FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
Learning through Discovery A PUBLICATION OF THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
R
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL 2013
DEAR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS: What an amazing time to be a Bulldog! The excitement over the success of our football team this past fall has been contagious. The amount of positive exposure and publicity surrounding our team and our institution has been overwhelming. As a result, our University and its programs have been introduced to an even wider, national audience. For those of us fortunate to work on campus, this time has only reinforced our pride in Mississippi State. The College of Arts & Sciences continues to flourish and grow. Our college remains the largest on campus in student enrollment with over 5,000 majors and graduate students. We also have a very large and diverse faculty, which I am pleased to report is growing in order to keep up with student and research demand. This academic year we welcomed 33 outstanding faculty to the College. These faculty members represent nearly every academic field of study within our College and are already off to an amazing start. For example, Dr. Heather Jordan, a new assistant professor of biological sciences, just received a major grant from the National Institute of Justice to better understand biological processes for forensic investigations in criminal justice. And, Dr. Adam Skarke, a new assistant professor of geosciences (featured in this issue of Vision), has identified new methane gas reserves on the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean. Skarke’s discovery may suggest new and additional energy sources. The theme of this issue of Vision is discovery. Discovery is a fundamental part of learning and producing knowledge. We are very proud that our students benefit from the scientific, humanistic, and creative discoveries of our own faculty, but we are even more proud that we can provide an educational environment where our students can participate in making their own discoveries. I sincerely hope you will enjoy reading about some of the incredible work that is being done by our students and faculty. I know you will be impressed. As always, thank you for your continued support of the College of Arts & Sciences at Mississippi State University. I wish you the very best in the new year. Hail State!
R. Gregory Dunaway Dean
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 14 LEGACY AWARDS
18 SOCIETY OF SCHOLARS
19 EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD
26 RETIRESS/NEW FACULTY
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Searching Beyond to Discover
ARTS & SCIENCES STAFF 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
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Robots vs. Humans
Writing a State History
8
LAURA DUNN - Admissions Coordinator TRACY BRITT - Academic Coordinator BARBARA STEWART - Academic Coordinator ALISA WHITTLE - Administrative Assistant to the Dean SIMONE COTTRELL - Administrative Assistant WHITNEY PETERSON - Administrative Assistant JOY SMITH - Administrative Assistant
10 Philosophy/ Religion Department
11 Explore the Night at the Observatory
12 Lee Hall Renovation
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Student Workers: DAMARIUS HARRIS - Student Worker ADAM SIMONTON - Student Worker MARCY SLOWIK - Student Worker FEI FEI ZENG - Student Worker
Editors: KARYN BROWN LAURA DUNN
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16
21
HANNAH RINEHART
Writers:
Student Feature: Lisa Boney
Food for Thought
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Dr. Henry Memorial
Hannah Rinehart
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 THE COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Audra Gines Erin Patterson
Designer: Eric Abbott
Searching Beyond to Discover by Leah Barbour
T
found Ptolemeba bulliensis and a second, closely related protist,
he College of Arts & Sciences is dedicated to research
Ptolemeba noxubium, collected from the Sam D. Hamilton
and discovery. Both faculty and students are encouraged
Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge, located approximately 15 miles
to breach the realm of the unknown in order to make
south of campus.
enlightening discoveries that can change entire fields of research.
Both of these organisms were collected, isolated and classified by
Whether it is undergraduate students, graduate students, or faculty,
the small team of undergraduates in the Department of Biological
the College of Arts & Sciences supports its researchers in their
Sciences. Dr. Matthew Brown, an MSU biological sciences assistant
incredible endeavors.
professor at and head of the Evolutionary Protistology Laboratory
MUD PUDDLE DISCOVERIES: FINDING NEW LIFE IN UNUSUAL PLACES
in Harned Hall, was the advising faculty member. Pamela
Watson
of
Murfreesboro,
Tennessee,
a
junior
microbiology major, became lead author of the scientific paper about the protist discovery, which was recently published in the
Just outside Harned Hall, the home of the College of Arts & Sciences’ Department of Biological Sciences, a never-before
4
Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology. Watson is also responsible for the name of the new protist that honors MSU’s first bulldog mascot.
identified unicellular microscopic protist was scooped from a
“I learned that the first ‘Bully’ was named Ptolemy, and I thought
courtyard mud puddle. In September 2013, three undergraduates
that would be fitting for us to name the genus for something about
By: Kayleigh Swisher VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
the campus…it highlights the history of Mississippi State,” Watson
lab. Brown was recently awarded a Henry Family Research Fund
said.
in the College of Arts & Sciences initiation grant to increase his
She, along with senior medical technology major Stephanie C. Sorrel of Warner Robins, Georgia, and junior chemistry major
laboratory’s efforts in clarifying the relationships among amoeboid microbes.
Nicholas R. Lee of Brandon, Mississippi, were working in Brown’s
“I was showing the students the morphological and molecular
laboratory when the samples were collected. They participated in
techniques to identify the organisms and place them on the
documenting and classifying the protists, though Lee was unable to
phylogenic tree,” the University of Arkansas doctoral graduate
continue the project through the completion of the scientific paper.
explained. “The ‘aha moment’ came in early November (2013) when
Since the students collected the organisms, Brown said they
all three of the students were working in concert. Each isolated an
deserved the opportunity to experience the entire scientific process
organism, and each did the gene sequencing analysis, and all the
of organism discovery, from isolating samples to isolating the
organisms were so closely related.”
protists’ DNA, to drafting the highly technical journal submission.
Brown said he hopes the students’ groundbreaking achievement
Watson said Brown’s interest in unicellular creatures and their
will alert the larger scientific community to the commitment of
position on the evolutionary tree inspires her own passion for
MSU Biological Science research and the future discoveries of MSU
science and research. Not only did she switch her academic major
biological sciences students and researchers.
from biochemistry to microbiology, she also changed her intended career track. “While the paper process was one of the most stressful
DISCOVERING DINOSAURS: VIRTUALLY DISSECTING FOSSILIZED EGGS
experiences of my adult life, it changed what I wanted to do,” she said. “I was pre-med, but now I’ve found my niche. I want to go to grad school, get my Ph.D. and do research. I want to be a professor.”
