ALUMNUS Winter 2020 - Mississippi State University

Heart of the Matter

Mississippi State research looks to unlock the mysteries of the heart p. 19

I N S I D E Winter 2020

Navigating Freshman Year p. 2 | Being Seen p. 10 | Becoming a Bulldog p. 26 | Bridging the Gap p. 36

Table of CONTENTS

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FEATURES 26 Becoming a Bulldog

ABOVE: Chris Hudson, a research engineer

in the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, pilots a Polaris MRZR on Mississippi State University’s Proving Nontraditional students find community, support and opportunities Ground, a new 50-acre off-road test track.

Located next to the Center for Advanced at Mississippi State Vehicular Systems, the proving ground is the latest addition to MSU’s storied automotive research program and will allow Mississippi State University makes its mark in off-road autonomy the university to make its mark on the path with new 50-acre proving ground to off-road autonomous driving.

Photo by Beth Wynn

32 Something to Prove 36 Bridging the Gap

MSU steps up to solve the Magnolia State’s teacher crisis

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status protected by applicable law is prohibited. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Compliance and Integrity, 56 Morgan Avenue, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

44 WINTER 2020 | VOL. 97 | NO. 3 PRESIDENT Mark E. Keenum, ’83, ’84, ’88 VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI John P. Rush, ’94, ’02 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Davis CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Sid Salter, ’88 EDITORS Susan Lassetter, ’07 Harriet Laird

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DEPARTMENTS 02 Campus News 16 Discoveries 24 State Snapshot 44 Profiles 62 Giving Back 66 Class Notes 68 Forever Maroon 72 Back Story

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DESIGNER Heather Rowe PHOTOGRAPHERS Megan Bean Mary Georgia Hamilton, ’21 Beth Wynn

COVER LaShan Simpson, an associate professor, holds a paper illustration of a heart. Through her research, she is building a 3D model of an artery to study vascular calcification, a leading cause of heart disease and stroke.

Photo by Megan Bean

6ft

WRITERS Vanessa Beeson, ’19 Amy Cagle Camille Carskadon, ’12 James Carskadon, ’12 Susan Lassetter, ’07 Reagan Poston, ’21 Sasha Steinberg, ’14 Erica Way

EDITORIAL OFFICE P.O. Box 5325 Mississippi State, MS 39762 662.325.0630 slassetter@opa.msstate.edu ADVERTISING Jeff Davis 662.325.3444 jdavis@alumni.msstate.edu Mississippi State University’s Alumnus magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Public Affairs and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association. Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526. Call 662.325.7000, or email cturner@advservices. msstate.edu.

ALL PHOTOS SINCE MID-MARCH WERE TAKEN IN ADHERENCE WITH COVID-19 PROTOCOLS.

Campus NEWS

Freshman Year Navigators help new Bulldogs find their way

By Sasha Steinberg, Photos by Megan Bean

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earning new things and making lifelong friends. Donning school colors and cheering the home team to victory. In many ways, college can be one of the most exciting times in a person’s life. But this new experience can also present some challenges, especially during a student’s first semester or two.

Many freshmen experience common frustrations like getting lost on the first day of class, having a question but not knowing where to go for the answer, or just needing someone to talk with when times get tough. At Mississippi State, first-year students don’t have to face these and other challenges alone, thanks to the Freshman Year Navigators program.

Laura Dunn, interim director of the Center for Student Success, said Navigators is a valuable and enviable resource for new Bulldogs.

“The Freshman Year Navigators program is unique to our university, and a lot of schools across the SEC and nation are impressed by it,” said Dunn, who earned

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a bachelor’s in communication, a master’s in counselor education and is pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership from MSU. Established in 2014, Freshman Year Navigators pairs upperclassmen with incoming freshmen to help new Bulldogs make the most of their time at Mississippi State and avoid the pitfalls that can stand between a student’s enrollment and eventual graduation. The program currently has 34 Navigators who each mentor a group of 100 freshmen.

The Navigators, chosen from a pool of applicants each spring, represent a variety of majors, nationalities, faiths and socioeconomic backgrounds. Many also are involved on campus as Orientation Leaders, Roadrunners, Involvement Ambassadors and in other groups designed to welcome students to the Bulldog family. Dunn explained that each Navigator overcame challenges as a freshman and uses insight from those experiences to better assist new students who find themselves in similar situations.

“Our ideal candidate for Navigators is not a picture-perfect student,” she said. “We want students who have struggled because they can be problem-solvers and encourage other students to respond positively to a bad semester.”

All entering freshmen are automatically assigned a Navigator who can meet during set office hours at the Center for Student Success’s office in Allen Hall. Freshmen also can reach out to their Navigator via email, text or phone call for help with academic difficulties, finding resources, ways to get involved on campus or just honest advice on “how to college” that first year, Dunn said.

“Our office uses a pretty sophisticated system called the Student Success Portal that brings together information from across the university to help us pinpoint who needs help at any given time,” Dunn said. “We also appreciate when faculty, staff and advisers proactively reach out to students when they notice problems.”

Dunn explained that since the start of

This fall, MSU set a new enrollment record for the sixth consecutive year.

Breonsay White, junior in political science

Former Navigator Bailey Lehmann, graduate student in educational leadership

Navigator Kaia Starks, junior in marketing

Navigator Erin Hicks, senior in mathematics

the Navigators program, MSU’s freshman retention rate has increased significantly.

The university has seen a rise in retention from 79% to 85% for this most recent class.

In that same time, the university has seen a major jump in its four-year graduation rate—from 30% to as high as 39%—and its six-year graduation rate—from 58% to 62% at the most recent counts.

“Mississippi State does a great job of making student success a top priority, and we’re proud that the Center for Student Success and the Navigators program are among the many groups on campus working to ensure our students have a better future,” Dunn said. “Our goal is to grow this program, so Navigators can help beyond their mentee’s first year.”

Bailey C. Lehmann, a Waterloo, Illinois, native, remembers moving more than six hours away from family to start her freshman year of college. She said it was a big adjustment, but her Freshman Year Navigator’s support made her feel right

at home at Mississippi State. The support she received also inspired her to become a Navigator, so she could pay it forward.

“Mississippi State does a great job of making student success a top priority, and we’re proud that the Center for Student Success and the Navigators program are among the many groups on campus working to ensure our students have a better future.” ~ Laura Dunn “I didn’t know anyone when I came to MSU, but I would run into my Navigator on campus and knew I could always text her questions,” she said. “Knowing that I had her there to talk to and make sure I found my place here was really, really nice. I wanted to

become a Navigator and help freshmen who may be far from home or just need extra help to better their college experience.”

Lehmann graduated this past spring with a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and is now a graduate student in educational leadership. She said her favorite part of serving as a Navigator for two years was getting to know students through oneon-one meetings. During fall semesters, she focused on the “basics”—reminding students to go to class, get involved on campus and enroll in supplemental instruction for extra academic help. Throughout the spring semesters, she focused on at-risk students who had been placed on academic probation.

Lehmann said she enjoyed learning about what made her mentees “tick,” both academically and socially. This understanding helped her offer guidance for their specific needs and interests.

“I liked giving my students tips and tricks for succeeding in school and making them aware of events that were happening on ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 3

Campus NEWS Navigator Brandy Santamaria, junior in business administration

Jacob Adams, freshman in computer engineering

campus,” she said. “There are so many clubs and organizations to be involved in, and you get out what you put in.

Along with going to class, I reminded my students that it’s important to put themselves out there socially. They may try out for something and get rejected, but I wanted them to be more determined than that.”

Lehmann said being mentored by a Navigator made her better in that same role. As a Navigator, she grew in many ways because the experience made her more organized, detail-oriented and intentional with people, especially students who may be struggling with hidden challenges. She said she is grateful for the relationships she built with everyone in the program, which she calls her “big MSU family.”

“I met one of my best friends through Navigators, and we scheduled classes together. I also appreciate Stacy Dillard and Laura Dunn,” Lehmann said of the Center for Student Success’s coordinator and director. “They are both so knowledgeable, and as an MSU graduate, Laura knows the ins and outs of the university. Having them in my corner has been a real blessing.”

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digital communication with their mentees, the program has continued to make a positive impact during the COVID-19 pandemic—a time when the mentors’ support was especially important and appreciated, Dunn said.

“Our Navigators were also experiencing the shift to online classes, so they could really relate to the problems students were having and offer great suggestions for getting through that transition,” she said.

“They worked incredibly hard to reach out to every freshman to determine what type of obstacles they were facing and were able to point students to numerous campus programs and helpful resources.”

Dunn said while the future brings uncertainty about campus operations, one thing will not change—Navigators will always be ready to lend a Bulldog paw to students in need.

“Like everyone else on campus, we’ve planned ahead, so we can be better prepared to help,” she said.

“We have made changes to how the Navigators operate to ensure they’re being socially responsible, so they can continue being positive role models to their freshmen.” n

GUIDING THE NEXT GENERATION There’s no denying that hard work and determination are the key ingredients to success, but to Laura Dunn, mentorship is an equally necessary part of the equation.

While the first two give a person the experience and drive to reach their goals, mentorship can help them focus those efforts on the things that will reap the most benefit.

“I don’t believe any successful individual can look back without thinking of a few people who helped them along the way,” Dunn said. “It could be a mentor who helped with a job application and interview tips, or someone who lent an ear and offered advice about a major or career.

“Whatever guidance they offer, those helpful individuals can make a lasting impact on a student’s life,” she continued.

Mississippi State has many resources to help students navigate their academic and postgraduation options, but one of the most valuable assets to a student can be a relationship with an alumni mentor.

Bulldog graduates are in a unique position to help current students find their way in their chosen fields and make important connections to jump-start a career.

Alumni who are interested in becoming mentors can reach out to their former academic colleges and departments to volunteer or be connected with current students. There are also more formal mentorship opportunities offered through some campus units.

BULLDOG MENTORING – Alumni who wish to offer career guidance for current students can contact the MSU Career Center at 662.325.3344 or career@career.msstate.edu to become part of its LinkedIn-based mentorship program.

STARTUP MENTORING – Offered through the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, this program connects student startups with business mentors who provide feedback, perspective, ideas and problem-solving skills. Find more information at www.ecenter.msstate.edu.

HOLMES CULTURAL DIVERSITY CENTER ALUMNI MENTORSHIP – Designed to develop the professional skills of MSU students, this threecomponent program gives alumni the chance to share their experiences and expertise. To learn more or to volunteer, connect with the center on Facebook @msstatehcdc; Twitter @msstate_hcdc; or by calling 662.325.2033.

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Enjoy beautiful pictures of familiar campus scenes that bring back special memories of your time at Mississippi State. The official State calendar has become a Bulldog tradition. With pictures

by MSU’s own award-winning photographers, it’s truly a oneof-a-kind treasure. Order online today at msufoundation.com or call 662-325-7000.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 5

Campus NEWS

CAMPUS COWBOYS MSU Beef Unit provides unique research, learning experience

By Vanessa Beeson, Photos by Megan Bean

L-R: Sarah Montgomery, Colton Freeman, Bryan Carter and Alexandra Pittman head out to check cows as the sun rises on South Farm.

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very day, Mississippi State students and staff feed, groom and saddle up their horses before dawn.

Riding into the sunrise, they patrol 600 acres of MSU’s South Farm and tend its cattle herds before most have brewed the day’s first cup of coffee.

These “campus cowboys” are responsible for the health and safety of approximately 500 head of cattle that make up the Starkville campus herd, which is part of the MSU Beef Unit. This research group provides meaningful advances for an industry that

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brought $268 million to Mississippi in 2019.

For the students, being a campus cowboy is an invaluable hands-on learning experience, giving them exposure to the cattle industry, large animal medicine and practical research.

For the university, Brandi Karisch said the cowboys provide an essential service.

“We couldn’t do this research without these students,” said the Milton Sundbeck Endowed Associate Professor. “They are the ones with the day-to-day boots on the ground who are out there observing and taking care of this cattle.”

Colton Freeman said being a campus cowboy is a step toward achieving his dream of one day owning a herd. At 23, the Richton native has ridden more miles than most on horseback.

“I rode horses by age 3 and roped cattle by age 6,” the senior agricultural engineering technology and business major recalled. “My dad has always been part of rodeo and taught me everything.”

Freeman grew up competing in rodeos and still ropes cattle under the arena lights whenever he can. In high school, he worked

“We couldn’t do this research without these students.

They are the ones with the day-to-day boots on the ground who are out there observing and taking care of this cattle.” ~ Brandi Karisch

Assistant herders Bryan Carter (top) and Sarah Montgomery (middle) ensure the cows are cared for 365 days a year. Alexandra Pittman (bottom) readies her horse for the ride. at a feed store and in area stockyards. As a Jones Junior College student, he worked as a technician for a large animal vet. And when it came time to attend MSU, he brought his 3-year-old red roan with him.

Named T.J., the horse is now quartered at the Beef Unit, which is part of the H.H. Leveck Animal Research Center, commonly known as South Farm.

“He doesn’t like being caught at 5 a.m. on a cold morning, but by the time I have a saddle on him, he’s ready to go,” Freeman said of T.J. “He loves moving and sorting cattle.”

While Freeman brings plenty of cattle sense to his job on South Farm, he said he learns something every day.

“My goal is to understand every part of the beef industry, which is why I love working with the MSU Beef Unit. It shows you every side of it,” Freeman said. “You don’t realize what you don’t know until you’re faced with it. Everything you study comes together when you are able to put what you learned in the classroom into action.”

Despite difficult work in blistering heat, bitter cold or torrential downpours, Freeman

said the staff herdsmen and other student cowboys make it easy and fun.

“It takes a lot of trust working with cattle and horses, and our team understands the importance of teamwork, patience and good communication—all of which are required to get the job done,” he said.

Karisch said all research at the MSU Beef Unit directly benefits cattle producers in Mississippi and across the Southeast.

“One of the goals of MAFES research is to answer questions for the cattle industry, particularly in the Southeast, where most ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 7

Campus NEWS producers have 30 head or less,” said Karisch, who serves as the beef cattle specialist with the MSU Extension Service, in addition to being a scientist with MAFES, officially named the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

From an animal welfare standpoint, Karisch said herding cattle on horseback is less stressful for the animals.

“I love watching the sunrise on horseback.

It was a surreal moment when I was like, ‘I’m actually doing this for school.’” ~ Alexandra Pittman “This is a low stress, cattle-handling best management practice we preach across the industry,” she explained.

“Cattle that experience less stress are healthier and grow better.”

She said the students—both those on horseback and interns assisting the herdsmen to gain experience—are trained to be aware of an animal’s response and behavior.

“Just like people have a bubble for personal space, cows also have a bubble,” Karisch said. “As they become accustomed to handling, that bubble may shrink. We emphasize that students be cognizant of that bubble and learn to read that animal’s behavior.

“The animals always come first,” she added, noting that even during the pandemic-based lockdown, dedicated staff still tended the herds daily. “Rain or shine, seven days a week, they’re out there.”

With pastures that dot the state, MAFES herds include approximately 2,500 cows that graze not just in 8

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TOP: Campus cowboys checking cows in a pasture. MIDDLE: Montgomery and Pittman both grew up showing livestock. BOTTOM: Brandi Karisch, Milton Sundbeck Endowed Associate Professor, catches up with the team after the morning’s ride.

In 2019, Mississippi had approximately 900,000 head of cattle across 15,980 farms.

TOP: Colton Freeman, a senior agricultural engineering technology and business major, hopes to have a career in the cattle industry. MIDDLE: William White, facility coordinator, helps oversee the MAFES Beef Unit.

BOTTOM: MAFES cattle herd includes 2,500 cows across five units throughout Mississippi, including the MAFES Beef Unit in Starkville.

Starkville but also at the MSU’s Prairie Research Unit, the Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station, the White Sands Research Unit and the Coastal Plain Branch Experiment Station.

The herds allow MSU scientists to study everything from using precision technology to gauge heifer development to determining best practices for raising locally sourced farm-to-consumer beef to antibiotic resistance in calves and much more. One of the research projects Freeman assists with investigates the role inflammation plays in bovine respiratory disease, which is the leading cause of mortality for stocker cattle—young foragefed calves being raised to a desired weight.

The work is led by Alexandra Pittman, an animal and dairy sciences graduate student, who earned a bachelor’s in the field in 2019.

“I’m evaluating metaphylaxis, the mass treatment of cattle with antibiotics on arrival,” Pittman explained. “Does the antimicrobial protect them or does it cause inflammation, thereby making them more vulnerable to the disease?”

While Pittman grew up showing livestock in 4-H and was a member of MSU’s Livestock Judging team as an undergrad, the Hattiesburg native said becoming a campus cowboy came with a learning curve.

“Working with stocker cattle is new for me. I grew up around horses and cattle, but we never used our horses to check cattle,” said Pittman, who credits the herdsmen and experienced student cowboys with showing her the ropes.

Still, once she got the hang of it, Pittman said she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I love watching the sunrise on horseback,” Pittman said. “It was a surreal moment when I was like, ‘I’m actually doing this for school.’”

Freeman agreed, suggesting that everyone should experience a Starkville sunrise in the same way.

“It’s good for the soul,” Freeman said.

“I’ve been all over the country with the rodeo. You won’t find a sunrise or sunset as beautiful as it is here.” n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 9

Campus NEWS

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MSU’s Center for Student Activities lists more than 600 student organizations through the Cowbell Connect involvement portal.

Being Seen

Organizations help students find community, voice at Mississippi State

By Susan Lassetter, Photos by Beth Wynn

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ike college students across the globe, Kristopher Andrews planned to expand his mind while pursuing a degree—to learn about the world, his chosen field and, more importantly, about himself.

For Andrews, part of learning about himself meant learning how others saw him and rethinking how he shaped his identity.

He said that realization came in his sophomore year when he was asked an earnest question about his ancestry.

“If you see me, I’m a Black man,” Andrews explained. “I have curly hair, darker skin and ethnic African features like my father, so when people see me they see an African American man. But my mother is Native American.

