Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Mississippi State students received their class rings during a special ceremony in the Chapel of Memories in early December. Hosted by the MSU Alumni Association, the Fall Ring Ceremony marked the start of fall graduation celebrations and honored a distinguished Bulldog alum. This year’s event featured university President Mark E. Keenum, first row, center, and two-time MSU graduate Camille Scales Young, right of Keenum. Young, principal and director at Cornerstone Government Affairs in Jackson, is a former MSU Alumni Association national president and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Fellow. PHOTO: Emily Grace McCall | Public Affairs

DAFVM Spotlight: Donna Morgan
For Donna Morgan, variety is what makes her work exciting. As a Research Associate II in Mississippi State University’s Department of Poultry Science, she manages nutrition labs, trains graduate and undergraduate students on lab equipment, supervises lab activities, assists in classroom labs, and keeps inventory organized. “There is a lot of variety in my role, which means I do not have to worry about having a boring day,” Morgan said. “Every day brings something new, and I love being a part of the research that impacts the poultry industry.” “I enjoy working in the lab and helping students from research project to classroom activities, it keeps my days interesting,” Morgan said.

DAFVM Spotlight: Lakeisha Wright
From the moment she stepped into an early childhood classroom as a high school junior, Lakeisha Wright knew she’d found her calling. More than a decade later, her commitment remains the same: help every child build the strongest possible foundation for learning. “I have spent my career trying to learn everything I can to give children the best foundation for learning,” Wright said. As the Head Start Center Director in Harrison County through Mississippi State University Extension, Wright collaborates closely with teachers, families, and community partners to create supportive, engaging classrooms where children learn through play and meaningful interaction. Next month, Wright will step into a new role as Disability Coordinator for MSU Extension Head Start.

Mississippi State Secures 27th Bowl Game; Will Play In Duke’s Mayo Bowl
For the 27th time in program history, Mississippi State football is going bowling as the Bulldogs will take on Wake Forest in the Duke's Mayo Bowl at 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET on Jan. 2 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. The game will be televised on ESPN. Tickets are now available at hailstate.com/tickets. Club seats are priced at $150 and lower-level seats are $95, plus fees, and all seating assignments will be finalized later this week based on Bulldog Club priority rank. The best way to support your Bulldogs in Charlotte is to purchase tickets directly from Mississippi State Athletics.

MSU AI Community: Join the conversation!
Mississippi State University is taking steps to advance artificial intelligence adoption across campus. Whether you’re a researcher, educator, or staff member, these resources are designed to help you learn, collaborate, and stay informed about AI initiatives at MSU. The AI Innovation Hub SharePoint Site is your one-stop hub for AI-related learning opportunities, workshops, user guidance, industry news, tips, and updates. It's available at https://mstate.sharepoint.com/sites/AIInnovationHub. You can also connect through the MSU AI Community Teams Site. If you have any questions about AI at MSU, please contact Senior Advisor for AI and Data Governance Julie Jordan at julie.jordan@msstate.edu.

Airport shuttle departure schedule adjusted to meet airline baggage check changes
A 45-minute cutoff for checking baggage with Delta and American airlines has changed the express shuttle times offered by Mississippi State Transportation to Golden Triangle Regional Airport. The GTRA express shuttle now departs The Mill at MSU two hours before flight time and arrives at the airport one and a half hours before flight time. This is 30 minutes earlier than the previous schedule. Shuttle pickups from the Starkville campus and hotels along Highway 12 also can be scheduled with MSU if reservations are made at least 24 hours prior to the requested departure time from these locations. This service is available by emailing GTRShuttle@transportation.msstate.edu or calling 662-325-5204.

Free learning opportunities via LinkedIn Learning available to faculty, staff and students
Sharpen skills. Explore new interests. Increase professional value. These and other results are available via no-cost learning opportunities to Mississippi State faculty, staff and students through MSU’s agreement with LinkedIn Learning. A popular, online education platform, LinkedIn Learning’s 20,000-plus courses are available to campus via a quick login using their MSU NetID email addresses. With self-paced learning, courses are presented in various formats, including bite-sized video, audio only and in-depth content. The platform is directly integrated with Canvas, the university’s learning management system. MSU faculty can use it to supplement course material or even develop and load their own content onto the platform.

Smoke-free policy enhances healthy environment
Mississippi State University is a smoke-free campus. Official policy prohibits the use of any combustible or vapor products anywhere on campus property including university buildings, university grounds, university vehicles, parking areas and sidewalks. The smoke-free campus policy is part of the university's commitment to creating a healthy environment for all members of the campus community. Use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah or other similar devices are prohibited by this policy. The complete policy is available at www.policies.msstate.edu/policy/91301.

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Keenum: MSU education, values prepare new Bulldog graduates for future
Approximately 1,500 Bulldogs are ready to take on the challenges of tomorrow after concluding the latest chapters of their collegiate careers during fall graduation events last week. Led by MSU President Mark E. Keenum, last Friday's [Dec. 12] commencement ceremonies in a filled Humphrey Coliseum spotlighted graduates in majors housed in MSU’s 10 colleges and the Division of Academic Affairs. A Starkville hooding for doctoral recipients and MSU-Meridian’s overall graduation at the Riley Center were held earlier in the week. Twenty-six degree recipients were honored as Stephen D. Lee Scholars, graduating with 4.0 GPAs. Equipped with a world-class education and instilled with core MSU values -- integrity, hard work and respect for others -- Keenum said the latest graduates are prepared for their next steps in life, including opportunities and changes they’ll see in the coming decades.

Infrastructure improvements to change traffic flow, university main entrance temporarily closing
Two major Mississippi State infrastructure projects will change how commuters arrive and drive through campus. Beginning Wednesday [Dec. 17], Stone Boulevard will close temporarily from the Highway 12 Bypass to B.S. Hood Road for the installation of a new traffic circle at the intersection of Stone and Bost Drive. Workers are expected to finish the project in July 2026. Additionally, Hardy Street will close on Monday [Dec. 15] as construction on the new Hardy Plaza begins. The project will convert the historic thoroughfare -- now only accessible to employees with gated parking and emergency vehicles -- into a safer, greener and more connected corridor for pedestrians and bicyclists. Construction will continue through May 2026.

Beware of ‘payroll pirates’: Top MSU officials warn to avoid phishing attacks, protect finances with vigilant information security habits
Today’s technologies carry much reward, but Mississippi State information officers are warning the university community of real and present risks that have costly financial impacts. MSU employees have not been immune to recent national trends involving “payroll pirate” attacks. MSU Chief Information Security Officer Tom Ritter said these are sophisticated efforts to bait unsuspecting victims to compromise their information security, such as secure network access. In a few recent cases, this has allowed direct deposit account redirection and theft of payroll funds. MSU’s CIO Trey Breckenridge confirmed that four university employees have discovered missing paycheck deposits.