Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Starkville has officially been named the Best Small Town in the South by USA Today. Starkville received the number one ranking after a four-week voting process and was nominated by a panel of travel experts which include a combination of editors from USA TODAY, 10Best.com, publishing contributors, and sources for both these media and other Gannett properties. “Starkville is synonymous with Mississippi State University, and we have grown together literally and figuratively since 1878,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “This achievement reflects the hard work and dedication of many in our community — our friends and neighbors who are committed to making Starkville the best it can be for all who are blessed to call it home and all who have the good fortune to visit. As both a native and resident of Starkville, I’m so proud of this outstanding distinction for our city.” PHOTO: MSU Office of Public Affairs

Hui, Tanner to discuss connection between space and humanity
Mississippi State’s Institute for the Humanities will host an in-depth discussion this month with a university astrophysicist and historian of science regarding current phenomena in space and what it means to humankind. Part of the “Conversation with a Humanist” program, “Eclipses, Satellites and Betelgeuse! Betelgeuse! Betelgeuse! Is Our Night Sky in Peril?” is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday [April 16] in the U.S. Grant Presidential Library Auditorium, fourth floor, Mitchell Memorial Library. Event panelists include Alix Hui, associate professor of history, and Angelle Tanner, associate professor of physics and astronomy.

Symposium explores collaborations and research to improve opportunities and life for people with disabilities
Mississippi State’s Office of Research and Economic Development is hosting a disability-related symposium on Tuesday [April 16] featuring keynote speeches from National Science Foundation program directors Christopher Atchison and Pradeep Fulay, as well as Anjali Forber-Pratt, director of the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. Focused on “Improving Opportunities and Quality of Life For People with Disabilities through Collaboration, Research and Outreach,” the symposium will take place 12:30-5 p.m. Kasee Stratton-Gadke, executive director of MSU’s Mississippi Institute on Disabilities and associate professor of school psychology, said she is excited for the event to unite a wide range of experts with the goal of improving the lives of people with disabilities.

Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic benefits from local business fundraising campaign
In honor of Autism Awareness Month, Mississippi State’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic is benefiting from Starkville’s Buff City Soap “Buff Gives Back” campaign. Throughout April, the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic receives $1 for every specially made “Buff Gives Back” soap bar sold by the Starkville store located at 661 Highway 12 West. Custom designed for ADDC, the plant-based soap bar uses the store’s two most popular scents and various shades of blue, the color that represents autism awareness.

New grant aids International Institute in issuing student passports, expanding study abroad experiences
Mississippi State continues to open more pathways for study abroad as a recent recipient of an international grant giving students an opportunity for their first passport and overseas travel. MSU’s International Institute will provide up to 25 students -- whose circumstances previously hindered experience with study abroad -- with advising and support for education in other countries through the American Passport Project. The initiative is part of the Institute of International Education headquartered in New York City. “We are pleased the Institute of International Education is supporting the application of 25 MSU students for their first passport,” said Dan Reynolds, associate vice president for international programs and executive director of the MSU International Institute.

2024 Research Award nomination window open through May 10
Nominations for MSU's 2024 Research Awards, sponsored by the Office of Research and Economic Development and the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, are open through May 10. These awards exemplify MSU's impact and commitment to excellence in research and innovation across a diverse array of disciplines. The Research Awards seek to honor outstanding achievement in the following categories: Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award, Mid-Career Research Scholar Award, Emerging Research Scholar Award, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award, Research Professional Award and Research Support Award.

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.

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Broadus named chief marketing officer
Mississippi State University’s new chief marketing officer within the Division of Strategic Communications is a longtime marketing strategist with significant expertise in digital media. Pascagoula native Thomas Broadus began his MSU role on April 1. The university conducted a nationwide search for the newly created role. “With a diverse background in private sector marketing firms, as well as a stint at Mississippi Public Broadcasting, Thomas brings the digital strengths and special skills we were looking for to help tell MSU’s story of taking care of what matters,” said MSU Vice President for Strategic Communications Sid Salter. Most recently Broadus served as president of King & Columbus, a marketing and advertising agency based in Charleston, South Carolina.

University launches new Athlete Engineering Institute to drive innovations in human factors, human performance, technology
Mississippi State University’s newest research institute is changing the game for human performance and new technologies. The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees earlier this year approved the creation of the Athlete Engineering Institute, formalizing an interdisciplinary research program that has spent the last several years making an impact in sports science, industry, military, rehabilitation and technology sectors. “Athlete Engineering is a great example of the culture we are building where faculty members can work across disciplines to make a broader impact,” said MSU Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan. “I am excited to see this research program continue to grow as it moves under the umbrella of a stand-alone institute.”

Thompson details country music, patriotism connection in new book
Joseph M. Thompson, an assistant professor in Mississippi State’s Department of History, concludes the 2023-2024 MSU Faculty Book Talk series this week with a conversation about the intricate connection between American military life and the popular country music genre. Thompson presents a lecture on his book “Cold War Country: How Nashville’s Music Row and the Pentagon Created the Sound of American Patriotism,” 3:30 p.m., Friday [April 19] in Mitchell Memorial Library’s John Grisham Room. The event is free and open to the public. Released April 2, “Cold War Country” discusses familiar stars including Roy Acuff, Elvis Presley and George Strait and explains how the relationship between Music Row and the Pentagon “helped shape not only the evolution of popular music but also race relations, partisanship and images of the United States abroad.”

CSE's Young, Chakraborty win Best Paper Award
The Bagley College of Engineering's Department of Computer Science and Engineering has another award-winning paper. Mississippi State University Associate Professor Maxwell Young, MSU doctoral student Trisha Chakraborty, and University of New Mexico Professor Jared Saia were awarded the Best Paper Award at the International Conference on Distributed Computing and Networking. To win the award, their paper, Defending Hash Tables from Subterfuge with Depth Charge, had to undergo a rigorous review by a panel of experts. Chakraborty had the opportunity to accept the award and present her work at this year’s conference held in Chennai, India.