Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

The second class of the Thad Cochran Agricultural Leadership Program (TCALP) graduated from the program during a Jan. 23 ceremony at the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation state offices in Jackson. Pictured are, from left, Gary Jackson, Mississippi State University associate vice president for outreach and engagement; Mike McCormick, Mississippi Farm Bureau president; Jess Benson, TCALP associate director; TCALP graduates Rob Baker, Hillary Ball, Matthew Poe, Kayla Poe, Tyler Anderson, Rebekkah Arant, David Arant, Joseph Erickson and Jared Freeman; Michael Newman, TCALP director; and Steve Martin, MSU Extension interim director. The program provides 22 months of training for emerging leaders in Mississippi agriculture. Read more about TCALP at http://extension.msstate.edu/news. PHOTO: Kevin Hudson | MSU Extension Service

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Juan Cordero
Growing up on a family-owned plantain farm in Guatemala, agriculture has always been a part of Juan Cordero’s life, so a degree in agronomy was a natural fit for him, but his love for beef cattle led him to pursue a master’s in animal science. “You have to be passionate about what you do, said Cordero. “The hours are long and the conditions are hard. There is a lot you can’t control, so you have to be flexible and have good problem-solving skills.” Connections he made as a graduate student at another university steered Cordero to Mississippi State University in 2022.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Carolyn Harris
Carolyn Harris recently started her new position with Mississippi Child Care Resources and Referral, but her professional experience has been built around a longstanding love for families, community, and education. “Early childhood development plays a crucial role in long-term success,” said Harris. “Learning foundational skills that they can build upon throughout their lives is so important.” As the Region II Area Coordinator, Harris works with five resource and referral sites located in North Mississippi, ensuring the day-to-day activities at each site flow smoothly.

MSU breeding program creating quality horses
Horses have been part of Mississippi State University programs for years in teaching, research and the student equestrian team, but breeding has not been a significant aspect until recently. In the eight years he has been with MSU, Clay Cavinder, Extension equine specialist, has made equine breeding and sales a priority. “When I came to MSU, my strategy was twofold,” Cavinder said. “I wanted to create industry-acceptable, high-end horses, and I want a nationally recognized program here at MSU.”

Spring general faculty meeting coming up next week
The Office of the President and the Robert Holland Faculty Senate invite all faculty to the spring general faculty meeting at 2 p.m. on Feb. 14 in Colvard Student Union’s Foster Ballroom, Section U. 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 Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Keith Coble. The MSU Television Center will provide a livestream of the meeting at https://vimeo.com/event/2762401 for those unable to attend in person or who prefer to watch online.

MSU Lyceum Series kicks off spring schedule with The Acting Company’s take on ‘Romeo and Juliet’
Mississippi State’s 75th season of the Lyceum Series continues into the spring semester with The Acting Company’s rendition of the classic Shakespeare play “Romeo and Juliet.” The Tony Award-winning touring theater group based in New York will perform the play on Thursday [Feb. 9] at 7 p.m. at Bettersworth Auditorium in historic Lee Hall. The performance is free for MSU students, and the general public can purchase tickets at www.union.msstate.edu/student-activities/lyceum/tickets. Individual tickets are $30 per person and $25 for MSU employees and senior citizens.

Nominations open until March 1 for University Academic Advising Awards
Guidelines and nomination forms for the 2023 University Academic Advising Awards are now available. The deadline for nominations for these awards -- Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence in Advising Awards, Wes Ammon Outstanding New Staff Advisor Award and Foil-Wyatt Outstanding New Faculty Advisor Award -- is 5 p.m. on March 1.

2023-2024 Community-Engaged Learning Fellows applications now available
Applications are now available for Mississippi State University's 2023-2024 Community-Engaged Learning Fellows program. The CEL Fellows program supports instructional faculty and staff in integrating community-engaged learning into their formal or non-formal teaching. The CEL Fellows program seminar will meet in May. Participants receive a $1,000 course or research development award, peer support and one-on-one assistance to design a new CEL course or modify an existing course. Program guidelines and application can be obtained via an email to michelle.garraway@msstate.edu. Submissions are due by Feb. 28.

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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Smith named university’s Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year
Pete Smith, an associate professor of communication at Mississippi State University, is MSU’s 2023 Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year. Smith will receive his award at the MHC’s annual ceremony in Jackson on March 24. Approximately 30 awards will be given to Mississippians whose work is recognized for bringing insights of the humanities to public audiences. Smith’s tribute includes a $400 honorarium and invitation to deliver the MSU College of Arts and Sciences annual humanities lecture -- free and open to the public -- March 2 at 2 p.m. in Mitchell Memorial Library’s third-floor John Grisham Room.

Collaboration by associate dean, professor produce second-edition, seminal forest resource economics textbook
A Mississippi State administrator and a faculty member in the College of Forest Resources are celebrating the January release of a co-authored, newly revised second edition of a recognized and well-utilized forest economics textbook. MSU authors Steven Bullard and Stephen C. Grado partnered with Mississippi Development Authority’s Marcus Measells and Clemson University’s Thomas Straka to update and modernize W. David Klemperer’s “Forest Resource Economics and Finance,” published by Stephen F. Austin University Press to educate foresters and students nationwide on evaluating forestry investments.

Fitzkee, former colleagues identify key protein interactions that could improve nanoparticle-based drugs
A Mississippi State faculty member’s collaborative effort on protein function was featured in a recent issue of Nature Communications and aims to enhance the performance of nanomedicines, which could lead to improved drug development. Professor of Chemistry Nicholas Fitzkee was joined by three former MSU colleagues -- Siddik Alom, Joanna Xiuzhu Xu and Rahul Yadav -- on the project, which addresses a longstanding challenge in the field of nanotechnology, the lack of approaches for making predictions about the protein corona.