Dividends Magazine. 2025-26 Edition

Dean’s Welcome

Ihope this issue of Dividends finds you well and thriving in your personal and professional pursuits.

I want to take a moment to extend my deepest gratitude for your continued engagement and support for the College of Business. Whether you’ve attended our new Club 1915 alumni events, mentored or hired our students, contributed to our programs or stayed connected in other meaningful ways, your involvement strengthens our community and enhances the experience for current and future Bulldogs.

Your dedication reminds us that the College of Business is more than a place – it’s a lifelong network built on shared values, ambition and excellence. We are proud of your connection to the College and even prouder to see the incredible impact you are making across industries and around the world.

This edition of Dividends highlights new developments in the College. From renovated spaces in McCool Hall to new team members, there’s a lot happening on campus. None of this would be possible without our dedicated faculty, staff and students, whose commitment to excellence, innovation and student success drives us forward. Every achievement in academics, research or community service reflects their hard work and passion.

Together – with alumni like you, and a dedicated team here on campus – we continue to elevate the reputation and impact of the College of Business.

Thank you again for your ongoing connection to our College. I invite you to stay engaged, share your stories and join us in shaping the future of business education. I also invite you to take time throughout the year to read each of the stories in your new Dividends magazine, and if you need an extra copy to share with a neighbor, just let us know.

Hail State!

Dr. Scott Grawe, Dean

Dividends is a publication of the College of Business at Mississippi State University | 2025-26

2 Not Just Par for the Course

The MSU Golf Course and Golf Shop are being transformed under Head Professional Tim Basel.

6 Cold-Pressed and Career Ready

A live case course has students consulting with Tunisia-based olive oil producer Terra Delyssa. 10 From MSU to the World

Alumnus William Washington, III’s journey has been one of grit, growth and giving back.

14 AI on the Open Road

Students are gaining hands-on experience with AI-powered decision-making in the transportation industry. 18 Modernizing McCool

The heart of the College of Business is being reimagined with updated facilities, from redesigned suites to newly equipped classrooms.

24 Self Engagement

Aundrea Self brings storytelling, service and relationship talents as Director of Outreach and Engagement.

28 Collaborate and Innovate

New E-Center Director Nick Pashos brings a fresh perspective with a broad spectrum of ideas.

32 Startup Summit Levels Up

An expanded scope showcases creativity within the state and among students nationwide.

34 Moving Food Safety Forward

Chemist and biotech startup founder Max Wamsley is finding his MBA studies invaluable.

38 A Framework for Secure AI Use in the Workplace

Assistant Professor Dr. Alaa Nehme offers principles and guidelines for employing artificial intelligence.

42 Shaping the Next 110 Years of Bulldog Business

58

Four strategic priorities are transforming the Bulldog Business Experience.

46 The Impact of Club 1915

A dynamic new giving program is providing opportunities and experiences for business students.

49 Executive Advisory Board

These accomplished individuals are contributing to the successful growth of our College.

50 Donors

A “thank you” to all who have invested in the MSU College of Business in the last year.

54 Preparation Is Key

The Career Center’s Ricky Clifton and Kim Pogue-Jackson connect employers with business students.

58 A Star on the Rise

Alumna Rebecca Mataya is making an impact on the space program at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.

62 Pursuing the Possibilities

Associate Dean Parker Ellen is fostering MSU business research and lifelong learning.

Dividends is published by Tellōs, LLC. www.telloscreative.com

COVER: A renovated golf course and shop are enriching the Bulldog Business Experience for students and alumni.

photo by Grace Cockrell

66 Unlocking the Door to Family Business Success

Mississippi enterprises are benefiting from MSU research via the quarterly Family Business Bulletin.

70 To Dare Greatly and Lead Boldly

A new women’s conference seeks to empower and equip future business leaders.

72 Building for the Future

Newly expanded teams are adding to the College’s capabilities and raising its profile.

78 News Briefs

Not Just Par for the Course

By Kathy Kenne

There’s momentum building at a place on campus that might not immediately spring to mind when one thinks about iconic Mississippi State University venues, but it’s real and growing.

The MSU Golf Course and Golf Shop are undergoing transformations thanks to the leadership of Head Professional Tim Basel. Basel is a 1998 graduate of the College of Business’ PGA Professional Golf Management, or PGM, program who returned to Starkville five years ago to step into this role.

As a high school senior the Roscoe, IL, native opted to attend MSU from among the four universities that offered PGM programs at the time, in large part because of the warm weather. Since that time, he has come to adopt the South as home.

Upon completion of his degree at MSU, Basel took a job in Tyler, TX, as an Assistant Golf Professional. Then in 2001, he made a move back to the Magnolia State to be an Assistant Golf Professional at the Country Club of Jackson, where he stayed until 2010. His next move was to Reunion Golf and Country Club in Madison, taking on the role of Head Professional, where he remained until 2020.

It was that year that Mississippi State and PGA Golf Management Director Adam Scott were able to entice him to return to his alma mater, where he has served not only as Head Professional, but as mentor and visionary as well.

He credits Dr. Roland Jones with inspiring him to try different opportunities.

“When he was the PGM Program Director, he would encourage us to do different types of internships – public courses, private and resort – to discern what kind of environment we enjoyed and to learn how to manage each,” says Basel. “He encouraged us to dig in and learn the day-to-day operations and start the process of becoming complete golf professionals.”

“Five years ago, when I came to MSU, I relied on the experience I had gained in my internships at public courses, since all my work since graduation had been at private clubs. Operations are very different.

“I’m using a lot of what I learned in my MSU internships today.”

While he was in college attending class, one of Basel’s internships was, in fact, at the University’s golf course where he worked under then Head Professional Blane Merritt.

“Blane was a great resource for me then, and I’m thankful I can be a resource for PGM students now,” shares Basel. “I try to make myself available for any advice they’re seeking.”

Basel utilized MSU interns regularly during his time at Reunion, and he now works with students as part time employees at the MSU course.

“I basically treat them as assistants,” he says. “I load them up, because I think that’s the best way for them to learn.”

Lest one think the students are overly “loaded up,” recent PGM graduate Savannah Harrell will tell you differently.

“I worked several semesters and a summer for Tim at the MSU Golf Course,” she relays. “He is my all-time best example of what a good boss should be. He’s always pushing himself harder than his employees. He’s the first to arrive at work and the last to leave. If he’s asked you to wash carts, he’s right there beside you, doing it too – along with running the business and managing the numbers.”

Photo by Grace Cockrell

In his role as President of the PGM Club, May 2025 graduate Parker Milam spent a great deal of time with Basel coordinating multiple tournaments and the general hands-on activities that are germane to the PGM program. Milam currently serves as a Golf Instructor at Greystone Golf & Country Club in Birmingham, AL.

“The way Tim works is what I really took from the time we spent together,” says Milam. “He’s diligent, very humble and always there if anyone needs him. He’s a very selfless person. I try to incorporate that into the way I work.”

It’s not only students who have benefited from Basel’s leadership, but MSU has as well. When Basel arrived, the golf shop and offices were showing their age. Today, the former team locker rooms and storage spaces have been converted to a center for PGM students to utilize the latest technology in the sport to expand their knowledge.

In 2022, the greens were completely renovated, making the course once again lush and pleasurable to play.

And the most recent site of renovation has been the clubhouse, which originally opened in 1993.

“I’m very appreciative of Dean [Scott] Grawe’s and Adam Scott’s support,” states Basel. “We couldn’t have done this without them. Dr. Grawe and the College of Business committed a large sum of money to transition the retail space. He can see the potential we have. The golf course has also been able to contribute significant funds from the revenue we generate on our own to improve the experience for our guests.”

Among the changes are new furnishings and fixtures, lighting, flooring, paint and landscaping. Renewed attention has been placed on the merchandise the shop carries.

“You can go many places in Starkville and get logoed apparel,” Basel says. “So, we’re focusing on doing something a little different. We’re getting more creative with the designs and offering some nicer brand lines. However, we keep in mind that there are a lot of students who shop here, so we have reasonably priced items as well.”

Basel’s formula is working. Five years ago, the golf shop was bringing in about $150,000 in merchandise revenue. Over the last few years, they have approached $500,000 in revenues each year. When the remodeling is complete, he expects that number to climb even higher, making the golf course and shop selfsustaining and even profitable.

Basel’s contribution to the sport extends beyond MSU. Volunteering and serving his fellow members of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America, or PGA, is something Basel has enjoyed in an effort to try make the sport even better. He has served in every leadership capacity of the Gulf States section and is currently Honorary President. In 2017, he was named the Gulf States PGA Golf Professional of the Year.

Tim Basel enjoys time spent with his family, whom he says is his greatest support. Pictured are (from left) son Carter, wife Julie, Basel and daughter Elizabeth. Photo courtesy of Tim Basel

He also sits on the PGA National Board of Directors, representing District 3 (the Gulf States, Tennessee and Alabama/Northwest Florida sections), a five-state area with nearly 1,500 PGA members and associates.

“I take great pride in being able to not only represent our section of the PGA on the board, but to also represent Mississippi State,” he shares.

One program the PGA sponsors that gets Basel really excited is the Helping Our Patriots Everywhere, or HOPE, program. Basel is a certified instructor for this free clinic offered to active-duty military and veterans. Instruction certification involves learning to work with amputees, people suffering with post–traumatic stress disorder or those dealing with other issues that may particularly impact veterans.

“We offer the clinics here at MSU for sixweek periods in the fall and spring,” Basel explains. “We have about 14 participants come out each Wednesday night. It’s a phenomenal way to give back. Those Wednesday nights are the highlights of my week! I am very appreciative of Nate Kitson, PGA, who leads those clinics in support of our military veterans.”

“I’m thankful for these clinics,” shares U.S. Air Force veteran Les Martin. “Not only have they allowed me the opportunity to learn something I didn’t know about golf, but they’ve also allowed me to be with some fellow Air Force veterans which made it very comfortable. PGA HOPE has been

The HOPE clinic brings active duty military and veterans together for fellowship and free instruction.

Photo courtesy of Tim Basel

The MSU Golf Shop was recently remodeled with new furnishings and fixtures, lighting, flooring and paint.

Photo by Grace Cockrell

Cold-Pressed and Career-Ready

By Suzi Morales

Few foods are as enduring as olive oil. Used for millennia in cooking, medicine and even as lamp fuel, it remains a symbol of both tradition and quality. This spring, students at Mississippi State University’s College of Business paired that legacy with modern business practice in a live case course that brought real-world challenges – and international travel – into the classroom.

Marketing faculty members Myles Landers and Emily Stokes co-taught the course in partnership with Tunisia-based Terra Delyssa, a global producer of olive oil owned by CHO Company and known for its sustainability initiatives and innovative packaging. During the semester, students developed strategies for introducing two of its new products into the U.S. market. Along the way, they produced extensive research, delivered professional recommendations and traveled abroad to meet company representatives face to face.

For students, the class was both demanding and transformative. For the College of Business, it showcased the value of experiential education and the impact of industry partnerships. And for Terra Delyssa, it provided insights from the next generation of marketers.

Live case courses immerse students in consultant roles. Rather than analyzing past business scenarios, students address one of the company’s present challenges.

“It’s a full, semester-long consulting project,” explains Landers, an Associate Professor of Marketing. “We treat it like a consulting agency where we have a client and provide solutions to pressing questions. The students are the consultants, and the classroom is their office.”

This was the third live case course offered at Mississippi State but the first housed within the marketing curriculum. Landers had previously worked with Terra Delyssa on smaller projects, and he and Stokes saw the company as an ideal partner.

“When we brainstormed companies to invite, we wanted a partner the students and the University could be proud to work with,” Landers says. “Terra Delyssa checked every box –international reach, a strong commitment to sustainability and a willingness to invest in our students’ experience.”

Before the semester began, the professors worked with the company’s U.S. marketing team to shape the project. By the first day of class, students were presented with their assignment: support the U.S. launches of a new squeeze bottle and an eco-friendly refill bag designed to reduce packaging waste. Both products required distinct approaches – one being business-to-consumer and the other being business-to-business – so students divided into teams accordingly while continuing to collaborate across groups.

The consulting work was rigorous. Students averaged four to six hours of independent research each week, in addition to group meetings and class time. They conducted competitor analyses, studied survey data, designed consumer interviews and challenged one another’s assumptions.

“It required a lot of time,” recalls senior Bailey Bowden, who worked on the business-to-consumer group for the refill bag. “We studied competitors, reviewed survey data from a soft launch and even went into people’s homes to talk about how they buy and use olive oil.”

Landers emphasized that the class would only succeed if students relied on evidence.

“An idea without data is just a guess,” he says. “The students let the research guide their recommendations.”

The work paid off. By semester’s end, students had compiled a 100page research report – a professionallevel deliverable backing up their final presentation.

MBA student Dillon Scott says the experience taught him lessons beyond marketing tactics.

“The biggest takeaway for me was communication,” he reflects. “We had to set expectations and check in regularly with the client. At the end of the day, our job was to make sure the client was happy and that we were delivering value.”

One of the highlights of the course came mid-semester, when students traveled to Tunisia for nearly a week. Thanks to Terra Delyssa’s financial support, the trip was available to students at a reasonable cost.

“It was a real business trip,” says Landers. “We went from meeting to meeting, visiting facilities and engaging with employees. It gave students a real sense of the pace and professionalism of international business.”

At the company’s olive milling facility, students saw how sustainability shapes production. They learned that even discarded olive pits are repurposed as fuel for machinery, an innovation that impressed the group.

“You don’t truly grasp sustainability until you see it in practice,” says Bowden. “Witnessing the process made the company’s values feel real.”

Despite the packed itinerary, the trip also provided bonding experiences. Students spent hours together on buses traveling between facilities, swapped stories over local meals and explored the historic capital of Tunis as well as the coastal city of Sfax.

“The trip was a lot of work, but it was also a lot of fun,” Bowden recalls. “We came back not just as classmates, but as teammates.”

Back on campus, students synthesized their findings into final presentations for Terra Delyssa executives. The results included both practical strategies and creative concepts.

One student group proposed potential brand partnerships and suggested a playful social media campaign featuring the refill bag, including a lighthearted ad where the product “matched” with a bottle on a dating app. Another group, inspired by the Tunisian site visits, produced a cinematic video designed to accompany gift boxes for retailers.

Dillon Scott (center) – shown at Terra Delyssa with classmates Luke Saulters (left) and Reed James – found the experiential class advanced his understanding of marketing, communication and the value of telling a story.

“We wanted it to be organic and authentic, just like their brand,” explains Scott. “The goal was to transport retailers to Tunisia and show the story from orchard to table.”

Company representatives, including CHO America Marketing Manager Nada Resheidat, attended the presentations in person or via Zoom. According to Landers, Terra Delyssa was enthusiastic about the recommendations and has already begun implementing some of them.

For students, the experience was career-defining. Several noted they include the project on their résumés as professional consulting experience. Others said the trip solidified their interest in international business and sustainability.

“The classroom foundation is important, but hands-on experience is critical,” says Bowden, now an MBA student. “This course gave us both.”

For the College of Business, the course demonstrated the power of live case learning.

“It’s about preparing students to walk into job interviews and say, ‘I’ve already done this,’” says Landers. “They’re not just learning concepts – they’re applying them.”

And for Terra Delyssa, the partnership was an investment in fresh perspectives and future talent. One of those students, Ainsley Sowers, turned the experience into a career opportunity. After impressing Resheidat over the course of the semester, Sowers was offered a position as a Digital Marketing Coordinator at Terra Delyssa’s headquarters in Tunisia.

Sowers was well prepared for the opportunity. She served as President of the American Marketing Association on campus, worked as a Marketing Intern in the Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis and Supply Chain Logistics and took on a leadership role in the live case course that further sharpened her skills.

“This is exactly why we do these courses,” says Landers. “Ainsley had the background, the drive and the leadership skills, and the live case gave her the chance to put them all together in a professional setting. To see her take what she learned here and launch her career with an international company makes us incredibly proud.”

Good olive oil requires time, patience and attention to detail. So does preparing students for meaningful careers. Through this collaboration, Mississippi State’s marketing majors refined not only their recommendations for a global company but also their own professional potential.

Bailey Bowden presents part of her team’s strategy for marketing the Terra Delyssa refill bag to consumers.

From MSU to the World:

William Washington, III’s Journey of Grit,

Growth and Giving Back

By Aundrea Self

The road from Washington, DC, to Mississippi State University – and back again – has been a long and winding one for William Washington, III. But he had a map for the journey from the beginning.

When Washington enrolled at MSU, he was a single father raising a three-year-old son on a very limited income.

“I don’t think I was counting $3 back then, and now it’s $3.5 billion a year,” he says.

In 2022, Washington was named Global Chief Financial Officer for Baker McKenzie, the largest law firm in the world.

Looking back, he reflects on his acceptance to MSU with deep gratitude. Having endured a string of personal hardships during his childhood and teenage years, a fresh start at MSU gave him hope.

“I was a high school dropout. I was a college dropout. I was raised by a single parent. I became a single parent,” he shares.

Washington also experienced homelessness and tragically lost his beloved older sister to murder. He turned to drugs to cope with the pain before eventually entering rehab to recover.

Then came an opportunity to apply to Mississippi State University, which could be a pathway to prosperity. The University has Academic Fresh Start and Academic Amnesty policies to provide former undergraduate students, from MSU or elsewhere, opportunities to re-enter higher education without the burden of past low grades.

“I was fortunate that Mississippi State had an amnesty program that got me into the University,” Washington says. “That opportunity really helped me to turn away from the things of the past and start to look toward my future.”

Once enrolled, Washington focused on choosing a major that would help him support his son and himself.

“I was a single parent on food stamps,” he recalls. “What I knew was that I didn’t have any money, and that I needed to understand the world of money. So, I said, ‘I’m going to major in something that teaches me about the world and teaches me about money.’ That’s how I got into a banking and finance degree.”

As a nontraditional student, Washington sought ways to expand his experience beyond the classroom. He got involved in extracurricular activities including a student group focused on financial planning and analysis.

Photo by Emily Daniels

“When I joined that organization, it helped give me some leadership skills,” he says. “It took me to different places, like the Federal Reserve in Atlanta and companies in Chicago, companies that I still work with today based on relationships I built at Mississippi State.”

Washington says those experiences taught him the power of networking.

“Sometimes it’s who you know that gets your foot in the door,” he observes.

And who he knew did just that.

As a student, Washington attended a dinner during the College of Business’ Leo W. Seal, Jr. Distinguished Speaker Series and found himself seated next to the CEO of Delta and Pine Land Company, a successful business based in Greenville, MS.

“I had no idea I would be sitting at that dinner table with a CEO,” he says. “But I was prepared and ready because of the work I had done in the classroom. That conversation got me my first job.”

Washington’s career took off when he graduated with a degree in finance in 1996. After a period with Delta Pine and Land Company, he was hired into successive management roles at several top financial companies, including Fannie Mae, before becoming CFO of Hogan Lovells, a law firm with 2,500 attorneys based in Washington, DC. Then in 2022, he landed what he calls his “dream job” with Baker McKenzie.

“We have 6,000 attorneys around the world. We operate in 46 different countries,” says Washington. “In my role, I get to travel to all those countries to make sure that we’re profitable as a law firm.”

In 2024, Washington’s journey came full circle. He was invited back to MSU as the featured lecturer for the same Leo W. Seal, Jr. Distinguished Speaker Series that once launched his career.

“The greatest honor I’ve ever had was being invited back to be the featured speaker,” he states.

That return to campus also gave him a chance to show off a unique skill, one not typically found on a CFO’s résumé. When a student in the audience dared him to do a handstand, he did not hesitate.

“I learned to do a handstand in like, seventh or eighth grade, and it’s something I’ve just carried with me,” he says. “I try to do a handstand whenever I travel the world. If I find a spot with a good background, I just pop up!”

And he did – right there on stage.

Right side up again, Washington challenged students to set their sights on a goal and move forward with purpose.

“My first job was working for another MSU alumnus, and he told me to point myself toward one of the C-suite positions. I don’t even know if I knew what that meant back then. But it seemed logical to aim for CFO,” he says. “I tell students to have a target and start walking in that direction.”

The Washington family – Tracy and William (center) and children (from left) Mckinley (21), Christina (25), Naomi (13) and Draymond (34)

Photo courtesy of William Washington

Washington adds, “Preparation is power. Make sure that you’re always preparing yourself for that next role. I’ve always made sure I continue to be a lifelong learner because I know that’s going to prepare me for what’s next.”

It is a message he impresses on his own children, Draymond, Christina, Mckinley and Naomi. Christina Washington is a fellow alum who graduated from the College of Business in December 2022.

Now three years into his role at Baker McKenzie, Washington is passionate about giving back, in more ways than one.

“I speak at Mississippi State. I speak to incarcerated individuals re-entering society,” he says. “I could always drop a dollar in a cup, but for me, it’s more impactful to give something meaningful.”

Washington also serves on the College of Business Advisory Board for the Department of Finance and Economics. Twice each year, that role brings him back to the place that put him on the right path. Those trips back to campus serve as reminder that the road to success often leads to an intersection.

