Mississippi State Alumnus Summer 2009

Helping others:

just what the doctor ordered

And they say money doesn’t grow on trees...

Proceeds from the Sharp Forest, part of the Bulldog Forest program, have provided over $1 million in scholarship support for students at Mississippi State University.

C      L   M SU Transform your real estate into a meaningful gift for Mississippi State University. If you have questions about how to make a gift, or would like to request a free copy of our Guide to Giving Real Estate, please contact a member of our MSU Foundation real estate team today. You may also visit our website at www.msufoundation.com/ways/estate.

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MSU is an AA/EEO university.

Summer 2009 | Volume 85 | Number 2 USPS 354-520 The People’s University

President

features

Helping others: just what the doctor ordered | page

2

For many Mississippi State graduates who’ve gone on to become medical doctors, practicing in the southeastern United States isn’t an accident. It’s “just what the doctor ordered.”

10

Mark E. Keenum (’83, ’84, ’88)

The scenic route to self-discovery | page

Alumni Association Executive Director and Associate Vice President, Development and Alumni

Learning about other cultures, places and people while students at MSU led Josh Foreman and Sara McAdory to leave Mississippi to experience foreign lands.

Jimmy W. Abraham (’75, ’77)

Vice President for Development and Alumni John P. Rush (’94, ’02)

Mississippi State Alumnus is published three times a year by the Office of University Relations and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association at Mississippi State, Miss.

Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 397625526; telephone 662-325-7000; or e-mail fcarr@ advservices.msstate.edu.

Editorial offices: 102 George Hall, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325 Telephone, 662-325-3442 Fax, 662-325-7455 E-mail, snowa@ur.msstate.edu www.msstate.edu

National magazine profiles MSU in top-tier art programs | page

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One of the nation’s top graphic design magazines is taking a closer look at what’s happening at the university’s art department.

Mississippi’s Black Prairie fodder for art grad’s music, design | page

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“Big Joe” Shelton (’75) has written songs about voodoo queens, chitlins and Columbus’ Cat Fish Alley, while also parlaying a Mississippi State degree into a successful stained glass business and blues music career.

Campus news................... 22 Alumni news. .................... 30 Foundation news........ 38 Class news. ..........................42 In memoriam.................... 44

Onthecover:Abondwiththeirpatients,familyand friendsandtheroadtotheircurrentcareershavekept StephenBall,AngelaChandler,BurtNabors,andBrian Flowersintheplacewhereprogressivehealthcaremeets some of the most acutely ill patients.

Features photo by Russ Houston.

Advertising: Contact Libba Andrews at 662-325-7000 or landrews@alumni.msstate.edu.

Editor Allen Snow (’76)

Associate Editor

Forbes lists MSU among top 20 best college buys

Kay Fike Jones

Designers

Forbes magazine has ranked Mississippi State University among the top 20 of its top 100

Mary Howell (’93) Judy Smith

best college buys in America.

Photographers

has been given a higher designation than all other Mississippi public and private institutions

Russ Houston (’85) Megan Bean Kristen Hines Baker Kenny Billings

of higher learning.

Mississippi State University Alumni Association National Officers Charles A. Cascio (’79), national president Karen Dugard Lawler (‘83, ‘94), national first vice president Jerry L. Toney (‘96) national second vice president Jodi L. White (’97, ’99), national treasurer Andrew D. Hunt Jr. (‘70) immediate past president

As ranked this August in the national business publication's online edition, the university

The 131-year-old land-grant institution also is the state's only public university included in the top 100.

Forbes said MSU is 18th among schools where students "get the most quality for each tuition dollar spent."

"To be recognized by such a reputable publication confirms that we are succeeding in our goal of being the premier education center for the state of Mississippi," said university President Mark Keenum in response to the magazine's report.

The complete Forbes list is available at www.forbes.com.

For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.

dedicated

Helping others: just what the doctor ordered By: Harriet Laird

For many Mississippi State graduates who’ve gone on to become medical doctors, practicing in the Southeastern United States isn’t an accident. It’s “just what the doctor ordered.”

A bond with their patients, family and friends and the road to their current careers have kept Stephen Ball, Angela Chandler, Burt Nabors, and Brian Flowers in the place where progressive health care meets some of the most acutely ill patients, from the rural back roads to the city suburbs.

As graduates of MSU’s Bagley College of Engineering, it’s a chance—and an instilled duty—to help someone in need.

2 Alumnus Summer 2009

Stephen Ball “My only concern, ever, is whether I’m benefitting the patients in my care,” said heart surgeon Stephen Ball of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute and an assistant professor in Vanderbilt Medical Center’s department of cardiac surgery.

For a physician who performs 250 to 300 surgeries a year, it’s about focusing on helping people the best way he can and “not worrying about all the other stuff.”

“It’s very personal to me,” he said.

What’s not so personal about Ball is his innovative approach to doing minimally invasive heart value surgery, a less traumatic, ground-breaking technique developed with another surgeon. Together, their practice grew, from the mid-1990s to 2006, to be one of the busiest in the country while at Nashville’s St. Thomas Hospital, Tennessee’s largest not-for-profit medical center.

Their success at St. Thomas caught the eye of a new cardiac surgery department chair at Vanderbilt about two and a half years ago who brought them into the academic environment where Ball now says he’s training and interacting with residents to teach them to use some of these procedures.

Ball said, “It’s been a good move for me,” explaining that he’s done further work in the development of off-pump coronary bypass surgery techniques or bypass surgery without the use of the heart-lung machine. In addition, he does minimally invasive bypass surgery, which involves smaller incisions for quicker recovery, less pain and less time in the hospital.

Also a dad who’s never far away from his kids’ soccer and lacrosse games, Ball’s lasting influence on medicine, his patients and his children can be traced back to the people who’ve shaped his life.

“What ends up mattering in life are the people that you surround yourself with,” Ball said mentioning his dad, a radiologist in Jackson, and his mother. He also credits his fifth- and sixth-grade teacher, and faculty, staff, and fellow students at Mississippi State for motivating him to think out-of-the-box and be a medical Photo by Joe Howell, VUMC News/Public Affairs

trailblazer.

Alumnus Summer 2009 3

“What ends up mattering in life are the people that you surround yourself with.” -Ball

While he admits he could have just ended up being an “egghead” with a high aptitude in mathematics

five more years there, finishing his general surgery

and physics, he knew he wanted to be different from

residency in 1992. Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s

that. A graduate of Jackson Preparatory School, Ball’s

Medical Center in Chicago was his next stop where he

smarts and personality meshed well with the course

completed a cardiovascular cardiac surgery residency

offerings in MSU’s engineering school and with the

before entering private practice.

type of friends he found on campus in 1979.

“The group I was around was interested in being well-rounded. Of course, we studied and made good grades, but we were also very involved,” he said,

With all this training and even with being named as a U.S. News and World Report “top valve surgeon,” Ball still faces his fair share of challenge.

“It’s hard to deal with things I can’t fix,” he

mentioning his stints on campus as attorney general

concluded. “Everybody can’t get well—I can’t make

and vice president of the student body, and his

everybody better.”~

participation in Greek life.

He admits, “Until this current point in my life, the best years were at MSU—no question about it. There was always a feeling that regardless of your status or level on campus, you were loved and had a home. It was like being in a family.”

After graduating in 1983, Ball went on to complete his medical degree at the University of

Photo by Joe Howell, VUMC News/Public Affairs

4 Alumnus Summer 2009

Mississippi Medical Center in 1987 and then spent

Until this current point in my life, the best years were at MSU— no question about it. There was always a feeling that regardless of your status or level on campus, you were loved and had a home. It was like being in a family. -Ball

Angela Chandler Photo by Russ Houston, MSU University Relations

Even though Angela Chandler is a young doctor in her early 30s who’s been trained in the most innovative uses of

findings as opposed to studies. The ability to do this is becoming lost as we become more technologically advanced.”

medical technology, she takes pride in being “old school” in

Chandler discovered her interest in medicine when

her practice of adult and pediatric neurology at Mississippi

she ended an early dream to be the first African-American

State Hospital.

female astronaut. After graduating in the inaugural class

At the state’s publicly funded psychiatric treatment

of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science

facility where patient test results aren’t always immediately

in Columbus, she enrolled in aerospace engineering at

accessible, Chandler relies on her clinical skills which

Mississippi State in 1990 and spent three semesters in a

she said make her a “fairly decent investigator in medical

cooperative education program at NASA’s Langley Air Force

expeditions.”

Base in Virginia.

“Many times my patients can’t necessarily speak for

“In the third semester, I decided I didn’t want to do this,”

themselves, and I have to know where to look—which stones

she explained. “The work was interesting, but I wanted

to turn over,” she explained of the many nervous system

to have a more immediate impact, more direct personal

disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases,

interaction. At NASA, you might work on the same project

multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, and stroke.

for years and never see an end result.”

The number of patients she sees daily varies and the

She may have turned from her goal of space exploration

cases are complex, but, she said, “It makes me a better doctor

when she changed her major to chemistry/pre-medicine

knowing I have to make decisions based on my clinical

at MSU, but was achieving another objective of being the

Alumnus Summer 2009 5

“As a doctor, it’s important to me to be a good teacher, and it’s my duty to educate the public.”

-Chandler

Photo by Russ Houston, MSU University Relations

first African-American to graduate as an Ottilie Schillig Scholar, the university’s highest academic honor (now known as the Distinguished Scholars Program).

The 1994 graduate said her fondest memories of Mississippi State are those that involve then-president Dr. Donald Zacharias and his wife, Tommie.

She said, “Being a Schillig Scholar was great and was a big

neurology and pediatrics until last year.

When she’s not working, she’s spreading the word in the community about the causes and prevention of stroke to families, caregivers and others who are or may be affected.

“As a doctor, it’s important to me to be a good teacher, and it’s my duty to educate the public,” the Bay Springs native said.

She’s also busy supporting her husband, who finishes medical

part of my decision to come to MSU. We were always over at the

school next year, and enjoying family life with their four children

Zachariases’ home. One day we had lunch with John Grisham,

and English bulldog, Ozzy. According to Chandler, “Every time we

who was then a legislator, but The Firm was getting ready to be

have an MSU ballgame on our TV, the little ones think it’s Ozzy

published. I can definitely say, ‘I knew him before he was famous.’”

