![Photo of VR transportation workforce](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/VRFeature-1.jpg)
Training the next generation transportation workforce
Mizzou Engineering will help Missouri Department of Transportation employees receive realistic work zone inspection training using VR.
![Erik Loehr receives the Osterberg Award.](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/IFCEE7039_MSZ9766.jpg)
Loehr receives the Osterberg Award from Deep Foundations Institute
Erik Loehr accepted the Osterberg Memorial Award at the International Foundations Congress and Equipment Exposition in May.
![Sharan Srinivas](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Sharan-Srinivas320x480-200x300-1.jpg)
Truck, drone collaboration could optimize package delivery
What makes Sharan Srinivas’ research unique is that it allows trucks to serve as mobile depots for multiple delivery drones.
![Student works at a computer](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/49503258842_81b44aed4f_c-1.jpg)
Beyond counting: computer science partnership helps speed up plant science experiments
As part of the Bioinformatics in Plant Sciences (BIPS) program, undergraduate and graduate students in plant sciences and computer science have come together to create the first phenotype image analysis system for monocot plant leaf veins called, GrasVIQ.
![JChengFeature](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cheng-small.jpg)
Meet Jianlin “Jack” Cheng
How do you solve big problems such as fighting disease or decreasing pollution? One protein at a time. Meet Jianlin “Jack” Cheng, a pioneer when it comes to understanding the basic building blocks of life.
![University of Missouri historic columns](https://missouri.edu/sites/default/files/2019-05/traditions.jpg)
Optimizing local food systems in cities
Feeding a growing urbanized U.S. population which also wants increased sustainability and locally sourced food presents a major challenge. One part of the solution could be to optimize food production in urban areas, according to research performed by a team including Associate Professor Ron McGarvey.
![xufeature](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/xufeature.jpg)
Meet Dong Xu
Computational capabilities, medical breakthroughs and biological advancements are accelerating at lightning speeds. A Mizzou Engineering researcher is keeping up. Meet Dong Xu, a bioinformatics expert whose fingerprints can be seen across Mizzou Engineering and the MU campus.
![Zheng Yan](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Yan-Zheng-682x1024-1.jpg)
Yan honored with UM System Presidential Faculty Award
Mizzou Engineering’s Zheng Yan has received the 2021 UM System Presidential Faculty Award for Career Excellence Early Career – STEM. Yan is an assistant professor, holding a joint appointment between the Department of Biological, Biomedical and Chemical Engineering, and the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.
![A man using VR goggles to see artwork.](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/VRIllustration2.jpg)
IT Students Create Virtual Gallery for Museum Collection
Mizzou Engineering students are putting the final touches on an interactive art exhibit that will allow visitors to view paintings without ever stepping inside a museum. The exhibit is being created digitally for a virtual reality (VR) experience.
![Spot the robot](https://engineering.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Spot.jpg)
Robotics Expert: Gen Z Will Usher in Era of Advanced Robots
Today’s robots are good at performing single tasks. You can buy an autonomous robot, for instance, to vacuum your house. A true single helper robot that can vacuum, cook and wash the dishes? That could be a while, but Dale Musser believes Generation Z will usher in the era of advanced robotics.