How do you examine the inside of a fossilized egg without opening it?
Brown said the students’ report of their discovery constitutes
This research question drives John Paul Jones, a doctoral graduate
the first independently published manuscript produced by his MSU
of earth and atmospheric sciences at MSU. After he discovered a fully-intact clutch of fossilized dinosaur eggs in Montana in 2002, he’s worked to answer that question using Mississippi State resources. To avoid destroying the precious discovery, Jones, with the support of grants from the MSU graduate school and the Department of Geosciences, traveled to the United Kingdom where there is a highresolution 3D x-ray scanner in Oxfordshire. He collaborated with the Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales to dissect the eggs virtually to discover the genus and species of the dinosaurs. The dinosaurs contained in the eggs may be a type of hadrosaur, a duck-billed dinosaur with a hollow crest on its head. However, Jones needs more information before coming to any definite conclusions. The virtual images, particularly of the dinosaur’s skull and pelvis, will help him make the final identification. “I’m reluctant to say exactly what type of hadrosaur, but it looks like, from the lower resolution scans we already have, that there is a crest on the skull, which narrows it down to just a couple of species,” said Jones. “If the imaging in the U.K. is good enough, we may even be able to tell what sex it was.” Dr. Rinat Gabitov, assistant professor of geosciences at MSU, explained that the synchrotron-imaging technique is made for examining structures as small as one-tenth of the diameter of human hair. This high-power technology in Oxfordshire did not, however, provide Jones with his first glimpse inside the eggs. “In 2012, Jones’ MSU research team generated more than 10,000 scans when the dinosaur eggs were X-rayed by the LightSpeed VCT
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
5
64-Slice CT Scanner,” Gabitov explained.
plumes, which correspond to places where methane gas is seeping
These initial viewings were made possible by MSU’s Institute
out of the seafloor, Skarke worked closely with Brown University
for Imaging and Analytical Technologies and Premier Imaging in
undergraduate and NOAA Hollings Scholar Mali’o Kodis during the
Starkville.
summer of 2013.
“One of the CT scans we did shows a definite and complete
“Methane often naturally leaks from the seafloor, particularly in
articulated embryo. I also found one egg was partially hollow…
petroleum basins like the Gulf of Mexico or on tectonically active
but in the other two eggs, the resolution just wasn’t high enough,”
continental margins like the U.S. Pacific Coast,” Skarke said.
Jones said. Along with the eggs he found in 2002, Jones also examined another clutch of similar eggs he found in 2013 near the same site in Montana. “It’ll be the first time anyone’s ever identified an embryo using the synchrotron method,” he said. After the eggs were scanned, the Amgueddfa Cymru-National Museum Wales displayed the eggs in accordance with their collaborative agreement with Jones. When the eggs return to the U.S. , they will be displayed by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
However, the geologic characteristics of the U.S. Atlantic margin suggest the seepage was not necessarily expected there because the tectonically passive area lacks an underlying petroleum basin. “Although methane, or natural gas, is used as an energy source worldwide, the type of methane leaking at most of the seep sites is probably produced by micro-organisms digesting organic matter in the shallow sediments,” he said. None of the evidence compiled by the scientists suggests the seeps tap into deep natural gas reservoirs that can be used for energy. “Methane is a strong greenhouse gas, but nearly all of the seeps
Jones said, “If I can, in fact, document that I’ve found a nesting
described in the new study leak at such deep ocean depths that
site where dinosaurs came back and nested en masse, then that tells us
methane does not reach the atmosphere directly,” Skarke emphasized.
more about the behavior of these animals.”
Instead, micro-organisms in the water column transform most of the methane into carbon dioxide, making ocean waters more acidic, which can harm some types of marine life.
WAVES OF CHANGE: DISCOVERING METHANE LEAKAGE ON THE SEAFLOOR
“The NOAA OER program used its remotely operated vehicle to visit about one percent of the seeps in 2013, and it found welldeveloped communities of chemosynthetic mussels thriving near
Dr. Adam Skarke, an assistant professor in the Department of
the methane plumes. Two years ago, no human had ever seen these
Geosciences in the College of Arts & Sciences, is lead author of a
seafloor communities that have now been found at the seep sites,”
study that’s raising new questions about geology, oceanography and
Skarke said
seafloor ecosystems. Skarke’s scientific team discovered methane
He said additional research questions for deep sea ecologists include
seeps in unlikely places along the seafloor on the northern part of
determining how separate seeps are colonized with new life, as well as
the U.S. Atlantic margin. The group’s scientific paper, “Widespread
understanding the structure of the communities and the relationships
methane leakage from the sea floor on the northern U.S. Atlantic
among bacteria, small fauna and larger organisms, like mussels.
margin,” was published online on Aug. 24 by the peer-reviewed journal Nature Geoscience. Before he joined the faculty in the Department of Geosciences,
he said. “One unique aspect of the program that made it so
Skarke worked as a physical scientist at the National Oceanic and
enjoyable to work there was the fact that we collected many types of
Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration
data about U.S. oceans and made the data immediately available to
and Research (OER). As part of a large team of scientists and
the scientific community for studies that could not otherwise have
technicians, Skarke participated in many cruises on the NOAA ship
been completed.”
Okeanos Explorer as it mapped the Atlantic Ocean floor between North Carolina and Cape Cod. “The discovery of gas plumes in the water column over the seafloor, detailed in the new publication, used data the ship collected starting in 2011,” Skarke said. He and his colleagues found 570 methane seeps in this area, compared to only three formerly known sites. To analyze the NOAA OER data and locate the positions of the
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“A cornerstone of the NOAA OER program is the collection of data that can lead to new discoveries for the scientific community,”
VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
Skarke said he appreciates the support of MSU administrators, especially those in the Department of Geosciences of the College of Arts & Sciences, as he and his collaborators readied the research for publication in a top-tier, peer-reviewed journal. By encouraging research at every level of education and supporting those researchers every step of the way, the College of Arts & Sciences helps its faculty and students make their mark on modern academia.
