We hosted our federal government relations team for meetings on campus last week.

They updated us on the status of the budget for the current fiscal year. We anticipate the federal budget to be passed before the current continuing resolution expires March 11.

We continue to advocate that the budget include funding for life, physical, and health science facilities and equipment on our Springfield and West Plains campuses.

We also conducted several meetings to discuss a variety of campus plans and projects with an eye toward developing priorities for next fiscal year.

Our team met with leadership at IDEA Commons and the office of research administration. They also met with Tom Peters to discuss our coordination of the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

They met with academic leadership in the Darr College of Agriculture and the College of Education.

Finally, they met with academic leadership in the College of Natural and Applied Sciences and the McQueary College of Health and Human Services to discuss the next phase of opportunities in life, physical and health sciences at Missouri State University.

Thanking a long-time MSU supporter

Sen. Roy Blunt has been our lead advocate in Washington, D.C., for many years. I had the opportunity last week to publicly express my and the university’s gratitude for his work.

The Missouri Times honored Sen. Blunt with the Statesman of the Year recognition. Because of my relationship with Sen. Blunt, I was one of only five individuals selected to speak at the awards banquet.

I focused on Sen. Blunt’s work to secure funding for projects that have enhanced MSU and the State of Missouri. I also discussed Sen. Blunt’s leadership in putting MSU on an international stage by selecting our Chorale to perform at the 2017 Presidential Inauguration.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!