Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

President Mark E. Keenum welcomed the university’s newest faculty members to campus during their orientation last Thursday [Aug. 10]. Coordinated by the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, New Faculty Orientation featured a day of welcome sessions and introductions to campus programs, offices, personnel, and resources, as well as a luncheon and a reception at the end of the day. More than 100 new faculty members are joining Mississippi State for the new academic year, which gets underway Wednesday [Aug. 16] with the start of fall semester classes. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs

Dyer, Woody calculate statistically sound data on declining snow cover
Mississippi State University faculty members and a national group of researchers have created new statistical methods needed to study declining snow cover and quantify changing climate patterns in the Northern Hemisphere. The College of Arts and Sciences’ Jamie Dyer, a professor of meteorology and climatology, and Jonathan Woody, an associate professor of mathematics and statistics, collaborated on the new study published in the Journal of Hydrometeorology analyzing snow cover data gathered from satellite flyovers between 1967 and 2021. The data was divided into grid sections for analysis by NOAA -- the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In addition to the MSU researchers, the National Science Foundation-supported study included others from the universities of California-Santa Cruz, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and North Florida.

Tuesday deadline for DAWG professional development program
The Mississippi State University Office of Research Development is pleased to announce the return of the DAWG program. The Departmental Administrator's Working Group (DAWG) is a year-long professional development and training opportunity for unit-level support personnel who have responsibilities related to sponsored projects. DAWG members are guided through the proposal lifecycle and grants administration processes to gain a better understanding of pre and post award functions. The deadline for applications is Tuesday [Aug. 15].

Starkville-MSU Community Band seeks new members ahead of fall rehearsals
Amateur Bulldog instrumentalists and musically inclined Golden Triangle residents are invited to join the Starkville-MSU Community Band ahead of fall rehearsals. Spots are available to local residents and MSU faculty, staff and students who are at least 15 years old and have previous school band experience. All skill levels are welcome, including musicians who haven’t played in a while. “We had a great spring with our community musicians and are looking forward to having them back together again,” said Band Director Johnny Folsom. “It’s great to see folks get out their instruments and enjoy playing them again.” Beginning Sept. 11, the band will meet 6:30-8:30 p.m. each Monday at the Kent Sills Band Hall.

MSU Lyceum Series: New season tickets now on sale
Five acts spanning a variety of genres will entertain fans with live performances during the Mississippi State Lyceum Series’ upcoming 76th season. The 2023-24 event year begins with a performance by Kings Return, a Grammy-nominated acapella vocal group, at 7 p.m. Oct. 4 in Lee Hall’s historic Bettersworth Auditorium. Drawing from R&B, jazz, gospel and pop influences, the group defies the constraints of a single musical genre and explores a myriad of sonic shades and textures. The renewal period for season ticket holders concluded July 30, with new season tickets going on sale July 31. Mini-series tickets will be available Aug. 22, with individual event tickets on sale Sept. 12.

Fall MSU Golf Course memberships now available
Fall 2023 memberships to the MSU Golf Course are now available. Current students, faculty and staff can now have unlimited green and golf car fees for $600 for the semester. A green fee-only option is available for $325. Memberships begin Aug. 14 and end Dec. 10. Sign-up forms are available at the golf shop during regular business hours, and student-charge forms are also available. For more information, call 662-325-3028 or email Tim Basel, PGA head golf professional, at tlb30@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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MSU receives $4 million in NSF EPSCoR funding to study Mississippi Delta climate impacts, resilience
Mississippi State University is leading a $4 million, five-year National Science Foundation-funded effort to study climate change impacts in the Mississippi Delta and increase resilience among vulnerable populations. The project, led by Professor Shrinidhi Ambinakudige in MSU’s Department of Geosciences, is part of a new round of National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Track-2 funding. Project co-principal investigators include MSU Geosciences faculty members Brian Williams, Christy Hyman and Fikriyah Winata. In addition to the co-principal investigators, MSU faculty members supporting the project include Boniface Fosu and Renee Clary in Geosciences, Raja Reddy in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Northern Gulf Institute Deputy Director Jamese Sims and Jamie Dyer, interim dean of MSU’s Interdisciplinary Program.

MSU-Meridian’s Master of Physician Assistant Studies program advances toward accreditation with continued provisional status
Mississippi State University-Meridian is well on the way to achieving accreditation goals for the new Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program. Associate Vice President and Head of Campus Terry Dale Cruse is congratulating PA Program Director Shey Washburn and faculty for achieving continued provisional status of accreditation. The rigorous 29-month program at the Riley Campus in downtown Meridian first welcomed students in early 2021. Accreditation involves a multi-year, formal process administered by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, or ARC-PA. The second of three site visits occurred earlier this year, and MSU-Meridian leaders recently received an official report confirming the commission’s continued confidence in the state’s only publicly funded program.

Mississippi Book Festival features Collins, Foreman
Two Mississippi State faculty members will connect with their literary fans at the annual Mississippi Book Festival in Jackson this weekend. The Saturday [Aug. 19] “Literary Lawn Party” -- free and open to the public -- will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the historic downtown State Capitol and surrounding grounds and in nearby Galloway United Methodist Church. In addition to numerous authors from across Mississippi and the nation, MSU representatives include Christie Collins, lecturer in the Department of English, and Josh Foreman, instructor in the Department of Communication. Collins recently published her first full-length book of poetry titled “The Art of Coming Undone” (Maida Vale Publishing). Foreman specializes in creative non-fiction, particularly focused on Mississippi and the American South. Now in its ninth year, the festival includes book signings, workshops and 50 panel discussions ranging in topics like civil rights, nature, true crime and Mississippi football.

Knight, Stafne recognized with American Society for Horticultural Science national leadership awards
Two long-time plant and soil sciences professors stationed at the MSU Coastal Research and Extension Center are being recognized with career awards from the nation’s leading professional horticultural society. The American Society for Horticultural Science is honoring Patricia Knight with the Outstanding Leadership and Administration Award and Eric Stafne with the Outstanding Extension Educator Award. “The American Society for Horticultural Science has a great leadership team, and many of the members have been friends and collaborators throughout my entire career,” Knight said. “It is a tremendous honor to have been nominated by my peers at Mississippi State University with support from colleagues around the country, and I’m humbled to have won.” “It’s a great honor to be nominated and recognized for the past 18 years of my career as an Extension professor,” Stafne said. “I greatly appreciate the professional support of ASHS and those who help make my work possible -- technicians, agents, grower collaborators and others who take the time and effort to help execute successful programs.”