MSU President Mark E. Keenum, left, presents Steve Demarais with Mississippi State’s highest research honor, the Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award, during the university’s annual research awards banquet at the Hunter Henry Center on March 29. Demarais is a Dale Arner Distinguished Professor and the Taylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture. PHOTO: Logan Kirkland | Public Affairs
DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Azaria Dandridge
Azaria Dandridge plays an important role in children’s lives at the MSU Child Development and Family Studies Center on MSU’s Starkville campus. She interacts with children, teaches developmentally challenging and interesting activities, observes, supervises, and helps children build their self-esteem. “I love that when I walk in the front doors in the morning that I get to see people who are so caring and cheerful while they are here with the children,” she said.
DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Jennifer Russell
As a family and consumer sciences agent, Jennifer Russell is an important member of the Extension office in Leflore County. Her primary role is to educate adults and young people on family and life skills. For example, she teaches basic sewing skills, financial literacy, nutrition, exercises, food safety, and cooking skills. Her end goal is to train others to continue to provide leadership to the Mississippi Homemakers Volunteers, Begin with Reading volunteers, and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education program.
Snyder signing ‘Gatsby’s Oxford’ at Cotton District Arts Festival
The founding dean of Mississippi State’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College will be available to sign books Saturday at noon in the Writers Tent at Starkville’s Cotton District Arts Festival. “Gatsby’s Oxford: Scott, Zelda, and the Jazz Age Invasion of Britain: 1904-1929” is Christopher A. Snyder’s ninth book. Recently published by Pegasus Books, “Gatsby’s Oxford” has been highly praised by Publishers Weekly for offering “a fresh reading of (F. Scott) Fitzgerald’s masterpiece (“The Great Gatsby”) as a novel about the American Dream, wrapped in medieval colors.”
Staff Council seeks nominations for the Zacharias Distinguished Staff Award
Staff Council needs your help nominating outstanding Mississippi State University employees for the Zacharias Distinguished Staff Award. Twelve winners will be presented with a plaque of recognition and a check for $1,000. Awards will be announced at the annual Luncheon in the Junction. Nomination forms will be accepted from MSU’s administrators, faculty, staff and students. The nomination deadline is April 19.
Applications sought for Academic Leadership Program
The Office of Research and Economic and Development and the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President at Mississippi State will be leading a newly restructured Academic Leadership Program in the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year for faculty who aspire to be administrators. The format of the leadership program consists of two-hour seminar sessions once per month from August to April. A wide variety of topics will be covered by senior leaders at MSU. Applications are due by May 24.
Butler Hall parking lot construction to cause temporary closure
Construction to improve the parking lot adjacent to Butler Hall will cause temporary closures of the lot beginning Monday [April 8] and lasting through Aug. 6. The MSU Office of Planning, Design and Construction Administration is administering a project to replace a retaining wall, curbs and sidewalks in the area. The parking lot also will be milled, overlaid and striped.
The Office of Public Affairs provides Maroon MEMO as a general information
resource for Mississippi State University employees.
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Jim Laird.
