Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum (second from left) recently welcomed prominent members of the U.S. Department of Agriculture to the Starkville campus for discussions about collaboration and research opportunities. Pictured are Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA Undersecretary of Agriculture for Research, Education and Economics (second from right); Sharon Drumm, Chief of Staff (left); and Archie Tucker, USDA Southeast Associate Area Director. PHOTO: Megan Bean | Public Affairs

University Press of Mississippi representatives invite faculty to discuss scholarly publication process Tuesday
University Press of Mississippi representatives will lead a presentation on scholarly publications 2 p.m. Tuesday [Oct. 4] in Mitchell Memorial Library’s Templeton Music Museum. Those interested in the publication process from manuscript acquisition to marketing finished books, tips on pitching book projects, and resources for those considering transforming a dissertation into a book are invited to attend. The event will feature UPM Director Craig W. Gill, who said the full-service publisher is interested book proposals on all aspects of popular culture. The press focuses on nonfiction and encompasses a wide range of scholarly and trade works.

Making the Grade: MSU scientists apply high-resolution imaging technology to detect poultry quality defects
Mississippi State scientists are applying powerful imaging technology that detects subsurface bruising in fruits as a potential way to identify and grade meat quality defects in poultry. With the goal of developing an automated, reliable method with less human error than manual inspection, MSU scientists with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station are conducting research on the feasibility of sinusoidal-illumination imaging, or SII technology, as that novel tool. The project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Open enrollment for benefits underway this month
Mississippi State faculty and staff are reminded to review their existing coverage in preparation for benefits open enrollment during October. You may review your current coverage and deductions in your MyState account. The HRM website provides an overview of benefits. Visit www.hrm.msstate.edu/benefits for more information. Open enrollment is for the election of new coverage and changing or dropping existing coverage. The appropriate form(s) must be completed and submitted to your benefits specialist no later than Oct. 31. If you do not want to add additional coverage or make changes to your existing coverage, no further action is required for your benefits to continue in 2023.

Campus Climate Survey: Let your voice be heard
Mississippi State students, faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to complete the 2022 Campus Climate Survey that will help us build a more inclusive campus environment. The survey opened on Sept. 20 and will close on Oct. 21. Please visit www.msstate.edu/campusclimate for more information or to complete the survey. Those in need of access to technology to complete the survey can visit the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, located on the second floor of the Colvard Student Union, or the Computer Commons, located on the second floor of the Mitchell Memorial Library. Please contact the MSU Division of Access, Diversity and Inclusion at 662-325-2859 if you prefer a paper copy.

2022 MSU Excellence in Community Engagement Award nominations now open
The Mississippi State Center for Community-Engaged Learning encourages your department faculty, staff and students to apply for a 2022 MSU Excellence in Community Engagement Award. Any MSU faculty, staff, or student can apply on behalf of a project in the following categories: Community-Engaged Service, Community-Engaged Research, Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning, and Scholarship of Engagement. A $3,000 award will be given in each of those areas to recognize outstanding work and support its continuation. Projects that achieve honorable mention in each category will receive $750. The submission deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 17.

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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American Society of Civil Engineers honors Vahedifard for groundbreaking research paper
A Mississippi State Bagley College of Engineering faculty member is the 2022 recipient of one of the oldest and most respected awards of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Farshid Vahedifard, a professor within MSU’s Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is receiving the ASCE’s Norman Medal for his technical paper, “Levee Fragility Behavior under Projected Future Flooding in a Warming Climate.” Vahedifard is the lead author with co-authors Firas Jasim, a 2019 Ph.D. graduate of MSU, and Masood Abdollahi, a current MSU doctoral student, along with Professor Amir AghaKouchak and graduate student Aneseh Alborzi of UC-Irvine, and Fred Tracy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Dzukogi one of three on shortlist for $100K Nigerian literature prize
A Mississippi State English faculty member is one of three nominees selected for a shortlist of finalists to receive the 2022 Nigeria Prize for Literature for his poetry written in tribute to his late daughter. Saddiq Dzukogi, an assistant professor in MSU’s Department of English, recently was shortlisted for his book, “Your Crib, My Qibla” (University of Nebraska Press, 2021). The winner will be notified on Oct. 14 and will earn a $100,000 cash prize awarded by Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas. Dzukogi joined MSU’s faculty this fall and currently teaches Introduction to Creative Writing and the Craft of Poetry.

Ball 'jumps' into Army ROTC learning experience
Mississippi State Director of Admissions and Scholarships Lori Ball is now a more valuable advocate for MSU’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program after completing a national leadership and team training program that ended with a challenging 13,000-foot tandem skydive jump. Established to help bridge the civil-military divide, the U.S. Army Cadet Command’s 2022 Centers of Influence program provided Ball and other academic influencers the opportunity to become more informed about the nation’s Army ROTC and gain first-hand experience. Ball was nominated “for her great influence in students’ lives” by MSU’s program.

Three counseling degree programs again earn national accreditation
Two counseling master’s degree curriculums and a doctoral program in Mississippi State’s College of Education have once again achieved national accreditation, ensuring professional licensure pathways for graduates in these fields. Master’s programs in clinical mental health counseling and school counseling, along with the doctoral program in counselor education and supervision recently received the welcomed accreditation decision from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. All three curriculums are in the university’s Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations, with the two master’s programs offered at both the Starkville and Meridian campuses and the doctoral program offered in Starkville.