Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Rich red poinsettias sold during the MSU Horticulture Club's annual fundraiser earlier this month serve as a reminder of the university's upcoming winter break. MSU will be closed beginning December 20. Campus will reopen on January 2, 2024. Winter session classes end on January 10, with the spring semester starting on January 16. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs

State climatologist, MSU professor Brown: Drought severity could go either direction this winter, better or worse
State Climatologist and Mississippi State University Professor of Meteorology Mike Brown said he’s never wished for a tropical storm in the Magnolia State -- until this year when the drought, in recent months and weeks, became so severe he thought rain from a tropical system might be beneficial enough to outweigh storm risks. The ground has gotten so dry over the past months of drought, Brown said, that even a wet winter may not be enough to fully replenish depleted groundwater. The drought, which began in late July, is the driest the state has experienced since drought monitoring began over 20 years ago and is about a once-in-50-years scenario, Brown said. From his office at Mississippi State, Brown monitors the drought and updates other weather conditions through his role as state climatologist.

MSU supports disaster preparation, planning with NOAA and FEMA
When rivers overflow, flood waters move quickly, threatening to destroy people and property. A recent training exercise led by Mississippi State University demonstrates the potential of uncrewed aircraft systems to provide high-resolution imagery in real time during disaster events, giving officials up-to-date information they need to best protect the communities they serve. MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 4 to conduct flights in Mississippi in mid-November. “This flight exercise demonstrates how leveraging the capabilities of large uncrewed aircraft increases the accuracy and efficiency of flood data collection and provides rapid flood impact assessment information during an emergency scenario to get help to those who need it,” said Jamie Dyer, MSU professor of meteorology and climatology.

‘Whim-wham’ for the win: MSU takes first place in AAS display garden challenge
For the third time since its beginning, and the second time in the last five years, Mississippi State’s display garden at the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station is a first-place national winner in the All-America Selections annual design challenge in the Under 10,000 Visitors category. MSU’s Poplarville station, part of the university’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, or MAFES, hosts one of nearly 200 AAS display gardens throughout the U.S. and Canada, including other college gardens, botanic gardens, arboretums and a variety of other garden spaces. “In 2000, we applied to become an All-America Selection Garden,” said Tricia Knight, research professor and director of coastal horticulture research at MSU’s Coastal Research and Extension Center. “We have a small garden in a remote location, so receiving this honor three times in that period speaks to the dedication of our faculty, staff and partners.”

SMART bus schedule adjusted for holidays
Mississippi State’s Starkville-MSU Area Rapid Transit system will adjust its daily schedule during Christmas break. Specifically, route times and availability will change from Dec. 20 to Jan. 1, with normal service resuming Jan. 2. Route times and availability will again change on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 15) and resume normal service on Jan. 16. Paratransit and the Golden Triangle Regional Airport route will operate as normal, excluding Dec. 24, when service will end at 2 p.m. For more schedules, route maps and more, visit www.smart.msstate.edu/schedule-and-routes.

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 tops $300 million in latest NSF research survey, among top 100 nationally
Mississippi State University is again among the top research universities nationally after reporting more than $300 million in research and development expenditures in the latest National Science Foundation report. “I am extremely proud of the way our research activities continue to grow and help lead our state forward,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “We have research teams supporting our state’s most vital economic sectors and expertise that is recognized around our nation and world. Our research programs also provide unmatched hands-on learning opportunities for our students as they work closely with world-class faculty on impactful research.” As the Magnolia State’s leading research university, MSU again accounts for more than half (53.6%) of the $565.3 million in research and development expenditures reported by all Mississippi institutions in the NSF survey.

Landscape Architecture announces Spafford as new department head
Experienced landscape architect and educator Anne Spafford has been named head of the Department of Landscape Architecture at Mississippi State University effective Jan. 1, 2024. Spafford, who most recently was professor and associate department head of the Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University, has 25 years’ experience in higher education teaching and research. Scott Willard, dean of the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said Spafford’s unique expertise positions her as an ideal fit as professor and department head. Spafford said she looks forward to many aspects of her new role. “I am a facilitator and an advocate for others at my core, so I am thrilled to work with the faculty, staff and students in exploring how the department can evolve and set impactful future goals."

Faculty, students receive accolades from state entomology group
The Mississippi Entomological Association (MEA) recently presented Mississippi State University faculty and students with awards and scholarships. Jeff Gore, a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology and head of the Delta Research and Extension Center, received MEA’s Distinguished Service Award. Gore, who has been a part of the organization for more than 20 years, has a long record of service focused on integrated pest management of agronomic crops grown in the Delta. “My goal is to help farmers manage insect pests in an economical and environmentally friendly manner. Ultimately, it is to help growers be as efficient and profitable as possible,” he said. “I am honored to be chosen for the MEA Distinguished Service Award. All awards are special, but they mean a little bit more when they come from your peers.”

MSU-Meridian’s Savage honored as Social Work Educator of the Year
Mississippi State University-Meridian’s Angela Savage, director of the MSU-Meridian social work program and an assistant clinical professor, is being recognized as this year’s Social Work Educator of the Year by the Alabama/Mississippi Social Work Educators Conference. Established in 1972, the Alabama/Mississippi Social Work Educators Conference is the oldest regional social work education conference, last year celebrating its 50th anniversary. The conference aims to promote the transfer of information between Mississippi and Alabama schools providing social welfare education courses; provide a forum for issues and problems of regional importance; and allow social workers to be more responsive to the changing demands of social work education.