By Laura Roloff
July 6, 2026
Photo by Nicholas Andrusisian
The University of Missouri Division of Research, Innovation and Impact supported faculty this past year through Research Council grants. These internal grants of up to $15,000 fund activities leading to book contracts, juried performances, art exhibits, peer-reviewed articles, the generation of pilot data for grant proposals and more.
Below are the 55 investigators who received grants in 2025-26.
Arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences
- Shannon Canfield, assistant research professor, School of Medicine
- Frances Dickey, associate professor of English, College of Arts and Science
- Raghda (Didi) El-Behaedi, assistant professor of mediterranean archaeology, College of Arts and Science
- Merve Fejzula, assistant professor of history, College of Arts and Science
- Jeffrey Ferguson, associate professor of anthropology, College of Arts and Science
- Marina Folescu, associate professor of philosophy, College of Arts and Science
- Stefan Freund, professor of music composition; artistic director, Mizzou New Music Initiative, College of Arts and Science
- Jennifer Hulett, associate professor, Sinclair School of Nursing
- Caroline (Carrie) Larson, assistant professor, College of Health Sciences
- Cynthia Lombardo, assistant professor, School of Medicine
- Stephen Karian, professor of English, College of Arts and Science
- Cristina Mislán, associate professor, School of Journalism
- Desireé Moore, assistant professor of digital storytelling and film studies, College of Arts and Science
- Alexandru Radulescu, associate professor of philosophy, College of Arts and Science
- Alejandra Salinas, assistant professor of visual studies, College of Arts and Science
- Cherie Sampson, professor of art, College of Arts and Science
- Travis Shaffer, art program director; associate professor, College of Arts and Science
- Melanie Tkach, assistant professor, College of Health Sciences
- Astrid Villamil, assistant professor of communication, College of Arts and Science
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics
- Mulat Alubel Abtew, assistant professor of textiles and apparel management, College of Arts and Science
- Fares Alahdab, associate professor, School of Medicine
- Perwez Alam, assistant research professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Deborah Anderson, professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
- Gary Baker, associate professor of chemistry, College of Arts and Science
- Michael Baldwin, associate professor, School of Medicine
- David Beversdorf, professor; William and Nancy Thompson Endowed Chair in Radiology, School of Medicine
- Christine Brodsky, assistant professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- John Gahl, professor, College of Engineering
- Kristin Gibson, assistant professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Diana Gil Pagés, associate professor, School of Medicine and College of Engineering
- Sumit Gupta, associate professor, School of Medicine
- Gerhard Hildebrandt, Director of Ellis Fischel Cancer Center; chief and professor, School of Medicine
- Syed Kamrul Islam, chair and professor, College of Engineering
- Jill Kanaley, professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Semaan Kobrossi, assistant professor, School of Medicine
- Knoo Lee, assistant professor, Sinclair School of Nursing
- Marc Libault, professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Chuanming Liu, assistant professor of geological sciences, College of Arts and Science
- Thiago Martins, assistant professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Megan McCracken, assistant teaching professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
- David Mendorza-Cózatl, professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Mary Beth Miller, associate professor of psychiatry, School of Medicine
- Senthilnathan Palaniyandi, assistant professor, School of Medicine
- Amanda Patterson, assistant professor, School of Medicine
- Praveen Rao, associate professor, College of Engineering
- Cecilia Constantino Rocha, research assistant professor and state extension specialist in livestock systems, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Lisa Royse, assistant research professor, School of Medicine
- Brandon Sansom, assistant professor, College of Engineering
- Seunguk Shin, assistant professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resource
- Robert Thomen, associate professor, School of Medicine and College of Engineering
- Cody Thornburgh, assistant professor, School of Medicine
- Eunjin Tracy, assistant professor, College of Education and Human Development
- Xiaoping Xin, assistant professor, College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
- Ping Yu, professor of physics, College of Arts and Science
- Jie Zhu, assistant professor of biological sciences, College of Arts and Science