“To be asked about my heritage was acknowledging a level of me beyond my phenotype,” he continued. “It made me feel like I didn’t have to fit into a box because of what people assumed of me. I didn’t have to fit into their preconceived notions of what they see in me.”

“Finding a community is so important for ensuring students don’t suffer in silence if they feel discouraged. Having a community can ultimately provide the support needed to complete a degree, and we want to encourage community building any way we can.” ~Regina Hyatt

L-R: Alysia Williams, Kristopher Andrews, Genesis Ferris and Anirudh Aditya

A native of North Carolina, Andrews moved to Mississippi in late childhood so his mother could be near his ailing grandmother who lived on the Choctaw reservation just outside of Philadelphia. Still, it wasn’t until arriving at Mississippi State and being asked about his family’s roots that he began to embrace his Native American heritage.

Despite being in Starkville—less than an hour’s drive from the reservation in Choctaw where his mother now lives— Andrews said he noticed a lack of other Native American students or a connection to that culture on campus.

“Looking around, not only did I not see the physical presence of Native American students, but I didn’t see a supportive presence,” the civil engineering senior recalled. “There’s a Black Student Association, a Latino Student Association, but where’s the group for Native Americans? I did not see it as an identity being supported like others and I felt it was needed.”

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 11

Campus NEWS To address that issue, Andrews partnered with Genesis Ferris, a junior in criminology and member of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Together, they established the Native American Student Association— the newest identity-based student group within the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center at Mississippi State University.

“I’ve always supported the advocacy of Native Americans,” Ferris said. “With this group, we hope other Native American students can feel comfortable on campus.

Whether they’re from out of state or just down the road, we want students to find a place here and feel like they belong.”

Mississippi State’s history of identitybased organizations dates back to the 1960s when students formed Afro-American Plus to promote equality at the land-grant institution in the years following integration.

Now, the university’s Division of Student Affairs and the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center—named for Dr. Richard E. Holmes, MSU’s first African American student—are home to dozens of groups meant to celebrate students’ similarities, whether it’s an interest or career goal; a racial, ethnic, religious, gender or sexual orientation-based identity; or shared experiences like veteran status, homelessness or being a transfer student.

Ra’Sheda Forbes, MSU’s vice president for access, diversity and inclusion, said the existence of groups like these can be instrumental in student success.

“Many students coming into a large university are looking to find their fit,” Forbes said. “These organizations give students the opportunity to find a community around their interests or their identities to help them feel a sense of belonging, express who they are and understand who they are.”

Regina Hyatt, MSU’s vice president for student affairs, agreed, noting it can be easy for a student to feel isolated at a large university.

“At an institution the size of Mississippi State, it’s very easy to move around and feel like you’re the only person who is of a particular identity,” Hyatt explained.

“Having a sense of place and to feel that you matter is critical to success at a university, and our cultural or identity-based student 12 WINTER 2020

organizations help students find that here.

“Identity-based organizations also provide a representative voice for students and student populations,” she continued.

Town halls and other meetings with these groups help give students a platform to express concerns about a variety of topics including support, belonging and academics.

Forbes said the exchanges are not just important to the students but the institution as a whole.

“I’m all about conversation and sharing perspectives.

Really breaking down and being transparent with people like you and with people who aren’t like you, who come from different backgrounds, is something that really entices growth.” ~ Alysia Williams “Finding a community is so important for ensuring students don’t suffer in silence if they feel discouraged,” she said. “Having a community can ultimately provide the support needed to complete a degree, and we want to encourage community building any way we can.”

Alysia Williams said seeing that openness and community building was part of why she chose Mississippi State over a historically Black college or university.

“When you come to a new environment, you’re naturally going to gravitate to people who are like you or at least like-minded, so having organizations that encompass that can feel like being part of a family,” Williams said. “But here, everyone wants to know you as an individual, too—where you come from, what’s your story—and I appreciate that energy.”

A junior in architecture from Atlanta, Williams said she felt inspired by what she saw within the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center. She became 2019-20 president of the Black Student Association, the largest of MSU’s organizations for underrepresented

populations, in part to provide opportunities to build the community and encourage what she calls “transparency” among students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds.

“I’m all about conversation and sharing perspectives,” Williams said. “Really breaking down and being transparent with people like you and with people who aren’t like you, who come from different backgrounds, is something that really entices growth.”

Williams said the one thing she would have liked to do more of as president was to increase membership of non-Black students.

Diversifying membership is a wish that’s shared by many identity-based student groups whose leaders note it’s not just about finding a community of individuals like yourself but also including others to show them a new perspective.

“We want to help recruit Native American students to MSU and have a voice, but we’re not going to check your DNA for membership,” Andrews said jokingly of the Native American Student Association. “We do not discriminate and actively encourage people of all backgrounds to come and just celebrate this culture.”

Anirudh Aditya echoed those sentiments saying part of the mission of the International Student Advisory Board is to promote the exchange of ideas. A Mississippi native who spent eight years in India, ultimately graduating high school in Bangalore, he said helping promote understanding is an important aspect of the group.

“There’s a culture shock to being in a new place—you don’t know anyone, where to look for an apartment or even where Walmart is—so we help with those aspects to make an easier transition, but it’s so much more than that,” the senior biochemistry major explained. “We’re about ensuring our international students share their culture with domestic students and that domestic students share their culture and traditions with those from other countries.

“It’s a cultural exchange,” he continued.

“The more you learn about each other and the more you share, the more you’re able to fight off ignorance and racism. It’s through our differences that we can see how similar we actually are.” n

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Campus NEWS The Southern Conference on Language Teaching awarded its 2020 Educator of Excellence honor to KELLY M. MOSER, an assistant professor of Spanish and pedagogy.

The SCOLT, which covers 13 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, recognizes educators who have demonstrated excellence in language, teaching, active organization participation, and leadership and advocacy at the local, state, regional or national level.

DENNIS TRUAX, head of the Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was elected to serve as president of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He was sworn in as president-elect this fall and will assume the president’s role in 2022. He holds the James T. White Endowed Chair at MSU and is director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s Transportation Research Center. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in civil engineering from Mississippi State in 1978 and 1986, respectively.

JEREMIAH DUMAS, who has led MSU’s Parking and Transit Services since 2014, is now executive director of transportation at Mississippi State. With these expanded duties, he will lead efforts related to transportation infrastructure.

PHILIP S. POE, associate professor and coordinator for print and digital journalism in MSU’s Department of Communication, is the new president of the Mississippi Communication Association, an organization with members representing every institution of higher learning in the state.

BETH R. MILLER, a professor and director of MSU’s interior design program, is one of only 30 selected from around the world to participate in Attingham Trust’s Royal Collection Studies, a program that examines the patronage and collecting of the kings and queens of England and the United Kingdom dating back to the 15th century.

ALAN I. MARCUS, an MSU William L. Giles Distinguished Professor and head of the history department, is the 2019 selection for the Agricultural History Society’s Gladys L. Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement. He will formally accept his award during a 2021 ceremony.

LESLIE BURGER, assistant extension professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, is now a Fellow of The Wildlife Society. As one of the highest awards bestowed

by TWS, the honor recognizes Burger for her remarkable service to the wildlife profession.

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DAVID BUYS, associate professor in MSU’s Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion and state health specialist with the MSU Extension Service, is one of 33 individuals approved by the Gerontological Society of America for Fellow status within the society, the highest class of membership.

JEFFREY GORE, a research professor and entomologist based at the Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville, is a newly appointed member to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee. He is one of 33 new members of the committee that provides independent policy advice, information and recommendations to the EPA administrator on a range of environmental issues and policies that are of importance to agricultural and rural communities.

DALLAS BREEN, executive director of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State, has been named president of the Consortium of University Public Service Organizations. Breen will serve a one-year term as president of the organization, which supports university-based public service institutes in their efforts to assist state and local governments on a range of contemporary issues and challenges.

After a career that spanned over a half-century and witnessed the services and offerings of Mississippi State University Libraries evolve from traditional to digital to virtual, MSU Dean of Libraries FRANCES N. COLEMAN retired from the university on June 30. She was responsible for the university library system that includes Mitchell Memorial Library and branch libraries at MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, School of Architecture and MSU-Meridian, and led unprecedented expansions of facilities, technologies and programming throughout the system.

K. RAJA REDDY, a research professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, was elected to lead the Mississippi Academy of Sciences by members-at-large. As president, Reddy plans to further the state’s conversation on agriculture science and facilitate new student opportunities. He will direct a special agriculture science issue for the peer-reviewed Journal of Mississippi Academy of Sciences. He also is helping develop a junior academy platform so K-12 students can become a part of the organization.

JERVETTE R. WARD, an associate professor of English, was elected vice president of the College Language Association, a national organization devoted to serving the academic, scholarly and professional interests of African Americans in the collegiate community. The two-year term is slated to begin in 2022.

CHARLES “CHIP” TEMPLETON, director of Mississippi State University’s Small Business Development Center, has earned the Economic Development Finance Professional certification from the National Development Council. A Starkville native, he is a 1977 MSU marketing graduate.

Two Mississippi State faculty members in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are recent graduates of the national LEAD21 leadership development program. DARRIN DODDS, professor and head of the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, and CHARLES FREEMAN, associate professor in the School of Human Sciences, are among 90 graduates who attended a series of both online and in-person meetings earlier this year, which consisted of personal development at three levels: individual, team and large group or organization.

Administered by the Committees on Policy of the Associations of the Public and Land-grant Universities and its strategic partners, the LEAD21 curriculum develops leaders in landgrant institutions, along with strategic partners, who effectively link research, academics and extension to better lead in an increasingly complex environment.

LAURA MARLER, the Jim and Pat Coggin Endowed Professor of Management in Mississippi State’s College of Business, is now head of the Department of Management and Information Systems.

Mississippi State University-Meridian’s curriculum coordinator of education psychology, CARLEN HENINGTON, a professor, was honored by the American Psychological Association Division 16 with the Contribution to Practice Award.

FRAN PHARIS is now an architect and community planner with Mississippi State’s Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center. She is a 2008 School of Architecture alumna and a licensed architect in Mississippi.

Mississippi State University alumna DR. BRIDGET WILLEFORD has been named university veterinarian and director of MSU’s Office of Laboratory Animal Resources. Willeford has served in this role on an interim basis since December 2019, following the retirement last year of former university veterinarian Dr. Lucy H. Senter.

native is charged with overseeing webinars, a mentorship program, an informal journal and other activities.

Two students in Mississippi State’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College are receiving out-of-thisworld opportunities from the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation.

ZOE M. FOWLER, a senior electrical engineering major from Columbus, and HANNAH L. SCHEAFFER, a junior biochemistry major from Ruston, Louisiana, earned two of 56 scholarships presented to the ASF’s 2020 Astronaut Scholars Class, which includes students from 41 universities across the nation.

NADA ABDELAZIZ, a senior architecture major from Greenwood, will experience the trip of a lifetime and learn more about her field of study with help from a $20,000 Aydelott Travel Award.

She is the fifth MSU recipient since the regional endowed award was established in 2016. She plans to visit some of the world’s most renowned buildings in Sweden, Egypt, Italy and Japan once COVID-19 travel restrictions are lifted.

BAILEY C. ARCHEY, a third-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine student in Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, was selected to serve as vice president of education for the International Student One Health Alliance’s executive board. One of seven students from across the globe now serving on the board, the Memphis, Tennessee,

CHARLES “HUNT” WALNE, an MSU agronomy doctoral student, is one of 18 graduate students chosen as a recipient of the Future Leader in Science award and invited to the tri-societies’ annual Congressional Visits Day at the U.S. Capitol to advocate the importance of federal funding for agricultural research.

REESE A. DUNNE, a junior mechanical engineering major from Starkville, will represent Mississippi State at the Fulbright U.K. Summer Institute. A member of the Shackouls Honors College and MSU’s cross country and track and field teams, he is one of this year’s five nationwide Fulbright U.K. Summer Institute recipients who will travel to Scotland next summer.

CASSANDRA D. BARBER of Morgantown, West Virginia, and ALEC R. LUCAS of Center, Texas, both entering their second year of the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, were selected for the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research’s summer fellowship program. The program is administered by FFAR and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges.

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Discoveries

MSU NEUROMECHANICS LAB WORKS TO REDUCE FALLS, PREVENT INJURY AND PROMOTE SAFETY

By James Carskadon, Photos by Beth Wynn

Luke Ramsey, a senior kinesiology major from Greenville, walks while carrying a heavy load so sensors can detail the way his body responds to a changing environment. Neuromechanics Lab graduate students Sachini Kodithuwakku, a native of Sri Lanka, left, and Alana Turner of Mendenhall help collect data as lab co-director Harish Chander looks on. hen Harish Chander joined the Mississippi State Department of Kinesiology in 2014, he got the keys to a former classroom in McCarthy Gymnasium.

The space was mostly empty, but full of potential for a laboratory that would generate new knowledge of neuromechanics—a science that combines neurology and biomechanics to explain human movement.

Six years later, the space is filled with state-of-the-art biomechanics equipment and

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students of all levels conducting research that will help reduce falls in the workplace and with the elderly, identify potential workplace safety hazards, improve athletic performance, and help children with special needs improve their movement patterns.

“The goal of all this is to try to address and prevent falls, promote safety and prevent injuries,” Chander said. “We’re trying to address a diverse real-world population. Research that we’re doing

also turns into evidence-based practice for physical therapists, occupational therapists, ergonomists, occupational nurses and other health care professionals.”

When a person slips or falls, some broad details of what caused the incident are immediately known, like whether the surface was slick or a step was missed.

It’s the small details of what happens before and during a fall that interest MSU Neuromechanics Laboratory researchers. To

TOP: Hannah Freeman, a kinesiology graduate student from Linden, Alabama, uses virtual reality to participate in fall prevention research at the Neuromechanics Lab. BOTTOM: Alana Turner adjusts ankle sensors on a research subject. The motion capture system is similar to what movie studios use to bring action movies like “The Avengers” to life. have a comprehensive analysis, they use a 3D motion capture system. It’s the same concept used by Hollywood studios to bring action heroes to life in movies like “The Avengers.”

While the studios animate the captured movement for cinematic feats, researchers at Mississippi State use their recorded images to study how the body responds to different environments and falls.

“We have done successful research on preventing falls in occupational settings

such as construction, roofing, military and firefighting, as well as in geriatric populations,” Chander said. “Falls are the top cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in occupational and geriatric populations.

We are trying to prevent injuries from happening in the first place.”

In the lab, researchers use glycerol to create a slippery environment similar to what workers might see in a restaurant, food processing facility, automotive shop or other

environments. They then have test subjects walk and move on that slick surface with and without knowledge of the environment to examine how the body responds to those conditions over time.

The MSU researchers are also using digital environments for study. The lab recently acquired virtual reality equipment, which is being used to virtually place people in settings such as roofing and construction sites. Chander said the technology could be ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 17

Discoveries

The term kinesiology is derived from the Greek work kinesis meaning movement.

Local middle school student Cameron Knight walks across a surface in the Neuromechanics Lab, allowing his movement to be recorded in a motion capture system. One area of the lab’s research aims to improve motor skills in children. incorporated into training for companies.

“If you want to prevent yourself from falling, you need to get exposed to falling in a controlled environment,” Chander said.

“Construction and roofing have high rates of fatal injuries, in part because workers are being recruited with no prior experience.

Virtual reality can let them safely practice being in that environment.”

The lab has proven to be appealing to undergraduate students, with more of them showing interest in the work than Chander can have working in the lab. However, he helped to create a student club called Neuromechanics Research Core to keep students engaged with the lab.

Alana Turner, a doctoral student in kinesiology, worked in the lab while pursuing a bachelor’s and master’s in the field with concentrations in clinical exercise physiology and disability studies, respectively. She said that experience drove her interest in research and pursuing a career in academia while also exposing her to the real-world applications of the work.

“You can sit in class all day, but 18 WINTER 2020

everything clicks once you’re in the lab,” Turner said. “Being able to see joint kinematics and the skeleton through the motion capture system lets you see more clearly how the body works. I’m looking forward to working with the virtual reality equipment because that has big potential for training people with autism.”

Chander practiced physical therapy in India before moving to the U.S. to attend graduate school at the University of Mississippi where he earned master’s and doctoral degrees. He said that while he enjoyed working as a physical therapist, he has a passion for research and mentoring.

Several of his students have won campuswide awards for their contributions to teaching and research, and many graduates are now working in academia, professional sports or private industry.

Sachini Kodithuwakku, a doctoral student who earned a master’s degree in kinesiology from MSU, researches balance, posture, gait and falls. For her master’s degree, she primarily worked with athletes, but her doctoral work focuses on preventing

falls and injuries in workplace settings. She said that while the populations may be different, the lessons and concepts learned by studying one group can often be applied to the specific needs of other populations.

“The fields are diverse, but the concepts are the same,” Kodithuwakku said. “We’re mostly looking at the same parameters and using the same instruments but with different people.”

With plans underway to construct a new building for the Department of Kinesiology near the Joe Frank Sanderson Center, the Neuromechanics Laboratory will move in the coming years to a stateof-the-art facility. However, as the lab has shown through its growth from a McCarthy classroom, a lab is much more than the physical space it inhabits.

“We have really cool research equipment, and our students are successful, finding jobs and getting recognized for their work,” Chander said. “More people are recognizing the work we do here, which will help the research be applied in real-world settings. All of that combined is what a lab should be.” n

LaShan Simpson has a heart for research and teaching.

Heart of the Matter

MSU researcher unlocking cellular secrets of vascular calcification

By Vanessa Beeson, Photos by Megan Bean

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hen it comes to cardiovascular research, LaShan Simpson seeks to get to the heart of the matter.

“I love scientific mysteries like what you’d find on ‘CSI’ when something’s missing that no one else is talking about,” Simpson said. “I love my research because we’re trying to figure out something no one has before.”

Simpson, an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, is studying vascular calcification—a buildup of minerals in blood vessels, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

“When someone has a blockage due to vascular calcification, they receive a stent or undergo a procedure to remove the calcification, but both of

these methods are temporary fixes,” Simpson said.

