Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Mississippi State University Police Department swears in its two newest Nutramax-sponsored K-9 teams last Tuesday [March 24]. Standing, from left, are Officer Makenna Foster with Quinn, a German shorthaired pointer trained in explosive detection; Assistant Chief Brian Locke; and Officer William Bowling with Cosey, a German shepherd trained to detect narcotics. PHOTO: Emily Grace McCall | Public Affairs

Across the Pond and into the Field: Visiting scholar joins MSU Ag Autonomy Institute to ‘rethink the possible’
Kit Franklin will be the first to point out the irony. He is driven by human connection, but he’s built his career on replacing human hands with machines. “Automation is just the means to the end. The end is always about helping farmers,” he said. Franklin is a visiting agricultural engineer at Mississippi State University’s Agricultural Autonomy Institute and one of the most recognized figures in the development of autonomous farming worldwide. As the lead at Harper Adams University in England on the Hands-Free Hectare project, the world’s first fully autonomous cropping cycle, Franklin earned interviews with media, spoke before British politicians and royalty, and helped put agricultural autonomy on the global map.

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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Barrett named director of Water Resources Research Institute
Jason Barrett, an award-winning Mississippi State Extension specialist with an extensive background in agriculture, is the new director of MSU’s Water Resources Research Institute. Barrett, who joined the institute in 2020, was named director earlier this year after serving in associate and interim director roles since 2024. Located on MSU’s campus, WRRI administers and coordinates research programs addressing water and related land use problems in Mississippi, the region and nation. “Water is essential to our lives and livelihoods, and as the demand for water grows, we must ensure protection and preservation of our water resources for future generations. That’s our mission and commitment to Mississippi,” he said.

Bickle joins elite ranks as AAAS Fellow
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is honoring Mississippi State University Professor John Bickle as an AAAS Fellow for his distinguished contributions to the philosophy of science and neuroscience. AAAS, founded in 1848, is one of the world’s largest general scientific societies and began electing fellows beginning in 1874. Election is among the most esteemed honors in the scientific community, recognizing individuals with exceptional efforts toward the advancement of science or its applications. College of Arts and Sciences Dean Rick Travis said Bickle is an example of the university’s exemplary faculty members.

Lukasik's debut book on Coptic Christian migration wins national book prize
Mississippi State Assistant Professor Candace Lukasik has received the Alixa Naff Prize in Migration Studies for her debut book “Martyrs and Migrants: Coptic Christians and the Persecution Politics of US Empire,” published last year by NYU Press. The annual prize, awarded by the Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies at North Carolina State University, recognizes outstanding scholarly work examining migration, refugees and diasporas connected to the Middle East. Drawing on more than a decade of research with Coptic Christian communities in Egypt and the U.S., Lukasik’s book explores how migrants navigate religious identity, political narratives and belonging across national and cultural boundaries.