Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

National Student Exchange program coordinators pose at the steps of Mississippi State’s historic YMCA Building during their campus familiarity tour last Tuesday [Oct. 17]. Approximately 50 NSE program coordinators learned more about the university’s potential for hosting undergraduate learners from across North America during the visit. As part of the group’s tour, coordinators participated in a meet-and-greet session with school representatives; listened to a history of MSU and the land-grant university system, and the impact of both on education, outreach and research; heard from incoming and outgoing NSE students who discussed their program experiences; and toured campus, with stops at the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Barnes & Noble. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs

Rai, Gangishetty secure significant DOE grant to ‘unfold the mystery of enhanced brightness’ in LEDs
Mississippi State University researchers are honing in on next-generation LED technology with a $708,506 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to study tailoring the brightness of lead halide perovskites -- solid-state inorganic materials -- which show promise in LEDs, solar cells and photodetectors. Mahesh K. Gangishetty, an MSU assistant professor with appointments in both the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, leads the three-year grant in collaboration with co-principal investigator Neeraj Rai, an MSU professor of chemical engineering. The funding source is the DOE Office of Science’s Basic Energy Sciences program.

American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering recognizes MSU scientists with publication awards
Publications from two teams of Mississippi State University scientists have been recognized by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ASABE) with the society’s annual superior paper awards. Daniel Chesser, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, was recognized for the study he and his team published last year, “Design and Development of a Broiler Mortality Removal Robot.” Jason Street, associate professor in the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts and scientist in the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, and his research team received an award for their publication, “Wood Pellet Production with the Inclusion of Rice Hull Derived Bio-oil.”

Avila presents keynote speech at weed science conference in Argentina
Luis Avila, Mississippi State’s Dr. Glover B. Triplett Endowed Chair, presented to over 700 people at the 2023 Argentinian Weed Congress in Mar del Plata, Argentina in September. The Argentinian Weed Science Association is a non-profit organization that aims to encourage the dissemination of knowledge related to weed science and invasive species. The organization hosts the Weed Congress every two years to foster discussions on cutting-edge research in weed science. Avila, a weed science associate professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, was invited to be the keynote speaker and accepted the invitation to present on the topic “Effect of climate change on weed biology and management.”

Gillen accepted into Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research’s Mentoring Academy
A Mississippi State University faculty member is a member of the 2023-24 cohort of the Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research’s Mentoring Academy. Zachary Gillen, an assistant professor in the College of Education's Department of Kinesiology, is among a class of early-career faculty members and investigators from other colleges and universities in the state who are developing mentoring skills through sessions facilitated by established faculty members. As the director of MSU’s Resistance Exercise Performance Laboratory, Gillen’s research aims to understand the underlying mechanisms leading to increases in muscle strength and power in various populations, primarily through the use of noninvasive techniques.

Reminder: University policy addresses employee political activity
With political campaigning underway this fall for local and statewide offices, Mississippi State's Office of General Counsel offers the following reminder of the university’s policy on political activities as the Nov. 7 general election nears. There are several basic guidelines that university employees should keep in mind when engaging in any form of political activity. MSU employees are encouraged to review OP 01.14: Political Activities in its entirety and to understand their rights and responsibilities.

Longest Student Health Center providing flu shot clinics this fall
Mississippi State’s Longest Student Health Center will provide flu shot clinics across campus and in-house this year. Walk-ins are welcome, but recipients may also make appointments. To schedule a visit, call 662-325-2431 and select Option 1. Shots are $30 -- cash, card and checks are accepted -- and can be filed to insurance at the time of service. LSHC flu clinics are scheduled every Thursday in October and November, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other campus flu clinics will be held 1-4 p.m. on Wednesdays at various locations.

ITS releases new website builder for faculty
Mississippi State Information Technology Services is announcing the release of a new website builder that will allow faculty members to create personal, professional websites without having to learn how to code. sample of what can be created can be seen at https://www.faculty.msstate.edu/awl22. For more information on what the content editing process looks like, visit https://www.drupal.msstate.edu/guides/faculty-website. All sites will be hosted on an ITS-supported server using Drupal as the content management system. Everything from the server and the operating system to Drupal and the website theme will be maintained by ITS. Faculty can use their time on their content.

Nomination period open for 2024 MSU Online Teaching Award
The nomination window for the 2024 Mississippi State Online Teaching Award is open now until 5 p.m. Jan. 7. In its sixth year, the award acknowledges and rewards an MSU online instructor who employs best practices to engage, inspire and support students in an online environment. Potential nominees include faculty members, instructors or lecturers of a Campus 5 course taught in the current academic year. The winner will receive a $500 award along with registration to attend an online education-related conference similar to OLC, UPCEA or USDLA. The winner will be notified in April.

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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Catchot named director of MSU Extension
Mississippi State University Extension has a new leader with a long history of connecting Mississippians with information they need through research, education and outreach. Angus L. Catchot Jr. is the new MSU Extension director, effective Nov. 1. “Dr. Catchot brings a strong administrative background along with a solid record of teaching and research accomplishments to the task of leading Extension professionals and support staff in continuing our tradition of serving the people of Mississippi in every county,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. MSU Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Vice President Keith Coble said during the interview process, “It was clear Angus has an energy and passion for Extension and what it means to serve our state. Angus is uniquely poised to step into this role, as one of his greatest strengths is his communication ability.”

MSU Extension selects Newman to lead northeast region
A county and interim regional coordinator for the Mississippi State University Extension Service will soon take the reins as regional coordinator in its northeast region. Lance Newman will begin his new duties on Dec. 1. Newman has been with MSU Extension since 1999. He currently leads Lafayette County’s MSU Extension office as its coordinator and has served as the interim regional coordinator for the Delta region for more than a year. Newman is replacing Linda Mitchell, who has led the northeast region since 2015. Mitchell was also the interim head of the MSU Extension Center for 4-H Youth Development until earlier this year, when she was named director.

Arts and Sciences elevates student success with new directors
Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences is strategically placing student success at the forefront with the promotion of two employees to focus on students and their path to the academic finish line in the university’s largest college. Emily Cain, director of academic relations for curriculum and advising, and Kasondra Harris, director of academic relations for the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies degree program, began their new appointments earlier this fall. “Kasondra Harris has skillfully led the growth of the BSIS major, both in terms of new curriculum and in connecting students pursuing interdisciplinary degrees to mentors and peers,” said Associate Dean Melanie Loehwing. “Emily Cain’s ambitious expansion of the curriculum development and advising resources offered in the College of Arts and Sciences has transformed the capacity of our faculty and staff to serve students well."

Tschume named newest Luckyday Scholars Program Faculty Fellow
Mississippi State Grisham Master Teacher Jacob Tschume is the university’s newest Luckyday Scholars Program Faculty Fellow. Tschume joins the program to help facilitate its growth on campus, including the addition of sections of the Luckyday Seminar course open to the incoming freshman class of scholars. His 11-year MSU career in the classroom includes a focus on making students successful while in college and also after graduation. Christa King, director of the Luckyday Scholars Program, said of Tschume, “As a faculty member for over a decade, he has shown time after time his willingness to not only be a high-quality educator, but a mentor for students as well.” A native of Olive Branch, Tschume joined MSU’s mathematics faculty in 2012 and began serving as an undergraduate advisor in 2015.