ALUMNUS Spring 2015 - Mississippi State University

FOR THE RECORD BOOKS

Lady Bulldogs beat Ole Miss, advancing to post-season play with the most regular season wins in history p. 12

I N S I D E Spring 2015

Discovery changes history p. 5 | Community behind the candles p. 28 | Kroger gift makes nutrition fun p. 48

Table of CONTENTS

FEATURES

14 Resolution Reboot

Renew your commitment to your New Year’s resolution to eat healthy and exercise regularly with these tips from Mississippi State fitness experts.

23 Global Brigade of Bulldogs Practicing Overseas

Healthcare pre-professionals studying at Mississippi State are learning compassion and confidence by participating in Global Brigades. The student-led organization is enabling its members to practice basic medicine and dentistry overseas.

28 The Community Behind the Candles

DPM Fragrance, one of Inc. magazine’s 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America, creates a positive force in the Starkville community and in homes around the world.

ABOVE: Starkville native Mary Beth McDavid, a 2008 graphic design graduate from Mississippi State University, is the creative director for DPM Fragrance. She is one of 30 Bulldog alums working at the city’s largest manufacturer of luxury home fragrance products. Utilizing traditional methods and modern marketing in a familyoriented workforce committed to quality and excellence, they craft more than just candles.

SPRING 2015 | VOL. 92 | NO. 1

PRESIDENT

Mark E. Keenum, ’83, ’84, ’88

VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT AND ALUMNI John P. Rush, ’94, ’02

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Davis

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CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Sid Salter, ’88

EDITORS

Harriet Laird Sammy McDavid, ’70, ’75

WRITERS

Leah Barbour, ’04, ’06 Amy Cagle Allison Matthews, ’00 Addie Mayfield Sasha Steinberg, ’14

DESIGNER

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Heather Rowe

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Megan Bean Russ Houston, ’85 Nikki McKenzie, ’13 Beth Wynn

EDITORIAL OFFICE

P.O. Box 5325 Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325 662-325-3442 harriet.laird@msstate.edu

ADVERTISING

Libba Andrews 662-325-3479 landrews@alumni.msstate.edu

02 DEPARTMENTS

COVER

02 12 34 45 52 54

Senior Jerica James drives past the defender as the top 25-ranked Bulldogs go on to defeat the “school from up North” 55-47.

Mississippi State beat its arch-rival in front of the largest women’s basketball crowd in state history. Photography by Beth Wynn

Campus News State Snapshot Our People Infinite Impact Class Notes Forever Maroon

CONNECT TWITTER.COM/MSSTATE FACEBOOK.COM/MSSTATE INSTAGRAM.COM/MSSTATE

Mississippi State University’s ALUMNUS magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Public Affairs and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association.

Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526. Call 662-325-7000, or email fcarr@advservices.msstate.edu.

Discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or veteran’s status is violation of federal and state law and MSU policy and will not be tolerated. Discrimination based upon sexual orientation or group affiliation is violation of MSU policy and will not be tolerated.

Corrections: 2014 Fall Issue - MSU MASCOT HISTORY: Bully through the years, Bully XV, “Little Bully” was born and bred by Dr. Joe G. Martin, also the owner and veterinarian of Martin Kennels of Ripley. Little Bully was cremated and his ashes scattered on Scott Field in 1994 after 1992 retirement.

Campus NEWS

LEFT: Oil on canvas painting titled “The Cultivators” by Samuel Dunson; TOP RIGHT: Oil on canvas painting titled “Four Cows in a Meadow” by Edward Mitchell Bannister (1893); BOTTOM RIGHT: Lithographed print titled “The 41ST and 42ND U.S. Congress,” Currier and Ives, New York (ca 1872)

African American achievements and accomplishments on display at MSU this spring in Kinsey Collection More than four million people have glimpsed the priceless historical and cultural treasures contained in The Kinsey Collection, one of the largest private collections of African American art, artifacts, documents and manuscripts.

Now through June 20, Mississippi State University is hosting the collection’s first visit to the Magnolia State as “African American Treasures” opens in the John Grisham Room at Mitchell Memorial Library. The Kinsey

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family–Bernard and Shirley, as well as their son Khalil–are visiting the campus for the exhibit opening.

The Kinsey Collection showcases more than 400 years of the achievements and accomplishments of African Americans in America. The Kinseys allow parts of their private collection to tour the United States because they want to expand people’s understanding of American history.

“What we’re doing is showing that African American history

is American history,” Shirley says. “We’re sharing part of the complete history of America by sharing our collection. This is an uplifting history that motivates, inspires and educates. We don’t put aside slavery, but we don’t dwell on it, either.”

Bernard, former vice president of Xerox Corp., and Shirley, a former teacher, first began the collection in the mid-1980s when Khalil brought home a thirdgrade homework assignment to research his family history.

When the Kinseys, both Florida A&M graduates, couldn’t trace their family roots past their grandparents, they began acquiring art and manuscript pieces to fill the gaps, not only in their own family history, but in African American culture as a whole.

“The Kinsey Collection is the historical record of Africans in America beginning in 1595,” Bernard explains. “What The Kinsey Collection does is put the ‘African’ in the story of American history. This is the story of a

Learn more about the Kinsey Collection at alumnus.msstate.edu

people who did so much with so little, and this collection begins to fill in the blanks, trying to give those people a voice, a personality and a name.”

As Bernard and Shirley’s son Khalil grew older and his parents’ collection expanded, his friends looked forward to visiting his home to see the collection, he says. They would ask questions,

in bringing the collection to Mississippi State.

“We want to make sure this works for the cities of Mississippi,” he continues.

Middleton first heard Bernard and Shirley speak in Jacksonville, Florida, and he knew immediately that the collection should come to Mississippi State. He drove to Atlanta to see the pieces

In addition to the display at Mitchell Memorial Library, Mississippi State’s campus bookstore, Barnes & Noble at MSU, is selling “The Kinsey Collection: Shared Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Where Art and History Intersect,” an award-winning curriculum for African American history in Florida. The 2013 book includes

“What we’re doing is showing that African American history is American history. We’re sharing part of the complete history of America by sharing our collection.

This is an uplifting history that motivates, inspires and educates. We don’t put aside slavery, but we don’t dwell on it, either.” ~ Shirley Kinsey and the next time they visited, they would bring friends to introduce them to the art and history that was opening their eyes at the Kinsey home.

The collection grew and knowledge of it spread; then museums began reaching out to the Kinseys to request the opportunity to showcase pieces.

The collection has since traveled all over the United States, but the closest it had come to the Magnolia State, before the Mississippi State exhibition, is Houston and Atlanta.

“It’s been remarkable. All kinds of people–white, black, Cuban, Latina, Jewish, all different races and ethnicities–are just stunned to learn about American history through the achievements and accomplishments of African Americans,” Bernard says. “Then you have the administration at Mississippi State, and we applaud (MSU Libraries) Dean Frances Coleman and (African American Studies Director) Dr. Stephen Middleton for their leadership

displayed there, and he opened the conversation with Coleman to bring The Kinsey Collection to Mississippi State.

She reached out to people, organizations, and supporters all over the state; Coleman even lobbied–successfully–to extend the collection’s stay at MSU from one month to three.

Based on the consistent positive feedback the Kinseys have received on the collection, the Kinseys are looking forward to an equally positive response at Mississippi State.

“This is our chance to reach an entirely different audience,” Bernard says. “When I came to Mississippi State for the first time in December 2014, I saw it would be a great place. Dean Coleman and her team are just outstanding.

“We want to reach these young people who come from a different place; it’s a different generation, a different community, and we want to impart this wisdom, this history of African Americans in America,” Bernard says.

information about each piece on display at Mississippi State, as well as many others.

“African American Treasures” is made possible by the MSU Libraries, African American Studies at MSU and grants from Visit Mississippi, Greater Starkville Development Partnership and the Mississippi Humanities Council, through support from the Mississippi Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or the Mississippi Humanities Council.

Discover more about “African American Treasures” from The Kinsey Collection at MSU by visiting library.msstate.edu/ kinsey. More information about the Kinseys, The Kinsey Collection and its history is available at www. thekinseycollection.com. n

Bernard and Shirley Kinsey strive to live their lives on two simple principles: “To whom much is given much is required,” and “A life of no regrets.”

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See other images of Ty Barnes’ work at alumnus.msstate.edu.

PHOTO BY MEGAN BEAN

Campus NEWS

Ty Barnes of Jackson in his Howell Building art studio shows his most recent work.

Student Spotlight: Experiencing sculpture with Ty Barnes As Ty Barnes, a senior art major, turns the crank on the side of his sculpture, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” rocks out from the front facing speakers. A small flagpole slowly rises from the top of his interactive structure that proudly displays the StarSpangled Banner. Part sculpture and part performance art, Barnes’ work is something to experience.

“It’s kinda funny––it’s supposed to be fun,” said Barnes.

“The reaction I want is for people to smile and laugh.”

Once a Boy Scout himself and someone who proclaims to be a very proud American, Barnes said when the idea popped into his head, he just had to create the piece. His initial sketches for this project are very similar to the finished product.

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Along with the crank and pulley system that raises the flag, the sculpture also includes a few drawers that hold replacement flags, as well as a place to burn

“I have a few other pieces I’ve made recently, and they are all linked by humor,” said Barnes.

“There are over-sized smiley faces that are at different depths

“It’s kinda funny–it’s suppose to be fun.

The reaction I want is for people to smile and laugh.” ~ Ty Barnes the flag. This feature allows flags that are no longer fit for display to be destroyed in a dignified way, as noted in the proper care of the flag in the U.S. Code. Barnes’ incinerator drawer has that covered and provides an educational feature to his sculpture he calls, “America, America.”

He knew his sculpture needed to be patriotic and have a dose of humor.

hanging on a wall. They are a symbol of fun, and I made them because everybody recognizes a smiley. They are supposed to be very friendly.

“I’ve also created a Stilt Rental sculpture that was part performance art as it had a ribbon cutting ceremony with cheese and crackers to encourage people to try the experience of walking on stilts,” said Barnes.

Influenced by New York-based artist Tom Sachs, whose mixedmedia work samples and borrows to reconstruct contemporary political and social references, Barnes is wrapping up his last semester at MSU and deciding what his senior thesis project will be.

One idea he is toying with is creating a dance floor that would feature music by David Bowie spinning on a record player. He wants people to be a part of his sculpture, to dance, to enjoy the music and have fun.

Creating works from constructed and found materials, Barnes took a long pause when asked what motivates him as an artist. He finally said with a grin, “I just can’t imagine doing anything else. It’s just what I do, and I can’t stop creating.” n

Privacy Helper on the iTunes App Store at https://appsto.re/us/4iLA5.i.

Check out the complete story online at alumnus.msstate.edu.

Robert Crossler may be an expert in information systems, but he has a project that even the novice tech user can appreciate.

A new app developed by the Mississippi State University assistant professor in the College of Business, along with France Bélanger of Virginia Tech University, is helping iPhone users make knowledgeable choices about their privacy settings.

The “Privacy Helper” app, available in the App Store, is designed to give users information about various privacy options and even uses audio directions to walk them through changing the settings if they desire. Crossler said it’s not an app for everyday use, but those who use it even once may gain increased peace of mind about how and when their personal information is being shared.

“With the rapid computer technology advancements in today’s society, the ability to protect our personal privacy is becoming much more limited,” he observed.

“We believe that through research, we can raise people’s awareness of the importance of protecting your privacy as well as develop programs to help guard against the unwanted sharing of private information.”

The Privacy Helper app is designed to clarify privacy issues. In addition to privacy settings for location-based services, the app helps users navigate settings for system services, shared app access, browsing privacy and ad

Associate professor Jimmy Hardin examines an Egyptian figurine dating to the 10th or 11th century BC.

PHOTO BY MEGAN BEAN

New app helps iPhone users navigate digital privacy

Bullae, bullae: Discovery changing scholars’ understanding of Israeli history tracking. One of the primary objectives of the app is simply to convey to users what the settings do and why.

“For example, when you’re uploading your photos to social media, you may not realize you’re giving away that information,” Crossler said.

Crossler said system services collect information from users while they operate their mobile device. For example, traffic data may be collected when users employ Apple’s map. Privacy Helper explains regarding traffic, “When this setting is turned on, your iPhone anonymously sends traffic-based data to Apple to help build a traffic database.

This information is used to help provide real time traffic conditions to mapping apps.”

Crossler said many of these security functions “aren’t a bad thing”–but he believes users should be aware of how their information is being used so they can make their own decisions about whether to participate in information sharing with others.

“Our goal is to make people aware of the settings on their iPhone and what they do so they can make an informed decision,” Crossler said. n

Six official clay seals found by a Mississippi State University archaeological team at a small site in Israel offer evidence that may support the existence of biblical kings David and Solomon.

Many modern scholars have dismissed David and Solomon as mythological figures because most archaeological evidence, prior to this discovery, suggested the region’s state formation began during the late eighth century B.C. For this reason, most scholars believed no kingdom could have existed in the region during the Iron Age IIA in 10th century B.C. when the Bible recounts David and Solomon’s activities.

However, the new finds provide evidence that some type of government activity was conducted there during that period. The MSU team’s findings were published in the December 2014 issue of Near Eastern Archaeology, a leading, peer-reviewed journal for this field.

Jimmy Hardin, associate professor in the MSU Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, said the clay bullae his team discovered were used to seal official correspondence in much the same way wax seals were used on official documents in later periods.

Since 2011, Hardin, co-director of the Hesi Regional Project, has excavated each summer at Khirbet Summeily, a site east of Gaza in southern Israel. The dig site was chosen so researchers could study border dynamics between the nations of Philistia and Judea in the area previously dated to the 10th century B.C. “Our preliminary results indicated that this site is integrated into a political entity that is typified by elite activities, suggesting that a state was already being formed in the 10th century B.C.,” Hardin said.

“We are very positive that these bullae are associated with the Iron Age IIA, which we date to the 10th century B.C., and which lends general support to the historical veracity of David and Solomon as recorded in the Hebrew biblical texts.”

Two of the bullae Hardin’s team excavated have complete seal impressions, two have partial seal impressions, and two others have none. Two bullae were blackened by fire. One bulla has a well-preserved hole where the string used to seal the document passed through the clay. The impressions in the bullae do not contain writing.

“These appear to be the only known examples of bullae from the 10th century, making this discovery unique,” Hardin said. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Campus NEWS

Internationally influenced knits weave new style Designing, dyeing, knitting and teaching are Phyllis Miller’s passions.