ROBOTS vs. HUMANS A Collaborative Project
By Hannah Rinehart
C
ould robot interviewers help communicate with children who have been bullied or abused? This question drives a project titled “Use of Robots
as Intermediaries to Gather Sensitive Information from Children” being
“Dr. Eakin’s lab is currently developing and hosting a database of children in the area between the ages of eight and twelve that would be interested in participating research studies that our labs are conducting,” Bethel said.
funded by the National Science Foundation. It is a collaboration between
“We are in the early development stages and plan to begin the first
researchers in Mississippi State’s College of Arts & Sciences and Bagley
data collection involving eyewitness memory in children beginning in
College of Engineering.
January 2015,” she continued. “We are currently ordering robots, setting
“The idea for this project originally happened when I was in graduate school, but it became more fully developed during my postdoctoral
up and building the interview space at I2AT, designing the interfaces and programming the robots.”
position as an NSF Computing Innovation Fellow at Yale University,”
May said future phases of the project “will compare robot interviewers
explained Dr. Cindy Bethel of the Department of Computer Science and
with human interviewers to determine whether robots elicit higher levels
Engineering. “While there, I began this research with a published study
of comfort, understandability and likeability than human interviewers
titled ‘Secret-Sharing: Interactions between a Child, Robot, and Adult.’”
when interviewing children about bullying victimization and other
Bethel directs the Social, Therapeutic and Robotic Systems Laboratory
scenarios designed to examine their ability to recall factual information.”
and is a Research Fellow with the Human Factors Group of the university’s
May said he, Eakin and Pilkinton will then compare the robots
Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems. Since joining the MSU faculty, she
and human interviewers in the first two years of the project. “We will
has worked with Dr. Deborah Eakin of the Department of Psychology.
compare robot interviewers with human interviewers to determine if
“She and I started looking at the differences between a human versus a robot interviewer on eyewitness memory in college-aged students,” Bethel said. “We published a paper together titled ‘Eyewitnesses are Misled by Human but Not Robot Interviewers.’”
robot interviewers develop better rapport with children who have been victimized by traumatic events.” In the final part of the project, the team will explore whether “socially intelligent” robots and humans—those who have been programmed or
In time, the two researchers decided to combine their collaboration
trained in techniques, mannerisms and strategies designed to build rapport
with a student-led project headed by sociology graduate student Megan
and enhance communication in interview settings—are able to gain
Stubbs Richardson of Starkville titled “Developing a Robot Application
more factual information and build better rapport with interviewees than
for Bullying Intervention.” It was this faculty-student effort that was
robots and humans who have not been programmed or trained in those
chosen for full NSF funding in July.
techniques.
Bethel is the principal investigator, while Eakin is a co-principal
Bethel, trained as a forensic interviewer for children by the Huntsville,
investigator. Also working on the project as co-principal investigators
Alabama-based National Child Advocacy Center, will use forensic
are Dr. David May, associate professor of criminology, and Dr. Melinda
interviewing skills to examine these questions in the third and fourth years
Pilkinton, associate professor of social work.
of the project.
The project’s research, which is divided into four stages spanning four
“By the end of the project, we hope to know whether robot interviewers
years, will be conducted at the Institute for Imaging and Analytical
are better than human interviewers in obtaining factual information from
Technologies (I2AT) in the Premier Medical center in Starkville.
children that have been bullied or abused and whether these children
Bethel said the project will also include her STaRS Lab and Eakin’s Memory and Metamemory Laboratory.
feel more comfortable disclosing that information to robot or human interviewers,” May said.
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
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Meridian-based Historian and Teacher Writes New State History By Audra Gines
D
Dr. Rafferty
ennis Mitchell, a professor of history and chair of the Division of Arts & Sciences at Mississippi State University-Meridian, is playing a major role in the rediscovery and updating of the Magnolia State’s travel from pre-history to the 21st century. Released earlier this year by University Press of Mississippi, his book entitled “A New History of Mississippi” includes more than 600 pages of photos and narratives. Containing both familiar and untold stories that have marked Mississippi’s past, it is the first of its type compiled since the 1976 bicentennial history over four decades ago. Mitchell, who grew up just across the state line in Florence, Alabama, said he developed a love of history and biography early in life. “From elementary school, I loved reading history and biography,” he said. “The history that I was taught back then was approved by the (United) Daughters of the Confederacy.”
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VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
He said it did not take long for him to realize he was only getting part of the story. As an avid reader who frequently used the town library, he came to realize discrepancies between the UDC-approved texts and other books available beyond the school grounds. That realization ultimately led to a personal distrust of what teachers were telling him and, he added, helped launch his path toward discovering history on his own. After completing a bachelor’s degree at Florence State University (now University of North Alabama), Mitchell began advance studies in history at the University of Mississippi, where he would receive a master’s degree in 1973 and a doctorate in 1976. As he was finishing graduate school, the Magnolia State found itself in the midst of controversy about the content of public school textbooks. As it turned out, Mitchell would serve in 1980 on a state committee that was helping set the history curriculum for schools.