“When I think about my life and my path, I often say there were two William Washingtons,” he says of his experiences. “Throughout my journey, there were always forks in the road – paths where I could go left or right. I’m forever grateful I took the turn that led me to Starkville and Mississippi State.”

Now, no matter where his travels take him, he makes sure to show his Bulldog pride.

“I try to represent Mississippi State wherever I go,” says Washington. “I have cowbells all over my desk – so people know what Mississippi State represents.”

In 2024, Washington returned to campus as a Leo W. Seal, Jr. Distinguished Speaker, a lecture series he had attended as a student that led to his first job. At a student’s request, he showed off a skill not often seen on stage in a College of Business classroom.

Photos by Emily Daniels

Washington gives back by sharing his journey with those who can learn from it, from college students like those shown here at MSU to incarcerated individuals about to re-enter society.

Photo by Emily Daniels

AI on the Open Road

By Suzi Morales

When most students envision the transportation industry, they think of trucks on the highway – not artificial intelligence and advanced analytics. At Mississippi State University’s College of Business, students in Dr. Chris Boone’s transportation class are seeing firsthand how AI-powered tools are transforming decision-making and helping businesses compete in today’s fastchanging and uncertain operating environments.

This experience was made possible through a first-of-its-kind partnership between the College and Greenscreens.ai, now operating as Triumph. This predictive pricing platform is widely used by leading freight brokers but had never before been integrated into a university curriculum. By gaining access to the same real-time market data and decision-support tools used by industry professionals, students learned to apply advanced technology to evaluate opportunities, optimize resource allocation and improve profitability – skills that translate beyond transportation into a wide range of business and supply chain careers.

“One

of the great things about exposing the students to even more technology is helping them understand that transportation is actually a very technical field and very dependent upon data to help carriers and companies make better, more informed decisions,” says Boone, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Logistics.

During the 2024-25 academic year, students in Boone’s transportation class used data from Triumph’s Rate Intelligence product to create recommendations for a hypothetical transportation company. The class’ final project was a presentation to a panel of industry experts.

At a time when universities and their faculty are grappling with how to incorporate AI into the classroom, Boone encouraged students to use tools like Triumph within the parameters of the class to prepare them for technology they will encounter in the workplace.

“Companies are certainly thinking about how to use different forms of AI, so let’s embrace it and figure out how it can best add value,” he says.

Boone adds, “AI can be powerful when applied in a business context – whether through efficiency or through new and unique insights that emerge when data sets are combined. Companies are searching for those applications where there’s a clear benefit.”

The Triumph collaboration grew out of the College’s existing relationship with McLeod Software, an industry-leading trucking management system, or TMS. Boone’s class began using McLeod’s TMS during the 2023-24 school year. Triumph and McLeod work together closely, with the data from Triumph integrated into the McLeod TMS.

In 2025, Triumph was number five on the FreightTech 25, a list of innovative companies in transportation and logistics compiled by price reporting agency FreightTech and voted upon by industry leaders. McLeod was also named to the top 25.

Students in Dr. Chris Boone’s transportation class are learning how AI-powered tools are transforming decision-making, helping businesses compete in today’s changing operating environments.

Photo by Beth Wynn

“Not only are we giving our students hands-on experience with McLeod, a full-featured transportation management system, but we’re also introducing them to Triumph, a specialized tool used by many top freight brokers and third-party logistics providers,” Boone explains. “Triumph uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to deliver real-time, market-specific pricing insights. That means our students are working with the same kinds of tools and information industry professionals depend on every day.”

According to Devon Koppold, Customer Success Manager for Triumph, the collaboration was a no-brainer.

When the College reached out to Triumph, he says, “We were more than happy to say, ‘Heck yeah, let’s help the up-and-coming grads.’”

Triumph offered the platform to the College of Business free of charge. This is the company’s first collaboration with a university.

Koppold, who worked for 15 years in the transportation industry before she transitioned to Triumph, met with Boone and trained him on the user interface like he was a new customer.

“They invested time in me – and in us – to teach me, to help me understand what’s working, how it’s working, why it works the way that it does and then to help me understand and think about ways to best present it in class,” says Boone. “That speaks volumes about the company and their culture –to be willing to do that.”

The final project in Boone’s transportation class centers on the “BlueStar” case, which has evolved over the years to incorporate expanded datasets and industry technology, such as McLeod Software and Triumph. Last semester, students focused on the fictional BlueStar Transportation, a trucking and freight brokerage operation facing a significant revenue shortfall after losing two major customers. Organized into teams, students received multiple requests for proposals, or RFPs, from prospective shippers and used McLeod’s transportation management system alongside Triumph’s real-time pricing data to analyze opportunities. The final presentation was made to a boardroomstyle panel that gave students a high-pressure, real-world experience.

“There’s not one right answer; there are lots of potential solutions,” Boone explains. “The challenge for students is to clearly explain why they chose the approach they did and back it up with solid data and analysis.”

“A lot of projects in undergrad are very black and white,” says recent graduate Gavin Williamson. “They give you a data set. There’s an answer in there. You have to figure it out, like one plus one equals two. Well, this project was completely different.”

According to Williamson, Boone “tried to make this project as real-world as possible. ‘Here’s the data, here’s what we know, go figure it out.’”

Williamson’s team used Triumph to research market rates and load volumes to evaluate the RFPs and determine what to bid for contracts. He says they could not have completed the project without information gleaned from Triumph and McLeod. He notes that the project was realistic, with the hypothetical transportation company closely matching an actual one and the final presentation mimicking a report to the board.

In its first collaboration with a university, Triumph offered its platform at no charge, giving MSU students access to real-time market data and professional decision-support tools.

Photo by Beth Wynn

Koppold was one of the panelists for the final presentation.

“They’re sitting in front of four industry professionals, as well as Dr. Boone, and they’re presenting this whole project,” she says. “That’s intimidating. It’s a lot, and most of them were so calm and cool. They all handled themselves very professionally.”

Since Koppold began working in the industry, she has seen a major increase in the availability and use of technology tools.

“They let the humans be more customer focused and think outside the box more, and take some of the mundane tasks away,” she says. “I don’t think machine learning or AI is going to replace us. I think it’s just going to allow us to focus on the more important things.”

Boone says students who major in supply chain, logistics and transportation can expect substantive responsibility relatively early in their careers. It is important for core classes to give them real-world experience. Even if they don’t use the specific technology tools they are seeing in class, they will need to understand industry-specific programs like Triumph.

“It’s easier for them to quickly adapt to another technology if they need to, because the core concepts are the same,” notes Boone.

Williamson shares that he applied his class knowledge to his post-graduate internship with automotive component supplier Autokiniton. During a meeting, his supervisor received a call from a driver who had refused a load at the last minute because he would not have been able to secure a suitable backhaul. Using the knowledge he had gained in class about route planning and load pricing, Williamson explained the driver’s situation and diffused the conflict – even though his role was not related to scheduling.

Even if a student isn’t interested in the transportation industry, Boone says, the BlueStar project focuses on bringing a product or service to market.

“I need to understand what it costs, and I also need to know what the market will bear,” he says of the perspective needed. “If I can’t do it profitably, I won’t be in business for long.”

Many industries are grappling with what AI means for their people and processes, and current students will need to navigate evolving technology. At the same time, the skills Boone’s students learn through the BlueStar project, like analysis and presentation, are growing in importance.

According to Boone, “The more real our classes can be – the more real tools, real problems, real professionals we can expose students to – the better prepared they’ll be.”

Student teams made presentations to a boardroom-style panel that gave them a high-pressure, real-world experience.

Photo by Beth Wynn

Modernizing McCool

By Emily Daniels

For more than 50 years, McCool Hall has served as the home of Mississippi State University’s College of Business – a place where ideas are sparked, careers are shaped and future leaders are prepared. And just as the business world continues to evolve, so must the spaces where our students learn and collaborate.

Through our Modernize McCool initiative, we are reimagining the heart of the College with updated facilities that reflect today’s standards for business education. These enhancements include flexible classrooms, technology-rich environments and collaborative areas that encourage creativity and innovation.

From redesigned suites to newly equipped classrooms, each renovation is more than a cosmetic upgrade – it is an investment in our students’ success. The following highlights showcase the latest completed projects that are transforming McCool Hall into a modern, dynamic hub for business education.

Photos by Emily Daniels and Lana Bentley

The Davis K. Mortensen and W.G. “Mickey” Holliman Dean’s Suite

Located on the first floor of McCool Hall, the newly renovated Dean’s Suite serves as the central location for leadership within the College of Business. It provides a welcoming and professional space for students, faculty, alumni and visitors. Designed with modern functionality in mind, the suite enhances accessibility and creates an inviting environment for collaboration. This transformation was made possible through the generous support of alumni and friends of the College.

Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach Expansion

The expansion of the Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach, or E-Center, reflects the College’s commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurial success. The E-Center renovation includes the new Oswald Think Tank – named in honor of former Dean Sharon Oswald – which offers a dedicated space for creative problem-solving. It also houses the Wingo Venture Gallery – named for alumnus Turner Wingo – which provides a showcase for student innovation and venture launches.

Department of Management & Information Systems Suite

The renovated Management & Information Systems Suite reflects the generosity and vision of donors James and Patricia Coggin, whose continued support of the College of Business made these updates possible. The redesigned departmental lobby now features modern furniture, updated lighting and integrated technology, creating a welcoming professional space for students, faculty and visitors. In addition, faculty and PhD student offices were upgraded with contemporary workspaces that align with the Department’s focus on innovation and excellence.

James M. Robinson Seminar Suite

Officially dedicated on October 18, 2024, the James M. Robinson Seminar Suite is a premier meeting and learning space on the third floor of McCool Hall. The suite features state-of-the-art technology, including wireless capabilities, smart sound and video conferencing. It serves as a top-tier venue for doctoral seminars, virtual meetings between students and executives, student recruitment appointments and interviews. The suite honors James Robinson, the President of P&R Metals in Birmingham, AL, and a proud marketing alumnus and supporter of the College.

Marketing & Communications Suite

As part of the College of Business Dean’s Office, the Marketing & Communications, or MarComm, Suite occupies a dedicated annex on the second floor of McCool Hall. The new MarComm Suite provides a central home for the College’s expanded communications and marketing team and offers a collaborative environment for developing creative campaigns, managing media and telling the story of the College of Business. This upgrade was made possible through the generous support of alumni and friends.

McCool Hall 218 Classroom Renovation

McCool Hall’s Room 218 has been transformed into a flexible, technology-enhanced classroom designed for today’s teaching and learning needs. With upgraded seating, presentation tools and interactive capabilities, the space supports both in-person and hybrid instruction, ensuring students have access to a modern learning environment. Alumni support through the MSU Foundation helped make this renovation possible.

PACCAR Supply Chain Conference Room

The PACCAR Supply Chain Conference Room provides a dedicated space for faculty, students and industry partners to connect on supply chain initiatives. Equipped with advanced technology and designed for collaboration, the conference room strengthens the College’s ability to host meetings, seminars and research presentations that advance the field of supply chain management.

These renovations represent the first steps in our long-term vision to Modernize McCool. Each new space – whether a classroom, suite or collaborative hub – reflects our commitment to providing students with the resources they need to excel. Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, McCool Hall is becoming more than just a building; it is a modern, dynamic environment where students, faculty and industry partners come together to learn, create and lead.

Self Engagement

By Emily Daniels

After nearly three decades as a trusted voice in Mississippi television news, Aundrea Self stepped into a new chapter – one that feels as natural as the cadence of her broadcast voice. In January 2025, the Starkville native began her new role as Director of Outreach and Engagement for Mississippi State University’s College of Business, bringing her thoroughly honed communication skills back to her hometown. Embracing the opportunities of a well-timed pivot, she is now channeling her talents into developing connections, celebrating success stories and linking alumni and business leaders with the next generation of Bulldog entrepreneurs.

“This role just felt like the right fit at the right time,” Self says. “It allows me to use the skills I developed in journalism – storytelling, relationship building, public service – but in a new environment that values long-term impact and community engagement.”

Self graduated from Starkville High School before attending Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, AL. She double majored in English and communications, initially envisioning a future as an English teacher. But it was a class project – a video feature on the Stillman College Choir’s annual tour –that sparked her interest in broadcast journalism.

“I fell in love with the process of reporting,” she recalls. “From interviewing and collecting footage to editing and scripting a story, I realized how powerful it was to give people a voice.”

After graduation, Self’s career began in radio before transitioning to television. Her first break came when WCBI-TV, the CBS affiliate in Columbus, MS, hired her as a morning show producer. She spent the next 26 years at the station, eventually becoming Managing Editor and launching the lifestyle program “Mid-Morning with Aundrea” in 2012.

“I loved telling stories that made a difference,” she says. “Whether it was highlighting a local nonprofit or giving a platform to someone facing a challenge, I believed journalism was a form of public service. When we could use that for good, I always felt good about what I was doing.”

Despite her passion for storytelling, Self says she knew that her time in broadcast journalism would not last forever. The long hours and relentless deadlines were taxing, especially for a working mother.

“When you’re in news, everything is urgent,” she says. “You’re on call for breaking news, weather events, community crises. I’ve spent snow days in hotels away from my family. I missed programs at my daughter’s school because I had to be in the newsroom.”

In 2020, she earned a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Alabama, partly to open doors to teaching. As an Adjunct Professor at Mississippi State, she began leading courses in broadcast performance, news writing and mass media.

“I wanted to help prepare students for what the textbook can’t teach you,” she says. “Things like how to think on your feet, how to find your voice, how to adapt when the teleprompter fails –real-world stuff.”

When the College of Business posted the Director of Outreach and Engagement position, Self’s sister and fellow MSU employee, Kristen Burnett, encouraged her to apply. Though initially hesitant, Self realized the opportunity aligned with her talents and career goals.

Photo by Beth Wynn

“It was a leap of faith,” she says. “But as the process moved forward, it started to feel like confirmation that this was where I needed to be.”

In her new role, Self is responsible for strengthening the College of Business’ relationships with alumni, media outlets and corporate partners. She coordinates events, highlights stories of impact and supports giving initiatives like Club 1915, a fundraising campaign named for the College’s founding year.

“Outreach and engagement are really about creating and maintaining meaningful connections,” she explains. “That’s what I did as a journalist, and that’s what I’m doing here. I’m just telling a different kind of story now – one about opportunity, innovation and the future of business education.”

Self is also the new host of “The Bulldog Business Show,” a video series produced in collaboration with MSU’s Television Center. The show highlights faculty research, student success stories and alumni achievements – all told with Self’s signature professionalism and warmth. She says being under the studio lights with the interview mic feels like second nature, a familiar setting allowing her to blend her broadcasting background with her passion for higher education.

“It’s been fun to get back in front of the camera,” she says. “Except now, everything I talk about is good news. No breaking updates, no emergencies – just celebrating the incredible things happening in our College.”

While the transition from the newsroom to a university office was significant, Self sees the two roles as deeply connected by purpose.

“In both cases, the heart of the work is about people – listening to them, learning from them and helping others see their value,” she says. “Whether I’m interviewing someone for a news segment or helping alumni reconnect with their alma mater, it’s about building trust.”

She remains passionate about mentoring students, particularly those navigating the evolving landscape of media and communication. Her advice is grounded and honest.

She tells them, “Stay curious. Stay flexible. Don’t be afraid to pivot. The world is changing fast, and your career path might not look exactly like what you imagined. That’s okay. Just be open to a pivot in your life, and make it work.”

Her advice is rooted in personal experience. From breaking news to business engagement, Self has consistently embraced opportunities to evolve, learn and lead with authenticity.

Of course, there are moments from her journalism career that she will never forget, like the time she secured a one-on-one interview with then-Sen. Barack Obama during his 2008 presidential campaign stop in Mississippi.

Self calls her dialogue with then-Sen. Barack Obama “one of the most human interviews” she’s ever done. Photo courtesy of Aundrea Self

“I just emailed his team and asked,” she laughs. “And they said yes! We sat down for 15 or 20 minutes and talked about everything from politics to parenting to his efforts to quit smoking. And obviously I had to ask him about the historic moment that it was – he would be the first African American president – so nothing was off the table. It was surreal but also one of the most human interviews I’ve ever done.”

She also fondly recalls covering Mississippi State’s back-to-back NCAA Women’s Final Four appearances, including the iconic upset over the University of Connecticut in 2017.

“We took the show on the road, and it was incredible – not just as a journalist, but as a fan!” she shares.

Her husband, David, and daughter, Emilee, who traveled with her during those events, met players and coaches and got a behind-the-scenes view of sports broadcasting.

“It was special for all of us,” she says. “And that’s one of the gifts of this career. It gave me experiences I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Now firmly planted back in Starkville, Self is focused on growing the College’s outreach footprint and helping initiatives like Club 1915 reach full momentum. She says she’s also enjoying a more balanced life, one that allows for school events, family dinners and, yes, even snow days at home.

“The biggest surprise has been the flexibility,” she says. “At first, I kept asking, ‘Am I supposed to turn something in by five o’clock?’ But the pace here allows me to be strategic and intentional. That’s a blessing.”

Self does not view her career move as a departure from journalism but rather as an extension of it.

“Storytelling has always been at the heart of what I do,” she remarks. “Now, I’m telling the story of the College of Business – and it’s a story I believe in.”

As she looks ahead, Self is focused not only on measurable goals like engagement and fundraising but also on creating a lasting culture of connection.

“I want our alumni to feel proud of where they came from and inspired by where we’re going,” she says. “If I can play a role in that – if I can help someone feel seen, valued and part of something bigger – then I’ll know I’m doing the right work.”

Self became a well-known and respected fixture in the Golden Triangle region in her 26 years at WCBI-TV.

Photo courtesy of James Robinson

Collaborate and Innovate Nick Pashos Takes the Reins at the E-Center

By Kathy Kenne

There are exciting new developments in entrepreneurship at Mississippi State University, and the College of Business is at the center of it! Leading the charge is a new Director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, or E-Center. Nick Pashos has taken up residence in McCool Hall and started his tenure at a sprint!

The Manchester, NH, native is a graduate of Drexel University with a degree in biomedical engineering. He earned his PhD in bioinnovation at Tulane University. While at Tulane, he was able to spin out his doctoral research into a company called BioAesthetics Corporation. The business is a regenerative medical company centered on soft tissue reconstruction for people undergoing surgeries such as mastectomies and burn mitigation.

“I found that I really enjoyed the entrepreneurship process,” shares Pashos about starting his own company. “I spent 12 years in research and felt it was time for a new venture. Drexel University brought me back to teach entrepreneurship, and later, Tulane asked me to be their Entrepreneur in Residence.”

When Mississippi State advertised nationally for a new E-Center director, he applied for the job.

“I like that there’s one entrepreneurship institution for the whole university,” he remarks about what drew him to Mississippi State.

In fact, one of his goals is to make sure the E-Center reaches broadly across campus so it can be well-utilized by all departments. He wants researchers in multiple fields to have opportunity to bring their products to the marketplace.

“I don’t want us to get siloed,” he says. “For example, the vet school is doing wonderful research, and there aren’t many vet schools across the country. There’s real opportunity there. We enjoy cross-collaborations with the School of Architecture, Art and Design, sharing student workers.”

Another area where Pashos’ focus on interdisciplinary teaming is flourishing is in the Equipping Future Entrepreneurs workshop hosted by the MSU Graduate School at the E-Center. This twoyear-old event involves roughly 10 graduate students each year. Pashos lined up speakers for the workshop’s four seminars this past spring. Students heard from experts on topics such as trademarking, licensing and patents and startup funding. In addition, Pashos shared his own story about moving his research into the public market.

“Nick is very collaborative,” observes Lilli Harris, MSU’s Assistant Director of Graduate Student Development. “He’s open to new ideas and thinks outside the box in ways that bridge the gap between industry and academia. I appreciate his enthusiasm in working with students.”

This past spring, the E-Center also hosted Startup Summit 2025, a prime opportunity for budding entrepreneurs to test not only the marketability of their products but also their personal ability to promote them. At stake were multiple cash and in-kind prizes to help grow their businesses.

Photo by Jonah Holland

The two-part competition was composed of the Bulldog Business National Pitch Competition and the state-residents-only Mississippi Made Competition. Participants were evaluated on their presentations by industry leaders who served as judges. The Mississippi Made awards ranged from $2,500 for third place to $10,000 for first place. The competition was not limited to students but open to any Mississippi-based company. It received 75 applications, and 45 of those applicants were selected to make presentations. The variety of businesses ranged from t-shirt companies to biotech endeavors.

The Bulldog Business awards started at $5,000 and rose to $30,000 for first place. Applications came from as far away as New York and Boston.

The Startup Summit fits well with Pashos’ goals. He states his top priority is to make certain every scholastic department at MSU is connected with the E-Center and takes advantage of the expertise and information it has to offer.

“We need to create an ecosystem that involves people from all over campus,” he shares. “That’s been done in the past, but we can always expand further. I want to give people the permission and the resources they need to achieve their entrepreneurial goals.”

Secondly, Pashos says he wants to bring a fresh light to entrepreneurship from outside the state. Programs such as the Bulldog Business Competition provide an opportunity for Mississippians to be exposed to additional ideas and business models. He believes strongly that competition drives innovation.

