Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Mississippi State University will close at noon on Wednesday [Nov. 27] for the Thanksgiving holiday. Hail State Football hosts the University of Mississippi at Davis Wade Stadium for the annual Egg Bowl on Thursday [Nov. 28] at 6:30 p.m. Classes will resume on Monday [Dec. 2]. PHOTO: Megan Bean | Public Affairs

Extension welcomes new forestry specialist
Mississippi State University welcomed a new forestry specialist Nov. 1. Shaun Tanger joined the MSU Extension Service in the southeast region as a forestry specialist with area and statewide duties. He also is a faculty member in the MSU Department of Forestry. Tanger is located in the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. As an Extension area forester, Tanger will conduct programs on all general forestry issues that influence landowner decision-making processes specific to the southeast region of the state.

Mississippi State honored for excellence in student voter engagement
Mississippi State’s efforts to encourage active and informed citizenship among its student body have resulted in an ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge award for the state’s leading university. “A critical responsibility of higher education is to help students learn what it means to be an actively engaged citizen, and voting is one of the most important activities in sustaining our democracy,” said MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt. “We were delighted to see growth in voter engagement among our student body and will continue to work across campus to educate students about their responsibility to become informed voters.”

MSU’s football turf again named best in the country
Mississippi State University is once again receiving a top national honor for its playing surface at Davis Wade Stadium. The Sports Turf Managers Association named Scott Field at Davis Wade Stadium the top college football turf in the country for 2019. This year marks the third time MSU has earned the distinction. The awards are chosen by a panel of judges that score entries based on playability, appearance of surfaces, utilization of innovative solutions, effective use of budget and implementation of a comprehensive agronomic program.

Careful prep can result in healthy, safe holiday meal
A few, simple preparations can mean the difference between achieving a healthy success or suffering a major disaster during the traditional biggest meal of the year. Courtney Crist, assistant professor of food safety with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said one common mistake in food preparation happens at the very beginning. She recommended not washing the turkey before cooking it. Natasha Haynes, host of the MSU Extension Service video series The Food Factor, said another way to make the Thanksgiving meal a resounding success is to keep it healthy.

Christmas tree vendors try to keep up with demand
Mississippians pondering ideas for a side business could consider investing in land and planting stem cuttings of Leyland and Murray cypress trees. These two varieties, trees that can grow well in a humid climate, are popular choices for live Christmas trees in the state. Each year, Christmas tree growers struggle to meet high demand. John Kushla, professor and forestry specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said more growers are getting on board.

Smoke-free policy enhances healthy environment
Mississippi State University is a smoke-free campus. Official policy prohibits the use of any combustible or vapor products anywhere on campus property including university buildings, university grounds, university vehicles, parking areas and sidewalks. The smoke-free campus policy is part of the university's commitment to creating a healthy environment for all members of the campus community. Use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah or other similar devices are prohibited by this policy.

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MSU remains Mississippi’s top research university in latest NSF survey
Mississippi State University is once again ranked as Mississippi’s top research university in the latest report from the National Science Foundation. “MSU’s ongoing success as an R1 research university is due to the exceptional work of our dedicated faculty researchers and scientists,” said MSU Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan. “Our ranking underscores the dedication of our ag units to solving problems and developing new practices that will improve profitability, increase production and help meet the world’s growing need for food,” said MSU Interim Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Reuben Moore.

Bracey named Collegiate Teacher of the Year by national association
A Mississippi State College of Education faculty member is this year’s National Business Education Association’s Collegiate Teacher of the Year. Pamela Bracey is an MSU associate professor in the Department of Instructional Systems and Workforce Development who previously was named Collegiate Teacher of the Year by the regional Southern Business Education Association. “This award is the highest honor I could possibly attain in my current role as a business technology educator, and to earn it at such an early state of my career is honestly breathtaking, humbling, yet extremely rewarding,” Bracey said.

Seitz earns grant to help students become better communicators of science
A Mississippi State University faculty member is helping students become better communicators of science through a teaching grant from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. Holli H. Seitz, an assistant professor of communication and director of The Message Laboratory in MSU’s Social Science Research Center, co-authored the grant proposal with Quisto Settle, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Education, Communications and Leadership at Oklahoma State University. The two received an Academic Programs Section Innovative Teaching Award to assist “communicators who are curious about science, willing to pursue an understanding of scientific topics, and are dedicated to finding ways to present scientific information.”