Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Provide a gift for Palmer Home Giving Tree
Visit the Palmer Home Giving Tree at the Barnes & Noble bookstore at Mississippi State University and provide a gift for a Palmer Home child. Simply take a card from the tree with a child's name and place it on the gift of your choice. Great gift ideas include education toys, gift cards, and handmade items. Gifts will be accepted until Dec. 20.

SEC visiting faculty travel grant applications wanted
The Southeastern Conference Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program is intended to enhance faculty collaboration that stimulates scholarly initiatives between SEC universities. Mississippi State University can select a maximum of four faculty members to receive 2013 travel grants of $2,500 each for transportation, room, board, etc., to use for travel to another SEC campus. Completed applications must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 11, 2013.

Donations needed for puppy transport
This month, some kids have visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads, and others dream of finding a new furry, four-legged family member under the tree. Mississippi State University students and staff help some of these wishes come true through a program that gets family-friendly dogs to Northeastern states, but these volunteers have a Christmas wish of their own. The Homeward Bound Project of Mississippi needs a new vehicle to transport animals from Mississippi to Virginia. MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine is a key partner in the project, which was started in 2007 by veterinary students dedicated to reducing the number of animals euthanized in the state.

Spring health screenings set to start Jan. 7
As part of a campus-wide nutrition and fitness initiative, MSU on the Move and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi will offer health screenings for all Mississippi State students, faculty and staff beginning Jan. 7. Ring in the new year by knowing your health numbers, and making a commitment to lose weight, eat healthy and get in shape.

Nomination call for Jefferson Science Fellows
The MSU International Institute announces that The National Academies has a call for nominations and applications for the 2013 Jefferson Science Fellows program. Initiated by the Secretary of State in 2003, this fellowship program engages the American academic science, technology, engineering and medical communities in the design and implementation of U.S. foreign policy. The fellowship is open to tenured, or similarly ranked, academic scientists, engineers and physicians from U.S. institutions of higher learning.

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.

Davis Wade commemorative bricks available
The Mississippi State Bulldog Club has launched the Davis Wade Stadium Commemorative Brick Program for the north end zone expansion of Davis Wade Stadium. The bricks are available online or by phone and can be ordered in two sizes -- 4'"x 8" and 8" x 8". A 12" x 12" granite paver is also available. Bricks and pavers can be personalized and several options include a replica keepsake.

This Week in Mississippi State Sports, 12/17/12
Women's Basketball hosts Jacksonville State at 7 p.m. on Thursday... Men's Basketball plays Central Arkansas in Jackson at the Mississippi Coliseum on Saturday at 2 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.

Keenum elected to SACS leadership role
The president of Mississippi State University is a newly elected executive council member of the top accreditation body for regional institutions of higher learning. Mark E. Keenum recently was elected to a term on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges' Executive Council. The 13-member council is the executive arm of the Board of Trustees with primary responsibility for interpreting commission policy and procedure. It also functions on behalf of the commission between sessions.

14 staff members graduate from LEAP
Fourteen Mississippi State University staff members graduated from the 2012 Learning Experience for Aspiring Professionals program earlier this month. Jerry Gilbert, provost and executive vice president, delivered the welcome at the graduation celebration held in the Colvard Student Union Foster Ballroom Dec. 4. The LEAP class provided a presentation detailing what they had learned, and were then presented awards for their achievement.

Wamsley joins MSU as new poultry feed expert
A new assistant professor at Mississippi State University understands the needs of the poultry industry as she works to create cost-effective, nutritionally sound, high quality feed formulations. Kelley Wamsley recently joined MSU’s Department of Poultry Science and is building a research program focused on developing new cost-effective diets for poultry, Mississippi’s top agricultural commodity. Feed and feed-related manufacturing costs account for 60 to 70 percent of total production costs for poultry producers.

Laird co-chairing CASE-District III annual conference
Harriet Laird, associate director of University Relations at Mississippi State, is a co-chair for the 2013 annual conference of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, District III. The conference provides professional development opportunities to more than 1,000 development, alumni, and communication professionals from public and private colleges and universities in seven states.