He is proud to say that the committee was successful in getting a new history adopted, adding, “We co-authored a textbook, which was the most widely used,” and “is just now being phased out.” For Mitchell, undertaking the writing of a 21st century edition of the state’s history was the culmination of 30-plus years of teaching the subject, as well as an appreciation of the need for an updated view of the past. Also, feeling there are many lessons still to be learned, a fresh look back should give all who love Mississippi an opportunity to reflect anew upon the past and hopefully learn from it, he said. “Mississippi can’t make all the changes it needs to until Mississippians understand the past,” he said. “People still believe in the myths about Mississippi’s history.” He continued: “One of the points I make in the book is that for a hundred years, Mississippi had a black majority. Most Mississippian’s are shocked to hear that. That simple fact explains a lot.” Mitchell said his “big hope” is that by appreciating this “simple fact,” some residents “would behave differently.” In his new history, Mitchell purposefully included stories about Native Americans, women and minorities that traditional histories either marginalized or left out. Mitchell uses the new book as his classroom text and at least one indicator of his success in making it as well-rounded as possible came during the fall semester. As he tells it, a young African American man told him he “was pleased by that part of the story.” After having spent more than three years of hard work and dedication, Mitchell said it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly which part of the book can be regarded as his favorite. “It’s hard to choose; it is like choosing a favorite child,” he said, with a laugh. “If I had to choose, it might be the period of the 1970’s.” He admitted that covering this period caused him to resort to a novel titled “The Rock Cried Out.” Set in 1970s Mississippi, the book was written by Mississippi native Josephine Haxton (1921-2012), known to most by the pen name Ellen Douglas. “I struggled a bit, and then I went to her novel and used the characters out of her novel to illustrate that period,” he said. “That was a challenging piece.” If he has any advice for budding historians or writers in general, Mitchell said the key is learning to love what you do. For a lover of teaching and history, this marriage of the two couldn’t have been a better fit for him. “I enjoy it; it’s fun! I can’t imagine retiring and not doing it anymore,” Mitchell said. As he looks back to the three-year labor of love, Mitchell said his accomplishment would not have been possible without the help of others. “I did this book in Meridian, and the library (staff there) was incredibly supportive,” he said. “They found everything I needed: obscure articles, dissertations, theses, inter-library loans and electronics. “I did it all from Meridian, so I appreciate all their help.”
“MISSISSIPPI
CAN’T MAKE ALL THE CHANGES IT NEEDS TO UNTIL MISSISSIPPIANS UNDERSTAND THE PAST”
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
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The Department of
Philosophy and Religion
BREAKING THE MOLD OF TRADITIONAL TEACHING AND THINKING By Erin Patterson
T
o incorporate new and innovative directions involving some unlikely partners in the field of social science, the Department of Philosophy and Religion has updated its fields of study. “Philosophy and religion have undergone major changes in the past 50 years to become more contemporary and interdisciplinary fields of study,” explained Dr. John Bickle, department head. “They no longer are studies of ancient philosophers and their way of thinking, but they have now grown into fields of research, teaching and application.” As a result, Bickle said the department is revolutionizing the way students will be taught to apply the skills of these subjects. One way is research in applied ethics, where Bickle said a partnership has begun with the Office of Research and Economic Development to work on external grants for exploring questions that arise in the field. In particular, this involves the attitudes of students from different cultural backgrounds toward research ethics, especially in terms of legitimate authorship and mentorship. Through collaborations with the Department of Sociology, College of Business and the Social Science Research Center, he said the department seeks to employ its findings. The goal is to better develop educational programs in authorship and mentorship and research into the way students think about ethical research and what it means to them, he added. Another partnership with other departments in the social sciences seek to research and discover new ideas and
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VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
techniques of asking philosophical questions through the lens of science. Dr. Robert Thompson, an associate professor, has been investigating the development of children’s minds. Seeking to learn at what age children become aware that other humans have minds, he has utilized a series of different tests that psychologists and cognitive scientists use to explore this question even further. Bickle said Thompson’s research shows a direct intersection between traditional questions in the philosophy of language and work in developmental psychology with a regard to language learning and mind attribution. Bickle said the department also has launched curriculum changes and revisions to incorporate the new trends, ideas and techniques. Classes now will focus on how philosophy applies to everyday life instead of focusing just on the wise words of ancient philosophers. Students will continue to work closely with advisers to tailor their education in areas of interest and receive attention needed to be well-rounded within their discipline. In addition to traditional strengths of reading and writing, students will graduate from the program with a background in sciences and other disciplines. Bickle said the goal is to produce graduates with a philosophy background to tackle abstract questions, as well as a background in related disciplines to ground that abstract knowledge.
Explore the Night Sky at Howell Observatory By Audra Gines
M
ississippi State’s Howell Observatory has long been a place for observing and studying the solar system, constellations and other planets—and, if the timing is right, spotting the International Space Station and other spacecraft passing high overhead. Operated by the university’s Department of Astronomy and Physics and open to the public 12 times a year, the facility currently is located south of main campus on grounds of the H. H. Leveck Animal Research Center, known to most as the South Farm. Dr. Angelle Tanner, assistant professor of astrophysics, said visitors may view some spectacular sights through the lens of the observatory’s highly light-sensitive telescopes, including an eight-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, 10-inch Newtonian reflector and 14-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain. “It is the size of the telescope that decides the faintness you can observe and the amount of detail you can observe,”
she explained. “They are good for observing planets, the Andromeda Galaxy and the constellations” and “there are lasers to show off the constellations.” Tanner added: “Viewing Saturn should be on everyone’s bucket list.” In addition to Saturn, she said “the moon and Jupiter are the most beautiful” to observe, noting that “you can even see the bands on Jupiter in the early morning” while “Mars looks like a tiny red dot.” Tanner and Dr. Donna M. Pierce, a departmental colleague and astrophysics associate professor, coordinate public events held at the observatory. One major activity takes place around the end of October when “Halloween at the Howell” often attracts long lines of visitors waiting to view the solar system on clear fall nights. Tanner said increasing visits by members of the campus and Golden Triangle communities is a major observatory goal. Typical patrons include parents who enjoy astronomy and bring their children to, hopefully, continue that interest. Also, MSU’s Astronomy Club sponsors programs so students may learn how to use the viewing equipment and possibly peak their interest. “It’s a nice way to show people some of what astronomers do, in regards to viewing the solar system,” Tanner said. Because of a new public-access road being built through the South Farm that will link Poorhouse Road to the MSU campus, Tanner said the observatory is seeking a new location. While the roadway will be convenient for many, the light pollution caused by required roadway illumination potentially will make night viewings difficult. “It needs to be moved to a location that is dark, but close,” she observed. To keep up with upcoming observatory events, visit the department’s website at www.physics.msstate.edu. COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
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COMING BACK HOME By: Erin Patterson
“THE SPACE IS WONDERFUL; HIGH CEILINGS, PERIOD COLORS AND MODERN SYSTEMS”
T
he historic anchor on the north
Departments of English and Classical and
students to participate in small-group work, as
end of the equally historic Drill
Modern Languages and Literature (formerly
well as major technological upgrades available
field, Lee Hall has reopened after
Foreign Languages). Classical and modern
in new “smart” classrooms now located in the
undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation
languages is on the first floor; English is on the
basement.
over the past two years.
second.