As a university professor in Mississippi State’s School of Human Sciences, she creates clothes for herself, and they’re earning major national recognitions. Her internationally influenced domestic designs feature bright colors, bold patterns and skillful knitting.

According to the former Fulbright Scholar, Miller’s most recent major honor—Best of Show at the 105th American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences National Conference—is only part of her streak of success.

The AAFCS recognition means members of the competition jury decided her design was No. 1 among 60 entries. Since the conference only accepts half the submissions it receives for judging, just being allowed to compete is an accomplishment in itself, Miller emphasized.

“When the university has people in national and international exhibitions (such as AAFCS), people start to look at and say ‘Mississippi State is a design school,’” she said. “Now, we’re competing with the big design schools.

“I told the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences dean (George Hopper) that I’m just getting warmed up.”

Miller originally designed and knitted the award-winning Chogakpo coat and dyed chameleon tube dress.

She said inspirations for the apparel came from the simple combination of some extra yarn on hand and a book about Korean patchwork wrapping cloth.

“One thing that I do all the time is something I call ‘paging through,’ where I just turn the pages of a book,” she explained. “Some things attract

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my attention, and some don’t. I was paging through a book about Korean patchwork wrapping cloth where they would put patchwork together to wrap wedding presents or other gifts, and I said, ‘I can knit that.’”

Miller said the consistent successes she’s had in juried competitions over the past year reveals the lasting, consistent appeal of incorporating different cultural traditions into apparel design.

“Almost everything we wear is inspired by something else, and so many of the things we wear are based on other cultures,” said the University of Tennessee doctoral graduate.

“They’re beautiful, interesting and they offer something different.

“As long as it’s colorful and beautiful, I’m thinking, ‘What can I get from this? How does it fit into the bigger picture?’”

In addition to the coat and dress, Miller produced two other awardwinning original pieces. An Egyptian ceiling coat and an American Indian basketry jacket, complemented by a sterling shawl pin and sterling earrings by jeweler Dennis Loss, were presented with the coat and dress at the 2014 International Textile and Apparel Association Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.

The acceptance rate for the ITAA competition is approximately 35 percent, Miller said.

Even as her work gains international attention, Miller emphasized making mistakes is an important part of the learning experience.

“If it’s not right, it’s hard to take things out, but I think you learn more by making mistakes,” she said. “I’ve learned so much from making the mistakes that it’s just been worth it.

Creative achievement takes practice.” n

PHOTO BY RUSS HOUSTON

Interested in learning how to knit? Check out the “how-to” online at alumnus.msstate.edu.

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Connect with other business alumni and check out upcoming events at www.wemeanbusiness.msstate.edu.

Campus NEWS

The College of Business is commemorating its 100th anniversary this year with a celebration that began in January. The college’s faculty and staff are diligently working to make this year-long event a momentous occasion and one to remember for the next 100 years.

The College of Business means…

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Leadership. We mean… students, alumni, friends, and faculty who are confident, strategic thinkers who are willing to lead and open to new challenges.

Discovery. We mean… leading-edge research for professors, graduate and undergraduate students.

Innovation. We mean… Fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship for our students, offering real-world experience for ambitious students with a creative drive.

Opportunity. We mean… affording our students the ability to achieve success in the business world, through scholarships, outstanding faculty, state of the art learning resources, study abroad internships and career networking opportunities.

Integrity. We mean… stressing the importance of responsible decisionmaking in all circumstances, whether or not anyone is watching.

Community. We mean… embracing the values of service, compassion, and giving back to foster a better world.

We have recently launched our 100th anniversary website—providing students, faculty, alumni and friends with access to all things centennial. There you will find historical photos, centennial videos, event information and registration, sponsorship opportunities and a place to cast your vote for the Top 100 College of Business alumni.

Alumni will have the opportunity to purchase centennial-branded merchandise

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such as shirts, hats, mugs, decals, and glassware to commemorate our 100th anniversary through the website–http:// wemeanbusiness.msstate.edu.

The website also provides an opportunity for our alumni to share their favorite College of Business memories, experiences or photographs. Not sure what to write about?

Here are a few ideas: • • • •

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What do you remember most about your time in the College of Business?

Who was your favorite professor and why?

What was that one class that sparked your interests?

What were some of the trends or major events going on in the world during your time at MSU? Did that have an impact on you as a student?

Do you remember studying for that first dreaded mid-term? What class was it and who was your professor?

Do you have any funny stories from your time in the college?

What were the campus activities and organizations you were involved in? How did they impact you?

What were some of your favorites, such as place to study, eat, meet friends, etc.?

Please send the college your stories. We will publish the memories and photos that are shared in the centennial edition of Dividends magazine.

The COB Centennial Anniversary Celebration provides our university with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of COB students, and increase the professional reputation and visibility of the college and MSU. Over the last century, the College of Business at Mississippi State has produced more than 32,000 graduates—from all 50 states and 142 countries—each one an important part of MSU’s rich history. All alumni are invited to celebrate this historic milestone throughout 2015 and be a part of leadership and excellence in the next 100 years. n

PHOTOS BY MEGAN BEAN

As part of the celebration, the college has launched a new branding campaign: We Mean Business. This exemplifies the mentality of our students, faculty and more than 32,000 College of Business alumni. Throughout 2015, six keywords will be unveiled that also demonstrate what “We Mean” in the College of Business through videos, stories, events and banners and more.

You are invited to dive head first into the Delta experience. From upscale décor and soft cotton sheets, to relaxing massages and mouth-watering chef’s specials, we have mastered the art of laid-back luxury. The Alluvian is the perfect place to take your senses for a ride.

318 Howard Street

Greenwood, Mississippi 38930

662.453.2114

thealluvian.com

THE ALLUVIAN HOTEL • THE ALLUVIAN SPA • VIKING COOKING SCHOOL • GIARDINA’S

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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THE MISSISSIPPI STATE RING

TRUE MAROON

Be part of the tradition!

VISIT ALUMNI.MSSTATE.EDU/CLASSRING OR CALL 662.325.7000 FOR MORE INFORMATION.

2015 ALUMNI

DIRECTORY

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The MSU Alumni Association is sending an important notice!

Harris Connect, a trusted partner of the MSU Alumni Association, will be producing the Alumni Directory which is scheduled to release in October, 2015. You will receive a postcard from Harris Connect asking you to update your information. Please help us make this project a success.

Update your information and help your Bulldog Family stay strong and connected.

Contact Libba Andrews at (662) 325.3479 or landrews@alumni.msstate.edu for more information.

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Join us in support of Mississippi State University’s annual online philanthropy event! With a goal of 1,001 donors, we hope you will BE THE ONE! To find out more information, please visit

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®

Discover your world with the Mississippi State University Alumni Association.

For over three decades, the MSU Traveling Bulldogs program has taken alumni and friends around the world to exciting locations. With travel packages in the U.S. and abroud, our trips will not fail to amaze! Find out more about our 2015 adventures by visiting alumni.msstate.edu/travel.

The Charming British Isles | June 6 –17 Pearls of the Mediterranean | June 15 –23 The Beauty of Switzerland | June 17– July 2 The Great Pacific Northwest | Aug. 8 –16 The Rivieras: Rome to Barcelona | Sept. 4–12 The Rhine by River Ship | Sept. 5-13, 2015 Flavors of Tuscany | Oct. 2-10, 2015 Trade Routes of Coastal Iberia | Oct. 23–31 Holiday Markets of France and Germany | Nov. 27–Dec. 8

The Glory of Alaska JULY 14-24, 2015

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU TravelBulldogs_Alumnus-SP2015.indd 1

1/30/15 2:51 PM

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State SNAPSHOT

PLAYING WITH PURPOSE:

Guard Dominique Dillingham, a sophomore studying kinesiology from Spring, Texas, gets the fast break down the court past a Vanderbilt player. The Lady Bulldogs dominated not only the Commodores, but most SEC opponents and finished the regular season with the most wins in school history, 26-5, and in the Southeastern Conference, at 11-5.

Photography by Russ Houston

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RESOLUTION Reboot STICKING TO YOUR FITNESS GOALS THROUGH THE SEASONS

By Leah Barbour, Photography By Beth Wynn

The time to renew your New Year’s resolution to maintain a healthier lifestyle is now.

Concerns about expense and convenience don’t have to come between you and your fitness goals as spring sunshine pushes up the daffodils around campus and mornings start a little earlier.

Spring is a great time for alumni, families and friends to find fresh resolve to keep the New Year’s resolutions that are certain to improve the quality of life–eating more nutritiously and exercising more consistently.

Applying the best practices for you and leaving yourself room for error are two key ways to set the realistic goals that can keep you

on track to maintain a healthier you, according to two Mississippi State alumni, now university fitness consultants.

Both registered dietitian Mandy Conrad and fitness trainer graduate assistant Adam Thigpen received their professional training at Mississippi State. Not only did Conrad earn her B.S. in fitness management in 1998 and a B.S. in food and nutrition in 2003, she also completed her master’s in health promotion. Thigpen completed his B.S. in exercise science in 2013, and he’s currently studying in a master’s program concentrating on exercise physiology.

They share their tips to help you stay the path.

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Avocado and Tomatoes on Wheat Crackers

KNOW YOURSELF AND TAKE YOUR HABITS INTO ACCOUNT Conrad says: “To improve health, it’s not just nutrition knowledge or exercise knowledge; you cannot put them into practice without self knowledge.

“What are you currently eating? What’s your schedule like? What’s realistic for you?

Figure out what your primary goal is and see how you can eat to feel better. It’s not important just for your nutrition; it’s important to your mental health.”

Likewise, maintaining your resolve to exercise requires identifying your intrinsic motivation and using it as an incentive when time isn’t easily available or resources seem scarce, Thigpen emphasizes.

Mandy Conrad, MSU’s registered dietitian

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Healthier foods, healthier you Healthy eating at the dinner table begins with making good choices at the store, Conrad says.

She encourages individuals to design meal plans in advance; then, figure out what to buy. Remember to be realistic about the need for snacks; the human body needs food-as-fuel approximately every four hours.

“Once you’ve decided your primary health goal–eating less salt or sugar, for example, check the food labels when you’re at the store,” she advises. “The ingredient list is listed in order of the amount of what’s in there, so if sugar is the first ingredient, then it’s the primary ingredient. A little sugar is OK; you just want it further down the list.

“And don’t forget–check the serving size.”

Conrad also recommends buying foods as fresh as possible. The less fresh they are, the more processed they’ve already become, meaning they include more sodium and preservatives, she said.

To get a good idea of how to get started in developing the meal plans that will work best for you and your family, Conrad suggests visiting www.chooosemyplate.gov. The “healthy eating on a budget” tab has numerous reliable resources

Microwave Egg Frittata Flavor Burst Salad

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Baked Salmon on Rice with Vegetables

to help people navigate the produce in the grocery store or ensure meal plans include well-balanced meals.

“Another good source is fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org,” she adds. “It gives a ton of seasonal meal plans and lots of recipes.”

When you find something that works, write it down, Conrad emphasizes. If it’s a meal that took about 20 minutes to prepare, it included fresh veggies and whole grains, and/or everyone in the family loved it, record it on your phone, tablet or food notebook. Likewise, if a side dish really hit the spot or a previously unknown vegetable or fruit was the taste of the town, write it down.

“Then later, when life gets hectic, and you’re struggling to figure out a meal or

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a snack, you’ve got a plan right there, already ready for you,” Conrad explains.

Finally, meeting tangible, realistic goals can be more likely if you have a network of support, she says. Find other people who are interested in eating healthy. Not only can you share recipes, you can reinforce each other.

“You can learn from other people.

They run into the same barriers that you do, and other people who are going through it will be able to teach you more,” Conrad emphasizes. “Plus, there’s so many online groups where you still get to share ideas and check in. Just someone going through it with you and your sharing–I think that helps with accountability and support.”

Renewing your motivation doesn’t stop at the end of this magazine article. You can go to alumnus.msstate.edu to watch a video of Conrad with tips on how to prep and cut vegetables. She also shares a weekly meal plan to help keep you on track with your diet and fitness goals.

www.alumnus.msstate.edu/ spring2015/health.html

Focusing on fitness Thigpen’s job at the Joe Frank more available and realistic than ever Sanderson Center is all about before,” Thigpen explains. “The gym assisting people who are on the path can be very intimidating, especially to fitter, stronger lives, he says. for people who aren’t experienced.

“Most people start with the end “Just realize, exercise is very goals, whether it’s improving quality important. Get it wherever you can.” of life with weight loss, muscle Thigpen emphasizes that building or toning,” Thigpen notes. making time for exercise is a key to “But to get there, fostering success. they’re going to Time is pressed for “Make yourself have to set many everyone, but 20 goals along the minutes is better accountable, way and find the than none. Carving whether it’s to a satisfaction of time out of your meeting those goals trainer or a friend schedule to work before they get to out will be key to or a spouse.” the end goal.” maintaining a new, He encourages ~ Adam Thigpen fitter lifestyle. people beginning “If you don’t new exercise make time for routines to weigh themselves once exercise, you’re making time a month, not every day or even for sickness,” he says. “Research every week. Thigpen says the scales somebody you really want to look can be deceiving, and you should like; find out what their routine is give yourself time to adjust to the so you can see where exactly you’re routine. trying to go. Even if you just want Plus, great workout routines are to live a healthier life, find what available online, he recommends. motivates you.

Along with youtube.com videos “Finally, make yourself available to demonstrate any kind accountable, whether it’s to a trainer of move, bodybuilding.com has or a friend or a spouse. You’re going numerous resources. to get the best healthy benefits of “The gym is convenient, but the exercise lifestyle when you keep it’s not absolutely necessary; the working out.”

Internet is making training yourself

Make sure to go online to download our MSU trainer developed weekly workout routine to help get your heart rate up and start moving around again after the cold winter months. The next few pages show some moves that will help shed pounds and redefine muscle tone.

www.alumnus.msstate.edu/ spring2015/workout.html

Adam Thigpen, fitness trainer and graduate assistant

MAKE THE GOAL ATTAINABLE AND BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE BY ACHIEVING IT. Thigpen says: “Start off with something that’s attainable so you’ll be more apt to stay on track.

“If you wanted to work out three times a week and then completely fall off the wagon, set your goal for two. You don’t have to kill yourself to have a great workout; instead, find something you like. That’s what’ll keep you exercising.”

