Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

A brand new Blue Star Memorial has been added at Mississippi State's G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Center for America's Veterans at Nusz Hall in honor of sacrifices made by members of the nation's armed forces. The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc. hosted a ceremony unveiling the marker earlier this month with MSU President Mark E. Keenum and Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt taking part in the dedication. MSU is consistently recognized nationally as a top 10 university for support of the veteran community, and has been listed among the Military Friendly Schools rankings for three consecutive years. Additional photos from the dedication are available by clicking here. PHOTO: Megan Bean | Public Affairs

Thad Cochran Agricultural Leadership Program installs third class
Class is officially in session for the newest members of Mississippi’s principal agricultural leadership program. The third class of the Thad Cochran Agricultural Leadership Program -- or TCALP -- features 10 participants in a range of careers, from farming to sales and law, linked to food and fiber production -- including Alex Deason, agricultural agent with the Mississippi State University Extension Service in Sunflower County. In 2017, MSU Extension established the TCALP program in partnership with the Mississippi Farm Bureau. Participants gain skills and knowledge in entrepreneurship, agribusiness, leadership theory, public policy and global markets in a series of seminars. The group will then visit Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional leaders, study national public policy in agriculture and study the U.S. farm bill in depth.

Chemistry faculty, students making international waves through ground-breaking heart research
Mississippi State University Assistant Professor Christopher Johnson and a group of his students have been taking their ground-breaking heart research from the West Coast to Europe in 2022, introducing researchers world-wide to new ideas that improve the understanding of how electrical currents signal heartbeats and the implications it has for both healthy and sick individuals. MSU graduate student Bailey Herring -- a chemistry student working jointly with Johnson on structural biology and MSU Chemistry Professor Steven Gwaltney with quantum mechanics -- focuses her studies on the proteins in the heart. Herring said her research collaboration with Gwaltney and Johnson has allowed her the opportunity to build skills in quantum mechanics and structural biology that apply to the heart.

Lincoln expert, MSU alumnus visiting for Williams lecture series
Mississippi State University Libraries is welcoming an esteemed alumnus and Abraham Lincoln expert as the keynote speaker for the fifth annual Frank and Virginia Williams Lecture on Lincoln and Civil War Studies. Author and historian Terry Alford will present “The Lincolns, the Booths and the Spirits: Two Families and the Great Beyond in the Civil War,” Thursday [Nov. 3] at 2 p.m. in Mitchell Memorial Library’s John Grisham Room. He also will sign copies of his latest book, “In the Houses of Their Dead: The Lincoln, the Booths and the Spirits,” published this year by Liveright. Alford, who received a Ph.D. in history from MSU, is a founding board member of the Abraham Lincoln Institute in Washington, D.C.

New search committee training and resources in place
Mississippi State University is announcing a new online training module and handbook for university personnel serving on hiring committees. As part of the hiring process, all search committee members will be required to complete the online training offered through Human Resources Management. It is required for all faculty positions and professional positions that have a search committee. The goal of the training and focus on job search process is to ensure the university is attracting the broadest and most diverse applicant pools possible as the university seeks personnel to fulfill its learning, research and service missions. The training also helps to ensure candidates have a positive experience at all stages of the hiring process.

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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Faculty complete SEC Academic Leadership Development Program
Four Mississippi State University faculty members -- Ashli Brown, Shahram Rahimi, Rebecca Robichaux-Davis and Kathy Sherman-Morris -- have completed the Southeastern Conference’s Academic Leadership Development Program. The faculty are part of the 13th cohort of fellows in the SEC program, which is designed to identify, prepare and advance academic leaders for roles within SEC institutions and beyond. The program concluded this month with a three-day workshop held at the University of Georgia. The two-year program included a tailored university-level program for participants, as well as two three-day workshops that brought together representatives from the 14 SEC universities.

Mississippi Cyber Initiative expands outreach, marks milestones with Industry Day event
The Mississippi Cyber Initiative is marking major milestones and expanding its network of collaborators as the Mississippi State University-led initiative grows in its second year. The Mississippi Cyber Initiative hosted Industry Day earlier this month, inviting private sector companies to get involved in the statewide effort that has already led to several fruitful public sector partnerships. The event was held at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College’s Harrison County Campus. “We have had a lot of success in the early stages of this initiative,” said Jim Martin, MSU associate vice president for corporate engagement and economic development and Mississippi Cyber Initiative lead. “There is so much positive economic activity happening on the Gulf Coast, and if we can help grow advanced technology and cyber industries in this region, there is no reason the Interstate 10 corridor can’t be the next Huntsville.”

Bagley announces program rankings from the American Society for Engineering Education
Mississippi State University Bagley College of Engineering programs are being recognized by the American Society for Engineering Education 2021 By the Numbers report, with four ranked in the top 50. “I am pleased to see the impact that the Bagley College of Engineering is having on the engineering workforce through our graduates as reported by ASEE,” Dean Jason Keith said. “Our students continue to be in high demand because of the skills that we teach in our industry-focused curriculum.” Bagley was recognized for its diversity efforts by achieving top 50 rankings in total undergraduate degrees awarded to African American students and total undergraduate degrees awarded to female students.