The Life Sciences Center

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9/23/2008	Text size: A A A

The Christopher S. Bond Life Sciences Center

Vision

To become recognized world-wide as a center of scientific excellence and leadership in life sciences research, innovation and education.

Mission

• To become the intellectual focus for interdisciplinary research in the life sciences on the MU campus by integrating the strengths of multiple, often disparate, disciplines to promote discovery that boosts the production and quality of food, improves human and animal health and enhances environmental quality.
• To enrich the State of Missouri and its people by generating new businesses and jobs, fueling the economy through the creation and dissemination of new knowledge, and training young people to solve complex interdisciplinary problems.

The University of Missouri-Columbia had a vision and commitment for interdisciplinary research long before it became a priority in the research funding agencies. In the 1980s, MU established two major interdisciplinary programs, Food for the 21st Century and the Molecular Biology Program with assistance from state and federal funding. In the mid-1990s, then dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, Roger Mitchell, began to champion the idea of a major interdisciplinary life sciences research center at MU.

Ground was broken in September 2001, construction began in December 2001, and the topping off celebration was held in February 2003. The first occupants began to move in July 2004 and the building was dedicated the following September.

Six schools and colleges joined forces on the project: the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, the College of Arts & Science, the College of Engineering, the College of Human Environmental Sciences, the School of Medicine, and the College of Veterinary Medicine. The Life Sciences Center reports to the Provost through the Office of Research.

Leadership

Dr. Jack Schultz, Professor of Plant Sciences, joined the Bond Life Sciences Center as Director on January 2, 2007.

The Bond LSC has two associate scientific directors, Bruce McClure and David Pintel, whose roles are to act as the main liaisons between faculty investigators and the director and to develop and expand the scientific endeavor within the Bond LSC. They also assist with the recruiting of new faculty appointees into the Bond LSC; jointly with the director provide annual assessments of academic performance, particularly as it relates to the goals and philosophy of the LSC; work with investigators to determine research needs for equipment and other resources; organize the LSC seminar series to include regular presentations from LSC faculty and talks from notable scientists to provide broad campus interest.

Dr. Mark Hannink is the associate director for education and outreach. He has campus-wide responsibilities that include leading the Missouri Life Sciences Week, an annual event that celebrates life sciences activities on the MU campus. Life Sciences Week includes lectures by visiting scientists, workshops, a vendor show, and an extensive poster session representing the breadth of life sciences research at MU. Dr. Hannink also oversees the Life Sciences Fellowships Program that currently supports 12 postdoctoral and 42 graduate trainees across the campus. Fellowships coordinator Isabel Rife manages the day-to-day operations of the fellowships program. One of his main goals is to improve the quality of research training on campus and improve graduate student recruitment.