In another endeavor, the VentureCatalyst™ program stokes the fires of emerging entrepreneurs. This brainchild of the E-Center is open to MSU students and faculty alike who are interested in starting successful, investor-backed companies. Key elements of the program include mentorship, training and up to $7,500 in investor funding. When a team has built a company that has raised sufficient capital for 18 months of operation or is self-sustaining on its own earnings, it “graduates” from the program.

Pashos (center) and Laura Marler, Management and Information Systems Department Head and director of the new entrepreneurship major, consult with Devin Duncan about his startup GoatTeez Apparel, Inc..

Photo by Emily Daniels

Jonesboro, AR, native Brandon Cooper, who graduated this past May, was a participant in the program. His business, Study Placer LLC, features an app to help students organize their workloads.

“I had desk space in the E-Center throughout my junior year as a participant in the VentureCatalyst program,” he shares. “In my senior year, I was selected to be a Student Client Specialist within the program. VentureCatalyst helped a great deal not only with funding, but with connections also. It really made a difference to be around other people who were working on starting their businesses as well as Nick, who had been through the process with his own company. It brought a great deal of clarity and insight into my endeavors.”

Pashos wants the E-Center to be a place where students feel comfortable and know their needs are being addressed.

“We want them to feel like they can come in and visit with us,” he says. “We do things like help them create business models and business plans. We teach them how to do market analyses. We have desk space in our newly remodeled office for student startups. By the end of each semester, those desks are at a premium. The students working there now represent engineering projects, a clothing line and several business applications, among others.”

Pashos has been a robust addition to the MSU campus and particularly the College of Business. He brings a fresh, outside perspective with a broad spectrum of ideas.

“I like a challenge,” he sums up. “I didn’t have this when I was a student. I enjoy helping someone who was in my situation succeed.”

by Grace Cockrell

Under Pashos’ direction, the scope of the MSU Startup Summit widened in 2025, featuring competitions for student entrepreneurs nationwide and for early stage startups across the state.

Photo

Startup Summit Levels Up

By Emily Daniels

Cementing its reputation as a powerhouse for entrepreneurial talent, Mississippi State University’s Startup Summit drew statewide and national attention this year as emerging entrepreneurs gathered to share game-changing ideas, receive expert feedback and compete for more than $100,000 in funding. What began as a small on-campus pitch competition has evolved into a premier innovation showcase featuring student founders from across the country and elevating early-stage companies rooted in Mississippi.

Hosted in April by the MSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, or E-Center, this year’s summit welcomed more than 75 startups. The 17th annual event introduced an expanded format with two divisions – Mississippi Made and Bulldog Business National Pitch Competition.

“We opened the Summit to a wider audience to build a larger ecosystem of innovation, competition and resources,” says Nick Pashos, E-Center Director and Professor of Practice in the College. “This was to spur this entrepreneurial hub of Mississippi and eliminate boundaries between the University and surrounding communities.”

The Mississippi Made division highlighted early-stage businesses based in the state, each fewer than five years old and with 10 or fewer employees. The $10,000 top prize went to CLARUS Labs, founded by MSU MBA student and chemistry doctoral graduate Max Wamsley. The company produces rapid testing strips and analysis tools to measure oxidation in pet food, an essential quality control measure for manufacturers.

Other division winners included Herrington Dynamics, which earned $5,000 for developing a filter that captures toxic emissions from combustion engines; and ConnectU, awarded $2,500 for its microinfluencer platform that helps small businesses reach local audiences on social media. In the lifestyle and retail category, biotech company GulfSpore received $5,000 for its mushroom-based tincture that prevents fungal growth and spoilage in fresh produce.

The Bulldog Business division welcomed student-led ventures from colleges and universities nationwide. The $30,000 grand prize went to Humimic Biosystems, from the University of Arkansas. The company creates organ-mimicking Petri dishes that help pharmaceutical firms test drugs before reaching human trials – potentially saving millions in development costs.

Imagine Devices from the University of Texas at Austin earned $15,000 for its neonatal monitoring system for premature infants, and Enviracell from North Carolina State University was awarded $5,000 for its sustainable battery technology. Imagine Devices also received the $1,000 Future Entrepreneur Award, while ConnectU claimed the $2,000 People’s Choice Award. The top six teams also received yearlong memberships to CoWork, MSU’s collaborative working space.

In-kind prizes added further value. GulfSpore and Imagine Devices received MBA Consulting prizes worth $2,500 each. Mississippi-based video production company Apothecary Creative awarded services to GulfSpore and Vertical Take Off, an AI-powered reading assistant for individuals with dyslexia. Eva Garland Consulting services went to CLARUS Labs, Humimic, Enviracell and Imagine Devices, for advice in federal research and development funding.

The Summit marked a new chapter in MSU’s commitment to statewide innovation by attracting stakeholders with a renewed vision to build a more connected and supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem. The E-Center has partnered with Summit sponsor Innovate Mississippi, a nonprofit focused on accelerating high-growth startups, to launch a series of monthly gatherings aimed at strengthening relationships among founders, investors and business leaders.

While the E-Center operates within the College of Business, students from all academic disciplines as well as independent entrepreneurs across Mississippi benefit from its coaching, funding opportunities, prototyping center and co-working space. From its Starkville home base, the E-Center continues to nurture the next wave of innovators, helping turn bold ideas into real-world ventures.

To support the 2026 MSU Startup Summit, contact Margaret Mary Coker, mmcoker@ecenter.msstate.edu.

Photos by Grace Cockrell

Moving Food Safety Forward

By Emily Daniels

When Max Wamsley walks into a room – or a research lab – you quickly realize he is not just another chemist. A PhD-educated optical spectroscopy and measurement science expert, an Army research chemist and the founder of an emerging biotech startup, Wamsley navigates the worlds of science, business and entrepreneurship with equal parts curiosity and grit.

He is also a proud Mississippi native, a soon-to-be MBA graduate from Mississippi State University and a man on a mission to transform how we measure food quality, starting with pet food.

Hailing from Vicksburg, MS, Wamsley completed his undergraduate degree in biochemistry, with a minor in computer science, at Centenary College of Louisiana. His passion for measurement science and chemical instrumentation brought him to Mississippi State, where he earned a PhD in chemistry and found a campus community deeply rooted in innovation.

“I chose MSU because I wanted to do chemical instrumentation, and they had strong funding and faculty in that area,” he explains. “I visited during COVID, and even with limited options, I knew it was where I needed to be.”

Now, Wamsley is pursuing his online MBA from Mississippi State and is on track to graduate in December 2025. But he’s already applying those business skills in real time as the founder and CEO of Clarus Labs LLC – a startup rooted in his doctoral research that is gaining serious momentum.

Clarus Labs was born from an unassuming research challenge. A fellow professor approached Wamsley’s advisor, Dr. Dongmao Zhang, with a question: Could Zhang’s lab improve a dated and unreliable method for measuring meat oxidation, an issue of concern to the meat and pet food industries?

What began as a methodological problem quickly transformed into a broader opportunity.

“We started improving the test, and we realized we could develop a portable, cost-effective instrument that could be used on-site in supply chains,” Wamsley says.

While Zhang, a professor in MSU’s chemistry department, chose not to pursue the commercialization route himself, Wamsley says his mentorship and technical guidance were instrumental.

“Dr. Zhang built the foundation, and I’m standing on it,” he says. “We wouldn’t be here without him.”

Backed by National Science Foundation, or NSF, and National Institutes of Health funding, the research eventually caught the attention of the NSF’s Small Business Innovation Research program. Clarus Labs applied for a federal grant through the NSF’s Seed Fund, which, if awarded, could provide up to $1.5 million in startup funding.

“We’re past stage one of the review,” Wamsley exclaims. “That alone is a huge step forward!”

At its core, Clarus Labs’ innovation improves upon oxidation testing, which is a way to measure how rancid, or chemically degraded, a meat product has become. The current testing methods, dating back to the 1940s, can be unreliable, time-consuming and require advanced chemistry training.

“Traditional tests can take eight hours and require extensive sample prep,” Wamsley explains. “If you mess up one step, you have to start over. Our method is faster, simpler and more reliable. It’s a three-step process: blend the meat sample, filter it and drop it into our reaction solution. The portable instrument does the rest.”

Max Wamsley speaks at the 2025 Startup Summit.

Photo by Grace Cockrell

The result? Reliable data in less than 10 minutes, with accuracy across various types of meat –including beef, chicken and now pet food.

Although the technology was initially developed for poultry applications, Wamsley and his team quickly discovered a more urgent market: the pet food industry.

“Pet food often uses older meat, and quality varies a lot,” he says. “There’s no current quick method to test the oxidation level of the ingredients before they’re processed. Our test fills that gap.”

The need is real. Many companies currently rely on visual inspection or slow, lab-based methods that are not scalable. With Clarus Labs’ tool, pet food manufacturers could test ingredient quality upon delivery – even before unloading – saving time, money and, potentially, animal health.

Wamsley points out the possible long-term health benefits as well.

“We don’t currently check pet food quality the way we do for humans,” he remarks. “But some of these oxidized compounds are known to be carcinogenic. If we can screen for them in ten minutes, why wouldn’t we?”

While Wamsley leads Clarus Labs, he also works full time as a Research Chemist for the U.S. Army Development Command Chemical Biological Center in Maryland, a position he accepted after completing his doctoral studies through an Army scholarship program.

“I’m gaining experience in bacterial detection and biochemistry, which could open up new applications for our technology down the road,” he says. “It’s tough balancing both roles, but the work aligns in exciting ways.”

To better prepare for the business side of leading a startup, Wamsley enrolled in Mississippi State’s online MBA program, supported through a scholarship connected to the College of Business and the Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Innovation and Technology, better known as MCITy, a startup incubator in Vicksburg.

“As a scientist, I knew the chemistry,” he says. “But launching a startup requires a different language – accounting, supply chain, business strategy. Earning my MBA at Mississippi State has helped bridge that gap. I’m learning in real time how to make Clarus Labs viable long-term.”

As part of his teaching assistantship through MCITy, Wamsley supports small businesses at MSU by helping them develop business proposals. He also writes grants for Clarus Labs as part of his formal duties. That hands-on experience has been integral to both his academic and entrepreneurial growth.

His path from researcher to entrepreneur was not always smooth. Learning to navigate startup operations, customer discovery, funding strategy and regulatory hurdles came with steep learning curves. That is where the MSU College of Business, the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach –known as the E-Center – and MCITy played pivotal roles.

“I’ve had incredible mentors, especially Nick Pashos at the E-Center and Tasha Bibb with MCITy,” says Wamsley. “I also completed the NSF I-Corps program and interviewed more than 160 potential customers to understand the market.”

Wamsley and family at his doctoral graduation - (from left) Nicholas Wright, brother; Hannah Krapac Wamsley, wife; Wamsley; Ty Wamsley, father; Mia Wamsley, sister and Lisa Wamsley, mother

Photo courtesy of Max Wamsley

Despite working in Maryland, Wamsley says he is committed to keeping Clarus Labs rooted in Mississippi, specifically in his hometown of Vicksburg.

“MCITy is doing great things for economic development,” he says. “I want to hire local talent and collaborate with all Mississippi universities. My long-term vision is a thriving company that stays in the state and helps build its innovation ecosystem.”

That commitment was on full display at MCITy’s Dawg Tank pitch competition in June, where Clarus Labs took second place. The previous spring, Wamsley took home the $10,000 grand prize in the Mississippi Made category at Mississippi State’s 2025 Startup Summit. He says he plans on using those funds to support additional research at MSU by funding a research assistant in his former lab. The research assistant will focus on introducing a new chemical for their testing technology.

“We measure what’s called ‘secondary oxidation,’” Wamsley explains. “Basically, when meat degrades, it first breaks down into one chemical – this is called primary oxidation – and then into a second one, which is secondary oxidation. A lot of the food industry wants to measure that first step. What we’re trying to do is get the technology working for both stages of the degradation process, which would open the door to broader applications in the future.”

The road ahead for Clarus Labs includes refining their portable instrument, developing userfriendly software and potentially attracting investors to speed up commercialization.

“Currently, the software is somewhat of a bottleneck,” he says. “I could write it, but I honestly don’t have the time. We’re hoping to bring on a software specialist or find investment to scale faster.”

Broader applications beyond pet food are also on the horizon – think oxidation testing for sauces, chips and potatoes, as well as potential use in Department of Defense settings for environmental or illicit substance detection.

Even amid these ambitions, Wamsley remains humble – and grateful.

“I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I do work hard, and I ask for help when needed,” he says. “That’s what’s made the difference.”

To students and researchers dreaming of launching their own startups, Wamsley offers clear advice: “You’ve got to love what you’re doing, or you won’t have the stamina. And if you don’t want to be the CEO, that’s fine; find someone who does. Just don’t let the idea die if you believe in it.”

He also stresses the importance of relationships.

“Build your network,” he adds. “Every connection could help you down the line. Whether it’s faculty mentors, classmates or someone you meet at a conference, stay connected.”

With his passion for science, determination to improve food quality and a growing base of support across institutions and industries, Wamsley is poised to make Clarus Labs a success story born from research – and rooted in Mississippi.

Wamsley’s Clarus Labs won the $10,000 grand prize in the Mississippi Made category at MSU’s 2025 Startup Summit.

Photo by Grace Cockrell

A Framework for Secure AI Use in the Workplace Principles and Guidelines

By Alaa Nehme

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools, including generative AI and large language models, are rapidly becoming part of employees’ daily work. These technologies are used to draft emails, summarize reports, generate code and provide business insights, offering substantial productivity gains. At the same time, their widespread use presents new challenges for information security within organizations. Employees may inadvertently paste sensitive data into public AI platforms, rely on unverified outputs or use unauthorized tools without IT oversight. These practices create serious risks. Ensuring secure AI use is not just a technical issue but a behavioral and procedural one that calls for governance and guidance. This article presents key principles and actionable guidelines to help organizations support safe, responsible and effective use of AI tools in the workplace, allowing employees to benefit from AI’s potential while reducing the likelihood of unintended harm.

Employee Response to Sustainable Strategies

When developing a firm’s sustainability strategy, a company needs to consider how each stakeholder will react to the strategic initiatives. This is especially true when it comes to execution of the sustainable strategy. Frontline employees are the boots on the ground when it comes to executing the firm’s strategic initiatives. Sustainable strategies are passed down from management to these frontline employees, and the employees oversee execution. Therefore, it is imperative to understand how sustainable strategies influence employees.

n Protect Confidential Data

Risky information disclosure, whether intentional or not, occurs when employees input sensitive data such as customer records, internal documents, proprietary code or regulated data into public AI tools. Unless approved by IT, employees must avoid entering such information into generative AI systems. These systems may retain or learn from inputs, creating long-term risks to data confidentiality and compliance.

n Validate Output

Human review is essential to ensure the integrity of AI-generated content, which may often include hallucinations or contrafabulations. These are statements that sound plausible but are false, misleading or biased. Employees should treat AI outputs as draft suggestions rather than verified facts. A human-in-the-loop approach is critical for validating information before action is taken. This applies across all domains but is especially important in sensitive areas such as legal, financial or healthcare contexts. Human oversight helps prevent errors from translating into real-world repercussions.

n Use Approved Tools Only

The use of shadow AI, referring to unauthorized AI tools that replace those officially approved by the organization, undermines the security of the organization and exposes it to risks. Using AI systems that haven’t been vetted by IT or security teams creates visibility gaps, reduces oversight and weakens organizational defenses. To maintain enterprise-grade security and ensure regulatory compliance, employees must use only AI tools that have been formally approved and are monitored by the organization.

n Watch for AI Bias

AI bias occurs when AI systems produce outputs that reflect unfair patterns or stereotypes from their training data. These biases may be subtle but harmful, especially in decisions involving people, such as hiring, evaluations or customer support. In addition, AI tools lack real-world context and often miss nuances. Employees should be cautious when using AI in sensitive situations and recognize that fairness, judgment and inclusion require human oversight.

n Maintain Traceability

AI traceability is the ability to clearly document how an AI tool was used, including what was entered, what was produced and how the results were applied. In business settings, maintaining traceability supports transparency and organizational accountability. Employees should keep records of their interactions with AI tools, particularly in high-stakes or external-facing work such as legal drafting, financial reporting, policy development or client communication. This includes saving prompts and generated output and the rationale for using them. AI-generated content should never be treated as anonymous or detached from its context. Clear documentation allows decisions influenced by AI to be reviewed, justified and explained if needed.

Security Guidelines for AI Use

Establishing clear and accessible AI use policies or guidelines is essential for protecting the organization from AI misuse and the risks that come with it. These policies should be specific enough to prevent risky use, yet flexible enough to support productivity and innovation. Key components that can help guide organizations in designing secure and effective AI use policies include:

n Tool Approval and Access Controls

Establishing clear approval and access controls for AI tools is critical to reducing organizational risk. Organizations should clearly define which AI tools are authorized for use, ensuring they align with internal security, privacy and compliance requirements. Rather than imposing blanket restrictions, access should be based on job responsibilities, with stricter controls for departments that handle sensitive or regulated information. A structured approval process allows high productivity and innovation while maintaining oversight.

n Prohibited Use Cases

Clear boundaries are essential to prevent AI misuse in the workplace. Effective guidelines should specify which tasks fall outside acceptable use. These typically include processing personally identifiable information or protected health information, drafting legal documents and generating customer-facing communications. Such restrictions are critical to safeguarding data privacy, ensuring compliance and avoiding reputational or legal consequences. By defining prohibited scenarios, organizations help employees make informed decisions about when AI tools are suitable and when they are not.

n Data Handling Protocols

Employees must understand how to properly handle the data with which they work, particularly when interacting with AI tools. This includes recognizing which types of information are considered sensitive and must be protected. Examples include customer account numbers, employee social security numbers, internal financial reports, unreleased product plans and confidential client communications. Such data should never be entered into public or unapproved AI systems. Knowing which data requires extra care and when to withhold it is critical. The practice of data classification and proper data hygiene are essential for preventing inadvertent leaks and AI misuse.

n Disclosure Expectations

Transparency around AI use is an important aspect of maintaining credibility and trust in business communications. When AI-generated content appears in materials shared publicly or directly with customers, organizations should establish clear expectations for when and how that use should be disclosed. Being open about the involvement of AI helps manage audience expectations, prevent misunderstandings and reinforce the integrity of external communications.

n Usage Monitoring and Logging

Monitoring and logging systems are a foundational part of enterprise security, helping organizations maintain visibility, detect misuse and respond to incidents effectively. To ensure proper oversight of AI tool usage, businesses should implement mechanisms that track how these tools are accessed and applied across teams. Comprehensive logging supports policy enforcement, facilitates post-incident reviews and reinforces accountability by creating a verifiable record of activity.

n Training and Reinforcement

Ongoing education is critical to building a secure AI culture. Regular training should help employees understand the specific risks associated with generative AI, how to manage sensitive data and what best practices look like in everyday scenarios. Reinforcement over time ensures that policies translate into consistent behavior.

Securing the Future

AI is here to stay, and its impact on the workplace will only grow. Securing its use is not just a technical issue but also a leadership responsibility. Organizations must empower employees to use AI productively without exposing the firm to unnecessary risk. This requires promoting a “pause and think” mindset before sharing data or acting on AI outputs. Building a culture of secure use depends on cross-functional collaboration, with Legal, IT and HR working together to define clear expectations. With the right guardrails, businesses can embrace AI confidently and responsibly.

Dr. Alaa Nehme

Alaa Nehme, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems in the MSU College of Business. He is a Distinguished Member of the Association for Information Systems (AIS). He is also a member of various scholarly groups, including special interest groups, research working groups and regional and international AIS chapters. Nehme’s research focuses on information security. His work has been published in leading journals, such as the Journal of Management Information Systems and Computers & Security. His work also appears in the refereed proceedings of esteemed conferences, such as the Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences and the Americas Conference on Information Systems. He contributes as a reviewer for premier IS journals and has held editorial positions and track chair roles at major IS conferences. He teaches courses on management information systems, artificial intelligence and data analytics.

Shaping the Next 110 Years of Bulldog Business

This fall, the Mississippi State University College of Business will celebrate an extraordinary milestone: 110 years of shaping business leaders. Since our founding in 1915, we have stood as Mississippi’s oldest business college and one of the oldest in the Southeast. For more than a century, we have prepared generations of Bulldogs to lead, innovate and serve in industries around the world.

But anniversaries are not only about looking back – they are also about envisioning what comes next.

The world of business continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace, and so must we. As we honor our history, we are committed to shaping the next 110 years with bold initiatives that ensure our students are prepared for the challenges and opportunities ahead. This vision is only possible through the continued generosity of our alumni and friends. Your support provides the foundation that allows our students to thrive, our faculty to excel and our College to lead.

This year, we are especially focused on four strategic priorities that are transforming the Bulldog Business Experience: Study Abroad, Modernizing McCool Hall, Live Learning and the Top Dawgs Scholarship Program. Together, these initiatives represent both our proud traditions and our future potential.

Study Abroad: Expanding Global Perspectives

In today’s interconnected economy, global awareness is no longer optional – it is essential. That’s why the College of Business is committed to making study abroad experiences accessible to as many students as possible.

