Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Department of Art Exhibit Coordinator Dixie Boswell takes a selfie while at the new MSU art exhibit in the Cullis Wade Depot. Titled "Crafted Identities," the exhibit showcases selected work from 12 artists exploring how an artist's craft shapes his or her identities. The free exhibit is open to the public through Feb. 19, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PHOTO: Megan Bean | Public Affairs

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Brianna Andrews
Brianna Andrews’s motto is “there is never a dull moment” while she is an Extension program assistant in the Coastal Marine Extension Program. Her responsibilities range from data analysis to educating the public on major environmental concerns. “My favorite memory is going out to Barrier Islands to look for native clams,” Brianna said. “We were unsuccessful in our initial search area but found several in an area we least expected. I remember jumping into the water, barely able to contain my excitement that there was tangible evidence clams were once here.”

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Casey Broom
Since childhood, Casey Broom has known she wanted to help animals. She grew up with horses, dogs, cats, chickens, and ducks and her passion for animals has never waned. After she completed the two-year veterinary technician program at Hinds Community College, she began working at the Animal Emergency and Referral Clinic in Flowood, which was acquired by MSU-CVM in May 2020. She spent 2.5 years working in the emergency department and followed that with time in the surgical unit. But when the rehabilitation unit opened two years ago, she found the perfect place to connect with patients.

Crosby Arboretum opens new bridge and pavilion to public
Two new architectural features at the Mississippi State University Crosby Arboretum in Picayune are now open to the public. The Mirror Perch Bridge and the adjacent Rosen Pavilion were formally unveiled during a ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony last month. Both structures are located within the Gum Pond educational exhibit on the north end of the nationally renowned native plant conservatory. They enhance the educational experience and highlight the pond’s ecological importance.

Celebrating Black History Month: African American Studies program hosts 28 Days of Service challenge
The African American Studies program at Mississippi State University is sponsoring a 28 Days of Service challenge to enhance community engagement and inspire students, faculty, staff and others to participate in service projects and assist community organizations. During Black History Month, the AAS program is encouraging participants to meet as many of the following weekly goals as possible. Participants are encouraged to tag the African American Studies program in social media posts documenting their community service. Follow on Facebook @MSUAAS and Instagram @msu_aas.

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.

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. The complete policy is available at www.policies.msstate.edu/policy/91301.

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MSU again leads Mississippi’s research universities, remains in nation’s top 100 in latest NSF survey
The latest survey from the National Science Foundation again affirms Mississippi State’s status as the state’s leading research university. Among all institutions in the NSF’s just-released Higher Education Research and Development Survey, MSU moved up the rankings to No. 92 nationally with more than $264.5 million in research and development expenditures for fiscal year 2019, an increase of $20 million from the previous year. “As we maintain our historical strengths in agriculture and engineering, I am continuously impressed by the research excellence displayed in every discipline at MSU, which this survey further affirms,” said MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan.

MSU commemorates Black History Month with a variety of February events
In honor of Black History Month, Mississippi State is presenting a variety of free events on the Starkville campus throughout February, including a Black history exhibit. Sponsored by MSU’s African American Studies program and University Archives, the exhibit titled “Nothing New Under the Sun: The History of Black Students at MSU” highlights the university’s Black activism and student life since Dr. Richard Holmes became the first Black student to enroll in the summer of 1965. The month-long showcase depicts the role of Black students on campus and their historical push for institutional change and acceptance. “Through images and documents from the Afro-American Plus Collection, the papers of Presidents Giles and McComas, and images contributed by the Society of African American Studies and Greek organizations, this exhibit shows the powerful history of Black student leadership on campus,” said Assistant Professor Jessica Perkins Smith.

Phi Kappa Phi honors Willard with Love of Learning award
The interim dean of Mississippi State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is being recognized by the one of the nation’s most prestigious academic honor societies. Scott Willard, who has dedicated more than two decades to educational advancement at Mississippi’s leading research university, is a recipient of the Love of Learning award from Phi Kappa Phi. Willard has been a PKP member for the last four years. The organization is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Each year, PKP honors 200 collegiate faculty members across the U.S. and in the Philippines with this award for their academic contributions and achievements.

General faculty meeting coming up Tuesday
The Office of the President and the Robert Holland Faculty Senate invite all faculty to the spring meeting of the General Faculty on Tuesday [Feb. 9] at 2 p.m. in the Hunter Henry Center's Parker Ballroom. Interested members of the campus community are also welcome. The program will include updates from President Mark E. Keenum, Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw, Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan, and Interim Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Reuben Moore. The MSU Television Center will provide a livestream of the meeting at https://vimeo.com/event/666863 for those unable to attend in person or who prefer to watch online.

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