“No one knows how to stop vascular calcification from happening in the first place.”

Unlocking the mystery at heart

Simpson said better understanding of how to prevent vascular calcification begins at the cellular level.

“A phenomenon we know happens during calcification is a switch at the cellular level,” Simpson explained. “Smooth muscle cells that line the artery change into bonelike cells.”

While scientists know this phenomenon occurs, no one has figured out why and when the switch takes place. Simpson hopes a 3D model she’s designing will help decipher these unknowns.

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Discoveries Simpson’s patent-pending 3D vascular calcification model, funded by the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, lets her observe the process in a way that mimics how it happens in the body.

The model starts with pig arteries.

The porcine DNA is removed while the extracellular scaffolding remains intact.

Human smooth muscle cells are added to that scaffolding. At that point, Simpson introduces factors to induce calcification.

“We mimic what happens in the body,” she explained. “You’ve heard about people who have too much salt in their diet or eat too many processed foods. Those habits can lead to high levels of sodium and phosphorus in the blood, which causes vascular calcification. We add sodium phosphate to the model to mimic this process that can happen in the body.”

Once the minerals are added, everything is placed in a bioreactor, which adds dynamic flow of fluids.

“Once we add flow through the bioreactor, the artery acts similar to how it would in the body,” Simpson explained. “We can alter the rate fluid moves through the artery to act just like blood flow, so we see things like the mechanical shearing of cells.

According to the CDC, someone in America has a heart attack every 40 seconds.

This allows us to better understand how the calcification process impacts the smooth muscle cells.”

She said the purpose of the threedimensional model is to show how arteries act differently inside the human body.

“Showing that we can induce calcification in a 3D model is important because it is more like what happens in the body. In the body, arteries are in a three-dimensional matrix, under flow all the time, in a soft material,” Simpson said. “This allows us to study healthy and diseased cells in an environment similar to the body, so we can solve the mystery of why and when smooth muscle cells make the switch to bonelike cells during calcification.”

From there, Simpson said other types of cells that also play a role in calcification can be studied and treatment options can be explored.

“We’re working on understanding the signaling process that initiates calcification in smooth muscle cells so that we can develop a treatment that reverses the switch,” Simpson said.

She said she hopes her work will one day contribute to finding a way to stop and reverse vascular calcification before significant damage can occur.

“If this is successful, we’ll be able to test different treatments on this model and since it will be similar to what happens in the body, we’ll understand which treatments might be most effective,” she said.

A heart for teaching

Students in Simpson’s lab play a big role in the research. While she asks the utmost in excellence of each of them, it’s evident she takes teaching to heart.

The Clinton, South Carolina, native is a first-generation college student who was raised by a single mother and understands the challenges many students face when navigating college.

Simpson serves as diversity coordinator for the MSU Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College, is on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences diversity council and was one of two MSU faculty members awarded the 2020 Diversity Award by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. She makes it a point to seek out those students—many who are underrepresented minorities in their fields—and help them on their paths.

“My students are the reason I get out of bed in the morning,” Simpson said.

“Oftentimes, the smartest students in the class are the quietest, so I pull them out and

LaShan Simpson, left, works alongside junior Christopher Robinson, right. In her effort to understand and stop vascular calcification, the associate professor is creating a 3D heart model that will pump fluid like its living counterpart to give her team a look at cellular-level changes that lead to heart damage.

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get them involved and engaged.”

She emphasized the need to amplify voices that aren’t always heard in a traditional academic setting.

“I remember being a student and not knowing who to go to for answers because I didn’t have a mentor to look up to, who looked like me and would understand my experience,” she said. “Marginalized communities must have a seat at the table, to influence the culture of an institution at each level. That means more than just increasing diversity among the student population but inclusion across the board.”

Christopher Robinson joined Simpson’s lab this fall. The junior biological engineering major from Brookhaven is interested in cardiology and hopes to pursue a career addressing health inequities in that area.

“Cardiovascular health is a good way to target one of the biggest health issues in the state and nation,” said Robinson, who Simpson mentored in MSU’s honors college and as adviser for the MSU’s Biomedical Engineering Association, which Robinson serves as an executive board member.

“Her kindness and dedication to students branch outside of academics,” he said. “Dr. Simpson goes beyond to make sure students are engaged and have opportunities to feel heard.” n Robinson, below, is one of the student researchers working in Simpson’s lab.

Change of Heart Researchers like LaShan Simpson are busy finding ways to stop and reverse the causes of heart disease. In the meantime, there are many lifestyle choices that can protect cardiac health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rank heart disease as the leading cause of death for men and women, with 47% of Americans having at least one of the three key risk factors—high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking.

Taylor VanDyk, a registered dietician, says the good news is most of these risk factors are manageable.

“Lifestyle changes are the No. 1 way to maintain heart health,” explained VanDyk, who works in MSU’s Department of Health Promotion and Wellness.

“Heredity and age are the only risk factors that can’t be changed. All of the others like diet, physical activity, stress management and smoking are considered modifiable. And the earlier healthy lifestyle factors are implemented, the better.”

She said small changes, like what foods we eat, can have a big impact and recommends a healthy diet that includes:

• Whole grains, like whole grain bread, oatmeal and brown rice • Healthy fats from sources like olive oil, avocado and nuts • Fruits and vegetables—fresh, canned or frozen

VanDyk also suggests lifestyle changes that can affect heart health.

• Drink water, unsweetened tea or coffee instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.

• Eat at home more often, making it easier to control what and how much is eaten.

• Limit alcohol intake to one drink or less per day.

• Increase cardio exercises like walking, jogging, cycling or swimming.

• Find healthy ways to cope with stress instead of smoking or drinking.

• Aim for 8 hours of sleep each night.

She cautions that adults who plan to implement lifestyle changes start small by changing one habit at a time, an approach that is more likely than sudden, allencompassing changes to have lasting effects.

“It’s never too early to invest in your health,” VanDyk said. “Kids with parents who practice healthy behaviors are much more likely to practice these behaviors in adulthood. A great place to start is going for a walk or increasing fruit and vegetable intake.”

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Discoveries Christopher Bounds, a polymer scientist with training in business, marketing, leadership and innovation, is now director of Mississippi State’s Advanced Composites Institute, which is part of the university’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory.

Jean-Francois Gout, an assistant professor of computational biology, is a co-principal investigator for an international team working to understand and predict coronavirus genetic mutations, which can aid in the development of potential treatments and vaccines for COVID-19. The project is funded by the National Science Foundation.

MSU political science and communication double-major Marisa D. Laudadio of Walnut, and Vasabjit Banerjee, an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, collaborated on “Praetorians in the time

of Pandemic: Militaries in Latin American Populist Regimes,” which was published by Columbia University’s School of International Public Affairs in its Journal of International Affairs, a leading policy-oriented journal.

A Mississippi State physics and astronomy faculty member and graduate student are among authors of a paper published in the journal “Nature” announcing their discovery of a new planet orbiting a nearby star 31.9 light-years away. The discovery positions astronomers to increase their understanding of how stars and planets form and evolve. The research team that includes associate professor Angelle Tanner and physics doctoral student Claire Geneser of Argenta, Illinois, used NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, known as TESS, and the recently retired Spitzer Space Telescope to find the Neptunesized planet named AU Mic b.

Cindy Bethel, the Billie J. Ball Endowed Professor in Engineering at Mississippi State, has been named as one of the “World’s 50 Most Renowned Women in Robotics” by Analytics Insight magazine.

Bethel’s research focuses on robotics and human-robot interaction. She is the director of the Social, Therapeutic and Robotic Systems (STaRS) Lab and was a 2019 U.S. – Australian Fulbright Senior Scholar at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia.

In a groundbreaking study featured in “Nature Communications,” a natural sciences journal publishing research advances of significance, Ryan A. Folk, assistant professor of biological sciences, reveals the evolutionary history of plant diversification is completely different than decades-old theories.

Biological anthropologist Molly K. Zuckerman, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, is using human skeletal samples to discover more about syphilis as principal investigator for a four-year $260,000 National Science Foundation-funded project.

Her team is studying more than 300 skeletons from U.S. collections of 19th to early-20th century specimens diagnosed with syphilis prior to death. The researchers are examining how chronic stress, age, health conditions and immune status relate to either recovery from infection or late-stage disease development.

MSU’s RASPET FLIGHT RESEARCH LABORATORY is now designated as the Federal Aviation Administration’s UAS Safety Research Facility, placing the research center at the helm of studying and developing safety and certification standards as UAS become increasingly integrated in the U.S. airspace.

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The Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish at Mississippi State University is awarding $5.7 million in grants to develop innovative approaches for helping solve hunger affecting more than 800 million people worldwide. As part of the U.S. Government’s Feed the Future program and funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Fish Innovation Lab works to reduce poverty and improve nutrition, food security and livelihoods in developing countries by supporting research on sustainable aquaculture and fisheries systems.

MSU’s Orion supercomputer is the fourth most powerful academic data center in the U.S., according to recent rankings released by Top500.org. Orion is ranked at No. 68 on Top500’s list of the world’s most powerful computing systems. Managed by MSU’s High Performance Computing Collaboratory, Orion was installed on campus last summer with the support of $22 million in grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Capable of processing five thousand trillion calculations per second, Orion is powering research and development advancements in weather and climate modeling, autonomous systems, materials, cybersecurity, computational modeling and more.

A health leadership team led by the Mississippi State University EXTENSION SERVICE has received a national award for its work to address mental health challenges in the state’s agricultural community.

Directors of the PROMISE Initiative will receive the Southern Distinguished Team award from Epsilon Sigma. PROMISE stands for “PReventing Opioid Misuse in the SouthEast” and is led by MSU Extension state health specialist David Buys. The team earned Mental Health First Aid certification before teaching the curriculum to more than 600 people. More than $1 million in awarded competitive grant funding supports the education campaign.

The Mississippi State-led CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS, also known as the Alliance for System Safety of UAS, or ASSURE, has gained more than $10 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration.

The NATIONAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING CENTER ON BLINDNESS AND LOW VISION at Mississippi State has received a fiveyear, $4.375 million grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research. The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of People who are Blind or Have Low Vision grant will fund seven major research projects strengthening the NRTC’s reputation as the nation’s only federally funded center focused on employment outcomes for people with blindness or low vision.

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State SNAPSHOT

24 WINTER 2020

BRUSHING UP: Students in fine art professor

Robert Long’s pottery class work on unique creations in the Howell Hall ceramics studio.

Once home to agricultural and biological engineering, the building now houses Mississippi State’s sculpture program, providing 4,000 square feet of hands-on workspace for budding artists.

Photo by Mary Georgia Hamilton

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BECOMING A BULLDOG Nontraditional students find their place in class through support, community at Mississippi State

By Sasha Steinberg, Photos by Beth Wynn

26 WINTER 2020

B

alancing a job, family and other obligations matter what,” Shelton said of her husband. “Your keeps life busy for many adults, so pursuing circumstances can change at a moment’s notice, but no a college degree may not seem possible. one can take away your degree once you have it. You’re Mississippi State understands this, and that’s why never too old to go back to school.” the university offers various support, from generous Nontraditional students at Mississippi State can get scholarships to helpful staff to flexible degree the academic advising and general support from the programs, that help nontraditional students make the state’s Complete 2 Compete program. It helps adults most of their time while earning a diploma. age 21 and older who have not completed coursework Typically defined as someone older than 23 who in at least 24 consecutive months to complete a did not enroll in college immediately or soon after post-secondary degree. Mississippi State also has a high school graduation, nontraditional students often new Bachelor of Applied Science program that allows value flexibility, practicality and programs that allow students to apply technical education credits toward a them to not only capitalize on their life bachelor’s degree. experiences, but gain new experiences that Shelton stresses that will lead to a career. adults should remember “Your circumstances As the wife of a nontraditional that no matter the obstacles, can change at a student and manager of admissions and a college degree is a enrollment management for MSU’s worthwhile pursuit. moment’s notice, Office of the Graduate School, Lindsey “You may encounter a but no one can take lot of roadblocks in your life, Shelton understands these needs, as well as the important role family and but don’t let that stop you away your degree academic support play in a college from pursuing your goals. It once you have it. experience. The MSU alumna said takes great determination, but she draws from both perspectives you can do it,” she said. “Two You’re never too old of our current students Charlyn to guide students on their path to a degree. to go back to school.” King and Richard Hinshaw are “I love seeing nontraditional great examples of how to make it ~ Lindsey Shelton students go back to school; it’s happen.” an admirable thing to do. They King, who holds an associate’s in add so much to the dynamic of drafting and design from Jones Junior our campus and our classrooms because they’ve been College, said she first thought about pursuing another out in the workforce and bring such great experience degree while serving in the Mississippi National to the table,” said Shelton, who earned a bachelor’s in Guard. Then “life happened.” She met her husband interdisciplinary studies in 2002. “These students set a Tommy, an Army engineer officer and MSU business good example for younger generations about the value graduate, in 1993 and left the guard after the two of setting goals and working hard to earn the things you started a family. want no matter your age.”

Their son Ryan, a 2017 anthropology graduate, is Shelton, who also earned a master’s in 2014, said now pursuing an MSU master’s in English. Daughter supporting those returning to school hits close to home.

Amelia is entering her fifth year in MSU’s School of Her husband Bo Shelton, a lieutenant with the MSU Architecture. With three Bulldogs in the family, King Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, said she didn’t want to miss out on the fun. is working toward a bachelor’s in anthropology at MSU. “Once our kids were at State, everyone in the After high school, Bo went straight into the Marines family was a Bulldog except me. I couldn’t let that and then into public service as a fireman, medic and happen,” she said with a laugh. “I thought, ‘If I go ultimately law enforcement officer. Fifteen years later, back to school, then all four of us can be Bulldogs.’ he decided it was time to return to school for a degree.

I’ve always loved making things and for my associate’s He finished an associate’s in May and, with Lindsey’s degree, I had to do a year of architectural drawing that support, decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree.

I really enjoyed. I remember Ryan asking me if I ever “It’s so exciting to see him working diligently to thought about going back to school and when Amelia earn that diploma because he will always have it no decided she wanted to investigate the architecture

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 27

Bo and Lindsey Shelton

program at State for herself, that really made me start thinking about it again.”

Flash forward three years and King says she couldn’t be happier to be a Bulldog. She said everyone she’s interacted with in the College of Architecture, Art and Design— and MSU as a whole—has been friendly and accommodating, so her transition from prospective to full-time student went smoothly. She received a donor-supported MSU Compass Scholarship and is proud to have been inducted into MSU’s chapter of Tau Sigma Delta architectural honor society.

“As an adult student, I think most of my initial obstacles or concerns were self-imposed. State has been great about setting me up for success,” she said. “The architecture staff spent a lot of time explaining the application process, so I felt like I had the information and support I needed to accomplish this goal.”

King said she’s also grateful to the staff of Mississippi State’s G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans.

“In some of my classes, I have needed to print something or needed a workspace outside of the studio, and the veterans center in Nusz Hall has been a nice resource,” she said. “It’s been a huge bonus to 28 WINTER 2020

be able to connect with people who have the same experiences in terms of serving in the military.”

The classroom experience has been just as enjoyable, King said.

“One of my biggest concerns was that my classmates would have this preconceived idea of ‘She’s Amelia’s mom; she’s so old,’” King said with a laugh. “Amelia has given me a lot of support and been a great source of information, particularly with technology since it’s changed a lot since the last time I was in school.

Other students and professors have really been open to making me a part of this campus. I’m glad I’ve had this opportunity to be in an environment with other creative people.”

If things go as planned, the King family will have much to celebrate next spring when Charlyn, Ryan and Amelia are slated to graduate. King said she’s excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel and hopes to continue her education through pursuit of an architect’s license and additional training opportunities. She encourages prospective nontraditional students to simply “go for it.”

“Even if you don’t have another career on the horizon, it’s still fun to continue learning and to be around people who are interested in the same thing you are,” she said. “You might learn something new about yourself.

“As an adult student, I think most of my initial obstacles or concerns were self-imposed. State has been great about setting me up for success.” ~ Charlyn King

“I struggled my first time in college,” she continued. “When we’re in our 20s, we think we have to pick the right major, get the right job and make all of the right choices or the world will end, but it’s so important to just keep experiencing new things and realize that life doesn’t end just because you’re 50 and your kids go off and have their own lives now. Everything in the world is changing, including technology, and being able to learn about those changes at Mississippi State has been an eye-opening experience. I’ve had a lot of fun.”

In addition to providing the academic and financial support that King relishes, Mississippi State is helping working adults expand their education through convenient, affordable online degree programs. The university currently offers more than 50 accredited online programs, making bachelor’s, master’s, doctorates and professional certificates available to anyone with

internet access, including Gulfport resident and distance education student Richard Hinshaw.

Hinshaw, who is in his late 60s, said the decision to pursue a master’s in instructional technology stemmed from his desire to be a lifelong learner.

“Some people thought I was crazy for wanting to do school stuff at my age,” he said. “Someone asked me, ‘What are you going to do when you grow up?’

I said, ‘Hopefully, I’ll never grow up.’ I’m not going to sit and twiddle my thumbs. I like learning and technology, so I decided to go back to school. If you stop thinking and learning, you’re crazy.”

In 1972, Hinshaw earned a bachelor’s degree in advertising from the University of Florida. His post-graduation career in newspaper and radio took him all over the country before he officially put roots down in Mississippi. In addition to pursuing a master’s degree online, he said he enjoys conducting media research and helping clients enhance customer engagement through direct mail.

“I have been very fortunate to have worked with and for a lot of good people for long periods

Charlyn King

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 29

Richard Hinshaw

“Someone asked me,

of time, and I think I’ve learned a little bit from every place I’ve been,” he said.

‘What are you going “That’s the attitude I’ve always had with life. No matter what, you must learn from to do when you grow each experience, so you can work smarter up?’ I said, ‘Hopefully, and make things better.’”

