Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Skye Cooley, assistant professor of communication, springs to his attack during a fencing demonstration on the Drill Field. The fencing club meets three nights per week at the Sanderson Center on campus. PHOTO: Beth Wynn | Public Affairs

Federal program officers visiting campus
As the research funding environment becomes more competitive, relationships with federal agency program officers are essential. Mississippi State faculty will have the opportunity to meet with two officers this week. Katherine Jung and Abraham Bautista from the National Institutes of Health will lead a presentation on Wednesday. They also will be available for one-on-one sessions with researchers.

Assistant VP for enrollment forums begin Monday
The search committee for the assistant vice president for enrollment invites all Mississippi State faculty, staff and administrators to attend candidate seminars beginning this week in Colvard Student Union's Fowlkes Auditorium. The sessions will also be livestreamed online.

MVC announces 2016 Volunteer Award info
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 2016 Volunteer Award information, registration for the 2016 Big Event on April 2, Youth Community Explosion Interest Session, 2016 Alternative Break information, and more. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to make a difference by volunteering this spring.

Friday deadline for Spirit of State nominations
Applications and nominations are now being accepted for the 11th-annual Spirit of State awards. These awards are open to all Mississippi State 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. The deadline is Friday.

MSU Riley Center individual tickets on sale Monday
MSU Riley Center tickets for individual shows go on sale Monday, and there is something for everyone. A farewell to an icon, a hello to some energetic newcomers and lots of heartwarming rock ’n’ roll memories will highlight the 2016 spring/summer series at the MSU Riley Center in historic downtown Meridian. The center's restored Victorian theater will also host the world’s best dancers, one of the most powerful voices in country music, and the returns of both an intimate songwriters showcase and a beloved children’s character.

Maroon Institute for Writing Excellence sign-up open
The Maroon & Write QEP Office at Mississippi State will offer the Maroon Institute for Writing Excellence in May. The program is designed to introduce writing-to-learn strategies for use in the classroom. During this three-week interactive workshop, participants will receive guidance in revising syllabi and creating relevant writing assignments.

SPA here to help with proposal development
Sponsored Programs Administration and the Office of Research and Economic Development at Mississippi State University are committed to helping faculty find the resources needed to support research endeavors. Recognizing that not all faculty members have departmental support for proposal development, SPA is working to provide this support as needed.

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, privacy and more.

This Week in Mississippi State Sports, 02/22/16
Men's Golf starts play Monday at the Mobile Sports Authority Intercollegiate in Mobile... Softball visits Hammond on Monday for a 5 p.m. game against Southeastern Louisiana, and then begins play in the Mississippi Gulf Coast Tournament on Friday against McNeese State at 8 p.m., on Saturday against Incarnate Word at 5:30 p.m. and Baylor at 8 p.m., and on Sunday against McNeese State at 12:30 p.m. ... Baseball hosts Memphis at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, and then UMass Lowell on Friday at 4:30 p.m., Nicholls State at 11 a.m. and UMass Lowell at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, and Nicholls State at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday... Men's Basketball visits College Station on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. tipoff against Texas A&M, and then hosts South Carolina on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ... Track & Field competes at the SEC Championships in Fayetteville beginning Thursday... Women's Basketball visits Nashville for a 7 p.m. tipoff against Vanderbilt on Thursday, and then hosts Alabama on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. ...Women's Tennis hosts Louisiana-Lafayette at 10 a.m. and Southern Miss at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

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Clary selected for top state teaching honor
Efforts and achievements of a very busy Mississippi State faculty member are being recognized by the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. Renée M. Clary, an associate professor of geology at the university, is the Jackson-based academy’s 2016 Science Teacher of the Year. Director of the geosciences department’s Dunn-Seiler Geology Museum, she formally accepted the honor last week during MAS’s 80th annual meeting in Hattiesburg.

Hanshaw named IHL Diversity Educator of 2016
Shirley Hanshaw, an associate professor of English at Mississippi State University, has earned the 2016 Diversity Educator of the Year Award from the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. In addition to Hanshaw, Jonathan Pote, department head for agricultural and biological engineering, was among honorees nominated for the overall diversity award. Pote, who represents MSU’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, received the Diversity Award for Excellence, along with eight honorees from the state’s other institutions of higher learning.

MEDC honors Hardwick for service
The Mississippi Economic Development Council announced Feb. 4 that Phil Hardwick was awarded as the 2016 MEDC Honorary Life Member. In August 2014, Hardwick retired from his full-time position as coordinator of capacity development initiatives at the John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development at Mississippi State University.

University hosts training for K-9 units in state
Military working dog teams from Columbus Air Force Base, as well as K-9 units from throughout the state, met with the FBI last week to perform joint explosives detection training at Mississippi State. Participants included the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department, Mississippi Highway Patrol, Mississippi Fire Marshal, Southaven Police Department and MSU Police Department.