December 09, 2021
From left: Kevin Gillis, Chair of Biomedical, Biological and Chemical Engineering; Noah Manring, Dean and Ketcham Professor; University of Missouri President Mun Choi; Jerry Jost ’70 and wife Ruth Binger; and Jackie Lewis, Vice Chancellor of Advancement.
By Pate McCuien | MU News Bureau
The University of Missouri today announced a $2 million gift from alumnus Jerry Jost to the College of Engineering. The gift will establish the Jerry L. Jost Endowed Chair in Chemical Engineering.
“The Jerry L. Jost Endowed Chair represents one of the highest levels of faculty distinction and will support the national caliber teaching and research found here at Mizzou,” said Mun Y. Choi, University of Missouri president. “We recently launched MizzouForward, an ambitious $1.5 billion investment strategy to enhance the university’s research and education missions through support of our faculty and the recruitment of additional talented researchers. Philanthropic support of our research ambitions is so important and appreciated.”
Jost is the founder and president of Jost Chemical in St. Louis, Mo. Founded in 1985, the company of approximately 350 employees now manufactures and ships approximately 250 high purity specialty chemicals to more than 60 countries around the globe. The company’s specialty chemical salts are used for food and other commercial uses.
“This gift represents an incredible and lasting commitment to Mizzou and the College of Engineering,” said Jackie Lewis, vice chancellor of Advancement. “Jerry and Ruth understand the importance of adding another high-quality researcher and educator in chemical engineering, and we’re thankful for their philanthropic support.”
Jost earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from MU in 1970, and he has remained a strong supporter of the College of Engineering. He previously donated more than $300,000 in equipment for a chemical operations laboratory, now known as the Jost Chemical Lab.
“The Jerry L. Jost Endowed Chair in Chemical Engineering will enable Mizzou Engineering to recruit and retain some of the best minds in academia and further build upon our legacy of excellence in education and research,” said Noah Manring, dean of the College of Engineering. “We’re very thankful to the Jost family for making this possible.”
Jost is also a member of the Chemical Engineering Academy of Distinguished Alumni and has served more than a decade on the Chemical Engineering Industrial Advisory Board, which helps with accreditation, direction and curriculum development for the chemical engineering program at MU. With his interest in advancing research, Jost said the NextGen Precision Health facility played a large role in his decision to provide this gift.
“The NextGen Precision Health facility and organization is a great opportunity for the university to advance the field of medicine,” Jost said. “An endowed chair in the chemical engineering department gives the department an opportunity to hire another faculty member that can play a key role in the NextGen research effort.”
Not only will the chair add to the NextGen research effort, but Jost said it will also help professors within the classroom as well.
“The university and the chemical engineering department will benefit with the additional research and status of the endowed chair,” Jost said. “The students will benefit directly with the resulting improvement of the student professor ratio. Smaller class size and added elective courses is always a good thing for students.”
About MizzouForward: MizzouForward is a transformative, $1.5 billion long-term investment strategy in the continued research excellence of the University of Missouri. Over 10 years, MizzouForward will use existing and new resources to recruit up to 150 new tenure and tenure-track faculty to address some of society’s greatest challenges. Investments also will enhance staff to support the research mission, build and upgrade research facilities and instruments, augment support for student academic success, and retain faculty and staff through additional salary support.
See the original news release here.