Missouri rural communities, health care, and student success were at the forefront of University of Missouri chancellor Alexander Cartwright’s State of the University speech this morning.
Cartwright emphasized the school’s students and faculty who help the university but also have a greater impact on the community and state.
“When I talk about our value, I'm talking about the remarkable connection to people That I see across this institution,” Cartwright said. “Every day, I experienced the priceless change that our people facilitate in our students lives. And I see the tremendous scholarship and teaching that happens here.”
Cartwright noted that freshman enrollment has increased by more than 30 percent in the last two years, and almost 9 out of every 10 freshmen return for a second year.
He also discussed plans for the university’s future, like the new NextGen research center. He said it will be a place to develop new treatments and to help to make the costs of healthcare more affordable, especially for people in rural areas.
“We know that 99 of Missouri's 101 rural counties are designated health professional shortage areas,” he said. “Nursing has one of the highest vacancy rates in our state's health sector.”
Cartwright said the NextGen center would strive to provide for those counties with less access to doctors and nurses, decreasing risks for patients with cancer or those who need prenatal care.
He also shined light on students and staff who have been recognized for their work, like Nobel Prize winner and professor emeritus George Smith, and a graduate student who helped create technology to decrease calf mortality rates and help farmers.
He also mentioned the university’s rural broadband project, which plans to bring broadband connections into rural areas.
Cartwright said the most important thing to get across with his speech today was that the university is not just a physical place, but its people who continue to impact society.