From Europe to Asia to South America, our students are exploring international markets, learning about diverse cultures and gaining firsthand knowledge of global business practices. These experiences broaden perspectives, cultivate adaptability and prepare students to thrive in a competitive global workforce.

Alumni support makes this possible. Scholarships for study abroad help cover travel and tuition costs that often put international experiences out of reach for many students. With your help, we can continue to send Bulldogs across the globe, equipping them to return with insights, skills and confidence that set them apart.

Modernizing McCool Hall: Building Spaces for the Future

For decades, McCool Hall has been the heartbeat of the College of Business – a place where students learn, collaborate and dream about the future. But as business education evolves, so must our physical spaces. Modern students need modern facilities: classrooms equipped with advanced technology, collaborative spaces designed for teamwork and environments that inspire innovation.

Our vision for McCool Hall includes upgraded learning spaces, enhanced technology infrastructure and flexible environments that support both in-person and hybrid instruction. These improvements are not just cosmetic; they are essential for preparing students to succeed in a rapidly changing business landscape.

Your investment in McCool Hall is an investment in the daily experience of every business student at Mississippi State. Together, we can ensure that the home of Bulldog Business remains as dynamic and forward-looking as the students who walk its halls.

Live Learning: Business Beyond the Classroom

We incorporate live learning across all our programs of study, giving students opportunities to apply classroom knowledge to real-world business challenges.

A partnership with Taylor Logistics, LLC, is one powerful example. Under the guidance of Professors Chris Boone and Rob Moore, supply chain logistics students traveled to company headquarters in Louisville, MS, monthly. They examined operational challenges and developed solutions, building career-ready skills. One recommendation was a supplier report card, which has strengthened the company’s vendor relationships.

Another program is the TVA Investment Challenge, in which students manage a $500,000 portfolio on behalf of the Tennessee Valley Authority, present their results at a national conference and travel to financial hubs like Wall Street. Meanwhile, the MSU Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach offers mentoring, seed funding and real market exposure – resulting in many students turning concepts or classroom projects into thriving start-ups.

Your gifts to live learning underwrite student travel, materials and other program elements that give our Bulldogs a front-row seat to the business world. When you invest here, you help prepare students to lead from day one.

Top Dawgs Scholarship Program: Attracting the Best and Brightest

One of the most exciting ways we are shaping the next generation of Bulldog business leaders is through the Top Dawgs Scholarship Program. These highly flexible scholarships allow us to identify and recruit exceptional students – those who have excelled academically, achieved outstanding test scores or distinguished themselves through leadership, service or extracurricular accomplishments.

Unlike many scholarships with rigid criteria, Top Dawgs awards can be tailored to the needs of individual students, stacking on top of other scholarships to make Mississippi State the clear choice for top talent. This flexibility ensures we can compete for the very best students in Mississippi and beyond.

Regardless of their paths, each of these scholars represents the promise of Bulldog Business – and each has been empowered by the generosity of donors like you. By giving to the Top Dawgs Scholarship Program, you directly impact the caliber of our student body, guaranteeing that Mississippi State continues to attract and graduate the best and brightest for decades to come.

Major Gifts: Creating a Legacy

A financial investment today helps us prosper and live comfortably in the future. The College of Business is no different – an investment in the College today ensures the future success of our programs and our incredible students. It is your generosity that allows us to grow, remain competitive and continue shaping the next generation of business leaders.

Private support is essential to our future. Through outright gifts, annuities, personal property or real estate, bequests or gifts of stocks, bonds or other securities, you are helping us attract outstanding faculty, support deserving students and keep our College on the cutting edge of technology.

Major gifts also provide flexibility: You can direct your support to scholarships, academic programs or facility improvements – or toward a department or initiative that holds special meaning to you. By making such an investment, you create a legacy that impacts generations of Bulldogs and ensures the College of Business continues to thrive for years to come.

Join Us in Writing the Next Chapter

The College of Business has always been about more than education. It is about building a community of leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs who shape the business world. Whether through a gift to one of our strategic priorities, participation in Club 1915 or the lasting impact of a major gift, your support makes a difference. Together, we can ensure that Mississippi State continues to attract the brightest minds, create life-changing opportunities and lead the way in business education.

We encourage you to reach out to the College of Business Development team to learn more about ways to give and how your investment can create lasting impact. Contact information may be found on page 53, and the QR code at right provides further details.

Let’s honor the legacy of the past while building a future that is even stronger. With your commitment today, we can make the next 110 years of Bulldog Business our best yet.

The Impact of Club 1915 Building the Future One Bulldog at a Time

By Emily Daniels

Mississippi State University founded the College of Business in 1915 to prepare students to lead, innovate and succeed. More than a century later, that mission continues with renewed purpose – thanks in part to Club 1915, a dynamic new giving program that empowers students, alumni and friends to invest directly in the future of Business Bulldogs.

With a monthly commitment of just $19.15, club members are helping fund transformational experiences for students and providing vital support for some of the College’s top priorities, ranging from the modernization of McCool Hall and new technology in classrooms to study abroad opportunities, live learning programs and scholarship initiatives like our new Top Dawg Scholar program. In return, a display inside McCool Hall recognizes members, and they are invited to exclusive events across the country to connect with fellow Bulldogs, engage with college leadership and see firsthand how their gifts are transforming student experiences.

“Club 1915 funds have made so many of our hands-on, live learning opportunities possible,” says College of Business Dean Scott Grawe. “From student-run conferences to study abroad to real-time business consulting projects, these gifts are fueling innovative education without adding extra costs to our students.”

One of the most visible examples is the affectionately dubbed “ShanZeale” Travel Study Program – named for marketing professors Kevin Shanahan and Mike Breazeale – which enabled dozens of students to visit companies across Ireland, London and Greece in the spring. Others engaged in high-impact live case studies with Mississippi-based Taylor Logistics, resulting in solutions so effective some were implemented by the company before the semester ended.

Melissa Moore, Head of the Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis and Supply Chain Logistics, shared how her students have been applying classroom knowledge to solve global business problems, from olive oil marketing in Tunisia – which included an international site visit – to conscious marketing in Tanzania.

Club 1915 events shown on these pages took place in Biloxi, Houston, Jackson and Starkville, and more are in the works.

“We’re not just teaching – we’re launching students’ careers with real-world experience,” she explains. “Because of Club 1915, we can give our students amazing global and applied opportunities that they may not otherwise have.”

Club 1915 has also played a key role in expanding entrepreneurship education. Laura Marler, Head of the Department of Management and Information Systems, noted that funding from Club 1915 supports resources at the Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, commonly known as the E-Center.

“The E-Center is a place where students can take risks, develop real businesses and even receive access to funding and mentoring without giving up equity,” she says. “With the new entrepreneurship major, students combine hands-on experience with practical coursework to gain the confidence and skills they need to succeed.”

Beyond programs, Club 1915 helps amplify student achievement across the College. Shawn Mauldin, Director of the Adkerson School of Accountancy, says the accounting program is thriving and points to rising placement rates, CPA Exam scores and undergraduate enrollment.

“Our students are doing exceptionally well – not only staying competitive but leading nationally,” he states. “Club 1915 gives alumni a direct way to support that continued success and make a lasting difference for their alma mater.”

“Our Club 1915 alumni have been enthusiastic and involved,” says Director of Outreach and Engagement Aundrea Self. “The special events we’ve held for them, to share the impact of these enriching experiences and our future plans, have been well attended.”

Dean Grawe credits the leadership that helps make these gatherings possible.

“I want to say thank you to Aundrea Self, our Director of Outreach and Engagement,” he comments. “She does a phenomenal job pulling these events together. If you’ve seen Club 1915 on social media or heard about an upcoming event, there’s a good chance it’s because of her work.”

Do you want to be a part of shaping the next 110 years of Bulldog Business while changing lives and growing the power of education? Visit business.msstate.edu/club1915 or scan the QR code to join Club 1915.

MEMBERS

Anonymous

Dr. Frank Adams and Mrs. Angelia Knight-Adams

Mr. William J. Albans

Mr. Trevor J. Arco

Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell M. Asmar, Jr.

Mr. Joseph L. Assell

Mr. and Mrs. Lee G. Barkley

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Becker, Jr.

Mrs. Susan Bell and Mr. Patrick Morris

Mr. Scott W. Benjamin

Mr. and Mrs. Stevan L. Black, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Brandon J. Bogard

Mrs. Amy Bogue

Dr. Dawn L. Bolton

Mr. Russ M. Bourne

Mr. and Mrs. Max P. Bowman

Mrs. Melissa C. Brady

Ms. Raleigh Bumpers

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon E. Burke, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. M. Brent Burton

Ms. Tenika V. Carter

Mr. Nicholas J. Castle

Mr. and Mrs. L. Scott Catington

Mr. Tony Clark

Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Clifton

Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey J. Corley

Mrs. Norma J. Moore-Covey

Ms. Emily B. Daniels

Mr. John R. Darden

Mr. Charlie G. Davidson, Jr.

Mr. Charvis L. Davidson

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew T. Dyer

Ms. Natalie G. Edwards

Mr. Steven W. Eilders

Dr. Parker Ellen

Mr. and Mrs. Kendall G. Ezelle

Mr. and Mrs. Cecil M. Felder, III

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Ferril

Mr. and Mrs. Haley R. Fisackerly

Mr. and Mrs. Scott B. Fullen

Mr. and Mrs. Larry P. Galloway

Mr. and Mrs. David Garraway

Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Gathings, Jr.

Mr. Samuel A. Goff

Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund

Mr. Lahitia S. Grant

Dr. and Mrs. Scott Grawe

Mr. Chris Grice, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael T. Groves

Mr. and Mrs. David N. Grubbs

Mr. and Mrs. Jan L. Gwin

Mr. and Mrs. Matt C. Hayden

Dr. and Mrs. Michael J. Highfield

Mr. Eric A. Hill

Mr. and Mrs. John F. Hill

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Hixon, Sr.

Mr. Ricardo O. Horne

Mrs. La’Kitha W. Bledsoe-Hughes

Mr. Lee R. Hughes

Mr. and Mrs. Shawn M. Hunter

Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Jenkins, Jr.

Ms. Tameka L. Johnson

Dr. Allen C. Johnston and Dr. Michelle R. Johnston

Ms. Charlie M. Joiner

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley R. Jones

Paul Karre

Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Kenney

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony B. King

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Koehn

Ms. D’Andrea E. Latham

Mr. and Mrs. Al M. Lawler, III

Mr. Hunter B. Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. Joshua W. Littlejohn

Mr. and Mrs. Eddie A. Longstreet

Mr. and Mrs. Matt Mahan

Drs. Kent and Emily Marett

Mr. and Mrs. James W. Martin

Dr. and Mrs. Dana S. Mauldin

Col. and Mrs. Robert M. Maxwell

Mr. Zachary T. Mayo

Mr. Daniel S. Mays

Ms. Amelia S. McIlwain

Mr. and Mrs. Archie P. McKinnis

Mr. and Mrs. James F. McKinnis

Mr. R. Jeremy McLaughlin

Medtronic, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory D. Miller

Lee and Mary Miller

Dr. Thomas W. Miller, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Milligan

Mr. Ryan J. Montalbano

George D. Montgomery

Ms. Stefanie Montgomery

Drs. Robert and Melissa Moore

Mr. and Mrs. Roderick A. Moore

Mr. and Mrs. Bertram S. Mortimer

Ms. Katherine M. Nash

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Nelson, III

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Nelson

Mr. and Mrs. Riley Nelson

Mr. Lee E. Newsom

Mrs. Aundrea S. Nichols

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Fred A. Nichols, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. William V. Nickels

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Palmer

Dr. Nicholas Pashos

Mrs. Lindsey Pearson

Mr. and Mrs. David G. Perkins

Mrs. Wilma J. Peterson

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory S. Posey

Ms. Hannah G. Quinn

Dr. Hema Rao

Mr. and Mrs. Steve S. Ratcliff, III

Mr. William M. Ray

Ms. Cate Robinson

Mr. James M. Robinson

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth B. Robinson

Dr. Kevin Rogers

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Rupp

Mr. Justin E. Samuels

Mr. and Mrs. Joey K. Sanders

Mr. and Mrs. Randall J. Scarborough

Mr. William F. Schenck, III

Dr. Jennifer Sexton

Mr. and Mrs. John M. Shappley

Mr. and Mrs. Willliam Shira

Mr. Riley T. Shrode

Mr. and Mrs. Drew T. St. John, II

Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Steed

Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Stroud, Jr.

Dr. Gregory P. Tapis

Mr. and Ms. Charles Z. Tate

Mr. Geoffrey S. Taylor

Dr. Laura M. Templeton and Mr. Charles H. Templeton, III

Mr. and Mrs. E. Anthony Thomas

Dr. Mary K. Thomas and Dr. R. Andrew Luccasen, III

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Thornton, II

Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Topp

Ms. Shelby C. Balius Tschume

Chip and Susanna Vance

Mr. and Mrs. Whit Waide

Mr. and Mrs. Harold D. Walker, III

Mr. Mack G. Walker

Mr. and Mrs. William Walker

Mr. and Mrs. Loyd A. (Aldie) Warnock

Ms. Christina Washington

Mr. and Mrs. William M. Washington, III

Mr. Christopher H. Webb

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas T. Wert

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel F. Whalen

Mr. Austin J. Wheat

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. White

Mr. Austin D. Whitley

Mr. and Mrs. John D. Wicker

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Wise

Mr. Ralfiel D. Wright

Mr. and Ms. Robert E. Wright

Mr. F. Russell Young

This list includes those who had joined Club 1915 as of July 31, 2025. Please let us know of any corrections.

Advisory boards are essential to the successful growth of Mississippi State University’s College of Business. Our Executive Advisory Board and departmental advisory boards bring industry insights that keep us attuned to evolving market trends, inspire continuous improvements in the classroom experience and foster strong connections with our alumni and supporters. Through their guidance and expertise, these dedicated groups help ensure the College remains a leader in business education.

Boyce Adams, Sr. Founder BankTEL Systems Homewood, AL

Richard C. Adkerson (Emeritus)

Retired President & CEO Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. Phoenix, AZ

Theresa Brady-Goldberg

Retired Commissioner Mississippi Department of Banking & Consumer Finance Tupelo, MS

Nap Bryan B-737 Captain American Airlines Denton, TX

Stephen Buehler

Founder, Astra Ventures Creator, Astra Insights Nashville, TN

James A. Coggin

Retired President & CAO SAKS, Inc. Jackson, MS

James Collins

President

One Accord Transportation & Management, LLC Belleville, IL

Cynthia Cooper

President & CEO

The CooperGroup, LLC Brandon, MS

Helen Currie

Chief Economist ConocoPhillips Houston, TX

Thomas F. Darnell (Emeritus) Executive VP, Chief Sales Officer BancorpSouth Tupelo, MS

Walter V. “Walt” Davis President WDJF, LLC Marietta, GA

Haley R. Fisackerly

President & CEO

Entergy Mississippi, Inc. Jackson, MS

Larry Galloway VP

Geophysical Pursuit, Inc. Covington, LA

Jan L. Gwin

Managing Director Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Memphis, TN

John F. Hill CEO

WealthPartners, LLP Madison, MS

Shawn Hunter CEO & Owner Industry Services Co., Inc. Mobile, AL

Paul J. Karre

Retired SVP, Human Resources & Communications

International Paper Pawleys Island, SC

Lewis F. Mallory, Jr. (Emeritus)

Retired Chairman & CEO Cadence Bank, N.A. Starkville, MS

Don Mason

Retired VP, External Affairs & Corporate Services

Mississippi Power Company Gulfport, MS

J. Michael McIlwain CEO

Applied Technical Services, LLC Kildeer, IL

Frank H. McWhorter, Jr. CPA

Topp McWhorter Harvey, PLLC Hattiesburg, MS

Lee Miller

Retired President Miller Transporters, Inc. Jackson, MS

Mickey Milligan (Emeritus)

Director, Existing Industry & Business Mississippi Development Authority Jackson, MS

Roderick A. “Rod” Moore

Retired EVP & CEO

Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company Brandon, MS

Buddy Mortimer Chairman of the Board Bank of Kilmichael Kilmichael, MS

Benji Nelson President

Ben Nelson Golf & Utility Vehicles Madison, MS

Shirley Olson President

Olson Consulting Group, LLC Jackson, MS

Jim Perkins

Retired VP

Bois d’Arc Energy, Inc. Ridgeland, MS

Richard Puckett, Sr. (Emeritus) Chairman & CEO

Puckett Machinery Company Flowood, MS

Joe G. Rice, Jr.

Managing Director, Investments

Raymond James & Associates, Inc. Ridgeland, MS

James M. Robinson

President P & R Metals, Inc. Birmingham, AL

Ken B. Robinson

Retired Senior Finance Executive Procter & Gamble Exelon Corporation Cincinnati, OH

Kathy St. John

Retired Managing Director & Contracts Consultant

NAPA Healthcare Connection, Inc. Madison, MS

William A. “Lex” Taylor, III

Chairman & CEO

The Taylor Group of Companies Louisville, MS

Roland Terry VP

Construction Services, Inc. Lauderdale, MS

Cyndi A. Tucker

Retired Director, Technology & Business Development ConocoPhillips Houston, TX

Jimmy L. Walden

Real Estate Management

Walden Group, LLC Jackson, MS

Loretta Walker

EVP and Chief People Officer

MedStar Health Columbia, MD

M.L. Waters (Emeritus) Secretary & Treasurer

Waters International Trucks, Inc. Meridian, MS

Donors

We are most grateful to those in the Mississippi State University College of Business family who support the College and its students financially. You have expanded educational experiences and bolstered impactful research. Thank you!

Named here are those who provided funding in fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025). Every effort has been made to ensure a complete listing; however, please contact us with any corrections.

Mr. and Mrs. James A. Adair

Mr. Boyce E. Adams, Sr.

Dr. Frank Adams and Mrs. Angelia Knight-Adams

Mr. Lemuel S. Adams, III

Mr. Wiley R. Lee Adams

Mr. Richard C. Adkerson

Aflac

Mr. William J. Albans

Alfa Insurance

Ms. Jamie M. Alford

Allen Beverages, Inc.

Dr. and Mrs. Paul W. Allen

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence E. Allison, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Ammons

Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Anderson

G. Chris Anderson

Mr. and Mrs. John Anderson

Ms. Terry L. Anderson

Mr. William Franklin Appleby, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael William Arasin

Mr. Trevor J. Arco

Mr. and Mrs. Allen L. Armstrong

Mr. Brian D. Arnett

Mrs. Max Arnett

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Dr. Tammy Y. Arthur and Mr. Kevin P. Pauli

Ascot Group

Ms. Denae Ashcraft

Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell M. Asmar, Jr.

Mr. Joseph L. Assell

Mr. Steven S. Aycock

Mr. and Mrs. Scotty Bailey

Mr. and Mrs. C. Tyler Bailey

Mr. and Mrs. William F. Baird

Baker Family Charitable Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher W. Baker

Mr. and Mrs. Willis A. Baker, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. James R. Balgord

Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund

Bank of Kilmichael

Ms. Melissa Bankroff

Mr. and Mrs. Mark T. Bardwell

Mr. and Mrs. Lee G. Barkley

Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Barlow

Mr. and Mrs. Don Barnes

Mr. Frederic D. Bayley

Beasley General Agency

Mr. and Mrs. Walter Becker, Jr.

Mr. Zachary J. Becker and Mrs. Claire Becker

Mrs. Susan Bell and Mr. Patrick Morris

Mr. Scott W. Benjamin

Berkley Southeast Insurance Group

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene N. Bigham, III

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Billingsley

Mr. Ralph M. Billingsley

Mr. and Mrs. Sam Bjorkman

Mr. and Mrs. Stevan L. Black, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Ralph H. Blakeney

Mr. Howard D. Bland

Mr. and Mrs. Dwight F. Blissard, Jr.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi, Inc.

BMSS, LLC

Mr. and Mrs. Roger C. Boatner

Mr. and Mrs. Brandon J. Bogard

Mrs. Amy Bogue

Dr. Dawn L. Bolton

Mr. and Mrs. Greg Allen Bonds

Mr. Patrick N. Bonones

Mr. Russ M. Bourne

Mr. and Mrs. Max P. Bowman

Mr. and Mrs. Frankie Box

Mr. Jonathan Tyler Boyd

Maj. Gen. and Mrs. J. Durr Boyles

Mrs. Derwood R. Boyles (Regina)

Mr. and Mrs. Todd E. Bradley

Mrs. Melissa C. Brady

Ms. Tiffany D. Brady

Mr. William R. Brandon

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby C. Brannon

Brevard Family Foundation

Ms. Chastitie M. Brim

Mr. Joe L. Brim

Mr. and Mrs. Fred N. Brown, Jr.

