SPRING/SUMMER 2015
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IMPACTING THE WORLD VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
A PUBLICATION OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS| &VISION SCIENCES COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES FALL 2013
DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS: As we conclude another academic year, I take enormous pride in our College’s achievements this past year. Our students continue to receive excellent educational opportunities, both within and outside of the classroom. Our students are fortunate to be able to work with an amazing group of faculty who are challenging them to make the most of their education. Our faculty are regularly recognized and honored for their dedication, innovation and effectiveness in teaching and instruction. This year was no different. In fact, Arts & Sciences’ faculty swept all of the major University awards in teaching and advising including: Jared Keeley (Psychology)Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award; Lindsey Peterson (Sociology)Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award; and Frances McDavid (Communication) Irving Atley Jefcoat Award for Advising. Additionally, our very own Karyn Brown (Communication), editor of Vision magazine, was selected as the Grisham Master Teacher – our University’s most prestigious honor for teaching. And speaking of Vision, this issue focuses on international and global themes. One of Mississippi State’s emphases is globalization, and the College of Arts & Sciences figures very prominently in helping MSU to connect to this goal. As I write, our College has students and faculty in almost every continent engaged in study abroad programs, research projects, outreach efforts, and conferences and workshops. Our global reach is vast and expanding. We firmly believe that providing opportunities to work and study in the international community enhances our students’ educational experiences, as well as provides a profound appreciation and respect of different cultures and peoples. It also has the benefit of reaffirming our own social values and culture, which we all sometimes take for granted. We also are excellent ambassadors to other countries. Our efforts in the international community often lead to attracting international students to come to MSU for their college education. I hope you will enjoy reading some of these wonderful student and faculty stories and agree that these endeavors are essential to providing a truly world class education. I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. Fall will be here before we know it and we anticipate another great year for Arts & Sciences and MSU. Thank you so very much for your support of the College of Arts & Sciences at Mississippi State University. Come visit when you can! Hail State!
R. Gregory Dunaway Dean
TABLE OF CONTENTS 18 STUDY ABROAD STORY
22 EMINENT SCHOLARS
24 DSAC & SOCIETY OF SCHOLARS
25 MENTOR AWARDS
4
GLOBAL POLITICAL AWARENESS
ARTS & SCIENCES STAFF
6
Freedom Summer Remembered
Faculty Research
10 Creative Impact
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12 Lien Van Geel, Study of Classics
14 Major Israeli Find
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DR. R. GREGORY DUNAWAY - Dean DR. GISELLE THIBAUDEAU MUNN - Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies DR. RICK TRAVIS - Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Student Services KARYN BROWN - Director of Communication ALEX MCINTOSH - Director of Development SHERYL KINARD - Business Manager DR. CARLY CUMMINGS - Assistant to the Dean - Research ALEX HAMMOND - Admissions Coordinator TRACY BRITT - Academic Coordinator BARBARA STEWART - Academic Coordinator NIKKI ROBINSON - Advancement Coordinator ALISA WHITTLE - Administrative Assistant to the Dean SIMONE COTTRELL - Administrative Assistant WHITNEY PETERSON - Administrative Assistant JOY SMITH - Administrative Assistant
Student Workers:
DAMARIUS HARRIS - Student Worker ADAM SIMONTON - Student Worker MARCY SLOWIK - Student Worker FEI FEI ZENG - Student Worker
Editors:
KARYN BROWN LAURA DUNN HANNAH RINEHART
16 Pranaav Jadhav, Reporting Around the World
17 Mike Pace, Alumnus Global Impact
20 Casey May, “Hero” Status
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Writers:
Christine Bowman Bonnie Coblentz Audra Gines Hannah Rinehart Lisa Sollie
Designer:
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Direct comments or questions to: KARYN BROWN | 662.325.7952 kbrown@deanas.msstate.edu P.O. Box AS | Mississippi State, MS 39762
IS PUBLISHED BY THESPRING/SUMMER COLLEGE OF ARTS & 2015 SCIENCES VISION | COLLEGE
OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Eric Abbott
CULTIVATING
GLOBAL POLITICAL AWARENESS: The Mississippi Model Security Council By Audra Gines
S
ince 1979, the Mississippi Model Security
“The first is to allow our college students to learn about the
Council Program at Mississippi State has
United Nations and international diplomacy,” he said. The role-
provided high school and university students
playing simulation continues when some of the participants take
opportunities to experience international politics. Sponsored by the Department of Political Science and Public
he added.
Administration, the United Nations Security Council simulation
“We have been doing that for the past 10-to-15 years,” Shoup
gives participants an inclusive peer environment where
said, noting that in 2014, senior Jamie Aron of Flowood,
constructive feedback is provided in a competitive atmosphere.
MS, became MSU’s first major award winner at the regional
Ultimately, the experience is designed to help students enhance
competition.
and improve their debating and negotiating skills.
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part in the Southern Regional Model UN in Atlanta, Georgia,
A political science and mathematics double-major and
Since 2010, assistant professor Brian Shoup has served as
Shackouls Honors College member, Aron holds both the
MMSC coordinator. The annual spring semester event has two
Grisham Presidential and Haley Barbour scholarships at MSU.
components, he explained.
Recently, she also was named a national Harry S. Truman Scholar.
By: Kayleigh Swisher VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Shoup said MMSC’s second component takes place when MSU
format and what their respective countries are supposed to think
and his department welcome to campus high school students
about particular issues. And they are really getting it; they’re
from around the state, as well as from Alabama and Tennessee,
fantastic.”
for a two-day UN simulation. By representing a nation of their
Shifting his attention to the MSU students and others who go
choosing, they become its delegate to argue and discuss national
to the Atlanta simulation each fall, Shoup noted, “MMSC is the
issues in formal diplomatic fashion.
state’s only educational and programmatic conference focusing on
After the students and their faculty advisers have selected a
international peace and security that provides a well-trained staff
country to represent, they research its international situation and
of college students who act as a bridge in facilitating high school
determine which resolutions are important enough to take before
students’ understanding of crucial and long-standing security
the entire body. While an open-agenda format gives them the
issues and strategies.”
ability to discuss any topic deemed relevant, delegates also must be
Many students involved in the MMSC have taken the knowledge
knowledgeable of other member states’ foreign policies if they are
they gained at MSU and used it to help make a difference on the
to be successful debaters, Shoup emphasized.
world stage, he said. As an example, he cited Taylor Luczak of
A highlight of the campus gathering includes an address by an
Starkville, a 2013 magna cum laude double-major in political
international speaker. Professor Feisal Amin Rasoul Istrabadi of
science and foreign language who also was co-captain of the
the Maurer School of Law at Indiana University, Bloomington,
varsity basketball team.
was last year’s special guest. A native of Iraq, he was a principal drafter of his country’s provisional constitution in 2004. Whether debating international affairs or hearing from a dignitary
and watching him figure this stuff out on his own was really
of another country, Shoup believes MMSC provides learning
impressive,” Shoup recalled of the former student who had served
opportunities for the participants—and for him and others at
as MMSC secretary-general during his time on campus.
