Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Dak, the university’s live mascot known formally as Bully XXII, takes a moment out of his busy schedule to stop and smell the flowers outside the Chapel of Memories — soaking in a sunny and warm day before cooler, autumn weather makes its way to campus. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs

Researchers honored internationally for AI-powered wood identification research
An international wood society is recognizing Mississippi State researchers with a prestigious award for groundbreaking work harnessing artificial intelligence to identify wood species. The team, led by Frank Owens, associate professor in MSU’s Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, is the recipient of the George Marra Award from the Society of Wood Science and Technology which was presented at the organization’s recent conference in Portoroz, Slovenia. Owens and collaborators, including Assistant Professor Adriana Costa, Department Head Rubin Shmulsky, and Team Leader of the USDA Forest Products Laboratory’s Center for Wood Anatomy Research Alex Wiedenhoeft, were recognized for their 2023 article “Evaluation of test specimen surface preparation on macroscopic computer vision wood identification,” published in Wood and Fiber Science.

Prestigious regional literary award goes to Claggett
Mississippi State University’s Shalyn Claggett, professor of English, is the awardee of the 2024 South Atlantic Modern Language Association Book Award for her publication “Equal Natures: Popular Brain Science and Victorian Women’s Writing” (SUNY Press, 2023). This honor is the most prestigious accolade presented by the association, recognizing scholarly excellence in literary studies and celebrating critical works that further understanding of various aspects of language and culture. “Every year there are so many amazing books published in the field of English studies, so it is incredibly humbling that my book was recognized with this honor. Writing and publishing a scholarly book takes an incredible amount of time, labor and effort. Winning the SAMLA prize, and particularly the judges’ kind appreciation, makes me feel that all of that work was both seen and appreciated,” Claggett said.

Applications open for annual community engagement awards
Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to apply for a 2024 Mississippi State University Excellence in Community Engagement Award on behalf of a project in the following categories: Community-Engaged Service, Community-Engaged Research and Community-Engaged Teaching and Learning. A $3,000 award will be given in each of those areas to recognize outstanding work and support its continuation. Projects that achieve honorable mention will receive $1,000. Applicants should be aware that the MSU CE Awards are not a grant proposal process but a recognition of existing projects. Submissions are due Oct. 30 at 11:59 p.m. Community Partner feedback forms are due by Nov. 1 at noon.

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.

Free learning opportunities via LinkedIn Learning available to faculty, staff and students
Sharpen skills. Explore new interests. Increase professional value. These and other results are now available via no-cost learning opportunities to Mississippi State faculty, staff and students through MSU’s new agreement with LinkedIn Learning. A popular, online education platform, LinkedIn Learning’s 20,000-plus courses are available to campus via a quick login using their MSU NetID email addresses. With self-paced learning, courses are presented in various formats, including bite-sized video, audio only and in-depth content. The platform is directly integrated with Canvas, the university’s learning management system. MSU faculty can use it to supplement course material or even develop and load their own content onto the platform.

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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President and FFAR Chairman Keenum travels to D.C. for ag research organization’s 10-year anniversary events
Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum — chairman of the board of directors for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research — visited Washington, D.C., last week to celebrate FFAR’s 10-year anniversary, and a decade of impact and achievement. “FFAR was created to supplement the incredible research carried out by the United States Department of Agriculture, and we have a very strong relationship with USDA and many other partners to grow agricultural research to address critical problems in a timely manner,” said Keenum, a former USDA Under Secretary. FFAR utilizes a public-private partnership model to collaborate with diverse stakeholders to identify research opportunities and help farmers adapt to agriculture challenges such as extreme weather, diminishing natural resources and growing global demand.

High Voltage Lab at MSU prepares power companies to cope with the worst
Mississippi State’s Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory simulates falling trees, thunderstorms, solar radiation, high salt concentrations, natural disasters and other likely scenarios plaguing electrical companies — like the catastrophic damage from Hurricane Helene. David Wallace, lab manager and MSU assistant clinical professor of electrical and computer engineering, and his students can recreate a variety of real-world scenarios inside the lab. With these capabilities and the largest university-operated high voltage lab in North America, MSU helps power companies prepare for any likely threat to power lines. “We can recreate what the equipment will see in nature to see how it reacts and then ask, ‘What do we need to change to make it work in these scenarios?’” Wallace said.

Crosby Arboretum earns Outpost Business recognition
The Crosby Arboretum was recently designated an Outpost Business by the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, opening the door to future funding opportunities. The 104-acre plant conservatory managed by the Mississippi State University Extension Service, was eligible for the award through its participation in Gulf Coast Outpost -- a business recognition program launched by the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area, or MGCNHA, for nature-based tourism business owners. “This is a wonderful recognition for The Crosby Arboretum,” said Pat Drackett, director of The Arboretum. "This designation acknowledges the many Crosby programs, events and daily offerings that foster environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation."

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