Finding or creating a support network can also help individuals develop realistic fitness and nutritional goals, plus healthy meal plans can be simple and quick, Conrad adds.

Becoming fitter, stronger and more toned requires a time commitment, Thigpen advises, but your body will thank you.

Thigpen and Conrad agree, your New Year’s resolve can continue with the change of seasons as you recommit to maintaining a healthier lifestyle.

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Lateral squats excel at isolating the inner thighs (adductors) while working the butt (gluteus), hamstrings and outer thighs (iliotibial bands). This unilateral lower body exercise also builds balance between your right leg and the left leg.

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The Superman is a great way to strengthen your lower back and tone your glutes.

Tricep dips do not require special equipment; a chair or bench will work. This exercise will get your arms ready for short sleeves and tank tops by toning up the muscles that run along the backside of your upper arm–from your shoulder to your elbow.

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Bicycle crunches are a great ab exercise and are known for engaging not only your rectus abdominis (your six-pack), but also the external and internal obliques.

Leg lifts with an extended alternate arm not only work your glutes, but also strengthen your core as you balance while kicking your leg back and reaching your opposite arm forward.

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GLOBAL BRIGADE OF BULLDOGS

Practicing Overseas

F

or a dedicated group of pre-professional students at Mississippi State, service isn’t just a word emblazoned on

the university’s seal. For the members of the university’s Global Medical and Dental Brigades chapter, service is a way of life.

Students are willing to travel anywhere in the world —wherever they’re needed—to improve quality of life through service.

At the same time, years before they’ll have opportunities to practice in the United States, members are performing routine healthcare and dentistry tests. By overcoming language barriers to work one-on-one with patients, these young people are connecting with communities around the world.

A Global Brigade of pre-professional Mississippi State students went to Honduras to provide medical and dental services. TOP RIGHT: Biochemistry and biological sciences majors celebrate working with native children. All five Mississippi State students and recent graduates, back row, plan to become doctors or dentists. TOP LEFT: Senior biological sciences pre-dental student Toby Brandon of Belmont assists during a child’s dental examination. CENTER: Brandon chats with a prospective Honduran patient. BOTTOM: Dr. Kelly Burkenstock examines a child’s mouth while biological sciences pre-med student Mariah Bohl of Meridian, back right, livens up the atmosphere telling Spanish jokes.

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TOP: 2014 biological sciences pre-med graduate Jovontee “Jay” Curlee of Corinth gives a group of enthusiastic Honduran children fluoride treatments.

BOTTOM LEFT: 2014 summa cum laude biochemistry premed graduate Austin Burkenstock of Mandeville, Louisiana, meets with an Honduran family to discuss their health.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Junior biological engineering major Aalaap Desai, left, of Ridgeland and biological sciences pre-dental student Charlotte Read prepare their tools to assist in bringing clean water to a Honduran community.

MOTIVATING THE MASSES Senior Angela Maher of Gulfport knew even before she transferred to Mississippi State from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College that she wanted to be part of Global Brigades, the largest student-led health and sustainability service organization in the world.

However, when the biochemistry major concentrating in pre-dental studies came to Starkville as a junior in 2013, she soon discovered that Mississippi State didn’t have a chapter.

“I wanted to be part of a student-led mission team,” she remembers. “It’s not a religious mission; it’s a mission to help others. Because it’s the students who are the leaders in Global Brigades, we’re the ones who are making the decisions, and that’s what’s preparing us for dental school and medical school.

“So I knew right away I had to find a way to bring Global Brigades to Mississippi State.”

Maher began networking with some of her close friends, including seniors Lauren Peterman, a biochemistry major concentrating in pre-medicine, and Charlotte Read, a biological sciences major concentrating in pre-dental studies. Peterman is from Gulfport, while Read is from Starkville.

“They were like, let’s make it happen, so we held an information session. And people came,” Maher recalls. “Then Dr. Mary Reese, the director of undergrad advising, agreed to be our faculty adviser, and she has just been amazing. We go everywhere, all over campus, to different student organizations, different clubs, and we tell other students about our organization.”

Because the initial organizers were enrolled in pre-dentistry and pre-medical programs at Mississippi State, the students formed medical and dental brigades, just two of the nine available pre-professional Global Brigades focus areas,

along with business, architecture, environment, human rights, microfinance, public health or water.

Soon, Maher’s peers elected her chapter president of the Mississippi State Global Medical and Dental Brigades chapter, while Peterman was named historian and Read became president of the dental brigade.

ENCOURAGING ACTION During its first year, 2013-14, Global Brigades at Mississippi State organized an international trip to provide medical and dental assistance to communities in the Republic of Honduras, a Latin American nation a little larger than the U.S. state of Tennessee.

“Because it’s the students who are the leaders in Global Brigades, we’re the ones who are making the decisions, and that is what’s preparing us for dental school and medical school.” ~Angela Maher “I was the co-chair for fundraising, but none of us knew how to fundraise. We were all a little nervous, but I got out and started asking for people and businesses to donate,” says senior Brittany McCrary from Athens, Alabama.

The biological engineering major concentrating in biomedical engineering explains she became quite adept at her elevator speech convincing businesses to donate to the Mississippi State Global Brigades chapter. Instead of requesting regular donations, McCrary asked businesses to donate a portion of the sale to the organization when customers

mentioned “Global Brigades.”

She also spearheaded a variety of fundraising initiatives, including bake sales, crowdfunding efforts and on-campus events.

Though the fundraisers did help fund the trip, the students who went to Honduras had to supply what wasn’t covered. They also had to learn some Spanish, the primary language spoken in the tiny Caribbean nation. Some of the young people had never flown, much less traveled overseas.

However, the team faced the challenges head on.

Members agree that going to Honduras was completely worth it.

HELPING HONDURANS Honduras was already on the Global Brigades Association’s radar, Maher says. Chapters from around the U.S. had already visited various Honduran communities, or departments, to offer assistance associated with one or more of the nine pre-professional focus areas.

In late May 2014, the Mississippi State Global Medical and Dental Brigades chapter paired with a water brigade from Arizona State University to assist Hondurans. The Mississippi State team brought medical and dental care, while the water brigade was tasked with developing potable water to individual communities.

Altogether, Mississippi State supplied 29 participants, 27 of whom were students. One Arkansas State University student, the friend of a Mississippi State student, joined them, and a parent, a physician.

“One of the parents is a doctor in New Orleans,” says junior Hunter Swanzy, a biochemistry major concentrating in pre-medicine.

“She called one week before we were going to leave, and she said, ‘I want to do this, too,’ so of course we were excited to have her.”

The doctor’s influence and assistance were critical, the Mississippi State chapter vice president from Biloxi explains.

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“We went in, and we spent a week in these communities.

We spent our first day sorting meds, so then, when we got to the people, it was easier to fill out the prescription of what they needed,” Swanzy says. “The next three days, we had a mobile clinic set up in schools. There were bars on the window and the desks were just broken apart, so we used what we could.

“We saw 800 patients in three days, and those were three days of emphasizing public health and three days of healing.”

The entire team of Mississippi State students saw with their own eyes that not everyone has access to clean water or antibiotics.

Swanzy says this epiphany only enhanced the students’ intense determination to help, and the Hondurans really appreciated their assistance.

“As we approached the schoolyard-based medical compound we would be working out of for the next three days, the eyes of the Honduran men and women lit up at the sight of our group of young Americans,” he remembers. “Our goals were ambitious, but we met them.”

The doctors in Honduras showed the Mississippi State students how to conduct medical tests, and they allowed them to perform them.

“They emphasized the importance of hygiene. They would want us to see them do the test, then apply it ourselves. We got a lot of really good servicelearning in,” Swanzy says.

Maher was able to participate in cavity filling, while McCrary learned how to match diagnoses with appropriate medicines.

“Even the American doctor who came with us would tell us to come watch and learn from her,” McCrary says. “She would say, ‘You’re not going to learn that back home for years, so come learn over here right now.’”

Though their stay was short —only a week—the students

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agree the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives had changed their own lives for the better.

“Just thinking about being able to do that can set you on a path to changing people’s lives.” ~Brittany McCrary PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE The Global Brigades Association continues contact with all the communities where student-led groups offer assistance. Thus students in the Mississippi State chapter, through online resources like Facebook and Twitter, are able to continue the conversations they began—albeit in Spanish— with people from the Honduran communities they visited.

“They love to get news about what’s going on in the organization, and they keep us updated on what they are doing,” says Maher. “These are people who want to be able to take care of themselves.”

Not only are they keeping up with the communities they’ve already visited, but members of the Mississippi State Global Medical and Dental Brigades chapter are working to expand.

A group of business students will form a business brigade set to be in place by fall 2015, and efforts to form an architecture brigade are continuing.

Maher says members will pilot a public health brigade to complement the medical and dental brigades during their

next mission trip to Nicaragua, May 17-25.

Fundraising has already begun. Students are encouraging donations of medical and dental supplies, as well as funds for the trip itself. Mississippi State Global Brigades members are referring prospective contributors to http://bit.ly/ empowered_MSU. Nicaragua, one of the largest nations in Central America, will offer the Mississippi State Global Brigades team many of the same opportunities they had in Honduras—completing routine medical and dental tests and assisting with pharmaceutical distribution. The public health component will enable the students to assist in collecting electronic patient records and monitoring community health.

“Each public health brigade will work with individual families, local schools and community leaders with a focus on holistic and preventative health measures on both an individual and community-wide scale,” says Tabitha Baca, chapter advisor for Global Brigades Inc., Nicaragua.

Mississippi State members are also hoping to recruit area dentists and doctors to join them; visit www.facebook.com/ MSUGlobalBrigades to open a conversation about volunteering.

“Being part of this really changes your life,” says McCrary. “Global Brigades can become the flagship service program for Mississippi State because so many different students can get involved in so many different ways. Students can serve in ways they never thought they could serve.

“Just thinking about being able to do that can set you on a path to changing people’s lives.” n

TOP LEFT: Read cleans a Honduran resident’s teeth.

TOP RIGHT: Sophomore psychology major Kelsey Cardin, left, of Oakland, Tennessee, fills in the paperwork while Read takes a Honduran patient’s blood pressure.

BOTTOM: The group of student members in Mississippi State’s Global Medical and Dental Brigades chapter treated more than 800 Hondurans’ basic health and dental needs. In May, the organization will visit Nicaragua.

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The Community Behind the Candles

By Sasha Steinberg, Photography by Nikki McKenzie

As a match is struck and the wick begins to burn, light from a single candle can enhance the atmosphere of a room.

At DPM Fragrance, traditional methods and modern marketing are combined with a family-oriented workforce. The DPM team, who is committed to quality and excellence, crafts more than just candles; they create a positive force in their local community and homes across the globe.

“Every time you light it, the flickering flame and fragrance that are emanated from that candle are going to change the environment and totally transform the space,” says 2008 graphic design graduate Mary Beth McDavid.

As the creative director for DPM Fragrance, the Starkville native who also holds a minor in marketing is one of the 30 alumni working at the city’s largest manufacturer of luxury home fragrance products.

Originally founded as Aspen Bay Candles, the company became DPM Fragrance (Desirepath Mississippi, LLC) in 2001 after being purchased by current

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owner Tom Reed, who is based in the greater Atlanta, Georgia, area.

“We kind of kept our roots as Aspen Bay Candles, and then we have two other brands within DPM Fragrance: Capri Blue and Found Goods Markets. All three of these product lines have different aesthetics, and we have different vessels that come in different fragrances specific to each collection,” McDavid explains.

The Volcano scent from the company’s Capri Blue collection continues to be the most beloved item among DPM’s customers—as well as among those of another well-known company.

“Anthropologie is actually one of our largest customers,” says McDavid. “We’ve been working with them for about 10 years. They picked up Volcano when they were in one of their growth phases, and it has kind of become the fragrance that people love and associate with their store.”

Taking pride in tradition while being receptive to change and new ideas also has proved beneficial to DPM Fragrance, which was included—for

now the third year in a row—as one of Inc. magazine’s 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies in America.

“How the Inc. award works is that you have to sustain a 100 percent growth rate over a three-year span so growing at 33.3 percent each year, which is what we’ve averaged for the past five years,” says 2011 marketing graduate Casey Wesson. “It’s been pretty spectacular to be a part of all of that growth.”

When looking for inspiration in developing the company’s Found Goods Market brand, McDavid says that the leadership may scour places such as thrift stores and flea markets to find items whose spirit of the past can be transformed into a product for today’s consumer.

“There’s a whole psychology behind fragrance in that it has the power to take you back to a memory you may have forgotten,” she explains. “Our Homestead collection is based off of Southern nostalgia. The vessels we use may remind you of something you may find in your grandmother’s house, or a

“There’s a whole psychology behind fragrance in that it has the power to take you back to a memory you may have forgotten.” ~ Mary Beth McDavid

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particular fragrance may smell like the perfume you wore when you were in high school.”

Another collection within the Found Goods Market product line is Fairfax and King, which was inspired by the nation’s oldest apothecary. It was located at the corner of Fairfax Street and King Street in Alexandria, Virginia.

“All of the fragrances in this collection were based off of things you may have smelled in that apothecary,” McDavid says. “We bought the amber glass similar to what would have been used in an old apothecary. Even the labeling was inspired by a label that may have been on an old bottle that was used back then.”

Wesson, who served as DPM’s national sales manager prior to her promotion as director of sales and marketing in 2013, says the company has serviced more than 7,000 independent retailers in the past year and a half.

“We also work with international distributors in South Korea, Australia, Germany, Argentina and Canada, and we also have several international accounts in Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and China,” she says. “Our footprint spans across many, many places, so as we continue to grow, we’ve been using our international outlets to expand.”

In addition to the Aspen Bay retail store on Main Street in downtown Starkville, DPM Fragrance’s wide variety of products may be purchased from popular retailers including Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Francesca’s, Crate and Barrel, Nordstrom, Ann Taylor Loft, Papyrus, Altar’d State, West Elm, along with thousands of independent retailers.

“There is very little difference in the way that we do things now to the way candle makers did things a hundred years ago,” says Mike Ferril, a Brandon native who was hired in 2012 as DPM’s production manager while finishing his bachelor’s in risk management, insurance and financial planning. Recently promoted to operations director, he adds, “We probably have a little bit higher tech melting tanks, but that’s about it.”