MSU who organize the programs.
He also cited Ellen M. Davis of Southaven, an economics and
“It’s good to see what 15 and 16-year-olds in Mississippi think
political science double-major who graduated summa cum laude
about civil war or abuses in Burma, what they think about an
last year. She was among the first MSU students to co-publish a
organization like Boko Haram, and how they think about solutions
professional academic article, with much of her information first
to deal with those kinds of problems,” he observed.
derived from topics discussed in a model UN class, he noted. Davis
While students are what the event is all about, Shoup gave high praise to the teachers of participating schools that make the process possible. “They are amazing,” he said.
currently is pursuing a graduate degree in agricultural economics at the University of Georgia. “A lot of these students go on to do good things career-wise,”
He continued: “I think teachers as a general rule often have a
Shoup said. “It’s good to follow them through it, but, at the end of
thankless job. They certainly don’t get paid probably what they
the day, did Model UN make them great or did they make Model
deserve, and you see how much work they put in.
UN good? It’s probably a little bit of both.”
“They are getting up at 4 a.m. to take these students half-way across the state to a UN Security Council simulation. They obviously have taught the students how to engage this particular
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Luczak is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and now works as a policy analyst in Washington, D.C. “Watching him go through,
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
For more information about the MMSC, visit www.mmsc.org. msstate.edu.
REMEMBERING
FREEDOM
SUMMER By Christine Bowman
I
n October, the College of Arts & Sciences’ African American
—“Civil Rights vs. Uncivil Wrongs: Combatting Discrimination in
Studies program organized a special conference
the Workplace and the Legacy of Freedom Summer Activism” by
honoring the 50th anniversary of the Freedom
Shirley Hanshaw, associate professor in the Department of English.
Summer of 1964.
cases to illustrate the theory: the works of Aaron Henry and Medgar
State and other institutions around the country. Some topics and their
Evers in reorganizing and redefining the NAACP, an organization
authors included:
that had a national reputation as less oriented toward activist, street
—“Freedom Schools and the Lessons of Social Change” by university alumna and author Susan Follett on the role of historical fiction in civil rights education and conversations. —“Mississippi Grounding: The Role of Indigenous Leadership
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Of his presentation, Morrison said he “developed two leadership
Various sessions included speakers representing both Mississippi
mobilization.” Morrison said Henry and Evers made the organization’s state more assertive and helped to establish its role “as a prime mover in the early 1960’s.”
in Freedom Summer” by K.C. Morrison, Department of Political
When asked why she chose to focus on workplace discrimination,
Science and Public Administration head, on the importance of
Hanshaw responded, “It’s a timely topic,” adding that, “People talk
indigenous leadership in Mississippi’s struggle for civil rights and an
about the Civil Rights Movement as they are relics of the past, and
analysis of those who had the most impact.
some of the conditions still exist today, unfortunately.”
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
She said that while passage of the Civil Rights Bill provided change theoretically, such often was not the case in practice.
“I have been to numerous conference sessions over decades, and none were more important than this one to me and to my understanding of our history and place.”
As an example, she cited Dereck Bell, a law professor at Harvard in the 1970’s. She explained how Bell, though a well-published and prominent author, became so frustrated that African Americans, especially females, were not getting tenured or promoted that he resigned and joined the Princeton University faculty. “Dr. Bell created the ‘critical race theory’ because, even though the Civil Rights Act was passed, there was still entrenchment in the legal system,” Hanshaw continued. “What appeared fair was most certainly not. In this theory, racism is described as systemic and institutionalized in this country, and the rules tend to favor those in power.” She called the fall event “a good conference to be held for all generations, especially millennials and all ethnicities.” Agreeing with her was Susan Hall, an associate professor in the College of Architecture, Art and Design and chair of the campus President’s Commission on the Status of Women. Hall said all sessions she attended “were excellent and many were ground breaking discussions for MSU. I have been to numerous conference sessions over decades, and none were more important than this one to me and to my understanding of our history and place.”
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
STEPHEN BRAIN and the
STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY By Hannah Rinehart
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
W
hen most consider the study of Russian history, they may not consider the country’s environment and forests. Mississippi State historian Stephen Brain has made it
his focus in research and teaching. A member of the university faculty since 2007, he is an associate professor specializing in Soviet environmental history. He also coordinates the Department of History’s graduate program. Studying Soviet history initially was not his plan, the University of CaliforniaBerkeley doctoral graduate said. In fact, he avoided history classes altogether as an undergraduate by taking advanced placement exams. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in ecology, he worked for a while in that field in California. Over time, he became convinced he didn’t really want to be an ecologist and began thinking about trying to do something else. Russian history was that “something else,” Brain said. After reading books about the subject, he wanted to study Soviet history. “They looked at me twice because I didn’t really have any background,” Brain said. Though several institutions provided assistance, it was Berkeley that introduced him to the study of environmental history. “I didn’t even know there was such a thing as environmental history, but by going to Berkeley and talking to the scholar there, I learned about it and one thing led to another,” he explained. Brain joined the MSU faculty shortly after completing his terminal degree. He said his first project “was about the way the Soviet Union managed their forests. I also wrote an article about Soviet fishing in the Arctic Ocean.” Presently, he has two research efforts in progress. “One looks at Soviet agriculture, including food security, environmental protection and soil erosion. The other examines Soviet and American environmental diplomacies during the Cold War. All of these things fit under a larger umbrella of environmental policy and environmental attitudes of the Soviet government,” Brain said. In 2013, Brain received a Fulbright Fellowship to further his Russian investigations. At the Southern Federal University in Rostov-on-Don, he focused
“There’s no better way to learn language and culture than to go there.”
on Soviet agriculture from the 19th century to 1932. On future trips, he will take up the former communist nation’s experiences during the Joseph Stalin era when agriculture began to be industrialized. When not focusing on teaching and research, Brain said he is devoting his energy to designing a study-abroad program to Moscow for interested MSU students. “In the mornings, the students would have the option of taking intensive Russian language; they wouldn’t have to, but it would be included in the price of the trip,” he said. “There’s no better way to learn language and culture than to go there.” The second part would take place twice weekly over a five-week period and include “field trips to places where Russian history was made,” he said. If everything works out, Brain plans to begin the study-abroad program as soon as possible. He also expressed hope that it could become an annual event. “I teach the classes here about Soviet and Russian history, and people always seem interested,” he said. “I try to show them pictures of what it’s like, but what could be better than seeing it?”
