Mississippi State University has been named to Forbes’ 2020 list of America’s Best-in-State employers. The list, released in late August, is based on a national survey of 80,000 Americans working for businesses with at least 500 employees. In addition to the Forbes distinction, the university has been recognized as a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education for four consecutive years. PHOTO: Megan Bean | Public Affairs
Wang receives NIH grant to study virus replication
A Mississippi State biological sciences faculty member is using a National Institutes of Health grant to explore virus amplification and replication in plants, studying a specific group of organisms called viroids. Successful completion of the project could offer significant biomedical and agricultural applications. Ying Wang, assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Biological Sciences, is the principal investigator of the three-year $410,855 grant titled “Dissecting the regulatory role of a eukaryotic transcription factor in RNA-templated transcription catalyzed by DNA-directed RNA polymerase II.”
Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation awards grant to T.K. Martin Center
Mississippi State’s T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability is receiving a grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation that will allow the center to further help clients with paralysis. The grant is a part of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s Quality of Life Grants program, which supports nonprofits that empower individuals living with paralysis. “We are honored to receive this Quality of Life Grant from such a distinguished organization as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation,” Director Kasee Stratton-Gadke said. “This award speaks highly to our outstanding staff and the mission of the T.K. Martin Center. We are thrilled to be able to use the funds to provide services that will have a direct impact on the lives of those living with paralysis.”
Creative Quarterly recognizes Gootee's images
Creative Quarterly, the art and design journal considered one of the world’s best, is recognizing a Mississippi State art professor. Professor Marita Gootee, who also serves as the department's photography concentration area coordinator, received "winner" status in the Professional Photography category for her image titled "Six Feet From Grandma.” The photograph will be featured on the Creative Quarterly website as well as published in the January 2021 edition of the CQ Journal. Six Feet From Grandma" was taken with a smart phone. “I took it while visiting family during the pandemic,” said Gootee. “I could see how she didn’t understand why I would not cross the fence or get close. This has been a hard time for everyone. Sometimes we forget how those who are so young are affected.”
DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Joey Ford
Joey Ford has been working for the Expanded Food and Nutrition Educator Program at MSU as a nutrition educator for 13 years. She provides food instruction to children and adults that gives them knowledge about being healthier and physically active. “My favorite aspect of my job is getting to know the people in the schools and community,” she said. “I truly enjoy this career of service and education.” She advises students interested in this career to practice kindness and respect to everyone, and says it is a profession of great opportunities.
DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Juli Hughes
Juli Hughes has been working as an Extension Agent for MSU for nearly 27 years. She manages all of the family and consumer sciences, agriculture, natural resources, community development and 4-H work in Choctaw County. “I wish more people realized just how many services MSU Extension offers to adults and children in Mississippi, and that much of it is free to the public,” she said. Her favorite aspect of her job is getting to meet and work with people from all over the county. She enjoys teaching health and nutrition programs such as Walk-A-Weigh and Dining with Diabetes.
CAVS-Extension helps Mississippi manufacturers address shortage of isolation gowns for hospitals
With a team led by Mississippi State’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems-Extension, Mississippi manufacturers and suppliers have come together to produce isolation gowns to help some of the state’s hospitals in need. “Since its founding, CAVS-E has been a tremendous asset for Mississippi’s manufacturing base and has a long track record of helping companies improve their production processes,” said MSU Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan. The CAVS-E effort was carried out by Lean Healthcare Deployment Coordinator Susan Moore, Project Manager John Moore, and Project Coordinator Debbie Miller.
In-person MSU Extension Service events resume at reduced capacities
The Mississippi State University Extension Service resumed in-person activities with social distancing guidelines in place Sept. 1.
“We are committed to keeping both our employees and our clients as safe as we can while still performing our much-needed educational programming,” said Extension Director Gary Jackson. “This means continuing to make as much of that education as possible available online while being available for our clients in person as appropriate.” Meetings at all Extension offices and units -- including the Bost Extension Center, the four regional Research and Extension Centers, and each of Extension’s 82 county offices -- will be limited to 50% seating occupancy for conference spaces and auditoriums. Participants must remain 6 feet apart.
ORED, Stennis Institute hosting four-part training series on advancing team science
Mississippi State University's Office of Research and Economic Development and the Stennis Institute of Government are hosting a four-part training series this fall focused on advancing team science. Topics for the virtual sessions, free to all MSU faculty and staff members, include Creating a Space for Collaboration (Sept. 16), Linking and Leveraging Expertise and Resources (Oct. 8), Defining Success and Finding a Starting Point (Oct. 21), and Getting Everyone to Take Action Together (Nov. 12). To register for the series, visit https://www.research.msstate.edu/initiatives/seminars.
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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