Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Derris Devost-Burnett, an associate professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, explains principles of beef carcass fabrication in the Mississippi State University Meat and Muscle Biology Laboratory. The lab was one stop in “Marination 101: The Flavor of Science,” offered by the MSU Extension Service in mid-April. Forty-seven industry professionals from across the United States and Canada attended the three-day seminar that covered a range of topics such as meat marination, marinade formulations, breading, food chemistry, flavor enhancements, equipment and more. Read more about Marination 101 at extension.msstate.edu. PHOTO: Kevin Hudson | MSU Extension Service

MSU alumnus brings support through endowed department head chair
Mississippi State alumnus Doug Marchant and his wife, Gloria, have established an endowed department head chair in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. “I am appreciative of the vision that Doug and Gloria Marchant have in endowing the department head’s chair in computer science & engineering,” said Jason Keith, dean of the Bagley College of Engineering. “These positions bring a lot of additional recognition to the department, college and university, but especially to the chairholder.”

MSU Athlete Engineering Summit returns this week
The second annual Mississippi State University Athlete Engineering Summit will bring together experts from across the country this week to address human performance issues in sports, industry, military and medical applications. With a theme of “Speaking the Same Language,” the summit will be held Wednesday [May 10] and Thursday [May 11] at the Communiversity. Reuben Burch, associate professor in the MSU Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering and head of MSU’s multidisciplinary Athlete Engineering research group, said communication between sectors studying human performance can better address common issues. A wide range of experts will share how their teams and new technologies are impacting performance.

Exciting summer camps offer a variety of learning options at MSU
From honing athletic skills and discovering academic interests to diving into the pool and launching a new business, summer camps at Mississippi State meet a wide variety of interests. The university’s newest catalog of 2023 camps may be viewed online at www.guestservices.msstate.edu/camps/camp-participants. “We always look forward to hosting a lot of campus guests during this great assortment of summer activities and programs. Many of these visitors are youth, but whether you’re looking for something for young children through high schoolers, and even college age and beyond, take a look at the growing opportunities to learn, be enriched and have fun,” said MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt.

Summer semester golf memberships now available
The MSU Golf Course’s 2023 Summer Semester Golf memberships are now available. Current students, faculty and staff can now have unlimited green fees and golf car fees for $600 for the semester. A green fees-only option is available for $325. Memberships run from May 15 to Aug. 11. Stop by the golf shop during normal business hours to fill out the membership form and get signed up. Student charge forms are available for this charge. If you have questions, please call 662-325-3028 or email Tim Basel, PGA head golf professional, at tbasel@business.msstate.edu.

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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Zant to retire, Potts named to interim post
Veteran Mississippi State University Vice President for Finance and Administration Don A. Zant has announced his pending retirement effective June 30, and MSU President Mark E. Keenum has named current MSU Associate Vice President for Administration Les Potts as interim vice president. “Don Zant’s long and distinguished career at MSU has provided him an exhaustive knowledge of our financial operations and our administrative structures,” said Keenum. “To say that Don’s wise counsel and expertise will be missed is a vast understatement. Don has served Mississippi State ably and well for many years and we wish him and Andrea all the best in their retirement years.”

Grawe named dean of College of Business
A supply chain management expert who has worked to improve student success by developing multi-disciplinary initiatives and spearheading experiential learning opportunities is the next dean of Mississippi State’s College of Business. Mississippi State Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw last Monday [May 1] announced Scott J. Grawe will join the university July 1. His MSU appointment is pending formal approval by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. Grawe succeeds Dean Sharon Oswald, who is retiring from the university this summer after leading the college since 2011.

Bickle earns elite lifetime membership in top philosophy, psychology association
Mississippi State Professor John Bickle has earned the distinction of lifetime member -- a rare honor -- in the Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, joining a select, prestigious group of less than 20 social scientists nationwide. One of the U.S.’s oldest philosophy and psychology organizations, the SSPP was founded in 1904 to promote the fields of philosophy and psychology through the facilitation of academic ideas, encouraging investigation, fostering the educational function of the fields, and by improving the academic status of the subjects.

Likes receives top honors from state broadcasting organization
The Mississippi Association of Broadcasters -- the state’s premier organization dedicated to recognizing the highest standards of broadcast television production -- has awarded Mississippi State Professor Terry Likes highest honors for his broadcasting skills during the group’s spring awards ceremony. Likes, head of MSU’s Department of Communication, won first place in the “documentary” category for his report, “Where politicians and media laugh: a retrospective of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner,” and he also won first place “feature story,” for his report, “Hello, I’m Johnny Cash: His concert and arrest in Starkville impact the legacy for both the singer and the community.”