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CREATIVE IMPACT:
MSU’S THE STREETCAR IN THE FAST LANE By Audra Gines
T
oday,
Mississippi
State
and encourages submissions from the
University once again stands
university’s entire student body. Originally
at the precipice of change.
The Streetcar’s conception began back in
The Streetcar, a student-run publication
spring 2012 as a collaboration of ideas
on campus, illustrates the creative works
between Christopher Snyder, dean of the
of students from across MSU’s diverse
Shackouls Honors College and professor
student body. Additionally, the creative
of history, and Donald “Field” Brown,
publication stands as a marker for the
Mississippi State’s recently named Rhodes
new STEAM movement that seeks
Scholar.
to expand the academic emphasis on science,
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technology,
engineering
“It started as a conversation between Dr.
and
Snyder and Field Brown, and they were
mathematics (STEM) to include the arts
talking about how MSU is a STEM driven
as well. Students from all disciplines are
campus; but, there didn’t seem to be an
contributing to this forward-thinking
outlet for students to publish their creative
journal, thereby showing the arts are a
work, or a constructive community for
critical aspect to the growth of the College
students to get together and talk about
of Arts & Sciences and Mississippi State
their creative work,” Dennis said. “As it
University.
stands now we are the only fully student
The Streetcar initially began as a venue
run, fully student submitted creative arts
for students of the Shackouls Honors
journal at MSU. We take submissions from
College, but shortly thereafter it opened up
all majors, all disciplines, and we publish
to include the College of Arts & Sciences
from all majors and all disciplines, and we
and is now sponsored by both colleges
also have a very diverse staff.”
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
As the process unfolded, the staff was
College, is advisor and mentor for The
important to meeting the needs of a more
pleasantly surprised about the amount of
Streetcar. Vivier said he and the staff are
demanding global market, it is important not
submissions from students all across campus.
concerned with “making sure that this is a
to forget that fine arts disciplines stand as a
Editors-in-chief Kylie Dennis, a junior
recurring process rather than something that
necessary and critical function of the creative
English major pursuing a double minor
is only happening because [they] happen to
process.
in history and psychology, and Dakotah
have two amazing co-editors right now.” “How do we make sure that people who
talking about The Streetcar as a creative outlet,
to see work submitted by students from
are underclassman can invest in this and
in fact, we want to shift the perspective to
majors not typically associated with writing.
take it over? I do think there is a need for
be that The Streetcar is necessary. It’s not an
“There seems to be a lot of closet poets out
mentorship. There does need to be some way
outlet; it is a necessary component of what it
there that are masquerading as mathematics
of getting other people to invest themselves
means to be in a university, what it means to
majors or engineers,” Dennis said. “We
the way these two (Dennis and Daffron)
think critically, what it means to be a student,
weren’t expecting that kind of reception at
have,” Vivier said.
to learn and what it means to be creative,”
all. We were expecting a lot of art majors and
Daffron believes the success of The
Vivier explained. “So we want to say that
English majors. And what we really found
Streetcar is strengthened by its relationship
the arts are absolutely imperative, absolutely
interesting in the first issue was the kind of
with the College of Arts & Sciences, the
critical at Mississippi State, not just an outlet.
themes we saw emerging.”
Shackouls Honors College, the Mitchell
And I know that they have the backing of
For the first issue Dennis said they saw a
Memorial Library and the Writing Center.
me, they have the backing of Dean Snyder
lot of people focusing on life experiences of
The journal also hopes to be more involved
of the Honors College for that, and Dean
growing up in the South and what it means to
in campus related activities in order to create
Dunaway, with the CA&S who has been very
grow up in the South, while also challenging
more publicity for it. By doing this, the staff
supportive of the arts as well.”
the traditions that we take for granted.
hopes to ensure that it is known by everyone
The second issue took a bit of a different
from the moment they get to MSU.
An arts education is key to the creative process. It is a critical element to the
tone. It looked more outside the home and
This may not prove too difficult as The
innovative process, and innovation fosters
even stepped outside of Mississippi, offering
Streetcar continues to draw a plethora of
future industry. All of these are necessary to
a critique of general society. According to
submissions each year, across all disciplines
compete in the global market—a win-win,
Daffron, the third issue of The Streetcar
and fields of study. The staff has even been
according to STEAM’s mission statement.
took on a personality of its own.
forced to turn away many submissions,
As The Streetcar moves forward and as the
though they encourage resubmission for the
push to integrate STEM + Arts & Design
following year.
(STEAM) increases, the Shackouls Honors
Many of the art submissions that came in were non-traditional. One piece in-particular that was submitted for the second issue was
Vivier is passionate about the ongoing battle
College and the College of Arts & Sciences
a work called Dancers that stood out and
for the arts. In a world where integrated
are doing what they can to ensure the fine
consequently became a point of interest for
learning appears more pivotal than ever in
arts are as fundamental to college education
the staff. It is an animation of two dancing
order to meet the needs of a competitive
in the future as they have been in the past and
figures created using a mathematical program
global economy, there stands a dichotomy
by doing so, set a precedent for impacting the
called Mathematica. The journal published
between the traditional disciplines of science,
world.
still photos of the art piece.
technology, engineering and mathematics
“The creative process is really something
Many of Mississippi State’s students have
(STEM) and a growing movement to
that is inextricably intertwined with STEM
never been given the opportunity to share
incorporate art and design (STEM +
fields, so when you’re an engineer you use
their creative and artistic talents. “I think
Art & Design or STEAM). A movement
creativity and architecture and mathematics,”
we were just surprised that there seems
championed by the Rhode Island School of
Daffron reflected. “So we want to take the
to be so much creativity, so much critical
Design (RISD) back in 2011 has now taken
stigma away from the arts and the creative
thought happening and being channeled into
on support from some of the country’s
side of things and show that it really is
creative work at Mississippi State,” Dennis
leading experts who challenge the traditional
something that is important to students
commented.
STEM field disciplines as the only means of
whether they realize it or not.”
Eric Vivier, assistant professor of English and faculty fellow for the Shackouls Honors
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“Even though we started this conversation
Daffron, a senior English major, were thrilled
meeting the needs of a global economy. While it is recognized that STEM fields are
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
The Streetcar is going into the early stages of production for its fourth issue.
