Feb. 12, 2025
The Mizzou Alumni Association has announced the recipients of the 2025 Henry S. Geyer Awards. Recognizing volunteer leadership and service, the awards honor public officials and citizens who have advanced higher education and the University of Missouri.
“Higher education plays a vital role in strengthening Missouri’s future,” University of Missouri President Mun Choi said. “It is a privilege to honor these outstanding leaders for their service to our university and the people of Missouri.”
The awards, named for Missouri state representative Henry S. Geyer, were presented on Feb. 11 at the Governor’s Mansion. A strong advocate for education, Geyer authored the 1839 bill that established the University of Missouri.
“The Henry S. Geyer Awards honor those who go above and beyond to support Mizzou’s mission and impact,” Todd McCubbin, executive director of the Mizzou Alumni Association, said. “We’re proud to celebrate this year’s recipients, which include these exceptional Mizzou alumni making a difference across higher education.”
This year’s recipients include Sarah Barfield Graff, BA ’06, director of special projects for U.S. Rep. Sam Graves; Don Nikodim, BS Ag ’74, M Ed ’77, retired executive director of the Missouri Pork Association; and Missouri Sen. Cindy O’Laughlin, BS BA ’78.
In addition to serving residents of Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, Graff is a policy analyst and deputy press secretary for the U.S. House of Representatives Policy Committee. Since 2006, she has worked as a U.S. congressional staff member with former Sens. Roy Blunt, Kit Bond and Jim Talent. A Mizzou graduate with a double major in communications and political science, she has mentored fellow graduates pursuing careers in public service. Her advocacy for Missourians and Mizzou has been instrumental in advancing high-impact projects, including the Roy Blunt NexGen Precision Health building, which supports world-class medical research that is saving and improving lives across Missouri and beyond.
A key voice for pork producers and other agricultural groups, Nikodim has been committed to ensuring Mizzou continues its leadership across the state and country in outstanding educational offerings, strong extension services and cutting-edge research. He previously served as executive director of the Missouri Pork Association, where he advocated for the state’s agriculture industry for more than 40 years before his retirement. A Mizzou graduate, he received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and teaching certificate in 1974 and a master’s degree in education in 1977. After serving as a vocational agriculture instructor in Odessa and Liberty, Missouri, Nikodim spent nearly four years as executive director of the Poland China Swine Record Association. In 1981, he returned to his alma mater to serve as an MU Extension farm management area specialist before joining Missouri Pork Association in 1983.
A leading advocate for education reform, O’Laughlin is president pro tem of the Missouri Senate, the first female in the state’s history to hold the position. Since 2019, she has represented Senate District 18 in northeast Missouri, championing policies that support students and schools. A Mizzou graduate with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, she resides in Shelbina, Missouri, where her experience as a school bus driver, private school administrator and local school board member helped shape her commitment to education and student success. In 2022, she was elected the Missouri Senate’s first female majority floor leader. Credited with improving the efficiency of the Senate, she played a key role in passing a comprehensive, bipartisan education reform bill.