Active while at MSU as an alumni delegate and in her sorority, Chandler then entered medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and was on a neurology rotation when she got word her father had suffered a stroke. This personal incident saw her begin to take more neurology classes in 1999, her senior year. She continued with a four-year neurology residency that ended in 2003 at UMC, where she stayed on as an assistant professor of

6 Alumnus Summer 2009

instead of Bully.”~

“Being a Schillig Scholar was great and was a big part of my decision to come to MSU. We were always over at the Zachariases’ home. One day we had lunch with John Grisham, who was then a legislator, but The Firm was getting ready to be published. I can definitely say, ‘I knew him before he was famous.’” -Chandler

Burt Nabors

As a doctor who spends each day treating patients with primary brain cancer, Burt Nabors has learned the value of treating people with respect and decency during a time of tremendous stress and confusion.

“Unfortunately, this is the part of medicine you learn through the years when you realize that sometimes you haven’t always provided that feeling of security for patients,” said Nabors, director of the neuro-oncology division at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center.

For those with cancer that begins in the brain, a sense of caring is essential when those afflicted with the disease aren’t always knowledgeable about what’s wrong with them. According to Nabors, this is especially true in the Southeastern United States where the risk of brain cancer is the greatest.

He said, “The reason is not known, but each day studies continue to look at factors such as diet, occupation and environmental exposures that may put people at a higher risk.”

The neuro-oncologist is involved in clinical trials, research that is necessary to make improvements in the level of care for this type of disease. Most of these studies, he said, have a therapeutic angle, meaning that patients take experimental drugs, with the ultimate goal of discovering newer therapies that prove more effective.

Nabors’ problem-solving skills, he claims, were developed while a biomedical engineering student at MSU, just down the road from New Hope where he grew up. The son of a Columbus car dealer, he came to the university with the intention of one day being a physician after his parents recognized his ability in chemistry and biology.

“The engineering school’s reputation then and now is a big plus for the institution,” he said. “In my field, biomedical research supports what we do every day, and MSU is quite active in this and a number of other areas.

This component of the overall mission of academic Photo by Steve Wood, UAB Media Relations

institutions like MSU and UAB is a critical one.”

Alumnus Summer 2009 7

“Everybody needs to find time to be clear of the clutter. It makes us more efficient and effective.”

-Nabors

When Nabors wasn’t doing equations as a student, he enjoyed

Finishing this commitment in 1995, Nabors came to UAB to

the lighter side of student life. Mentioning several professors who

finish his four years of training in neurology and neuro-oncology.

had an influence on him, he said that “they probably would be

He joined the faculty in 1999.

stunned to know where I am now because they may have been

When he finds time away from the hospital, Nabors backpacks

concerned then about my commitment to the academic side of

and camps with his 16-year-old son, a Boy Scout, and has hiked

things.”

part of the Appalachian Trail. He also enjoys the beach and doing

Nabors graduated in 1985 and went to work at the University of Mississippi Medical Center for one year in a research role before entering medical school at the University of Tennessee in Memphis where he graduated in 1991. While there, he became a Howard Hughes Research Fellow and did research on the cat’s visual system, igniting his interest in neurology. He spent 1991 to 1992 doing an internship at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and was soon sent out to be a line medical officer and then flight surgeon for the Navy.

“The Navy paid for me to go to medical school, so I paid back my obligation during this time. For a guy from New Hope, it gave me a variety of experiences,” the father of four said, also crediting his wife for her support.

8 Alumnus Summer 2009

whatever his three girls like to do.

He said, “Everybody needs to find time to be clear of the clutter.

It makes us more efficient and effective.”~

“The engineering school’s reputation then and now is a big plus for the institution. In my field, biomedical research supports what we do every day, and MSU is quite active in this and a number of other areas. This component of the overall mission of academic institutions like MSU and UAB is a critical one.” -Nabors

Brian Flowers

Next Top Doc He said, “I had to really consider

in 2002 and graduated in May 2006,

whether or not this was something I wanted

immediately beginning his residency in

to do. Trying to figure out the balance

internal medicine the next month. This past

is a big challenge, my biggest struggle.

June, he completed this three-year stint and

However, I feel like this is what I’m

then was selected by the faculty and his

supposed to be doing, and I don’t think it’s

peers to become a chief resident.

at the sacrifice of family and friends.”

While this delays his completion of a

Flowers knows that his ultimate

cardiology fellowship for one year, he’s

goal–the light at the end of the tunnel–is

appreciative of the experience he’s been

cardiology because this subspecialty is

receiving. Teaching third-year residents

“more procedural-based,” he commented,

and handling administrative paperwork

having discovered as a biomedical

are part of the job that will aid him

engineering student at Mississippi State

even further as he prepares for the next

that he was most comfortable working with

three years in general cardiology among

methods and formulas.

myriad heart catheterizations, stress tests,

Reminiscing about his junior and senior years at MSU, he said, “What I remember

echocardiograms, and more as his patients’ best advocate.

most is studying the cardiovascular system,

“It’s rewarding when you can have

and fuzzy memories from childhood about

calculating systemic vascular residence and

some influence or intervene in some way,”

leisure time spent with his dad. There

studying it from a pressure and resistance

Flowers said, “and when you really do sit

weren’t many lazy afternoons of throwing

standpoint. All of that fit my personality.”

down and listen, like my father did, you

Brian Flowers doesn’t have many warm

the baseball or casting a fishing line.

What Flowers does remember, though,

Of course, Flowers wasn’t just about academics as a student and stayed an extra

is making rounds at the hospital with his

semester to get what he calls “the full

dad, an internist, and seeing how grateful

college experience.”

patients were when their internal medicine

“I did a little bit of everything,” he said,

can create the opportunity to have a major impact.”

When he’s not communicating with his patients, Flowers is spending as much time as possible with his wife and their newborn

explaining his involvement as a president of

son. He also works in some visits to the

Roadrunners, the student recruiting group,

Golden Triangle to attend MSU ballgames

much as a child, but I did see how he

and his membership in his fraternity and

or watch them on television with friends.

interacted with his patients and how they

a campus Christian organization. He even

truly appreciated what he did for them,”

participated in a summer exchange program

consecutive football seasons like 1998,

Flowers said.

through the engineering college, visiting

1999 and 2000 when the Bulldogs were

England and Southeast Asia.

bowl bound.

doctor came by to “just listen.”

“I really don’t remember seeing him

This must have had an impact on this 30-year-old chief internal medicine resident

“They were all unique experiences that

who’s close to realizing his dream of

helped make me who I am,” said the Tupelo

becoming a cardiologist at the University of

native who graduated from MSU in 2001.

Alabama-Birmingham Medical Center.

He’s anticipating another three

“We were winning, and we were having

a great time,” he said.~

He entered medical school at UAB

“It’s rewarding when you can have some influence or intervene in some way, and when you really do sit down and listen, like my father did, you can create the opportunity to have a major impact.” -Flowers Alumnus Summer 2009 9

By: Robbie Ward Photos: Josh Foreman and Sara McAdory

The cliché about life being full of surprises became one for a reason—it’s true. While we all are surprised in life from time to time, two Mississippi State alumni set out to find life’s surprises on another continent and, sometimes, in a different language.

Learning about other cultures, places and people while taking courses at MSU must have really gone to their heads, because Josh Foreman and Sara McAdory left Mississippi, the South and the Western hemisphere for experiences in foreign lands, to see what surprises and adventures awaited them on the other side of the globe.

Their experience at MSU helped prepare them for it.

Waking up and planning to visit the Taj Mahal, visiting towering waterfalls or spending weeks riding a sevenhorsepower rickshaw to raise money for clean water aren’t typical experiences for most MSU graduates.

Surprises waiting for Foreman after graduating from MSU in 2005 included visiting about a dozen countries, becoming a marathon runner, eating hundreds of bowls of kimchi chiggae (a type of Korean stew) and preparing for an upcoming “Rickshaw Run” with his Nova Scotian girlfriend to race across India and Nepal.

For McAdory, surprise comes from finding a love for teaching English to young South Korean children and visiting exotic places most Americans will only view through photographs or television.

While the two MSU graduates knew each other on campus and have crossed paths during their time abroad, they have spent time separately learning more about themselves in foreign lands. However, Foreman, who arrived in Seoul about two years before McAdory, helped acclimate her to her new surroundings.

When Foreman took a five-week trip to India, McAdory watched his two dogs and began her job search.

10 Alumnus Summer 2009

e natural wonder.

venture overseas ans looking for ad ic er m A y an m ith As w jobs e, they both took ance the experienc fin lp he to b jo a and entary schools. to children at elem ish gl En ng hi ac te e of the best hing has proved on Foreman said teac Both his and g world traveler. un yo e th r fo s ce n, job choi ks of paid vacatio ers provide 11 wee oy pl em ’s ry do McA Korea’s low s to travel. South tie ni rtu po op em which allows th of their income em to save much th s w lo al so al g cost of livin as visiting new necessities, such an th r he ot s ie rit for prio

experiencing th McAdory said of

“It is such

a good memory.” the experience t surprising about no ng hi et m so s e’ Her es. and McAdory’s liv anged Foreman’s ch s ha it : ad ro ab d abroad— worlds—home an th bo of rts pa te .

Both apprecia th for themselves d until they saw bo ul co er ev ey th more than ic transportation e freedom of publ th s ve lo an m re Fo parts of of the world (and a and other parts re Ko in ed id ov ). pr uch of Mississippi , too, just not in m the United States us when he es orry having a car w to ve ha t n’ es He do d joy dn’t especially fin n. However, he di tio rta po ns tra ic publ places. said yurt in Siberia. ly. Here’s what he while staying in a us es iti rio se en l am ve y tra an s m ke or ,” he said. “Lake Foreman ta had no plumbing riend Melissa: d rlf an gi ll s he hi as ith w ld s co m plan “It was ian thouse in -15 about his short-ter the trans-Manchur t squatting in an ou ke bu ta , ul to tif y au da es be Tu as e.”

Baikal w We are leaving on shioned commod there, we to Beijing. From nged for an old-fa lo on I d , er an th ria ea w be Si ee degr ople’s train to Irkutsk in Province in dory’s sense of pe Tibet and Yunnan dia changed McA to In g g in lin sit ve Vi tra on any people in are planning Vietnam, we will n in life. While m tio om sta Fr . r ei m th na l et ro Vi nt g into ability to co n the “haves and ar.

China, then crossin out the gap betwee , and fly to Myanm ab nd lk la ta ai es Th at d St an d te os La a the Uni go to Cambodia, en of the world have for the summer, th untry, other parts a co di e In th in in g s” in ot be -n have d seeing so We’re planning on g Indian streets an finishing our d on al an r ng be ki al em W pt lf.