Lien Van Geel (left) Senior and Kylie Dennis (right) senior pose at University of Oxford Summer 2014
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
BELGIAN STUDENT TAKES THE CLASSICS HEAD ON AT MSU
By Audra Gines
W
hile many enjoy modern literature and the latest authors, senior Lien Van Geel’s reading tastes go further back— to the 19th century and beyond. She developed a love for the classics during secondary school in her native Belgium. At age 12, she began studying literature and the works of authors Jane Austen, John Keats and William Shakespeare. “I think that was just a teenage girl obsession, but I very much enjoyed that as well,” she said. “In 10th grade, we started reading the actual literature and that is when I became interested in it, especially the classics. There is a reason why they stay around for so many years because they actually matter.” Van Geel came to Mississippi State in 2012 on a tennis scholarship. After playing for one year, she was able to transition to an academic scholarships provided by the College of Arts & Sciences and Shackouls Honors College. Her transfer was made possible, in part, with the assistance of Dr. Christopher Snyder, dean of the Shackouls Honor College and professor of history and Dr. Thomas Anderson, associate professor of English and its director of prestigious scholarships. “That is how I got to stay at Mississippi State and pursue my degree in Latin and English,” she explained. “I got very lucky because Dr. Snyder and Dr. Anderson helped me with the scholarships; if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here.” She also gives credit to assistant professor Salvador Bartera, her adviser and mentor, and his colleagues in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures.
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“I wouldn’t have gotten this attention, I suppose, in Belgium at all, because in Belgium it is quite different,” she said. Last summer, Van Geel had the opportunity to travel to England. There, she presented research papers at Oxford University about Shakespeare and Roman poet Ovid that will be the basis of her required honors college thesis. “I wrote those papers for my Oxford professor, who seemed to like them,” she said. “I was fairly pleased because the stakes were quite high.” During 2015, Van Geel made several other presentations at Eastern Washington University; University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and on the MSU campus. According to Bartera, receiving an invitation to present at these conferences is quite an honor. “It’s very difficult to get into some of these conferences, about three out of 10 actually get in,” he added. This summer, Van Geel travels to Germany to attend Heidelberg University, then will return in the fall to Oxford for the entire semester, a prospect she finds exciting since it’s her goal to pursue graduate study there. “I will continue to work with the professor I worked with last summer,” she added. Van Geel said her long-range plans include a doctorate in the classics, though she also wants to continue her education in English. However, as her future academic plans progress, Van Geel said she always will be grateful for the College of Arts & Sciences, the Shackouls Honors College, and the Department of Classical & Modern Languages and Literatures for the assistance she recieved as an undergraduate.
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MAJOR ISRAELI FIND
EVIDENCE OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS
S
By Bonnie Coblentz
ix official clay seals found by a Mississippi State
southern Israel. His findings were published in the December 2014
archaeological team at a small site in Israel offer
issue of Near Eastern Archaeology, a leading peer-reviewed journal.
evidence that supports the existence of biblical kings
David and Solomon.
political entity that is typified by elite activities, suggesting that a state
Many modern scholars dismiss David and Solomon as mythological
was already being formed in the 10th century B.C.,” Hardin said. “We
figures and believe no kingdom could have existed in the region at
are very positive that these bullae are associated with the Iron Age
the time the Bible recounted their activities. The new finds provide
IIA, which we date to the 10th century B.C., and which lends general
evidence that some type of government activity was conducted there
support to the historical veracity of David and Solomon as recorded in
in that period.
the Hebrew biblical texts.
Jimmy Hardin, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, said these
“These appear to be the only known examples of bullae from the 10th century, making this discovery unique,” he added.
bullae—seal impressions—were used for official correspondence in
The finds contribute significantly to an ongoing debate in the
much the same way wax seals were used on documents in later periods.
archaeological community about whether governments or states existed
Hardin, co-director of the Hesi Regional Project, has been excavating
in the early Iron Ages. They may also have far-reaching implications
each summer since 2011 at Khirbet Summeily, a site east of Gaza in
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“Our preliminary results indicated that this site is integrated into a
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
for the growing number of scholars who maintain that such political
organization occurred much later than biblical texts suggest. “Some text scholars and archaeologists have dismissed the historic reliability of the biblical text surrounding kings David and Solomon, such as recorded in the Bible in the books of Kings and 2 Samuel, which scholars often date to the Iron Age IIA or 10th century B.C,” Hardin said.
dated by Christopher Rollston, an epigrapher in the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at George Washington University. Jeff Blakely of the University of Wisconsin-Madison co-directs the Hesi Regional Project and has studied the region for 40 years. “Our dates for the bullae are based on multiple types of evidence
“The fact that these bullae came off sealed written documents
we combined to determine a general 10th century B.C. date,” Blakely
shows that this site, located out on the periphery of pretty much
said. “The style of the bullae, the types of ancient pottery found
everything, is integrated at a level far beyond subsistence,” he
in the same contexts as the bullae, the types of Egyptian scarabs
explained. “You have either political or administrative activities going
found, the style of an Egyptian amulet, and the overall stratigraphy or
on at a level well beyond those typical of a rural farmstead.”
layering of the site each suggested a 10th century date.
The NEA article describes the dig site as a borderland area between the heartlands of Judah and Philistia that originally was assumed to be a small Iron Age farmstead. Excavation of the bullae and other recent archaeological finds indicate, however, a level of political organization previously thought not to exist at that time. “We believe that the aggregate material culture remains that have been discovered at Summeily demonstrate a level of politicaleconomic activity that has not been suspected recently for the late Iron Age I and early Iron Age IIA,” according to the article. “This is especially the case if one integrates data from nearby Hesi [a much more extensively excavated site]. “It is our contention that, when taken together, these reflect a greater political complexity and integration across the transitional Iron I/IIA landscape than has been appreciated recently, as scholars have tended to dismiss trends toward political complexity (e.g., state formation) occurring prior to the arrival of the Assyrians in the region in the later eighth century B.C.” Two bullae excavated by Hardin’s team have complete seal impressions, two have partial impressions and two others have none. Also, two were blackened by fire and one has a well-preserved hole where the string used to seal the document passed through the clay. The bullae impressions do not contain writing. The dig site was chosen so researchers could study border dynamics
“In addition, archaeomagnetism dating, which is based on the
between the nations of Philistia and Judea in the area previously
strength and direction of the earth’s magnetic fields in the past, also
dated to the 10th century B.C.
suggested the layers in which the bullae were found must be 10th
“We were trying to identify in the archaeological record the differences between Philistia and Judah,” Hardin said. “Why is there
decades rather than a century,” he said.
a border in this area and only at this time? We’re trying to learn the
From the project’s start, Blakely said archaeologists have tried to
process by which these political entities were created. Within that
determine what people were doing in the region of Khirbet Summeily.
larger question, you have a number of questions about whether the
“Generations of scholarship have suggested farming, but over the
archaeological record matches the historical record from the texts,
past few years, we have slowly realized that humans rarely farmed this
and if it disagrees, how do we reconcile the two?”
region,” he said. “It was a pasture; shepherds tended sheep and goats
Bullae the team found were in the layer of material tested by the National Science Foundation-funded Center for Rock Magnetism at the University of Minnesota. The markings were examined and
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century. Further research and analysis should refine our dating to
under the protection of their government. “Finding the bullae supports our idea that Khirbet Summeily was a governmental installation,” he emphasized.