Donna and Clark Bruce

Mr. and Mrs. Steven G. Brummett

Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Walter A. Bryan, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. W. Daniel Bryant

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley L. Bulger

Mr. and Mrs. Terry L. Bullard

Ms. Raleigh Bumpers

Mr. and Mrs. Gordon E. Burke, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Earl B. Burks, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. M. Brent Burton

Mr. Stephen L. Burwell

Mr. and Mrs. Dean Busquaert

Mr. and Mrs. George W. Butler, Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Buttross

Ms. Jennifer Byrd

C Spire

C.A.T. Global

Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Cagle

Mr. and Mrs. David R. Campbell

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry D. Carlisle

Mr. Chris Carr

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Carroll, Jr.

Ms. Tenika V. Carter

Mr. Nicholas J. Castle

Mr. and Mrs. James B. Castles

Ms. Betty J. Caswell

Cater’s Market, LLC

CBIZ MHM, LLC

Mr. and Mrs. Larry C. Chapman

Mr. Robert D. Chapman

Charities Aid Foundation of America

Mr. Jonathan D. Childers

Dr. Leann M. Childers and Mr. Billy H. Childers

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Clayton, Jr.

Clear Spring Life and Annuity Co.

Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Cleveland

Mr. and Mrs. Richard D. Clifton

Mr. Michael T. Clinton

Coastal American Insurance Co.

Mr. and Mrs. Leonard B. Cobb

Coca-Cola Company

Mr. and Mrs. Steven Cochran

Mr. and Mrs. Jim Coggin

Mr. and Mrs. Terence J. Collins

Community Bank

Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. John K. Conn

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Connor, III

ConocoPhillips Co.

Mr. and Mrs. Aubrey J. Corley

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis A. Cornwell

Cotton Holdings, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert T. Cotton

Mrs. Norma J. Moore-Covey

Mr. and Mrs. James F. Cox

Mr. Timothy W. Cox

Mr. Jon M. Crane

Mr. and Mrs. Wil Crawford

CRC Insurance Services, Inc.

Curran Properties

Mr. and Mrs. Dan Curran

Dr. Helen M. Currie and Mr. Dayne Zimmerman

Mr. and Mrs. Raleigh Cutrer

Mr. Russell C. Dale

Mr. Timothy F. Dalton

Mr. and Mrs. Walter C. Daniel

Ms. Emily B. Daniels

Mr. John R. Darden

Mr. Charlie G. Davidson, Jr.

Mr. Charvis L. Davidson

Mr. Howard R. Davis, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. John S. Davis

Mr. and Mrs. Lance M. Davis

Mr. and Mrs. Randle S. Davis

Mr. Robert J. Davis

Ms. Selena N. Davis

Mr. Walter Van Davis

Mr. and Mrs. Randal L. Dawkins

Mr. Roben W. Dawkins

Deep South Precast, LLC

Deloitte & Touche Foundation

Ms. Catherine D. Denman

Ms. Susan Henry Dick

Mr. Cade Diehl

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Diehl

Mr. Donald N. Dodson

Mr. and Mrs. Waverly E. Donahoe

Mr. and Mrs. Bradley V. Douglas

Mrs. Ruth E. Drane

Ms. Sara F. Dryden

Mr. Bryan Dunn

Mr. Allen Dye

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew T. Dyer

Mr. Stephen M. East

Ms. Maya A. Easter

Ms. Barbara Edwards

Mr. and Mrs. Randy Edwards

Mr. and Mrs. James J. Eickerman

Ms. Cecilia Eifert

Mr. Steven W. Eilders

Elite Roofers

Dr. Parker Ellen

Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. Ellis

Dr. Robert W. Ellis

EMC Insurance Companies

Mr. and Mrs. Charles P. England

Mr. and Mrs. Steven R. English

Entergy Corporation

Entergy Mississippi

Ernst & Young Foundation

Mr. David A. Evans

Mr. and Mrs. Larry E. Everett

Mr. Alex Ezelle

Mr. and Mrs. Kendall G. Ezelle

Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP

Dr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Faello

Dr. and Mrs. Larry E. Farmer

Mr. Charles W. Farrior

FCCI Insurance Group

FedEx

Mr. and Mrs. Cecil M. Felder, III

Mr. and Mrs. Carew S. Ferguson

John and Carole Ferguson

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew G. Ferrell

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Ferril

Charitable Gift Fund

Mr. and Mrs. Haley R. Fisackerly

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence E. Foreman

FORVIS Mazars, LLP

Chris and Lynette Fountain

James and Joy Foy

Mr. John E. Francis

Frank T. Jackson Charitable Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Frankart

Mr. and Mrs. Xavier M. Frascogna, Jr.

Ms. Heather C. Frazier

Freeport Minerals Corporation

Mrs. Esther D. French

Mr. and Mrs. Mark H. French, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. Clayton J. Frick FrontStream

Mr. and Mrs. Scott B. Fullen

Fuse.Cloud

Ms. Vera C. Gaines

Galloway-Chandler-McKinney Insurance

Mr. and Mrs. Larry P. Galloway

Ms. Martha P. Galloway

Ms. Brandi Gandy

Ms. Renee H. Gardner

Mr. and Mrs. David Garraway

Ms. Zoe A. Gaskew

Mr. and Mrs. Alex O. Gatewood

Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Gathings, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew C. Gaydon

Mrs. Camille H. Georgia and Mr. Tarik L. Georgia

Mr. and Mrs. Roger E. Gilbert

Mr. and Mrs. Jason B. Giompoletti

Mr. Samuel A. Goff

Mrs. Theresa L. Brady-Goldberg

Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund

GolfTEC

Dr. and Mrs. Lee A. Graf

Mr. Ladarrion C. Grant

Mr. Lahitia S. Grant

Dr. and Mrs. Scott Grawe

Greater Houston Community Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Green

Mr. and Mrs. James S. Green

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph E. Green

Ms. Margaret M. Greschner

Dr. and Mrs. Paul W. Grimes

Mr. and Mrs. Earl H. Grochau, II

Mr. Michael Groves

Mr. and Mrs. Shandon B. Gunter

Mr. and Mrs. Jan L. Gwin

Suzanne Haggard

Harper, Rains, Stokes, and Knight

Mr. and Mrs. James H. Harper

Mr. and Mrs. George M. Harrigill

Ms. Lindsey E. Harris

Mr. and Mrs. Roy C. Harris, Jr.

Ms. Sharon Devine-Harris

Mr. Michael J. Hart

Mr. and Mrs. Matt C. Hayden

Ira and Cherry Head

Mr. John R. Henry

Dr. and Mrs. Clyde E. Herring

Mr. and Mrs. David E. Herring

Mr. A. W. Hickman

Dr. and Mrs. Michael J. Highfield

Mr. Eric A. Hill

Mr. and Mrs. John F. Hill

Ms. Laura A. Hinton

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Hixon, Sr.

Mrs. Barbara Hodges

Mr. and Mrs. Gene Holcomb

Ms. Wanda S. Holley

Mr. and Mrs. Charles O. Hoover, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. David O. Hopkins

Mr. and Mrs. Paul R. Hopkins, CPA

Mr. and Mrs. Darrell Horn

Mr. and Mrs. David R. Horn

HORNE CPA Group

Mr. Ricardo O. Horne

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry E. Horner

Mr. and Mrs. Alan M. Hotard

HUB International Gulf South

Mrs. La’Kitha W. Bledsoe-Hughes

Mr. Lee R. Hughes

Mr. and Mrs. Shawn M. Hunter

Mr. and Mrs. Phillip L. Husband

Mr. and Mrs. Brian S. Hutson

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Hutson, III

Independent Insurance Agents of Mississippi, Inc.

Insurance & Risk Managers

Intermodal Association Of North America

Intuit

Mr. Joseph S. Iupe, III

Mr. and Mrs. William W. Iupe

J. A. Foy Farms

J. P. Morgan Charitable Giving Fund

Mr. Bobby Jacks

Jackson Healthcare

Mr. and Mrs. Milburn Jackson

Ms. Pam Jacover

Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Jenkins, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene F. Johnson, Jr.

Ms. Tameka L. Johnson

Dr. Allen C. Johnston and Dr. Michelle R. Johnston

Mr. Harvey D. Johnston

Ms. Charlie M. Joiner

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley R. Jones

Mr. and Mrs. Troy A. Jones

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Jordan

Mr. and Mrs. Billy F. Judge, Jr.

Mr. Andrew C. Junkin

Mr. and Mrs. Louis M. Jurney

Mr. Paul Karre

Mr. William F. Keeler

Mr. Marcucio J. Kelly

Mr. and Mrs. Billy B. Kendrick

Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Kenney

Ms. Tina L. Kimble

Mr. and Mrs. Anthony B. King

Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. King

Mr. and Mrs. Ross C. King

Paul Kinsey and Gavin Thompson

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Kitson, Jr.

Drs. Ray and Lee Knight

Bobby and Lindy Kocol

Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Koehn

KPMG, LLP

KPMG Gives c/o Bergen County’s United Way

KPMG Peat Marwick Foundation

Ms. Katherine N. Kronk

Mr. William E. Kuhn

Mr. and Mrs. Alex G. Kuykendall

Ms. D’Andrea E. Latham

Mr. and Mrs. Al M. Lawler, III

Mr. and Mrs. Donald D. Lawrence

Mr. and Mrs. Kellon Lawrence

Mr. and Mrs. Dan L. Learned

Mr. Michael G. Lee

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Lemay

Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Lesley

Mr. John R. Letteri

Dr. Di Ann B. Lewis

Mr. Hunter B. Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Lewis, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis W. Lindsey

Mr. and Mrs. Troy A. Lindsey

Mr. and Mrs. Walton Lipscomb, III

Ms. Morgan E. Little

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher A. Litton

LMS, Inc.

Lockheed Martin Charity Custodial Account

Mr. and Mrs. Eddie A. Longstreet

Mr. and Mrs. Richard K. Looper, II

Ms. Keegan Lowe

Mr. and Mrs. Michael M. Lowther

Ms. Mary P. Lu

Dr. Xin Luo and Mrs. Lihui Cheng

Mr. Cameron M. Maddox

Mr. Christopher R. Madison

Mr. and Mrs. Matt Mahan

Mr. Russell A. Mahan

Donors

Mr. and Mrs. Jamie L. Mahne

Ms. Stephanie L. Mallette

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis F. Mallory, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Marcus E. Mallory

Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Manning

Drs. Kent and Emily Marett

Ms. Amy E. Martin

Ms. Rachael N. Martin

Mr. William C. Martin, III

Mr. and Mrs. Don E. Mason

Mr. and Mrs. Marvin S. Massey, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. R. Todd Massey

Mathison Insurance Partners, Inc.

Dr. and Mrs. Dana S. Mauldin

Mr. and Mrs. Terry Maxey

Col. and Mrs. Robert M. Maxwell

Mr. Steven L. Mayo

Mr. Zachary T. Mayo

Mr. Daniel S. Mays

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph McCall

Mr. and Mrs. Brian H. McCaskill

Thomas W. McCloud Estate McCord Family Foundation, LLC

Mr. and Mrs. John G. McCord

Ms. Misty H. McCraw

Mr. and Mrs. Tabor A. McDowell, III

Mr. and Mrs. Kevin McGee

Ms. Sarah R. McGowan

Ms. Amelia S. McIlwain

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. McIlwain

Mr. and Mrs. Edward McIntosh

Mr. and Mrs. S. B. McKay

Mr. and Mrs. Robert P. McKeough

Mr. and Mrs. Steven L. McKinney

Mr. and Mrs. Archie P. McKinnis

Mr. and Mrs. James F. McKinnis

Mr. and Mrs. Michael S. McKinnis

Mr. and Mrs. Torrence McKnight

Mr. R. Jeremy McLaughlin

Mr. and Mrs. Leslie V. McNeal, III

Mr. and Mrs. Durward D. McNeer

Mr. and Mrs. C. Scott McPherson

Mr. Todd A. McPherson

Mr. and Mrs. John C. McRae

Medical Assurance Company of Mississippi Medtronic, Inc.

Mrs. Rebecca E. Melton

Mr. and Mrs. Hunter L. Meriwether

Mr. and Mrs. Herman B. Merritt

Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie G. Michaels

Dr. Edward E. Milam

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory D. Miller

Lee and Mary Miller

Dr. Thomas W. Miller, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Mickey Milligan

Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Miskelly

Mississippi Agents and Employees

Mississippi Power Education Foundation, Inc.

Mitchell Williams Law Firm

Mr. Jared A. Moak

Marilyn and Eric Moake

Modern Woodmen of America

Mr. Ryan J. Montalbano

George D. Montgomery

Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Mooney

Marty and Kim Moore

Drs. Robert and Melissa Moore

Mr. and Mrs. Roderick A. Moore

Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Moorehead

Mrs. Ashley H. Morales

Morgan Sod Farms

Mr. and Mrs. David Morgan

Ms. Sally Morgan

Ms. Kathleen Morris

Mr. and Mrs. David Morse

Mr. and Mrs. Bertram S. Mortimer

Mr. and Mrs. C. Brooks Mosley

Ms. Charlotte L. Murnan

Mr. Paul B. Murphy, Jr.

Murray Investigative Services, LLC

Mr. George W. Murray, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael E. Nabers

Ms. Katherine M. Nash

National Philanthropic Trust

Dr. and Mrs. Walter P. Neely

Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Nelson, III

Mr. and Mrs. Mark Nelson

Mr. and Mrs. Riley Nelson

Mr. Lee E. Newsom

Mrs. Aundrea S. Nichols

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Fred A. Nichols, Sr.

Mr. and Mrs. William V. Nickels

Mr. Brant A. Nusz

Ms. Meagan L. Nusz

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas B. Nusz

Mr. Kenneth O. Obunadike

Mr. and Mrs. William Oesterreich

Mr. and Mrs. Rush O’Keefe

Dr. Shirley F. Olson and the late Walter “Duke” J. Olson, III

Dr. Sharon L. Oswald

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Ott

Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Owens

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Palmer

Mr. and Mrs. Herbert F. Palmertree

Dr. Vivek K. Pandey

Mr. and Mrs. Randle P. Pannell

Mr. and Mrs. Walton N. Pannell

Dr. Nicholas Pashos

Ms. Roshni Patel

Patrick C. Davis Memorial Fund

Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Patterson

Mr. Michael K. Pawlik

Ms. Lauren E. Peach

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth E. Peacock

Mrs. Lindsey Pearson

Mr. and Mrs. Theo D. Penton, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. David G. Perkins

Mr. and Mrs. Dennis H. Perkins

Mr. James Pollard Perkins

Mr. Maxwell Perkins

Ms. Charlene S. Perry

Pfizer, Inc.

PGA of America

Phelps Dunbar, LLP

Mr. Christopher R. Philley

Mr. and Mrs. Wiley R. Philley

Mr. Carl V. Pittman and Mrs. Sydney S. Pittman

Mr. Robert Pitts, II

Ms. Lacey Poore

Mr. Tyler Powell

Mr. and Mrs. Brian J. Preston

Price Waterhouse Foundation

Mr. Clark A. Price

Mr. and Mrs. Clark A. Price

Mr. and Mrs. Clinton M. Price

Progressive Insurance

Pure Water Foundation

Ms. Hannah G. Quinn

Mr. and Mrs. James S. Quinn

Mr. and Mrs. James B. Randall, III

Dr. Hema Rao

Mr. and Mrs. Steve S. Ratcliff, III

Mr. Carey E. Ray

Mr. William M. Ray

Raymond James Charitable

Mr. Daniel J. Recker, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Reed

Refreshments, Inc.

Mr. Robert J. Rhoads

Mr. and Mrs. Joe G. Rice, Jr.

John K. Richardson and Sandra J. Wright

Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Richardson, III

Ms. Rachel B. Richardson

Dr. and Mrs. John T. Rigsby, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Fred M. Rimmer

Ms. Ellen Robb

Mr. and Mrs. Don H. Roberts

Ms. Pamela M. Roberts

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Robertson

Mr. and Mrs. Blake R. Robinson

Ms. Cate Robinson

Mr. R. Don Robinson

Mr. James M. Robinson

Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth B. Robinson

Mr. and Mrs. Jose A. Rosado

Mr. and Mrs. James F. Rose

Mr. Stan Rosenweig

Estate of Walter W. Rotchild, Jr.

Ross & Yerger

Ms. Catherine R. Rowe

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Rupp

Mr. and Mrs. John P. Rush

Mr. and Mrs. Alvin C. Russell

Safeco Insurance

Safeway Insurance Co.

Mr. Justin E. Samuels

Ms. Evgeniya Y. Sandanova

Mr. and Mrs. James H. Sanderford

Mr. Thomas M. Sanderford, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Joey K. Sanders

Phil and Sheila Sanders

Mr. and Mrs. Steve W. Sanders

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher B. Savell

Mr. Craig S. Savell

Mr. and Mrs. Randall J. Scarborough

Mr. William F. Schenck, III

Morgan Clark-Schnur and Sean Schnur

Mr. and Mrs. John D. Schraer

Mr. and Mrs. Carl V. Seago

Mr. and Mrs. Ken C. Seawright, III

Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Sellers, Jr.

Dr. Jennifer Sexton

Mr. Robert P. Shannon, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Calvin H. Shapley

Mr. and Mrs. John M. Shappley

Mr. and Mrs. Louis H. Sharp

Bob and Anne Shearer

Shelter Mutual Insurance Company

Mr. and Mrs. Willliam Shira

Mr. Riley T. Shrode

Mr. and Mrs. Stanley F. Simpson

Mr. and Mrs. John P. Skrmetti

Mr. Shemar A. Slack

Ms. Jessica L. Slaven

Mr. and Mrs. Casey M. Smith, III

Mr. and Mrs. David R. Smith

Mr. Michael W. Smith

Mr. Philip S. Smith

Mr. Robert H. Smith

Mrs. Sarah Williams Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Tyler W. Smith

Southern Farm Bureau

Life Insurance Co.

Paul and Mimi Speyerer

Mr. and Mrs. Drew T. St. John, II

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald W. St. John

Starkville Hunting Club

State Farm Companies Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Walter M. Steed

Mr. and Mrs. William O. Stone, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. John S. Stratton

Dr. and Mrs. J. B. Stroud, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. R. Michael Summerford

Mr. Noel E. Sumrall, Jr.

Sunstar Insurance Group, LLC

Mr. George K. Swain

T.E. Lott and Co., P.A.

Dr. Gregory P. Tapis

Mr. and Ms. Charles Z. Tate

Mr. Geoffrey S. Taylor

Mr. William A. Taylor, III

Dr. Laura M. Templeton and Mr. Charles H. Templeton, III

Terry Collins Agency, LLC

The Adkerson Family Foundation

The Benevity Community Impact Fund

The Fountain Family Foundation

The Gray Surety

The HCA Foundation

The Medtronic Foundation

The Schwab Charitable Fund

The Taylor Group, Inc.

DEVELOPMENT TEAM

Mr. and Mrs. E. Anthony Thomas

Mr. Ernest Thomas, III

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Thomas

Dr. Mary K. Thomas and Dr. R. Andrew Luccasen, III

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Richard Joseph

Thomas, Jr.

Stacy and Ginger Thomas

Thompson and Associates, LLC

Mr. Connor T. Thompson

Mr. Dale S. Thompson

Mr. Tony W. Thompson

Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Thornton, II

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Toney

Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Topp

Mr. and Mrs. Byron A. Trahan

Travelers Insurance

Mr. and Mrs. Curtis D. Trawick

Ms. Virginia L. Trinkle

Ms. Shelby C. Balius Tschume

Ms. Cynthia A. Tucker and Mr. Clark B. Herring

Mr. and Mrs. Tyler R. Tullos

Dr. Philip H. Turnquist

Mr. and Mrs. Brent Tyler

Universal Logistics Services, Inc.

UPS International

Dr. Brooke R. and Mr. David D. Uptagrafft

Chip and Susanna Vance

Vanguard Charitable

Mr. Sucharith Vanguri

Dr. and Mrs. George L. Verrall

Mr. and Mrs. Wilson D. Volk, CPA

Mr. and Mrs. David R. Voss

Mr. and Mrs. Whit Waide

Mr. and Mrs. Jim L. Walden

Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Walker

Gene and Dianne Walker

Mr. and Mrs. Harold D. Walker, III

Mr. and Mrs. Larry D. Walker

Mr. Mack G. Walker

Mr. and Mrs. William Walker

Mr. and Mrs. James M. Walley

Mr. and Mrs. John J. Walton

Ms. Stephanie Walton

Mr. and Mrs. Loyd A. (Aldie) Warnock

Warren Averett, LLC

Mr. Alan Washburn

Ms. Christina Washington

Mr. and Mrs. William M. Washington, III

Watkins Ward and Stafford, PLLC

Mr. Kenneth L. Watkins

Mr. Kyle Watson

Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Weatherly

Mr. Hugh B. Weaver

Mr. Christopher H. Webb

Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Welch

Mr. and Mrs. Christopher E. Wells

Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Wells, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Jack D. Wells

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas T. Wert

Mr. and Mrs. Earl F. Westmoreland

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel F. Whalen

Mr. Carlyle C. White

Mrs. Elaine M. White

Mr. Marty F. White

Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. White

Mr. and Mrs. William S. White, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Cary Whitehead

Mr. Austin D. Whitley

Mr. and Mrs. Don Whitmire, Jr.

