Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Mississippi State's fall semester is nearing completion with the Christmas and winter holiday break scheduled for Dec. 21-Jan. 1. PHOTO: Marco Lopez | Public Affairs

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Misti Crum
For Misti Crum, lifelong friends and community engagement are natural outgrowths from her career as an MSU Extension Office Associate. Crum's days bustle with service to others. She manages data, keeps records and assists clientele. She works alongside Extension agents during programming, all while sending press releases to local newspapers and managing social media sites for Alcorn County's Extension office. She finds purpose in meeting the needs of others.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Jansen Garrett
As a Family Nutrition Program Assistant, Jansen Garrett works with underprivileged Mississippians in Lee County and beyond. "I work with schools in the county that offer 50 percent free or reduced lunch, and I also work with low-income adults," Garrett explained. While she helps better the lives of all ages, she has a natural affinity for children. She intentionally chose her career to better the lives of youth, and they are her favorite part of going to work each day.

Association of Retired Faculty present staff awards
Retired College of Veterinary Medicine administrative assistant Deborah Gallik and Office of the Provost administrative assistant Ann Ray were honored by Mississippi State's Association of Retired Faculty at the ARF Christmas Awards Banquet in November. Gallick was recognized for years of contributions to the annual banquet as the “Christmas Elf,” while Ray was named an honorary member of ARF for years of support for the organization through her role in the Provost’s office.

ARF presents students with achievement awards
Four Mississippi State students received awards for outstanding achievement during the Christmas Awards Banquet of the MSU Association of Retired Faculty on Nov. 30: Meredith Hilliard, Anne Larrah Johnson, Leah Ballard Welborn and Kennedy Jayne Brown. Winners are selected by university faculty committees in their respective areas of study. Each receives a $500 award.

International Institute hosts workshop on European Commission’s Horizon 2020 research program
Mississippi State’s International Institute hosted a workshop in November for researchers who may benefit from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program. Horizon 2020 is the European Commission’s €80 billion research program, which facilitates collaborative work between European nations and the U.S., as well as countries around the globe.

Mississippi State earns gold distinction as 2018 Military Friendly School
Just a few weeks after being rated a top-50 university for veterans, Mississippi State has earned the 2018 Military Friendly Schools Gold Medal for its veteran-oriented campus culture. Presented annually by Victory Media, the prestigious distinction showcases some of the most powerful and effective veteran-centered programs at more than 800 post-secondary schools that were designated as Military Friendly Schools. Criteria for inclusion is based on commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefits for military service members, veterans and their family members.

Head of U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission visits
Chris Giancarlo, chairman of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, visited Mississippi State University last week to learn more about the land-grant university’s expertise in agricultural fields and interact with MSU students. Charlie Thornton, legislative affairs director for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, joined Giancarlo on the trip. The visitors spent part of the week touring agricultural facilities, including MSU’s Delta Research and Extension Center, before coming to Starkville and meeting with MSU President Mark E. Keenum and other university leaders.

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, 12/11/17
Men's Basketball is on the road Tuesday for a 6 p.m. tipoff against Cincinnati on ESPN2, and then hosts UT-Martin on Saturday at 7 p.m. ... Women's Basketball hosts Oregon at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and Maine on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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King honored by FFAR for early-career innovation
A Mississippi State University faculty member is one of only seven national recipients of the second annual New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award. Jonas King, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, is receiving a new innovator grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, a nonprofit organization established in the 2014 Farm Bill. King’s research seeks to develop new methods to detect and identify insect pests and viral pathogens found in agricultural crops.

Munsell to lead MSU-Meridian’s new Physician Assistant program
A veteran administrator and clinician with more than three decades of experience in the field has been selected to lead Mississippi State University-Meridian’s new Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program. Debra S. Munsell, who led the launch of and currently leads LSU Health Sciences Center-New Orleans’ Physician Assistant program, will now lead the implementation of MSU-Meridian’s new program. Her appointment is pending formal approval by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.

Rader named permanent associate dean after serving interim role in Arts & Sciences
After more than a year serving in an interim role, a Mississippi State sociology professor is being named associate dean for academic affairs in the university’s College of Arts and Sciences. Nicole Rader now officially holds the key administrative position responsible for supervising and enhancing teaching programs in MSU’s largest and most diverse scholastic unit. She succeeds Rick Travis, who moved into the dean’s position in 2016. A member of the Starkville faculty since 2005, she was the sociology department’s undergraduate and graduate coordinator prior to joining the dean’s office.

MSU Police first university department in state issued both Narcan, medication dropbox
Mississippi State is the first university in the state to have both the opioid antidote Narcan and a medication dropbox safe issued by the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. MSU’s addition of the medication dropbox safe is one way the university is aiding its students, employees and local community in combating the opioid epidemic by providing a safe, secure location for individuals to discard unused or unwanted prescriptions 24 hours per day, seven days a week. It is located in the police department’s front lobby, 25 Walker Road.