Se aw Run in much wider gu a keen sense of en doing the Ricksh begging gave her erest in Nepal. Th le Ev op nt pe ou d M he to ris k ve long tre many impo d trip with a month for a little while an da na Ca d an . .S U the the disparity. we’ll fly back to much more than g that you have so in . ow kn e… rd ov m ha xt t’s ne “I where you contemplate our ly, only because of ling, too. Her al ve sic tra ba e , ve tim ha of e ty er t plen most people th g in any way,” McAdory has spen kilometers of the u’re more deservin yo ne e ni us ng ca ki be al t w no , ed clud were born made me want to pics adventures have in ted to the Paralym feel small, but also la e re m ts e en ad m ev t g “I in . ch id at she sa Great Wall and w ten.” es involved e charities more of favorite experienc r he of ne O . ribute to reputabl 08 nt 20 co in ng eeping into iji Be g, in Luang Praban erican influence cr h m ug A e ro se th ey an th m re es g with Fo Sometim tiful most unsuspectin hiking and biking lometers to a beau sometimes in the , ki rd 32 oa e ab cl e cy nc to s rie bike their expe Laos. They rented ian town of Vang to the small Laot p tri a g in ur D . places uely waterfall. w something uniq eng, McAdory sa ke had a flat tire. bi Vi ’s an m re Fo t, g on At one poin American. Playin vel part of the way tra to ck tru a g in After flagg ir-step pools st, they passed sta and hiking the re h of stopped for a lunc of aqua water and at they eese and mango th baguette, gouda ch g the way. local market alon picked up from a the waterfall, we “When we got to ute,” obably a full min stood in awe for pr

11

televisions screens in all of the area restaurants were Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox Arquette.

“Here I am in rural Laos, a country where I didn’t see a single McDonalds,” she said, “and all I hear are “Friends” episodes blaring at me from all directions.”

Living abroad also helps Americans appreciate home. Few places make sweet tea and fried oyster po-boys like Oby’s in Starkville, McAdory said.

That, in part, has her considering a return to the United States within a year or so for graduate studies, possibly law school.

As for Foreman, he still has a rickshaw race to complete before he makes too many long-term commitments.

One thing is certain—they will look back years from now and know they took the scenic route to discovering themselves and the many worlds they have lived in and visited.~

“Here I am in rural Laos, a country where I didn’t see a single McDonalds. And all I hear are “Friends” episodes blaring at me from all directions.” -McAdory

Profiles:

Sara McAdo ry:

• The comm unication m ajor graduat emphasis ed from MS in journalis U with a ba chelor of ar m and a teac ts degree in h in g E n g lish to spea • Teaches E May 2007 w kers of other nglish to el ith an ementary sc languages ce h oo rtificate. l students in • During her South Korea time abroad . , she has visi South Kor te d Japan, Th ea. ailand, Lao s, Cambodia , China, Ind Josh Forem ia, Hong Kon an: g, and • The comm unication an d anthropol ogy major g • He moved raduated fr to Seoul, Sou om MSU wit th h a bachelor K orea, after co raise mon of arts degre ll eg e. ey for clean H e e in 2005. pl an s to race a ri drinking w ckshaw thro at er . ugh India an • Places he has visited d Nepal to while abroad Singapore, include Aust Malaysia, th ralia, Japan e Philippin , Thailand, es, India, Sou Laos, Cambo dia, Vietnam th Korea, Ch , in a, an d Alumnus Summer 2009 R 12 ussia.

National magazine profiles MSU in top-tier art programs By: Maridith Walker Geuder Photos: Russ Houston and

Megan Bean

After noticing the national awards, number of published submissions and originality of work being generated by Mississippi State students, one of

she is “very impressed with the talent of our graphic design students and the faculty who teach them.”

She added: “HOW is a premier magazine in the

the nation’s top graphic design magazines took a

field of graphic design, and it was only a matter

closer look at what’s happening at the university’s art

of time until MSU received recognition for its

department.

accomplishments. The program is growing steadily,

In a major feature in its July/August issue, HOW, a Cincinnati, Ohio-based international publication,

and our faculty members are role models highly respected by their students.”

profiles MSU as a “hidden gem” and one of three

Temple and Portland State universities also are

top-tier “off-the-radar” design programs bringing

featured institutions at which the students and faculty

students into the national spotlight.

“are every bit as talented as their rivals at bigger-

As a newcomer to the department and community,

name programs,” according to the publication.

incoming art department head Lydia Thompson said

Alumnus Summer 2009 13

As a newcomer to the department and community, incoming art department head Lydia Thompson said she is “very impressed with the talent of our graphic design students and the faculty who teach them.”

In her introduction of the special

Professor Jamie Mixon, who leads

our students are from Mississippi, and

themed issue, HOW editor Megan

MSU’s highly competitive, limited-

most are from the South,” she observed.

Lane Patrick recalls that a poster by

enrollment graphic design program,

“Many have an interest in art, but may

former MSU student William W. “Will”

said 69 students applied last year for the

never have been exposed to thinking in

Bryant, winner of one of the magazine’s

42 available slots.

a national way.”

design competitions, prompted her interest.

“It turns out Bryant is a graduate of

“We accept students based on a

Graphic design majors are

third-semester portfolio review,” she

encouraged to enter national

explained, adding that students entering

competitions, often through linkages in

Mississippi State University, a school

the program must first be grounded in

their individual classes. They also must

that’s produced several student winners

the foundations of drawing, painting,

subscribe to national design magazines

over the years,” she writes.

photography, and printmaking.

that help bring “good graphic design

Patrick not only praised Bryant—

A veteran faculty member and

directly to their mailboxes,” she said.

she dedicated the entire issue to the

John Grisham Master Teacher, Mixon

As HOW extensively noted, the results

2008 graduate who now is a freelance

expressed particular pride that students

belie the program’s small size and

artist in Austin, Texas. He also is among

in the program quickly are introduced to

geographic location.

17 “rising stars” profiled in the issue.

a global design perspective. “Many of

In addition to seven awards of

beverly a. hayman

william w. bryant Kristen M. Brady

14 Alumnus Summer 2009

merit in HOW competition since

Design” provides strategies in design

in virtually every major city in the

2001, students received impressive

principles, illustrated with successful

country.”

placement in 2008 and 2009 collegiate

student portfolios and tips from

competition sponsored by the Art

professionals, Mixon explained.

Directors Club of Washington, D.C.

“Our students have shown they can

Back in Starkville, the six professors in MSU’s graphic design program continue to prompt

Most recently, they brought home

compete and win on the national stage,

students to learn the basics, use their

a gold, two silvers, and six merit

and the exposure they’ve received in

imaginations and strive to be among

awards, with winning entries exhibited

a publication as respected as HOW

the best. And, as HOW observes, their

at the Corcoran Museum of Art.

will be invaluable in continuing to

work “has been . . .wowing us for

motivate them and other students in

years.”

Their work has been accepted in highly competitive exhibitions from among thousands of entries, and

our program,” she said.

Not only is an MSU degree a good

In addition to Bryant, the other MSU graphic design majors and

students regularly earn top awards

value for the money when compared to

graduates featured in the magazine

in regional competitions such as the

more prominent urban-based schools,

include Kristen M. Brady of Brandon,

American Advertising Federation.

but its graduates are proving their

a May graduate also in sculpture;

worth in the highly competitive world

senior Andrew V. Le of Carriere;

of corporate design.

senior Claire A. Gipson of Madison;

Also, two MSU students have their portfolios featured in a 2009 sourcebook released this year by

“Our graduates are working at the

New Jersey-based Prentice Hall, the

Wall Street Journal and helping design

world’s leading education publisher.

Wal-Mart’s new branding identity, just

“Portfolio Laboratory for Graphic

to name two,” Mixon said. “They’re

claire a. Gipson

Andrew v. le

Beverly A. Hayman of Vancleave, a 2008 graduate; and senior Kanika A. Dean of Boyle.~

claire a. Gipson

Alumnus Summer 2009 15

By: Kay Fike Jones Photos: Megan Bean

He’s written songs about voodoo queens, chitlins and Columbus’ Cat Fish Alley, while also parlaying a Mississippi State degree into a successful stained glass business and blues music career.

Joseph P. “Big Joe” Shelton, a 1975 art graduate of the university, “discovered” the blues back in the rock ’n’ roll dominated ’70s. The more he heard it, the more the Columbus native wanted to learn about the soul-rockin’ tunes that grew from the cotton fields of Mississippi.

After realizing that both rock and rhythm and blues had blues roots, Shelton sought out a famous local source, Big Joe Williams of Crawford in southern Lowndes County. The internationally known performer was, by the 1970s, a recognized influence on music icon Bob Dylan, who even performed with him on occasion.

“I had a compilation album that had Big Joe playing with Dylan,” Shelton recalls. “Once I found out Joe lived at Rose Hill [near Crawford], I drove down there and introduced myself.

“We eventually became friends, but, at first, I was more or less his roadie,” he says with a laugh.

16 Alumnus Summer 2009

Alumnus Summer 2009 17

“I had a 1960 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with a good air

distinguish talent hailing from the narrow region of rich, black

conditioner, and I would go pick him up and we would start

soil found in Central Alabama and Northeast Mississippi from

around the Alabama line and play at joints, working our way to

similar music usually associated with the Mississippi River

the Crossroads between Columbus and Starkville. From there,

Delta. In addition to Williams, his compositions regularly

we would take a left and work our way south to Artesia and

pay tribute to West Point’s Howlin’ Wolf [Chester A. Burnett],

Crawford, playing all the country joints.”

Aberdeen’s Booker T. “Bukka” White and other East Mississippi

Shelton played harmonica—“not very well at the time”—but said those road trips taught him what blues was supposed to sound like.

blues legends.

Shelton is a member of the Mississippi Arts Commission Artist Roster and included on the Folk Arts/Folk Life Directory.

“I learned from a master. I may not play guitar as authenti-

He also recently was honored with inclusion on the Columbus/

cally as him (Williams’ used a unique nine-string instrument), but

Cat Fish Alley Mississippi Blues Trail marker, installed by the

I know what it is supposed to sound like.”

State of Mississippi in the city’s Southside area.

Shelton must have learned a lick or two from Williams. In

Beyond playing at numerous regional festivals and clubs,

the International Blues Challenge held last year in Memphis,

Shelton has toured Europe. He keeps up with his fans through a

Shelton was a finalist in the category of Best Self-Produced CD.

