July 14, 2025

Making Research More Accessible

Story and photos by Logan Jackson As a freshman at Mizzou, Jane Ray got involved in the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program offered through the Department of Psychological Sciences. The program allows students to rotate through different psychology labs and engage in research, a weekly seminar and various workshops. For Ray, the opportunity connected her with Lisa Flores, a professor of psychological sciences. Ray got heavily involved in Flores’ lab early on and even presented some research toward the end of her freshman year. Ray has continued to conduct research with Flores and is…

July 13, 2025

Using Research to Help Others

Story and photos by Logan Jackson When Nick Ice arrived at the University of Missouri, he was looking for an opportunity to combine his interest in science with his desire to help others. Those passions led him to research. For the past two years, Ice has been an undergraduate research assistant in the lab of Kamal Singh, an assistant professor of veterinary pathobiology whose research includes studying the basic science behind protein interactions. Some of these interactions include viral, parasitic, bacterial and mammalian proteins. This summer, Ice is leading his own project tied to a specific parasitic…

May 15, 2025

Honors Outstanding Senior: Isaac Yontz

Story by Logan Jackson As Isaac Yontz was making his college decision, he was pretty sure of one thing – he didn’t want to attend the University of Missouri. Yontz grew up in Columbia and was hoping to forge a path away from a university and city that were all too familiar. On the heels of the pandemic, though, Yontz realized that being closer to family may be his best option. While he was still a bit reluctant, Yontz made the decision to become a Tiger. He found his place at Mizzou little by little. As…

May 12, 2025

An Incredible Learning Environment: Milburn Earns Constitutional Democracy and History Degrees

Story by Logan Jackson The first piece of college recruitment material that Elise Milburn received came courtesy of the University of Missouri. While Milburn wasn’t shocked to see those types of materials as a high school student, she was a bit surprised to see something from a university in Missouri. “My family didn’t know anything about Mizzou,” said Milburn, who is from Texas. “We definitely joked about it at first, as I never imagined myself going somewhere I had never heard of before and that was fairly far away, but I did end up taking a closer…

May 11, 2025

Investigating Multiple Opportunities: Smith Earns Communication and Political Science Degrees

Story by Kaiya Lynch Senior Tanner Smith vividly recalls his first day at the University of Missouri. “I remember sitting in the dorms and was like, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’” Smith said. A communication and political science double-major with a sociology minor, Smith quickly realized that his next step was undergraduate research. Before coming to Mizzou, Smith was determined to become a lawyer. He wanted to forge his own path – and not necessarily follow in his parents’ footsteps. “I was dead set that I was not going to go to Mizzou,”…

May 10, 2025

Building An Incredible Research Portfolio: Fritschi Earns Biochemistry Degree

Story by Logan Jackson When Eric Fritschi arrived on the University of Missouri campus as a freshman, he knew he wanted to get involved in research. The Freshman Research in Plants (FRIPS) Program allowed him to do just that. Now, as Fritschi heads toward graduation, he’s built an incredible research portfolio. “I didn’t know what I would enjoy about research, but I always knew I wanted to give it a shot,” said Fritschi, who will graduate with a biochemistry degree and the Honors Certificate from Mizzou. Fritschi will also earn minors in biological sciences and chemistry.

Dec. 11, 2024

Senior Spotlight: Avery Rayle

Story by Logan Jackson As Avery Rayle was exploring plant sciences degree programs at colleges across the state, she said there was one thing that stood out about the University of Missouri – ample opportunities to conduct meaningful undergraduate research right away. Nearly four years later, Rayle is finishing her plant sciences degree with a stellar research portfolio. “I knew I wanted to study plant sciences, and as I was comparing programs at different universities, none of them had an emphasis on research like Mizzou,” Rayle said. “There are so many dedicated programs here for getting undergraduates…

Sep. 17, 2024

The Perfect Place to Grow

Story by Logan Jackson Growing up in St. Louis, Missouri, Jacob Hicks said the University of Missouri was always on his radar as a great option to continue his education. When Hicks made an official campus visit, Mizzou went from being an option to the primary option. “There were definitely some other schools that I looked at,” Hicks said. “Mizzou was the first place I visited that wowed me with all the research opportunities and fun classes. They also actually had the major I was interested in – plant sciences. Mizzou just felt welcoming overall.” Hicks has been caring…

Aug. 7, 2024

A Summer of Discovery

The Cherng Summer Scholars program allows Honors College students at the University of Missouri to explore their passions through research projects aimed at questions they are interested in analyzing. Students who are accepted into the nine-week program participate in projects that are individually designed, with the support and mentorship of a Mizzou faculty member. “It’s a privilege to be able to work doing something you love, so I’m extremely grateful for the Cherng Summer Scholars program, to say the least,” said Emily Boyett, a senior journalism and political science double major. “It’s not often that you get the…

Aug. 4, 2024

Cherng Summer Scholar Q&A – Gus Metz

The Cherng Summer Scholars program allows Honors College students at the University of Missouri to explore their passions through research projects aimed at questions they are interested in analyzing. Students who are accepted into the nine-week program participate in projects that are individually designed, with the support and mentorship of a Mizzou faculty member. This year, there were 12 Cherng Summer Scholars. Meet Gus Metz, a sophomore international studies and linguistics double major. Question: Which faculty member are you working with on your research? Answer: I worked with Dr. Michael Marlo, an associate professor of English.