Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Construction continues on MSU's $34 million Richard A. Rula Engineering and Science Complex. Located at the corner of Hardy Road and Morrill Road, the 70,000-square-foot facility will house the Bagley College of Engineering's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and provide classrooms and offices; teaching, research and chemistry labs; and high bay areas. PHOTO: Beth Wynn | Public Affairs

MSU Foundation appoints 2020 leaders and incoming members
The Mississippi State University Foundation is announcing 2020 leaders and incoming members for the 48-seat board of directors that guides the fundraising arm of the 142-year-old land-grant institution. Incoming officers with new one-year terms that began Jan. 1 include three alumni returning to offices initially held in 2019. They are D. Hines Brannan of Atlanta, Georgia, as board chair; Anthony L. Wilson of Gulfport as vice-chair; and Mike M. McDaniel of Houston, Texas, as treasurer. Rounding out the remaining board officers are MSU personnel. John P. Rush, vice president for development and alumni, is the board’s president and CEO; Janet H. Carraway, executive director of finance, is chief financial officer; and Jack McCarty, executive director of development, serves as board secretary. All are MSU graduates.

MSU celebrates Wayne Weidie, establishes internship program in his honor
Wayne Weidie, a long-standing supporter of Mississippi State and the university’s students, was celebrated earlier this month as an internship program was established in his honor. The late journalist and politico was the subject of MSU Libraries’ 2020 Morris W.H. (Bill) Collins Speaker Series. After his death last August, Weidie’s friends and family established the Wayne W. Weidie Internship program, which will help offset costs associated with participating in internships in Washington, D.C. and Jackson. “Wayne loved this university and invested back in this institution,” MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. “He believed in helping young people make their way in the world.”

Women’s History Month salute: McLendon inspires others through leadership
On the left edge of Mary McLendon’s desk sits a small plaque with a big message: “Woman in Charge.” “Our former sports medicine and performance business coordinator Savannah Greenlee bought that sign for me a couple of years ago for Boss’s Day,” said McLendon, who has worked at MSU for nearly 25 years. Greenlee is now business coordinator for MSU Athletics’ Business Office. “If you bring her an idea about how you think something can be improved, Mary will be your biggest cheerleader and allow you the freedom to test new ideas while providing support as needed,” Greenlee said. “Mary will never ask someone to complete a task or take on a responsibility she wouldn’t be willing to do herself. She leads by example.”

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Operating guidelines and procedures for the week of March 16-20
While spring break has been extended another week, Mississippi State University will be open Monday, March 16. The University is monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 constantly and asks that you continue to monitor your email as well for further announcements and/or changes. Follow msstate.edu, https://www.msstate.edu/coronavirus and MSU social media for updates. The University will continue to utilize email to update employees so please check your email frequently.

Liu honored by international automotive engineering organization
A Mississippi State professor of mechanical engineering is being honored with a respected award for his work with the Society of Automotive Engineers. Yucheng Liu, who holds the university’s Jack Hatcher Chair in Engineering Entrepreneurship within the Bagley College of Engineering, is receiving the 2020 Forest R. McFarland Award from SAE International. The McFarland Award is presented annually to SAE members who have made outstanding contributions to SAE Engineering events through planning, development and dissemination of technical information via meetings, conferences and professional development programs.