Web site, www.bigjoeshelton.com, and MySpace and Facebook

In addition to being among six selected for the finals from 50

pages.

international entries, his “Black Prairie Blues” continues to be featured regularly on satellite radio.

Black Prairie blues actually is a phrase Shelton coined to

With all of his success, many people might assume Shelton took one or more music courses while attending MSU. They would be wrong.

“I was born quite young, some time ago. Ever since I was a baby, they called me Big Joe.”

18 Alumnus Summer 2009

black prairie

“Before I went to State, I was at East Mississippi Community College in Scooba and played football (recruited by legendary head coach Bob “Bull” Sullivan),” he explains. “While there, I took an art appreciation course under Jon Whittington, who was a most inspirational teacher. I always had been visually oriented, so I majored in fine art after transferring to State.”

Admitting to “a rebellious stage” while in college, Shelton says he immersed himself in what then was a new academic major at the Starkville institution. Happily, he continued to have inspiring teachers. “(Professors) Ken Clifford and Jan Webber were a big help to me, and I graduated in the summer of 1975. Because I won the undergraduate painting award in a statewide competition earlier that year, I decided to get a master’s degree in printmaking.”

Since Clifford was an alumnus of Northern Illinois University, one of the leading art programs in the country, Shelton chose to attend the DeKalb school located some 60 miles west of Chicago.

After three years of study and lacking just an hour or so of coursework for his advanced degree, with teaching the ultimate goal, Shelton decided he had had enough of Up North. “I just reached a wall or something,” he admits. “I just couldn’t do it anymore. I think it was a combination of homesickness and burnout.”

Returning to the Magnolia State, he determined there wasn’t much work for a studio artist in a small town, ultimately acting on a burgeoning interest in stained glass.

Columbian Bill Backstrom had a glass business and also worked in stained glass. He let Shelton use his workspace after hours.

“He basically gave me a key to his place and told me to keep up with my supplies and I would go in at night and design something and then make it,” Shelton says.

What began as night work eventually paid off. In time, be came to own and operate a successful stained glass design company. (For more, visit www.midsouthstainedglass.com).

But, while making a living with his art background, Shelton never lost his love of the blues. While attending NIU, his favorite day of the week was Friday when art gallery openings took place in Chicago. “We would go hit all the gallery openings and then go to the blues clubs afterwards,” he recalls.

The weekly club crawls let him experience the Chicago blues, which, of course, is similar—though more “electrified” than Mississippi music.

Alumnus Summer 2009 19

“Talk about the Delta being home of the Blues.

Out in the Prairie we got ‘em too.

I sho ain’t tryin’ to start no fuss.

Theres’ plenty of Blues for all of us.” from “Black Prairie Blues”

20 Alumnus Summer 2009

Back in Columbus, he began playing in area venues and

Although he has enough material for another CD, Shelton

writing tunes heavily influenced by Shelton’s love of local

says Evans gave him such a “great deal” on the production

“sayings” and colloquialisms. “I love to hear sayings that are

costs through their friendship, that making another recording

a little odd and a little different. I listen for them and I like to

currently is too expensive. “I would love for a record label to

think them up.”

sponsor it this time,” he says, with a broad grin.

A born lyricist, Shelton sprinkles those sayings—“She

In addition to writing, performing and creating stained

got ears like a mule with a face like an orangutan,” “One’s

glass products, Shelton keeps busy working with the Jazz

too many and twelve’s not enough,” among them—through-

Foundation of America and the Howlin’ Wolf Blues Society’s

out his creations, but much of his work comes from life

“Blues in the School” educational program, both of which

experiences.

work to expose younger people to music.

“I’ve always said you don’t get in a mood to write a song, it gets into you.”

Shelton also recently gave his niece an idea for helping her students learn about the blues [see sidebar]. Jennifer

While the words come easy for Shelton, the song pro-

Caldwell, who teaches gifted fourth and fifth graders at New

duction process is not as easy to grasp. For “Black Prairie

Hope Elementary School, enlisted her class to illustrate a

Blues,” Shelton wisely sought the assistance of two estab-

recently published book she wrote. She used bluesmen to il-

lished musical “stars” living in the area, bass guitar player

lustrate the ABCs, such as a picture of Mississippi native Ike

Ean Evans of Southern rock supergroup Lynyrd Skynyrd and

Turner to illustrate the letter “I.”

longtime bluesman Willie King of Old Memphis, Ala. King

Shelton continues to live in a 125-year-old cabin once

added guitar licks to the final product recorded at Evans’

owned by his great uncle and located, where else, on the

Columbus studio.

Black Prairie of Lowndes County near Tibbee.

Sadly for Shelton and many other rock and blues music

With his stained glass studio situated just down the road,

lovers, both men died earlier this year. He still finds it hard to

he can sit on his front porch, look out over land his family

talk about them, especially Evans.

settled in the 1830s, and strum his guitar with the look of a

“He was very creative and a perfectionist and gave me a

contented blues man.~

lot of self confidence in my music. The record would never have been as good without Ean. We got to be friends and I still miss him.”

Learning the ABCs of Blues Last year, teacher Jennifer Shelton Caldwell was shadowing her Uncle Joe in his stained

glass business when she began telling him about a unit her fifth-grade class was doing on the blues.

“I told him I hadn’t been able to find any children’s resources on the blues, so after we talked, I decided to write one,” Caldwell explained.

She planned to create an ABCs book using blues performers to illustrate each letter.

Shelton suggested using her students to create the artwork and The ABCs of the Mississippi Blues was born.

Fifty of the young artists’ work made the 68page book, and Shelton helped Caldwell identify the bluesmen.

A 1991 Mississippi State elementary education graduate, Caldwell lives in Columbus and teaches fourthand fifth-grade gifted classes at New Hope Elementary School. She has been teaching for 16 years. The ABCs of the Mississippi Blues is available at Barnes & Noble bookstores and online at www.authorhouse.com.

Alumnus Summer 2009 21

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09 SUMMER Alumnus

'Flu WATCH' aims to keep students, community safe Coinciding with the fall semester arrival of students, Mississippi State launched a major health awareness program to emphasize precautions that can help prevent H1N1 and seasonal flu.

Sponsored by the university's Crisis Action Team and the Division of Student Affairs, the "Flu WATCH" campaign uses an acronym to highlight specific flu-prevention techniques.

The "WATCH" acronym includes: --Washing hands often with soap and water; or, when not available, an alcohol-based gel.

--Avoiding close contact with others showing signs of illness.

--Tossing tissues in the trash after one use.

--Coughing or sneezing into a tissue or your arm rather than your hands.

--Hibernating if sick to avoid contaminating colleagues and classmates.

flu watch

"We're spreading the word through door hangers and magnets in residence halls, posters around campus, banners in high-traffic locations, reminders on restroom mirrors, a Web site, shuttle bus advertisements, and public service announcements on our campus radio and television station," said Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs.

In addition to other awareness steps, MSU's Longest Student Health Center also will provide thermometers to students to help monitor temperatures, if ill. Fever, especially one reaching 100.4 or higher, can be an indicator of the flu.

For more information, see www.flu.msstate.edu.

University now part of first-of-its-kind Web site Mississippi State has joined with the 11 other Southeastern

“The No. 1 defining principle in our athletics department is

Conference institutions in the launch of a new SEC Academic

to provide a quality education,” said MSU Athletic Director Greg

Network, a Web site designed to promote academic endeavors of

Byrne. “Our support of the SEC Academic Network reinforces

SEC universities using ESPN360.com technology.

our commitment to the importance of the academic quality at

The Web site, www.secacademicnetwork.com, was rolled out mid-August.

Mississippi State.”

The Academic Network, established by the SEC in partnership

Mississippi State’s Sustainable Energy Research Center is being honored by a regional think tank “This is unparalleled opportunity to showcase some ofof life. with ESPN and the member universities, will feature content from that works toan improve economic opportunities and quality Mississippi State’s key institutional strengths in research and every institution ranging fromofresearch, The non-partisan Southern Growth Policies Board recently named the university center as one the 13 innovation and economic winners of its annual Innovator Awards.

One award per state is presented among the 13-state organization. outreach, two of the guiding themes of the launch,” said MSU development to community partnerships, civic engagement and President Mark Keenum. “We’re committed to generating quality video that portrays the outstanding accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students in these areas.”

The SEC Communicators Association, composed of key

service.

On the Web site, each institution has its own page that includes videos categorized by topic. Alumni, fans and students worldwide now have the ability in one place to learn more about SEC

institutional communication professionals, worked collaboratively

academics through video features that are posted by the league

to develop major themes and guidelines for the project, he added.

institutions.

Institutional support for the project at MSU is being provided by the athletics department.

The Academic Network is a component of the SEC’s 15-year television package with ESPN, which is the most comprehensive in the history of intercollegiate athletics.

22 Alumnus Summer 2009

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Student wildlife researcher named Preschool gets national stamp of approval A senior wildlife and fisheries major is a new national Barry M. Goldwater Scholar.

Mitchell D. “Mitch” Weegman of Winona, Minn., is among nearly 280 university students being honored this year with the official U.S. tribute to the late former Arizona Republican senator and prominent American statesman.

In addition to membership in MSU’s Shackouls Honors College, Weegman is a member of the Bulldog track team.

MSU’s 12th Goldwater Scholar is specializing in wildlife science and planning a career as a waterfowl biologist.

Forecasting group again makes big national weather statement After weeks of thinking constantly about the weather and waking early to check online temperatures, a Mississippi State team is being rewarded with the major honors of a 2009 national weather forecast competition.

In April, a broadcast meteorology group from the university topped peers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Georgia and even the National Center for Atmospheric Research to win first place in team, undergraduate, graduate, and faculty categories.

Known as the WxChallenge, the competition is considered by many to be the national championship of weather forecasting. Created in 2006 at the

University of Oklahoma, the annual event involves up-to-the-hour scoring on forecasting of cities throughout North America.

This year, more than 1,600 participants from some 70 universities and research organizations in the U.S. and Canada were involved. Each was required to accurately forecast maximum and minimum temperatures, precipitation and maximum wind speeds for selected cities over a 20-week period.

The nation’s leading organization for early childhood development is accrediting the Aiken Village Preschool.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children notified the university that its year-round program for 3-5-year-olds has met a set of rigorous standards.

Located at the Collegeview Street entrance of Aiken Village campus housing and enrolling nearly 35, the preschool is a partnership administered by the Early Childhood Institute.

