Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

MSU faculty member and double bass player James Nail, along with more than 50 other performers, took the stage for MSU Philharmonia's "Viva La Orchestra" performance at the Starkville Greensboro Center last Tuesday night. The show included works by Mozart, Handel, and even Coldplay. PHOTO: Megan Bean | University Relations

MSU project saves state money, effort
An advanced database training project conducted by the Mississippi State University Extension Service is saving the state millions of dollars, improving skills and making jobs easier. Scott Samson, professor with the Extension Service and the Geosystems Research Institute at MSU, developed the GEO Project. Having in-state training saves Mississippi about $5.5 million compared to the cost if workshop participants had to go out of state to take the same training.

Rains won’t dampen Christmas tree sales
Christmas tree growers were thinking about the holidays when Hurricane Isaac made landfall Aug. 28, knowing the winds and rains would bring additional work before trees would be ready for the 2012 harvest. Stephen Dicke, Extension forestry professor at Mississippi State University’s Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Raymond, said storm damage should not dampen sales of Mississippi’s Christmas trees.

MVC: Volunteer for the Emerson Holiday Festival
The Maroon Volunteer Center at Mississippi State details a number of volunteer opportunities for the campus community in its current newsletter, including Emerson's holiday festival, Bulldogs on the Move, holiday toy drive, Salvation Army, CARE Ministries, and much more.

Mississippi State calendars now on sale
There's no place like home. The 2013 Mississippi State University hanging wall calendar features a sleek, modern design, with 13 beautiful images of campus scenes. Featuring MSU's own award-winning photographers, it's truly a one-of-a- kind treasure. Get yours today before they are sold out.

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, 11/19/12
Men's Basketball opens play in the Maui Invitational against North Carolina on Monday at 5 p.m., and then plays Butler or Marquette on Tuesday (time to be determined by tournament play). Both games will be on ESPN2. The team plays again Wednesday... Women's Basketball travels to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for the Hardwood Tournament of Hope. Tourney play begins Tuesday with a game against Winthrop at 3:30 p.m., and then on Wednesday a game against Oregon or UCSB, followed by a game on Thursday... Volleyball is on the road to Athens for a 4 p.m. match against Georgia on Wednesday, and then plays Tennessee in Knoxville on Friday at 6 p.m.... Football is on the road to Oxford to conclude the regular season against Ole Miss on Saturday at 6 p.m. (ESPNU).

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Truax selected for leadership roles in two orgs
The head of civil and environmental engineering in the Bagley College of Engineering now sits on the executive boards of two engineering organizations. Dennis D. Truax was installed as assistant treasurer of the American Society of Civil Engineers at an October meeting. He became secretary of the Mississippi Board of Licensure of Professional Engineers and Surveyors in July.

Bagley faculty members selected for symposium
Four Bagley College of Engineering faculty members at Mississippi State are among a small group of educators selected for a national engineering symposium. Islam El-adaway, Bryan Jones, Lesley Strawderman and Rani Sullivan attended the National Academy of Engineering’s fourth Frontiers of Engineering Education symposium held last month in Irvine, Calif.

MSU biosafety authority shares expertise
Mississippi State is the state institution of higher learning with bio-recovery technicians certified to perform trauma scene cleanup. While no one at the university, including those in the Office of Regulatory Compliance and Safety, looks forward to a required cleanup of biohazardous waste, being prepared for and appropriately responding to a traumatic event is critical, according to Patricia Cox, ORCS biosafety officer.

'Maroon Edition' Habitat home to be dedicated
Mississippi State and Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity volunteers and officials will dedicate the newly complete Maroon Edition Habitat for Humanity house at 10:30 a.m. this Tuesday. Program speakers include MSU President Mark E. Keenum; Meggan Franks, MSU student leadership program coordinator; and the Rev. Grant Arinder, of Calvary Baptist Church.