Now happily residing on the Gulf Coast I’ll never grow up.’ with his wife Teresa, daughter Abby and beagle I’m not going to sit Lazlo, Hinshaw said Mississippi State and its “good people” have given him the knowledge and twiddle my and support he needs to excel.

“When I started looking into what’s possible thumbs.” for me in terms of another degree, I actually ~ Richard Hinshaw reached out to three different schools to get more information on what was available. Mississippi State was the only one that responded,” he recalled.

“I didn’t know where to start out, but I ended up speaking with Angie Campbell at the graduate school who was very helpful and offered suggestions about programs that sounded pretty neat.”

30 WINTER 2020

Hinshaw said he’s also grateful for proactive professors, including his adviser Chien Yu in the College of Education’s Department of Instructional Systems and Workforce Development.

“Dr. Yu is great. She always responds to emails and has been helpful to me, especially with things I hadn’t done for the first time,” he said. “I had a lot of problems when working on a lesson plan, and she spent a lot of time helping me through it. Everybody else I’ve worked with here has had a fantastic attitude, too. They want to see you do you well, which is neat.”

Though not in any rush to finish, Hinshaw said he is happy to be about halfway through his degree program.

He is taking two online courses this fall and planning for additional ones in the spring and summer.

“You can be a school known for this or that, but having good people has a lot to do with everything, and the people at State are incredible,” he said. “The encouragement and support they provide is very good and appreciated.” n

HOME WORK SETTING UP A SPACE FOR SUCCESS Going virtual has become a must for many students and professionals during the pandemic. Mississippi State’s Center for Distance Education offers simple tips for setting up at-home study or workspaces.

It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

1 CREATE A WORKSPACE THAT IS: •

•

•

COMFORTABLE - Select a desk chair that supports the lower back.

- Adjust computer monitors to eye level to avoid neck strain.

- Ensure arms, wrists and shoulders are supported and relaxed while using a keyboard or mouse.

CONNECTED - Keep designated workspaces organized, with all required books, materials and software in easy reach.

- Make sure internet access is available. Signal boosters can help extend the range of home Wi-Fi. MSU Extension offices or local libraries can help those without internet connection at home.

CAMERA READY - Before joining a video conference check lighting, camera angles and sound so video and audio transmit clearly.

- Make sure the surroundings are free of personal items you might not want to broadcast to classmates or peers. This includes things that might be visible on a shared computer screen.

- Remember that even though you’re at home, others will be able to see you if you’re using video-conferencing technology. Dress accordingly.

2 LIMIT DISTRACTIONS • • • •

Turn off cell phones or disable notifications to avoid losing focus on the task at hand.

Avoid multi-tasking on the computer. Close any tabs unrelated to the current assignment or project.

Block apps or websites that tend to compete for your attention.

Use headphones when listening to lectures or participating in online meetings or video conferences.

3 KEEP CALM • • •

Take frequent, short breaks away from the computer.

Stand up, walk around and clear your head.

Give yourself grace and do the best you can with the tools and technology you have.

Remember, Mississippi State is here to help!

BACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCE AT MISSISSIPPI STATE

Feel the pride of becoming a Bulldog. Earn a college degree. Compete for jobs of the future.

Whether attending Mississippi State’s Starkville, Meridian or online campuses, Mississippians can accomplish these goals and more through the university’s new Bachelor of Applied Science program.

“To compete globally, nationally and here in Mississippi for the next generation of high-quality jobs, Mississippi needs an educated workforce with a myriad of technical skills that complement and enhance the intrinsic value of a four-year college degree,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum, upon announcing the program in 2019. “The Bachelor of Applied Science program is an enterprise in which Mississippi State can be a change agent for Mississippians seeking to be a part of that emerging workforce.”

The BAS program is intended to serve the needs of adults who have completed a technical associate’s degree and need additional education to achieve their career goals. Students can transfer up to 60 credit hours and earn additional credits through online or in-person courses, providing the flexibility that has become a hallmark of MSU’s nationally ranked online offerings.

“By offering the new Bachelor of Applied Science program through our online campus, Mississippi State is not only meeting the need of accepting more technical credit but doing so in a manner that fits the schedule of working adults,” said Susan Seal, executive director of MSU’s Center for Distance Education. “Our excellent staff is dedicated to helping our students succeed in this new program.”

MSU has signed BAS partnership agreements with the majority of Mississippi’s community colleges. Within the program, the university has expanded emphasis areas in each of its eight academic colleges and is developing additional programs. Learn more at www.msstate.edu/ students/bachelor-of-applied-science.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 31

SOMETHING TO PROVE MSU makes its mark in off-road autonomy

BY JAMES CARSKADON, PHOTOS BY BETH WYNN

32 WINTER 2020

A

Christopher Hudson, a research engineer, drives a Polaris MRZR through the MSU Proving Ground. The vehicle is collecting data that will allow it to navigate off-road environments autonomously.

utonomous vehicles have made significant advancements over the last generation, but at least one major limitation remains for most—the ability to reliably travel off-road, which encompasses the majority of Earth’s terrain.

Using a combination of advanced computer simulation capabilities and a newly acquired 50-acre off-road test track, researchers at Mississippi State’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems are at the forefront of creating and testing the systems that will open a new world of possibility for autonomous vehicles. The advancements developed at MSU could have applications for the military, as well as industries such as agriculture, energy, construction and forestry.

Clay Walden, executive director of the center, said Mississippi State’s decades of automotive research experience, unrivaled high-performance computing capability, and the university’s rural surroundings combine to make an ideal setting for autonomous vehicle development and testing.

“I don’t think there’s anywhere else with our advanced computing capabilities, which we can use to model and simulate the sensors these systems run on, combined with the ability to quickly validate what’s happening,” Walden said. “It’s a great combination of virtual and physical testing in an off-road environment, and I think it gives our partners in the Department of Defense something unique.”

This fall, CAVS put the finishing touches on the MSU Proving Ground, 50 acres of diverse terrain adjacent to the research center.

The property contains swampy areas, flats, steep inclines and tall grass, all of which can be used to test vehicles in a variety of environments.

The Proving Ground will increase the center’s ability to carry out U.S. Army ground vehicle research. Last fall, CAVS received $3.08 million from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, headquartered in Vicksburg, to conduct research in areas such as human performance in manned and autonomous systems, soilterrain interaction, remote sensing capabilities, and more. The work will help the Army assess

manned and unmanned tactical vehicles.

As part of the research, CAVS has acquired two new vehicles, with a third on the way.

The first to arrive was a Polaris MRZR, a lightweight versatile vehicle that can carry up to four people and has uses in a wide range of tactical environments. The second was a Warthog amphibious, unmanned ground vehicle, which can be used to carry supplies in support of a mission. The third vehicle, an amphibious tracked vehicle operated by a joystick, is scheduled to arrive in late 2020 or early 2021.

Daniel Carruth, CAVS associate director for advanced vehicle systems, said the different vehicles will help the researchers train algorithms and sensors to adapt to different environments and uses.

“The military is looking at vehicle support in a lot of different ways,” Carruth said. “You could have scenarios where you drive for a distance, then get out and walk the last mile to the combat zone and you can call the vehicle to pick you up in a hurry. They envision vehicles that can do reconnaissance and overwatch, and then extraction. So, essentially, vehicles that can protect themselves and then come get you when you needed.”

Another benefit for the armed forces is that self-driving vehicles free up personnel for other aspects of the mission. It could also reduce the number of people needed to handle transportation and supply chain logistics, which often are a dangerous part of a mission.

“If you have three people in a vehicle and you can take out the driving aspect, they can focus on things like security, management, communications with other vehicles or the forward operating base,” Carruth said.

“If you can reduce persons in a vehicle, it reduces potential casualties.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF SIMULATION

In addition to the physical 50-acre site, CAVS is creating a “digital twin” of the Proving Ground for simulations. This will allow researchers to use the physical data collected at the test track to train the systems and sensors that the autonomous vehicles use to navigate the terrain.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 33

This process involves collecting information about the property’s soil, topography, trees, plants and more so the digital twin replicates the real thing as closely as possible.

The researchers noted that the quality of the data going into any algorithm or simulation plays a significant role in determining the capabilities of the artificial intelligence systems that will use those algorithms to make decisions.

The team developed the MSU Autonomous Vehicle Simulator, or MAVS, to conduct in-house testing of navigation software in virtual environments.

To make decisions with 95% confidence, an autonomous driving system needs billions of miles worth of training. That is where the capabilities of MSU’s High Performance Computing Collaboratory come in.

While CAVS researchers are preparing vehicles to drive on the Proving Ground, they can also use the machine learning capabilities of one of the world’s most powerful supercomputers to help prepare the vehicles to drive in unknown environments. By running thousands of simultaneous drive simulations, the research team can gain valuable insights into how the autonomous systems respond to different changes in the environment.

“In a matter of months, you could have one of our vehicles driving most of the trails on the Proving Ground,” Carruth said. “But if I took that vehicle to another property, it’s not going to be able to drive at all.

The modeling and simulation tools will let us train that vehicle to drive in the desert or in the mountains. In the simulation, we can put it in any imaginable environment and see how the vehicle performs there.

“On the high-performance computing system, we can simulate 100,000 rides in an environment, which could tell us, for example, what level of rainfall makes a system fail,” he continued. “It lets us build environments and run lots of different trials with different variables to see how those variables affect the vehicles.”

Carruth is leading efforts with NATO, through its Science and Technology Organization working groups, to examine and compare current autonomous modeling and simulation tools. He is leading a NATO competition that will benchmark currently available simulation tools and test them in physical environments, some of which could potentially be done on the Proving Ground.

The NATO research group is working through 2023 to determine standards for autonomous modeling and simulation tools.

LETTING STUDENTS GET HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

CAVS regularly involves undergraduate and graduate students in the wide-ranging research at the center.

Computer science graduate students Payton Ray and

34 WINTER 2020

Marc Moore are among the first to get to carry out research on the Proving Ground and the new vehicles being used for the project.

Ray, from Olive Branch, studied computer science and linguistics as an undergraduate at MSU. In graduate school, she is focusing on artificial intelligence and how humans interact with computers and robots. At CAVS, she is outfitting the Warthog robot with sensors that collect data from the Proving Ground. That data then informs how the vehicles react in the simulation software.

“My background is mainly in software, but for this you have to be a mini expert in all of it,” Ray said. “You have hardware with the sensors, then you have to get out there and actually collect the data. There are a lot of problems to solve, but it’s a lot more fun than sitting in a cubicle.”

Moore, who came to Mississippi from San Diego before enrolling at MSU as an undergraduate, is doing similar work for the MRZR. He said it is exciting to work in off-road autonomy, where every problem is still “in its infancy.” In addition to getting to work alongside world-class researchers, Moore said he enjoys the opportunity to work with top-of-the-line equipment.

“Lidar systems are not cheap at all, but right now they are the cornerstone of autonomous driving,” Moore said. “We have access to lidar systems. We can test new algorithms. We can gather data. That’s a practical level of experience that very few research institutions provide.

The skills we’re learning will be relevant for a long time.”

STAYING AT THE FOREFRONT

Walden said he can envision collaborations with MSU faculty in agriculture and forestry that utilize the Proving Ground. Because MSU is a national leader in unmanned aerial systems research, CAVS will also be well-positioned to explore unmanned ground and air vehicle interactions in an off-road environment.

“With agriculture, forestry and other fields, there are opportunities for ground vehicle coordination with unmanned aerial vehicles,” Walden said. “That gives you perspectives from the ground and from the air.”

The work at CAVS also opens up the opportunity for research into autonomous cars that handle both on- and off-road environments. Additionally, the research could overlap in areas that are beneficial to on-road autonomy.

“The Army is not going to want an autonomous vehicle that is either on-road or off-road,” Carruth said. “At some point, you need a vehicle that is capable of doing both. It would have to recognize the context it is operating in. We’re potentially interested in that transition from on-road to off-road operations and how you build a system that can recognize the context change and operate equally well in both environments.” n

TOP: CAVS has acquired three vehicles to facilitate off-road autonomy research with a focus on military applications. These vehicles can be used to carry personnel, supplies or surveil an environment.

MIDDLE LEFT: Mechanical engineering senior Christian Johannemann, a Florida native, and CAVS research engineer Tyler Hannis adjust hardware used by the autonomous vehicles to collect data. MIDDLE RIGHT: Marc Moore, left, and Payton Ray, both computer science graduate students, prepare a Warthog ground vehicle drone with sophisticated hardware and software to gain insights into how the vehicle performs in off-road environments.

BOTTOM: The Warthog is an amphibious ground vehicle that can navigate the Proving Ground’s diverse terrain, which includes natural vegetation growth, hills, swampy areas, and trails.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 35

Bridging t he Gap MSU steps up to solve Mississippi’s teacher crisis

By Camille Carskadon, Photos by Beth Wynn

36 WINTER 2020

A

ny teacher’s first year—in a new classroom, a new school or a new district— can cause butterflies. Those little ripples of anxiety might even feel insurmountable for a fresh college graduate making the transition from classroom learner to classroom leader. Still, Katie Hogan said she is confident.

“Although I think I will be more nervous than the students, it will be a dream come true,” Hogan said. “I’ve always wanted to be an educator, and I will have completed four years of hard work in order to lead and teach students so the first day of class will be a significant milestone in my career.”

A senior majoring in secondary education, Hogan said she would like to teach 8th or 9th grade and believes she will be ready to step into that role and do it well thanks to her preparation at Mississippi State University.

“MSU, I feel, has well equipped me to be an educator by hiring some of the best professors to teach the education students,” the Olive Branch

More Preparation Richard Blackbourn, dean of the College of Education, said Mississippi State is helping address this issue by ensuring its graduates know what to expect their first day as teachers, including how to balance the needs of every student in the room.

“We’ve found that so many first-year teachers struggle with student discipline and differentiated instruction,” Blackbourn explained. “We strive to ensure that our graduates walk into their classrooms that first day as teachers fully prepared for whatever the year might throw at them.”

Blackbourn added that feedback from those who employ MSU teacher interns and graduates helps hone the curriculum of the program. It was from that feedback that Donna Shea, director of clinical and field-based instruction, realized teacher candidates would greatly benefit from additional guidance in classroom management, establishing relationships with students and parents, and communicating effectively with parents.

“Teachers have the awesome opportunity to be on the front lines every day in being that light, in loving every student, and in inspiring positive change one child at a time.” ~ Donna Shea native explained. “They keep it real and are great at letting their students know that being an educator is hard work but it’s worth it.”

Coming from a family of educators, Hogan knows that she’s stepping into an important role, not just that of a teacher but also a mentor and a role model. She said she also understands that teaching is a calling.

“I decided to become a teacher because I grew up seeing firsthand the effects teachers can have on students years and years down the road,” Hogan said. “Teaching also combines my love of leadership, community, relationships and students.”

Mississippi schools, in particular, have struggled to find people to “answer the call,” causing a statewide teacher shortage in some areas for the past three decades. Before the 2020-21 academic year started, the Mississippi Department of Education reported critical teaching shortages in 89 of the 151 school districts in the state.

Shea said she knows from her own career as an educator how much relationships matter, and for the past 18 semesters as she’s guided future teachers through their final months at her alma mater, it’s a lesson she’s tried to instill in them.

“Teachers have the awesome opportunity to be on the front lines every day in being that light, in loving every student, and in inspiring positive change one child at a time,” Shea said.

To help teacher candidates grow in this area of establishing proper classroom relationships, the College of Education reached out to classroom management guru Amie Dean to host classroom management seminars for senior education majors.

“We’ve had such great feedback from students about our seminars,” Shea explained. “Teacher candidates have said that information from the seminars inspired them to go out into the world and make a difference in the lives of their students.”

The college has also invited local school ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 37

administrators and Mississippi Department of Education staff to discuss with teacher candidates a variety of topics including principals’ expectations, a teacher’s role in state accreditation and educational interventions.

More Opportunities For Hogan, who has attended the college’s seminars, all of her preparation has started to pay off. She’s already planning what her future classroom will look like and how it will function in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Not only have MSU faculty helped her every step of the way but during her time at the university, she also has benefited from being part of the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program—a

Funded by the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation in Jackson for approximately $100,000 over four years, METP is designed to create a unique “honors college-style” learning experience for high-achieving education majors.

In addition to the METP scholarship, the MSU College of Education offers another 24 scholarships totaling approximately $98,000 specifically for future teachers.

Hogan said METP and MSU have pushed her college experience and career preparation the “extra mile.”

“The program has allowed me to build connections and friendships with potential future colleagues,” Hogan said. “It has also placed me in a community with current teachers that have been

We wanted to be a part of a solution that created additional pathways to teacher certification while also preparing a more diverse population that more closely matches the student populations they will be teaching. ~ Jeff Leffler scholarship that Hogan said changed her life.

The METP scholarship is a collaborative endeavor that aims to attract top-performing students to teacher education programs in Mississippi. The scholarship provides full tuition, including room, board and books, as well as professional incentives, a $1,000 technology stipend and a fully funded study-abroad or similar experience. All students who enter the program make a five-year commitment to teach in Mississippi after graduation.

“The METP scholarship has attracted students to Mississippi State University from across the United States,” said Teresa Jayroe, associate dean of the College of Education. “We just admitted a new class of 30 students for fall 2020 and have approximately 70 METP teachers in classrooms across the state. We are excited about the impact these high-achieving young teachers are already making in classrooms throughout Mississippi.”

Rebecca Robichaux-Davis, a professor who serves as adviser for elementary education METP students concentrating in mathematics, added, “When I speak to METP students about their career goals, the vast majority of them want to teach middle school mathematics and consequently, these students are directly bridging the gap in Mississippi’s teacher shortage in a critical needs area.”

38 WINTER 2020

through the program, so I get to hear their stories and learn from their experiences.”

More Paths to a Degree While Hogan benefits from on-campus instruction from MSU faculty, the College of Education also ensures its scholarships, mentorship and educational opportunities are available to nontraditional learners. The Master of Arts in teaching and Master of Arts in teaching special education are online programs geared toward those who choose teaching as a second career.