NAEYC accreditation comes only after an extensive self-study process measuring programs and services against 10 professional standards, followed with a site visit by an assessment team. Approved programs also may receive unannounced visits during the five-year accreditation term.

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Top prof, researcher honored for her leadership A William L. Giles Distinguished Professor in Mississippi State’s College of Veterinary Medicine is the first woman to receive the international Society of Toxicology’s Education Award since its inception in 1975.

Janice E. “Jan” Chambers, who directs the college’s Center for Environmental Health Sciences, accepted the prestigious honor at the Washington, D.C.-based organization’s annual conference.

Toxicology is the study of adverse effects of chemical, physical or biological agents on living organisms and the ecosystem, including their prevention and amelioration.

In addition to developing several specialized courses and programs during her 18-year CVM career, Chambers is currently the principal investigator of a $10 million Center of Biomedical Research Excellence grant from the National Institutes of Health. The funding is being used to support career mentoring and research development in pesticide toxicology for 14 junior faculty members.

Research numbers: ‘movin’ on up’ The Bagley College of Engineering now ranks 34th among all engineering colleges nationally in research and development expenditures.

The university also ranks fifth in agricultural sciences research.

A National Science Foundation report for fiscal year 2007—the most current year for which figures are available—also lists the university as a whole at 58th among all public institutions of higher learning.

The survey included 680 higher education institutions in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. All grant bachelor’s degrees or higher in science and engineering fields and expect at least $150,000 in separately funded science and engineering research and development in a fiscal year.

From finding solutions to sustainable energy sources to protecting the public in the cyber universe, MSU research efforts have focused on the improvement of lives at the regional, national and international levels, said Glenn Steele, interim vice president of research and economic development.

In the recently released report, MSU’s $37.5 million in agricultural sciences expenditures and its Bagley College’s

$56.4 million in research expenditures placed the university one of only two Southeastern Conference programs-University of Florida is the other--in the top five and top 40 in the respective areas. The ranking places the MSU academic unit among the highest 10 percent of all engineering colleges in the nation.

MSU is ranked consistently in the top 10 in agricultural sciences expenditures.

The report covers rankings of all federally affiliated research institutions.

MSU’s overall research expenditures totaled $206.2 million. The university, as a whole, moved up a notch from the previous year, 59 to 58, among public universities when expenditures were $189.9 million.

Among all universities, MSU rose from 86th to 83rd.

MSU searching for personnel Mississippi State is conducting national searches for two open positions on campus.

A new provost is being sought, following Dr. Peter Rabideau’s decision to return full time to the faculty as a professor of chemistry. He will continue to serve in the position through December. University officials hope to have the position filled by the start of the 2010 spring semester.

In addition, a search is proceeding to name a new vice president for research and economic development.

24 Alumnus Summer 2009

King named CAVS director A veteran Mississippi State academic administrator now is the permanent director of the university’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems.

Roger King, previously associate dean of research and graduate studies for the Bagley College of Engineering, recently was appointed to the position he has held on an interim basis since last July.

NEW UNIFORMS MSU football players (l-r) Brandon Walters, Anthony Dixon, Jamar Chaney, and Derek Sherrod modeled the team’s new uniforms on the lawn of the Cullis Wade Depot. The new Adidas gear will have its official debut Sept. 5 when the Bulldogs welcome the Jackson State University Tigers for the opening game of the 2009 season.

Wal-Mart Foundation grant to benefit veterans’ center The Wal-Mart Foundation is saluting Mississippi State for success of the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans and its various programs.

The university is among 10 colleges and universities receiving $100,000

grants to support the efforts of returning servicemen and women to pursue their higher educations.

“Mississippi State University is recognized nationally as a strong military- and veteran-friendly university,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum.

“With the aid of this generous WalMart Foundation grant, the university will have the necessary dollars for schoolrelated financial assistance for veterans and service members returning from active duty.”

Bourgeois promoted to dean of students A seasoned Mississippi State administrator moved up in the university’s Division of Student Affairs.

Thomas Bourgeois is MSU’s new dean of students. The MSU alumnus has served since 2002 as associate dean and succeeds Mike White, who recently retired after a nearly 40-year student affairs career.

“Dr. Bourgeois was selected after a national search that drew extensive interest from a highly qualified and diverse candidate pool,” said Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs. “He has excellent experience and skills, and he is uniquely qualified to fill this position.”

As dean, he also will supervise the university police, Crisis Action and Behavioral Intervention teams, and the Honor Code office.

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Shane Burgess selected for Powe research award A systems biology researcher received the university’s 2009 Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award.

Dr. Shane Burgess is associate dean for strategic initiatives and economic development at the College of Veterinary Medicine and a professor in the college’s department of basic sciences.

The annual honor is a memorial to the MSU alumnus and longtime research vice president who died in 1996. The recognition program began the following year.

Burgess, a Fellow of the Institute for Neurocognitive Science and Technology, also directs MSU’s Life Sciences and Biotechnology Institute and is co-founder and co-director of the Institute for Digital Biology.

He holds a doctorate from Bristol University in the United Kingdom and the equivalent of a doctor of veterinary medicine degree from New Zealand’s Massey University.

SHANE BURGESS Dr. Shane Burgess, second from left, is congratulated by Melissa Mixon, interim vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine; President Mark Keenum; and Kirk Schulz, former vice president of research and economic development.

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WWW.ULTIMATETAILGATING.NET - Jimmy Abraham 26 Alumnus Summer 2009

Two tapped for society kudos A Mississippi State professor and one of her students are recent selections for key leadership roles with a national business education honor society.

Connie Forde, a senior member of the instructional systems and workforce development faculty, and junior Brookes A. Mayes of Newton, a technology teacher education major, were chosen president and student representative, respectively, on the Pi Omega Pi national council.

Pi Omega Pi was established more than 80 years ago to promote scholarship and service among students and teachers in business education. It currently has more than 54,000 members spread among 25 chapters.

JANOS RADVANYI Janos Radvanyi, left, holder of the Radvanyi Chair in International Studies, received a plaque from Mississippi Sen. Gary Jackson of French Camp to commemorate the Senate resolution passed recognizing his service to the state and designating him as an “Honorary Ambassador for the State of Mississippi.” Radvanyi was a special guest of Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant before the official presentation on the Senate floor in March.

Save the date!

10.16.09

World maritime expansion topic of conference An international conference at Mississippi State in June examined the maritime capacity building of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and other major oceanfocused nations.

Involve nearly 40 participants, the event was organized by the university’s Radvanyi Center for International Security and Strategic Studies, in cooperation with the Center for U.S.Japan Studies at Vanderbilt University and the Tokyo-based Okazaki Institute, Japan’s premier independent think tank.

Shotaro Yachi, a foreign ministry adviser representing Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, was among participants welcomed by MSU President Mark Keenum and Janos Radvanyi, the center’s director and namesake.

Among featured speakers were Gary Weir, chief historian of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; retired Adm. Thomas Fargo, former commander of the U.S. Pacific Command; and retired Vice Adm. Eduardo Ma. R. Santos, president of the Philippinesbased Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific.

Other nations or states represented included China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Korea.

The inauguration of Mark E. Keenum, MSU’s 19th president, is scheduled for Oct. 16. Be sure to visit www.msstate.edu/web/ keenum often for the latest information.

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Information offices score big in competition Communication staff members from four Mississippi State departments are winners of nearly 50 top creative awards presented by the College Public Relations Association of Mississippi.

During the organization’s recent spring conference in Vicksburg, the Office of Agricultural Communication received the 2009 Grand Award in Electronic Media, dually recognizing its long-running “Farmweek” and “Southern Gardening” television series.

CPRAM membership includes fulltime employees of public and private senior institutions of higher learning, as well as community and junior colleges, who work on their institution’s public relations or public information staffs.

Personnel in public information or public relations offices of state government educational agencies also may be members.

At MSU, agricultural communications, the Bagley College of Engineering’s media resources office and university relations offices on the Starkville and Meridian campuses received other high honors in the organization’s senior division.

In a spring memorial service at Scott Field, former mascot Bully XVIII, also known as Dontae, was honored for his life and contributions to MSU team spirit. Owned by 1987 alumnus Greg Daly of Flowood, formerly Atlanta, he held the coveted mascot title 1999-2001. Following the ceremony attended by President Mark Keenum and athletic director Greg Byrne, Dontae’s ashes were scattered over the midfield area.

Online entrepreneurs honored Fourteen Mississippi State students are being recognized and rewarded for their creativity in developing online businesses.

Representing various majors in the university’s College of Business—and two in the College of Architecture, Art and Design—they comprised four teams seeking to win $5,000 in startup capital through the 2009 E-Business Plan Competition.

A panel of off-campus professionals evaluated the content of each group’s written plan and personal presentations. Winners were announced at the end of the spring semester.

The annual competition is a project of the business college’s Cochran Center and the Services Innovation Group, a part of the department of marketing, quantitative analysis and business law.

Landscape architecture ranks high A national architecture and design publication is ranking Mississippi State’s landscape architecture department near the top nationally in two key categories.

DesignIntelligence recently listed the university’s landscape architecture academic program second in both skills assessment and a deans’ survey of the undergraduate curriculum. The rankings are part of the Georgia-based publication’s 10th annual survey titled “America’s Best Architecture & Design Schools.”

DesignIntelligence is the bi-monthly report of the Design Futures Council, an interdisciplinary network of design, product and construction leaders. In the survey, leading practitioners in the field rank schools they feel are best preparing students to practice in architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and industrial design.

28 Alumnus Summer 2009

Cathy Grace to lead national childhood policy effort The founding director of the Early Childhood Institute at Mississippi State is being tapped to direct the early childhood development policy program of a national advocacy organization.

Cathy Grace recently was chosen by the non-profit Children’s Defense Fund to assume a yearlong post as the liaison between the Washington, D.C.-based organization and members of Congress, government policy makers and members of other advocacy groups. A professor in the College of Education, she will be working to promote the inclusion

“ This is an opportunity that I could not pass up because it holds tremendous promise for young children facing uncertain futures...”

- Grace

of critical educational principles in various pieces of legislation, among other duties.

“This is an opportunity that I could not pass up because it holds tremendous promise for young children facing uncertain futures, as well as for the children not yet born and their families,” Grace said. “The course set for young children in the next 12-24 months will forever change lives and determine the productivity of this country for the remainder of this century.”