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
A
modern university
resulted in the deaths of so many.
television center and
Jadhav attributes his selection for the
the opportunity to
internship to his MSU education, as well
major in communication/broadcasting
as time spent at the campus TV center.
are what first attracted Pranaav Jadhav to
He also cited his work as a reporter with
Mississippi State. Though accepted to
The Reflector, MSU’s student-produced
eight different schools, he said he became
newspaper, where he wrote more than
sold on the land-grant institution after
100 articles.
meeting with faculty in the Department of Communication.
“The Reflector taught me crucial values of being a journalist, maintaining
“MSU was a blend of equipment
integrity, reporting the truth and being
and top-class professorship; it was a
aggressive when necessary,” he said,
fairly easy choice.” the 2014 December
emphasizing that he considers journalism
graduate said. “An experienced teacher
a service to society that must be executed
who has worked in the industry can help
with integrity.
a young aspiring journalist more than any textbook can,”
For prospective high school students interested in that field of study, he offers
Born in Pune, Maharashtra, India,
the following observations: “We are the
the only child of Veekkas and Sammitra
eyes and ears of our fellow countrymen,
Jadhav initially was hesitant to explore
and we are guided by the constitution of
new places but eventually decided to take
the United States. Always be passionate
a chance on Mississippi.
about telling a story, and your success will
“I have met some amazing individuals at MSU in the form of friends, professors and staff,” he said. “From the janitor
be measured by the difference you make in society.” “The sky is the limit,” he added.
who gave me a cake on my birthday to
The combination of his classwork, his
Dr. Keenum who actively responded to
internship and working at The Reflector
my emails as a young news reporter on
was revolutionary for him and helped
campus, this place has welcomed me
him further focus on his future career
with open arms.”
plans.
In addition to campus experiences,
“Wherever I will be in the world,
Jadhav was selected for a prestigious
which I don’t know yet, I will be
student internship in his native country
serving my people with a camera and a
with CNN-IBN in Mumbai. In spring
microphone which are mightier than a
2012, he got on-air time covering several
pen in today’s world,” Jadhav said. “My
PRANAAV JADHAV
hard-news stories. “The network sent me
goal in life is not a luxurious car, a nice
out to cover stories of riots, elections,
house or a beautiful girlfriend, it is and
national budget, price hikes, floods and
it always will be the impact I make to
By Christine Bowman
food poisoning which killed 22 young
change lives, bring peace and dig up the truth.” After returning home for a time following graduation, Jadhav recently took the next step in preparing for his life’s mission. In the late spring, he returned to Starkville to begin his master’s degree in public policy and administration.
STUDENT FEATURE:
children,” he recalled. His coverage of the food-poisoning
“ALWAYS BE PASSIONATE...”
epidemic gained the attention of the British Broadcasting Corporation, which contacted him for a piece on its World Service show. He said the incident was important because the government’s lack of health services for students had
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
MSU EDUCATION LEADS TO GLOBAL IMPACT:
ALUMNUS MIKE PACE By Hannah Rinehart
M
ississippi State has been part of Mike Pace’s family for many years.
“We had a very tight-knit department where
Woody, Leah and Lynn established geosciences
our mantra of ‘work hard, play hard’ was the
endowments in honor of their father, Forrest.
rule, one that I still live by today,” Pace said.
They did the same at the Medical University
“The geology parties we organized were well
of South Carolina, both to honor their mother,
known around the campus and were a great
Barbara, and commemorate their parents’ 50th
recruiting tool for the department.”
wedding anniversary.
After graduation, Pace went to work for
The family also created a separate MSU
a seismalogical company called Western
geosciences endowment as a tribute to Mylroie
Geophysical, where he served for a year
and his wife Joan, a longtime instructor in
on a crew in Argentina’s Andean foothills.
the department. This particular gift supports
Following the South American assignment,
graduate studies, field work and research, all
he left the California company to join the
areas of importance to the Mylroies.
Anadarko Petroleum Corporation.
have had on my life and career,” Pace said.
gas exploration company, he worked with its
“We established it when John retired from the
Like his grandfather, father, uncles and
domestic U.S. assets for three years before
university.”
brother, Pace is a graduate of MSU, with a
being offered an opportunity to relocate to
Mylroie, in expressing gratitude for himself
master’s degree in geology earned in 1992.
Africa, specifically the Sahara Desert region
and his wife, said he appreciated how most of
Though he already had a bachelor’s degree
in Algeria. Following a decade in that dry
the Pace family came back to campus for his
in microbiology from Texas A&M University,
environment, he was sent to open Anadarko’s
retirement reception in late 2014.
career goals led him to conclude that a geology
exploration office in Mozambique, which is in
degree might be best for his future endeavors.
southern Africa on the Pacific Ocean side.
“The entire Pace family has been a major supporter of the Department of Geosciences,
He said he applied to the graduate school
That move was followed by promotion
including initiatives to get students into the
at MSU “specifically to study under John
to country manager in Nigeria on the vast
field to change classroom book-learning into
Mylroie,” the veteran professor of what
continent’s central Atlantic side. In June 2009,
real-world experiences,” Mylroie added.
once was the Department of Geography
he remained in western Africa as he moved to
Mike Pace said he has no doubt of how much
and Geology and now is the Department of
open another exploration office in the nation
MSU, in general, and Mylroie’s mentorship, in
Geosciences.
of Côte d’Ivoire. After managing there for five
particular, influenced his professional life and work.
“My brother had studied under him, and
years, he returned to the United States to direct
“Studying at MSU gave me the independence
I had joined them on a field course to San
international business development at the
and maturity to enter into my career,” he said.
Salvador Island in the Bahamas,” Pace recalled.
company’s Houston-area headquarters.
“John Mylroie nurtured and developed my
“A combination of the cultural experience and
As a way of giving back to higher education
John’s crazy enthusiasm set me on a course to
institutions that most influenced their lives,
focus on an international career.
Pace and other family members have created
“After a couple of false starts,” he continued,
several endowments. At MSU, he and siblings
“I realized that geology was a perfect route to my goal. I contacted John to tell him of my plans, and he suggested I come visit MSU immediately. After two days of visits, I was admitted into the graduate school.” As a graduate student, Pace studied modern cave types in the Bahamas. While his studies were important, he also came to appreciate the strong interpersonal relationships among department members.
17
“It is in recognition of the influence they
At The Woodlands, Texas-based oil and
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
leadership capabilities and instilled the concept of critical thinking in me. “It’s a concept that I try to instill into those I work with to this day.”