“We use American made wax and fragrance oil, and we use glass made in the U.S. whenever we’re able to source it,” McDavid says, explaining that one fragrance could easily contain up to a thousand ingredients and therefore every candle burns differently.

But what’s the greatest characteristic of each and every one of the 1.8 million-plus candles that DPM Fragrance produced this past year?

“All of these products that are going to all of these places across the country and around the world are being made right here in this building in Starkville,” says McDavid.

“We do import some of our containers from overseas, but all of the candle manufacturing is done right here,” she explains. “The candle will be wicked by hand, poured by hand, packed by hand, and every label and every bow will be applied by hand.”

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“The candle will be wicked by hand, poured by hand, packed by hand, and every label and every bow will be applied by hand.” ~ Mary Beth McDavid

TOP-BOTTOM, LEFT-RIGHT: ’13 Bethany Johnson; ’13 Kellie Brady; ’09, ’13 Mallory Ramsey; ’13 Alaina Anglin; ’02 Chris Garton ’10 Molly Maynard; ’13 Jason Sanders; ’00 Norma Gillis; ’14 Claire Johnston; ’13 Ashlee Bennett ’13 Ruth Bryan; ’11 Casey Wesson; ’12 Steve Lloyd ’13 Casey Smith; ’08 Ashley Craig; ’09 Ashley Tate; ’05 Mark Williams; ’11 Laura Massey ’14 Anne Ward; ’14 Anna Ballard; ’09 Keri Steger; ’09, ’10 Hunter Harrington; ’93 Valerie Hicks; ’01, ’12 Scott Gronewold

A Bulldog at Every Turn

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“It’s the people who make our candles what they are. It’s Michael Bishop and Dorothy Harris. They poured that candle, and that candle is the way it is because of them. The same thing goes for Lorraine Moore who packed it.” ~ Mike Ferril

Top Left: Operations Director Mike Ferril says DPM Fragrance is proud to feature a “close-knit family” atmosphere where frequent collaboration among employees always is encouraged.

Top Right: From the handpoured American made wax and fragrance oil to the hand-tied bow on top, every DPM Fragrance creation is made with the highest-quality products and attention to detail.

Bottom Left: When lit, the “Fire” candle, from the Reserve collection of DPM Fragrance’s Aspen Bay Candles line, emits a tropical fruit and sugared citrus aroma.

To learn more about DPM Fragrances and the alumni who make this bulldog community unique, visit Alumnus online at www.alumnus.msstate.edu.

In fact, each candle gets touched roughly 12 times before it reaches the customer, according to Ferril.

“It’s the people who make our candles what they are,” he emphasizes. “It’s Michael Bishop and Dorothy Harris. They poured that candle, and that candle is the way it is because of them. The same thing goes for Lorraine Moore who packed it. It’s packed the way it is because of Lorraine, so that’s pretty neat.”

Once all materials are available, McDavid says DPM usually shoots for a three-day turnaround, but emphasizes that “should we need to turn it around sooner, we will figure out a way to make it happen.”

“We’re not going to sacrifice the quality of our product or look of our product because it’s difficult to make,” adds Ferril. “What makes us who we are is that we figure out a way to hand tie a bow 45,000 times instead of just saying we’re going to have to lose the bow.”

“It’s challenging,” he admits, “but it’s also fun and makes us feel a sense of success whenever we do finally tie that 45,000th bow.”

Another point of pride that speaks to the success of DPM Fragrance is the company’s continued commitment to invest in the local community. This past July, the company implemented a second shift from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., which Ferril says allowed the company to double its capacity for six months out of this past year.

“We’re able to provide a job for so many people who live in Starkville, and the employees that we have working here are unbelievable,” he says, adding that many production employees have been working with the company for at least 10 years, some even 20.

“When our employees need to go and pick their children up from school, we’re very understanding and work around that. I think everybody sharing the same mindset that we’re going to do whatever it takes to get the job done is what has allowed us to sustain over 30 percent growth rate this past year,” Ferril adds.

Participating in the AbilityWorks program through the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services is one of DPM Fragrance’s most beloved community engagement efforts. Specifically, the program seeks to “improve the quality of life,

employment opportunities, and integration of people with disabilities into the community,” according to the MDRS website.

“It may be hard for these individuals to go out and find a job, so we help them get back on their feet by providing them with real-life work experience for a month,” says Ferril, who serves on the AbilityWorks advisory board.

“We have actually hired a lot of these people ourselves, and they are terrific employees that we can’t imagine what we’d do without.

“Flexibility is the key to success,” he continues. “Instead of telling a production employee, ‘This is the way we do this,’ I say, ‘This is how we’re doing it right now.’

Sometimes, they come back and say ‘What if we do it this way?’ and we’ll say, ‘Let’s try it.’”

When reflecting on their personal growth as company leaders, Ferril and McDavid attribute their success in part to the guidance and life lessons they received—and continue to receive—from their alma mater.

“Mississippi State has been and continues to be a huge resource for us,” Ferril emphasizes.

“We have production and design interns all the time who come from the university. We’ve had the Extension Service come out and look at the plant and put together a flow map for us. I still utilize a lot of my former professors.”

He says he continues to apply knowledge and skills obtained while enrolled in Allison W. Pearson’s principles of management production course. Pearson is a W.L. Giles Distinguished Professor of Management in the university’s College of Business.

As for McDavid, she says her can-do spirit and no-cutting-corners policy stemmed from her experience working alongside longtime University Florist manager Lynette McDougald.

“Ms. Lynette instilled a lot in me as far as just having a great work ethic and taking pride in the quality of work and making it a success, and not being just happy or ho-hum with the way something is,” she says. “We like to donate pallets of unused glass to the University Florist for use in their floral design classes because we know it’s going to be so beneficial to the students and just the university in general.”

“We’re here because of the people of Starkville,” Wesson adds, so whenever we can give back to our local community, we love to do that.” n

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Our PEOPLE

A BULLDOG IN THE IDITAROD

PHOTO BY CONWAY SEAVEY

Mississippi State chemical engineering graduate Seth Barnes traded in the corporate life for snow and a sled a few years ago, and he hasn’t looked back since. Growing up on the Alabama Gulf Coast, Barnes’ relocation to Alaska may have seemed unlikely, but after working for a while for private industry and the federal government in Washington, D.C., he needed a change. He took a cross country trip to Alaska, settled in and fell in love with sled dogs and racing.

Seth Barnes, ‘03, with a member of his dog racing team. To learn more about Barnes and his team, visit SethBarnesRacing.com.

Q: From a suit and tie in Washington, D.C, to Alaska mushing dogs––how does that happen?

After working in D.C. for some time, I decided to get away from the busy life, and that’s when I was introduced to sled dogs. I was traveling around the U.S. and Canada via motorcycle, and I kind of found a home with a few people in Alaska.

Mushing dogs is very addicting to some, and I guess you can say I was bitten by the bug very early. So that next January I flew into Fairbanks to run dogs with Sirius Sled Dogs (Siriussleddogs. net) for two weeks, and I am still here. One piece of advice: do not move to Alaska’s interior in the middle of winter with only carry-on luggage.

Q: What do you miss about living in the South?

I miss the beach at times, the food, the hospitality, the kindness and most importantly, family.

Q: What do you enjoy most about Alaska?

I enjoy the peace, quiet and vast openness of living and training in remote wilderness. But what I truly enjoy most is traveling thousands of miles with some of the best athletes in the world and the adventure that comes with that.

Q: What is mushing?

Mushing or the running of sled dogs dates back hundreds of years. It is the art of traveling by dog team typically using a sled of some kind.

In the past, it was a way of life. Mushing was the only means of transportation in the Arctic and Subarctic. Then along came the “iron dog,” or snowmobile, and like the automobile was replaced by the horse, the sled dogs started being replaced. In the early 1970s the Iditarod was founded to save the Alaskan Husky.

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Beside long distance mushing––Iditarod, Yukon Quest, Kobuk 440––there are other forms of competitive racing like sprint racing, usually 30 miles or less at high rates of speed; middistance racing, which is usually 50-300 miles at a slightly slower speed; and stage-stop racing, a combination of sprint and mid-distance, kind of like the Tour de France. Distance mushing is unique, especially 1,000 mile races, because it is continuous, non-stop, unassisted, multiday racing that takes place in very remote places typically far away from roads.

Q: What environmental issues impact racing?

Mainly weather is an issue. The temperatures and precipitation accumulation can make it difficult at times. However, the dogs seem to adapt much better than the human. Also, the open wilderness that Alaska and parts of Canada have allow for places to run dogs. If there was an abundance of people and roads in rural Alaska, then this sport might not be possible.

Q: When and where was your first race?

What was that experience like?

My first race I believe was the 2011 Knik 200, in Knik, Alaska. It was awesome! Even though it was one of the slowest Knik 200s on record due to the extreme amount of snow fall and wind, I finished the race in ninth place and could not wait to race again.

Q: How does one train for the Iditarod?

It takes hard work, commitment, finances, dedication, toughness and probably a little bit of craziness. After all, who in their sane mind would go out in temperatures 40 degrees below zero to run a thousand miles and sleep in the snow when one could just stay home?

Q: What do you do on a regular day in preparation for the Iditarod?

Dogs, dogs and more dogs. The day-to-day care and upkeep of a dog team consumes about half of my day. From cleaning up after them to feeding them, it takes a lot of work. In addition, we cut thousands of pounds of frozen meat to feed them, and we’re constantly buying, maintaining, and making equipment; doing sports medicine-type vet work to keep them at the top of their game; training them to run thousands of miles in the winter; and countless other tasks. Without a support crew, all the work would never get done.

PHOTO BY ALBERT MARQUEZ AT PLANET EARTH ADVENTURES

To learn more about Barnes and see how he did in the 2015 Iditarod Race in March, visit alumnus.msstate.edu.

Q: What can you tell us about the dogs on your mushing team?

Having favorites does not do the team very much good, and remember, this is truly a team sport.

So my favorite dog on the team is the one that is in front of me at that given time; that dog is the most important one because I have to give that dog the best training, conditioning, nutrition, care, attention and love I can.

Dog personalities go across the board. We have the sweet little one who is always happy to see you, the grumpy one who is not happy unless he is in harness and the crazy kind that seems to have Attention Deficit Disorder. Come to think of it, most of them probably have doggy ADD, if such a thing is real.

Q: What about the Iditarod are you looking forward to?

Traveling about 11 days with my dogs in the open wilderness through some very beautiful and historic places in Alaska. Also, testing my skills and the dogs’ training and conditioning through a grand adventure and the loads of knowledge that I should gain that will make me better in the future.

Barnes out with his team in preparation for the big race in March. The Iditarod, also known as “The Last Great Race on Earth,” covers 1,000 miles from Anchorage in south central Alaska to Nome on the western Bering Sea coast.

Q: What advice do you have for current students here at MSU?

Work hard and never give up, think outside the box, do what you truly want to do, and always remember the only thing holding you back besides yourself is air and opportunity. n

Q: What are you looking for in a sled dog, and what characteristics does one who breeds dogs like these for competition want for the team?

Good feet, confirmation, eating habits, size, weight and the list really keeps going. I like to say the most important things are the simple things––attitude and appetite.

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Our PEOPLE

Josh Hailey

MSU alum captures

the image of the nation

By Leah Barbour, Photography courtesy of Josh Hailey

In some ways, Josh Hailey’s career as a photojournalist began when the faculty members in Mississippi State’s art program gave him the keys to the studio. The teachers trusted—expected—him to keep an open mind, use sound judgment and create original pieces in his own time and way.

Hailey took the skillset he cultivated at Mississippi State, along with the Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography he earned in 2003, when he left Starkville to begin his professional career. Nine years later, he founded “Photamerica: The Documentation of the Good, the Bad and the Beautiful USA.”

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After he visited Hawaii in in late 2011. The economy was January 2012 while his 1992 still down, and Hailey says he Chevy van was being repaired was literally sitting, watching and on the main continent, Hailey waiting for customers to enter his drove to every state in that same gallery in Jackson. van. He met, photographed and “Then I realized—it just fused recorded “real America.” He in my mind—that I should be out had a Canon camera, an iPhone doing something. I had to get out and almost nothing else. He and go ask some questions,” he crowdfunded his trip through says. “I had to start raising funds, Internet sites like Kickstarter and all for gasoline. I only need a little Couchsurfing International Inc., to eat per day, so the money was as well as generous friends and mainly for gas. It took $24,000 to acquaintances. do it, and I went to “Community is all we The photos, all 50 states.” collages and videos He interviewed have. Without others, documenting the three people each we are nothing. When experience are all day, and Hailey it comes to art, it available online at sought to select makes better human photamerica.com. people as freePhotamerica spirited and openbeings because it’s a is complete, but minded as he is. language that we all all the proceeds “I would talk speak, and we can all generated from to them about express ourselves.” the art developed the things they’re on the 80-week doing to make ~ Josh Hailey trip are funding the world a better heARTalot, available at heartalot. place,” he explains. “It’s all about com. The movement’s mission, being open to the whims of the begun in Hailey’s hometown of world—not pushing. The more Jackson, is to teach adults and you let go, the more people will children about the arts, why step forward and help.” creating art is important, how Traveling the nation also gave to use art to communicate and Hailey the chance to visit with how the arts, as a whole, build a friends he met at Mississippi stronger community.

State. While his network has However, since he recently scattered all over the nation in relocated to New Orleans, the years since he graduated, Hailey is working to introduce Facebook and other social sites heARTalot in his new locale. His enabled Hailey to find friends studio is open, he’s taking pictures and see for himself how their and he’s meeting people. lives evolved over the years.

Mississippi State art “Seeing all my college friends department faculty laid the was like a 10-year reunion on the foundation for the success he’s road. It was a real blessing, and it experiencing today, he says. was really, really fascinating to see “The art teachers let me drive a where everybody is now,” he says. lot of the projects, and they even Many memorable moments gave me the keys to the studio. It’s also occurred with people he met what you need as an art student, by chance. Hailey was sitting and they gave me exactly what in a coffee shop at the UtahI needed to become what I am Arizona border when a lady came today,” Hailey emphasizes. “The in and asked if anybody knew a art department at Mississippi photographer. Naturally, Hailey State is really strong.” informed the woman of his The idea to travel the country expertise and asked how he could and crowdfund it came to Hailey assist her.

