Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Celebrating Mississippi State University’s newest Astronaut Scholars are, from left, Curt Brown, former NASA astronaut; senior physics and biomedical engineering major Spencer Lile of Benton, Arkansas; senior electrical engineering major James “Brittin” Perdue of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; and MSU President Mark E. Keenum. During a visit to campus last week, Brown described the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation as more than a scholarship program, calling it a launchpad “not just for careers, but bold ideas, breakthrough discoveries and lifelong connections.” PHOTO: Beth Wynn | Public Affairs

Landscape architecture program partners with city to design Starkville arboretum
Mississippi State landscape architecture faculty and students are partnering with the city of Starkville to design a new public arboretum at Cornerstone Park, creating a future outdoor space focused on native plants, research and community access. The project is led by retired landscape architecture Professor Bob Brzuszek. It brings together city leaders and MSU’s Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design to develop a long-term vision for the site, which includes young forest, grassland and wetland systems. “Research has shown repeatedly that being in a natural environment reduces stress and improves mental and physical health,” Brzuszek said. “This will become an invaluable resource for residents, students and visitors.”

MSU AI Community: Join the conversation!
Mississippi State University is taking steps to advance artificial intelligence adoption across campus. Whether you’re a researcher, educator, or staff member, these resources are designed to help you learn, collaborate, and stay informed about AI initiatives at MSU. The AI Innovation Hub SharePoint Site is your one-stop hub for AI-related learning opportunities, workshops, user guidance, industry news, tips, and updates. It's available at https://mstate.sharepoint.com/sites/AIInnovationHub. You can also connect through the MSU AI Community Teams Site. If you have any questions about AI at MSU, please contact Senior Advisor for AI and Data Governance Julie Jordan at julie.jordan@msstate.edu.

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 available via no-cost learning opportunities to Mississippi State faculty, staff and students through MSU’s 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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MSU awarded $850K from DARPA to advance global ag security, early threat detection
An interdisciplinary team of Mississippi State University researchers has been awarded $850,000 from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, to enhance early detection of threats to agricultural security on a global scale. The award funding will help establish AgSENT, or the Agricultural Security Early Notification and Threat Network. AgSENT is a prototype interface that integrates key atmospheric, environmental, supply chain, biological and societal data to highlight early warnings of potential agricultural security issues. The MSU team is led by Associate Vice President for Research and Economic Development Narcisa Pricope and includes Political Science and Public Administration Associate Professor Benjamin Tkach and Computer Science and Engineering Assistant Professor Dimitrios Manias.

National Cotton Council honors Gore, Pieralisi
Two Mississippi State University Extension agricultural specialists were recognized for their contributions to cotton research and educational service. Delta Research and Extension Center head and MSU Extension entomologist Jeff Gore received the 2026 Recognition Award for Excellence in Cotton Integrated Pest Management at the National Cotton Council’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences. MSU Extension cotton specialist Brian Pieralisi received the 2026 Beltwide Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year award. “Throughout Dr. Gore’s and Dr. Pieralisi’s careers, their dedication to generating and disseminating both applied and basic research findings at the producer and academic levels have been unparalleled,” said Angus Catchot, MSU Extension director. “Their contributions to the scientific and agricultural communities are truly exceptional.”

Jha recognized with early career award
Prakash Jha, an assistant professor in Mississippi State University’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, has been named the recipient of the Early Career Award from the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, one of the largest scientific organizations in the state. The award recognizes faculty members within eight years of earning their doctoral degrees who have demonstrated significant impact in research, mentorship and teaching. Jha was selected from a competitive pool of nominees representing all eight of Mississippi’s public institutions of higher learning and a wide range of scientific disciplines, from agriculture and chemistry to mathematics and entomology. He will be honored at the organization’s annual conference this month.

International Institute announces 2026 Global Development Seed Grant cohort
Under the umbrella of the university’s International Institute, Mississippi State is launching a new round of globally focused research through the International Research Development Office and its Global Development Seed Grant program. The 2026 GDSG cohort includes six awardees -- George Awuni, Padmanava Dash, Rinat Gabitov, Caroline Kobia, Leyla Rios de Alvarez and Anna Grace Tribble -- initiating projects spanning climate resilience, community health, sustainable agriculture, mineral innovation and social development across the world. The program continues MSU’s commitment to building impactful international partnerships and positioning faculty for competitive external funding.