LEARNING WITHOUT BORDERS:
STUDY-ABROAD PROGRAMS IN ARTS AND SCIENCES By Hannah Rinehart
S
tudy-abroad is an academic
day at spring semester’s end. “We talked about
“We were in smaller cities like Sligo and on
concept designed to enhance
how gender, ethnicity, class and religion are
the Aran Islands, where we hung out with the
students’ educations.
represented in the films and what they can tell us
locals and enjoyed local music,” he added.
In addition to allowing them to earn credit
hours, discover new places and meet local
it means to be Irish,” she said.
In the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Brian Shoup, assistant
residents, such programs enable participants to
Cooley said another study-abroad benefit is the
professor of comparative politics and public
experience the history of other countries while
interaction MSU students have with other higher-
policy, lead a course in South Africa titled “State
exploring new ideas and worldviews.
education peers from throughout the U.S.
Building and State Failure.”
In recent years, Mississippi State University’s
“One thing that is really cool for our students
“My course will look at precisely why some
College of Arts & Sciences has seen an increase
is that they get to experience a new culture in
nation-states are able to develop and maintain
in study-abroad enrollment. During the summer
a foreign country, and get to meet and make
systems capable of creating social and economic
of 2015, the university program included the
friends with students from various universities,”
opportunity while also sustaining widespread
additions of Ireland and South Africa.
he observed. “We will be our own little
legitimacy in governing institutions while others
community of travelers, experiencing Ireland
are not,” Shoup said. “This is a significant
together.”
issue since many of the most pressing global
Department of Communication Assistant Professor Skye Cooley took students to the
18
about how we, as Americans, conceive of what
Emerald Isle for a public relations course, while
In addition to traveling throughout the island
dilemmas, such as the rise of ISIS, are directly
Emily Ryalls, assistant professor, lead a class
nation to “truly get a feel for what the country
related to the inability of existing states to
called “Gender in Irish Film.”
is like as a whole,” Cooley said the group visited
cultivate durable social contracts with their citizens.”
Ryalls, who also teaches in the Gender Studies
the capital city of Dublin, where, among other
Program , said her students began preparing for the
activities, they toured the 82,300-seat Croke
trip by viewing a different Irish-based film each
Park stadium with marketing professionals.
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Also in that African nation is an academic collaboration between the College of Arts &
Sciences and the College of Business. Meghan Millea, professor of economics, taught a course titled “Economics of Recovery” that focused on challenges facing post-conflict countries like South Africa that are rebuilding their economies following years of violence or war. Shoup said the country once-internationally ostracized for strict, government-enforced racial segregation should provide an ideal location for American students to examine these topics. “Given its long period of colonization and the
Participating students also take part in faculty-
As for cultural experiences in America’s
subsequent 40-plus years of racial stratification
led excursions to Madrid and Segovia, as well as
northern neighbor, he said the students reside at
under Apartheid, South Africans of all races
cultural activities offered through their courses
the Hôtel Manoir des Remparts, which is located
know all too well the dilemmas of democratic
that included food tours and museum and theater
at the heart of the Old City and just a few blocks
and economic transition,” he said.
visits, among other activities.
from the popular St. Lawrence River promenade.
As part of the itinerary, Shoup said the MSU
During the Iberian Peninsula experience,
They also may attend the Festival d’été, an annual
travelers visited Robben Island, site of freedom
students have additional opportunities to
music event, and visit several museums and other
fighter (and, later, first post-Apartheid president)
experience daily home life. “They live with host
noteworthy locales.
Nelson Mandela’s longest incarceration during the
families to give them consistent exposure to
Finally, the Department of Geosciences
white-dominated era; and the Kimberly Diamond
everyday spoken Spanish,” Davvison said, adding
continues its long-standing study-abroad program
Mine, once the largest diamond extraction site on
that host families additionally provide most of the
to the Bahamas. On San Salvador Island, John
earth and a locus of South Africa’s 20th century
visitors’ meals and take care of their laundry needs.
Rodgers, professor of physical geography, teaches
economic development. In addition to the new
Because it provides a “lived experience in a
a course called “Geosciences Study Abroad:
study-abroad programs, several others continue to
Spanish-speaking country for a significant period
take MSU faculty and students to Canada and Spain.
of time, while still having the support of MSU
“The course focuses on tropical carbonate
One of MSU’s largest is a foreign language
faculty on the ground as the program runs,” this
island geomorphology and coastal processes,”
program to Alcalá de Henares, Spain, led by
program is especially appealing and meaningful
Rodgers said. “We explore caves, snorkel coral
Brian Davisson and Karina Zelaya, both assistant
for students completing a Spanish-language
reefs and monitor beach processes with the
professors in the Department of Classical and
degree, he said.
over-arching goal of understanding how marine
Bahamas Field Methods.”
Modern Languages and Literature. It tends to
Back on the North American continent, a
and atmospheric processes shape carbonate
attract students in many different majors who
program in the Canadian providence of Quebec is
island landforms. We also devote significant
want to further their knowledge of Spanish
being led by Forrest Blackbourn, a lecturer in the
time to understanding climate change, sea level
language and culture, Davisson said.
Department of Classical and Modern Languages
fluctuations, and marine environmental issues.”
“Students take courses through Alcalingua,
and Literature. In the capital, Quebec City,
Though providing geoscience field experience
which is a language school connected to the
participants from several different majors may
is a primary focus, students also are encouraged to
University of Alcalá,” he continued. “Beginning
take courses in French, the province’s primary
examine human aspects of the academic major.
this summer, some of the more advanced
language.
“We do spend some time discussing human-
students take courses offered by the faculty
Blackbourn said this program provides the
related topics, such as the historical significance of
coordinators. Students can earn up to six credits
“opportunity to earn a double major or minor
San Salvador Island, including the initial landfall
if they participate in the one-month program, or
in French in a truly immersive, Francophone
of Christopher Columbus, the fate of the natives
12 credits in the two-month program.”
environment.”
after Europeans, Spanish and English settlements and cultural differences between Bahamians and Americans,” Rodgers said. For more information on MSU study-abroad programs, visit http://international.msstate.edu/ abroad/.
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
MSU-MERIDIAN STUDENT,
WORKING MOM EARNS ‘HERO’ STATUS IN FAMILY
By Lisa Sollie
A
t 37, Casey May is the benefits analyst manager at
Business Division. Though she had earned an applied science degree
Anderson Regional Medical Center and a mother of
in business and office technology years before at Meridian Community
five in a blended family with husband Danny.
College, none of her technical credits would transfer.
Last summer, she added part-time student at Mississippi State
University-Meridian to the mix. She had been working for Meridian’s Meyer & Rosenbaum
recently began offering a new bachelor of applied technology degree
Insurance Agency for three years when company president Bruce
in healthcare services. Secondly, she heard Carl Young explain the
Martin invited her to attend Morning Coffee, an East Mississippi
BAT degree was designed for individuals like her with applied
Business Development Corp. program held downtown at MSU-M’s
science degrees who wanted to continue their education in the
Riley Campus.
healthcare field.