In addition, two programs administered through MSU-Meridian open degree possibilities for teacher assistants—the new Mississippi Teacher Residency program and Professional Advancement Network for Teacher Assistants initiative.

A first of its kind in the United States, the residency program is designed to help classroom assistant teachers complete a bachelor’s degree.

The program will graduate approximately 100 new elementary teachers for four underserved central Mississippi school districts over the course of the four-year grant.

“The Mississippi Teacher Residency program provides students with the best of both worlds,” explained Brandi Sumrall, co-director of the

program. “Students complete the program with a degree in elementary education and an endorsement in special education. As a special educator and as a teacher educator, I know the importance of having qualified teachers working with students with exceptional abilities.”

She went on to say the Mississippi Teacher Residency program allows her to work with elementary education majors to provide a knowledge base for working with students with disabilities and teaching students who are at-risk academically and behaviorally.

“The combination of both the elementary education degree and the special education endorsement makes graduates of the program highly marketable to school districts because of their certifications and their diverse abilities as teachers,” Sumrall said.

The program pairs with the Professional Advancement Network for Teacher Assistants initiative, which aims to help teacher assistants in the Meridian Public and Lauderdale County school districts complete the requirements to become licensed teachers. PANTA’s blended delivery format allows students to participate in either face-to-face or remote instruction, making it ideal for working adults.

“After watching school districts across the state struggle to place certified teachers in their classrooms, a group of Meridian professors realized that there was a pool of people who already had years of experience in the classroom and a likelihood of remaining in those communities that they served in as assistant teachers,” explained Jeff Leffler, MTR and PANTA program codirector. “This led to us creating the PANTA program that allowed us to make MSU-Meridian’s teacher education program more accessible to teacher assistants.”

As they began to see individuals successfully complete the program, Leffler and Sumrall became even more passionate about expanding that initiative to meet the needs across the state. Like most states, Mississippi has experienced a shortage of certified teachers that has become more acute in recent years. Added to that is a lack of diversity in certified teachers with over 75% of teachers nationally being white women.

“We wanted to be a part of a solution that created additional pathways to teacher certification while also preparing a more diverse population that more closely matches the student populations they will be teaching,” Leffler said.

Kim Hall, head of the Division of Education at MSU-Meridian, said that being able to offer initiatives like the Mississippi Teacher Residency and PANTA programs has allowed faculty to truly do what they love. She said she knows that’s making an impact in the community and the state.

RECRUITING FUTURE TEACHERS TO MISSISSIPPI STATE Amy Prisock knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a teacher. After all, she used to be one. But now, instead of teaching the next generation, the College of Education’s Amy Prisock recruitment coordinator is making sure the next generation of teachers gets the education it deserves.

Prisock routinely visits high schools and community colleges to show students just how rewarding a teaching career can be. Each year, one of her favorite places on the recruitment trail is the Congressman Bennie G. Thompson College and Career Fair in Greenville.

“I have a special place in my heart for the Delta,” Prisock said. “I can always find someone interested in talking about Mississippi State and the College of Education. Everyone has a favorite teacher who impacted their life.”

Scholarships are a huge part of Prisock’s recruitment. While she believes everyone who wants to go to college should, she knows not everyone who wants to go to college can afford it. She makes sure to always tell potential students about the scholarship opportunities at Mississippi State University, especially its 94 teacher education scholarships.

With so many schools in the area restricting campus visitors because of the pandemic, Prisock and her fellow recruiters have had to get creative in how they meet students. Taking these changes in stride, she has turned to social media, Webex and mailed out information packets to recruit future teachers. She also makes schools aware that she is ready to talk about the College of Education and its programs to their students, whether one-on-one or a virtual session for their whole class.

“Effective teachers will impact the lives of the students they teach every day. A student’s passion for teaching children is evident whether meeting virtually or face-to-face,” Prisock said. “That’s what I look for when recruiting, and those are the students I want to join our Bulldog family.”

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 39

“Our faculty are committed to helping teacher assistants and long-term substitutes reach their goal of having an even greater impact on PK-12 students by teaching full-time in their own classrooms,” Hall said. “We know these future teachers have a heart for children and for making a difference in the lives of their students, and we are thrilled to be able to help them pursue their dreams.”

More Open Doors One side effect of the global pandemic has been a more widespread effort to get more teachers in the field. The MDE temporarily waived some requirements for students applying to enter MSU’s teacher education and administration preparation programs. It is also waiving some licensure exams for certification through Dec. 31, 2021.

“The waiving of the admission requirements

takes on many different forms at different levels within a school system.

An assistant clinical professor for the Department of Educational Leadership, Leigh Ann McMullan explained that as a principal, she always tried to promote leadership opportunities for her teachers, but she found these opportunities were somewhat limited and often led teachers to positions outside the classroom. Now, in her new role as coordinator for MSU’s Teacher Leadership program, she has the opportunity to help teachers gain leadership opportunities without having to make that choice.

“When I came to MSU, one of my goals was to create additional graduate opportunities that provided incentives for our effective teachers to remain in the classroom,” McMullan said. “Our Teacher Leadership program empowers future teacher leaders to develop strong leadership skills while maintaining direct contact with students.”

When I came to MSU, one of my goals was to create additional graduate opportunities that provided incentives for our effective teachers to remain in the classroom. ~ Leigh Ann McMullan by the Mississippi Department of Education has dramatically increased our applicant pool,” Blackbourn explained.

“This fact is significant given the extreme shortage of teachers occurring in Mississippi. We are confident that those who complete our programs will have a significant and positive impact on education in the state.”

While these efforts can help get teachers into classrooms, keeping them there past the first year presents its own challenges—something MSU is helping overcome with its Teacher Leadership program. Designed to develop strong leadership qualities in experienced teachers, the Teacher Leadership program prepares participants for a variety of professional positions such as instructional coach, lead teacher, coordinator or director roles.

The concept of teacher leadership has been around for decades and has received increased national attention as a potential lever for not only improved instruction but also recruitment and retention of effective teachers. Teacher leadership 40 WINTER 2020

She continued, “Ultimately, our goal is for highly effective educators to take on roles at the classroom, school, district, state or national levels in order to advance the profession, improve educator effectiveness and increase access to great teaching and learning for all students.”

Those opportunities piqued the interest of Ramona Underwood when she was looking at graduate programs. The veteran teacher and 2020 master’s graduate of the Teacher Leadership program said she knew she wanted to be a voice for teachers to administration while continuing her work in the classroom.

“A teacher leader is an intermediary between teachers and administration,” Underwood explained. “They promote mentorship among teachers and encourage growth in areas that ultimately increase student learning.”

The North Pike High School science teacher, who earned a bachelor’s from MSU in 1997, originally thought she was called to be in the medical field, but after seven years, she walked out of the lab and into the classroom and never looked back.

“Teaching is honestly my mission field. From

the moment I stepped into the classroom, I quickly found myself feeling that I know why I’m here,” Underwood said. “I feel more fulfilled than I ever did in my previous position. I know my students learn so much in my classroom from a teacher who loves them unconditionally and without judgment.”

After a professor suggested the Teacher Leadership program at MSU and put her in touch with the program coordinator, Underwood knew she’d found the right path.

“It checked all my boxes of wanting to learn leadership skills without going the administration route and it also exposes you to what is expected as you go through the national board process,” she said.

Eric Moyen, head of the Department of Educational Leadership, explained that courses for the teacher leadership concentration have been designed using National Board for Professional Teaching Standards’ ideals, so that Teacher Leader candidates are better prepared for national board certification.

“Board certification improves teacher retention, teaching effectiveness and teacher leadership while providing teachers with substantial financial incentives to remain in the classroom,” Moyen said. “We work closely with our World Class Teaching program to provide support for teacher leader candidates who are also seeking national board certification. It is a win-win for teachers looking to improve their pedagogy and schools looking to cultivate teaching excellence.”

Mississippi has a strong national board certification history that dates back to the late 1990s, thanks to MSU’s World Class Teaching program that aims to encourage and assist teachers who are interested in pursuing the credential. Michelle Stubbs, who directs the program, said MSU is committed to assisting national board candidates every step of the way and providing experienced mentors who offer direction and feedback.

“We believe that by establishing community among candidates, they tackle each part of the national board’s process with confidence and success,” Stubbs said, adding that national board certification, with its leadership opportunities and stipend rewards, plays a large part in teacher retention, especially in Mississippi.

Speaking from her own national board certification experience, Stubbs said that not only did her teaching practice improve but she

also was able to connect with teachers from all over the United States.

“I encourage all Mississippi teachers to pursue national board certification,” Stubbs said.

“In fact, research shows that students with a national board-certified teacher are more likely to achieve a proficient score.”

The Mississippi Department of Education supports teachers in the national board certification process by refunding the costs of certification once the teacher submits. It also provides a $6,000 stipend for five years to those who achieve certification.

“We are fortunate to have leaders that support national board certification,” Stubbs said. “There are not many states that provide the financial support that Mississippi provides.”

Currently, approximately 90% of national board candidates from MSU’s World Class Teaching Program have earned the certification.

According to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standard’s website, Mississippi—with over 4,300 nationally certified teachers— ranks 7th in the nation.

Since its establishment in the MSU College of Education, there are now five additional World Class Teaching programs on university campuses throughout the state, all of which support new and veteran teachers.

“The future of Mississippi’s teachers appears to be in good hands at Mississippi State University,” Blackbourn said. “Our graduates are highly sought after and are well regarded by school districts throughout the state.

Furthermore, the number of individuals entering our programs is increasing dramatically. I believe this is due to the quality of our faculty and the reputation of our programs.”n

I’ve always wanted to be an educator, and I will have completed four years of hard work in order to lead and teach students so the first day of class will be a significant milestone in my career.” ~ Katie Hogan

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 41

Make your giving go farther for MSU. There is no better time to consider Mississippi State University in your yearly charitable giving plans. Annual gifts benefit MSU immediately; however, by adding a planned gift, such as including us in your will, you can:

• • • •

Increase the impact of your giving.

Receive greater tax savings.

Preserve wealth for you and your family.

Leave your legacy for Mississippi State’s future.

For more information on creating a planned gift, contact the MSU Foundation Office of Gift Planning.

MSU is an AA/EEO university.

Wes Gordon, Director of Gift Planning (662) 325-3707 | wgordon@foundation.msstate.edu

42 WINTER 2020

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PROFILES

Urban design landscape architect uplifts underserved communities

By Reagan Poston, Photos submitted

44 WINTER 2020

According to the American Society of Landscape Architects, only 3% of landscape architects identify as African American, but it and others, like BlackLAN, are working to increase that number.

W

TOP: Glenn LaRue Smith in his office. (Photo

by Kevin Assie) FAR LEFT: Derryck-Anderson Brownstone Garden in Harlem, NY. (Photo by PUSH Studio, LLC) BOTTOM RIGHT: Phi Beta Sigma International Centennial Monument, Howard University. (Photo by PUSH Studio, LLC)

banks of the St. Johns River, which flows here others might see an through the heart of the city. unimpressive vacant lot, “Many projects helped shape me 1974 landscape architecture professionally, like the Southbank alumnus Glenn LaRue Smith sees the Riverwalk in Jacksonville and later, the opportunity to honor a community.

Stafford County Armed Services Memorial Whether it’s a winding riverbank in in Stafford, Virginia,” he said. “It was doing a southern city or a monument that the work that really built my confidence.” recognizes the armed services, sculpting Smith has focused on urbanism projects communities and empowering the next and competitions across the globe, from generation of minority landscape architects California to Copenhagen. He said every is all in a day’s work. design pays homage to the site’s intrinsic From serving in university leadership value while also addressing the needs of the across the nation to founding the community and the density of buildings, first-ever network for Black landscape landscape, infrastructure architects, Smith has and people that comes proven himself an “Many projects helped with an urban area. industry leader invested shape me professionally, like Creating this sense of in racial equity. place or the ability to Through his current the Southbank Riverwalk show the relationship work as co-founder of in Jacksonville and later, between the community landscape and urbanism the Stafford County Armed and its environment is design firm PUSH what landscape architects studio, Smith aims to Services Memorial in strive to achieve. uplift communities and Stafford, Virginia. It was “Something always up-and-coming Black doing the work that really exists or has existed on a landscape architects. specific site that should However, he admits his built my confidence.” inform the design,” he career hasn’t always been ~ Glenn LaRue Smith said. “An installation in smooth-sailing.

Detroit will be different “When I started at from one in Washington, D.C., even Mississippi State in 1970, the university had though the design process is the same.” only been integrated for five years,” Smith Some of the work he’s done has also explained. “I was among the first African prioritized environmental justice, such as Americans to attend. Honestly, I wasn’t sure the project in Harlem where he helped if there was another Black landscape architect transform vacant lots into gardens, play that existed in the world. It was, in a sense, areas and passive parks. He’s done similar very isolating. I had plenty of professional work in the nation’s capital, where he’s rejection after my graduation, not because of collaborated with the city and professional my work but because I was Black.” teams to create safer commutes for drivers, The isolation from other accomplished cyclists and pedestrians alike and partnered African American landscape architects and with private developers to implement the rejections left Smith with dreams he green infrastructure for residential and suddenly wasn’t sure he could achieve. commercial projects.

Still, armed with a quality landscape “We designed a dozen green roof architecture education—both in his terraces for developers participating in bachelor’s from MSU’s College of Washington, D.C.’s Green Area Ratio Agriculture and Life Sciences and program, aimed at increasing the quantity a master’s from the University of and quality of environmental performance Michigan—he pressed forward, finding across the city’s landscape,” he explained. a niche in urban centers. His first Smith said the design process is also major project was to reshape downtown intertwined with his own experiences as a Jacksonville, Florida by designing a Black man. pedestrian boardwalk space along the ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 45

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“The work that PUSH studio tends to focus on—urbanism— by definition, deals with urban communities, and so often, these communities are some of the most underserved in the nation,” Smith said. “Urban landscape architecture is my way of demonstrating that they’re deserving of the same things as more privileged communities.

Why accept a vacant lot when you know you deserve more?”

Throughout his career, Smith has maintained the effort to serve the Black community when possible, working closely with several historically Black colleges and universities such as Florida A&M and Morgan University for teaching assignments and others like Howard University to design urban spaces. Two of his most recent additions to Howard University are centennial monuments for campus Greek life, where he has taken the commemorative intent and melded it with something unique to each organization.

“The Zeta Phi Beta symbol, for instance, is a dove. For their monument, we built off the idea of doves, flight and the wings to make what could have been a run-of-the-mill installation unique to the sorority and its history,” Smith said.

Additionally, he has recently set out on a journey to empower the community of Black landscape architects. As a long 46 WINTER 2020

time member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Smith was intimately aware of the profession’s lack of Black landscape architects both at home and abroad. With this in mind, he created the Black Landscape Architects Network to connect and share knowledge around the globe.

“I don’t think I would have had to struggle as much if I’d started with the knowledge that my dream was by no means unreachable,” Smith said. “I started the BlackLAN as a way for Black students and professionals across the globe to mentor and support one another.

It’s especially important because it’s something we’re doing for ourselves as Black landscape architects.”

Smith also served as the inaugural president of the organization, and though he is preparing to pass the organization’s leadership on to the next generation of landscape architects, by no means is he finished empowering himself and others with his art.

“With 40 years of experience under my belt as a Black landscape architect, it’s my responsibility to document our history,” Smith said. “Part of that is my own professional history, but part of it is raising up other Black landscape architects and showing the world, and more importantly each other, that we’re capable of incredible things.”n

TOP LEFT: Smith meeting with clients. (Photo by PUSH Studio, LLC) TOP RIGHT: Stafford Armed Services Memorial in Stafford County, VA. (Photo by Peter Vanderwaker) MIDDLE RIGHT: An aerial photo of the Stafford Armed Services Memorial. (Photo by Peter Vanderwaker) BOTTOM RIGHT: Stafford Armed Services Memorial in Stafford County, VA. (Photo by PUSH Studio, LLC)

Engineering, mentoring dreams take MSU grad from Natchez to NASA

Leading the next generation

By Sasha Steinberg, Photos submitted

T

hroughout his life, Natchez native Lucien Junkin has stood on the shoulders of giants, from parents and siblings to coaches and teachers. Many of these individuals are fellow Bulldogs who inspired the longtime NASA engineer on his quest to be a “giant” for the next generation.

In 1985, Junkin enrolled in Mississippi State’s nationally ranked engineering college from which two of his brothers had previously graduated.

He aspired to a career combining his interests in engineering and coaching, a dream influenced by one of his beloved mentors—former Cathedral School baseball and football coach Kenneth “Ken” Beesley, who also happened to be part of the MSU Diamond Dawgs’ 1965 and 1966 SEC Championship teams.

“Outside of my mother and father, Coach Beesley was the most influential person in my life and decision to be an engineer,” Junkin recalled. “He went off to school and became a teacher but had some desires to be an engineer. I went off to become an engineer but had desires to be a teacher. I went back to his classroom my senior year and told him I wanted to get my teaching degree, so I could coach and teach like him. He and my parents told me to give it a few years in engineering and look for mentoring opportunities.

It was the best advice of my life.”

While earning a mechanical engineering degree from MSU, Junkin worked a few summers with Chevron in New Orleans. After graduation he got a job with Olin Corp. in Tennessee before joining ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 47

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With the Artemis program, NASA will land the first woman and next man on the moon by 2024.

NASA chief engineer Lucien Junkin enjoys mentoring K-12 students and promoting careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. His passion for helping others was inspired by various mentors, including knowledgeable mechanical engineering professors at Mississippi State.

the newly formed robotics division at NASA’s Houston, Texas-based Johnson Space Center in 1990. Currently, he serves as chief engineer of NASA’s Lunar Terrain Vehicle, known as LTV, and Space Exploration Vehicle, abbreviated SEV, which are under development to support human surface exploration on the moon and Mars.

