Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

After an eight-win regular season and its highest College Football Playoff rankings finish since 2014, 18th-ranked Mississippi State football will make its school-record ninth consecutive bowl appearance when it takes on Iowa in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day in Tampa. Tickets for the Outback Bowl are on sale now at HailState.com/bowltickets.

Calendar, holiday cards available for order
Bring the Bulldog spirit home with the new Mississippi State University calendar and holiday cards. The perfect holiday gift, the 2019 calendar features 13 beautiful images of campus scenes by MSU's own award-winning photographers and student photographers. It's truly a one-of-a-kind treasure. This year, we have two holiday card options debuting original artwork by MSU alumni. Calendars cost $20 and holiday cards are $24.50 for a pack of 25 cards and envelopes. Orders may be placed online at msufoundation.com/calendar.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Alex Deason
For the past five years, Alex Deason has served as an Extension Agent in Sunflower County, specializing in 4-H, agriculture, and natural resources. “My duty is to address the needs of Sunflower and Washington counties by providing research-based information and educational programs to better equip and inform residents,” he said. He said that his favorite part of his job is that he can find specialists for almost any topic anyone would want to know something about. For instance, if someone had an inquiry on a rose bush, soybean disease, or wildlife issue he has a wide range of people who can offer their expertise.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Yan Zhang
Yan Zhang works as a Postdoctoral Associate at the Experimental Seafood Processing Laboratory in Pascagoula. He handles various analytical tools and technologies and studies the physical, microbiological and chemical makeup of foods. He and his team work to develop safe, nutritious foods with extended shelf-life. “We can use our knowledge to solve problems for the food industry and benefit the local economy,” he said. Their research is in the catfish industry, and because Mississippi is the leading catfish producer, they hope to benefit the state’s rural communities.

Cage-free unit added to poultry department
A new poultry research facility at Mississippi State University is addressing the growing consumer and corporate demands for cage-free eggs. To help address the need, Assistant Poultry Professor Pratima Adhikari is at the forefront of the issue, having led the vision for the newly constructed development that is part of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station at MSU. The facility gives university researchers and students opportunities to compare cage and cage-free egg production and quality, as well as bacterial diversity between these housing types.

Association of Retired Faculty recognizes four with student achievement awards
Three current students and one recent Mississippi State graduate are the newest recipients of outstanding achievement awards from the university’s Association of Retired Faculty. Founded in 1986, the association presents outstanding student achievement awards that serve as tributes or memorials to colleagues and association members who made major contributions to student development during their careers at the 140-year-old land-grant institution. Chosen by MSU faculty members in their respective academic disciplines, recipients were recognized with a $500 award at the association’s recent end-of-the-year banquet.

Cottrell encourages fellow retirees to go abroad with Fulbright program
A former MSU administrator returning from a recent Fulbright trip to China is encouraging other retirees to consider applying for the nation’s flagship international educational exchange program. William E. “Stephen” Cottrell retired from MSU in 2015 but has not lost interest in his quest for knowledge and advocacy for critical thinking. He spent six weeks in October and November teaching at Yunnan Minzu University in Kun Ming, a city in China’s Yunnan Province near the Himalayan Plateau. Cottrell emphasized that he would like to see MSU retired faculty members “take the golden opportunity to apply the years of expertise they’ve built through their careers and become diplomats through the Fulbright program.”

New federal sponsor reporting requirements for harassment and sexual misconduct
Some of you may have seen news articles from various federal sponsors such as the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concerning new or pending policies on university notification requirements regarding sexual harassment, other forms of harassment or sexual assault. These federal policies are specific to individuals involved in projects sponsored by those federal sponsors.

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resource for Mississippi State University employees.

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MSU remains highest-ranked research university in Mississippi, according to latest NSF survey
Mississippi State remains ranked among the nation’s top 100 research institutions and the Magnolia State’s leading research university in a new report from the National Science Foundation. In addition to being the highest-ranked university in the state in overall R&D funding and federal funding, Mississippi State also has the largest total number of research personnel, including more than 600 principal investigators. “We are very pleased to see our research portfolio growing and diversifying. It’s a true testament to the extraordinary people — the faculty, staff and students — we have here at MSU,” said David Shaw, vice president for research and economic development.

University breaks ground on Richard A. Rula Engineering and Science Complex
Construction on the Richard A. Rula Engineering and Science Complex at Mississippi State University is officially underway after last Friday’s groundbreaking ceremony on the MSU campus. During the ceremony, MSU President Mark E. Keenum thanked the many donors who have made substantial contributions toward the new building. The MSU Foundation has raised approximately $14 million in private funds in support of the project, he noted. “We are reaping the benefits of the generosity of so many that are making this great university even greater,” Keenum said.

IHL commissioner, alumnus Alfred Rankins Jr. returns for fall commencement
When more than 1,400 Mississippi State students graduate Friday during fall commencement ceremonies at Humphrey Coliseum, a fellow Bulldog will be among the first to officially welcome them into the MSU alumni family. Mississippi Public Universities Commissioner of Higher Education Alfred Rankins Jr. is returning to his alma mater to deliver 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. commencement addresses. Doors open at 8 a.m. for the morning ceremony and 2 p.m. for the afternoon ceremony, with processionals beginning at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.

MCC’s Thomas Huebner to address fall graduates at MSU-Meridian
The president of Meridian Community College is the fall 2018 graduation speaker at Mississippi State University-Meridian. Thomas Huebner will deliver the Thursday commencement address during an 11 a.m. public ceremony at the MSU Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts. “Dr. Huebner has been an outstanding leader in Mississippi’s community college system both at East Mississippi Community College and now at MCC,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “He is an integral part of the community in Meridian and Lauderdale County and has been a reliable partner to MSU in our efforts to bring outstanding educational opportunities to the people of east central Mississippi and West Alabama.”