Welcome to the Missouri S&T College of Arts, Sciences, and Education (CASE). Our college brings together the sciences, social sciences, humanities, arts, and teacher education in a community united by a shared commitment to inquiry, creativity, and student success. This year, our faculty selected a new phrase to capture that spirit: Driven by Curiosity. Defined by Discovery.

Discovery takes many forms across CASE. Our faculty continue to earn extraordinary national and international recognition. Dr. Melanie Mormile was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, while Dr. Amy Belfi was named a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science. Dr. Shelley Minteer became the first woman to receive the Italian Chemical Society’s prestigious Galvani Medal, Dr. Robin Verble was selected as a Fulbright U.S. Scholar, and Dr. Dave Westenberg received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. These honors reflect the remarkable breadth of excellence in research, teaching, and service throughout our college.

Our research enterprise is also reaching new heights. In fiscal year 2026, CASE faculty recorded a college-record $12.4 million in research expenditures. CASE investigators hold four of Missouri S&T’s five National Institutes of Health grants and account for 90% of the university’s $5 million in NIH funding. This growing research activity strengthens Missouri S&T’s capacity for discovery while creating opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to work alongside accomplished scholars on consequential problems.

Those opportunities begin early. Nearly 30 students representing seven CASE majors completed projects through our First-Year Research Experience (FYRE) program last spring, with many continuing their work through S&T’s Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experiences program. Across the college, our students publish research, present at national conferences, compete in innovation challenges, study abroad, complete internships and co-ops, and collaborate across disciplinary boundaries. CASE students were even part of Missouri S&T’s Mars Rover Design Team as it captured its second consecutive University Rover Challenge world championship.

Our academic programs are evolving as well. The new Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Data Science launched this fall, alongside the new Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry. Together with new and developing certificates, emphasis areas, and graduate opportunities, these programs demonstrate CASE’s commitment to combining the enduring strengths of a comprehensive education with emerging fields of discovery and professional opportunity.

Students and faculty are also benefiting from significant investments in the spaces where this work occurs. Mathematics and Statistics faculty have returned to the newly renovated Rolla Building, a focal point of Missouri S&T’s new Welcome District. Meanwhile, the transformation of Schrenk Hall East continues toward its planned completion in December 2026, creating new and renovated spaces for teaching, research, and collaboration.

These accomplishments demonstrate what we mean when we say that CASE is driven by curiosity and defined by discovery. Curiosity leads our students and faculty to ask difficult questions, cross disciplinary boundaries, create new knowledge, and imagine new possibilities. Discovery is what follows—not only in laboratories and research projects, but also in classrooms, studios, performance spaces, field experiences, and communities throughout Missouri and beyond.

As we begin another academic year, I am excited about what lies ahead. I invite you to explore our programs, learn about the work of our faculty and students, and visit Missouri S&T to experience CASE for yourself. Together, we will continue building a college where curiosity opens doors, discovery creates opportunity, and students are prepared to make meaningful contributions to their professions, their communities, and the world.

Very sincerely,
Mehrzad Boroujerdi, Ph.D.
Vice Provost and Dean
College of Arts, Sciences, and Education