Junkin explained that the LTV will support two astronauts in spacesuits for exploration near a base, and the SEV will support two astronauts for up to two weeks while being capable of traveling hundreds of kilometers from a base. He’s been involved with the development of the SEV since the vehicle’s inception in 2005 and said it continues to be a significant element of NASA’s human space exploration architecture.

“At NASA, we’re integrators,” Junkin said. “We take things that exist and integrate them together to make a new system. That’s what we’re doing with these SEVs—breaking them down into subsystems that have different requirements and challenges.

“I always preach to my students and engineers—You’re striving for the 90% solution, not 100%,” he continued. “A bunch of 90% solutions create a great system, whereas if you’re striving for 100%, you’ll never obtain it even if you try your whole life.”

Junkin said these complex vehicles are part of a broader mission to transform Mars 48 WINTER 2020

into a habitable, Earth-like environment.

“This is about your great-great-greatgreat-great-great-grandchildren going to Mars and being able to play soccer there underneath trees and a blue sky versus in a space suit,” he said. “It’s going to take commitment and generations, but the science we’re doing will help us figure out how we can make that happen.”

Along with leading the teams developing the next generation of moon vehicles, Junkin is actively involved in K-12 robotics education and enjoys making an impact on youth, especially aspiring scientists and engineers. He leads NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project that provides students throughout America with opportunities to participate in various robotics programs. He also is head coach of the award-winning Robonauts, a robotics team with students from seven high schools in Texas’s Clear Creek Independent School District, and created the Engineering and Robotics Learned Young program that engages elementarylevel scholars in robotics and engineering.

In 2005, Junkin won the regional Woodie Flowers Finalist Award recognizing his passion for motivating and challenging students to be effective communicators and leaders in engineering and design. His mentees also nominated Junkin for the Championship Woodie Flowers Award, and this past spring, he was selected as the sole recipient from more than 200 finalist award winners.

“I’m a huge believer in giving back.

Whatever you do or develop in your life, the real satisfaction comes from the influence you have on the next generation,” said Junkin, whose daughter Casey and son Billy are Robonauts members.

Over the course of his career, Junkin has found joy in empowering students to pursue education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, fields. Helping students become better people by developing good, lifelong habits is a responsibility he takes seriously.

“Family, school, robots—we promote strongly those priorities in that order to help the robotics students get better,” Junkin said. “Strive to be world class, stay disciplined, never lose focus of what’s really important and take the best lessons from everyone with whom you interact. That’s what I believe in, that’s what I teach these students, and that’s the advice I would give current MSU students.”

Thinking back on his own time at Mississippi State, Junkin said the university did him “a great service by putting seasoned professors in the classroom who tied the theoretical to the practical.”

“We had professors who came out of industry to teach, and they taught us tons of theory but also tons of application of that theory,” Junkin said. “That practical part of education and its application are why I am where I am today, and I’m super, super thankful.” n

TAKE BULLY TO THE MOON As a NASA engineer, Lucien Junkin uses the engineering design process to develop complex space exploration vehicles with cutting-edge technology. Thinking like engineers, little Bulldogs can make their own rovers using materials found around the house.

Follow the steps of the engineering design process to build a moon rover for Bully.

ASK: What does a rover need?

RESEARCH: In its simplest form, a rover consists of a body, two axles and two sets of wheels.

IMAGINE: What household items can be used as a rover’s body? Its axles? Its wheels? How can they be connected?

PLAN: Sketch your design. Gather the items and tools needed to build it. Don’t forget to decorate the rover, so Bully’s new ride looks sharp.

CREATE: Using the tools and materials, assemble the rover. Copy or cut out the Bully below, so he’s ready for the driver’s seat. Don’t forget to decorate his new ride.

TEST: Place Bully at the controls and take him for a spin in his new rover.

EVALUATE AND IMPROVE: Did it roll? Travel in a straight line? Could it be faster? Would different materials make it more durable?

The engineering process is never done. Things can always be changed, improved or adapted for different purposes.

It’s up to your imagination.

Completing this project with your little Bulldogs? Send a picture of your completed or in-progress project to alumnus@msstate.edu. Be sure to include the names and ages (or graduation year) of the participants, and we might include it in the next issue.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 49

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FORM & FUNCTION ART ALUMNA FINDS SUCCESS IN EMBRACING THE UNKNOWN

By Susan Lassetter, Photos submitted

C

harlotte Smith needs to make things. It occupies her mind, it occupies her hands, and makes her happy. So, when as a fresh graduate she was still looking for work in her new home city of Atlanta, she decided to join a makerspace.

For a small monthly membership fee, the 2012 fine arts graduate gained access to a creative space equipped with a variety of tools and she soon got busy making cups. Big cups, small cups, patterned or plain—it wasn’t that her cup runneth over, but that her workspace ranneth over with ceramic cups.

Though she chose a sculpture emphasis for her degree from Mississippi State, Smith said there was something freeing about experimenting with ceramics.

“Clay is like the Wild West of materials,” Smith explained. “With wood or metal, you know if you cut it to a length, it’s going to stay that length. But with ceramics, you have to wonder: Is it going to crack? Is it going to blow up? Is the glaze going to turn out right after you’ve spent hours on this piece?”

She said she found the unknowns of the process daunting during her ceramics courses

at State, but the challenge of the medium was a good way to expand her creative side when she arrived in Atlanta.

“The cups became these small pieces that I didn’t have to invest too much time in and could experiment with a lot, so I started developing this style around cups,” Smith said.

“Most people wouldn’t describe clay as instant gratification but coming from working on sculptures in school—especially installationbased pieces—making these cups was instant gratification.”

As Smith developed her style, her instantgratification hobby turned into a near-instant business at the suggestion of an acquaintance who owns a coffee shop.

“She became my first wholesale client,” Smith said. “So, the business just kind of happened.”

In addition to her wholesale ceramics business, Smith sells her wares directly to consumers through the Charlotte Smith Studios website. She also creates custom pieces, like light fixtures, large planters and vases, for individuals and design firms.

“I make mostly functional stuff, and I don’t want the design to take away from it

functioning well,” Smith explained. “That’s the thing I enjoy about these pieces—focusing on the form and how that form functions.

The design becomes secondary; something to delight while the piece does its job.”

Smith, a graduate of the Mississippi School of the Arts, said she initially considered studying architecture, but her father, a contractor, encouraged her to follow her passion.

“I’m lucky that, even though they might have been skeptical sometimes about how things would work out, my parents were supportive,” Smith explained. “My dad would say, ‘Study what you enjoy because what you enjoy is what you’re going to be good at, and what you’re good at is what you’re going to make money at.’

“When I started taking my foundation courses at State, I realized sculpture was where I needed to be,” Smith continued. “It felt really intuitive and there’s not really any limits to it. You could work with any material and make whatever you wanted, and it allowed me more freedom to express myself.”

She said it helped that Mississippi State’s sculpture program is a “gem.”

RIGHT TOP: Charlotte Smith at work in her studio. (Photo by Dennis Johnson) RIGHT BOTTOM: An array of Smith’s ceramic creations. (Photo by Andrew Johnson) 50 WINTER 2020

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 51

PROFILES “When people ask me what it was like being an art major at Mississippi State, I think they’re surprised when I tell them how great the facilities are,” she said. “Critz Campbell worked really hard to build a nice shop, and I felt really fortunate to have access to all of those tools.”

The sculpture program moved to the Howell building—former longtime home of agricultural and biological engineering— in 2008 just as Smith was enrolling at State.

And while Campbell says not many would characterize the aging building as “nice,” its 4,000-square-foot shop space—with an abundance of light, large garage doors and excellent ventilation—makes an excellent studio.

However, Campbell, a professor and head of the art department, said he thinks part of what makes the program special is its focus on the “how.”

“Sculpture students spend much of their time working out how to bring their ideas to fruition,” he said. “The process is direct and less forgiving than digital media, which is a valuable learning experience. I love to tell students there is no delete button for mistakes.

“But ultimately, what makes it a ‘gem’ is the culture of the space,” he continued.

“We work hard to create a safe and relaxed environment for students to work with

NON-IDLE HANDS Hands-on hobbies for at-home fun

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machines and processes they initially fear.”

That’s a mindset that undoubtedly helped push Smith to challenge herself both in experimenting with ceramics and her decision to move from her hometown of Brandon to Atlanta with no sure job prospects.

“I didn’t have much of a plan in terms of where I wanted to work, but I knew in Atlanta, there were galleries, museums and artists I could potentially work under,” she recalled. “The economy still wasn’t great, but it seemed like there would be more opportunities in a bigger city, so it seemed like a good gamble.”

Now, with a successful career doing what she loves, it’s safe to say trusting her intuition has paid off.

“Charlotte is a unique, multi-talented artist,” Campbell said. “Her drawing and design skills are equally as impressive as her skills in sculpture and ceramics. She has an instinct for proportion and form that takes many artists years to develop. I am so proud and impressed by the creative life she has carved out for herself.

“It’s always a joy to see students use their talents and education to build exceptional and creative lives,” he continued. “Their success feeds the students who come after and reminds faculty of their importance in the process.” n

“My dad would say, ‘Study what you enjoy because what you enjoy is what you’re going to be good at, and what you’re good at is what you’re going to make money at.’” ~ Charlotte Smith

In the early days of the pandemic, many people turned to baking as a way to while away the hours while hunkered down at home. But as safer-at-home orders continue to encourage limited social gatherings, it might be time to try a new hobby.

Perhaps fashioning a new platter or bowl to serve up those delicious baked goods?

Charlotte Smith says handcrafting pottery can be a relaxing and rewarding way to pass the time.

“With clay, there’s an immediate response to your action, so it can be a very gratifying process,” Smith said.

She explained that air-dry modeling clay is a good introductory medium for beginners. It comes in a variety of colors and does not require a kiln to harden. The clay, as well

as a basic pottery tool kit, can be purchased online from large discount chains or specialty art supply or craft stores. Local retailers might also have kits available for online purchase or curbside pick-up.

She adds that specialized tools are not necessary for basic potting or sculpting. Items found around the house—like forks, knives and credit cards—can be used to cut, score, smooth or give texture to the clay.

For those looking for a little guidance or inspiration to get started, she recommends checking out the local library or online instructional videos. Smith recommends trying the search terms pottery basics, hand-building, pinch pot or slab-built pottery and seeing where it leads.

Per capita, Americans consume 2 cups of coffee per day.

The MSU Alumni Association annually sponsors trips across the globe through the Traveling Bulldogs program. Itineraries are booked through 2021. Explore our website for more information at alumni.msstate.edu/travel or contact the Alumni Association at (662) 325-7000.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 53

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n i s g w a D

In the northwest corner of the Magnolia State, deep in the heart of rival territory, Bulldog faithful are making their presence known.

With over 2,600 alumni living in the area, Bulldogs in DeSoto County have the area wrapped in Maroon and White.

BUILDING A BASE Twenty years ago, Randy Allen got a letter inviting him to join other Mississippi State alumni for a meeting at a Southaven hotel. He had no particular reason to go, but he had no reason not to go either. In fact, if history was any indicator, he had pretty good luck at alumni functions having met his wife Amy, a 1992 management graduate, at one years earlier.

Out of curiosity, the 1987 business administration graduate went to the meeting where he and roughly 20 other Bulldogs began what would become the DeSoto County chapter of the MSU Alumni Association, known as DeSoto Dawgs.

54 WINTER 2020

“This area had always been Ole Miss territory, but we knew there was starting to be a pretty strong presence of MSU fans and alumni in the area, too,” Allen explained.

“We asked the Alumni Association what to expect and what to do to get a chapter started. It took off from there.”

One suggestion for building a Bulldog base in the county was to establish a scholarship, which the group did through a fundraising golf tournament. Within two years, the chapter had raised enough money for an endowed scholarship and soon it began awarding one $1,000 scholarship to a deserving Bulldog-bound senior at each of the county’s nine high schools.

Now in its 21st year, Allen said the group is thankful for its past success at not

only building an active community but in fundraising to support local schools.

It’s that success that helped ensure the chapter will still be able to award all $9,000 in scholarships in 2021 despite not being able to host its annual golf tournament last spring due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

“We had hoped to push the tournament into the fall, but it became obvious that wasn’t going to be possible either,” said Allen, who is scholarship chair for the chapter. “We were just really lucky that over the last 20 years we’ve raised enough to cover our scholarships at a time when our usual events and fundraisers are on hold.”

While past success has helped the group

GOING ALL IN Much of Robbie Hayes’ life revolves around sports. A former Diamond Dawg, he volunteers as coach for his son’s baseball team, which often involves weekend-long tournaments. For a while, he even entertained notions of coaching professionally. Then there’s Bulldog sports.

“For me and my family, our main activity outside of my son’s sports is attending Mississippi State athletic events,” the Liberty native said.

With season tickets to football and baseball, and a tried-and-true tailgating crew that not only pregame parties but also vacations together, Hayes says Bulldog athletics has become about more than just cheering on the teams. To his family and friends, it’s a main source of entertainment and connection to the university.

That’s why, he says, it’s been hard to maintain a sense of community in the wake of the pandemic and its restrictions on events and social activities. Still, when it comes to supporting MSU, Hayes said he’s “all in.”

“I enjoyed my time at Mississippi State and have always wanted to give back and be involved,” said Hayes who earned a

weather the pandemic, chapter president Allen Courson said they’re not resting on their laurels. Through social media and video conferencing, the group is staying connected, fundraising and continuing to support future Bulldogs.

“As close as we are to that other school, we know it’s important to keep our efforts up,” said Courson, a 1999 education graduate. “Sometimes it feels like we’re outnumbered but when everyone shows up, we’re well represented.

“There are nine high schools up here and we’ve got a passionate group of alumni who are ready to let those students know that Mississippi State is the best university in this state and that this community is here to support them.”

bachelor’s in social studies education in 1992 and master’s in secondary education in 1996. “Going to games and alumni events has allowed me to stay in touch with friends and make new friends through our involvement with the Alumni Association.”

Hayes became formally involved with the Alumni Association as part of the Central Mississippi chapter while working in Jackson after completing law school at Mississippi College. He later moved to Southaven where he is city prosecutor and opened Hayes Law Firm. He and his wife Emily, a Bulldog who earned a fitness management bachelor’s in 1995 and physical education master’s in 1996, then became active in the DeSoto County chapter, which he currently serves as vice president.

Together, the couple is working to instill that sense of Bulldog pride in their son Rob, a high school sophomore. Even during the pandemic, they’ve found time to visit Starkville every month or so to show their unwavering support for the university and the surrounding community.

“We try to support Starkville and Oktibbeha County as a whole,” Hayes said. “It’s not just Mississippi State but all the local businesses, too, because we understand that the university and the

Randy Allen

Robbie Hayes and family

town are connected, so we try to stay involved and continue to shop in Starkville and eat out when we visit.

“Mississippi State and Starkville have been a big part of my life,” he continued.

“I met my wife there and most of my closest friends. I always look for an excuse to come back and we hope to retire in Starkville one day, so we want to do what we can to support the university and the community for the future.”

Allen Courson ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 55

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CREATING CONNECTIONS Growing up in the Sessums community of Oktibbeha County, Zwan Landfair spent most of his life in the shadow of Mississippi State, with relationships and family ties stretching across its campus. So, naturally, when it came time to pick a college there was one logical choice.

“My mom wanted me to go to Mississippi State,” Landfair recalled, “But I said, ‘No, I’m going to Alcorn.’”

And he did, for a year.

“After the first couple of weeks, I got really homesick,” he continued. “I missed everything about MSU. I missed the kinship.

I missed Starkville. When I came home, I was able to reconnect and became active on campus almost immediately after I returned.”

Though he admits it took a little longer to hit his stride academically, and he probably “spent too much time on the steps of the Union watching girls,” Landfair wasted no time expanding his social circle once enrolling at State. He joined a fraternity, professional organizations, and from the early 1990s until the mid-2000s he was known to most around Starkville as “DJ Zwan.”

“I was honestly a little immature when I returned to State, so I was more or less an average student,” Landfair admitted. “But I got my degree and have been working in my field ever since.”

A 1993 industrial technology graduate, Landfair currently works as a logistics manager for a biotech company in Memphis.

And through a combination of his social skills and logistics expertise, he is working to create events and community for MSU’s Black alumni.

“After I graduated, I had this idea of organizing African American alumni—to get us together and involved beyond attending football games,’ Landfair said. “I’ve known Dr. Jimmy Abraham since I was a kid and when I shared this vision with him, he challenged me to think big.”

In 2008, in conjunction with the MSU vs. Jackson State football game, Landfair hosted an event for African American 56 WINTER 2020

Zwan Landfair

alumni, even reviving his DJ persona for the occasion. It brought together 600 Bulldogs.

“MSU has lots of events, but I wanted to create something that would appeal to this community,” Landfair said. “As a subgroup, the Black alumni are very progressive, and if you look at it, 50% of MSU’s African American alumni are under 40—that’s over 8,000 people. I wanted to harness that energy.”

Though Landfair credits Abraham, the former longtime director of the Alumni Association, for giving him the push to “think big” with his plans to engage Black alumni, he says Jeff Davis, who took over the director role in 2013, has been instrumental in helping encourage the involvement of Black alumni.

Landfair continued to host annual events around football games until 2014 when he was approached by the university to help plan Black Alumni Weekend. First held in 2016, the biennial event features a slate of social, informative and discussion sessions.

The inaugural weekend had 479 attendees, while 2018’s drew a crowd of 800. This year’s program was on track to surpass

1,000 before COVID-19 precautions brought an end to in-person events.

While plans for Black Alumni Weekend 2020 had to be halted, the pandemic hasn’t stopped Landfair’s efforts entirely.

A Facebook group he created for Black alumni—MSU Black Alumni Network—has almost 3,900 members, just under 24% of the total living Black MSU alumni. On Juneteenth of this year, he launched a similar group for all Southeastern Conference schools—SEC Black Alumni Network, which has more than 17,000 members across all 14 conference institutions.

He said these online communities are a great way to spark conversations, exchange ideas and form connections that become collaborations to effect change.

