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Kim Voss, President of
the MU Alumni Association
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Kim's Top Ten Tiger Pride Points
Mizzou provides solutions for a better life
and teaches the people who change our
world — that in a nutshell is Missouri’s flagship
university. Although it’s difficult to capture the many
ways MU fulfills its mission of teaching, research, service and
economic development, here are some key pride points that I hope
you will share with fellow alumni, legislators, neighbors and
anyone else interested in one of the nation’s great universities.
1. TOP-FLIGHT STUDENTS
Thanks to the quality and unique education offered at a major
research university, MU broke enrollment records this fall for
first-time freshmen (4,838) and for total enrollment (28,253).
Mizzou works hard to make college affordable for students and
families. Since 2000, total student enrollment has increased by
21 percent while University expenditures for financial aid have
increased by 42 percent to $69* million. In addition, Mizzou’s
six-year graduation rate has consistently been the highest among
the state’s public institutions. It's no surprise that the
2006 freshman class boasts an ACT average of 25.3, compared with
the national average of 20.9 and the state average of 21.5. Nearly
one-third come from the top 10 percent of their high school classes.
* Figure does not include loans or employment.
2. MISSOURI FIRSTS
MU’s founding in 1839 as the first public university in
Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase territory started
a long tradition of firsts. Mizzou has the world’s first
and finest journalism
school, Missouri’s first and only College
of Veterinary Medicine and the first engineering
program and state cancer
center west of the Mississippi River. More recently, the College
of Engineering opened the first American environmental and energy
technology office in China.
3. SOLUTIONS FOR A BETTER LIFE
To use a sports analogy, Mizzou and Washington University are
in the “NBA” when it comes to research. Together,
they account for 84 percent of all university research and development
expenditures in Missouri. In fact, based on the most recent data
from the National Science Foundation
(NSF), MU is No. 1 among all institutions in the Association
of American Universities in growth of federal research funding
from 1994 to 2004. NSF also has recognized MU as one of the top
ten universities in the country for successfully integrating research
into undergraduate education.
4. ECONOMIC ENGINE
From 1996 to 2006, MU scientists spent $1.8 billion in research
funds, most of which came to Missouri from outside the state.
Those funds had an economic impact on Missouri of $3 billion.
It takes MU’s high-quality faculty and infrastructure capacity
to attract multimillion dollar federal research grants. The state
has built this capacity, or “critical mass,” at MU.
In fact, every week Missouri’s economy benefits as MU brings
in an average of $2.2 million in private donations, spends $9
million on payroll and wins $3.5 million in outside funds for
research and related activities.
5. DISCOVERY AND INNOVATION
More than 1,000 faculty scientists at MU are working to improve
human and animal health, food and the environment. Mizzou boasts
some of the world’s leading scientists in wheat, corn and
soybean research and is among the top 15 universities in the nation
in life sciences research funding from NSF. Recent faculty contributions
include gaining a better understanding of how exercise can improve
vascular health; the discovery that grapes can help reduce brain
damage in stroke victims; the creation of gold and silver nanoparticles
that can greatly improve the diagnosis of cancer; development
of a noninvasive system for detecting breast cancer earlier than
mammography; and the invention of a new drug to combat ulcers
and heartburn.
6. ONE MEDICINE FOR ALL
MU is a national leader in comparative medicine, in which researchers
share discoveries, innovations and treatments benefiting both
animals and humans. An example is MU’s Comparative Orthopaedic
Laboratory at the College of Veterinary Medicine, one of only
a few such laboratories in the world dedicated to arthritis research.
Scientists at the lab are researching ways to diagnose arthritis
at the molecular level before it is symptomatic and while it is
still reversible. Discoveries from their work could revolutionize treatment of arthritis in humans and animals.
7. BILLION DOLLAR VISION
The generosity of alumni and friends has made it possible for
Mizzou to top the initial $600 million For All We Call Mizzou
campaign goal. In September 2005, officials announced a new goal
of $1 billion, making MU one of only 22 public universities nationwide
currently engaged in such a large campaign. The new Thompson
Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders and 400-plus
new merit and need-based scholarships for students are powerful
examples of the impact of private investment on the University.
8. QUALITY OF LIFE
As Missouri’s land-grant and largest public research university,
MU has a statewide mission to improve the public welfare. Every
year, more than one million Missourians turn to Mizzou and its
extension programs
to help them continue their education, solve problems and make
informed decisions. As an example, more than 100,000 youth participate
in extension 4-H clubs
or school enrichment programs each year.
9. TIGERS ROAR
A member of the Big 12 Conference, Mizzou features the state’s
only Division I-A athletic
program, where more than 500 student-athletes compete at the
highest level nationally. The football Tigers are bowl-bound for
the second consecutive year, and 15 of MU’s 20 teams qualified
or sent individuals into post-season play in 2005-06. MU also
led the entire nation in the number of NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship
recipients in 2005. That year, eight of Mizzou’s sport programs
achieved their highest ever team grade point average.
10. DESTINATION MIZZOU
Designated as a botanic
garden, Mizzou has more than 5,000 trees and 650 varieties
of plants. In 2006, the MU's beautiful campus took first place
in the nation in the university category of the America in Bloom
competition. More than $350 million in campus building projects
currently in design or construction demonstrate the University’s
desire to add to its rich learning environment. Projects include
the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, Regional Biocontainment
Laboratory, Thomas and Nell Lafferre Hall addition to the College
of Engineering, International Institute for Nano and Molecular
Medicine, Life Science Business Incubator, Schweitzer Hall addition
for the Department of Biochemistry, Mid-Campus housing, a new
MU Student Center and Brady Commons expansion, and the Mizzou
Student-Athlete Academic and Training Facility.
Mizzou opened the doors of opportunity for
me, and I continue to benefit from the many relationships I have
established over the years. It is hard not to mention more of
the exciting stories that have come from our campus within the
last six months. They are stories that reinforce MU’s stature
among the elite public research institutions in this nation.
Keeping Tigers Connected,
Kim Voss, BS Ed ’87
President, MU
Alumni Association
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Last Update:
March 12, 2007
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