Thousands of graduates recently received their University of Missouri diplomas, a familiar symbol of the start of a promising journey. The granting of these diplomas also signifies that the University remains focused on serving our state and changing lives for the better, as we have for 168 years.
My own appreciation of the University’s role has grown enormously since I became interim president in April. The University educates tomorrow’s leaders, conducts groundbreaking research, reaches out to every community via Extension, provides state-of-the-art health care, and, plays a direct role in stimulating economic development. We are an irreplaceable resource.
This year some 12,000 students will receive degrees in fields ranging from agriculture to aerospace engineering, from music to medicine. Ours is the only public institution in Missouri that trains doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, optometrists, veterinarians, and, lawyers. These professionals, like all of our graduates, are essential elements of an educated workforce that helps Missouri attract and retain business and industry while contributing to a better quality of life.
That is why the University periodically evaluates and adjusts its academic offerings to meet our state’s needs. For example, Missouri’s demand for pharmacists now exceeds that of all but five other states. By expanding the existing pharmacy program on our Kansas City campus and creating a joint program with the Columbia campus, we soon will graduate more pharmacists every year, helping alleviate the shortage.
Another primary mission of the University is research that yields practical, real-world benefits. For instance, Missouri farmers have reaped millions in additional income thanks to improved crop varieties, such as pest-resistant soybeans, developed by the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources in Columbia. It is essential that such research continue because new threats to crops constantly emerge.
Service is our third mission. Extension brings University expertise directly to Missouri families, youths, business owners, first responders, and, community leaders. One telling example: This spring, an unseasonably warm spell followed by a cold snap saw many farmers, orchardists, and gardeners turn to Extension for advice about how to save damaged plants.
The University also plays a direct role in economic development with its research and technology parks in St. Louis, St. Charles County, Columbia and at Fort Leonard Wood. An example of our role in strengthening Missouri’s economy is the decision by Express Scripts, Inc., a Fortune 500 firm, to build its headquarters in our new St. Louis park.
The University of Missouri is in a period of transition in presidential leadership. But while leaders may change, our enduring commitment to the University’s vital missions does not. All of this is possible thanks to you -- and to generation after generation of Missourians who not only supported our growth from one campus to four, but who have made the University of Missouri the state’s public higher educational institution of choice.
Dr. Gordon H. Lamb, interim president of the four-campus University of Missouri, has a long history of administrative experience, including serving as interim chancellor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He has held top administrative posts at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, and at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Lamb is not a candidate for the permanent position of University of Missouri president.