To see more of Hailey’s images from across the U.S., visit photamerica.com.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Proceeds from photos and exhibitions of the Photamerica project, which took alumnus Josh Hailey to all 50 states, sponsor the heARTalot initiative that brings the arts into middle schools, high schools and university classrooms. A few of the free-spirited, unique people featured in Photamerica appear here. Hailey discovers an art piece beside the sea and takes a picture of himself photographing it. Collages of special places around each state, like this one of Mississippi, are available from photamerica.com.

“She said, ‘My father has terminal cancer, and we want to take him out on motorcycles.’ So her father rode the motorcycle backwards, and I got some amazing images for them. I got to spend a quality moment with her dad during his last few days on this earth,” Hailey remembers. “It turned out, this lady was a travel agent, and she said, ‘You’ve got to see this,’ and she gave me tickets to go see this breathtaking cavern

that has all these lights.

“You see? You don’t have to ask.

Just give and take the experience that happens when you’re not thinking about it. It’s beautiful.”

When Hailey returned to Jackson, he began work on the heARTalot project. He teaches middle school, high school and college students about various arts, all with the mission of activating, educating and communicating the message that the arts build

stronger communities. All the proceeds of Photamerica go to heARTalot, and 20 percent of those monies go directly to schools with no art programs to purchase art materials.

“Community is all we have.

Without others, we are nothing.

When it comes to art, it makes better human beings because it’s a language that we all speak, and we can all express ourselves. It makes better human beings. The arts is

just, in general, a great way for people to create and see the world in a new way,” he says.

He encourages the Mississippi State community to visit heartalot.com to see the work he’s accomplished in schools, as well as photamerica.com to view the photos and the videos of his trek across the nation, some of which feature Mississippi State alumni.

“Check it out. You might just see someone you know,” he says. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Our PEOPLE

GIVING BACK FROM THE GRIDIRON

By Leah Barbour, Photography by Russ Houston

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tarting Bulldog quarterback Dak Prescott wears a green “Pray for Quinn” armband for a family—and a terminally ill 8-year-old boy—he met on Fan Day about a week before Mississippi State football launched the winningest season in university history.

While Prescott doesn’t know much about Sanfilippo syndrome, the Gregory family started learning everything there is to know about the disease when young Quinn was diagnosed in 2009.

“Quinn’s missing an enzyme that destroys the bad cells in his body,” father Brad explains.

“It affects his brain, his nervous system, his ability to talk and his ability to learn. Eventually, he will not be able to talk, walk, eat or understand.”

There is no cure. There is no treatment.

All Brad, mother Suzanne and older sister Brayleigh can do, they agree, is protect Quinn,

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help that somebody’s family just keep him as comfortable as by wearing this bracelet. possible and tell the world about “I’m going to keep wearing it Sanfilippo syndrome. until it falls off or breaks. I will To their knowledge, Quinn keep wearing it.” is the only patient diagnosed As the family with the disease continues spreading in Mississippi.

“Quinn likes Bully. knowledge about The Louisville He used to say ‘Go family had green Sanfilippo syndrome armbands made by distributing Dawgs,’ one of the with “Pray for armbands, posting few phrases he Quinn” printed on social media and did say before he on each one, and explaining face-tothey regularly face, they are finding stopped talking. It’s distribute them, ways to appreciate been about a year.” telling recipients the little things in about the disease life a little bit more, ~ Suzanne Gregory especially Mississippi and asking them State athletics. to pray.

“We go to all the football “When I met the family at games, and Quinn tailgates with Fan Day, I learned that Quinn us when he can,” Suzanne says. couldn’t talk and all the things he “He goes to basketball games; can’t do, but I’m not too familiar they’re handicap accessible, and we with the disease,” Prescott reveals. all go to the spring Maroon and “I was given the bracelet at Fan White game because he can sit in a Day and it was just another way wheelchair-accessible place.” to show a blessing—how blessed I Rooting for the Bulldogs am that I can help somebody and

at various Mississippi State athletic match-ups was always a passion for Brad, who graduated from Mississippi State with his bachelor’s in marketing. After he married Suzanne, who completed her degree in education at Mississippi University for Women, she quickly converted to the Maroon and White. Both the kids have grown up always cheering for the Bulldogs.

Brayleigh says she particularly enjoys Mississippi State soccer, softball and baseball. When the 11-year-old Winston Academy sixth-grader goes to college, she says she plans to attend Mississippi State, play soccer and become a cheerleader.

“Quinn likes Bully. He used to say ‘Go Dawgs,’ one of the few phrases he did say before he stopped talking. It’s been about a year,” Suzanne says. “Quinn’s room has a mural painted on the wall of Mississippi State’s stadium, Bully and the football players.”

When Quinn met Prescott for the Alumnus magazine photo shoot, the quarterback signed a football and gave it to Quinn, who smiled, took it and began voicing “oohs” and “ahhs” over it. The Fair Elementary special needs student appeared incredibly happy to visit with Prescott; his smiles and claps seemed to indicate he knew something special was happening.

“It means everything to me to get to meet this family again,” Prescott says. “They’ve Tweeted me a few times when they saw that I had the bracelet on during games. It’s a blessing from God that I’m making them happy just by wearing the bracelet and showing it during the season.

“It’s awesome; I’m glad I can do such a little thing to make such a big difference. “ Suzanne says the football will go to Quinn’s bedroom and join the jersey former quarterback Tyler Russell gave Quinn after

the Bulldogs’ Gator Bowl appearance in January 2014.

Russell, who graduated with his bachelor’s in interdisciplinary studies, has a mutual friend with the Gregory family.

Russell met the family by chance in a Louisville restaurant during that season, and Brad gave him an armband. Brayleigh first noticed he wore it during football games, and after the Gator Bowl, Russell came to the Gregory’s house to present Quinn with his game-day jersey.

After Suzanne gave Prescott an armband at Mississippi State’s Fan Day, the family hoped he would wear it, she says. The week following the Oct. 11 Auburn game, that Mississippi State won 38-23, the entire Gregory family wore their Mississippi State gear to their son’s appointment with Dr. J. Mark Reed, a pediatric ear, nose and throat physician at Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson.

“We just got to talking about our big win, and he said, ‘I want to show you something.’ He pulled up the picture on the computer, and the minute he pulled it up, the first thing I noticed was that green band,” Suzanne recalls.

“I looked at Brad, and I said, ‘He’s still wearing it.’ Then, we explained to Dr. Reed.”

Reed’s photo became the cover shot on the winter 2014 issue of Alumnus.

The Gregorys agree that Prescott’s choice to wear the bracelet is helping to spread awareness of Sanfilippo, and every time they see him wear it, they feel comforted.

“For somebody to take a bracelet, it says a lot about his character—that he would put it on and that he would wear it, not really knowing us,” Suzanne said.

“It means a lot to me as a mom just because Quinn won’t play football. He doesn’t get to go to the games anymore.

“But there’s a little part of him that’s there on the field because Dak Prescott is wearing it.”

Prescott said he feels humbled by helping to make a difference in the Gregory family’s lives.

“Wearing this bracelet is something so simple, and I enjoy everything such a little thing is doing for this family. I’m glad to be able to give back,” he says.

For the Gregory family, the attention from Mississippi State’s star quarterback is a light shining in the darkness.

“We can’t reverse the damage in Quinn’s body, so we just pray to get through the day,” Brad says.

“But when Dak Prescott takes the field, there’s a little piece of Quinn out there playing sports.”

Join the movement to help find a cure for Sanfilippo syndrome. Learn more on Quinn’s Facebook page, “Quinn’s Quest with Sanfilippo” or at www.CaringBridge.org/visit/ quinngregory. n

“It means everything to me to get to meet this family again.” ~Dak Prescott MSU quarterback Dak Prescott gives a football to Quinn Gregory, a child terminally diagnosed with Sanfilippo syndrome. When Prescott met the family about a week before football season began, they gave him an armband with “Pray for Quinn” printed on it. Prescott has worn it ever since.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Our PEOPLE

The MSU Alumni Association honors some of its most dedicated graduates and volunteers each year with a special campus ceremony. In the next few pages, the association recognizes the best of the best from its February awards banquet in the Foster Ballroom of the Colvard Student Union. The theme for the evening was “State Strong” as nearly 400 individuals attended the event from around the nation. The following day, 40

SPRING 2015

chapter leaders and other members gathered for the annual Leadership Conference. Sessions on MSU branding, student recruitment and chapter fundraising ideas highlighted the event, which also included a new officer orientation and the association’s annual business meeting. For images and videos of the weekend’s events, visit alumni.msstate.edu or the Alumni Association Facebook page at facebook.com/msstatealumni.

DESIGN BY ERIN NORWOOD, COWBELL PHOTO BY BETH WYNN, ALUMNI AWARDS BANQUET PHOTOS BY RUSS HOUSTON

ppi state universi i s s i s ty Mis ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Deavenport receives highest MSU alumni honor

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ississippi State University has selected one of its most successful alumni as its 2015 National Alumnus of the Year. Receiving the highest honor bestowed on a Bulldog graduate by the MSU Alumni Association is Earnest W. “Earnie” Deavenport Jr. He is an esteemed chemical engineer who makes an impact through the university like few others. MSU provided Deavenport with a great foundation for a prestigious career. He graduated with a bachelor of science in chemical engineering in 1960 and is now known as a visionary leader in business and industry.

Deavenport was born in the Mississippi town of Macon in 1938. His parents, Earnest William Deavenport Sr. and Laura Mae Deavenport, were lifelong residents of Noxubee County.

The couple owned and operated a Western Auto store and garage where their young son was given an early start in business.

For Deavenport, education has been a lifelong experience. During his college days at Mississippi State, he worked as a bookkeeper for the Kappa Alpha fraternity to earn room and board. He was among those student members instrumental in securing the signatures to originally build the house on campus. Years later, as an alumnus, he would help the fraternity secure contributions to renovate and expand the building.

Well into his career, Deavenport earned a master of science in management degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1985. In 2000, he received an honorary doctor of law from King College in Bristol, Tennessee. Then in 2011,

L - R: MSU President Mark Keenum and Earnie Deavenport Jr. Deavenport was selected by Mississippi State for an honorary doctor of science degree for lifelong contributions in the business and engineering fields.

It was his MSU bachelor’s degree that garnered Deavenport

of Eastman Kodak Company and Eastman Chemical Company. From 2010 through 2013, he added another role to his extensive resume, as he became chairman of the board for Regions Financial Corp.

Earnest W. “Earnie” Deavenport Jr. named Mississippi State University’s National Alumnus of the Year a position with the chemical division of Eastman Kodak Co. in Kingsport, Tennessee. A number of managerial positions would follow and he became president of the firm’s Carolina Eastman Division in 1982. By 1989, Deavenport was group vice president of Eastman Kodak and would serve in that role until 1994 when he became chairman of the board and CEO of Eastman Chemical Co. as the result of the spin-off of Eastman from Kodak to form a publicly held company.

In the coming years, Deavenport would take Eastman Chemical global and achieve international recognition as a tireless industry leader until his retirement in 2002.

Following retirement, Deavenport served on the boards

Over the years, Deavenport has devoted his time and financial resources to MSU. He is serving in his third term as vice president of the MSU Foundation board and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering.

Deavenport is joined in his philanthropy by his wife, Mary Ann, a Bay Springs native. The couple met at Eastman Kodak and married in 1962. They currently reside in Kiawah Island, South Carolina. They have two children, Lisa and Scott, and four grandchildren.

The Deavenports have a strong desire to see their home state and its flagship research university succeed. At MSU,

they created the Earnest W. and Mary Ann Deavenport Jr. Chair, an endowed position held by the dean of engineering. A second endowed position, the Earnest W. Deavenport Jr. Chair, directs the Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering. The position was established by the Eastman Chemical Corp. in honor of Deavenport’s lifelong contributions to education and the chemical industry.

A scholarship endowment established by them memorializes Earnie’s parents.

On a number of occasions, MSU has recognized Deavenport.

His honors include induction into the MSU Chemical Engineering Hall of Fame; a selection as Alumni Fellow of the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering; and a Distinguished Engineering Fellow selection in observance of the 100th anniversary of engineering.

The culmination of recognition for Deavenport at his alma mater now includes the university’s highest honor bestowed upon a graduate. The life and legacy of Deavenport are forever entwined with Mississippi State as its 2015 National Alumnus of the Year.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Our PEOPLE Williams honored as Outstanding Young Alumnus

L-R: Coggin, McDaniel, West, Coley, Thomas, Flowers, Carl and Lightsey. King was unable to attend.

Academic colleges honor eight as alumni of the year

The MSU Alumni Association annually salutes the university’s most outstanding young alumnus. This award recognizes a young Bulldog graduate who excels in his or her personal and professional life, and who is committed to service for the university and in the local community.

Frankfurt, Germany native Ashley Pallotta Williams joins this group as MSU’s 2014 Outstanding Young Alumna. She received a bachelor of science degree in aerospace engineering from Mississippi State in 2004 and later earned an MBA at the University of Alabama at Huntsville where she resides. She utilizes her undergraduate degree as a lead systems engineer for the EMARSS reconnaissance aircraft in the Program Executive Office of Aviation for the U.S. Army.

She has been cited on several occasions for her work.

Williams served as president of the Huntsville/Decatur chapter of the MSU Alumni Association from 2013-2014 and she was the Young Alumni Chair for the chapter from 2009-2012.

She plans to help the alumni association spread the MSU spirit across the globe for years to come.

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Mississippi State University’s eight academic colleges have selected a slate of impressive Bulldogs as their 2015 College Alumni of the Year honorees.

These individuals are honored for their many accomplishments and the Bulldog spirit they embody in their personal and professional lives.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences honors Richard B. “Dick” Flowers Sr. of Tunica. He earned a bachelor of science degree in agriculture from Mississippi State in 1956. He owns Flowers Foundation Inc. The Alumnus of the Year for the College of Architecture, Art, and Design is Fred E. Carl Jr. of Greenwood. He attended Mississippi State and was later awarded an honorary doctor of science by MSU in 2009. Carl founded Viking Range Corp., where he served as chairman and CEO. He also is the founder and chairman of C3 Design Inc. The College of Arts and Sciences honors Malcolm B. Lightsey Sr. of Ridgeland as its Alumnus of the Year. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from MSU in 1961 and 1963, respectively. He is the retired president and CEO of SunTech Inc. The Alumnus of the Year for the College of Business is James A. “Jim” Coggin of Jackson.