“People are naturally going to gravitate to things that are like them, so having groups where alumni can connect to others with similar experiences and outlooks can help encourage their participation on a broader scale,” Landfair explained.

“Without those voices, you’re missing out on the full breadth of what Mississippi State can be.” n

Support Mississippi State University every time your business accepts a credit or debit card payment.

IMPACT by Ironwood is proud to partner with the Mississippi State University Alumni Association and the Bulldog Club.

If you accept debit and credit cards, you can support Mississippi State University by processing your payments through IMPACT by Ironwood.

Every time a customer pays with a debit or credit card, IMPACT gives a portion of its processing revenue to support Mississippi State University.

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ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 57

The Mississippi State Alumni Association knows how much you miss campus and the Starkville community. Through State To You, we want to bring some of the campus and town right to you! Through campus video tours with expert faculty, researchers and staff, as well as local, alumni-owned businesses, we hope to share what is happening on campus and in Starkville.

Alumni.msstate.edu/statetoyou

Join the Mississippi State Alumni Association as we visit faculty, staff and researchers through webinars that explore how the university is making an impact. Your MSU Alumni Association will bring to you a variety of experts on various topics across our state and country, and provide an opportunity to ask questions and learn more.

Alumni.msstate.edu/bulldogbites

58 WINTER 2020

Join the Mississippi State Alumni Association as we visit faculty, staff and researchers through webinars that explore how the university is making an impact. Your MSU Alumni Association will bring to you a variety of experts on various topics across our state and country, and provide an opportunity to ask questions and learn more.

Alumni.msstate.edu/bulldogbites

Saunders Ramsey

Sherri Carr Bevis

Molly Zuckerman

Holli Seitz

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 59

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MSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NAMES STUDENT DELEGATE OFFICERS The MSU Alumni Association is announcing four new leaders of its student organization known as the Alumni Delegates.

Alumni Delegates officers for 2020 include: • • • •

Joshua “Josh” Stanford of Grenada, president, a senior biological sciences/pre-medicine major; Dylan McDonald of Frisco, Texas, secretary, a junior industrial engineering major; Allison “Ally” Galinsky of Houma, Louisiana, vice president of member education, a sophomore secondary education major; and Kylie Watts of McComb, vice president of public relations, a junior human development and family sciences major.

The 45-member group helps the university and MSU Alumni Association maintain strong ties with the nearly 150,000 living graduates of the land-grant institution. Founded in 1980, Alumni Delegates serve as liaisons between the Alumni Association and MSU students. Delegates often serve as the first points of contact for graduates, friends and other special campus guests and assist with tailgate gatherings, class reunions, graduation ring presentations, and senior celebrations, among other events.

Coverage provided and underwritten by Liberty Mutual Issuance and its affiliates 175 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116 | © 2020 Liberty Mutual Insurance AFF 20202 2015/05

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Donny Andrade of Manama, Bahrain John Nix Arledge of Jackson, MS Laney Armstrong of Flowood, MS Daniel Bond of Hattiesburg, MS Lizzie Bowman of Jackson, MS Warner Buxton of Jackson, MS Sam Cagle of New Albany, MS Brian Carmicheal II of Berkeley, IL Gracie Chavez of Canton, TX Parker Cunningham of Birmingham, AL Bailey Dean of Spring Grove, IL Gabby Dear of Madison, MS Grayson Dill of Pelham, AL Piper Doherty of Dothan, AL Rohan Fisher of Colorado Springs, CO Allison Galinsky of Houma, LA Jaime Garcia of Senatobia, MS Julia Garletts of Flora, MS Will Hardin of Vicksburg, MS Cooper Hays of The Woodlands, TX Rachel Hendricks of Hoover, AL Joy Hickman of Franklin, TN Hollis Hoggard of Moss Point, MS

Jake Hughes of Tupelo, MS Courtney Johnson of Madison, MS Sophie Jones of Birmingham, AL Bryson Marretta of Destrehan, LA Dylan McDonald of Frisco, TX Ashley McLemore of Starkville, MS Taylor Neyland of Frisco, TX Chinwe Okorie of Lagos, Nigeria Elizabeth Orr of Somerville, TN Alex Rial of Tupelo, MS Nathaniel Roesener of Decatur, AL Sarah Singley of Columbus, MS Caroline Sleeper of Corinth, MS Josh Stanford of Grenada, MS Sarah Suddoth of Memphis, TN Coleman Taylor of Frisco, TX Jay Warren of Gulfport, MS Kylie Watts of McComb, MS Alysse White of Mandeville, LA Erin Wicht of Ocean Springs, MS Drew Wright of Tupelo, MS Mary Seitz Young of Madison, MS

From L-R: Secretary Dylan McDonald, a senior in industrial engineering from Frisco, Texas; vice president of member education Allison “Ally” Galinsky, a junior in secondary education from Houma, Louisiana; President Joshua “Josh” Stanford, a senior in biological sciences from Grenada; and vice president of public relations Kylie Watts, a senior in human development and family sciences from McComb.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 61

GIVING Back

Family, friends remember Weidie with internship endowment

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ongtime Mississippi journalist, congressional staff member and governmental affairs consultant Wayne William Weidie of Venice, Florida, will be remembered at his alma mater with a perpetual endowment for a student work program to encourage a career in politics.

The Wayne W. Weidie Internship Program in Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences was established by friends and family of the 1962 political science graduate after his death in 2019 to honor his life, work and commitment to the university.

Over a career steeped in a passion for politics, one of the accomplishments Weidie was most proud of was his instrumental involvement in the establishment of the MSU Stennis-Montgomery Association, which continues to serve as a pipeline for students to enter careers in public service.

The non-partisan organization named after Senator John C. Stennis and Congressman G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, both late MSU alumni, allows students of all backgrounds and academic disciplines to become active on the political scene. Each year, the most dedicated members of the organization visit Washington, D.C., to meet and network with Bulldog alumni and other prominent political figures.

The endowment for the Wayne W. Weidie Internship Program will help offset costs associated with students selected to participate in internships in the Mississippi capital city of Jackson and in the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C. The university’s Department of Political Science and Public Administration anticipates awarding the inaugural internship for 2021.

“My father was very committed to the state of Mississippi and Mississippi State University. He believed it was important to provide opportunities for students at the university and while he very seldom spoke of the role he had in the creation of the SMA, I later learned of the significant contribution he made to the program,” said son Stuart Weidie of Asheville, North Carolina. “Our family is pleased that a scholarship in my father’s name will serve as a fitting tribute to his legacy and, more importantly, create 62 WINTER 2020

opportunities for accomplished students.

He would be very pleased that future Mississippians will continue to affect state and national politics.”

One contributor for the internship endowment is MSU alumna Cindy Stevens, a member of the Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development Advisory Board of which Weidie was involved for many years.

A 1983 political science graduate and former Deloitte LLP managing principal of government relations, Stevens recalled that when Weidie first arrived in Washington to work for Congressman Gene Taylor, he wanted to start an MSU internship program as a learning experience for students interested in policy and politics. He believed the program would grow MSU’s impact not only on Capitol Hill but also more broadly in Washington, within federal agencies and in the private sector.

“Wayne truly believed that you could do anything with a college degree, particularly, an MSU degree,” Stevens said.

“I contributed to continue the internship program that was started by him and has helped to support students coming to Washington to have the opportunity for a career in public policy or whatever field they may choose. His legacy is his dedication to education, students and MSU.” Fellow Stennis Institute of Government Community Advisory Board member and contributor, Lee Weiskopf, recalls his SMA student experience that led him to contribute toward the endowment.

“One of the best decisions I made as an MSU student was to be involved with SMA,” said Weiskopf, a two-time MSU graduate and special assistant for governmental affairs at MSU. “Not only did I connect with fellow students who had an interest in politics and policy, but the experience also opened doors to alumni and supporters of MSU working in the political and policy sectors in both federal and state governments. There was no shortage of opportunities for me to interact and make connections that could be parlayed into internships and jobs.”

He continued, “Wayne was one of the instrumental figures in my life and knowing how much he loved MSU and seeing students in public service roles in Washington, Jackson and beyond, I was more than honored to help be a part of establishing the Weidie Internship Program, which will cement Wayne’s legacy in advancing MSU’s students.”

A large portion of Weidie’s career was spent in politics and journalism. He entered the newspaper business in Mississippi when he and a group of partners purchased the Ocean Springs Record. He served as editor and publisher of the Ocean Springs Record and Gautier Independent from 1970-90 before being named chief of staff for former U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor. After serving as chief of staff from 1990-2004, he worked as a governmental affairs consultant until his retirement in 2014. His professional and personal papers from his journalism and congressional careers are housed at the MSU Libraries in the Congressional and Political Research Center.

Alumni and friends can help grow the Wayne W. Weidie Internship Program endowment through the MSU Foundation at www.msufoundation.com or by contacting Mary Beth Baldwin, associate director of annual giving, at 662.325.6770. More on the Stennis-Montgomery Association can be found at sig.msstate.edu. n

New Affinity Programs Offer Additional Ways for Bulldog Alumni and Friends to Support MSU Exciting news! The MSU Alumni Association has entered a partnership with Commerce Bank® to offer alumni and supporters the official MSU Visa Signature® Card “Our Bulldog Family always asks how they can support MSU, and this program is another great opportunity to do so,” said Jeff Davis, MSU Alumni Association executive director. “We are especially excited about the MSU Visa Signature® Card program, as alumni and friends can loyally participate in the program and support MSU at no cost to them.”

The partnership with Commerce Bank enables the Alumni Association to specifically offer the MSU Visa Signature® Card to the Bulldog family. It will give cardholders the opportunity to show their pride by carrying the MSU-branded card, while supporting MSU, benefiting the Alumni Association and earning Cash Back1 rewards with each purchase.

For more information on the MSU Visa Signature® Card, visit commercbank.com/MSUAA.

1. A Cash Back redemption is applied as a statement credit. The statement credit will reduce your balance, but you are still required to make at least your minimum payment. Values for non-cash back redemption items, such as merchandise, gift cards and travel may vary. See commercebank.com/rewardsterms for full details.

The New IMPACT by Ironwood Program The MSU Alumni Association and the Bulldog Club recently partnered with Ironwood to offer the MSU IMPACT program that can benefit Bulldogs and friends who own their own businesses.

Whether a retail store front, e-commerce business, wholesaler, or a regional or community bank, the IMPACT

by Ironwood program can be of benefit. Ironwood is known as an industry leader in merchant solutions.

The way IMPACT works is simple. Every time a participating business accepts a credit or debit card payment, IMPACT gives a portion of its processing revenue to support MSU. By simply running a debit or credit card payment through IMPACT, alumni and friends are supporting MSU without costs to the business.

For more information on the MSU Impact Program by Ironwood visit impactmsstate.com.

Ironwood is a registered ISO/MSP with Fifth Third Bank, N.A., Cincinnati, OH, Merrick Bank, South Jordan, UT, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Concord, CA.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 63

GIVING Back

Riley Center Grand Opera House (Photo by Megan Bean)

PHIL HARDIN EDUCATION SERIES ON HORIZON FOR MSU Riley Center

By Amy Cagle

As a valuable resource for the community and the state, the Mississippi State Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts continues high-quality educational programming with new support from the Phil Hardin Foundation.

A generous $75,000 grant from the Meridian-based foundation will make possible the center’s latest offerings in the form of the Phil Hardin Education Series to impact teachers and school children in Mississippi for the next three years.

“Although the Hardin Foundation has been a partner with the MSU Riley Center from the very beginning, we are very excited about this new grant as it ensures our ability to present high-quality educational programming in a more sustainable way,” said Daniel R. Barnard, the center’s executive director. “Once COVID-19 has passed, we will more properly acknowledge the Phil Hardin Foundation’s ongoing support by formally renaming our educational series in its honor.”

Since the opening of the MSU Riley Center in 2006, endowment-level support from the Phil Hardin Foundation has ensured the center’s success as a catalyst for positive change and enrichment in schools, homes 64 WINTER 2020

and communities across Mississippi and West Alabama. One of the Southeast’s premier performing arts and conference facilities, the center features a beautifully restored Victorian theater and offers state-of-the-art performance, conference and education spaces.

Thanks to the new grant, the MSU Riley Center is able to present its traditional annual programming for pre-K through 12th grade audiences as the Phil Hardin Education Series. Each performance of the series has an accompanying curriculum or teacher’s guide to connect the experience of the historic theater to the Mississippi Career and College Readiness Standards.

“At a time like this, these resources are increasingly important to our state and Phil Hardin Foundation support provides for materials produced for both the series and our additional educational and outreach programs,” said Tiffany McGehee, the MSU Riley Center’s outreach director. “From school performances for students in grades Pre-K-12 to Kennedy Center workshops for teachers, the arts education programs at the Riley Center deliver top quality.”

The Phil Hardin Education Series is one of three integral components of educational programming offered annually at the

MSU Riley Center. The series is the yearly programming of theatrical performances for over 5,000 pre-K through 12th grade students. The audience includes students from private, public, and home schools. Each show is selected by a committee of educators, faculty and community partners to ensure curriculum connections and that schools are receiving programs that will help meet their educational goals and state standards.

Shows vary from large-scale dinosaur puppet shows, fun interpretations of early childhood literature, musicals and classical Shakespeare.

Along with the Phil Hardin Education Series, the MSU Riley Center presents additional programming through the Any Given Child Initiative.

The MSU Riley Center partners on the Any Given Child Initiative with MSUMeridian and the Meridian Public School District. Any Given Child, administered by the Kennedy Center and implemented through many dedicated partners, continues to impact learners across the district, and even state, with arts integration, professional development and arts experiences for students in pre-K through 8th grade.

“We are pleased that Any Given Child Meridian received the Mississippi

ABOVE: Students involved with the Any Given Child Initiative through activities in the arts. (Photos by Reggie Thomas) LOWER RIGHT: The Odyssey by the Aquila Theatre being performed for high school students at the Riley Center. (Photo by Tiffany McGehee) Governor’s Award of Distinction from the Mississippi Association of Partners in Education for our partnership in March,” McGehee said. “In the 2019-20 school year alone, our partnership reached 3,713 students, 285 teachers, and 11 schools with artistic experiences which included field trips, teaching artists, arts projects and professional development in arts integration.”

The final component of educational programming at the MSU Riley Center is the Footlight Project, a partnership with Care Lodge Domestic Violence Shelter Inc. that provides drama workshops to improve the quality of life for survivors of domestic violence. By using educational theater techniques, the MSU Riley Center is able to facilitate activities that help build self-esteem, offer some levity, improve interpersonal relationships and build public speaking skills. These workshops help survivors of abuse succeed as they continue in their new lives, while also developing a new artistic skill.

“We are very proud of the annual trifold programming we are able to bring as an outreach tool to the state and our

area, and we hope to continue this with partners like the Phil Hardin Foundation,” McGehee said.

The Phil Hardin Foundation has long valued exposure to the arts as essential to the development of the whole child and seeks to combat the wide gaps in the level of that exposure among children in the area through education and philanthropy.

“The MSU Riley Center Education Series is all about helping to close the gap by providing live theater to all the schoolchildren in our community, and we have been impressed with the quality of past programming,” said Lloyd Gray, executive director of the Phil Hardin Foundation.

“When the Riley Center approached us about helping to fund this series, it seemed like a great match of the center’s needs with the Hardin Foundation’s interest in arts education and integration of the arts into the broader academic experience. We’re excited about this new partnership.”

For more on the MSU Riley Center programming, visit msurileycenter.com and for more on supporting the center, contact McGehee at tmcgehee@riley.msstate.edu or give online at msufoundation.com. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 65

CLASS Notes Four Mississippi State-degreed researchers with the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg have earned Women of Color STEM awards. Research computer scientist Vickey Moore (M.S. computer science, ’05), research mathematician Reena Patel (M.S., Ph.D. computational engineering, ’04, ‘18) and research engineer Lulu Edwards (B.S. biological engineering, ‘01) were selected as WOC Technology All-Star winners.

Computer scientist Barbara Pilate (B.S., M.S. computer science, ’12, ‘14) earned the New Media Leadership Award in Government.

1970s

Bestselling author John Grisham (B.S. accounting, ‘77) joined the board of directors for Centurion, the Princeton-based nonprofit that works to free innocent people from prison.

1980s

Randall Dong (B.A. political science, ’87) is now legal director of protection and advocacy for People with Disabilities Inc., an independent, statewide, nonprofit corporation that protects and advances the legal rights of people with disabilities in South Carolina. Since 2006 he has 66 WINTER 2020

been part of the legal staff of the Public Service Commission of South Carolina where he advised on utility regulations.

John Singer (B.A. communication, ‘89) was appointed to the strategic advisory board for Decode Health, a Nashville-based predictive analytics company focused on early identification of health care risk from chronic diseases and COVID-19. With more than 30 years of experience in business strategy, consulting, policy and communications in health care, he leads Blue Spoon Consulting.

1990s

John McRae (B.B.A. banking and finance, ‘91) has been recognized as one of the top financial advisers in Mississippi. In a recent listing of top financial advisers by state, Barron’s Magazine named the senior financial adviser for Raymond James Financial Services in Citizens National Bank’s Wealth Management Division second in Mississippi.

Bob Scott (Ph.D. weed science, ’97) has been named director of the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service within the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. He joined the division in 2002 as an extension weed scientist and moved into administrative roles in 2013.

In 2018, he was appointed director of the Rice Research and Extension Center.

2000s

Ryan A. Frederic (B.B.A. marketing, ‘01) has been appointed to the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners staff subcommittee on law by the organization’s president Brandon Presley. He serves as senior adviser to Chairman Dane Maxwell of the Mississippi Public Service Commission.

Joel Tillery (B.S. biological engineering, ’01) is now part of the Freese and Nichols’ coastal and navigation services practice at its New Orleans office. He is a senior project manager with 17 years of experience in coastal restoration, flood risk reduction and the use of green infrastructure to protect communities from severe storm events.

