Mississippi State Director of Athletics Zac Selmon passes out candy to a participant in the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability’s 12th annual Trick or Trot fun run earlier this month. The community event is the center’s largest fundraiser and benefits Project IMPACT, a special education program. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs
Willard concludes service as chair of APLU committee
Scott Willard, dean of Mississippi State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, has served as chair of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities', or APLU’s, Academic Programs Committee on Organization and Policy, or ACOP, this past year. In this role, Willard has led the executive committee of the Academic Programs Section, or APS, which operates under the Board on Agriculture Assembly, or BAA, within the APLU. “Our goal has been to ensure academic programs at the nation’s land-grant universities align with national priorities in agricultural education and workforce development,” Willard explained.
Big picture: MSU scientists design satellite data technology to help farmers boost yields
Mississippi State University researchers are developing CropVista, a satellite data-powered technology designed to provide near real-time field insights and boost on-farm productivity. “We aim to create a platform that makes it easy for farmers to visualize what’s happening in their fields in near real time. The ultimate goal is to boost monitoring and productivity, especially in the face of challenges like climate change. This project will run for four years, but we’re focused on developing something that lasts much longer than that,” said Vitor Martins, assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and researcher in the university’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. “We want to give farmers a platform that helps them succeed long after our research is done.”
Exploring the ties that bind: Humanities series focuses on community engagement, social bonds
Mississippi State University’s Institute for the Humanities is launching its fall series with a new theme: “Building Community -- the Humanities as Social Glue.” The series will explore how humanistic activities foster social connections and democratic engagement. “By cutting across disciplines and drawing on insights from our campus and the Starkville community, we’ll examine how everyday practices -- whether choir rehearsals, football tailgates or reading the local paper -- help strengthen communication and collaboration at local, national and even global levels,” said Morgan Robinson, institute director and an associate professor of history.
Graduate School recognizes faculty, staff for 'Excellence in Service'
Mississippi State University’s Graduate School honored four outstanding faculty and staff members -- Melody Fisher, Kevin Armstrong, Quintara Miller and Tamra Swann -- for their exceptional contributions to graduate education at the annual Graduate Coordinator Workshop in late September. The “Excellence in Service” awards recognize individuals who have demonstrated exemplary service in their roles as advocates and leaders within their respective departments. Associate Dean of the Graduate School W. Brien Henry said, “These individuals have gone above and beyond in their service to our students and faculty. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and thank them for their unwavering commitment to excellence.”
Swanson wins 2024 Welty Prize for new book
Mississippi State University Assistant Professor Kemeshia Swanson is this year’s recipient of the Eudora Welty Prize for her new book.
The annual award is bestowed by the Mississippi University for Women in collaboration with the University Press of Mississippi. Named after the celebrated Southern author, the Welty Prize honors works that deepen the understanding of culture, identity and the human experience. Swanson, also nominated for the 2024 Museum of African American History’s Stone Book Award, will give a reading at the Eudora Welty Writers’ Symposium, Oct. 24-26, in Columbus, alongside other prominent authors.
DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Joseph Miller
Joseph Miller found the perfect blend of passion and profession as an agricultural technician at Mississippi State University’s J.W. Starr Memorial Forest, a sprawling 8,321-acre living laboratory. Situated in Oktibbeha and Winston Counties, the forest is named after former MSU Forestry faculty member John W. Starr and is managed by the Forest and Wildlife Research Center. It serves as a resource for teaching, research, and demonstration, and Miller plays a crucial role in its upkeep. “I’ve been doing this kind of work my whole life, and I love it,” said Miller. Miller said his favorite part of his job is having a forest for his office. Spending his workdays surrounded by nature is a privilege he never takes for granted.
DAFVM Spotlight Employee: Tom Thompson
Among the world-class researchers and cream of the crop students at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State University is a person who is responsible for capturing it all on camera. For the past 30 years, Tom Thompson has documented research, clinical procedures, surgeries and thousands of faculty, staff, students and animals through his photography. “The diversity of photography needs -- people and animals -- it keeps everything interesting and sharpens my skill,” Thompson said. Throughout his career, Thompson has photographed a wide range of fascinating animals, from reptiles like pythons and iguanas to large mammals such as tigers, lions, and even dolphins.
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