Mr. Paul R. Whitmire

Mr. and Mrs. John D. Wicker

Major and Mrs. Frank J. Wilkerson

Dr. James Williamson and Mrs. Linda Williamson

Mr. and Mrs. Mark B. Willson

Ms. Hannah E. Wilmoth

Mr. Hugh H. Wilson, Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry T. Wilson

Mr. Lawrence E. Wilson

Mrs. Pamala B. Wilson

Ms. Cynda L. Wimberly

Mr. and Mrs. Wesley T. Winborne

Mr. and Mrs. Turner A. Wingo

Mr. Perry G. Winstead

Mr. and Mrs. Terrell E. Winstead

Mr. and Mrs. John T. Wise

Mr. Johnny M. Wiygul, III

Mr. Stephen R. Woo

Mr. Christopher Wooley

Dr. Charles W. Wootton

Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Worrell

Mr. Ralfiel D. Wright

Mr. and Mrs. Richard M. Wright

Robert and Ann Wright

Mr. and Mrs. Ted T. Wyrick

Mrs. Sara E. Yates

Joel and Cheryl Yelverton

Mr. John K. Young and Mrs. Mary J. Langford-Young

Mr. F. Russell Young

Mr. Scott Young

Mr. Chaoran Zhang

Rob Jenkins Senior Director of Development rjenkins@foundation.msstate.edu (662) 312-9300 NaToya Sanders Assistant Director of Development nsanders@foundation.msstate.edu (662) 325-3431

Mary Elizabeth Stringer Tate

Assistant Director of Development

mestringer@foundation.msstate.edu (662) 722-1995 Kristal Tate Advancement Coordinator

ktate@business.msstate.edu (662) 325-9055

Preparation is Key

By Kathy Kenne

Mississippi State University’s College of Business graduates have distinguished themselves in every area of business globally, but they all had to start somewhere once they turned those tassels at graduation.

MSU’s Career Center serves as a liaison between students and future employers helping connect them. The result? Students get that coveted first job, and employers get highly qualified and motivated new employees.

The COB is privileged to have two Career Center team members in their corner full time – Kim Pogue-Jackson and Ricky Clifton.

Pogue-Jackson came to MSU in August 2024, with a background in sports marketing –predominantly ticket sales. The Illinois State University graduate decided to move to Starkville to be near her sister. Pogue-Jackson’s husband also took a position with MSU in the Athletic Department.

In her role as Employer Outreach and Development Coordinator, she is the career advisor for all undergraduate business students and is a member of the employer relations team.

“We strive to make it as easy as it can be for employers to hire students, get to campus or post jobs,” she shares. “We want to do whatever is needed to make the employer’s job easier.”

Pogue-Jackson admits to having been a little nervous when she first took this position.

“I had moved to a new area and was working with students, which was also new to me,” she says. “I was a little uncertain about getting out of the sports field, but I’m really happy. It’s been a great experience!”

Pogue-Jackson’s co-worker Ricky Clifton has also recently transitioned to this new field, albeit from a different career field – manufacturing.

Clifton is a 1990 Bagley College of Engineering electrical engineering graduate who also completed his MBA at MSU. With the exception of a few years, the balance of his career was spent in the medical field working on the design and manufacture of medical innovations including orthopedic implants and ultrasound bone healing technology.

In January 2023, he became the Coordinator of Employer Engagement for the MBA program at State.

“I was offered early retirement at my previous job, which was nice. But I wasn’t ready to completely retire,” says Clifton. “This job has given me an opportunity to work in employer engagement and assist students as they transition into careers. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of recruiting and hiring, so I feel I’m in a good position to help them.”

The Career Center serves as a resource for the entire campus. Some of the activities the office offers are resumé reviews, mock interviews, career advising, securing internships and helping students evaluate job opportunities. The Center also coordinates multiple events to help with professional development centered on themes such as dinner etiquette or interview preparation. Career expos are held each fall and spring.

Photo by Beth Wynn

“We stay busy all year,” notes Pogue-Jackson. “I make sure I’m present during summer orientation, so new students know I’m here to help. In the fall, I’m facilitating student/employer communications, helping host the accounting job fair and assisting professional golf management students with summer placements. The spring sees a continuation of events and a focus on developing and maintaining employer relations.”

It’s not uncommon for Pogue-Jackson to have upwards of 100 advising appointments with students during the fall semester. She also goes the extra mile by involving herself in student clubs and organizations such as the American Marketing Association and Undergraduate Women in Business.

Clifton is involved in many of the same activities, interacting with an average of 85 students each month and touching base with approximately 45 employers. He spends a fair amount of time bringing business leaders to campus to speak in classes or taking students off campus on site visits.

“We had one industry site visit the year I started here. Last year, we had two. This year, interested students have six from which to choose!” he shares. “We’ve visited Hunt Marketing in Oxford and the Community Bank Operations Center in Flowood. Other destinations include companies such as V. Alexander to learn about the supply chain logistics business and Medtronic to gain insight into health technology.”

Typically, each of these site visits involves about 15 students. The participants spend time networking, job shadowing and getting an overall feel for what a typical day is like for company employees. They are often given the opportunity to leave resumés with their hosts.

“During my studies, I had the privilege of visiting Medtronic’s Memphis headquarters with a small group of peers led by Ricky Clifton as part of the MBA program,” shares Serena Rozsa, a native of Thousand Oaks, CA, who completed her BBA at the COB in 2024 and earned her MBA this past May. “This experience gave me a firsthand look at the company’s operations – from sales and marketing to supply chain and distribution – and deepened my interest in the medical device industry.”

This visit not only sparked her interest, but it also provided entrée to embark on her career at Medtronic.

“After months of networking and preparation, I was thrilled to join Medtronic as a Surgical Onsite Specialist,” she says. “In this role, I support my District Sales Manager and partner with the Executive Surgical Device Specialist by providing case and customer support, training and education and solution implementation across Huntsville Hospital throughout Northern Alabama, ensuring seamless product utilization and ultimately supporting better patient outcomes.”

Among her other duties, Pogue-Jackson often has more than 100 advising appointments with students during the fall semester.

Photo by Emily Daniels

Rozsa heeded Clifton’s advice well.

“Networking with industry professionals is an important thing,” Clifton shares. “We want to equip students with a comfort level to develop their own networks so that once they leave here, they have the skills to find a job.”

What do these two professionals find to be among students’ greatest concerns? For the undergraduates that Pogue-Jackson counsels, she has found internships to be what’s most important to them while in school and job placement following graduation.

“My goal is to be a known presence in the College of Business,” she says. “Students are seeking internships earlier and earlier. I want them to know who I am sooner in their college experiences, so I can provide the aid they need.”

Clifton’s graduate students have the same needs, but he adds a further observation borne from experience.

“I find that many students need to develop confidence in their abilities to enter careers,” he notes. “We provide the tools to help them build that self-assurance.”

Clifton’s goal is to help students maximize their opportunities by maximizing their preparedness.

He sums up what he and Pogue-Jackson are both seeking to accomplish.

“I tell students that you have to own your career,” he states. “When you leave here, you need to have the skills and confidence to advocate for yourself. Be watchful for opportunities and take advantage. They will happen.”

Employers with an interest in developing a relationship with the Career Center may call 662-325-3344 or e-mail Kim Pogue-Jackson at kjackson@business.msstate.edu or Ricky Clifton at rclifton@business.msstate.edu.

Clifton has expanded site visit opportunities this year, in business fields such as supply chain logistics, marketing, banking and health technology.

Photo courtesy of Ricky Clifton

A Star on the Rise

By Kirsten Shaw

When Rebecca Mataya graduated from high school in 2006, she went to work full time at Paul’s Pastry Shop in Picayune, MS. Nothing in her imagination hinted at what lay in her future.

“In my family, we were taught to be good people, and hard-working,” she says. “Education was important but not the priority. Getting into the workforce – being able to sustain your livelihood and your family – was the number one thing.”

In her job, it was not uncommon for Mataya to make deliveries to NASA’s nearby Stennis Space Center. One day, a routine stop there opened the door to broad new horizons. At the Center’s reception desk, a visitor was asking for directions, and Mataya stepped in to help by drawing a map. The staff member managing the desk suggested she apply for an open receptionist position, and she did.

Today, Rebecca Mataya has come a long way since she first sketched out that map. She is a NASA Resource Analyst at NASA Stennis, with a BBA and an MBA from Mississippi State University to her credit.

The Stennis Space Center in southwest Mississippi is NASA’s primary rocket propulsion test site, also providing services for the U.S. Department of Defense and the commercial sector. More than 50 federal and state agencies, academic institutions, commercial companies and support contractors conduct business there. The Center consists of a 13,800-acre area that is home to its facilities and a 125,000-acre buffer zone to protect against the noise and power of the tests.

“It really is an amazing place,” Mataya states. “When NASA tests the big, big, big engines, your whole chest vibrates. I think about what it would be like to be an astronaut on a rocket – you’ve got to be a brave person to do that. But wow, we as Americans get to do this, we are going to space, we explore. And I know that this engine I’m looking at right now, that’s being tested, is going to go to space one day!”

Thom Rich, Deputy Director, NASA Stennis Center Operations, is a mentor to Mataya and has known her since she started as a receptionist.

“I had never seen anyone in that particular job care so much about doing the right thing and trying to make it better,” he shares. “She sees Stennis Space Center for what it is – a catalyst and beacon for south Mississippi and the Gulf Coast. She wanted to represent it well, and boy, has she for all these years!”

Mataya’s ever-upward path at NASA Stennis has taken her through several areas. From that receptionist entry slot, which was on the security team, it wasn’t long before she was overseeing a team of eight, performing background checks and managing access to the site by visitors and personnel. Next, an opportunity opened in Central Engineering Files, which houses items like drawings and historical documents that inform decisions about new NASA Stennis structures and projects. The analytical and technical knowledge she gained there, along with improvements she made to workflow, led to additional responsibility, helping with certifications for layered pressure vessels. From there, she was asked to become a Technical Writer, supporting engineers with project management.

“That was my first little taste of college,” she notes. “In order to be a technical writer, I needed a certificate. I took an online course through the University of Wisconsin to get it.”

Next, Mataya was tapped to move into the Construction of Facilities, or CoF, division, which pursues federal funding for building and maintenance of NASA Stennis facilities and ensures that rules and regulations are met in the use of the congressionally appropriated funds.

Photo courtesy of NASA

Another mentor, Stennis Chief of Staff/Legislative Affairs Officer Troy Frisbie – who at the time was CoF Program Manager – remarks, “Rebecca is not the type of person who just accepts a task and brings back the bare minimum. She understands not only the task at hand, but the environment surrounding that task and anticipates questions and has answers ready before you even ask. We made a good team and secured millions in CoF funds for critical infrastructure for the site. In fact, we consistently ranked in the top two throughout NASA in approved/ funded projects.”

Mataya shares, “Seeing people with different career bases like engineers, lawyers and military people – people with different skill sets – opened up my eyes, but I didn’t know the means or the method to pursue a college diploma. Once people encouraged me to move to different departments based on things I had done that they said I was good at, I thought, ‘Okay, that piece of paper really matters.’ Then I had to go figure it out.”

She completed an AA degree at Pearl River Community College in 2019, at times taking six or seven classes a semester while continuing to work and be a supportive wife and mom to two daughters.

Then came an opening in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Despite being nervous about applying, she realized the posting listed educational preferences but not requirements, so she took the plunge and was selected for the job.

“A lot of the amazing people I worked with had higher degrees, and I needed to put myself on the same level,” she says. “That encouraged me to get my degree so I could advance my career, hopefully rising in the ranks of the government.”

When she learned that Mississippi State was among the universities offering transfer scholarships, she was delighted.

“You can’t argue with Mississippi State. I’ll absolutely go there!” she decided.

Mataya became a Business Bulldog, enrolling in the online BBA program then the online MBA program. Her studies had a noticeable impact on her work, in which she oversees the infrastructure and technical capabilities budgets for Center operations as well as supplemental funding such as disaster relief assistance.

“It’s a very demanding job that requires strategic thinking, and a lot of the classes I took really applied, like the leadership skills, business law, interviewing and speaking classes,” she states. “The Supply Chain Operations class helped me pivot in unexpected situations to figure out better outcomes. The Foundation of Organizational Leadership class has been useful with the different generations that are blended together in my work.”

“She is the best kind of student, always wanting to make what is learned her own and put it into practice,” says Rich, with whom she often discussed her studies.

Representing NASA at career fairs, Mataya emphasizes the wide array of professionals the agency employs.

Photo courtesy of NASA

“Rebecca went to school full time and full throttle throughout her AA, BBA and MBA,” says Frisbie. “And she still worked full time without missing a beat…and she was also an involved mom at home and at her daughters’ school…and she had hobbies! I honestly don’t know how she did it.”

Rich, who has overall responsibility for NASA Stennis Center Operations budgets, is glad to have her on his current team.

“Her ability to see an issue and get to the heart of it is uncanny. She always has questions or statements that bring a certain light to issues and concerns that help to better understand where we are,” he says, adding, “She has formed many relationships and knows the right places to go to get needed information. She is one of a kind.”

Mataya loves working for NASA and points out her employer consistently tops the Partnership for Public Service’s list of best places to work in the federal government among large agencies. She has shared her enthusiasm by mentoring younger staff and working with interns.

Voluntary outreach is one of her favorite activities. She visits classrooms and career fairs and talks about the wide range of career options, emphasizing that it takes many types to make NASA run – not only engineers and scientists but also lawyers, finance professionals, law enforcement personnel, public affairs liaisons and more.

“I recently did a video for an elementary school in Bangkok,” she shares, noting the time difference precluded a live interface. “The teacher sent a list of questions from his students, like ‘If we wanted to live on Mars, what would it take?’ I gathered the answers and recorded a personalized video for the class.”

Last year, she and a colleague hosted a booth at Mississippi Comic Con.

“That was pretty cool,” she laughs. “The Mandalorian was taking pictures with us, Star Trek people were doing our virtual reality headsets and a bunch of characters were walking around with NASA bags hanging off their arms. And the kids were over the moon! With the virtual reality headsets, they could experience the International Space Station inside and out. We also talked to a lot of college students. I connected with a young woman wearing a Mississippi State t-shirt who emailed me later to learn more about our internship program.”

Mataya also enjoys meeting older individuals at public events who share their memories of the early space program – especially Apollo 13, whose crew included Mississippi Gulf Coast resident Fred Haise.

“Rebecca is one of the smartest, kindest, most thoughtful people I know. People are drawn to her, and she gives back to all of them,” states Rich.

This energetic spark plug has earned various commendations in her work. Most recently, in August, NASA presented Mataya its agency-wide Exceptional Achievement Medal. This award honored her successes in improving processes, increasing cost savings and maximizing operations in numerous areas. No doubt there are many more successes and awards to come.

Mataya completed her MSU MBA in May and anticipates her education will further boost her trajectory within the agency – a trajectory she never envisioned 20 years ago.

“To be able to say that I work for NASA is the coolest thing in the world,” she says. “At the end of the day, I’m blessed beyond measure.”

The NASA booth was a hit at last year’s Mississippi Comic Con.

Photo courtesy of NASA

Pursuing the Possibilities

By Kirsten Shaw

What makes Parker Ellen most excited about his work are the things that aren’t happening. Yet.

“I love thinking about possibilities,” says Ellen, who in 2024 took on the role of Associate Dean for Research and Executive Programs in the Mississippi State University College of Business. “It’s important to think about how to do the things we’re currently doing to the best of our ability, but I also really enjoy considering the things we’re not doing that we could be doing. That’s what’s fun – what opportunities are out there?”

Ellen sees his three primary responsibilities – research, graduate programs and executive programs – as symbiotic.

“They should all be integrated,” he says. “Part of that is understanding the expertise of the faculty – how it translates into the development of their doctoral students, the curriculum and also potential executive education opportunities.”

As champion for high impact research across the College, Ellen works to foster a culture of scholarly activity. Beyond pursuing funding and grants, this means becoming familiar with the wide range of work taking place so he can find ways to encourage, amplify and promote it. He puts in time to familiarize himself with what faculty members are investigating, and he attends dissertation defenses to understand doctoral students’ work.

The executive education aspect of Ellen’s position is about putting that research and expertise to use for businesses in Mississippi and beyond. A historically less developed arena for the College, it is one where Ellen sees tremendous promise.

“We want to leverage a knowledge base that businesses might not have access to otherwise, or not realize they have access to,” he says. “It’s about lifelong learning – coming up with creative and different ways to partner with people throughout their careers to help them meet the challenges of our fast-changing world.”

Ellen notes that while many are knowledgeable about the aspects related to the commercial purposes and unique organizational cultures of their own companies, there are areas such as leadership and general management where the College may offer more expertise.

“That’s where there are opportunities for us to come alongside and co-create learning environments and training and development programs,” he comments. “There are also functional areas where we’re on the cutting edge of research, like finance, marketing, supply chain, entrepreneurship and human resources.”

The possibilities are varied. The College could partner with companies to develop custom solutions ranging from helping large enterprises establish internal corporate universities to providing a faculty expert to speak for a few hours on a particular topic. Opportunities may also be developed to serve multiple organizations, such as certificate programs. Businesses might partner with PhD students who could work with them to research and solve organizational problems. The businesses would receive sound insight and, in turn, provide graduate students with opportunities to conduct high-impact research.

Photo by Emily Daniels

Graduate programs are the third area under Ellen’s jurisdiction. His portfolio includes the MBA and Master of Science in Information Systems programs and PhD programs in business information systems, finance, management and marketing.

With the PhD programs, his aim is to ensure students get the training needed to become successful academics who generate high quality original research, are impactful teachers and serve as good citizens of their institutions and their fields of study. For the master’s programs, he works to increase awareness of the programs’ impacts on careers and to raise recognition of their quality through enhanced rankings. This year, a curriculum review for the MBA program will entail faculty examining whether topics are covering current needs in the marketplace, such as AI technology and data visualization. While all the graduate programs are well established, he is not one to rest on laurels.

“I want to consider whether there are things we might think about differently,” he says. “Like with admissions, are we looking at the right information to make sure we have the best cohort? What can we do differently to get our students better career placement outcomes?”

Ellen also contemplates graduate and executive programs the College doesn’t offer but possibly should. That could mean new master’s programs in specialized topics; different formats for existing ones, like hybrid online/on-campus options, or different specializations for the existing programs. In executive education, certificate programs could be developed that supplement an MSU MBA or MSIS; or, conversely, that provide skills professionals need while opening the door for them to pursue graduate degrees.

“Undergraduate years are only the beginning of a lifelong Bulldog Business experience,” says College of Business Dean Scott Grawe. “This Associate Dean role has been crafted not only to support leading edge research and robust graduate programs, but also to expand opportunities that help professionals continue learning throughout their careers. Parker is well-positioned for this role – he has a passion for research, experience that connects academics with practice and a gift for big picture thinking.”

Ellen began his career in 2002 as a civil engineer with an undergraduate degree from Auburn University. While working full time in Atlanta for a national firm, he also earned a master’s degree in Managerial Sciences at Georgia State, with an eye toward firm management or possibly eventually a PhD and academia. For a time, the former won out, with Ellen moving into company management and receiving a series of promotions. He found himself intrigued with the processes and structures of managing an organization. During this time, he also started teaching in his company’s firmwide consultant training program and helping run it.

“I liked that a lot, and as I thought about it, it made sense to go into academia,” he says. “I really enjoyed teaching, deciding curriculum and coaching and mentoring younger professionals. I enjoyed thinking about ways in which we were structured and how the firm’s leadership enabled people to become more successful, ultimately making the organization more successful.”

On a trip to Greece, Ellen and wife Dr. Jennifer Sexton caught up with former student and MSU tennis player Emma Antonaki. Photo courtesy of Parker Ellen

Ellen departed the firm for Florida State University, where he earned a PhD in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management in 2015. Then, after six years on the faculty at Northeastern University, he came on board at MSU.

As a member of the management faculty, he worked with PhD students and taught the capstone management course for undergraduates. As Associate Dean, he still leads one PhD seminar a year, alternating between Research Methods and Organizational Theory.

“It’s something I asked to keep,” comments Ellen, who holds the Thomas B. and Terri Nusz Endowed Professorship in Management. “I’m passionate about research, and this gives me the opportunity to mentor the next generation of scholars.”

His own research has been primarily on the topics of organizational politics and leadership –particularly how they intersect – as well as organizational deviance, or “bad behavior” at work. Published in numerous academic journals, Ellen also keeps an eye toward translating his work into contexts useful for practitioners in the workplace. One example is a book he co-authored entitled Political Skill at Work: How to Influence, Motivate and Win Support.

In July, Ellen attended the Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Copenhagen, where as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Organizational Behavior, he participated in the publication’s editorial board meeting. He also stepped in for recent PhD graduate Maria Bracamonte, who was unable to attend, and presented her research.

Bracamonte became Ellen’s research assistant on the first day of her doctoral program, and her dissertation committee became the first he chaired. An inductee into the MSU Graduate Student Hall of Fame, she completed her degree in May.