Grace, a University of Mississippi doctoral graduate, is a veteran educator with more than 35 years of experience. She earlier worked as a classroom teacher, directed a university-based early care and education program, served as the early childhood coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Education, directed a regional early childhood professional development organization, and founded a local family support and preservation program, among other achievements.

In June, the Vicksburg National Military Park celebrated the 100th anniversary of a monument honoring Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee. After serving as founding president of what now is MSU, the former Civil War officer led efforts to preserve the historic battlefield. When the park was established in 1899, he chaired the facility’s administrative commission, then became the first park superintendent. Earlier this year, National Park Service officials added an M-State flag to the monument site.

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2009 Road Dawgs tour another success In April and May, new head football coach Dan Mullen and several university representatives hit the pavement for the third annual Road Dawgs tour.

Visiting 16 cities across five states, Mullen and crew helped “spread the fun” of Mississippi State athletics to nearly 3,000 loyal Bulldog fans.

“The Road Dawgs tour was outstanding,” said Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the Alumni Association. “Our fans showed their overwhelming enthusiasm and support of MSU at every stop.”

Along the way, Mullen, athletic director Greg Byrne, MSU Athletics staff, and others kept things fun by tweeting about their Road Dawgs adventures. Tweets are messages sent on the popular social networking site, Twitter. Twitter has become a popular way for universities, news writers, alumni associations, and other such organizations to stay in touch with their supporters.

The Road Dawgs tour was sponsored by the Bulldog Club, the MSU Alumni

30 Alumnus Summer 2009

Association and participating alumni chapters. In-state events were held in Clarksdale, Columbus, Corinth, Greenwood, Jackson, Laurel, Natchez, Pascagoula, and Vicksburg. The tour also made stops in Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala., Memphis and Jackson, Tenn., New Orleans, La., and Houston and Dallas, Texas.

Football season kicks off at home on Saturday, Sept. 5, against the Jackson State Tigers when Mullen will take the field for his inaugural game with the Bulldogs.

For information on the 2009 football season or MSU Athletics, visit www. mstateathletics.com.

Dan Mullen addresses a crowded room of Bulldog fans in Laurel.

Alumni reunite during Super Bulldog Weekend More than 200 Bulldogs joined the Alumni Association for a time of celebration April 17 and 18. During Super Bulldog Weekend, members of the classes of 1939, 1944, 1949, 1954, and 1959 reunited for campus tours, a special lunch and program, individual college gatherings, and plenty of Bulldog fun.

If you are a member of the class of 1940, 1945, 1950, 1955, or 1960, make plans to attend next year!

class of 1939

class of 1944

class of 1949

class of 1954

class of 1959

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09 SUMMER Alumnus

Twenty Alumni Delegates selected Twenty new MSU students have been chosen to represent the university as Alumni Delegates, an organization that serves as a liaison between MSU students and alumni. With the addition of its new members, more than 40 students will serve as Delegates for the 2009-10 year.

Alumni Delegates are today’s student leaders preparing to be tomorrow’s alumni leaders. Each year, the Delegates serve the university at every home football game, Alumni Association events and other campus and community events. Their purpose is to improve understanding of the role of the Alumni Association by educating and involving

students in activities and events of the association.

Congratulations to all of the new delegates selected to represent the student body. New members include: Whitney Alford, Newellton, La.; Miles Backstrom, Tupelo; Natalie Bullard, Ripley; Catherine Carty, Brookhaven; Charles Clancy, Moss Point; Brooke Collins, Shannon; Keshia Collins, Vicksburg; Whit Cox, Memphis, Tenn.; Price Davis, Jackson; Ashley Edwards, Leland; Nnedi Ezeala-Harrison, Ridgeland; Mareio Harris, Columbus; Haley Haverstock, Murray, Ky.; Rob Heltzel, Vicksburg; Chris Herring, Starkville; Tyler Kuyrkendall, Brandon;

Morgan McPhail, Madison; Jared Moffett, Slidell, La.; Josh Shideler, Senatobia; and Meg Swindoll, Oxford.

Their purpose is to improve understanding of the role of the Alumni Association...

2009 Alumni Delegates Program 32 Alumnus Summer 2009

Alumni chapters “send-off” new students in July, August For the fourth year in a row, MSU alumni chapters hosted Send-off Parties for new and prospective students, parents, alumni, and friends.

The parties, which encourage excitement and enthusiasm about attending Mississippi State, are sponsored by the MSU Alumni Association and the Office of Admissions and Scholarships.

Chapters holding parties this year did so between July 27 and Aug. 6.

“Send-off Parties are a fun way of welcoming new Bulldogs to the MSU family,” said Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the Alumni Association. “We have had such great participation and support from our alumni chapters around the nation in the past, and this year was no exception.”

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Alumnus Summer 2009 33

Alumni

news

09 SUMMER Alumnus

Senior Celebration honors members of alumni family

SENIOR

Celebration

2009

On April 23, the Alumni Association welcomed the 2009 graduating class as the newest members to the Bulldog alumni family. Adding to the more than 115,000 living alumni, hundreds of students attended the event held at the Hunter Henry Center courtyard.

The annual Senior Celebration was cosponsored by the Alumni Association, the Division of Student Affairs and the Student Association. The festivities included crawfish, MSU ice cream, music, and lots of fun. During the celebration, students received information about the advantages of being involved with the Alumni Association and a local chapter.

“The Senior Celebration was a lot of fun,” said Owen McGuire, a 2009 communication graduate from Macon. “I’m glad the Alumni Association cares so much about current students, because they are the future association members.”

Commencement for the 2009 class was held on May 2 at Humphrey Coliseum, where more than 2,200 students received diplomas.

“We are very proud to welcome the 2009 class as the newest members of the Alumni Association,” said Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the Alumni Association. “We know these graduates will be very successful and we encourage all of them to be active members in one of our 90 chapters worldwide.”

Former association national presidents reunite On May 15, a special reunion for the former national presidents of the Alumni Association was held at Mississippi State.

Guests enjoyed a lunch and program in the Hunter Henry Center, with guest speaker Blake Jeter, incoming Student Association president. Following the lunch, guests attended meetings with the Alumni Association staff, athletic director Greg Byrne, head football coach Dan Mullen, and university vice presidents.

A reception was held later in the evening in honor of the former national presidents at the home of MSU President Mark E. Keenum. Guests were honored for their service to Mississippi State and the Alumni Association.

Following the reception, attendees were recognized at Dudy Noble Field prior to the MSU vs. LSU baseball game.

Omar Craig, Oxford resident and 1971 national president, had the honor of

34 Alumnus Summer 2009

throwing out the first pitch at the baseball game.

“We are so privileged to have so many great men and women serving our association,” said Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the Alumni Association.

“Each one of these individuals has made a great impact on not only the Alumni

Association, but everyone in our Bulldog family. We are very grateful for all they have done and continue to do for Mississippi State University.”

New national officers for Alumni Association elected During the February annual conference, new national officers were elected to represent the Alumni Association Board of Directors for the 2009-10 year.

Charles A. Cascio of Cleveland assumed the role of national president on July 1, 2009. Cascio graduated in 1979 with a degree in industrial engineering.

He is the business development manager for Baxter Healthcare Corp., Cleveland location. Most recently, he served as national first vice president. He also has been in the role of national second vice president and an at-large director. He has experience as Bolivar County chapter secretary, treasurer and vice president.

Others elected are Karen Dugard Lawler of Madison, Ala., as national first vice president. Lawler earned a bachelor of business administration degree in 1982 and a master’s in business administration

in 1994, both from Mississippi State.

She is the team leader for the budget integration and analysis office within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. With the HuntsvilleDecatur chapter, she has served as vice president and president.

Jerry L. Toney of Starkville serves as national second vice president. He is a 1996 business graduate with a degree in real estate, mortgage finance and economics. He is a certified financial planner and vice president of Cadence Bank in Starkville. He has served as president of the Oktibbeha County chapter.

Jodi White Turner of Montgomery, Ala., continues

her role as national treasurer. Turner received a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1997 and a master’s degree in business administration in 1997, both from Mississippi State. She serves as chief financial officer for PrimeSouth Bank in Tallassee, Ala. A.D. Hunt Jr. assumed the role of immediate former national president at the end of his term. Hunt is the owner of Hunt Insurance Agency in Hattiesburg and is a 1970 graduate in management. He has served as an at-large director and national first vice president.

Officers are, from left, Jerry L. Toney, Jodi White Turner, Charles A. Cascio, Karen Dugard Lawler and A.D. Hunt

Alumnus Summer 2009 35

Alumni

news

09 SUMMER Alumnus

McCann honored with undergraduate teaching award Rachel McCann, professor in the School of Architecture, was honored as the 2009 recipient of the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award presented by the MSU Alumni Association.

A 1980 graduate, McCann received a bachelor of architecture degree from Mississippi State, followed by a master of architecture from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1986. She also holds a master of philosophy in history, a criticism of architecture degree from the University of Cambridge in England and a doctorate in histories and theories of architecture from the Architectural Association School of Architecture in London.

McCann joined the university faculty in 1988, and currently teaches architectural theory, history and design.

By implementing a new paradigm for teaching architectural history, McCann has changed the process of learning in the School of Architecture.

She believes history courses must

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

emphasize the relationships of architecture to culture, religion, political power, gender, philosophical ideas, climate, and materials.

The new format emphasizes deeper self-directed inquiry and learning with a closer relationship between architectural history and design, allowing the students to immerse themselves in the subject.

“Rachel is committed to new and innovative teaching methods,” said Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the Alumni Association. “She is an excellent teacher and mentor, and a valuable asset to her department, her college and her alma mater.”

McCann also won the 2008-09 Tau President Mark Keenum with Rachel McCann Sigma Delta Faculty Teaching Award given in May by the student members of the MSU chapter of Tau Sigma Delta Honor Society for Architecture and the Allied Arts.

coming Trips

s Up Traveling Bulldog

: Sept. 17-25, 2009 Village Life in Dordogne ctober 5, 2009 Greece: Sept. 27–O Ancient in Life Island -29, 2009 Escapade: Oct. 20 South African : Feb. 9-23, 2010 Rio, Buenos Aires ch/April 2010 London: TBA Mar : April 8-16, 2010 Canary Islands 2010 Elbe: April 16-24, Saxony Along the : Oct. 11-24, 2010 Best of the Mediterranean : June 13-21, 2010 Passion Play OberammergauSept. 5-13, 2010 and Turkey: Ancient Greece Sept. 5-17, 2010 THROUGH SPAIN: GRAND JOURNEY 10 Seine: Oct. 1-9, 20 , 2010 GLAND: Oct. 7-17 EN CANADA/NEW

36 Alumnus Summer 2009

For more information on trips sponsored by the MSU Traveling Bulldogs, please contact Libba Andrews at 662-325-3479 or landrews@alumni.msstate.edu.