Martin, a 1977 MSU insurance graduate, is a well-known advocate for education, as well as a die-hard Bulldog fan. Months before his invitation, May had begun considering the pursuit of a healthcare administration degree offered through MSU-Meridian’s
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During the Morning Coffee session, however, she learned two things that made her very happy. First, she found out MSU-Meridian
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Young, MSU-Meridian associate professor of
healthcare
administration, also said the degree program would accept up to 28 health-related credits as pre-requisites. After the transcript from MCC had been evaluated, May was told
she needed only three more classes before she could transfer to the university. In March of 2014, May changed jobs and began work at Anderson. Later that year—and despite fears of being “the oldest in the class” and “unable to juggle everything”—she began advanced study at MSU-Meridian. May said the first semester went well and she was able to “focus better and stay on task.” She attributed the success to taking education more seriously this time around, both for herself and her children. Recently, that new level of devotion was recognized when one of her 8-year-old twins was assigned the classroom task of writing about heroes. Guess who he chose for a subject? “He said I was his hero because I am in school, I’m real smart, I study all the time and I go to MSU,” May said with a chuckle. She also said returning to school is providing a clear benefit at work since the material learned in class is directly applied to her day-to-day job responsibilities. Part of her duties involves benefit analysis “to make sure we are staying on top of the healthcare trends,” May explained. For example, she recently employed a formula learned in a statistics class taught by biology instructor Jarrod Fogarty to determine “how many employees are utilizing our retail pharmacy.” She then shared that information with supervisor Joel Windham, Anderson’s vice president of human resources and organizational development. “Education is the source of renewal in a successful organization,” Windham said. “It’s a tremendous asset for our department, as well as for the hospital, to have someone working for us as motivated to learn as Casey is. She is a real blessing and we are proud of what she is accomplishing!” May said taking classes part-time helps minimize her overall
Dear Alumni and Friends, From reading these articles, you get a taste of how exciting things are here in the College of Arts & Sciences. From classics and archaeology, to geology and broadcast meteorology, our students and faculty are having a global impact. Support for study abroad is a priority for our college. Whether it is a two-week study or a whole semester abroad, we believe there is real value in international opportunities. Our graduates will enter a globally connected society and workforce. As a land grant institution, you know that we have a mission to educate the people of our state and region. Of course, many of our students have never traveled outside of the south, let alone internationally. Our first hurdle is simply letting our students know the opportunities exist and that they are capable of engaging in them. We are making great strides in this both as a College and as a University. Our second hurdle is that study abroad experiences are relatively expensive. For a student working through school or accumulating student loans, it is hard to make the decision to engage in a valueadded opportunity like study abroad. We are working to create a scholarship fund to help our students in Arts & Sciences experience the larger world via study abroad. An anonymous donor has offered to match up to $50,000 for an endowed scholarship supporting students going on foreign language based study abroad trips. Will you partner with us in this effort and help us meet his challenge? While we have more students than ever before participating in study abroad, there are many, many more who do not because they cannot afford it. If you would like to support our students through study abroad scholarships, please contact me at amcintosh@ foundation.msstate.edu or 662-324-3240. Thank you for all that you do for the College of Arts & Sciences and MSU!
work load and still leaves time for her family. Her goal is to finish her degree in 2017 before her 14-year-old son graduates high school the following year.
Hail state,
Having completed her first semester, May is able to confidently share an observation with others whose situations were similar to hers: taking the first step is the biggest hurdle to going back to
Alex McIntosh
school. “I was worried about a lot of different factors, but I’ve had a great experience at MSU-Meridian,” she said, adding that she readily encourages others thinking about returning to school to give it a try. “I’m so glad I did!” For more about MSU-Meridian degree offerings, visit www. meridian.msstate.edu/academics.
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Director of Development (Class of ’07, ’12) College of Arts & Sciences
EMINENT SCHOLAR AWARDS
CLINTON E. WALLACE EMINENT SCHOLAR AWARD: STACY HAYNES By Christine Bowman
Stacy Haynes is the 2014 Clinton E. Wallace Eminent Scholar. An assistant professor of sociology who came to Mississippi State in 2008, her university research focuses on issues related to victimization, sentencing, juvenile justice and criminal justice policy. She currently is working through the National Institute of Corrections on two projects. The first examines the mental and physical health of incarcerated women in Mississippi, while the second focuses on providing the general public with current and accurate information about correction topics. Haynes received bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from Western Kentucky University in 2002. She then enrolled at Pennsylvania State University, where she completed a master’s in 2004 and, four years later, a doctorate in crime, law and justice. “It’s hard to say when I first became interested in sociology, but my interests in sentencing and victimization, more specifically, developed during my time at Penn State,” she said. “As a graduate student, I spent several years working with the Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing and on a research project examining restitution and victim compensation orders in Pennsylvania,” she explained. Haynes said she deeply appreciates the many campus mentors and collaborators “who have assisted me in getting my research off the ground.” Specifically, she cited colleagues in the sociology department, Social Science Research Center and Office of Research and Economic Development.
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
EMINENT SCHOLAR AWARDS BEVERLY B. AND GORDON W. GULMON EMINENT SCHOLAR: STEPHEN BRAIN By Hannah Rinehart
Stephen Brain, graduate coordinator for the Department of History, is the 2014 Beverly B. and Gordon W. Gulmon Eminent Scholar. An associate professor, he joined the history faculty in 2007 after completing a doctorate at the University of California-Berkeley. As a specialist in Soviet environmental history, Brain currently is working on two research projects, one of which will require multiple trips to Russia. “I’m studying how the Soviets thought their southern landscape worked and what kind of agriculture worked there best,” he said. “It would be something like Kansas or Nebraska with similar rainfall. “We irrigate places like that in the U.S., but they don’t do that there,” he continued. “The rivers don’t lend themselves to irrigation or canals very well. So, the American plan of irrigation was not a valid response in the Russian setting. I’m researching how they responded to that.” Because it now is possible to investigate other aspects of Cold War environmental diplomacy without the need for overseas travel, Brain also is examining “to what degree the Soviet Union and the United States influenced each other to do things they wouldn’t have done otherwise.” He observed that, while “the Cold War had so many awful aspects, it could be that the competition created a setting where environmental diplomacy and environment treaties were more likely to be signed.” Beyond teaching and research work, Brain currently is working to establish a study-abroad program to Moscow. He said he feels it imperative that Mississippi State students develop an awareness and appreciation of other nations. With global attention currently focused on armed conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, as well as many other locales, this is essential, he added. “That’s why I’d like the students to go over there, get a real understanding of how Russians think, see the other side of the story and be an infinitesimal part of this history as it is unfolding,” Brain said. “When people have more contact with each other, it makes peaceful solutions more likely.”