Bonnie Boudreaux (B.S. biological sciences, ’02; DVM, ’05) has been named associate dean of academic and student affairs at the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine. She is responsible for overseeing curriculum, orientation, class scheduling, conflict mediation, counseling and wellness. She was previously an associate professor in the veterinary clinical sciences department.

Kourtney Hollingsworth (B.B.A. business administration, ‘05) was named the new civil rights analyst, lead investigator and lead equal opportunity specialist for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. A native of Laurel, she is also three-time alumna of William Carey University having earned a doctoral degree in 2017.

Through MM Strategies LLC, a litigation technology company, Sarah Beth Jones (B.S. political science, ’08) and her business partner have launched Prep App+. The tablet-based platform gives litigators real-time access to asbestos product photos from a variety of companies.

2010s

Jennifer Sloan Ziegler (B.S., M.S., Ph.D. civil engineering, ’10, ’12, ‘13) will serve a three-year term as one of two new governors for the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Region 5, which encompasses Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and Puerto Rico. She is an engineer with Cypress Environment & Infrastructure in Jackson. She is also the 2020 president of the Mississippi section of ASCE, a member of the Energy, Environment and Water Resources Policy committee and is the New Professionals Chair for the 2021 EWRI World Congress.

McKenzie Gates (B.S. biology, ‘16) was named a 2020 recipient of the Mississippi Vision Foundation’s Helen Allison St. Clair scholarship for students of optometry. A Corinth native, she is a third-year student at the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Optometry.

Chris Vagasky (B.S., M.S. geosciences, ’14, ’17) was named chair of the American Meteorological Society Task Force on Leadership Development and named to the National Lightning Safety Council.

BIRTH

Announcement

William O. “Witt” Vaughan IV was born Dec. 26, 2019, to Will Vaughan (’13) and Katelyn Ussery Vaughan of Little Rock, Arkansas.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION about purchasing a Mississippi State University car tag, visit our website.

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ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 67

Forever MAROON

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5 1) L-R: G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, Sen. James Eastland, Bob Tyler, John Hamner, Rep. David Bowen, Sen. John C. Stennis, and Rep. Trent Lott at MSU Alumni Association event in May of 1975. 2) Montgomery pictured with Jim Buck Ross at a class reunion. 3) Montgomery on sidelines with Dean Frances Coleman, Mattie Sink and George Lewis during football game. 4) Mississippi delegates of National 4-H Club Congress on the steps of the U.S. Capitol with Montgomery in 1972. 5) President George H. W. Bush, Congressman Montgomery, U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and others are pictured at MSU’s 1989 Commencement. Montgomery and Bush were freshmen congressmen together in 1966.

68 WINTER 2020

Remembering G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery at 100

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6) L-R:Jerry Clower, MSU President Donald Zacharias, Hunter Henry, G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, Janet Marie Smith, H. Devon Graham and Steve Grafton during half-time at a football game. 7) L-R: George Lewis, Donald Zacharias and Montgomery at the library. 8) Statue of Montgomery near the MSU Drill Field. 9) Montgomery family and friends celebrating and honoring Montgomery’s 100th birthday.

The namesake of scholarships, a foundation and Mississippi State University’s veteran’s center, G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery would have celebrated his 100th birthday Aug. 5. The longtime congressman for Mississippi’s 3rd Congressional District and “Mr. Veteran” died May 2, 2006 at 85.

Born in Meridian, Montgomery always considered the Queen City home despite the family’s frequent moves during the Great Depression.

He graduated from McCallie Military Preparatory School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before enrolling at Mississippi State where he played basketball, managed the football team and was elected Mr. MSU. He graduated in 1943 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the U.S. Army.

He deployed to Europe with the 12th Armored Division during World War II and later with the 31st Infantry Division during the Korean War. He was awarded the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge. In 2005, he was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom

by President George W. Bush.

Returning to Mississippi after his military service, he was elected to his first public office in 1956 and began a 10-year career representing Meridian in the Mississippi Senate. He then successfully ran for Congress and held the seat for 30 years. He was named chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee in 1981, a position he would hold

for 13 years, and also served as a senior member of the Armed Services Committee.

In Congress, Montgomery championed legislation that increased veterans’ eligibility for home loans, life insurance and medical coverage. He also co-sponsored the law that made the Veterans Administration the 14th cabinet department in the federal government. However, he considered his signature achievement in Congress to be the passage of the so-called Montgomery G.I. Education Bill, which expanded the original G.I. Bill to enhance education benefits for active-duty military personnel and extend those benefits to National Guard and Reserve members.

After his death in 2006, the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation was established with the bulk of his estate.

Since that time, it has awarded approximately $2 million to a variety of causes that focus on the support of service members and veterans, education opportunities and leadership development.

Among the beneficiaries of that support is the Montgomery Advisement and Career Services Center at MSU-Meridian and the Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans at Mississippi State.

Montgomery Foundation board members include former staff members and close associates: Brad Crawford; Fred Sullivan; Alex B. Weddington; Ronnie Walton; Bob Bailey; Bo Maske; David Kennard, Sharon C. Johnson; Sid Salter; Pam Steverson; and Kyle Steward. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 69

Forever MAROON

Hurst leaves MSU legacy

Louis A. Hurst Jr. of Houston, Texas, will be remembered for his legacy of impact at Mississippi State University. He enjoyed a steadfast connection with MSU as an alumnus, a true Bulldog fan and a loyal contributor to academics and athletics who desired to make a positive difference in his home state of Mississippi. He died July 22 at age 95.

Born on May 15, 1925, in Poplarville, Hurst served in the military before college. He honored his country with service in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. After military service, he proudly continued his family’s Bulldog tradition of education, following in the footsteps of his late father, Louis A. Hurst Sr., who earlier attended the land-grant institution.

In 1949, Hurst earned an MSU accounting degree and later g-raduated from the Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. He had an illustrious 32-year career as a bank examiner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. before retiring in the early 1980s as an assistant regional director for the FDIC Memphis Region. His years in the banking industry taught him much more than the value of a dollar—his wise investments allowed him to contribute generously to MSU. Hurst voluntarily served the MSU Foundation board of directors and the College of Business senior executive advisory board. He was honored as the MSU National Alumnus of the Year in 2007 and was the College of Business Alumnus of the Year in 2003. He was also saluted among the college’s top 100 graduates for its centennial.

The Louis A. Hurst Jr. Residence Hall at MSU stands as a named tribute honoring his legacy. A part of the Zacharias Village complex, the 82,000-square-foot residential facility was dedicated in 2006.

A strong belief in a quality education is reflected in the legacy Hurst left at MSU. The L.A. Hurst Jr. Scholarship Endowment in the College of Business established in 1999 emphasizes moral and ethical character as traits he desired in recipients. Hurst also established the L.A. Hurst Presidential Endowed Scholarship, a four-year award for MSU’s elite students in the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College.

At MSU, the Hurst legacy is perpetual. Proceeds from a planned gift from Hurst will continue his immeasurable impact through scholarships, helping generations of future Bulldog students fulfill the promise of a college education. n 70 WINTER 2020

Louis Hurst with scholars

Know someone who should be remembered in Forever Maroon? Send an email to alumnus@msstate.edu.

Charles James Bell Jr. (B.S., M.S. mechanical engineering ’49; retired faculty) 95, Madison — A native of Greenwood, he took time out of his Mississippi State education to join the Army Air Corp in 1945 as a navigator. He later joined the Army National Guard and earned a doctoral degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology. He was a longtime member of the MSU engineering faculty and periodically did engineering research and consulting at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida on the early stages of what is now known as MOAB, “the mother of all bombs.” — Aug. 28, 2020 James Patterson Bryant (B.S. business, ’58) 85, Houston, Texas — Raised in Grenada, he served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He worked in retail in Louisiana before settling in Houston where he opened Mr. B, a men’s store in Bellaire, Texas. After closing the store, he sold real estate until his retirement.

He was active in the Bellaire/Southwest Rotary for more than 30 years and was named Mr. Bellaire. — Feb. 11, 2020 Edwinna Currie Edwards (B.S. business administration, ’43) 96, Indianola — Born in Burns, she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority at Mississippi State. She later moved to the Delta and began teaching first grade. She taught at Linn Elementary, Lockard Elementary and Indianola Academy, where she served as principal for 21 years and established the first secondary-school computer lab in the state. After leaving the academy, she joined IBM as an educational consultant before teaching at Mississippi Delta Community College for 19 years.

Through its Capps Technology Center, she taught employee training, employee certification and management techniques for businesses and industries throughout the region. She then taught computer skills to senior citizens through the Sunflower County Library System before retiring at 91. During her career in education, she served as president of the Mississippi Private School Education Association, president of the Mississippi Delta Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, president of the MPSEA Elementary Principals and president of the Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma, which named her Woman of Distinction in 1989.

She was a charter member and board member of the Mississippi Educational Computing Association and a certified accreditor for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

She served as president of the Indianola Twentieth Century Club, the Indianola Pilot Club, the Indianola Teen Club advisory board and the American Lung Association of

Mississippi. She was also a 4-H sponsor and Girl Scout leader. — July 20, 2020 Dr. John Pascal Elliott Jr. (B.S. premedicine, ’55) 86, Tupelo — He served as president of SAE fraternity at Mississippi State. He earned his medical degree from Tulane University in 1958, interning at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans where he was Intern of the Year and chief resident as he completed his training in urology. A member of the U.S. Army National Guard, he established the first urology practice in Northeast Mississippi, which ultimately grew to include six physicians. He retired after 39 years and began making medical mission trips around the world. An athlete at heart, he completed the Boston Marathon and climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. He was a member of the American and Mississippi Medical Associations, serving as president of the urology division and as a diplomat to the American Board of Urologists. He served on the executive board of the North Mississippi Medical Center and its foundation. He helped pioneer the Good Samaritan Clinic, served on the Salvation Army and Sanctuary Hospice boards where he and his wife were among the founders. With Mississippi State, he served on the MSU Foundation and College of Arts and Sciences boards and was named the College of Arts and Sciences Alumnus of the Year in 1996. — June 24, 2020 Lloyd Lee “Coach” Johnson (B.S education, ’57) 85, Sugar Land, Texas — A retired teacher and coach, he spent 39 years with the Houston Independent School District. — July 8, 2020 Joseph N. Kisner (B.A. social studies education, ’63) 79, Clearwater, Florida — A native of Indianola, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He retired as an elementary school principal with 31 years of experience serving the students of Kentucky and Arkansas. — May 11, 2020 Emory Gene Morrison (B.S. animal science, ’49; retired staff ) 92, Jackson — He attended Hinds Community College before being drafted into the U.S. Army. He was honorably discharged after serving 15 months. Following his graduation from MSU, he earned a master’s from the University of Tennessee. In 1952, he began a 40-year career with Mississippi State’s Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

In 1956, he was appointed superintendent of the Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station near Learned where he remained until his retirement in 1992. Following his retirement, he served three years as head of the Central Mississippi Research and Extension Center headquartered in Raymond. His work in

beef cattle production and grazing research was well-respected by cattlemen across the southeast. He was inducted into the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association Hall of Fame and was recognized by Mississippi State in 2015 with the research station he served for so many years renamed in his honor. — July 2, 2020 Jimmie Lee Oglesby (B.S. electrical engineering, ’49) 93, Jackson — Following service in WWII with the Army Air Corps, he enrolled at Mississippi State and joined Kappa Sigma fraternity. He spent 30 years with Graybar Electric Co., and upon his retirement, he returned to Mississippi where he established three companies serving the telephone and cable industry. He also designed and patented several cable-related devices. He was a member of Elk, Rotary, Fraternal Order of Masons, Shriners, Jesters, Patrick Henry Memorial and the Order of First Families of Mississippi. — June 22, 2020 Harvey B. Ray (B.S. management, ’54) 87, Meridian — A member of Pi Kappa Alpha, he served as a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Following his military service, he enrolled in law school, later beginning his practice in Cleveland. He then moved to Meridian, practicing with Dan Self before teaming with Judge George Warner to start Warner & Ray Attorneys at Law, which later became Warner, Ray & Cobb. He served as president of the Meridian Jaycees and was selected Jaycee Man of the Year. He was also a member of the Bulldog Club and one of the key developers in Poplar Spring Estates and Briarwood Country Estates subdivisions. — June 24, 2020 Roy Delbert Ross (retired faculty) 91, Ozark, Missouri — After serving in the U.S. Army, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri, a master’s degree from the University of Georgia and a doctoral degree from Syracuse University. He then became an associate professor of forestry at Mississippi State University, which he served for 36 years. — July 27, 2020 Laurel Presnell “Lolly” Upshaw (M.S. geology, ’54) 91, Tulsa — Born in the Panama Canal Zone, she grew up in Iowa attending Cornell College before enrolling at Mississippi State. She worked as a petroleum geologist in Oklahoma. She was a member of the Garden Club and the Tulsa Audubon Society, serving for many years as historian. She occasionally prepared geological reports in support of local environmental defense initiatives or to address community concerns. She also supported early efforts to establish the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve.

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Back STORY

WITH ROBERT E. “BOB” WOLVERTON When I arrived on campus in 1977 as vice president of academic affairs, I became part of a remarkable administrative team, headed by President James McComas. In 1978, the new goal was set forth to obtain a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious academic honorary organization for students in the country.

The Phi Beta Kappa Society was founded Dec. 5, 1776, by a group of students at the College of William and Mary. The stated purpose of the society was to recognize and honor academic achievement in the liberal arts. Current admission requirements included a focus on liberal arts course work, knowledge of a second language and good moral character. No more than 10% of the graduates in arts and sciences would be eligible to join the society.

We knew, also, that PBK operates on a three-year cycle of admissions and assesses those aspects of the university which pertain to the arts and sciences. We realized, therefore, that our goal could not be accomplished quickly, especially since a university must have a nucleus of PBK faculty members before it can be considered. Over a period of years, then, we did work with PBK visiting teams; each of these visits pinpointed certain deficiencies, which we then addressed.

My own concern, after I left the office of vice president, was that future presidents would not keep pursuing the goal. However, eventually, three things came together: hiring of the requisite number of PBK faculty; the creation of the Society of Scholars, with admission requirements paralleling those of PBK; and, in 2011, the Institutions of Higher Learning-approved establishment of a program in the Classics— the study of ancient Greece and Rome which anchored the curriculum in all early colleges. A departmental name change to the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures further solidified the university’s commitment to the discipline.

Finally, on Aug. 4, 2018—my birthday— the news came that we would be awarded a chapter. On April 2, 2019, the installation took place, with 73 students being inducted

72 WINTER 2020

RESPONSES BACK STORY Summer 2020 MALCOLM M. FLOWERS JR. (B.S. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT, ’65)

and “foundational members” announced, including MSU President Mark E. Keenum, then provost Judy Bonner, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Rick Travis, and me.

Our goal was now realized, 40 years after it had been declared. Our chapter is number 287 of the current 290 chapters among more than 3,000 colleges and universities. MSU is now among the elite institutions of the country, and my lifelong dream of being a PBK member came true! The moral: never give up!

Robert E. “Bob” Wolverton, 95, retired in June after 43 years at Mississippi State. He holds a bachelor’s from Hanover College, a master’s from the University of Michigan, an honorary Doctor of Letters from the College of Mount St. Joseph and a doctorate from the University of North Carolina.

The Indiana native has been an educator for nearly 70 years, holding positions at the University of Georgia, Tufts and Florida State before coming to MSU. Since coming to State in 1977, he has served as a vice president, department head and professor. He was named a Grisham Master Teacher, the university’s highest teaching honor, in 2004, and in 2014 he became the first recipient of the College of Arts and Sciences Legacy Award, an annual honor that now bears his name.

He is also the namesake of Old Main Academic Center’s rotunda, which ushers thousands of students to and from their classes daily.

“The picture on the back page (of the Summer 2020 issue) was taken outside the Wisner Activities Building in Laurel, probably in the spring of the early 1960s or late ‘50s. I was a member of the band from 1963-65 and was band president in 1965.

Professor West was the director at the time and Peyton Crowder was assistant.

My father was the band director in Laurel and was Professor West’s band director at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in 1934. Dr. Crowder began his teaching career in Laurel as an assistant to my father.

The Wisner Building recently burned.”

HOMER MCLEMORE (B.S. FOREST PRODUCTS, ’66) “The photo of Famous Maroon Band members reminds me of Harris R. “Rudy” Gilbert. He, I, Dr. George Verrall and others lived upstairs in the YMCA building.

“From Clay County, I graduated from the College of Forestry and continued graduate studies in sociology through the first semester of 1967. Although my first employment was with the U.S. Forest Service, I served in the U.S. Navy, became a hospital corpsman, civilian physician assistant and ultimately a principal examiner with the National Credit Union Administration.

“Since my 1968 arrival in Maine, I married Ellen Toothaker. We have one son and I continue to live in Maine. However, Abbott will always be home to me. I have a long history with MSU. Chester E. McLemore (attended 1919), WIlliam T. McLemore (graduated 1951), Betty McLemore Estridge (attended 1955) and Chester E. McLemore Jr. (graduated circa 1960.)

“My father’s name, as a member of the Agricultural Club, was once on the cornerstone of the “gate” entering campus from the east. Seems to me that during my tenure at State the gate was moved closer to the highway patrol building near the “old” entrance. It subsequently disappeared. My father’s cousin’s name, John McLemore, was on the College Avenue gate proceeding into downtown Starkville.”

Content has been edited for length and style consistency.

In this undated photo from the University Archives, Beth Langston, Libby Lowery and John Carter shelve books in a newly remodeled wing of the Mitchell Memorial Library. Please help us learn more about this photo or share your memories of the MSU Libraries by submitting your remembrances to the magazine. Please include your major(s) and graduation year(s) as some responses may be published in print or online with the next issue.

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SOMETHING TO PROVE A new 50-acre off-road test track is the latest addition to Mississippi State University’s storied automotive research program. Located in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, the MSU Proving Ground is helping the university make its mark on the quest for off-road autonomous driving.

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