Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Snow dusted campus early Tuesday morning last week, including the statue of Bully in front of Colvard Student Union. This week's forecast is expected to be more seasonal. PHOTO: Megan Bean | Public Affairs

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Judy Anderson
As the office associate for the MSU Extension Service in Lamar County, Judy Anderson does a little bit of everything to make sure day-to-day business runs smoothly. With three Extension agents in a busy office, Anderson is never bored. “I like being able to help our clients, serve our community, and support the work the agents do,” she said.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Nicole McBrayer
Nicole McBrayer has spent 10 years running lab work at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s Animal Health Center, but she said helping patients never gets old. From routine blood work to urinalysis, McBrayer looks for abnormal results that might shed some light on the causes of the patients’ problems. “I like taking results and solving problems,” she said.

Spring lineup for 'Intro to Lab Safety' sessions set
The Office of Environmental Health and Safety at Mississippi State is offering an interactive, hands-on training course on general laboratory safety. Open to all MSU employees and students, the goal of the course is to provide an introduction to the basics of laboratory safety so that laboratory users can identify and reduce/eliminate the risk of exposure to chemical and physical hazards.

Support local charities during Restaurant Week
The Maroon Volunteer Center at Mississippi State details a number of volunteer opportunities for the campus community in its current newsletter, including information about nominating your favorite charity for Starkville Restaurant Week, #HailStateDay Ambassadors, Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society volunteer orientation, and more.

Nominations wanted for Powe, research awards
The nomination period is open for Mississippi State University's 2014 Research Awards and the Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award. Employees and students are encouraged to submit nominations for this year's program. Complete nomination packets for all awards are due in the Office of Research and Economic Development on or before March 3. Recipients will be honored at a banquet in April.

Nominations sought for outstanding women awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2014 Outstanding Women Awards Program, sponsored by the President's Commission on the Status of Women. These awards recognize women who are advocates for the well being, development and advancement of all women on Mississippi State University campuses and the surrounding communities. MSU faculty, staff and students are invited to nominate campus and community women for the awards.

PCSM seeks nominations for diversity awards
The President's Commission on the Status of Minorities is accepting nominations for the 2014 MSU Diversity Awards. The annual awards program is designed to recognize individuals and teams of individuals who have demonstrated a significant commitment to enhancing diversity at Mississippi State University. Nomination packets are due Feb. 21.

Spirit of State nominations, applications wanted
Applications and nominations are now being accepted for the ninth-annual Spirit of State awards. With these awards, Mississippi State will recognize outstanding contributions made by our students toward improving student life. These awards are open to all MSU students from all campuses and recognize excellence in campus involvement; service to the university community; actions that promote the Spirit of State; and overall impact on peers and the broader campus community.

MSU Riley Center announces series lineup
Music lovers will not be disappointed by the MSU Riley Center's Spring/Summer Series, which is filled with hitmakers from a variety of genres and decades, and guaranteed to deliver fantastic entertainment in a beautiful setting. The series kicks off March 22 when singing/songwriting veteran and veritable music royalty Roseanne Cash comes to town -- fresh off the debut of her latest album, "The River & the Thread."

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, 02/03/2014
Men's Basketball visits College Station on Wednesday for an 8 p.m. tipoff against Texas A&M (CSS-TV), and then hosts Kentucky at Humphrey Coliseum at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday (SEC-TV)... Women's Basketball hosts South Carolina on Thursday at 7 p.m., and then visits Auburn for a 2 p.m. game on Sunday... Track & Field competes at the New Balance Invitational in New York City on Friday and Saturday... Softball hosts the Bulldog Kickoff Classic with games on Friday against Mississippi Valley State, 3 p.m. and Northern Kentucky, 5:30 p.m.; on Saturday against Northern Kentucky, 12:30 p.m. and Jacksonville State, 3 p.m.; and on Sunday against Jacksonville State, 1:30 p.m.... Women's Golf plays the Lady Bulldog Individual Championship in Athens, Ga., on Saturday... Women's Tennis hosts Tennessee-Martin on Saturday at 3 p.m.... Men's Tennis hosts Samford at noon and Alcorn State at 5 p.m. on Sunday.

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.

12 graduate from EASE program
Participants in the 2013 Education for Administrative Support Employees program at Mississippi State University took advantage of the opportunity to boost their knowledge during the 12 weeks of training. EASE is designed to provide new administrative support staff with the tools to perform their jobs effectively. Session topics included basic department internal controls, communication skills, conflict resolution, diversity, information security, leave, professional image, purchasing, time management, travel and the employment process.

Crossler honored for digital privacy research
A member of Mississippi State University's business faculty is receiving international recognition for research focusing on the increasing need for privacy protection in today's digital society. Robert E. Crossler, assistant professor of information systems, recently was named a co-winner of the 2013 Institute for Operations Research and Management Sciences Information Systems Society's Design Science Award.

Capital campaign approaches $400 million
Mississippi State University's capital campaign continues at a steady pace. As calendar year 2014 began, more than $384 million had been raised toward our $600 million goal. Infinite Impact: The Mississippi State University Campaign is designed to benefit areas across the university ranging from academic colleges, MSU-Meridian, athletics, the library, and the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. Gifts through the campaign may support scholarships, chairs and professorships, facilities and programs. All gifts to Mississippi State, regardless of designation, are part of the campaign.

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab officials to visit
Mississippi State will host officials from one of the world’s leading research facilities next week. During the visit on Feb. 10, university faculty, staff, administrators and students will be meeting with leaders and researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to explore partnership and funding possibilities, among other topics. Though not a public event, local industry and government representatives are invited to participate.