South Korea’s alumni chapter helps students achieve Two students at Mississippi State recently were honored as scholarship recipients by the South Korean Alumni Association chapter.

Jongtae Yu, a business information systems doctoral student, and Heejin Lim, a senior studying computer science, were the first students to be awarded scholarships from the international alumni chapter.

Yu is from Pusan, South Korea, and serves as a computer lab instructor at MSU. He has eight research publications in journals and conference proceedings.

Lim, a senior, serves as an undergraduate research assistant in the Uncertainty Reasoning Lab in the MSU computer science department. He is from Daegu, South Korea.

In October 2007, the MSU Alumni Association welcomed South Korea as its 88th official chapter. Dr. J.P. Shim, a management information systems professor, and Dr. Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the Alumni Association, traveled to South Korea to meet with more than 100 alumni living in the area.

Out of those meetings, a scholarship program for Korean students wanting to study at MSU was created. Shim oversees the program and helps select the recipients, along with Dr. Kirk P. Arnett, an emeritus professor of management information systems.

“We are very proud of our Korean students who represent our country so well,” said Shim. “They are bright, young

From left, Jimmy Abraham, Jongtae Yu, Heejin Lim, Dr. J.P. Shim

individuals who work hard and are well-deserving of this financial support. I believe this scholarship opportunity will be very beneficial to these students.”

South Korea is home to more than 200 MSU alumni.

Currently, there are two chapters, one for graduates who hold a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, and one for those who hold certificates in international business strategy program.

More than 100 Korean students presently study at Mississippi State, including 68 exchange program students.

Each spring, Shim travels with American students to tour South Korea with the Global Leadership Program as part of an initiative to unite South Korea and MSU. Students visited South Korea and Japan in May to learn about culture, information technology and the ever-changing world of global technology.

For more information about the Korean Alumni Association Scholarship or the Global Leadership Program, contact Shim at JShim@cobilan. msstate.edu.

2009 Korean Study Tour representatives

Alumnus Summer 2009 37

Foundation

news

09 SUMMER Alumnus

Retired ExxonMobil exec, spouse fund professorship Alumnus James J. “Jim” Rouse is assisting Mississippi State by placing a focus on the recruitment of top-notch personnel—a management practice he emphasized during a successful 42-year career with ExxonMobil.

The Houston, Texas, resident credits his alma mater with providing him the background he needed to pursue an accomplished career with the largest publically traded international oil and gas company. Since retiring from his duties as a corporate vice president in 2004, Rouse has maintained even closer ties with the university.

Most recently, he and his wife Julie decided to help the College of Business step up its efforts to recruit and retain high-caliber faculty members by creating a professorship with a $500,000 gift.

The Jim and Julie Rouse Endowed Professorship in Management will acknowledge exceptionally meritorious faculty. Earnings from the endowment will fund the academic position.

“We wanted to establish an endowed professorship for the College of Business, specifically in the management department, because that was my major.

Endowed positions give the university an extra edge in attracting and retaining outstanding faculty which is critical to ensuring that MSU students get the best education possible,” Rouse said.

Jim, right, and Julie Rouse with President Mark E. Keenum

Rouse was Exxon’s senior official in Washington, D.C., with specific responsibility for overseeing the corporation’s lobbying activities and foreign relations program. His professional experience, coupled with volunteer work as vice president for the MSU Foundation Board of Directors and as a member of the business college’s advisory board, has given him a deep appreciation for the need for a high-

Naming opportunities for endowed positions are available throughout campus. Most professorships may be established with a minimum gift of $500,000 and endowed chairs may be funded for a gift of $1.5 million. A dean’s chair typically requires at least $2 million. Amounts may vary by college, school or department.

38 Alumnus Summer 2009

quality faculty.

Business dean Lynne Richardson agrees. “Our students’ experiences are dependent on great faculty teaching them,” Richardson observed. “In creating this professorship, Jim and Julie are making an investment in our students and faculty.”

Richardson said the Rouses long have supported key areas in the business college. These include the dean’s discretionary fund and a notable scholars fund, both of which provide faculty enhancements in one of the Southeast’s oldest collegiate business programs.

“I stay involved because Mississippi State had such a huge impact on the person I became. From ROTC instructors to professors in the then-industrial management department—they all had a profound impact on my development.

It seems appropriate to give back so that others can hopefully have a similar experience,” explains Rouse.

The couple remains passionate about MSU athletics as well. Several

years ago, they funded the construction of a 9,000-square-foot strength and conditioning room at the Holliman Athletic Center. Jim Rouse serves on the Executive Committee of the Bulldog Club.

Over time, matching gifts from Exxon have strengthened the power of the couple’s contributions to Mississippi State. “By having some of our gifts matched by Exxon, we were able to support MSU fairly early in our career,” shares Rouse.

There is certainly nothing ordinary about the way the Rouses select causes to support. They recently found a way to benefit the MSU student body with a special gift-in-kind, a 1929 Ford Model A Roadster. Jim has been interested in automobiles–from the latest sports car

to classics and antiques–since he was a teenager growing up in Germantown, Tenn.

“Julie and I bought the Roadster about 10 years ago to drive our six small grandchildren around our Horseshoe Bay property in the Texas hill country, but as they grew up, we got fewer in the car at one time,” laughs Rouse.

Last year at the MSU vs. Georgia Tech game, “we saw Tech’s Model A and the thought struck us to give our maroon A to State,” Rouse said.

Now the maroon-and-white, two-door convertible is used by the Division of Student Affairs for campus recruiting and related activities.

Successful ventures for the Rouses extend to their personal lives as well.

They have been happily married for more

than 47 years and are the proud parents of two daughters.

“I met Julie through a mutual friend while she was attending the ‘W,’ and as the old movie line goes, ‘she had me from hello,’” Rouse recalls. “Within a threeweek period in June of 1962, I graduated, was commissioned as a second lieutenant, went to work for Humble Oil and Refining Co., which later became Exxon USA, and married Julie.”

Rouse, who was born in Libertyville, Ill., took a two-year leave early in his career to serve in the U.S. Army.

Today, he remains active by speaking on lobbying and lobbying strategies before university and civic audiences. Julie Rouse is a native of Laurel who attended Mississippi University for Women and later taught first grade.

MSU is an AA/EEO university.

The answer is simple. Private gifts allow Mississippi State University to grow its scholarship endowment. This enables recipients, like Talisha Moore, to attend MSU in the hopes of one day positively impacting the world around them.

The Morgan Freeman Endowed Scholarship was established to provide dedicated students with an opportunity to study veterinary medicine. Now, Talisha can prepare for a career in the animal health profession.

A tax-deductible gift for scholarships brings the Mississippi State experience to more students. Help us educate the next generation of leaders of our state and nation.

www.msufoundation.com | 662.325.7000

Alumnus Summer 2009 39

Foundation

news

09 SUMMER Alumnus

Scholarships–a solid investment for students’ futures Mississippi State University retains its position as the largest institution in Mississippi, enrolling nearly 18,000 students–the highest number in its 131year history. The university ranks first in the state in retention and graduation rates.

The university is committed to helping students achieve their educational goals. University leaders believe the institution has an obligation to grant qualified students accessibility and to expand opportunities for scholarships.

One avenue to help students accomplish their goals is by providing necessary scholarships, which will allow them to focus their efforts on their education goals instead of the financial obligation that often comes with postsecondary studies.

According to MSU’s Office of Admissions and Scholarships, the estimated undergraduate cost of attendance for 2008-09 was almost $17,000 for in-state students and just over $24,000 for out-of-state students. Those figures include tuition and required fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.

“Approximately 70 percent of MSU students receive some type of federal or state financial aid. The majority of that aid, however, is in the form of student loans which must be repaid,” said Bruce Crain, director of financial aid. “The average student loan indebtedness of MSU graduates who borrow student loans is approximately $20,000.”

“Students and their families have shouldered an increasing share of the costs of higher education in recent years as state support has lagged. At the same time, the state of Mississippi has a great need for larger numbers of workers with bachelor’s degrees, and it is vital that we make college more accessible to qualified students,” said MSU

40 Alumnus Summer 2009

President Mark E. Keenum.

He continued, “Privately funded scholarships are more important than ever in making it possible for some deserving young people to take advantage of a Mississippi State education. A gift to a scholarship fund is an investment that helps the state as a whole, as well as the individual scholarship recipient.”

One purpose of the MSU Foundation is to secure private support for university scholarships. This funding is necessary for the growth and progress of Mississippi State.

“Private scholarship support is a solid investment not only in the future of our university, but also the future of our state and our nation,” said John Rush, vice president for development and alumni.

Alumni and friends of Mississippi State have generously provided scholarship support through the years.

Among the most prestigious university scholastic awards are the Presidential Endowed Scholarships and the Schillig Leadership Scholarships, which are given to students who excel in academics and leadership.

In the past few years, the MSU Foundation, through the support of benefactors, has established additional programs. The Medallion Scholarships, the Loyalty Scholarships and the Promise awards are given to recipients based on academic merit and financial need.

However, additional funds are needed to continue these programs.

“It is a joy and an honor to award private scholarships to deserving and talented students,” said Phil Bonfanti, director for admissions and scholarships.

“But more often than not, the need for scholarships outweighs the available funds.”

The availability of scholarships in the university’s eight academic colleges, as well as those marked for general

“ Private scholarship support is a solid investment not only in the future of our university, but also the future of our state and our nation.”

- John Rush university use, can make a significant difference in the lives of many students.

“In the years I have worked with scholarships, I have seen many students whose lives have been dramatically changed,” said Cathy Lammons, director of donor relations for the MSU Foundation. “We are so grateful to every individual who has made a donation to the university and impacted the lives of thousands of young people.”

As Mississippi State broadens its reach to enroll increasing numbers of students, the need for scholarship support will become even more important for its student base. Annual and endowed scholarships may be established at any time through the MSU Foundation.

Scholarships also may be given in honor or in memory of a loved one, mentor, fellow classmate, family member, or friend.

For more information on establishing a scholarship or increasing an existing scholarship, telephone Bo Hemphill, executive director of development for the MSU Foundation, at 662-325-3686 or e-mail bhemphill@foundation.msstate. edu.

