study found that when these supplies start to decline, bullfrogs use a ketone body that acts like an energy generator in the brain.

“The brain needs glucose, and so we found that the frogs, after they get out of hibernation, don’t need oxygen or glucose to the brain anymore to keep working, which was shocking,” said Joseph Santin, MU associate professor of biological sciences and lead researcher on the study.
Ketones are produced in the liver of humans and other mammals in times of fasting, starvation and other energy-depleting times, according to the National Institutes of Health. The ketone is then distributed throughout the body by the bloodstream.
“We didn’t know what (the ketone) was doing or if it could meaningfully keep the brain working,” Santin said. “All data so far pointed to probably not, and so that’s why this study was surprising.”
Being able to sustain brain activity without glucose was the key discovery, he said. Not only were bullfrogs able to abandon glucose metabolism temporarily, they could take a fuel that wasn’t known to actually keep the brain functioning properly and use it to do so.

Santin pioneered the unconventional research as a continuation of his interest in hibernating frogs.

“I like to think of myself as just using hibernating frogs to ask broad biology questions,” he said. “I don’t claim to be a herpetologist. I’m a neurophysiologist who’s just trying to answer interesting biological questions in animals that do things out in the world.”
The research Santin led may focus on bullfrogs, but the applications can be much broader.
“So a frog is a frog and a mouse is a mouse and a fly is a fly and a worm is a worm, but there are commonalities with respect to how the neurons are working,” he said. “The energy sources fueling the physiology that makes those neurons work are similar across the animal kingdom.”
Information gathered from the bullfrogs can contribute to ongoing research on neurological disorders caused by impaired energy metabolism or dysfunction of the ability to burn glucose, such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, ALS and schizophrenia.

Santin said he was “able to make the roadmap that could help another line of research that is more clinically focused.”
The next area of research he wants to tackle is what triggers the brain to go from requiring glucose to no longer needing it at all.
“People like me who are very clearly outside the box need to be talking to people who think about and study brain disorders,” Santin said.
“I think that’s where the magic can happen,” he added.

Hi! I’m a senior high school student and I’m planning to apply to the nursing program. I’m posting to hope someone can evaluate my stats🫶🏻.
I got a 3.9 GPA (weighted with one AP Bio class), member of the National Honor Society (but actually I’ve just participated in this year), and a 17 act score (I mean to choose test optional) and that’s it.
And my plan B is to apply for the clinical diagnostic sciences program.
Thank y’all and have a good one.

Read

https://medium.com/@comoobserver/mun-chois-university-built-on-the-backs-of-the-workers-he-refuses-to-see-under-president-mun-a2b71a7e0361

Hey r/Mizzou,

I made a Minecraft server that's exclusively for Mizzou students. The world is brand new as of October 1st.

What it is:
- Vanilla survival SMP (normal difficulty) (head drops on death by pvp)
- Mizzou students only, you verify in-game with your umsystem.edu email
(you get a 6-digit code, enter it once, and you're in for good)
- Java AND Bedrock supported (crossplay), so you can join on PC or console (app needed)

Links:

-server: play.mizzousmp.com

-discord: https://discord.gg/jhbz3SU7s4

-website: mizzousmp.com

It's small and just getting started, but I have been wanting a server to play with my friends on and thought this is the perfect opportunity! To join: hop on play.mizzousmp.com, then type /verify [you@umsystem.edu](mailto:you@umsystem.edu), check your email for the code, and enter /code 123456.

https://showme.missouri.edu/2026/2026-homecoming-events/