The four-story brick Beaux Arts building and
designated
Mississippi
Landmark
teachers
to
enjoy
a
more
interactive
is
said he and others in classical and modern
learning environment in more comfortable
among campus memorials to Stephen D. Lee,
languages “have been energized by the move
surroundings where students may better
the 136-year-old land-grant institution’s first
back to a renovated Lee.
express their thoughts and ideas.
president. Built in 1909, it initially served as an academic building and campus chapel.
“The space is wonderful; high ceilings, period
Another major change for Lee Hall is found
colors and modern systems,” he added. “Our
on the third and fourth floors that were
The recent renovation was not the first
faculty, of course, are overjoyed about their
damaged so heavily in the 1948 conflagration.
remodeling project. Probably the most extensive
offices and teaching spaces, both in terms of
The entire fourth floor now is home to offices
followed a 1948 fire that destroyed most of the
their central location on the Drill Field and just
of President Mark E. Keenum, while the third
third and fourth floors with damages estimated
the clean, bright, open internal spaces.”
has the offices of Dr. Jerry Gilbert, provost
around a million dollars. For decades, the venerable structure has been home to the College of Arts & Sciences’
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Dr. Lynn Holt, interim department head,
Both agreed the improvements enable
Dr. Rich Raymond, department head of English,
and executive vice president, and David Shaw,
said he and his colleagues are especially excited
vice president for research and economic
about new seating options that will better enable
development.
VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
M
any students are able to choose a major that is specific to their future career goals, but it is not always so easy for others.
“ I am just forging my own path,” said Lisa T. Boney of Brandon, Mississippi. Boney is a senior microbiology major pursuing a chemistry and economics double minor while planning a career in public health, a path she decided on as a sophmore. “There aren’t many schools that offer an undergraduate degree in public health; it’s a field that many people do not know much about,” the daughter of Jeb and Linda Boney explained.
Even at her young age, Boney has gained considerable
experience in leadership and research, two areas critical in the public health field. Last spring, she interned with MSU’s nationally recognized Social Science Research Center, studying early infant feeding behaviors among teen mothers. “I traveled around the state compiling data and wrote the report over the summer,” she said. Additionally, Boney also has completed an internship at a Baltimore, Maryland, HIV clinic operated by the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Part of a program sponsored by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, her work there involved helping adolescents and other patients cope with recent HIV
Student Feature:
LISA BONEY By Hannah Rinehart
diagnoses. “It was more about the emotional needs than the medical ones,” said Boney, alluding to the leadership aspect of the public health field. The program did not focus so much on the medical treatment as enabling those effected to better deal with their health issues, she noted. Boney also was a part of—and continues to work with—the Baltimore-based Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Project Picnic. A program designed to combat food insecurity, it operates on the basic premise that doctors will prescribe certain healthy foods for patients who then purchase those foods through stores participating in the project. After graduation, Boney plans to seek a master’s degree. Because so few schools offer graduate degrees in public health, she will have to leave Mississippi, but not indefinitely. While she would consider a position with the CDC, her plans currently lie closer to home. Through her graduate work and future career, Boney wants to continue focusing on nutrition-based health disparities. “I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi,” Boney said. “I have a lot of respect for the state, and I plan to return here. “Yes, Mississippi has problems related to public health, but we can solve them,” she emphasized.
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
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The
Legacy Award
Recipients By Audra Gines
At 89, Wolverton constantly amazes colleagues and students with his unprecedented commitment to the classroom. In addition to being named a Grisham Master Teacher, he has been honored with, among others, the MSU Alumni Association Award for Undergraduate Teaching, Outstanding Humanities Faculty Member Award and Mississippi Blue Cross/Blue Shield Ageless Hero Award for Creativity. During the 2006-07 school year, he was MSU’s selection for an outstanding faculty member honor given annually by the Mississippi Legislature. He also is the author of In Other Words: A Lexicon of
During the 2014 spring semester faculty meeting, Dean R. Gregory Dunaway unveiled a new College of Arts & Sciences recognition of top faculty members in Mississippi State’s largest academic unit. Dunaway said the Legacy Award was created with one particular individual in mind, Dr. Robert E. Wolverton Sr., longtime professor of languages. Wolverton was the first to receive the honor that now carries his name. The three others receiving the inaugural
Sports for Winners and Losers (2005). Wolverton said he is most appreciative of having the Legacy Award carry his name. “It was quite an honor really,” he said. Over the years, Wolverton has positively affected many community lives through his love and appreciation for the arts through involvement in art activities and participation in local theatrical performances. As he continues to make a difference in the lives of the students he teaches, Wolverton remains humble and appreciative of what they give back to him. “Unless you’ve been teaching, you don’t know what an inspiration the students are,” Wolverton said. “Happiness is having students like this.”
university award include:
• Dr. Walter Diehl, emeritus associate dean and a professor of biological sciences.
WALTER DIEHL
• The late Dr. William P. “Bill” Henry, associate professorof
Before retiring in June, Diehl had a 28-
Chemistry
year career at the university. He is a 1976
• Dr. John F. Marszalek, giles distinguished professor emeritus,
College of William and Mary graduate
director and mentor of Distinguished Scholars and executive
who went on to receive master’s degree and doctoral degrees in biology from the
director and managing editor of the Ulysses S. Grant
University of South Florida in 1978 and
Association.
