Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Gillian Goodloe, a food science, nutrition and health promotion graduate student from Canton, gives out tie-dye masks on behalf of Department of Health Promotion and Wellness as part of Dawg Days events last week. The masks were complimentary when students followed the department on social media. PHOTO: Megan Bean | Public Affairs

Art for everyone: University kicks off fall series with two exhibitions this month
Mississippi State’s Department of Art is committed to providing students and local artists with opportunities to develop and showcase their creative talents. As part of this mission, the department is kicking off its fall event series with two shows this month, including the Starkville Area Arts Council’s Juried Art Exhibition. From Aug. 28-Sept. 18, the free exhibition titled “The Light that Persists: Mississippi Artists in 2020—SAAC Juried Exhibition” will be available for public viewing at the university’s Visual Arts Center Gallery. Lori Neuenfeldt, MSU art instructor and gallery director, said the VAC and other campus art galleries are being professionally cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis, with enhanced measures according to recommended health protocols.

Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion hosts Train the Trainer sessions
The Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion at Mississippi State University has rescheduled the Train the Trainer sessions focused on Equity and Inclusion for September 15 and 16. Sessions will be led by Kumea Shorter-Gooden, principal of Shorter-Gooden Consulting and a thought leader with respect to equity, diversity and inclusion who has provided consultation and training to educational institutions, professional associations, non-profits, corporations and government. With options available for administrators, faculty, staff and students, the sessions are geared towards creating pathways that cultivate learning and catalyze equity and inclusion.

Everbridge app now offers additional features to keep MSU community safe and healthy
Mississippi State University's emergency notification app, Everbridge, now offers additional features to help keep students, faculty and staff safe and healthy this semester. For download instructions, visit www.emergency.msstate.edu/app. The app will remind you each morning to complete a short Wellness Check before you start your day. The app also has a symptom checker. This questionnaire asks about possible symptoms and notifies the Health Center if you are not feeling well. You can complete the symptom checker at any time.

Instructional guide supports faculty with resources for innovative teaching methods
Educators across the country have adjusted to new teaching formats during the coronavirus pandemic, and as they look ahead to soon returning to in-person classrooms, the need for flexible teaching methods continues to be at the forefront of discussion among universities nationwide. Mississippi State’s Online Education Task Force is helping faculty implement a variety of teaching approaches. A new website, www.instructionalguide.msstate.edu, brings together an abundance of information to help prepare for in-person and remote instruction this fall. Resources have been compiled from the university’s Center for Distance Education, Center for Teaching and Learning, Information Technology Services and University Libraries.

Census Bureau shortens deadline from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30, sounding alarm for Mississippi
Mississippi is responding to a surprise decision announced Aug. 3 by the U.S. Census Bureau to shorten the census deadline by one month, from Oct. 31 to Sept. 30. “I challenge everyone in the Mississippi State University family to register and ‘be counted’ for the census,” said Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum. “An accurate census count puts Mississippi in line for the maximum return of federal investment back into our state for things like highways, education, and healthcare.”

Looking for a way to help? Give to the MSU Student Relief Fund
The Mississippi State University community continually exhibits a great sense of responsibility and caring for enrolled students that make the land-grant institution such a special place. The MSU Student Relief Fund, built with private gifts, helps those members of the student body affected with day-to-day crises or like now, the impact to their daily lives posed by COVID-19. The Dean of Students' Office assesses needs and administers the fund for acute crises that may impact students’ ability to succeed academically. The MSU Foundation accepts gifts year-round for the MSU Student Relief Fund. Contributions for this effort can be made online or by contacting the Annual Giving office at (662) 325-2466.

S.M.A.R.T. passengers must wear face coverings
The Starkville-Mississippi State University Area Rapid Transit -- known as S.M.A.R.T. -- requires all passengers in the local community and on campus wear face coverings. Ridership capacity is 19 passengers plus the driver, and all buses are disinfected on a daily basis. For information on SMART service times and routes, please visit www.smart.msstate.edu.

Mississippi State, ParkMobile partner to provide contactless parking options for campus visitors
ParkMobile, the leading provider of smart parking and mobility solutions in the U.S., has launched service on Mississippi State University’s campus in Starkville. Visitors on campus will be able to use the ParkMobile app to pay for parking at over 12,000 spaces around campus. With the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, campus leaders are encouraging visitors to use the app instead of the pay stations or traditional visitor passes. The ParkMobile app is available for both iPhone and Android devices.

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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Henington receives American Psychological Association award
A Mississippi State University-Meridian professor of educational and school psychology is being honored by Division 16 of the American Psychological Association. Carlen Henington, who also is MSU-Meridian’s curriculum coordinator of educational psychology, is a recent recipient of the division’s Contribution to Practice Award, presented during APA’s virtual convention earlier this month. “Dr. Henington has been an invaluable addition to the MSU-Meridian faculty in the Division of Education. Her passion for students, colleagues and the field of school psychology is contagious,” said Kimberly Hall, division head.

MSU and Mississippi Small Business Development Center partner to produce COVID-19 business series
Mississippi State University is partnering with the Mississippi Small Business Development Center to produce a series of videos aimed at helping businesses navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Faculty and staff in MSU’s College of Business developed the nine-part video series with the Mississippi SBDC. The project is one of several that have been funded with CARES Act monies allocated to the MS-SBDC to help small businesses in Mississippi weather the COVID-19 crisis. Covering a wide variety of COVID-19 topics, the videos address the survival, growth, and sustainability of family businesses and their special needs. The series is an outreach of the College of Business’ Family Business Education Initiative.

FAA announces $7.5 million more in grants for Mississippi State-led ASSURE
U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao has announced additional grants being awarded to a Mississippi State-led alliance with the goal of continuing the safe and successful integration of drones into the nation’s airspace. Mississippi State is the lead university for the FAA’s Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), also known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence, or ASSURE. Chao announced another $7.5 million in funding for ASSURE in addition to $3.3 million awarded earlier this month. ASSURE Executive Director Steve “Lux” Luxion said MSU is proud to lead a prestigious group of researchers from across the U.S. and around the world.

NRTC receives $4M+ for seven major research projects to aid those with blindness, low vision
The National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State is receiving a five-year, $4.375 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. Beginning Sept. 1, the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of People who are Blind or Have Low Vision grant will fund seven major research projects. “This grant allows our team to continue to advance research in the employment of people who are blind or have low vision, providing the opportunity to explore solutions to employment barriers faced by this population,” said director Michele McDonnall. “In addition, the grant allows us to continue to serve as a national resource center on employment of people who are blind or have low vision, providing training and technical assistance across the country.”