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
EMINENT SCHOLAR AWARDS HUNTER HENRY FAMILY EMINENT SCHOLAR AWARD: RENEE CLARY By Christine Bowman
Renee Clary, director of the Dunn-Seiler Geology Museum, is the 2014 Hunter Henry Family Eminent Scholar. An associate professor of geology, she is a University of Louisiana at Lafayette chemistry graduate, with minors in business management, physics and mathematics. After teaching high school chemistry and calculus for a time, she returned to ULL to earn a master’s in geology and education. That was followed with a doctorate in geoscience education from Louisiana State University, where she researched the history and philosophy of geology and their implications for geoscience education. “One reason I enjoy the university environment so much is that it brings incredible freedom for research,” Clary said. Her MSU research spans such topics as the Golden Age of Geology (17881840), works of English geologist and paleontologist Henry De la Beche, women in geology and the progression of geological mapping innovations. She also has a special interest in visualization strategies and how to convey scientific information in various settings. “The late Jim Wandersee and I founded EarthScholars Research Group (at LSU) to promote interdisciplinary geology-biology education, since science education has unfortunately, and artificially, compartmentalized science learning into discrete classes,” Clary explained. She also had formed a partnership with a current National Science Foundation Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow to research and improve an underdeveloped and underutilized fossil park site in Fairborn, Ohio. “I am incredibly honored to have been selected as a Dean’s Eminent Scholar,” Clary said. “We have outstanding faculty researchers in the College of Arts & Sciences, and it is hard to fathom that I was actually chosen among my incredible group of colleagues to receive this award.”
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015
24
DEAN STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL Front Row, L-R: Jayme Castillo, Susie Witkiewicz, Becca Cash, Lisa Boney, Kayleigh Sandhu, Kylie Dennis, Jenna Kilgore 2nd: Emily Kolano, Sally White, Katie McCracken, Ashley Adams, Breana Miller, Casey Caveness 3rd: Kristen Kennedy, Christine Bowman, Molly Beckwith, Meredith Pearson, Haley Hardman, Paul Walker 4th: Damarius Harris, Jon Gutman, Jordan Dressman, Tucker Fleming, Drew Campbell, Pierson Crowder
SOCIETY OF
SCHOLARS Brandon L. Anderson Joshua K. Bedi Tineka R. Burkhead Anna M. Warren Thomas A. Ricks IV Benjamin P. Stevens Jamie A. Aron Abby L. Bassie Zachary W. Anderson Benjamin S. Vargason Kylie A. Dennis Leslie R. Howard Selah L. Weems
25
Andrew T. Hanna Paul M. Barrett Mary K. McGowan Mallory G. Parker Brian D. Tow Thomas A. Burnham Leanna S. Warren Michael A. “Drew” Camron Katherine T. Davis Matthew G. Dunaway Sally J. White Brittany L. Bane
VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
JOHN MYLROIE NAMED OLDHAM FACULTY MENTOR By Hannah Rinehart
John Mylroie, newly retired geology professor in the Department of Geosciences, is the 2014 Phil and Kari Oldham Faculty Mentor. A 1977 doctoral graduate of New York’s Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Mylroie taught for eight years at Murray State University in Kentucky before coming to Mississippi State in 1985 as head of the university’s then-Department of Geology and Geography, now the Department of Geosciences. Accompanying him to campus was a field program Mylroie had established at the Gerace Research Centre on San Salvador Island, Bahamas. He began an annual trip for MSU students to study coral reefs, limestone deposition and caves, his primary research areas. By enabling research in the Bahamas and, later, throughout the world, the field program became a magnet for student recruitment. With Joan, his wife, research partner and MSU geography instructor, Mylroie traveled to more than 40 countries to examine how cave development influences water resources, contaminant transport, hydrocarbon reservoirs and tourist operations. As he explained, their work often “involved islands where all
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
food and freshwater had to be manually brought in while living in tents in the jungle amongst snakes, biting insects and plants with thorns and poison.” Among many career achievements, Mylroie was founding president of the Karst Waters Institute in Leesburg, Virginia, an internationally recognized organization that promotes research into caves and related features. He was twice recognized for professional achievements by the National Speleological Society, including the 2008 Honorary Member Award, its highest tribute. In addition to producing more than 250 professional papers and co-authoring two books on cave and karst science, he helped develop MSU students that went on to become major figures in the fossil fuel industry, as well as at higher education institutions and government agencies. “The students have been the single most rewarding aspect of my career,” he emphasized. Mylroie also said Mississippi State had been “very good to my family and me,” adding that all three of the couple’s sons hold graduate degrees from the land-grant institution.
2015 ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR
WE WANT YOUR
Malcolm Lightsey Lightsey is the retired president and CEO of SunTech Inc. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics in 1961 and 1963, respectively.
news! Simply send an e-mail or letter to:
2014 ALUMNA FELLOW
Karyn Brown
Director of Communication Mississippi State University College of Arts & Sciences P.O. Box AS Mississippi State, MS 39762 kbrown@deanas.msstate.edu
VISION magazine is the newsletter for alumni,
Diane Roberts Roberts received two zoology degrees from MSU - a Bachelor of Science and a Masters of Science, earned in 1963 and 1964, respectively. She went on to receive a Doctor of Science from University of Texas School of Public Health in Houston, Texas.
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
students, faculty and friends of the College of Arts & Sciences. We want to showcase the great things the College has to offer, and to do that, we need your help. Past issues have featured pretigious awards won by professors, organizations making a difference in the community and impressive faculty projects. If you have anything that you feel would fit in with what we do, please send it to us!
SUCCESS
DISCOVERY
OUTREACH
GLOBALIZATION
EXPERIENCE
Reporting Success Each day, Mississippi State University’s faculty and students are finding success through opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. Thanks to the financial support from our many alumni and friends, students like Kaitlyn can gain valuable real-world experience while at MSU.
KAITLYN BYRNE CLASS OF 2014 REFLECTOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT, FOUNDATION AMBASSADOR
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VISION SPRING/SUMMER 2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
FRANCES MCDAVID MSU ALUMNA REFLECTOR ADVISER, JOURNALISM INSTRUCTOR
Post Office Box AS Mississippi State, MS 39762
Mailing Address: Post Office Box AS Mississippi State, MS 39762
Physical Address: 175 Presidents Circle Mississippi State, MS 39762
Mississippi State University complies with all applicable laws regarding affirmative action and equal opportunity in all its activities and programs and does not discriminate against anyone protected by law because of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, handicap, or status as a veteran or disabled veteran.