1983, respectively. He joined the MSU faculty in 1986. “I was hired in biological sciences and came up through the faculty ranks as assistant professor to associate professor, then full professor,” Diehl said. Of his
ROBERT WOLVERTON
time in the dean’s office, “I served one year as interim associate dean, and then I became associate dean in 2008.” Wolverton is one of MSU’s most senior
While teaching in biological sciences, Diehl served as the department’s
faculty members and a John Grisham
undergraduate coordinator. He also was president of the Robert Holland Faculty
Master Teacher. In 1977, he came to
Senate for two years and served as interim department head of the Department
campus as vice president academic affairs
of Anthropology and Middle Eastern cultures for one year.
in the administration of President James D.
“I’ve enjoyed being a faculty member of biological sciences; it is a good
McComas. He later left administration to
department and faculty,” he said. “I also enjoyed my time on the faculty senate,
teach classics in the Department of Foreign
and I’ve enjoyed my time at the dean’s office”.
Language, now the Department of Classical
He said the key to having positive multi-role work experiences “is recognizing
and Modern Languages and Literatures. An
they have been three different jobs and not trying to make one of those jobs fit
earlier selection for Starkville’s Education
the other. They inform each other, but they don’t fit each other.”
Hall of Fame, he has held many campus positions over the years, including head of his department and president of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate. “I came to MSU as vice president of academic affairs with a new university
14
Diehl said he greatly appreciated opportunities he had to work with students. As a young faculty member, he led a freshman biology course that many students, no matter their majors, were required to take.
president,” Wolverton said. “I moved into the Department of Foreign Languages
“I enjoyed teaching that class; it was an opportunity to interact with students,
as the only classicist, then served six years as department head and went into full-
often the first semester that they are on campus,” he said. He described the
time teaching in 1987.”
experience as “a unique situation,” explaining that, “In fact, it is a very difficult
VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
course for some of the students.”
As for being among the first to receive a Legacy Award, she said, “I think he
Considering challenges students in the class faced, Diehl said he chose to
would be very humbled by it. It would mean a lot to be recognized.”
deliver the course content with the philosophy that “I can’t make you a good
In remembering his late colleague, Dr. Stephen Foster, an associate professor
biologist or a good biology student, but if you work with me, I can make you a
of physical chemistry, said it was an “honor to work with Bill for the last 20 years.
better biology student.”
“He was friendly and welcoming to all,” Foster continued. “He always was
He is proud to say that more than a few thanked him for what they learned in
engaged and would unfailingly volunteer to help,” which meant “he was an ideal
the entry-level course. For a young faculty member who could only have minimal
professor, happy to spend time with undergraduates and graduate students.
interaction with students due to the large class size, the comments meant a great
He maintained very high standards in the classroom but, even so, was almost
deal, he added.
universally loved by his students.”
As he gained seniority, Diehl began teaching graduate-level courses, which he describes as a completely different experience.
Foster said one of Henry’s biggest impacts in the department was his love of undergraduate research. “Many, many students spent time in ‘Doc’s’ research
“You know those students; you get involved in subject matter in a very
lab, and large numbers were inspired to head to graduate school in chemistry.
different way with those students than you do in an entry level class,” he said.
When alumni are asked about their experience in the chemistry department, they
“I had a very satisfying experience seeing graduate students doing their own
almost universally talk about Bill Henry and the influence he had on their career.”
research and getting their own work published.” Throughout his tenure, Diehl said he was continually impressed with the
JOHN MARSZALEK
quality of MSU students with whom he interacted. He also openly challenges When Marszalek joined the MSU history
any other institution of higher learning to compare their students with peers at
department, he taught Civil War, Jacksonian
MSU. As both a teacher and administrator, Diehl said he has witnessed MSU’s
America and basic American history survey
continuing attraction of promising students that recognize the land-grant
classes before, in time, leading graduate
university as a top-tier school.
seminars. Of special note, he is credited with introducing the first classes in sports
“The students that are coming to MSU are very good students, and I put our
history, and he also taught black American
best students up against the best in any other university” .
history for a time.
BILL HENRY
In 2008, Marszalek came out of retirement to become the acting executive Henry, who died in February 2014, was
director and managing editor of the Ulysses S. Grant Library. It was at this
a 1979 University of Notre Dame graduate
time that the extensive Grant archival material was coming to campus from its
who went on to earn a doctorate in 1986
previous home at Southern Illinois University.
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Since becoming the full-time executive director and managing editor,
He then began post-doctoral research at
Marszalek said the Ulysses S. Grant Library Association has acquired a significant
Nebraska in organometallic chemistry
amount of material relating to the famed general who led Union Army forces
under the direction of Dr. Reuben Rieke.
to victory in the Civil War and was elected in 1869 to the first of two terms as
He also earned a postdoctoral fellowship in
U.S. president.
the laboratories of Dr. Russell Hughes at
“We believe we have a copy of every letter Grant ever wrote in his life, or any
Dartmouth College and Dr. John Oliver at
letter ever written to him,” Marszalek said. “You come here, and you can look at
Wayne State University before coming to MSU in 1988 as an assistant professor. Henry’s Legacy Award was accepted by his widow, music professor Jackie Edwards-Henry. She told those attending the presentation ceremony that
as good a collection of Grant material as anywhere in the world.”
Marszalek said he was humbled and honored to receive an award that
carries Wolverton’s name.
“research was a critical aspect of his professional career, and ultimately what
“I have the highest respect for Dr. Wolverton, and I’m thrilled to be recognized
drew him to MSU.” While he also had an opportunity to accept a faculty position
by the college and by the university as having some sort of impact on the place,”
in New Orleans, “he came here because he knew he could get his research done,”
he said. “I’m just thrilled, I really am. It’s one of those things that doesn’t always
she added.
happen.”
Edwards-Henry described her husband as “a real people person” that “loved
Marszalek thanked Frances Coleman, dean of libraries and others on the
his students and was excited about chemistry.” She emphasized that the passion
library staff with whom he works. He also expresses appreciation to MSU
and dedication he had for teaching was shared alike with undergraduate and
President Mark E. Keenum, Provost and Executive Vice President Jerry Gilbert
graduate students.
and Dean Dunaway for their support.
