Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Susannah Ural, the MSU Libraries' Frank and Virginia Williams Chair for Abraham Lincoln and Civil War Studies, presented "'To Keep the Jewel of Liberty within the Family of Freedom': Abraham Lincoln and African American Military Service in the U.S. Civil War" at Mitchell Memorial Library's Grisham Room last Thursday [Nov. 2]. Ural's presentation marked the sixth annual Frank and Virginia Williams Lecture Series on Abraham Lincoln and Civil War Studies. PHOTO: Beth Wynn | Public Affairs

MAFES scientist Dhillon honored with early career award for contributions to agricultural research
Mississippi State University Assistant Professor Jagmandeep Dhillon has received the Association of Agricultural Scientists of Indian Origin (AASIO) Early Career Agricultural Scientist Award for his contributions to agricultural research. AASIO gives this award annually in recognition of outstanding contributions made by an early-career agricultural scientist of Indian origin in any area of agricultural science. Dhillon’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) research is focused on corn agronomy. “Climate change and market volatility pose significant challenges to the agricultural sector. Through our research efforts, we aim to proactively equip producers in Mississippi and beyond with timely information, enabling them to adapt and thrive in the face of these complex circumstances,” Dhillon said.

AMEC's Goliath hopes to crack Mississippi cold cases with help from new online database
Through the creation of a new online university database, a Mississippi State forensic anthropologist is using his expertise to help find missing people. The Mississippi Repository for Missing and Unidentified Persons opens access to important forensic information and biological profiles. “This database was developed to address the lack of missing and unidentified repository data at both state and national levels. This issue continues to impact the identification of missing and unidentified people, especially people of color in the rural South,” said Jesse Goliath, an assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures who is leading the project. In addition to archiving missing persons data, Goliath said researchers, including AMEC Assistant Professor Jordan Lynton Cox, will use geospatial analysis to determine medicolegal and health disparities across the state.

MSU researchers pioneer new method to detect chronic wasting disease
Mississippi State University researchers are pioneering a new way to detect the local presence of chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal disease threatening the nation’s deer populations. Steve Demarais, Taylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction in MSU’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center, leads a team studying how scrapes left by deer could be a game changer in detecting CWD before noticeable physical symptoms surface. Scrapes are social cues bucks use to alert other deer of their presence, such as chewing an overhanging branch leaving saliva and pawing the ground to expose soil and urinating in the pawed area. Since the state’s first case of CWD was reported in 2018, MSU Deer Ecology and Management Laboratory scientists have been at the forefront of CWD research, addressing the needs of wildlife agencies combating this disease.

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Shandra Hurd
Helping to prepare our state’s youngest learners for a bright future is what Shandra Hurd strives to do every day in her role as the assistant director of education for the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. “My passion for early childhood continues to grow every day, and I feel very blessed to have been chosen for this career,” Hurd said. Among many responsibilities as an assistant director, Hurd ensures full implementation of the Mississippi State University Extension early learning system policies, procedures and tools to help students achieve school readiness goals. “I love witnessing the ‘ah-ha’ moments when our children are learning or experiencing something new,” Hurd said. “To watch their little faces light up with smiles or to hear their laughter in the centers brightens my day."

DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Omar Martinez
Although Omar Martinez grew up in Colombia and spent the past two decades in Brazil, he felt at home when joining the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center (DREC) experts in Stoneville last year. “The station offers all the necessary facilities for conducting research, and the culture and environment are exceptionally friendly,” Martinez said. “My parents are farmers, so, from the outset, this felt like home to me.” During the initial years of his education in animal science, Martinez was introduced to the world of honey bees, which immediately captured his attention and led to a two-decade journey spanning both the academic and commercial sectors. As a postdoctoral associate, his research project, “Honey bee queen reproduction plasticity and the effect on the performance of progenies," helps improve the quality of queens and the apiculture industry.

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.

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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University welcomes largest entering class in history
More first-time students are attending Mississippi State this fall than ever before. The university announced last Thursday [Nov. 2] an 11.4% increase in first-time students this semester, the largest entering class in the school’s 145-year history. MSU also recorded its highest number of freshman applications, as the university remains the No. 1 college choice for Mississippi’s high school graduates with 14,296 from the Magnolia State. This totals 63.1% of the student body. “More than ever, students and their families are choosing Mississippi State University to earn a degree and prepare for the future while also being part of a truly special and unique college experience,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “We are well known as a friendly and welcoming campus where students can excel in the classroom, grow through hands-on research and service opportunities, and develop lifelong relationships. They can also enjoy all that our vibrant and growing community has to offer.”

Luckyday Foundation announces $4 million for MSU’s new Azalea Hall complex, furthering its university and scholar support
A $4 million gift from the Luckyday Foundation of Jackson announced last Wednesday [Nov. 1] will benefit the construction of Mississippi State University’s new residence hall complex. Funds specifically are for the creation of the Luckyday Tower, a living and learning community for MSU’s Luckyday freshman Scholars in Azalea Hall, a $96 million project at the corner of Barr Avenue and George Perry Street set to open in August 2025. MSU’s vice president for Development and Alumni John Rush, who also is the MSU Foundation President and CEO, said, “Donors like the Luckyday Foundation want to make a positive difference in the lives of Mississippians, especially students who are eager to be involved with and serve local communities. With this type of support, Mississippi State is more competitive and successful in its efforts to not just grow scholarship of students, but also community, service and leadership -- the Luckyday program's fundamental principles.”

Mississippi State launches NOAA-funded Gulf Coast Aquatic Health Laboratory
Mississippi State is launching a new Gulf Coast Aquatic Health Laboratory to further enhance the university’s efforts to improve the health of aquatic animals and environments in the Gulf of Mexico, particularly in the Mississippi Sound. The new lab is under the Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security or GCAHFS, which is affiliated with the College of Veterinary Medicine, and is made possible by $1.8 million in funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The three-year project is led by Stephen Reichley, GCAHFS associate director and assistant professor in CVM’s Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine. The project’s goal is to establish a high-quality laboratory used to conduct research and provide cutting-edge diagnostic services for animal and environmental health.