Vibrant flowers bloom in front of the Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering as Mississippi State University kicked off the second summer academic term last Thursday [July 6]. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs
Luan equates NSF funding into environmental, biological systems solutions
A Mississippi State University faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics is confronting real-world problems with funding from two National Science Foundation grants, using math to address issues ranging from weather events to computational biology. Assistant Professor Vu Thai Luan, a member of MSU’s Center for Computational Sciences, this summer earned his second NSF award -- a three-year, $226,073 grant -- for developing new mathematical methods to provide efficient solutions for complex systems while maintaining computational efficiency.
Hagenston wins prestigious Story Foundation Prize
Professor Becky Hagenston in Mississippi State’s Department of English is adding to the department’s creative writing prowess with an elite short story prize and the release of six recent pieces of original work.
The winner of a 2020 Pushcart Prize and two O. Henry Awards, Hagenston this spring won Story magazine’s Story Foundation Prize for her work “Woman of the House,” garnering $1,500 and publication of the piece in the summer edition. “Story is one of my absolute favorite literary journals,” Hagenston said. “I enter their contest every year and read every issue. I feel so thrilled and honored to be published in the magazine.” Hagenston drew inspiration for “Woman of the House” from stories her in-laws shared about living in Rapid City, South Dakota, in the early 1970s.
Bostic named 2023 Distinguished Educator by national art society
Alex Bostic, a Mississippi State art professor who has spent more than 40 years enriching students, is the Society of Illustrators’ 2023 Distinguished Educator, a national honor recognizing his contributions to art and higher education both inside and outside the classroom. Bostic, who joined the MSU Department of Art in 2010, is an award-winning, nationally exhibited artist whose work includes a portrait of African American artist Edmonia Lewis commissioned as a U.S. Postal Service stamp, illustrations for the children’s book “Free at Last: A Juneteenth Poem” and other numerous traditional and figurative pieces.
Research on healthy aging earns Adams-Price GSA Fellow status
A Mississippi State University psychology faculty member is adding a new title from the Gerontological Society of America to her accolades. Professor Carolyn Adams-Price, whose research focuses on gerontology -- the process of aging -- has been awarded Fellow status, the highest class of membership within the GSA, and will be recognized for her notable contributions in studying creativity in aging at the annual GSA meeting this fall in Tampa, Florida. Awardees are granted the “FGSA” designation -- Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America -- and encouraged to use it when listing their academic credentials.
College of Education’s Valentine named Professional of the Year by MSU Division of Student Affairs
Mississippi State’s Division of Student Affairs appreciates the faculty and staff who care for each student, and they are recognizing the College of Education’s embedded counselor as Professional of the Year. Michael Valentine is receiving the Bill Broyles, Assistant Vice President, Emeritus, Professional of the Year Award. “My greatest hope is to increase awareness of how life presents difficulties for everyone and that, by being empathetic and kind, we can reduce some of the stress that our fellow members of the college face and make this an even better place to work and study,” Valentine said.
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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