“I didn’t get the sense that Bill had a time frame, for him it was an adventure,” she said, “Bill was one to embrace whatever experiences life brought him.”
“That feeling I had when I first came here, the feeling of acceptance, I still feel it now,” he said. “It’s not something they say, but do.”
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
15
F
inding a career centered on their interests may prove difficult for
some people but not for Ben Mims. He has found a career that incorporates two of his passions, cooking and writing. Shortly after entering Mississippi State in 2003 as a freshman from Kosciusko, he changed his major to communication/ journalism with plans to pursue a career in writing and liberal arts. To enhance his classroom training, he also served for three years as a writer and copy editor for The Reflector. He also became involved in several other campus organizations, including Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, MSU Roadrunners, Alumni Delegates and Interfraternity Council. During the summer prior to his senior year, Mims first was introduced to the art of food writing while working at the Vicksburg Post. The experience led him to seek a career writing about food and cooking. “My natural affinity for cooking and writing produced the perfect storm, especially after the recommendation from the food editor in Vicksburg to pursue it as a viable career,” he recalled. Following graduation in the spring of 2007, Mims decided to move to New York City, one of world’s food capitals, and enroll in the highly regarded French Culinary Institute. “I wanted to attend
Food for Thought:
MSU Alumnus Finds Career in Food Writing By Erin Patterson
a great culinary school and be in the center of journalism, so there was really only one choice,” he said. His culinary training led to a writing position at Saveur, an award-winning New York magazine known for indepth stories on various world cuisines. In time, he was named associate food editor. In the publication’s test kitchens, he now could research, develop and test recipes while composing recipes and stories for both the print and online editions.
16
VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
During five years at Saveur, Mims’ writing included an essay about
However he might have enjoyed the generally balmy California climate, it
Southern layer cakes that caught the eye of an editor at Rizzoli, a
was the offer of an associate food editorship at Food &Wine magazine,
leading publishing company in culinary arts, which led to the offer of a
a Time Inc. publication, that would draw Mims back to New York in
cookbook publishing deal.
May 2014.
Released in September, Sweet & Southern: Classic Desserts with a Twist
Looking back on his student years at MSU, the now much-travelled
is a 224-page exploration of the art of Southern baking. “Well written,
and experienced Mims said he appreciates the many important career-
great updates to classics and for a non-baker, easy to follow recipes!,”
enhancing lessons he learned while on campus.
was the response of one purchaser on an online site.
“I learned the fundamentals of journalism, how to pitch a story, and
Of all those he included, Mims said the coconut cake recipe is his favorite,
how to network to get a job,” he said. “As a journalist, I learned to
“because it is a family recipe and is so quintessentially ‘Southern’ in spirit.
always question everything to make sure it’s true. That way of thinking
“It gets the best reactions
has
from everyone who tries
anything to produce my
it, even coconut haters,”
best work, be it writing or
he added.
developing a recipe.”
Mims said he found work
Specifically,
on his first cookbook to
“(Communication department
be very gratifying.
instructor) Frances McDavid
“I
loved
getting
to
helped
more
he
than
added:
was definitely my biggest
develop my own recipes,”
influence.
he said. “Thankfully, I
honest and helpful in offering
had already done that
real world advice and critiques
with many recipes in my
to make the work of every
own spare time, so I had
student she taught better.”
a good list to pull from
Beyond his communication
already. Getting to share
training,
my viewpoint and feel
favorite classes “were the
like I can help people
fun ones that interested me
become better cooks was
or dealt with my hobbies:
the best part.”
geography, geology, horse-
If Sweet & Southern
riding, contemporary dance
does well commercially,
and philosophy, which goes
Mims said he is prepared
to show how important liberal
to do a second, but in a
arts courses are to the college
different way.
experience.”
“I shot the whole [first]
Asked what advice he would
book in one week, 80
pass on to current students,
pictures, which was way
Mims said, “I would tell them
She
Mims
was
said
very
his
more difficult than I could ever have imagined,” he explained. “If I do a
to learn as much as they can while they’re in school: take as many different
second book, I’ll definitely make sure to hire several assistants to get all
classes as you can manage to get a well-rounded experience, take what you
the work finished without having to lay in bed for three days afterward
learn to heart and follow it, but when you graduate, set it all aside and
like this one.”
welcome new experiences.
Completion of the cookbook led to another major change in Mims’
“Remain skeptical about everything that comes your way so you can be
life. He left the Big Apple and travelled across the U.S. to begin as a
discerning and make decisions wisely, and work harder than the person
pastry chef in San Francisco, another world food capital. A few months
next to you,” he continued. “A lot of people have talent or a personality,
back in the kitchen, however, led him to change position again, this time
but the one that gets the job is the hardest worker, and that’s a quality that’s
becoming a freelance recipe developer and food writer.
not easily taught.”
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
17
Dear alumni and friends, Discovery. Every day, our faculty and students are investigating the problems and challenges of the world, seeking new knowledge and ways to improve our lives and surroundings. In each issue of Vision, you see a small slice of how the College of Arts & Sciences progresses on this mission of discovery. You have the opportunity to partner with us in that mission. Two of our goals for the Infinite Impact campaign (www.infiniteimpactmsu.com) are to create endowed funds to support undergraduate research and to initiate and expand the research done by our faculty and students. The opportunity to conduct research as an undergraduate student adds tangible value. Students learn how to conduct quality research in an area of interest, and also build a valuable relationship with the supervising professor to create an experience that distinguishes them from fellow applicants for jobs and graduate or professional schools. Endowed funds for research would broadly support the research efforts of the College of Arts & Sciences. These funds could, among other things, provide seed money to kick-start projects and strengthen applications for external funding, upgrade equipment to maintain state-of-the-art research environments and premiere laboratories, and engage additional undergraduate and graduate students in research projects. What did you discover during your time at Mississippi State? You likely discovered new friends and relationships. You probably discovered new and fascinating information about the world around you and the people who live in it. Maybe you had the opportunity to engage in research that has impacted this current generation of students. Perhaps you discovered a career path and a new trajectory for your life. Would you join us in this effort? If you are interested in creating support for these, or other areas in the College of Arts & Sciences, please contact me at amcintosh@foundation.msstate.edu or 662325-3240. Thank you for all that you do for the College of Arts & Sciences and MSU. Hail State,
Alex McIntosh (Class of ’07, ’12) Director of Development College of Arts & Sciences
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Mr. Phil B. Wilson
Mr. James N. Paisley
Dr. Charles Sallis
The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Dr. David O. Wipf
Ms. Susan Palmer
Mrs. Kara L. Sanders
The Benevity Community Impact Fund
Dr. Perisco A. Wofford
Ms. Sheri A. Pape
Dr. Benjamin F. Sanford, Jr.
