Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Daylight disappears on the horizon as street and building lights illuminate the Jim and Thomas Duff Center on a recent springtime evening. During the day, the center is buzzing with activity in the university’s Department of Kinesiology and the Mississippi Institute on Disabilities, which includes the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic. The 100,000-square-foot facility, opened in the fall of last year, was designed with collaborative learning spaces for clients and MSU students, while also advancing interdisciplinary research and teaching among faculty. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs

Mississippi State awarded $100,000 Regions Foundation grant fueling high-impact entrepreneurship programs
Mississippi State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach is expanding support for aspiring entrepreneurs thanks to a grant from the Regions Foundation. “Many students arrive on campus looking to develop the skills and knowledge to turn their ideas into new businesses,” said Scott Grawe, dean of Mississippi State’s College of Business. “Our Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach provides students with the opportunity to apply concepts from the classroom directly to their businesses. The Startup Summit connects these students with new investors and allows us to showcase Starkville as a leader in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship.”

SSRC researchers at MSU study shifts in cancer mortality
In 1991, the U.S. experienced a significant shift in cancer death rates, as for the first time, deaths began a steady decline that continues to the present day. Researchers at Mississippi State's Social Science Research Center, in partnership with scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, examined this decline to identify where and who benefited the most from this dramatic improvement. In the British Journal of Cancer, a recent article from MSU SSRC Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus Arthur G. Cosby and a team of researchers analyzed cancer deaths in almost 3,000 U.S. counties from 1981-2019, finding urban and affluent counties were more likely to experience a significant decline in cancer mortality.

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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New Major Maps tool supports prospective, current students with clear info guides to aid decision making, career planning
Mississippi State is pointing future and current students to a new university resource to help explore academic programs and select a major. MSU is introducing Major Maps, a year-by-year roadmap containing information about each undergraduate major. The online tool can help prospective students and their families understand what a major offers and what to expect from each academic pathway toward a bachelor’s degree. The information guide also is useful for career planning as it shows how each major positions graduates for future opportunities. “Major Maps is a practical tool that supports students from the moment they begin exploring Mississippi State through graduation and beyond," said MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw.

College of Arts and Sciences recognizes faculty with spring awards
Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences recently honored seven faculty members -- Dustin C. Brown, Julia Chancellor, Ben Crider, Amy L. Dapper, Kameshia R. Swanson, Ashley Vancil-Leap and Danielle Young -- for accomplishments in teaching, research and distinguished service at its annual spring awards ceremony. “I am proud to lead a college whose faculty consistently make a difference in and beyond the classroom,” said Dean Rick Travis. “Their dedication to scholarship, mentorship and service enriches the lives of our students, colleagues and the broader community. Recognizing their accomplishments is one of the highlights of the year.”

Bailey receives national award for outreach
A Mississippi State University Extension Service forester has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to private forest landowners in Mississippi and nationally. Butch Bailey was selected to receive the Extension Forester of the Year Award from the Forest Landowners Association, or FLA. He will be presented with the award during the association’s annual conference in July. Bailey, who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry from MSU, has been an Extension forester for more than 20 years. Based in Purvis, Bailey has committed his career to forestry and natural resources stewardship and education.

Brevity meets beauty in West's ‘A Clear Eye’
Mississippi State English Professor Robert West has written “A Clear Eye,” a collection of 59 poems offering reflections on nature and human experience. Early reviews for the 2026 collection by Broadstone Books praise his approach. “I’ve long admired poets who can make something marvelous happen in just a few lines, even just a few words,” said West, head of MSU’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures. “What I’ve learned over the last 30 years is how much patience that takes.” In addition to his scholarly and creative work, West continues to contribute to academic leadership at MSU. This spring, he began serving as interim associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences.