Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Edna Ball
When children see Edna Ball around town, they say, “There’s the Food Lady!” For four years, Ball has been teaching basic nutrition to school-aged children and families with limited resources through the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. She is based in Belzoni, in the Humphreys County Extension office.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Claudia Hohn
Claudia Hohn’s research can get slippery, so every day when she goes to the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State, she tries to think of unique approaches to her work. “Fish are a challenging research model, and you have to be very creative and think outside the box,” Hohn said. “I get to work with multiple species. Some of them are endangered, such as the Atlantic sturgeon.”

Give the gift of Mississippi State this season
Bring the Bulldog spirit home with the new Mississippi State University calendar. The perfect holiday gift, the 2014 edition features 13 beautiful images of campus scenes. With images by MSU's own award-winning photographers, it's truly a one-of-a-kind treasure. Please note that all orders must be received by Dec. 16 in order to be delivered before the holidays.

Barr Avenue, George Perry Street closures set
On Dec. 20, portions of Barr Avenue and George Perry Street will be closed for construction activities related to the new classroom building project at Mississippi State University. The closure on Barr Avenue will extend from the intersection with George Perry Street to the entrance of the Critz Hall parking lot. On George Perry Street, the closure will extend from the intersection with Barr Avenue to the entrance of the YMCA-Post Office loading dock.

Interim session hours at Mitchell Memorial Library
As the fall semester nears a close at Mississippi State University, Mitchell Memorial Library announces special hours of operation for interim session. This week, the library will be open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Communication golf tourney a success
Fifty-six alumni, students and friends played in the recent Mississippi State University Department of Communication 7th Annual Scholarship Golf Tournament. “This has become a great event for us each year,” according to John Forde, head of the department of communication. "In addition to raising a significant amount of money for various scholarships now over the seven years, we’ve also had the chance to reconnect as faculty with alumni and promote the department through a positive event."

Holiday volunteer projects and gift guide
The Maroon Volunteer Center at Mississippi State details a number of volunteer opportunities for the campus community in its current newsletter, including a holiday giving guide, the volunteer schedule for local food pantries, the Palmer Home GIving Tree at Barnes & Noble at MSU, and more.

December employee assistance newsletter online
Mississippi State University's employee assistance program (EAP) includes a free monthly newsletter for faculty and staff, and the latest edition is now available. This month's feature is about streamlining your workday: setting priorities, delegating and avoiding interruptions.

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.

Bulldogs to face Rice in AutoZone Liberty Bowl
Mississippi State will play Rice in the 55th AutoZone Liberty Bowl, slated for Dec. 31 at 3 p.m. in a game that will be televised by ESPN. For Mississippi State, it’s the fourth-straight year to play in a bowl, a first in program history. “The AutoZone Liberty Bowl staff does a top-notch job running the Liberty Bowl, and we look forward returning to Memphis and playing Rice,” MSU athletics director Scott Stricklin said.

This Week in Mississippi State Sports 12/16/13
Men's Basketball hosts Florida A&M at 7 p.m. on Tuesday and Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday at 8 p.m. (CSS-TV), and then opens play in the Las Vegas Classic against South Florida at 7 p.m. on Sunday... Women's Basketball plays North Dakota State in Fargo on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and then hosts Southeastern Louisiana at 7 p.m. on Friday.

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.

Snyder's new book explores influences on Tolkien
Days before Thanksgiving, Fox Searchlight announced plans for a biopic detailing the influences that inspired English writer and poet J.R.R. Tolkien to create "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit." Tolkien fans don't have wait for the movie, though; the book is already out. Christopher A. Snyder, dean of Mississippi State University's Shackouls Honors College, wrote "The Making of Middle-earth: A New Look Inside the World of J. R. R. Tolkien."

Montgomery compiles book of Katrina experiences
A new collection of personal stories by survivors of 2005's super hurricane is the latest work by a Mississippi State faculty member. "Going Back to New Orleans: Post-Katrina Re-connections and Recollections" was compiled by Bert Montgomery, a lecturer in philosophy and religion at the university. Released by Nurturing Faith publishers, it is part oral history, part memoir.

Sarver to join MSU as state peanut specialist
Starting in January, Mississippi peanut farmers will have a dedicated source to turn to for information. Jason Sarver was recently hired as peanut specialist by the Mississippi State University Extension Service and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. “Jason has an extensive degree of training in all aspects of peanut production and management,” said Mike Phillips, head of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State.

Brzuszek helps shape children’s literacy garden
Mississippi State University professor Bob Brzuszek is helping the Mississippi Children’s Museum design an innovative garden aimed at cultivating a crop of young readers. “We wanted to create an intellectual blend of art, technology and nature that would be safe and appealing to kids,” said Brzuszek, an associate Extension professor of landscape architecture at MSU serving as a native plant expert on the team.