He earned a business administration degree

from Mississippi State in 1964. He retired in 2007 as president and chief administrative officer of Saks Inc. The College of Education recognizes Dr. Debra J. West of Flora as its Alumna of the Year. She earned a Ph.D. in community college leadership from MSU in 2007. She is deputy executive director for programs and accountability with the Mississippi Community College Board.

The James Worth Bagley College of Engineering honors Mike M. McDaniel of Houston, Texas, as its Alumnus of the Year. He earned a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from MSU in 1979. He is the owner of M3 Resources LLC and Saber Power Systems.

Elton R. Coley of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, is the College of Forest Resources Alumnus of the Year. Leader of a forestry consulting business, he earned a degree in forest resources from Mississippi State in 1974 followed by an MBA in 1975.

The College of Veterinary Medicine honors a pair of 1988 doctorate of veterinary medicine graduates as its college Alumni of the Year. Dr. Stephen K. King and Dr. Glenn S. Thomas reside in Tupelo. King operates the Tupelo Small Animal Hospital P.A., while Thomas is co-owner of the establishment.

Outstanding Chapters for 2014 The Alumni Association recognizes chapters for their dedication to MSU throughout the state and nation. More than 50 chapters were honored at the Alumni Awards Banquet. Gold, silver and bronze cowbells were given to chapter representatives in appreciation for their service, while others obtained the status of Honor Chapter.

Gold: Atlanta, Georgia; George-Greene; Lincoln County Oktibbeha County

Chapter volunteers receive Distinguished Service Awards

Honor Chapters

Three dedicated alumni are selections for Distinguished Service Award recipients. MSU graduates Gary A. Blair, Betty Grace Millard Terpstra, and Stephanie M. Williford were honored for their service in 2014.

Blair is an Arkansas native who has become one of Mississippi State’s most loyal graduates and supporters. He is a longtime resident of Brookhaven who currently works as vice president and branch manager for Southern AgCredit ACA. Following graduation from MSU in 1981 with a degree in business and agriculture, Blair first joined the Hinds County chapter and later became a leader in the Lincoln County chapter.

He has held a number of offices at the chapter and national level.

From 1995 to 2005, he was on the National Alumni Board and from 1999-2005 was on the National Executive Committee.

He was national president in 2003-2004, and he has been first and second vice president.

Fellow honoree Terpstra is a 1976 graduate of MSU who holds a degree in social work.

She is a Mississippi native who has lived for many years in the Washington, D.C., area, where

Adams-Franklin-Wilkinson

Also recognized were chapters qualifying for the level of honor achievement.

They include: Alcorn County Baton Rouge, Louisiana Birmingham, Alabama Charlotte, North Carolina Chattanooga, Tennessee Chickasaw County Claiborne-Jefferson Clay County Dallas, Texas DeSoto County

L - R: Williford, Blair and Terpstra she has served as chairman of the board of the D.C. alumni chapter for the past three years.

Terpstra is owner of her own lobbying and public affairs firm, Terpstra Associates, and she has found internships for many MSU students and helped graduates find permanent employment.

She helps organize the annual Stennis-Montgomery Association trip to Washington and similar efforts to help young Bulldogs gain network skills and make connections for future careers.

She is a board member of the Stennis Institute of Government and has been an alumni adviser for the Stennis-Montgomery Association for 15 years.

The third Distinguished Service honoree is Williford of Mobile, Alabama, who is

currently a senior regional leader for Primerica Financial Services. She holds two education degrees from Mississippi State, a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology and a master’s degree in counselor education, both earned in 1972.

Williford has served as president of the Mobile, Alabama, chapter twice and was chapter secretary from 1994-1996. She is currently in her fourth stint as vice president. Her service also includes six years on the national board. She has served as the chapter’s student recruiter for numerous times, served on the scholarship committee for at least a decade, and assisted with the annual golf tournament for each of its 17 years.

East Texas Greater Fort Worth, Texas Grenada-Montgomery Harrison-Stone Jackson County Jones County Lauderdale County Lee County Leflore-Carroll Lowndes County Memphis, Tennessee Mobile, Alabama Montgomery, Alabama Nashville, Tennessee New Orleans, Louisiana New York, New York Northeast Florida Northwest Florida Noxubee County Orlando, Florida Panola County Quitman County Saint Louis, Missouri Simpson County South Texas Southwest Mississippi Tishomingo County Tuscaloosa, Alabama Union County Warren County Washington County Washington, D.C. West Tennessee

Silver: Central Mississippi; Huntsville-Decatur, Alabama; Lawrence-Jefferson Davis; Tippah County

Bronze: Covington County; Hancock County; Houston, Texas; Southeast Mississippi ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONBY THE NUMBERS

45,261 MEMBERS

95CHAPTERS

AROUND THE WORLD

THE LARGEST IN MSU HISTORY REGION 1 17,044

729

REGION 2 15,833

ALUMNI BY U.S. REGION 115,494

MS

66,835

ALUMNI EVENTS HELD IN 2014

REGION 3

15,781

ALUMNI OUTSIDE THE U.S. 1,097

AL-MS-TN-TX

105%

INCREASE IN PARTICIPATION OF MSU RING TRADITION

$124,000 IN CHAPTER SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO 135 STUDENTS

MSUPRD MSUPRD 22,000+ MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY

MSU CAR TAGS ON THE ROAD

a

TRAVELING BULLDOGS

OVER 1,200 TRAVELERS TO DATE

速

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION VOLUNTEERS

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND DEDICATION THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND DEDICATION TO MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY !

SPRING 2015 TO MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY !

速

速

Infinite IMPACT

Wilsons powering next generation of Bulldog engineers

By Addie Mayfield

Moving hundreds of miles away from home can be a daunting or sometimes unfeasible task for many students, altering their decisions for higher education. As the engineering industry surges on the Gulf Coast, the lack of similar degree programs in the area creates many missed opportunities for locals. In efforts to help resolve this growing issue, Mississippi State University and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) have agreed to establish a partnership program that will offer a four-year engineering degree on the coast.

Beginning in the fall, students will be able to complete their first two years of course work at a community college, followed by a seamless transition of credits to MSU for the final two years of study. The classes will be offered at of the MGCCC Jackson County Campus STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Building, which is currently undergoing expansions to include state-of-the-art updates, renovated labs, and more. This partnership will open new doors of opportunity, which Anthony and Tonya Wilson are eager to support.

In his role as head of operations for one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, Anthony sees every day why it’s important to push young men and women toward careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. That’s just one of the reasons why Anthony and his wife, Tonya, created an endowed scholarship in 2009 to benefit Mississippi residents that want to study engineering but have limited financial resources.

“Education can change a person’s life trajectory,” said Anthony, a 1987 James Worth Bagley College of Engineering graduate. “My engineering degree from Mississippi State University opened so many doors for me. We need to make

as many opportunities available as possible for more students to pursue STEM-related degrees. It’s an important step to build the future of the state and nation.”

Recently, Anthony and Tonya decided to expand their financial support of Mississippi State. Utilizing a corporate matching gift from his employer, Atlanta-based Georgia Power, the couple is helping to support the new partnership program through the Anthony and Tonya Wilson MGCCC/MSU Engineering Annual and Endowed Scholarships.

These are the first, and currently the only scholarships designed solely for MGCCC/MSU engineering students.

The Wilsons are particularly excited about the new partnership with MGCCC, where they both took classes when they were completing their undergraduate work. Tonya later earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

“Not everyone has an opportunity to move away from home,” said Anthony, who grew up in Biloxi.

“To be able to get an engineering degree right there on the coast is a huge benefit. This program has an opportunity to make a long-lasting impact on the economic development of the Gulf Coast and the entire state, and Tonya and I very much wanted to be part of making that happen.”

Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, is one of many corporations that support employee donations to educational institutions through matching funds. Anthony’s career with Southern Company began at another one of its subsidiaries, Mississippi Power, in 1984 when he worked as a cooperative education student from MSU. After holding numerous leadership positions, Anthony joined Georgia Power in 2002.

Today, Wilson serves as executive vice president of customer service and operations at Georgia Power, with

responsibility for customer service and operating and maintaining the electric system that serves the utility’s 2.5 million customers in all but four of Georgia’s 159 counties. He attributes his success in large part to the education and experiences he enjoyed at Mississippi State, where he was named as an honorary Distinguished Engineering Fellow in 2009 and Alumni Fellow in 2012, and currently serves as a member of the MSU Foundation board.

“I loved everything about my experience at Mississippi State,” said Anthony, whose daughter Katie is a freshman at the university this year. “I got a great education, and the faculty truly cared about the students. I still feel like I’m at home when I go back there, and in some small way, Tonya and I wanted to ensure the next generation has the same opportunities I did.”

The continued maroon and white commitment of the Wilsons will enable more Mississippi residents to pursue unsurpassed education and training in an emerging industry, without added stresses of finances or distance. Like the Wilsons, all members of the Bulldog family have the opportunity to build upon traditions of rich student experiences and first-class education, and in turn, bolster economic and industrial development in our state and the world beyond. n

TOP: Tonya and Anthony Wilson BOTTOM: Wilson with his daughter, Katie, at an MSU football game

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METP scholars learning the right path to success

By Amy Cagle The latest class of Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program scholars with MSU President Mark E. Keenum

S

tudents enrolled in a special program at Mississippi State University are already anticipating their first day as teachers in the Mississippi public school system.

As beneficiaries of a generous grant for their studies, these scholars are poised to realize their dreams of becoming secondary education English and mathematics teachers.

The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program (METP) aims to attract more academically talented teachers for Mississippi public schools by educating students recruited specifically for these roles. The program is a collaboration of the state’s largest universities to address the educational needs for middle and high school students.

The Jackson-based Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation provided a $12.9 million grant to fund METP scholarships over a five-year period. Specifically, the grant is split between the College of Education at Mississippi State University and the School of Education at the University of Mississippi. Students enrolled in the program are immersed in an academic atmosphere designed to be the equivalent of an honors college experience for education majors that promotes growth within a support network that crosses universities.

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Over five years, up to 80 new teachers will be trained at Mississippi State. In the first year of the program, 19 students (15 in-state and four out-ofstate) were recruited to utilize tuition funds made possible by Hearin. Among the inaugural scholars studying at MSU is Mikala Taylor of Starkville who is scheduled to graduate in 2017.

When it came time for Taylor to choose a major for college, she decided to concentrate her studies in English education. “I believe that the world can never have enough inspirational teachers, and I hope to make a difference with this career,” said Taylor.

“I’ve always had a passion for teaching,” she said. “Growing up, I enjoyed going on mission trips with my youth group to places such as Haiti and Peru, where we would create a Sunday school for the children. These experiences just made my love for teaching grow stronger.”

For academic year 201415, 19 new scholars joined the 19 previously enrolled at MSU. The new group includes Aaron Mullins of Moundville, Alabama. He is studying secondary education with a concentration in mathematics and should graduate in 2018.

Mullins initially didn’t explore attending MSU because he didn’t feel it was necessary to leave Alabama for his major of study.

However, METP was a difference maker for him.

“My counselor received a phone call from MSU about the METP program, and my name stuck out to her because this program would recognize me for my strong suit, which is math,” Mullins recalled.

He continued, “My parents taught me every day that they wanted me to become someone who could make a difference. As long as I am making a difference, it does not matter where I am teaching. I want to put passion for learning in future students and instill the drive in them to become future lawyers, engineers, and even doctors,” he said.

Recruitment of METP students is the domain of Shane Davis, MSU METP project manager. He provides scholars with academic advising and program support for their educational experiences and professional growth.

“METP scholars will have opportunities to travel and study abroad where they will learn from international scholars and visit schools to expand their own knowledge and understanding

PHOTOS BY RUSS HOUSTON

Infinite IMPACT

of teaching. In addition, our inaugural class currently serves as mentors to our freshman class. This great idea was one that came directly from our scholars,” Davis said.

By offering a full scholarship package that incorporates technology stipends, study abroad experiences, collaboration opportunities with faculty, staff, and fellow scholars from other campuses, the METP is able to compete with scholarships in other programs that are often perceived to be more prestigious

President Keenum with Aaron Mullins (top) and Mikala Taylor (below).

than education. In return, each recipient makes a five-year commitment to teach in Mississippi public schools.

“There is a critical need for highly qualified teachers in the state of Mississippi; however, many of the state’s most talented students do not consider teaching as a career choice,” said Teresa Jayroe, MSU associate dean of education.

The goal of METP is to increase educational achievement levels of Mississippians and contribute to the state’s economic development. It emphasizes efforts that better prepare future teachers for coursework in 21st century classrooms.

“The biggest benefit that METP scholars gain from participating in this program is that they are immersed in the practices and policies of the teaching profession,” Jayroe said.

“Their classrooms, and moreover their students, will be influenced by the depth of experience they receive while participating in the METP.” METP is making an immeasurable impact on the lives of the scholars, which in turn will affect students throughout the state of Mississippi for years to come.

For Taylor, the experience as an METP scholar will allow her to become the teacher she hopes she can be. “I do not plan to stand in front of the class and talk at the children while reading from a textbook; I hope to interact and bring life to the world of English.

I want to show the students that school is a place of opportunity and the start of an exciting journey of learning and selfdiscovery,” she said.

The Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation was established in 1995 and primarily supports the state’s universities and colleges and economic development through grants.

Besides METP, Hearin Foundation support of MSU also extends to the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Art and Design.

METP is currently recruiting students for the third year of the program this fall. For additional information about METP and its application process at Mississippi State, visit metp.msstate.edu. n

Foundation names incoming board members Mississippi State University is fortunate to have dedicated alumni and friends with a willingness to help guide its fundraising arm. Ten incoming members joined 36 previously serving members in January to begin three-year terms for the MSU Foundation board of directors.

Six new members are making their first appearance on the board. They are: John D. Davis IV of Flowood; Michael E. Dunlap of Batesville; Virginia Carron Eiland and Rodger L. Johnson, both of Atlanta, Georgia; Cynthia West Simpson of Plano, Texas; and Mark A. Worthey of McKinney, Texas.

Davis is a 1988 biological engineering and pre-medicine graduate. He later received a master of science and medical doctor degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is neurosurgeon and founding partner of NewSouth NeuroSpine.

Dunlap attended Mississippi State and majored in business.

He is president and COO of Dunlap & Kyle Co. Eiland is a 1989 biomedical engineering graduate who received a juris doctor degree from Emory University. She is a lawyer and managing partner with Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner.

