Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Resident advisors Kaylin Cowley (left to right) and Alyssa Harvey tour the newly-built student residence Oak Hall with Calvin Mosley, associate director of residence life, and Abigail Spann, student housing marketing and communication coordinator. The new freshman and upperclass co-residential Oak and Magnolia halls, located in Arbor Village on the south side of campus, are both four stories tall and each have occupancies of 382 beds. PHOTO: Russ Houston | University Relations

CVM hosts annual Research Day on Thursday
Research Day is an annual event that highlights and promotes research conducted by veterinary and graduate students at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State. This year’s CVM Research Day will be held in the Wise Center from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. Keynote speaker Mark Simpson of the National Cancer Institute/NIH will deliver a presentation at 1 p.m.

MSU Libraries grad students info fair Friday
Mississippi State University's graduate students will start the semester off right at MSU Libraries on this Friday, and one lucky student will leave with a new iPad. Held on Mitchell Memorial Library’s second and third floors between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., the annual Graduate Student Information Fair will offer students opportunities to visit with various MSU Libraries departments and learn about the multitude of services offered specifically for graduate students.

New semester, new chances to volunteer
The Maroon Volunteer Center at Mississippi State details a number of volunteer opportunities for the campus community in its current newsletter, including Project AIM volunteer mentors, the Clothesline Project, and more.

Men of color summit set for Aug. 31
Mississippi State is announcing a daylong conference late this month designed to identify and address the scholastic needs of male students of color at the university and beyond. Welcoming and opening remarks will be delivered by MSU President Mark E. Keenum; Jerry Gilbert, provost and executive vice president; athletic director Scott Stricklin; and Camille Scales Young, national alumni association president.

University hosting PERS seminar this fall
Human Resources Management at Mississippi State is hosting a PERS pre-retirement, full-day seminar on Oct. 3, 2012, at Bost Extension Center. The seminar offers general information on a range of topics, including estate planning, Mississippi Deferred Compensation Plan and Trust, Social Security benefits, and PERS benefits and options. The seminar is available to any covered PERS member at no cost, but pre-registration is required.

Policy reminders from University Health Services
University Health Services at Mississippi State reminds the campus community of several important policies for its patients to keep in mind when seeking treatment, parking, refilling a prescription online, and privacy.

This Week in Mississippi State Sports, 08/13/12
Soccer opens the 2012 season at home against Southeastern Louisiana on Friday at 7 p.m.

The Office of Public Affairs provides Maroon MEMO as a general information
resource for Mississippi State University employees.

Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.

Monday's service day to benefit local community
By volunteering to help others, hundreds of Mississippi State University students, faculty and staff will "Donate a Wonderful Gift of Service" as Service D.A.W.G.S. this Monday. Service D.A.W.G.S. Day will begin at 8 a.m. at The Junction, where the Maroon Volunteer Center, along with eight MSU student organizations, will host a quick breakfast before dividing the expected 300 attendees into 21 groups and shuttling them to sites throughout Starkville, Oktibbeha County and the Golden Triangle.

National radio show to feature Funderburk
Mary Beth Lodge, psychologist and host of the Voice of America Variety Channel's radio program "What Matters," will interview Brent Funderburk about the haiku form as a visual and verbal meditation as explored by the Mississippi State professor and his art students.

McDougald elected to AIFD’s Southern board
Everything came up roses at a recent national conference for representatives of Mississippi State University’s floral design and management program. Lynette McDougald, an instructor in the floral management program, was elected to a three-year term on AIFD’s Southern board of directors. She has been a member of American Institute of Floral Designers since 2005.

Food security conference set for Sept. 10
Several of the world’s leading authorities in food production, safety, and security will gather for a daylong conference exploring “Technology Implementation at the Local Level: Food Security for the Future” at Mississippi State University in September. MSU’s International Institute will host the symposium in Colvard Student Union's Foster Ballroom on Monday, Sept. 10. It will cover a wide range of topics.