Defying national trend, MSU fundraising continues ‘up’ Although many U.S. universities and charities recently experienced dips in private donations, Mississippi State marked the third-highest giving year in its 131-year history at the close of fiscal year 2009.

The MSU Foundation reported in July that a total of nearly $61.5 million was raised during the fiscal year. The amount represents immediate and deferred financial gifts, as well as pledges payable over five years, received from thousands of individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and estates.

“The generosity of our alumni and friends and their confidence in the university is evident from the fact that the level of private support has increased significantly from last year, despite the troubled economic climate,” said President Mark E. Keenum.

“Investments in scholarships and endowed faculty positions, in particular, are helping to keep our university accessible to qualified and deserving students while ensuring the quality of the education they receive,” he added.

Noting that the FY 09 amount represents a 19 percent increase over last year’s $51.6 million total,

Keenum expressed a “deep gratitude to the thousands of individuals and organizations who continue to recognize and value the contributions MSU makes to Mississippi and the nation.”

Echoing Keenum’s remarks, MSU’s vice president for development and alumni, John Rush, observed that recent statistics highlighted in the Chronicle of Higher Education “indicate a decline of nearly 6 percent in giving to U.S. colleges and other charities.”

Rush said “another record year in private gifts is a testament to the loyalty of alumni and friends who believe in the institution and understand that fulfilling its mission means even more success for our state.”

According to Rush: • New outright gifts accounted for $25.48 million; • New pledges totaled $21.13 million; and • Deferred gifts made up the remaining $14.89 million.

Rush gave credit for the record year, in part, to funds raised through a recently completed and highly successful capital campaign. “The momentum of the ‘State of the Future’ campaign, coupled with the

enthusiasm of new university leadership, was evident in our fundraising this entire fiscal year,” he observed.

Officially titled State of the Future: The Mississippi State Campaign, the seven-year drive concluded in December 2008 with more than $462 million in private gifts and pledges from nearly 60,000 MSU alumni and friends. Of that latter number, nearly half were first-time contributors.

Previously, MSU’s highest giving periods were during the 2002 and 2006 fiscal years.

“To build on State of the Future, the MSU Foundation is planning a new initiative that will focus particularly on university-wide student scholarships and endowed faculty positions,” Rush said.

“This latest effort will assist with the university’s long-range plan for growing its enrollment.”

The MSU Foundation administers most of the institution’s fundraising activities and endowment funds.

Visit www.msufoundation.com for more information on the work of the foundation.

Bring Southern Bulldog flavor into your kitchen with the special Mississippi State limited edition of Southern Seasons—the coffee-table cookbook with 140 new recipes by acclaimed chef Robert St. John and 59 new, beautiful watercolors by Wyatt Waters. This special edition, available only through MSU, features an exclusive Wyatt Waters watercolor of historic Lee Hall on the back cover and each book comes with a signed print of this special work of art. Order your cookbook at www.msufoundation.com or call 662-325-8847 for details.

Alumnus Summer 2009 41

Class

news

09 SPRING Alumnus

’64

James Coggin of Jackson, retired president and chief administrative officer of Saks Inc., has been inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame by Junior Achievement of Mississippi.

’69

Richard C. Adkerson (M.B.A. ’70), president and chief executive officer of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, has received the Copper Man of the Year 2009 award from The Copper Club, a 65-year-old industry organization.

Joel C. Clements of Waynesboro, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of Waynesborobased First State Bank and the bank’s parent company, First State Corp., has been elected vice chairman of the Mississippi Bankers Association for 2009-10.

’73

David Morrison of Baton Rouge, La., assistant vice chancellor of the Louisiana State University AgCenter and assistant director of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, has received the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors Excellence in Leadership Award.

’78

Lynn Phillips-Gaines of Starkville has joined the Forbes Investor Team, which offers insight on top financial news as it is being made. She is a financial and investment planner with Raymond James Financial Services.

’82

Tim Earnest has been promoted to executive vice president of the Simon Management Group, the nation’s largest public real estate company.

42 Alumnus Summer 2009

’86

Rosie King, assistant principal of Horn Lake Elementary School, is one of 80 educators nationwide to receive the Milken Family Foundation’s prestigious National Educator Award for 2008.

’88

Stan Purvis of Ridgeland has been named partner in charge of HORNE Financial Services, a subsidiary of HORNE LLP. Irene Dumas Tyson of Columbia, S.C., a senior architectural planner and designer with The Boudreaux Group, has received American Institute of Certified Planners certification.

’92

Mary Ann Combs Briggs of West Point has been promoted to senior vice president with Cadence Bank.

’95

Sherry Rainey of Madison has been named president of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Jackson.

’96

Chad F. Lundeen has been promoted to senior director of development for Vornado Realty Trust, an owner and manager of commercial real estate.

’06

Rachel Ford is the Mississippi Public Broadcasting coordinating producer for “Between the Lions,” the national children’s show co-produced by MPB. The show has won eight Emmy Awards. In 2008, Ford was selected to attend the Center for Public Broadcasting/ PBS Producer’s Academy on a WGBH scholarship.

Birth

ANNOUNCEMENTS Lorelei Marie Beck, March 10, 2009, to Joseph M. Beck (’02) and wife Rachel of Birmingham, Ala. Jackson Richard Greer, May 19, 2009, to James R. Greer (’05) and Molly McDowell Greer (’05) of Brookhaven.

Bradley Lawrence Lewis, Jan. 29, 2009, to Chris Lewis (’97) and Amaris Bradley Lewis (’99) of Madison.

Addison Clark Morreale, Feb. 19, 2009, to Emily Wooten Morreale (’03) and Carl Morreale (attended) of Naperville, Ill. Alexandra Mae Roberson, March 31, 2009, to Suzanna Farrell Roberson (’97) and Michael Jason Roberson (’96) of Lakeland, Fla. Sophia Marie Rocconi, Jan. 14, 2009, to Lauren Wooten Rocconi (’00) and husband Joe of Rossville, Tenn.

Bradley Gage Woodall, Feb. 2, 2009, to Brad Woodall (’90) and Karie Woodall (’97) of Meridian.

Mississippi State alumni and friends desiring a favorite photograph of campus or a memorable athletic moment may obtain it with the click of a few computer keys.

Nearly 120 selected images captured by the university’s award winning photographers now are available for online purchase. The site, http:// www.replayphotos.com/ mississippistatephotos, is operated by Replay Photos, a Web-based company specializing in producing high-quality prints for universities, said Russ Houston, coordinator of photographic services in MSU’s Office of University Relations.

www.replayphotos.com/mississippistatephotos

Alumnus Summer 2009 43

In

MEMORIAM

09

Please send obituaries to Allen Snow, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526 or e-mail to snowa@ur.msstate.edu.

Summer Alumnus

Robert Cicero Weems (’31)— 98, Reno, Nev.; retired dean of the College of Business at the University of Nevada-Reno, former dean of the College of Business at MSU and World War II veteran, April 11, 2009.

Hunter M. Brumfield Sr. (’39)—91, San Antonio, Texas; retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army and World War II and Korean War veteran, June 21, 2009.

James Holden Cochran (’39, M.S. ’41)—93, Biloxi; retired Mississippi State Extension and State Plant Board employee, May 15, 2009.

Percy L. Thigpen (’40)—90, Birmingham, Ala.; retired engineer for Rust Engineering Co., Nov. 30, 2007.

Robin Harris Butts (’44)—86, Waterproof, La.; retired president of Helena Plantation, March, 21, 2009.

Pattie Jean Tate Dent (’45)— Clinton; homemaker, October 2008.

Hugh H. Hudson (’47)—Lakewood, Colo.; retired hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, April 1, 2009.

James D. Lancaster (’47, M.S. ’48)—Huntsville, Ala.; retired professor of soil chemistry in MSU’s soil sciences department.

Earl N. Loftin (’48)—86, Baldwyn; businessman, teacher and World War II veteran, April 8, 2009.

Fred K. Roberts (’48)—90, Purvis; retired office manager for the Agriculture Stabilization Conservation Service of Lamar County and World War II veteran, March 29, 2009.

Pete M. Nicoladis (’51)—80, Gulfport; retired district manager of National Supply Co., a division of Armco Steel, May 6, 2009.

Andrew Wesley Baird (’55, M.S. ’57)—79, Starkville; professor emeritus of sociology and research sociologist at MSU and Korean War veteran, April 13, 2009.

44 Alumnus Spring 2009

Cornelia Seat Barrentine (’55)—79, Pass Christian; retired mathematician for General Electric Co., June 2, 2009.

William T. Cagnon (’57)—79, Temple, Texas; retired as owner and manager of Cagnon Tire, March 30, 2009.

Matthew Gatewood (student)—18, Clinton; freshman civil engineering major at MSU, April 30, 2009.

Lyndsi Marie Dulemba Hill (student)—21, Columbus; junior human sciences/human development major at MSU, March 23, 2009.

Mabel Wilson Raspet (’57, M.S. ’63, Ph.D. ’66)—92, Centre, Ala.; retired biology professor at Delta State University, May 27, 2009.

Gale R. Ammerman (former employee)—86, Aliceville, Ala.; professor emeritus of food service and technology at MSU and World War II veteran, April 21, 2009.

Wade H. Turnage (’57)—73, Newton; retired owner of Climatic Control Engineers, Nov. 29, 2008.

Paul Davis (former employee)—87, Opelika, Ala.; former MSU head football coach 1962-66, March 31, 2009.

Jack Batte (’59)—Mt. Olive; retired counselor for Pearl River Community College, April 16, 2009.

James Robert Thomson Jr. (former employee)—82, Starkville; retired director of student teaching and teacher certification for the College of Education at MSU and World War II veteran, April 8, 2009.

Pickens Alfred Noble Jr. (’66)—66, Tupelo; sports director for the Tupelo Parks and Recreation Department and owner of Custom Cooking, May 23, 2009.

Debra Ann Nabors Robinson (’75, M.S. ’79)—55, Starkville; kindergarten teacher at Sudduth Elementary School, March 12, 2009.

Robert Allen Whitfield (’75)—Hazlehurst; senior transportation engineer for ABMB Engineers, April 2009.

Cecelia Bell Delbridge (’81)—49, Pearl; health science librarian for Mississippi Baptist Medical Center, Aug. 13, 2008.

Laura Dean Eaves Murphy (’84)—45, Booneville; attorney and case manager for the Prentiss County Youth Court, May 2, 2009.

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