Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Kay Whittington, director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality Office of Land and Water Resources, speaks to Mississippi State faculty and administrators during MDEQ’s visit to campus last week. PHOTO: Kat Lawrence | MSU Ag Communications

Hanshaw delivers second Kinsey lecture
"Look to your past to determine your future" is advice Shirley Hanshaw shared last week with audience members during a special presentation at Mississippi State. A member of the university's English department faculty, she was delivering the second of three lectures being sponsored by MSU Libraries in connection with The Kinsey Collection.

Dialogue Student Association hosts annual dinner
The Dialogue Student Association of Mississippi State University held its annual Dialogue and Friendship dinner on April 13 in the Hunter Henry Center's Hal and Linda Parker Ballroom. The group works to support meaningful interactions among persons of various faith backgrounds.

Applications sought for Faculty Leadership Program
The Office of Research and Economic and Development and the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President will lead Mississippi State's Faculty Leadership Program in the upcoming 2015-2016 academic year, and applications are now being accepted for it.

Nominations wanted for LEAP program
The 2015 Leadership Excellence for Accomplished Professionals program at Mississippi State is now accepting applications. The goal and purpose of LEAP is to empower new supervisors and extremely high performing professional staff with a heightened self-awareness, advanced knowledge, and value-added leadership in a secure, but challenging environment.

Volunteer opportunities with Humane Society, more
The Maroon Volunteer Center at Mississippi State details a number of volunteer opportunities for the campus community on its website and in its newsletter this week, including the Humane Society, Migrant Education Program, BB4K, St. Joe's Food Pantry, Habitat for Humanity, tutoring at West Oktibbeha, Oktibbeha County Head Start, and more. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to make a difference by volunteering this spring.

Policy addresses employee political activity
With local and statewide political campaigning underway this year, Mississippi State's Office of General Counsel reminds employees to be aware of the university's policy on political activities. There are several basic guidelines that university employees should keep in mind when engaging in any form of political activity.

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, 04/27/15
Baseball travels to Trustmark Park in Pearl for a 6:30 p.m. game against Ole Miss on Tuesday, and then hosts LSU for an SEC weekend series with games on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m.... Track & Field hosts the Jace Lacoste Invitational on Friday and Saturday... Softball visits Columbia for an SEC weekend series against South Carolina with games on Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m.

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Street will retire from MSU Extension Service
After decades of service to Mississippi State University, a long-time scientist and administrator is retiring. Joe Street, associate director for agriculture and natural resources with the MSU Extension Service, will retire this week. A retirement reception for him will be held Thursday from 2-4 p.m. at the Bost Extension Center.

Martin appointed interim associate director
The Mississippi State University Extension Service has appointed Steve Martin as its interim associate director for agriculture and natural resources. Since 2012, Martin has served as the head of the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center in Verona, where he administers research programs at four branch experiment stations.

Mitchell honored with state nonfiction award
A state history book authored by a Mississippi State University-Meridian administrator is receiving the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters' 2015 non-fiction award. "A New History of Mississippi" (2014, University Press of Mississippi) by Dennis Mitchell is the first comprehensive chronicle of the Magnolia State since a national bicentennial history was published in 1976.

A&S Researcher of the Month: Matthew Brown
The College of Arts and Sciences at Mississippi State has named Matthew Brown, an assistant professor of biology in the Department of Biological Sciences, Researcher of the Month for April. He specializes in the evolutionary history and biology of microbial eukaryotes (protists), and heads the Evolutionary Protistology Laboratory.