Johnson is a 1971 civil engineering graduate who later earned an MBA from Georgia State University in 1982. He is president and CEO of JKC Holdings Inc. Simpson is a 1996 interior design graduate. She is a principal and managing director at Gensler.

Worthey is a 1984 petroleum geology graduate. He is owner and president of McClaren Resources Inc. Also rejoining the board in new three-year terms are William B. Berry of Katy, Texas; Rusty Linton of Columbus; Thomas B. Nusz of Houston, Texas; and Turner Wingo of Collierville, Tennessee.

Berry earned two MSU degrees—a bachelor of science in petroleum engineering in 1974 and master of science in petroleum engineering in 1976. He is the retired executive vice president of ConocoPhillips.

Linton is a 1980 biochemistry and pre-medicine graduate of MSU, who later received a doctor of medicine in 1984 from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He is an orthopedic surgeon with Columbus Orthopaedic Clinic P.A. and serves as a team physician for the MSU Athletic Department.

Nusz is a 1982 petroleum engineering graduate. He is president and CEO of Oasis Petroleum Inc. Wingo is a 1967 general business graduate. He is a retired real estate developer and former owner of Sherry’s Hallmark.

In addition to board members, the MSU Foundation reelected the 2014 officers to another one-year term. They include: Bobby S. Shackouls of Houston, Texas, as president; Earnest W. “Earnie” Deavenport Jr. of Kiawah Island, S.C., as vice president; and Mary M. Childs of Ripley, as treasurer. They, too, are MSU graduates. They were initially elected to their posts in 2013.

For more information on the work of the MSU Foundation, individuals should visit www.msufoundation.com or access twitter @MSU_Foundation. n

Davis

Dunlap

Eiland

Johnson

Simpson

Worthey

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Infinite IMPACT

Kroger gift makes

nutrition fun

By Addie Mayfield, Photography by Megan Bean

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Mississippi State University benefits from significant corporate support for outreach and service efforts that impact the people of Mississippi.

The Kroger Delta Division is among these generous supporters.

M

ississippi State University has always embraced the role of being a premier landgrant institution, providing vital and engaging research and teaching services to our state and the world beyond. As today’s culture continually promotes an instant gratification mentality, the prevalence of diabetes and obesity soar. MSU and The Kroger Delta Division are working together to combat those forces by bringing Mississippi back to its roots.

In 2007, the Food Science, Nutrition, and Heath Promotion Department (FSNHP) in the MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences established the Fun with Food camp for elementary children to help them better understand food and nutrition.

Under the supervision of MSU FSNHP faculty and students, along with local chefs, participants are engaged in hands-on learning experiences. Recently, The Kroger Delta Division became a sponsor of Fun with Food after providing a $50,000 gift to expand the support and outreach of the camp.

“Fun with Food provides children with an opportunity to learn about food from the farm to the table, and allows our students to experience nutrition education and program evaluation firsthand.” said Sylvia Byrd, FSNHP professor who also serves as the director of Fun with Food.

“In the history of Fun with Food, over 200 children, 12 graduate students and 43 undergraduates have participated.”

Fun with Food welcomes up to 30 of the area’s third through sixth grade students a unique opportunity to experience food preparation, knife skills and nutritious eating during the one-week summer camp on the MSU campus. The camp strives to teach children the importance of food safety, healthy diets, and lifestyles, while involving them in the farm to table process. As they prepare and participate in games, students use math, reading and time management skills, while tasting new foods, flavors, fruits and vegetables, which they may not experience within their home environments.

Along with preparing daily meals and snacks from scratch, students also attend field trips to ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Infinite IMPACT

Bagley college welcomes new fundraiser

S

Educating children to select healthier foods can help improve their quality of life as they grow into adulthood.

the Mayhew Tomato Farm and several MSU facilities including the Garrison Sensory Evaluation Lab, the Animal Production Unit, and the Custer Dairy Processing Plant. On the final day of camp, students tour the local Kroger store to learn how to choose healthy foods.

“Research has shown children who are involved with food preparation increase consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains,” said Byrd.

Mississippi is home to over 30 Kroger retail stores, many of which serve as the anchor grocery store of their respective communities.

Kroger’s gift will be used to create scholarships to cover registration fees, allowing MSU the opportunity to recruit children from lowresource families to experience the camp. It will also be used to expand and enhance camp offerings and field trips.

“Kroger has been a sponsor since the inception of Fun with Food. We are thrilled with the gift which will provide additional scholarships for children to participate and will allow for additional program evaluation

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and curriculum development,” Byrd said.

“The impact of Kroger’s gift will influence future generations and improve the health of Mississippians.”

Educating young children about the importance of food is vital to changing the health trajectory of the state. Mississippi’s diabetes, cardiovascular and obesity rates are among the highest in the nation. These chronic illnesses may be eliminated with healthier lifestyles.

These issues are closely associated with the state’s high rate of poverty, as well as the low attainment of higher education among its citizens. Together, these challenges strongly impact the state’s economy and workforce readiness efforts.

Mississippi State University and Kroger are actively working to reverse these statewide public health issues by exposing more children to the importance of understanding food and healthy lifestyles. Fun with Food feeds Mississippi’s new generations with essential, life-shaping education, from the roots up. n

tarkville native Jan R. Blaine is the new assistant director of development for Mississippi State’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering.

Blaine is an MSU alumnus who graduated, cum laude, in 2009 with degrees in general business administration and sports communication, followed by an MBA the following year. He previously was a regional sales representative for Severstal North America before beginning fundraising duties with MSU in November 2014.

“We are extremely pleased that Jan is part of our team of development professionals,” said Jack McCarty, the MSU Foundation’s executive director of development.

“The Bagley College of Engineering has a great history of private support, and Jan’s help is invaluable in working with alumni and friends to advance MSU,” added McCarty.

Blaine joins Bennett Evans, Bagley’s development director, and fellow assistant director Paul Zimmerman in working to secure gifts for one of the 137-year-old landgrant institution’s oldest academic units. The trio is working to pair alumni, friends and corporations with giving opportunities for all engineering areas through the Infinite Impact campaign. Prospective donors may visit infiniteimpactmsu.com to find out more about the campaign and request a Guide to Giving for the university. n

Learn more about the Infinite Impact campaign at infiniteimpactmsu.com.

MSU capital campaign nears $500 million With growing momentum, Infinite Impact is approaching the $500 million mark toward an overall campaign goal of $600 million. At this point in the campaign, the endeavor has become the largest single fundraising effort in Mississippi State University history.

Alumni and friends can contribute to MSU’s continued success and growth in years to come by making a campaign commitment and creating an impact through our university.

Campaign gifts may support scholarships, chairs and professorships, facilities and programs. Since the campaign’s inception in mid-2001, nearly $118 million has been raised for endowed undergraduate and graduate scholarships and fellowships, and nearly $47 million has been raised for faculty support. Additionally, more than $49 million in facility support, and nearly $281 million in programs and annual support comprise the overall fundraising total.

Over time, the multi-year endeavor will help MSU achieve its long-term goals for the institution. Infinite Impact will equate the best all-around college experience–from academics to athletics–for all individuals who make their way to Mississippi State University. The campaign will allow students and professors to extend their research and service efforts to benefit life worldwide.

Since the campaign began, 325 new scholarships have been created– both annual and endowed. Besides college-specific scholarships, alumni and friends can also contribute to the university’s Compass and Promise scholarship programs.

Opportunities also exist in all colleges to create chairs and professorships. By securing contributions for additional endowed positions, MSU can attract and retain top educators to the academic community, who in turn attract significant research support, outstanding graduate students and other distinguished faculty. Thus far in the campaign, 24 new endowed faculty positions have been established,

bringing the university total to 74.

Additional scholarships and endowed positions will help MSU grow over time. As the university population increases, campaign gifts for new facilities and much-needed renovations of existing structures will allow the campus infrastructure to keep pace.

This issue of Alumnus highlights giving opportunities in the following key areas where alumni and friends can make an impact.

Athletics: MSU Athletics continues its plans to upgrade facilities over time for all 16 NCAA Division I sports programs currently offered by the university. With the Leo Seal Jr. Football Complex complete and Davis Wade Stadium finished, next up is Polk-DeMent Stadium at Dudy Noble Field, home of the Diamond Dawgs.

In an effort to modernize the complex to keep play at the highest level, MSU seeks $20 million in gifts toward a planned expansion. The modernized stadium will feature about 50 skyboxes and club and loge seating with outfield suites. MSU can ensure facilities for all campus sports remain top-notch with financial support from alumni and friends. And, most importantly, gifts can help student-athletes excel in the classroom. Gifts to the Bulldog Club and other athletic programs will count toward the overall Infinite Impact goal.

MSU-Meridian: MSU-Meridian is seeking to expand its current efforts by using privately funded scholarships to recruit students pursuing degrees in one of its three main divisions– Arts and Sciences, Business and Education. With a regional need for a well-prepared workforce in healthcare services, MSU can be a frontrunner in Eastern Mississippi and Western Alabama for medical education and research endeavors. By securing Infinite Impact gifts, MSU-Meridian will be able to expand its educational offerings and help meet this critical need for the region.

University Libraries: Over the course of Infinite Impact, the

University Libraries will continue to pursue inclusion with the Association of Research Libraries and emphasize facilities and technology. For Mitchell Memorial Library, gifts can help expand and renovate the Instructional Media Center, refurbish the electronic classroom and auditorium, and place additional technology in the John Grisham Room, named for the MSU alumnus and best-selling novelist. The library is also working to house more collections in the humanities.

Since the campaign began, 325 new scholarships have been created–both annual and endowed. Currently, 24 new endowed faculty positions have been established, bringing the university total to 74.

Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College: The Shackouls Honors College can further expand academic opportunities and study abroad opportunities with Infinite Impact gifts. Alumni and friends can increase the number of scholarships for potential selections of prestigious national and international awards, such as the Rhodes, the Marshall and the Truman scholarships. Gifts of $250,000 will create Presidential Endowed Scholarships to attract the most elite students from across the nation. A financial commitment for the honors college is an investment in scientists who will eradicate diseases, engineers who will build a better environment, and writers and philosophers who will help others imagine new worlds.

Collection for Infinite Impact continues through 2018. All gifts, regardless of the designation, are commitments to the campaign.

Gifts to the Bulldog Club and other athletic programs will also count toward the overall goal. A current summary of the university’s progress and more information on specific campaign goals can be viewed at infiniteimpactmsu.com. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Class NOTES ________________________________________

________________________________________

(’68 MBA) James L. Roberts Jr. of Pontotoc

(’82; M.S. ’95) Henry “Hank” McDevitt of

1960s

was honored by the MSU Pre-Law Society as the recipient of the 2014 Distinguished Jurist Award.

Having served the First Judicial District as circuit judge since December 2007, his judicial service also includes positions as municipal and chancery judge, and Mississippi Supreme Court justice. ________________________________________

1970s

(’74) Susan Dick of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, a certified public accountant, has been named the 2014 Outstanding Member in Financial Planning by the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants. A CPA for more than 30 years, she is the sole practitioner at a Raymond James Advisory firm named to its Leaders Council for the past five years. (’75) Lee Hedegaard of Lucedale has retired

as general manager and CEO of Singing River Electric. During his 44 years at the cooperative, he helped form an apprentice lineman program with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and led SRE through Hurricane Katrina when the company restored power to every meter in the system within 14 days after the storm. He also led a humanitarian project that brought power to rural areas surrounding Jalapa, Guatemala.

(’75) Mike Smith of Lucedale is the new general manager and CEO of Singing River Electric. Smith has worked for SRE for more than 38 years.

(’77) Napoleon Leverette of State Line is featured on the 2015 first-quarter cover of Adult Christian Life, a publication of R.H. Boyd Publishing Co. Leverette, a member of Mt. Olive Missionary Baptist Church, has been teaching Sunday School or serving as a Sunday School superintendent for more than 58 years. (’75) Melinda Pilkinton of Columbus, MSU social work program director, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Association of Social Work Boards. The nonprofit is the social work licensing regulatory body for the U.S. and Canada and has members in 49 states and all 10 Canadian provinces.

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1980s

Clinton is the new deputy to the commander of the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg. He previously oversaw research and experiments in ERDC’s Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory and received the center’s Directors Research and Development Achievement Award, one of his many honors over a 32-year career.

(’83) Rocky McGarity of Lucedale, owner of Edwards Drugs, has been presented a resolution by the Mississippi House of Representatives commending his overall business accomplishments, including excellent sales and service.

(’85) Jan Risher of Lafayette, Louisiana, is the new president and CEO of recently opened Shift Key, a content marketing and public relations agency.

Based in Lafayette, the firm creates content for everything from websites and videos to brochures and white papers. Risher is a former managing editor of The Times of Acadiana and senior writer for The Daily Advertiser, where she continues to write a weekly column. (’89) Martha Scott Poindexter of Washington, D.C., is the new vice president for government and industry affairs with Bunge North America, which is based in the capital city. With 21 years of public affairs experience, she previously was minority staff director for the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and earlier worked for U.S. Senator Thad Cochran. ________________________________________

1990s

(’93; M.S. ’96) Bruff Sanders has been promoted

to community bank president in West Point while continuing as regional agricultural lender for BankFirst Financial Services.

With more than 20 years in the banking industry, he is active locally as a board member for the Growth Alliance, Sally Kate Winters Family Services and East Mississippi Community College’s Bull Sullivan Committee, among others.

Know an alum who has news or a recent promotion? Send an email to Harriet Laird at hlaird@opa.msstate.edu.

(’96) Adam Cox is the newly promoted community bank president for BankFirst Financial Services in Madison.

With more than 10 years in the financial services industry, he also is a graduate of The Mississippi School of Banking and Louisiana State University’s Graduate School of Banking. (’96) Carman H. Mullins,

originally of Yazoo City and currently of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the newly promoted deputy production manager of ExxonMobil Exploration and Production Malaysia. Beginning as an Exxon facility engineer in 1996, she since has managed engineering and operation functions in Louisiana, Texas, Canada and Malaysia.

(’99; MBA ’00; Ph.D. ’07) Jim Haffey of Kosciusko is

the recently appointed ninth president of Holmes Community College that serves a nine-county district and enrolls some 6,400 students. In addition to serving in various roles at the Goodman institution prior to his presidential appointment, he also worked as a lobbyist for the Mississippi Manufacturers Association. ________________________________________

2000s

(’00; Ph.D. ’04) Katherine Taconi of The Woodlands, Texas, passed the patent bar exam and holds registered patent agent certification with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. She currently practices with Woodlands-based Chevron Phillips Chemical Co. ________________________________________

2010s

(’12) Carolyn Dehlinger of Jacksonville, Florida, professor of biological sciences at Keiser University in Ft. Lauderdale, is the author of a newly published textbook, Molecular Biotechnology.