“From day one, Dr. Ellen took it upon himself to teach me how to conduct research, when I had no prior knowledge or background in it,” remarks Bracamonte, now an Assistant Professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. “He invested countless hours in my development, consistently pushing me to grow as both a scholar and a person. Dr. Ellen upholds the highest standards and challenges you to do your best work while also being kind, empathetic and supportive. He has always provided me with the tools I needed to succeed, whether that meant offering guidance, facilitating connections, securing research funding or simply being someone I could talk to when facing a difficult problem.”

This supportive approach is one Ellen shares with his wife, COB Associate Professor of Management Dr. Jennifer Sexton. The pair can often be spotted at a game or concert or play, cheering on one of their students.

“A few years ago, we taught the same Mississippi State tennis player and started going to her matches, then Jennifer had a student on the men’s team, so we went to those, too,” shares Ellen, noting they continue to be devotees of MSU Tennis, having gotten to know the coaches and becoming part of the teams’ support community.

Ellen’s other pastimes include golf and reading. He doesn’t have as much spare time, given the demands of his job, but he doesn’t mind.

A lifelong friend told him, “You’ve found a place and a role where you can live out who you want to be, and it’s rare that people get to do that.”

Says Ellen, “I feel lucky to get to do it.”

Ellen and Maria Bracamonte on her graduation day

Photo courtesy of Parker Ellen

Unlocking the Door to Family Business Success

By Laura E. Marler and James J. “Jim” Chrisman

This past year has been one of continued momentum and impact for family business research conducted in Mississippi State’s Department of Management and Information Systems. The Department is number two in the world for family business research, as ranked by Texas State University. In fact, it has been ranked among the top five universities in the world in virtually every analysis of research productivity, both in terms of numbers of articles and of citations, since 2009. Our family business research has focused on a wide range of topics including succession, professionalization, internationalization, employee recruiting, selection, motivation, innovation and various aspects of family firm strategy and performance using our unique goals, governance and resources theoretical model.

Building on our research success to extend our impact, we have launched The Family Business Bulletin which provides insights, research findings and resources tailored to the unique needs of family-owned businesses across Mississippi. The Bulletin is intended to provide tips and information that will be useful to those who are starting, currently own or want to acquire a family firm.

The Family Business Bulletin Issue 1

The first issue of The Family Business Bulletin provides data specific to small firms in Mississippi. The effectiveness of Small Business Development Center counseling for small businesses in the state is highlighted. Business patterns in Mississippi are also explored through a breakdown of county-by-county, non-agricultural data that summarize the number of establishments, total employees and payroll figures in the current period. These data offer a point of comparison for business owners.

The first issue of the Bulletin also offers a tax update related to the Federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, as well as tips on managing the succession process, from the initial preparations to the timing and transition of the succession.

The Family Business Bulletin Issue 2

The second issue examines what makes family-owned enterprises unique, from their structure and global trends to their performance. We explain what a family firm is and who can be part of it. Family firms are distinct due to their structure of ownership and governance and their unique goals rather than their size. We explain the inimitable synergies and complexities that often lie within the overlapping and interdependent nature of three systems: family, business and ownership.

Family businesses are the most common business structure around the world, so this issue provides global insights. We feature trends in the prevalence of these businesses on worldwide stock indices. Interestingly, data indicate that the prevalence of publicly traded family firms has declined recently in the United States and Canada but increased in Mexico.

In this issue, we also offer insight into one of the most popular topics our research considers –family firm success. While there is not a specific formula, Jim Chrisman, PhD, Julia Bennett Rouse Endowed Professor of Management, sheds light on characteristics of successful family firms. His work reveals that the complexity of their networks helps protect them from imitation. One reason is that these networks create a condition of inseparability between family members and the family firm. Family members gain advantage from sticking together and building on the trust and teamwork they share with each other. This trust reinforces the inseparability because the skills of individual family members tend to be more valuable inside the family firm and harder to apply outside it. Inseparability and the trust among members generate willingness to keep the key individuals, family skills and resources embedded within the firm so they can be transferred to and enhanced by the next generation. Resources jointly held by family members are more difficult for nonfamily firms to match because the basis of their value is hard to understand. These advantages of family firms fit in nicely with their greater discretion to make idiosyncratic decisions and their tendency to behave altruistically toward other family members.

A perfect example of how the trust and commitment to developing skills among family members and nonfamily employees lead to inseparability and transgenerational sustainability is captured in the short case study of the Taylor Group of Companies, a family business born in Mississippi nearly 100 years ago. Because of its commitment to longterm training, development of both family and non-family employees, innovation and business growth, the Taylor Group continues to thrive as its third-generation leaders prepare the fourth generation to compete in increasingly complex local, national and international environments.

The Family Business Bulletin Issue 3

In our third issue, we offer global insights, as well as practical advice on family business succession derived from research and classroom lessons. This information focuses on several key aspects of the process of transferring leadership and ownership from one generation to the next. Role transitions during succession depend on the proactivity and readiness of leaders and successors. For a smooth process, successors should be trained in anticipation of the succession event, and leaders should be ready to turn over the reins. Regarding successor selection, we present findings that reveal the most important attributes of successors are their integrity and commitment, not their intelligence, interpersonal skills, self-confidence or experience. We find it significant that integrity and commitment are ranked the highest by a sample of family ownermanagers from both North America and Asia. Although family businesses are an extremely diverse group, the importance of choosing a leader who can distinguish right from wrong and is willing to do what is right for the family business seems to transcend international borders.

The Family Business Bulletin, Issue 2

In a related vein, Chelsea Sherlock, PhD, Assistant Professor of Management, explains the importance of successor willingness and ability, concepts she infuses into her Family Business Management course, which includes projects that often focus on local family businesses. She cites The Little Dooey, a longtime barbeque restaurant in Starkville, as a Mississippi business whose secondgeneration owners operate based on the importance of values, people and passion. Their family leaders work to positively influence the willingness and ability of their chosen successor by instilling and preserving the founding principles on which the company is based.

Finally, the work of Jorge Arteaga-Fonseca, PhD, gives us insight into the importance of storytelling to share family legacy. His research tells us that the attention of the audience (the younger generation in the family firm) is just as important as the storytelling that fosters legacy across generations. In addition, he emphasizes the need to avoid making the family legacy cumbersome or boring by telling too many stories or stories that are too lengthy. Indeed, judicious use of the family story should make its lessons inspiring and exciting.

Looking Ahead: Future Bulletins

We look forward to creating future issues of The Family Business Bulletin, which may be read at thefamilybusinessbulletin.com We invite owners and managers of family businesses in Mississippi to let us know what family firm topics should be discussed in future issues of the Bulletin and what topics our research team should investigate to make a practical, as well as theoretical, contribution to knowledge about family firms.

Dr. Laura E. Marler

Laura E. Marler, DBA, is the Jim and Pat Coggin Endowed Professor of Management and Department Head of Management & Information Systems at Mississippi State University. She co-launched The Family Business Bulletin with Jim Chrisman in 2024. Her research appears in top management journals such as Entrepreneurship, Theory & Practice and Family Business Review. She serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Small Business Management and on several editorial boards including Entrepreneurship, Theory & Practice and Human Resource Management among others.

Dr. James J. “Jim” Chrisman

James J. “Jim” Chrisman, PhD, is the Julia Bennett Rouse Professor of Management at Mississippi State University. He also serves as a senior editor at Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice. Chrisman has published numerous highly-cited articles on family business, entrepreneurship and strategic management in a wide variety of top tier journals in those fields.

Starkville restaurant The Little Dooey is a three-generation family business, involving (from left) Carter Wood, who works with his dad Bart Wood and grandfather and founder Barry Wood.

Photo by Tellos Creative

To Dare Greatly and Lead Boldly

By Natalie Edwards

In today’s fast-paced business world, community and connection matter more than ever. That spirit was the driving force behind MSU’s inaugural Dare Conference, hosted by Undergraduate Women in Business, or UWiB.

The one-day event welcomed more than 100 students, faculty, alumni and professionals from across the country with a unified goal: to elevate, educate, empower and equip the next generation of business leaders. Sponsored by the College of Business and its Club 1915, the conference featured a dynamic lineup of speakers, panels and interactive sessions.

Lamiaa Daif, then Apple’s Worldwide Growth Strategy Leader for iPad and Mac, served as the keynote speaker. Traveling from California’s Silicon Valley, she led a workshop helping attendees identify and learn to apply their personal strengths in professional settings, drawing from her own career journey.

Jillian Miles Massey, Talent Development Consultant for Horizon Point Consulting, opened the event, emphasizing the power of meaningful relationships and the importance of building a strong professional network.

One of the most talked-about moments was the Entrepreneurship Panel, featuring distinguished UWiB and MSU alumnae:

• Mary Hulbert, former UWiB President who helped relaunch the organization in 2021

• Katie Kronk, CEO and founder of Ignite Digital Marketing

• Taylor Jones, former UWiB Vice President of Programming and Controller Associate at International Paper

• Anna Barker, CCO and co-founder of The Glo Companies

These trailblazing women shared candid reflections on ambition, resilience and balancing career growth with personal development. Their insights struck a chord with attendees, offering them inspiration and real-world advice.

“It was really neat to hear individuals from very different backgrounds and life stages talk openly about their journeys,” says Dr. Jennifer Sexton, Associate Professor of Management. “Each panelist and speaker brought something unique and valuable to the table.”

Sexton was especially moved by the experience, noting the importance of representation and support for women in the business world.

“As a woman in a college of business, it’s encouraging to see this kind of community forming in a traditionally male-dominated space,” she remarks. “I kept thinking how much I would have benefited from something like this earlier in my career.”

Senior marketing major and UWiB member Anna Sherman echoes that sentiment.

“I enjoyed being surrounded by so many empowering women who are pursuing similar goals,” she says. “The panel was one of my favorite parts. I walked away feeling more confident and equipped with insights on leadership, networking and overcoming challenges.”

The conference was the culmination of months of planning and collaboration by UWiB’s executive board, faculty advisors and generous sponsors. Additional support came from Cottage Wraps by Macey Price, Renasant Bank, Ignite Digital Marketing, the Department of Finance and Economics and Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux. Student-led fundraisers, such as UWiB’s Fall Fest and Restaurant Benefit Days, helped bring the vision to life.

Special thanks go to Dean Scott Grawe, Aundrea Self, Emily Daniels, Anna Henson and the many other COB faculty and staff who provided invaluable support throughout the planning process.

More than just a conference, Dare is a celebration of leadership, vision and shared purpose – proving what is possible when students unite around an enterprising mission: to dare greatly and lead boldly.

Photos by Emily Daniels

Building for the Future

By Suzi Morales

If you’ve recently walked the corridors of McCool Hall, home of the Mississippi State University College of Business, you’ve probably seen some dust and heard hammering and drilling as part of the “Modernizing McCool” construction project.

You’ve also seen several new faces.

As construction progresses, the College of Business is also building its development, recruiting and communications teams. New employees and roles in these offices are increasing the College’s reach and helping attract top students.

Meet some of the new team members and their colleagues who are building the future of the College of Business with more than brick and mortar.

Development: Growing Connections and Resources

With a renewed focus on alumni outreach and donor engagement, the College of Business has expanded its development team, welcoming two new Assistant Directors last year to create greater capacity for meaningful stewardship and connections. With these welcome additions, the team is reaching more alumni, sharing impactful stories and securing support that enhances the student experience and improves McCool Hall for the years to come.

The new Assistant Directors of Development, NaToya Sanders and Mary Elizabeth Stringer Tate, are proud MSU alumnae who bring personal experience and a passion for connection to their roles. Their focus is on alumni engagement and cultivating new support.

“At its core, this job is about building relationships, and that’s always been my strength,” Sanders says, noting she routinely follows up with alumni through handwritten cards, care packages and personal check-ins.

Sanders, who holds degrees in marketing and public policy administration, worked at MSU in faculty and staff recruitment and retention and in student advising prior to development. After she and her husband Joey lost their infant son, Jordan, MSU alumni and family helped establish the Jordan Kingsley Sanders Memorial Endowed Scholarship in his honor. The Sanders, like many MSU donors, have been intentional about building close relationships with their scholarship recipients.

Stringer Tate is a fourth-generation Bulldog. She took her very first steps on the Drill Field.

“My dad instilled that Bulldog pride in me,” she says. “I’ve bled maroon and white from the beginning.”

Although she did not take classes in the College of Business, many of her friends were business majors, and she frequently hung out and studied with them in McCool Hall. After graduating in 2017, Stringer Tate worked as an Administrator in the Washington, DC, office of U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan. After a time, she returned to Mississippi, and someone suggested that the MSU Foundation, which directs development for the entire University, would be a good fit. She came on board, serving the College of Business, in the fall of 2024.

Stringer Tate and Sanders work with Senior Director of Development Rob Jenkins and Advancement Coordinator Kristal Tate. Jenkins, a 1992 business alumnus, leads fundraising efforts for the College, overseeing major gifts and development strategy. Kristal Tate, a 2007 MSU marketing alumna, serves as a liaison between donors and scholarship recipients, matching students with scholarships, reviewing award data and preparing personalized briefs about recipients for the donors.

The development team – (from left) Kristal Tate, Mary Elizabeth Stringer Tate, NaToya Sanders and Rob Jenkins

All photos by Beth Wynn

“The briefs offer them a small but meaningful way to connect with the students that their gifts support,” she says, adding, “It’s touching to hear from the families of recipients, especially when they express how much the donors’ support has meant.”

Together, the development team forms a pipeline of connection and stewardship, and the impact of a growing team is already visible.

“We have a little more than 40,000 College of Business alumni,” says Jenkins. “More boots on the ground means we can have more face to face conversations, more connections and more results.”

With a shared mission and diverse personal experiences, the College of Business development team works together to strengthen alumni bonds, enhance student opportunities and build a lasting legacy. Their roles differ, but their purpose is unified: to connect Bulldogs – past, present and future.

Marketing and Communications: Amplifying the College’s Voice

Twelve years ago, Marketing and Communications Coordinator Emily Daniels didn’t just join the College’s marketing department; she was the marketing department.

“What’s exciting is that the job allows you to work across so many creative avenues – the challenge is that it really feels like three or four different jobs in one,” she says. “ You’re constantly juggling social media, planning and promoting events and programs, managing the website, designing marketing materials and working on Dividends magazine – which is a yearlong endeavor –on top of tackling unexpected needs as they pop up.”

Daniels’ office gradually brought in interns to help. Then, in April 2025, the team added Marketing and Communications Coordinator Hannah Quinn.

During her freshman year at MSU, Quinn ran marketing efforts for events in her residence hall and quickly discovered this was an area where she excelled.

“I knew I wanted to do marketing, but I wasn’t necessarily sure what kind,” she remarks.

Quinn recalls her favorite class as an undergraduate: Dr. Mike Breazeale’s social media marketing class.

“I love marketing and am also obsessed with social media, so I can just stick those two together,” she says. “Within that class, I got to learn how you should tailor different platforms and also how to brand – sticking to the brand message, sticking to the brand color.”

A double Business Bulldog, Quinn graduated with a degree in marketing in 2022 followed by an MBA. As a graduate assistant, she helped manage social media for MSU’s Division of Student Affairs. Since graduation, she has worked in marketing and communications for businesses ranging from her family’s Duck Donuts franchise to YoungWilliams, which provides operations systems to government agencies.

In her new role, Quinn is responsible for digital storytelling, including social media and the College website, while Daniels focuses on brand consistency, photography and the in-depth stories highlighted through Dividends and other print materials.

The Marketing and Communications Office, or “MarComm,” also now has seven interns, including five College of Business marketing interns plus interns with videography and graphic design experience. They help facilitate the flow of information with the College’s four main departments.

“Having two full-time coordinators on the marketing team, just in the past few months, has already changed the game for us,” says Daniels. “It’s allowed Hannah and me the ability to divide and conquer in a way that increases both efficiency and creativity. In higher ed marketing, you have to meet people where they are – online, in print and in person. Our roles are designed to do just that.”

Staff expansion has enabled the office to increase the number and types of stories told.

The marketing and communications team – (from left) Emily Daniels and Hannah Quinn

“I think a bigger team wins us the ability to do more,” says Quinn. “Students, outreach, recruitment, all of the fun stuff. Like, I’m coordinating with recruitment now, figuring out what we need to be posting to make sure students are looking at us and vice versa.”

“It’s not just marketing for prospective students, it’s also for our current students, alumni and donors,” adds Daniels. “Adding on to our MarComm team gives the College a stronger and more consistent voice across all channels. I’m really excited about where we’re headed with that, because it allows us to be more strategic, quick and creative in how we tell that story.”

Increased visibility benefits everyone involved, especially students and young alumni in the workforce.

“We want people to recognize that our students and alumni are truly exceptional – and absolutely worth valuing in the workplace,” says Daniels. “A big part of our work is showcasing the fact that we offer a top-tier education and remain fully committed to excellence.”

Recruiting: Attracting Top Talent

“The expansion of the Dean’s Office has allowed us to do more to bring in students and reach different markets,” says Madison Crimm, Director of Student Recruitment and Events. “That includes traveling and also exploring new initiatives on campus.”

In January 2025, Paula Gast joined Crimm as Assistant Director of Recruiting and Events. She is a 2023 alumna of the College’s marketing program.

After her own positive experience as an undergraduate, she says, “I absolutely fell in love with the idea of being able to now tell students about the University that has given me so much.”

Crimm and Gast form a dynamic duo of sorts. According to Gast, it was an “instant click” when the two met. They quickly combined their talents into roles that allow them to cover a greater swath of prospective students.

The recruiting office’s calendar is cyclical. The fall is filled with travel to high schools to meet prospective students and encourage them to apply. In the spring, Crimm and Gast frequently meet with families on campus.

“I don’t have to read off a script for my job,” says Gast. “I genuinely get to speak from experience about how great our College is and what we have to offer, and I think that firsthand experience and genuineness go a long way.”

Bolstering their efforts are the College of Business Ambassadors, a select group of student leaders who promote the College through interactions with alumni and prospective students. This includes leading campus tours and answering questions from both students and parents.

Crimm, who earned an MBA at MSU, says the College’s recruitment footprint has expanded well beyond the Southeast.

“Mississippi State, and specifically the College of Business, has so much to offer students,” she remarks, “I’m excited to see our student population grow.”

Gast frequently meets high-performing high school students with top GPAs and test scores.

“I’m excited to bring in a new group with high-achieving students who challenge each other,” she says. “I want them to be pushed to be their best, and we have the curriculum to do that.”

At the same time, Gast emphasizes that there is a place at the College for students of all types and interests. She herself changed majors and schools as a student.

“For students who come in and don’t know what they want to do, it’s actually great to not know,” she says. “You don’t have to have it figured out yet. The College of Business offers those students the opportunity to really find themselves.”

The recruitment team – (from left) Paula Gast and Madison Crimm

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National Alumnus of the Year

Mississippi State University honored 1969 College of Business alumnus Hal Parker with its highest alumni distinction – 2025 National Alumnus of the Year. Parker’s five-decade career has been defined by entrepreneurial success, business leadership and commitment to his alma mater. After beginning his career with Sears, he became a Partner in Climate Masters, Inc. In 1982, he founded Sunbelt Wholesale Supply Co., a regional distributor of fiberglass insulation and residential roofing products that later became part of Service Partners, LLC. Parker went on to co-own Mississippi Roofing Supply until its sale in 2006. Today, he serves as General Partner in Parker Land, LLC, and President of Parker CDJR Auto in Starkville.

Parker served four terms on the MSU Foundation Board and twice led the Bulldog Club as President. As a member and previous President of the Board of Trustees of Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, he has championed expanded educational opportunities across the state. His community leadership includes service on the boards of the Hinds Community College Foundation, Rankin Health Foundation, Rankin First and BankPlus. He and wife Linda, an MSU Foundation board member, have supported MSU scholarships, Bulldog athletics and the Hunter Henry Center, home to the Hal and Linda Parker Ballroom. In 2023, the couple established the Cameron Lane Parker Endowed Scholarship in memory of their son, a 2018 graduate. Parker’s MSU legacy extends to his children and granddaughter, a fourth-generation Bulldog.

College Alumnus of the Year

Kenneth B. “Ken” Robinson was named the 2025 Alumnus of the Year for Mississippi State University’s College of Business. A 1977 Banking and Finance graduate, he later earned an MBA in finance at the University of Memphis – credentials that launched a distinguished career in corporate finance and executive leadership. He held senior positions at Procter & Gamble and Exelon Corporation, playing pivotal roles in strategic financial planning and corporate governance for these global industry leaders. Now retired from corporate leadership, Robinson continues to influence the business world as an independent corporate board member, offering strategic insight and financial expertise. He remains a dedicated supporter of his alma mater, serving on the College of Business Executive Advisory Board and the MSU Foundation Board. Honored as the College’s 2015 Alumni Fellow, Robinson credits MSU with instilling in him goal-setting skills, adaptability and a strong work ethic. His career achievements and commitment to giving back serve as an inspiration for the next generation of Bulldog business leaders.

Puckett Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Mississippi State University honored 1977 College of Business alumnus Richard H. Puckett, Sr. with an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree during Spring 2025 commencement. MSU President Mark E. Keenum (right) presented the award in recognition of Puckett’s longstanding dedication and contributions to the University and the state of Mississippi. Puckett is the Chairman and former CEO of Puckett Machinery Company, a Caterpillar dealer serving Central and South Mississippi. He has served on the board of Trustmark National Bank since 1995 and as Independent Lead Director since 2020. Puckett was the College’s 2009 Alumnus of the Year and has served on the COB Executive Advisory Board, the MSU Foundation and the West Side Fund Board.

Finance and Economics Students Honored

The Department of Finance & Economics recognized several undergraduates for their excellence in research, peer support and service to the College of Business. These students, who have made lasting contributions to the academic community, are (front, from left) John Wallace, Harrison Partridge, Angel Diaz, (back, from left) Joshua Whitehead, Jimmy Sieja, Sara Nance and Hope Steward.

Students of the Year

Kenzie Rushing was named the 2025 Marketing Student of the Year and Sophie Perrigin the 2025 Supply Chain Logistics Student of the Year. Rushing serves as President of the American Marketing Association and Events Intern in the Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis and Supply Chain Logistics, while Perrigin is President of Maroon and White Supply Chain and an Intern at Belk in Jackson. The Department’s Advisory Board generously provided a $1,500 award to each student. Pictured are (from left) Department Head Melissa Moore, Kenzie Rushing, Sophie Perrigin and Board Chairman Karen Lawler.

Faculty Promotions

We congratulate the following faculty on their promotions: Dr. Alvaro Taboada, Finance & Economics, to Professor; Dr. Myles Landers, Marketing, to Associate Professor with tenure; Dr. Bradley Lang, Accountancy, to Associate Professor with tenure; Dr. Erik Markin, Management & Information Systems, to Associate Professor with tenure and Dr. Jennifer Sexton, Management & Information Systems, to Associate Professor with tenure. These achievements reflect years of dedication to teaching, research and service.

Paula Gast Assistant Director of Recruiting and Events College of Business Dean’s Office

Jayla Madison Academic Records Assistant College of Business Academic Advising Center

Hannah Quinn Marketing & Communications Coordinator College of Business Dean’s Office

Harrison Scott Behavioral Health Navigator College of Business Academic Advising Center

Jared Shaw, PGA Program Coordinator PGA Professional Golf Management

Trevor Acy Senior Project Manager Mississippi Center for Innovation and Technology

Kennedi Akins Academic Records Assistant College of Business Academic Advising Center

Geneva Dummer Counselor and Instructor VBOC and B2B Revenue Readiness Program

Lara Taylor Project Manager MSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach

Endowed Faculty Honored at Medallion Ceremony

Several College of Business faculty were honored at the MSU Foundation Endowed Professor Medallion Ceremony, which recognized exceptional scholarship and the generosity of donors who made these positions possible. Honorees and their endowed appointments included:

Dr. Joel Collier – Dean W.C. Flewellen Chair in Marketing

Dr. Thomas Miller – Jack R. Lee Chair of Financial Institutions and Consumer Finance

Dr. Nathan Berglund – Bill Simmons Professorship

Dr. James Chrisman – Julia Bennett Rouse Professorship

Dr. Brandon Cline – John Nutie & Edie Dowdle Professorship

Dr. Parker Ellen, III – Tommy & Terri Nusz Professorship

Dr. Shawn Mauldin – Richard Adkerson Professorship in Accountancy

Dr. Laura Marler – James A. & Patricia H. Coggin Professorship

Dr. Melissa Moore – Turner Wingo Professorship

Dr. Kevin Rogers – Paul & Mary Jo Karre Professorship

Dr. Alvaro Taboada – Bancorp South Professorship

Dr. Mike Truelson – KPMG Professorship in Accountancy

Dr. Merrill Warkentin – James J. Rouse Professorship

Dividends Wins PR Award

The 2024–2025 Dividends magazine earned a Bulldog PRism Award – first place – in the Advertising and Publications category from the StarkvilleMSU chapter of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi. Congratulations to Marketing and Communications Coordinator Emily Daniels (pictured) and contributors Tellōs Creative (David Doleac, Kathy Kenne, Kirsten Shaw), Suzi Morales, Ja’Nyla Norwood and Myles Landers for this achievement.

PGA Professional of the Year

Adam Scott, Director of MSU’s PGA Golf Management program, was named Gulf States PGA Professional of the Year – the highest honor awarded to a Gulf States PGA professional. His expertise and mentorship continue to shape the next generation of golf industry leaders. He is shown here with wife Erika.

By the Numbers

Mississippi State’s Online MBA program has risen 15 spots to number 38 for veterans and by 9 spots to number 65 overall in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings. For the second time in five years, Best Value Schools has awarded its number 1 ranking nationally to the Online MBA program, which is AACSBaccredited, flexible and affordable, offering a strong foundation in business disciplines. The program’s success reflects the commitment of outstanding faculty and staff.

A recent study shows that MSU contributes $3.9 billion annually to Mississippi’s economy, supporting more than 80,000 jobs statewide. The study by the MSU National Strategic Planning & Analysis Research Center shows that the University’s operations, research and people drive billions in wages – an impact in which to take pride.

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Veterans Business Educators Honored

Bob Blakeley was honored by the Mississippi District of the U.S. Small Business Administration as 2025 Veteran Champion of the Year. As an Instructor and Business Counselor for MSU’s Veterans Business Outreach Center and Boots to Business Revenue Readiness program, Blakeley has guided countless veterans toward entrepreneurship and continues tomentor graduates even in retirement. At the ceremony were (from left) Debbie Scott, Blakeley, wife Patti Blakeley, Natalie Rhodes and Mark Scott.

VBOC/B2B Instructor and Business Counselor Geneva Dummer was named 2025 Mississippi Vetrepreneur of the Year. Vetrepreneur.com, an advocacy vehicle for the veteran business community, holds these recognitions annually for those who own and operate businesses. Dummer, who owns The Meeting Place – a shared office facility and business incubator in Biloxi – is also recognized for her service to community and fellow veterans.

Global Learning in Action

Our College of Business students have gained invaluable real-world experience over the past year through dynamic study abroad and immersive travel programs. These transformative encounters prepare them to lead in a global business environment.

Europe Innovation Tour: Associate Professor of Management Dr. Erik Markin guided 26 students through Paris, Florence and Rome. The group attended VIVA Tech, Europe’s largest tech and innovation conference, and toured businesses ranging from a sustainable cashmere recycling firm to an artisanal perfume maker.

Tanzania Leadership Expedition: Under Associate Professor of Marketing Dr. Myles Landers, 10 students took a conscious marketing leadership course that culminated with a three-week backpacking expedition through Tanzania in which their leadership skills were applied. Experts from 1% For the Planet, Nnormal brand, the National Retail Federation, other universities and the National Outdoor Leadership School partnered in the course.

Iconic Brands of Greece: Marketing Professors Dr. Kevin Shanahan and Dr. Mike Breazeale led more than 20 students on the “ShanZeale” Travel Study, exploring historic sites and family-owned olive groves and vineyards. This journey offered perspectives on the heritage and business behind Greece’s iconic brands.

Wall Street Immersion: Finance Professors Dr. Brandon Cline and Dr. Anwar Bou Mosleh took students to New York, NY, for exclusive visits to leading financial firms, providing an up-close look at Wall Street operations and career pathways in finance.

Accounting Alumni Gather in Memphis

The Adkerson School of Accountancy hosted “An Evening with Coach Ron Polk” in Memphis, welcoming 52 alumni and friends. Guests enjoyed hearing from the “father of SEC baseball” and Dean Scott Grawe. Special thanks to the School’s Advisory Council members and accounting alumni who made the event possible. Such gatherings strengthen alumni connections and ties between graduates and the College of Business. Pictured are (from left) Senior Director of Development Rob Jenkins, ASAC Director Dr. Shawn Mauldin, Polk, Advisory Council member and event organizer David Hopkins and Grawe.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program

For the third year, the Adkerson School of Accountancy sponsored a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, offering free tax preparation to individuals earning less than $67,000 annually. Undergraduate and graduate accounting students, supervised by faculty members Dr. Alan Stancill, Allie Pilgrim and Kelly Walker, served clients at The Hub from February 27 through early April.

Success at Family Enterprise Case Competition

Bulldog student team (from left) Hope Steward, Jonathan Taylor, Austin Hill and Kate Cupit – coached by Dr. Nathan Hammond – placed second in their division at the University of Vermont’s Schlesinger Global Family Enterprise Case Competition. Special congratulations to Steward, who was named Best Presenter in her division for her depth of analysis and confident delivery.

Forbus Tapped for Insurance Hall of Fame

The 37th Annual MSU I-Day, held in April at The Mill Conference Center, brought together industry professionals, alumni and students for education and networking. Alumnus Jack Forbus was honored for his more than 50 years of leadership and contributions to the insurance field with induction into the MSU Insurance Hall of Fame, joining a distinguished roster of industry leaders. The event also strengthened alumni connections and offered valuable realworld learning for students. Pictured are (from left) Dean Scott Grawe, Forbus and Director of Risk Management & Insurance Seth Pounds.

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Outstanding Advisors

Congratulations to Trina Pollan, recipient of the University’s 2025 Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence in Advising Award, and Taylor Watson, honored with the 2025 Wesley A. Ammon Outstanding New Staff Advisor Award! Their commitment to student success and personalized guidance continues to make a lasting difference in the College of Business. Here, Pollan (right) and Watson are shown with Associate Dean Kevin Rogers.

Graduate Student Hall of Fame Inductee

Maria Bracamonte was inducted into the Mississippi State Graduate Student Hall of Fame last spring, recognizing her as one of the University’s top scholars among more than 4,000 graduate students. Having completed her PhD in management, she is now an Assistant Professor at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Pictured are (from left) Dr. Jennifer Sexton, Bracamonte and Dr. Parker Ellen.

Grawe Honored for Leadership

Dean Scott Grawe (right) received the 2025 Distinguished Alumni Scholar Award from the University of Oklahoma’s Michael F. Price College of Business. The award, presented by Price’s Dean Laku Chidambaram, recognized Grawe’s outstanding contributions to business academia and his leadership at the MSU College of Business.

Mooney Chairs WM Phoenix Open

BBA and MBA alumnus Matt Mooney served as the 2025 WM Phoenix Open Tournament Chairman. A former member of the MSU men’s golf team, he is COO of Parkway Property Investments.

Excellence in Information Systems

Daniel Nabors, senior in Business Information Systems, received the 2024–2025 Charles Moore Award for Excellence in BIS. Selected by faculty for his academic prowess, class engagement and teamwork, Nabors sets a strong example for his peers. Pictured are (from left) Dr. Eunyoung Kim, Nabors and Dr. Kent Marett.

New BBA in Entrepreneurship

A Bachelor of Business Administration in Entrepreneurship has been added to the College of Business academic portfolio. Having begun this fall, the new major will equip students with the knowledge, skills and experiences to launch their own ventures or bring innovative thinking to existing organizations. Building on the College’s long-standing commitment to entrepreneurship education, the program offers new core courses like Creativity & Innovation and Business Venture Creation. It also offers opportunities to engage with MSU’s nationally recognized Center for Entrepreneurship & Outreach, entrepreneurshipfocused student groups and the Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Community. By combining rigorous coursework with handson experiences, the major reflects the College’s dedication to preparing graduates who will lead and innovate in a dynamic business landscape.

Five COB Alumni Named to 2025 Reveille 25

The College of Business proudly celebrates five of its alumni recognized among Mississippi State University’s 2025 Reveille 25 honorees. This program honors young alumni who are “answering the call” through exceptional career achievements and community impact.

Asishana Ajayi earned a BS in aerospace engineering in 2021, an MBA in 2024 and an MS in industrial and systems engineering in 2024. Currently pursuing a PhD at MSU, he serves as an Industrial Engineering Analyst with Waggoner Engineering, Inc., contributing to infrastructure improvements in Meridian.

Grant Nerren earned a BBA in 2015 and a Master of Public Policy and Administration in 2018 and is currently completing a PhD in higher education leadership. As MSU’s Regional Assistant Director of Recruitment, he oversees a team of remote recruiters and develops data-driven strategies to strengthen the University’s national reach.

Shelby Balius Tschume earned her BBA in 2013 and MBA in 2023 before becoming Director of Strategic Initiatives in MSU’s Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, where she leads university-wide projects to enhance academic and operational effectiveness.

Ross Weems earned his BBA in 2009 and his MBA in 2010 and graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at LSU in 2024. As First Vice President of the BankPlus Private Client Group, he provides tailored financial solutions for individuals, corporate executives, medical practices and professional firms.

Randall Journeay White earned bachelor’s degrees in marketing and business administration (risk management, insurance, and financial planning) as well as an MBA from MSU. As a Certified Financial Planner with America Seniors Benefit, Inc., in Jackson, she specializes in retirement strategies and comprehensive financial planning.

Maroon & White Supply Chain Connect

The Maroon & White Supply Chain Connect conference drew its largest audience since its 2021 launch, with more than 60 industry professionals from more than 30 firms and 120 students participating. Events included a young alumni panel on life after college; a senior industry panel led by special guest professor Dr. Matt Waller of the University of Arkansas and a pre-event social hour, creating valuable opportunities for networking and career preparation.

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Spirit of State Awards

The Spirit of State Awards honor students who have enriched campus life through leadership, service and Bulldog spirit. We commend the 2025 honorees, and in particular those from the College of Business: Christian Armour, Kaitlyn Bee, John Edwards, Grant Richey and Jessica Zajac.

In Memoriam

Dr. Louis E. Dawkins (January 29, 2025)

Department Name Change

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning has approved the renaming of the Mississippi State University Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis & Business Law to the Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis & Supply Chain Logistics. The change reflects the growth of the Supply Chain Logistics major, which was introduced in fall 2021.

Louis Dawkins was a Professor Emeritus of Accountancy at Mississippi State University. Born September 18, 1937, Dawkins earned a bachelor’s degree in accountancy from the University of Arkansas at Monticello and a PhD in accountancy from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. A Certified Public Accountant, he devoted much of his professional life to higher education at both Mississippi State and Henderson State University. At MSU, Dawkins served on the accountancy faculty and as Director of the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy on three separate occasions, as well as Interim Dean of the College of Business. He previously served as Dean of the School of Business at Henderson State. He was deeply involved in accreditation efforts at both institutions and served on Peer Review Teams evaluating other schools. Known for his steadfast commitment to the accounting profession and to student success, Dawkins was respected by colleagues and students alike.

James “Jim” John Rouse (February 8, 2025)

1962 alumnus Jim Rouse, retired ExxonMobil Vice President, earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management at MSU, where he met his future wife, Julia Ann “Julie” Bennett. Upon graduation, he served two years in the U.S. Army, followed by six in the National Guard. Rouse began his career with Humble Oil and Refining Company, which later became ExxonMobil. He retired in 2004 after 42 years, most recently as a Corporate Vice President in the company’s Washington, DC, office. Rouse served MSU as Chairman of the Foundation Board and a member of the Bulldog Club and the COB Executive Advisory Board. He was named MSU’s National Alumnus of the Year in 2012 and one of the COB’s Top 100 alumni during its 2015 centennial celebration. His philanthropic legacy at MSU includes establishing an endowed professorship in the College of Business, funding a weight room in the Holliman Athletic Center, donating a 1929 Model A Roadster for campus events and serving as the lead donor for the Famous Maroon Band’s marching field. In 2016, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University.

n Alumnus Richard C. Adkerson (BS Accounting ’69, MBA ’70) was inducted into Institutional Investor’ s All-America Executive Team CEO Hall of Fame. The former CEO and current Board Chair of Freeport-McMoRan was recognized for exceptional leadership in the global mining industry.

n Dr. Patty Ann Bogue, Instructor of Management, received the Certificate of Achievement from MSU’s Maroon Academy for Teaching Excellence.

n Chris Boothe, online MBA candidate, was awarded the VEX V5 Robotics Education & Competition Foundation Volunteer of the Year Award.

n Marketing Professor Dr. Mike Breazeale was appointed as Mississippi State University’s Ombudsperson, leading the University’s office that serves as an independent, confidential and impartial resource to help employees resolve workplace concerns.

n Alumnus Connor Chase (BBA Business Administration ’18) is now an attorney with Beasley Allen Law Firm, focusing on cases involving toxic exposure. He previously worked in the municipal water industry, an experience that informs his law practice.

n Dr. Jim Chrisman, Center of Family Enterprise Research Director and Julia Bennett Rouse Endowed Professor of Management, was named among the world’s Top 25 Family Enterprise Academics by Family Capital.

n Business Administration senior Julian Dedeaux was named a finalist for the 2025-26 Fulbright U.S. Student Program - the federal government’s flagship international educational exchange program. Through the program, Dedeaux is an English Teaching Assistant this year on Spain’s Canary Islands. The May graduate was an honors student whose BBA included concentrations in Business Law, International Business and Risk Management and Insurance and minors in Spanish and Law.

n Honors student Alexis Ellison was selected for the U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship Program. As a result, the Accountancy and Foreign Languages double major was able to study Mandarin in Taiwan for eight weeks over the summer.

n Alumnus Dickens Fournet (BBA Business Administration and BPA Accountancy ’88) received the Mississippi Society of CPAs’ 2025 Public Service Award. He is a Partner with GranthamPoole, PLLC.

n Arieyanna Glover, senior Business Administration student, was recognized with the Leadership Award from the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation, which provides scholarships to MSU’s ROTC and student leadership programs.

n Dr. Nathan Hammond, Instructor of Management, was the Faculty Guest Coach at the MSU baseball game against Queens University of Charlotte, NC.

n Alumnus Seth Hood (BBA Risk Management and Financial Planning ’12) is now the lobbyist and Executive Vice President of the Home Builders Association of Mississippi. He is the Government Relations Advisor of the Intersection of Business and Government practice at Adams and Reese, a nationwide multidisciplinary law firm.

n Alumna Rhoshunda Kelly (BBA Business Administration ’01), Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Banking and Consumer Finance, was honored as Mississippi Person of the Year by the Mule Train Historical Society. The recognition highlights her exceptional leadership and service to the state.

n Dr. Eunyoung Kim, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, was awarded an AIS Jessica Pye Doctoral Student Service Award by the Association for Information Systems.

n Marketing student Jaren Lee served as a summer intern for CocaCola’s customer sales and marketing team at the company’s Atlanta headquarters.

n Alumna Jan Lewis (BPA Accountancy ’85) was elected Vice Chair of the American Institute of CPAs Board of Directors. She is a Tax Partner with BMSS Advisors and CPAs.

n Named to the 2024 Texas State University Family Business Research Productivity Rankings were Dr. Erik Markin, Assistant Professor of Management, Dr. Jim Chrisman and Dr. Laura Marler, Department Head and Jim and Pat Coggin Endowed Professor of Management. This list recognizes impactful research by scholars who are advancing understanding of family businesses. Mississippi State University was second in the university rankings.

n Dr. Shawn Mauldin, Adkerson School of Accountancy Director and Richard Adkerson Endowed Professor of Accountancy was reappointed as Chair of the Mississippi Society of CPAs’ Awards, Education and Scholarship Committee.

n Dr. Alaa Nehme, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, was named a Distinguished Member of the Association for Information Systems. This recognition honors Nehme’s exceptional research and service contributions to the field of information systems.

n Angela Pannell, Instructor II of Accountancy, was appointed to the Mississippi Society of CPAs’ Awards, Education and Scholarship Committee and its Continuing Professional Education Committee.

n The MSU PGA Golf Management Program University Championship Team placed second out of 17 teams at the PGA University Championship last November. The Bulldogs were second to Coastal Carolina as they competed for the coveted Jones Cup, named after the first MSU PGM Director, Dr. Roland Jones. Jacob Berry, PGA Golf Management senior, won the overall individual low score and finished at the top of the entire 85 player field, making him the first player in program history to win the tournament’s Bill Cioffoletti Memorial Trophy.

n Alumnus Justin Samuels (BBA Business Information Systems ’15) was named to Atlanta Magazine’ s 500 Most Powerful Leaders list for the third consecutive year. A Senior Software Engineer with Intuit, he is also founder and CEO of the annual Render ATL conference.

n Dillon Scott, MBA candidate and Management Information Systems Graduate Assistant, participated in a 12-week intensive Microsoft CoBuilders Startup Accelerator Program through Innovate Mississippi. His startup, ConnectU, was one of eight selected for the program among 200 that applied.

n Alumnus Thomas Velsun (MBA ’77) released a thriller, The Hidden Empire, through The Wild Rose Press. Available through major online retailers, the book follows two athletes turned business executives who unexpectedly find themselves enmeshed in a plot to conquer the world.

n Dr. Merrill Warkentin, James J. Rouse Endowed Professor of Information Systems, was listed in the top 1 percent of researchers in Meta Analytics’ annual “ScholarGPS” ranking – the 30th leading information security scholar worldwide.

n Dr. Matthew Whitledge, Associate Clinical Professor of Finance, and his student team – William Erickson, Grant Houston and Finn Moeller – were among 15 teams who advanced to round two of the 2025 CSBS Community Bank Case Study Competition. Competing teams partner with local community banks to explore the impact of interest rates and inflation on the business of banking.

Mississippi State University College of Business P.O. Box 5288, Mississippi State, MS 39762

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

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