Springfield named agriculture Center of Excellence

The Missouri Life Science Research Board has designated centers in Springfield, St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia, according to a Missouri Department of Economic Development news release. The centers will focus on furthering Missouri’s agriculture industry, particularly through research in bioenergy, plant science, and animal health and nutrition.

A center is comprised of public and private not-for-profit academic, health care or research organizations that spend at least $15 million combined on life-science research each year.

Participating Springfield organizations are: Missouri State University, Drury University, St. John’s Medical Research Institute, CoxHealth, Cancer Research for the Ozarks, Primary Care Network, Springfield Business and Development Corp., Jordan Valley Innovation Center Inc., James River Basin Partnership, City Utilities and Discovery Center.

MSU Vice President for Research and Development Jim Baker is chairman of the local center.Its advisory board includes: MSU Associate Provost Frank Einhellig; CoxHealth President and CEO Bob Bezanson; Willow Brook Foods President Mike Briggs; Primary Care Network founder Roger Cady; St. John’s President and CEO Kim Day; MSU agriculture department head Anson Elliott; Discovery Center CEO Emily Fox; International Dehydrated Foods Inc. President and CEO Kurt Hellweg; James River Basin Partnership Executive Director Holly Neill; Drury interim President Todd Parnell; City Utilities General Manager John Twitty; and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Economic Development Greg Williams.

The Missouri Life Science Research Board was created in 2003, and this year was appropriated $13 million, which is funded by the annual tobacco settlement.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s Aug. 9 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.