Published by Jones and Bartlett Learning, it focuses on the emergence of biotechnology as both a scientific discipline and developing industry. (‘12) Kyle Newton has

joined the creative team at Godwin Group as its new art director. Newton will serve with brand teams and partner with clients on creative work for print and digital platforms. A native of Brandon, his work in the past has been recognized by the Art Director’s Club of Metropolitan Washington and in CYMK magazine.

(’13) Mary-Katherine Hudson of Mobile, Alabama, is a new member of Wilkins Miller LLC, one of Alabama’s largest certified public accounting and advisory firms. She also holds a master’s degree in accounting from the University of South Alabama, where she currently serves as accounting chair for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event. ___________________________________________________________________

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS

Hadley Hope Welford, Dec. 31, 2013, to Randy Welford (’04) and Jessica Welford

of Lucedale.

Bethany Ruth Hollinghead, June 27, 2014, to Drew Hollinghead (‘09) and Elisabeth Hollinghead (’09) of Leakesville.

Audri Beth Eubanks, July 26, 2014, to Phillip Eubanks (’03) and Kristina Eubanks

of Lucedale.

Mallory James Thomas and Abigail Marie Thomas, Nov. 20, 2014,

to Anthony Thomas Jr. (’03; MBA ’04) and Katie Thomas of Charlotte, North Carolina.

(’11) Alyson Franklin McMullan has joined the

Godwin Group as a brand manager and will work with a variety of clients to support their strategic planning and execution.

A native of Gulfport, she comes to Godwin from the Target Corporation and she also earned her master’s degree from Mississippi College.

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Forever MAROON

U.S. Rep. Patrick “Alan” Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, who recently was re-elected to his third term as Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District representative, died Feb. 6 at the age of 56 from inoperable brain cancer and complications from a subsequent stroke.

“Congressman Nunnelee was a man of strength and tenacity whose legacy will be his dedicated service to the people of Mississippi and the nation. I greatly admired the courage and selflessness with which he waged his long and valiant battle against the terrible illness that ultimately claimed his life,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum.

“Alan built a distinguished career in the legislative branches of both state and federal government. He loved and served MSU as a student, as an alumnus and later as a legislator. Our prayers and heartfelt sympathies remain with his wonderful wife, Tori, his children and grandchildren, and the rest of the Nunnelee family.

My wife Rhonda joins with me and the rest of the MSU family in

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PHOTO BY RUSS HOUSTON

MSU mourns death of U.S. Rep. Nunnelee mourning the untimely death of this dedicated public servant and fellow Bulldog,” Keenum said.

Representing Mississippi’s northern-tier congressional district since 2011, Nunnelee was known for his conservative, pro-life and pro-family values.

He officially was sworn into the 114th Congress Jan. 12, and his committee memberships included the House Appropriations Committee as well as the Agriculture, Energy and Water, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs subcommittees.

A Mississippi State University alumnus, Nunnelee enjoyed visiting campus and frequently accepted invitations to speak with students.

“College students are willing to challenge the status quo and ask why,” he said in a 2011 Mississippi State Alumnus magazine article. “I love being around college students because of that.”

Nunnelee said he supported practical solutions and research and development to help solve challenges for Mississippi and America.

Nunnelee began his political career as an MSU sophomore when he decided to run as a Suttle Hall representative in the Student Association. A man who faced challenges, including losing his sight during his junior year of college, Nunnelee said overcoming obstacles helped strengthen him. “I made it through a very difficult time in my life because of the people here,” he added.

Corneal transplant surgery helped Nunnelee to regain limited vision after finishing school at MSU. He explained his limited sight gave him strength in other areas.

“When I lost my sight, I found that God compensates by strengthening something else,” he said.

Nunnelee served the past two years as a guest speaker during Mississippi’s American Legion Boys State program, the state’s premier program for teaching young men how government works, developing leadership skills and nurturing an appreciation for the rights and

responsibilities of citizenship.

Before joining the 112th Congress, the Tupelo native represented Lee and Pontotoc counties in the Mississippi State Senate, where he rose to the chairmanship of the state Senate Appropriations Committee after serving as chairman of the Senate Public Health Committee. He previously was a vice president of Allied Funeral Associates life insurance company and a member of Tupelo’s Community Development Foundation board of directors.

Nunnelee is survived by wife Tori and their three grown children Reed, a Mississippi College history and juris doctor graduate and attorney for the Jackson law firm Brunini, Grantham, Grower and Hewes PLLC; Emily Nunnelee Thompson, a 2010 MSU marketing graduate who previously served as an assistant to the university’s vice president for research and the director of sponsored programs administration; and Nathan, a 2012 MSU biochemistry/preMBA graduate. n

REMEMBRANCE OF FIRST Neal Lloyd First, a pioneering scientist in genetics and agriculture, died Nov. 20, 2014, of complications from cancer. He was 84.

First was born on Oct. 8, 1930. He was raised on a farm in Ionia, Michigan, where he developed a love of animals and agriculture. After earning his undergraduate degree from Michigan State University, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as a fixed radio signal operator during the Korean War. After the war, he returned to Michigan State University, earned a doctoral degree in reproductive physiology, accepted a position at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1960, and remained there until his retirement in 2005. After his retirement, he moved to Starkville, where he was a professor emeritus at Mississippi State University.

His contributions to the fields of agriculture and genetics include major advances in mammalian in-vitro fertilization, embryo development, embryo cloning of cattle, and nuclear transplantation in embryos. He received numerous awards for his research, including the Morrison Award for animal science, the Von Humboldt award, Upjohn Research award, and Wolf Prize, which is often called the Nobel Prize for agriculture. In 1989, he was inducted as a member of the National Academy of Sciences.

His work and writing on biotechnology and animal genetics continued until shortly before his death. n

GrownupGetaway #playtime

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visitgreenwood.com • #travelgreenwood 662-453-9197 • 1-800-748-9064 This project is partially funded by Visit Mississippi.

Ride with Pride.

000000

ALABAMA

*Must reach 1,000 pre-commitments by April 30, 2015

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY CAR TAGS ARE NOW AVAILABLE IN *AL, MS, TN AND TX! There is no better way to show your loyalty and pride in Mississippi State than by owning an official university license plate.

Displaying an MSU tag will let everyone know, wherever you drive, that Mississippi State University is your institution of choice!

Visit alumni.msstate.edu/cartag for more information.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Forever MAROON Ernest C. Adams Jr. (’48) – 89, Brandon; former MSU chemistry professor (1950-51) and researcher for Miles Laboratories in Indiana, where he received 20 patents for his work and became a key player in developing the blood glucose detector Dextrostix.

A U.S. Army veteran, he served in Pacific Theater during World War II, Dec. 1, 2014.

Elmo Branch (’53) – 83, Duck Hill; retired office manager for Lancaster Inc. and 16-year president of the Montgomery County School Board. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he was a former member of MSU’s varsity basketball and track teams, Nov. 1, 2014.

Rubel P. Cowart Jr. (’62) – 74, Hazlehurst; retired employee of the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory on the MSU Starkville Campus, Dec. 13, 2014.

Malvin Cox (’43) – San Diego, California; former instructor of electronics engineering at San Diego State University and professional who worked on the guidance and control systems for Mercury-Redstone, Gemini, and the Atlas-Apollo Space programs, Sept. 29, 2013.

Malcolm E. Gillis (’55) – 81, Toney, Alabama; former MSU football cheerleader who worked for Boeing and Computer Sciences Corp. He went on to launch a consulting firm whose name, MeGa Corp., reflected his successful 2,000-mile hike of the entire Maine-to-Georgia Appalachian Trail, Dec. 2, 2014.

James Ray Hankins (M.S. ’71) – 83, Beaverton, Alabama; lifelong Alabama educator who spent 25 years at Lexington High School and retired as director of the Lamar County School of Technology, Aug. 19, 2014.

Stanley C. Hughey (’83) – 55, West Point; head girls’ basketball coach at Oak Hill Academy for 20 years and also spent part of 2014 in a similar position at East Webster High School.

As head coach, he compiled more than 460 wins, Dec. 28, 2014.

Stephanie Ann “Sissy” Kruse (’06) – 32, Franklin, North Carolina; avid MSU athletic fan, traveler, runner and loyal friend who lived life to the fullest, Dec. 5, 2014.

Pricilla Andrea Li (’11) – 26, Jackson; medical student at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and was an active MSU undergraduate through memberships in the Delta Gamma sorority, Student Association and alumni association’s Alumni Delegates. Her continued participation in campus organizations and activities was honored with a Spirit of State award, Dec. 6, 2014.

Samuel A. McInnnis (’55) – 81, Lucedale; U.S. Army service member who served in the Korean Conflict and a petroleum engineer, Aug. 22, 2014.

George Cecil McLeod Jr. (’49) – 84, Leakesville; former Mississippi Legislature senator who served for nine years beginning in 1970.

McLeod served on the committees of agriculture, appropriations, county

affairs, forestry, game and fish, ports and industries, and water resources.

He enjoyed playing the fiddle in his spare time and played at the 1976 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. and, in 1979, at the Grand Ole Opry, Sept. 5, 2011.

Melinda Gail Mitchell (’80) – 56, Pascagoula; girls’ basketball, cheerleading and track coach at Pascagoula High School, where the athletic field house bears her name and she was honored in 2010 as teacher of the year. Also coached at Gautier Junior and Resurrection High schools, Dec. 13, 2014.

Mason B. Oldham Jr. (’48) – 91, Edmond, Oklahoma; retired civil engineer, Nov. 8, 2014.

Katie Michelle Ray (’06) – 31, Starkville; accountant who enjoyed MSU sports and hobbies of jewelry making and photography, Nov. 24, 2014.

Kathy Cooper Slover (’84) – 53, Fairhope, Alabama; former majorette captain of MSU’s Famous Maroon Band and member of Kappa Delta sorority, Dec. 5, 2014.

James E. Springer Jr. (friend) – 62, Starkville; known to many as “Doodle,” he was an Electrical Supply Sales representative who recently had moved to Starkville to be close to MSU, Oct. 28, 2014.

Paul C. Stanford (’57) – 86, Gautier; retired employee of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula and a Greene County farmer. A U.S. Army

veteran, he later joined the U.S. Air Force and served in the Korean War and received several commendations, April 23, 2014.

Billy Jim Thompson (’48) – 91, Jackson; an MSU basketball player and U.S. Army veteran in World War II’s Pacific Theater, he retired as co-founder of Jones and Thompson Construction Co., Dec. 5, 2014.

William “Bill” Turner Jr. (’60) – 80, Collierville, Tennessee; successful lumber manufacturer and salesman whose clientele extended into Europe and the Pacific Rim. He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Korean Conflict, Aug. 16, 2014.

Jack Parker Vaughan (’58) – 78, Starkville; former standout shortstop for the MSU baseball team. He spent 25 years as a National Football League official, working more than 460 regular-season games, two Pro Bowls and Super Bowls XX, XXV and XXIX. A retired insurance and real estate broker, he also operated a bottling company in Louisiana, Dec. 12, 2014.

Donald E. Walton (’67) – 67, Tupelo; co-founder of Stylelander Metal Stamping and retired employee of Super Sagless Corporation, a subsidiary of Leggett and Platt, Incorporated, Jan. 21, 2015.

Vernon Lee Watts (’51) – 85, Pass Christian; U.S. Navy veteran and retired head of Watts Oil Co. in Long Beach, Dec. 12, 2014.

Remembering Brinker and THE GAME OF CHANGE Stanley Ray Brinker (’64) – 71, Huntsville, Alabama; retired consultant for the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA, and U.S. Air Force veteran died Jan. 16, 2015. He was an MSU basketball player who, with his teammates, made history by facing the Loyola University (Chicago) Ramblers in the 1963 NCAA tournament. Sports Illustrated featured a picture of Brinker and the opposing center (see left) in an article called “The Game of Change” in March 1963.

Previously barred from participating in tournaments that featured integrated players, this MSU team defied the “unwritten law” and went to Lansing, Michigan, where they lost to the eventual national champions, but made history.

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Fresh Thinking.

CADENCE BANK

Assets of $8 billion $6.3 billion in outstanding loans $6.5 billion in deposits

What impact did MSU have on your career path?

My professors challenged my thinking and provided me with great exposure to the broader world of finance—it made me a better banker and business person. After 33 years in banking, there is no doubt I made the right career choice—and college choice.

What is your fondest memory of MSU? The lasting friendships I made while in school. I still keep in touch with many of them, and we get to catch up when attending campus activities.

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What are you doing now?

I am fortunate to be part of a great team at Cadence Bank. We strive to be a good bank for our customers and the communities we serve, and our bankers are very responsive working with their clients advising them how to manage money wisely. We also continue to make significant investments in technology so clients can get the most from their mobile devices. But at the end of the day, I’m just very proud to be a part of an organization so deeply rooted in my home state of Mississippi.

Visit us at www.cadencebank.com so you can get to know the way we think.

PAUL B. MURPHY, JR. CEO, President of Cadence Bancorp, LLC Bachelor's degree in Finance - MSU, 1981

BANK

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MISSISSIPPI STATE 39762 PERMIT NO. 81

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION P.O. Box AA One Hunter Henry Boulevard Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526 www.alumni.msstate.edu ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

RESOLUTION Reboot STICKING TO YOUR FITNESS GOALS THROUGH THE SEASONS Tight schedules, short budgets and busy lifestyles create challenges to eating healthy and exercising regularly, but Mississippi State wellness experts have the tips you need to maintain and/or renew your New Year’s resolution to sustain a healthier lifestyle.

The way to be healthier is to continue your commitment to it. Mississippi State registered dietician Mandy Conrad and fitness trainer Adam Thigpen, MSU graduate assistant, are ready to get you back on track to meet your goals, both in the kitchen and during your workout.

Whether you’re trying to eat healthier or commit to an exercise routine, Mississippi State fitness authorities agree you’ll be more successful when you set realistic goals and give yourself a break if you don’t meet them.

Conrad offers healthy eating tips, while Thigpen explains how to stay on track when workouts get especially intense. Along with their motivational tips, a series of easy exercises are featured to get your blood flowing and enhance your training.

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