The Bower Foundation
World Health Organization
Mrs. Valerie Musick Park
Mr. Clifton W. Sawyer
The Brinks Company
Mr. Mark A. Worthey
Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi
Mr. Wallace H. Scoggins
The G. V. Sonny Montgomery Foundation
Mr. James A. Yarborough
Mr. Ercolani D. Pauline
Dr. Joe D. Seger
The MidSouth Aquatic Plant Mgt Society
Mr. Fuchang Yin
Mr. Evan Peacock
Mr. Curtis L. Sessions
The Steve Azar St. Cecilia Foundation
Mrs. Camille Scales Young
Pearson Education
Dr. Stephen D. Shaffer
Col. Jerry A. Thomas
Dr. Judy K. Young
Pelican River Watershed District
Mrs. Daphne C. Shannon
Dr. Timothy N. Thomas
Dr. Dongmao Zhang
Mr. Marcus N. Perkins
Shell Oil Company Foundation
Mr. J. Wilmot Thomson, Jr.
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VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
In Memory of Dr. William P. Henry By Audra Gines
Dr. William P. Henry, or “Doc” as he was affectionately called by many of his students, was a Mississippi State University chemistry professor who died in February at his home. Though born in Delaware, he lived much of his early life in Toronto, Canada, where his father was a chemist for a chemical company. He was a 1979 University of Notre Dame graduate who went on to receive a 1986 master’s degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His UN-L doctorate in organometallic chemistry was completed under the direction of Dr. Reuben Rieke, and he was a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratories of Dr. Russell Hughes at Dartmouth College and Dr. John Oliver at Wayne State University. Henry, who joined the MSU faculty in 1988 as an assistant
professor, is survived by wife Jackie Edwards-Henry, a professor of applied piano, group piano and piano pedagogy, coordinator of group piano and MSU’s music department curriculum chair. “Bill was a real people person,” she said, reflecting on her late husband’s career. “He loved his students and was excited about chemistry.” She also noted that a memorial service in Chicago where much of Bill Henry’s family currently resides drew one of his early graduate students at Nebraska. This and other personal testaments to his dedication help illustrate how greatly he will be missed by the many whose lives he touched over a 28-year teaching career.
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES ALUMNI BOARD From left, front: Bill Gillon, Adrienne Pakis-Gillon, Dr. Karen Hulett, Kitty Henry, Hank Johnston, Dr. Ralph Alewine Center: Hunter “Ticket” Henry, Llana Smith, Laurie Williams, Dr. Tom Wiley, Dr. Bill Hulett Rear: Dr. John Rada, Dr. Don Hall
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015
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ARTS & SCIENCES NEW FACULTY New Faculty as of August 1, 2014 Air Force ROTC
Geosciences
Lt. Nicholas Charney
Adam Skarke, Chris Fuhrmann and Lindsey Morschauser
Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures
History
D. Shane Miller
Marsha Barrett, Brandon Byrd and Andrew Lang
Army ROTC Maj. John Carter, Maj. Bradley
Mathematics and Statistics
Hollingsworth and Maj. Terrance
Tung-Lung Wu
Seals Philosophy and Religion Biological Sciences
Kristin E. Boyce, Alicia A. Hall,
Heather Jordan, Victoria McCurdy
William Kallfelz, David C. Spewak,
and Robert Outlaw
and Danielle J. Wylie
Chemistry
Physics and Astronomy
Charles Edwin Webster
Lamiaa El Fassi and Mark Worthy
Classical and Modern
Political Science and Public
Languages and Literatures
Administration
Salvador Bartera and Karina Zelaya
James Chamberlain, Daniel Fay, Kyle Kattelman and Jiahuan Lu
Communication Melody Fisher, Meaghan Gordon
Psychology
and John Nara
Arazais Oliveros
English
Sociology
Daniel Austin, Katie Doughty, Amy
Rachel Allison, Margaret Hagerman
Mallory-Kani, Eric Vivier,
and Margaret Ralston
WE WANT YOUR
news! Simply send an e-mail or letter to: Karyn Brown
Director of Communication Mississippi State University College of Arts & Sciences P.O. Box AS Mississippi State, MS 39762 kbrown@deanas.msstate.edu
and Abigail Voller
RETIREES Walter J. Diehl, College of Arts & Sciences..........................................6/30/2014 Janet Rafferty, Anthro. & Mid. Eastern Cultures.................................6/30/2014 Dwayne Wise, Biological Sciences...........................................................5/15/2014 Peter Rabideau, Chemistry........................................................................8/15/2014 Betty J. Durst, Communication................................................................5/15/2014 Godfrey N. Uziogwe, History................................................................12/31/2013 Marjorie Crittenden, Mathematics & Statistics.......................................7/7/2014 Betty Scarbarough, Mathematics & Statistics......................................12/31/2013 Marty Wiseman, Political Sci. & Public Admin..................................12/31/2013
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VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES
VISION magazine is the newsletter for alumni,
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.
FRANCES MCDAVID MSU ALUMNA REFLECTOR ADVISER, JOURNALISM INSTRUCTOR
KAITLYN BYRNE CLASS OF 2014 REFLECTOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT, FOUNDATION AMBASSADOR
COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES | VISION SPRING 2014
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R
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. VISION FALL/WINTER 2014/2015 | COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES