Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

President Mark E. Keenum speaks during last week's dedication ceremony for the 12th annual Maroon Edition home. Mississippi State University’s chief executive praised students and other MSU and Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity volunteers for demonstrating love and compassion in building the new home for Starkville residents Chadrick Robinson and Santana Turnipseed and their five children. Keenum also expressed gratitude for the service of retired U.S. Army Captain Matt Savage in whose honor the home was built. PHOTO: Megan Bean | Public Affairs

Women officers serve integral roles at MSU Police Department
Mississippi State’s Police Department has long included women in many roles, but the contributions of female officers are only increasing over time -- especially as more women join the force. Police Chief Vance Rice said women officers are undeniably valuable to the department. “We value diversity on our force, and it’s important to have as much diversity as possible. Having women officers certainly makes us a stronger department,” Rice said. Corporal Chantel Solis-McCoy agrees that there are multiple advantages to the university community as more women officers serve. Corporal Stephanie Perkins said being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated field has never caused her to hesitate about her career path.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Kiersten Combs
Kiersten Combs had been working in graphic design for eight years before she was offered a job at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine assisting in creating visually appealing and communicative graphics. She works on the C.A.L.F. Stewardship project, Risk Project Blog, Population Medicine Rotation, and many other projects. er favorite aspect of her job is the overall atmosphere of working in the vet school. She grew up in a farming community and was always surrounded by animals, so being surrounded by animals and livestock while being able to do what she loves is a dream come true for her.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Latonya Ramsey
Latonya Ramsey enjoys the entire planning and implementation process involved as she leads educational programs in 4-H development, evaluates report results, and assesses local needs to develop partnerships as an MSU Extension Service agent in Jefferson Davis County. “I love speaking with people and initiating programs with those in the community and with other partners,” she said. “My favorite memory is seeing a young 4-H’er take the gardening skills she learned in our 4-H Gardening club and turned it into a business of her own in the community. The love and support the community showed her at her launch was so exciting and heartwarming.”

MSU data users invited to virtual Tableau Day
MSU Libraries, MSU Athletics and the Office of Research and Economic Development are inviting Mississippi State University data users of all levels to participate in Tableau Day on Thursday [April 8] at 2 p.m. via Webex. Tableau is a powerful, secure and flexible end-to-end analytics platform used by organizations across all industries, from nonprofit to global enterprise. This virtual event will focus on how MSU peers are leveraging visual analytics, making data driven-decisions, and building data culture. It also will feature a top requested session led by Tableau partner Lovelytics.

#SBW21: Super Bulldog Weekend set for April 16-18
A Mississippi State spring homecoming tradition returns April 16-18 with the annual Super Bulldog Weekend on the MSU campus. Coach Chris Lemonis' nationally ranked Diamond Dawgs will take on in-state rival Ole Miss at Dudy Noble Field for a three-game SEC series with game times at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Head football coach Mike Leach's 2021 Bulldogs will host the Maroon and White Game on Saturday, April 17, in Davis Wade Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. and admission is free. Television information will be announced in the near future.

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.

The Office of Public Affairs provides Maroon MEMO as a general information
resource for Mississippi State University employees.

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MSU, Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity ceremony dedicates ‘home built with love’ for local family, honors retired Army captain
Mississippi State University and Starkville Area Habitat for Humanity gave attendees of last week's 12th annual Maroon Edition home dedication ceremony many reasons to smile. “It is my hope that our students and the other volunteers who helped build this home will indeed be leading lifetimes of service, reconciliation and peace. For Santana and Chadrick, we hope this home will be a place of happiness, hope, contentment, generosity, creativity and kindness,” MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said. The Habitat home is part of the service-learning component of MSU’s Maroon Edition First-Year Reading Experience, which provides incoming freshmen and transfer students with a free copy of a common book. Learn more at www.maroonedition.msstate.edu.

Dutta receives 2021 SEC Faculty Achievement Award
Dipangkar Dutta is Mississippi State University’s winner of the 2021 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award, which annually honors distinguished faculty from across the SEC for their teaching accomplishments, scholarly contributions and discoveries. The conference announced last week that Dutta, a professor in MSU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, is among 14 faculty members from SEC universities to receive the prestigious award this year. Each award candidate must have amassed records of extraordinary teaching and nationally or internationally recognized scholarship. “Dr. Dutta is an exemplary member of the physics faculty, and through his teaching and mentorship, particularly of undergraduate students, he continually demonstrates an unmatched commitment to the university and his discipline,” said MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw.

Lawton garners prestigious NSF Career Award to study brain development
An assistant professor in Mississippi State’s Department of Biological Sciences is the recipient of more than $870,000 from the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program, one of the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious awards in support of early-career faculty. Andrew K. Lawton, an MSU faculty member since 2019, will use the five-year grant to initiate research on brain development -- specifically how the brain folds during development. He also will incorporate the research into a special course for undergraduate students and provide a refresher course for local educators. Holli Seitz, director of The Message Laboratory in MSU’s Social Science Research Center and an assistant professor in the communication department whose work is focused on science communication, will join Lawton in team-teaching a course for undergraduates based on the research Lawton is exploring with his CAREER grant.

Buys wins multistate research excellence award
David Buys, associate professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion and state health specialist with the MSU Extension Service, has been honored by a USDA multistate group for his research in helping aging adults live better, longer lives. Buys is a member of NE:1939, a multistate research group focused on improving the health span of aging adults through diet and physical activity. NE:1939, which is part of the USDA, recognized Buys for excellence in research. He’ll accept the award during the group’s annual meeting in June 2021, where he will also give the keynote address. Through assessment and the development and refinement of interventions, the group seeks to preserve and improve the health of aging adults in both rural and urban environments.

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