Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

The MSU Student Association welcomed sports broadcaster Erin Andrews to campus last week for an engaging Q&A session, a special addition to the university's Global Lecture Series. The March 4th event, moderated by Joey Bailey, deputy athletics director for Strategic Initiatives and Administration, featured Andrews delving into several compelling topics, including the evolving role of women in sports, dynamics of collaboration, true teamwork, and the impact of storytelling within the sports world. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs

MAS awards Reddy 2024 Dudley Peeler Service Award
Mississippi State University William Giles Distinguished Professor K. Raja Reddy has received the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (MAS) 2024 Dudley Peeler Service Award for his leadership and service to the academy. MAS presents the Dudley Peeler Service Award in recognition of outstanding contributions made by a member. Reddy has introduced several new initiatives that have been approved by the MAS council: the MAS Fellows program, which recognizes shining members of MAS; the MAS Early Career Award, which aims to encourage young scientists and engineers to participate in the academy and a special issue for the Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences.

Researchers honored at weed science annual meeting
Mississippi State University agricultural scientists and students were recognized for teaching and research at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) and the Southern Weed Science Society (SWSS). Darrin Dodds, interim associate director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and professor and head of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, was awarded the WSSA Outstanding Teacher Award. “This award reflects my efforts in teaching Herbicide Technology in our department. This is a very hands-on course that students really enjoy. It is one of the highest rated courses in the department and has been for many years. I took over for Dr. Dan Reynolds, who set a standard of excellence for the course that I’ve tried to uphold."

Jha elected as a foreign fellow of international climate organization
Prakash Kumar Jha, an assistant professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at Mississippi State University, recently received the prestigious foreign fellow award from the Society for Science of Climate Change and Sustainable Environment (SSCE), an Indian-based organization focused on raising awareness and promoting action on climate change and environmental sustainability. This award is given to a scientist conducting research outside of India focused on mitigating climate change. Jha, who is also a scientist with the Mississippi Forestry and Experiment Station, said he’s proud of the honor from an organization whose purpose aligns with his research priorities.

Bagley CSE faculty launch artificial intelligence academic journal
The Department of Computer Science and Engineering in the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University has launched a new open-access academic journal focused on advancements in artificial intelligence. The journal AI Letters aims to fill a gap in peer-reviewed publications covering AI research. Department Head Shahram Rahimi and Assistant Research Professor Noorbakhsh Amiri Golilarz, editors-in-chief of the journal, saw the need for a publication that could quickly share new ideas and insights in AI, a hot topic not just in computer science but the entire scientific community.

Planting seeds: Internal funding helps MSU faculty grow international partnerships
Mississippi State faculty members are growing international partnerships thanks to the university’s Global Development Seed Grants program. Administered by the university’s International Institute and funded by the Office of Research and Economic Development, the seed funding provides faculty with up to $5,000 to support global projects with high potential for societal impact, external funding, research output and capacity building. As the 2024 recipients are awarded, three projects funded in 2023 are already making an impact in geosciences, forestry and anthropology. “The results of these seed grants underscore our faculty’s ability to turn research opportunities into meaningful impact,” said MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan.

Nominations for Zacharias Distinguished Staff Awards due April 1
Mississippi State’s Staff Council is seeking nominations of outstanding employees for the annual Zacharias Distinguished Staff Awards through 11:59 p.m. April 1. Twelve selected honorees will be announced at the annual Junction luncheon, scheduled for 11 a.m. May 17. They will receive a plaque of recognition along with a $1,000 check from MSU President Mark E. Keenum. The honors are a memorial to the university’s 15th president Donald W. Zacharias. To be eligible for the award, nominees must be classified as a professional or support staff employee, be in good standing, work at least half-time, have a minimum of three years of service and have never been a recipient of the award.

Campus Services launches Bulldog First Impressions contest
Campus Services at Mississippi State has launched the first Bulldog First Impressions contest, which seeks ideas for campus improvement projects. Current MSU students, faculty and staff members may draft written proposals or create short videos outlining campus refresh, redesign or remodeling projects for public spaces and common areas. Entries will be reviewed by Campus Services and judged on their overall impact to the MSU community. The winning submitter will receive up to $25,000 to complete their project. Proposals are due April 1.

Breakfast Club in MSU Research Park expands hours, begins serving breakfast buffet
The Breakfast Club, located in Mississippi State University’s Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, is expanding its hours of operation and adding a breakfast buffet. The restaurant’s new hours for breakfast and lunch are: Monday-Friday: Breakfast served from 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m., and lunch served from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday: Breakfast only, served from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Sunday: Breakfast served from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., lunch from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The Breakfast Club is housed in the café space within the Business Incubator building, located at 60 Technology Boulevard.

Reminder: University policy addresses employee political activity
With campaigning for elected offices underway this year, Mississippi State's Office of General Counsel offers the following reminder of the university’s policy on political activities. 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.

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.

The Office of Public Affairs provides Maroon MEMO as a general information
resource for Mississippi State University employees.

Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.

Snyder named university’s 2024 Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year
Christopher A. Snyder, professor of history and the inaugural dean of Mississippi State’s Bobby and Judy Shackouls Honors College, is the university’s 2024 Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year. Snyder’s MHC tribute for his outstanding work includes a $400 honorarium and delivery of the College of Arts and Sciences annual humanities lecture -- free and open to the public -- on March 21, 3:30 p.m., in the John Grisham Room of Mitchell Memorial Library. Snyder’s campus presentation is titled “The Abolition of Myth: Lewis and Tolkien in Weber’s Age of Disenchantment.”

CVM announces new administrative team for Animal Health Center
Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine is announcing changes to its administrative structure and the promotion of faculty and staff in the Animal Health Center, or AHC. According to MSU CVM Dean Dr. Nicholas Frank, in response to AHC growth, the administrative structure has been modified to allow for clinic leadership roles to be as efficient, responsive and sustainable as possible. “This outstanding team of experienced professionals will work together to lead the AHC, and I am excited about the future of our small animal and large animal hospitals in their hands,” Frank said.

Graham named director for the Mississippi Small Business Development Center at MSU
Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Small Business Development Center are pleased to announce the appointment of Mary Graham as the new center director at MSU. With an extensive background in business development and a passion for fostering small business growth, Graham brings a wealth of experience to this crucial role. College of Business Dean Scott Grawe expressed confidence in Graham's ability to drive entrepreneurial development. “We are excited to have Mary on board to help business owners connect with the resources they need for success," he said.

Team honored with national architectural education award
Three Mississippi State University professors are part of a team receiving a recent Architectural Education Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and the American Institute of Architects. The Professional Horizons team -- including MSU professors Hans Herrmann, Abbey Franovich and Ashley Studdard-Hughes, along with the Design Leadership Foundation’s Thomas Kligerman -- was honored with the 2024 AIA/ACSA Practice and Leadership award. “This year, MSU’s award application was the only winning submission among all 175 recognized National Architecture Accreditation Board programs across North America and beyond,” said Herrmann.