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Campus News
New Physician Assistant Program
TO FILL GROWING NEED FOR MEDICAL CARE
By James Carskadon, Photo by Beth Wynn
Shey Washburn, assistant clinical professor with MSUMeridian’s Master of Physician Assistant program, demonstrates patient simulation equipment used as part of the rigorous 24-month curriculum.
Anew program on the MSUMeridian campus will help fill Mississippi’s growing need for health care professionals, a shortage that is particularly acute in rural areas. MSU is the first public university in the state to launch a program to train physician assistants, preparing students for a career recently ranked as the best in America.
In January, the first students in MSU’s new Master of Physician Assistant Studies program began coursework toward becoming licensed physician assistants. Once they complete the 29-month curriculum and gain licensure, they will be able to work in a wide variety of medical specialties, providing medical care in collaboration with physicians.
With a majority of the 20 students in the program’s inaugural group hailing from the Magnolia State, Debra Munsell, an associate professor who helped establish the new program, is hopeful it will improve health outcomes in Mississippi.
“The state of Mississippi ranks very low in health care outcomes and access to health care for citizens,” Munsell said. “We know that students who train and work in a certain area will often stay and practice in that same area. So we’re hoping to recruit students from Mississippi and keep them here.”
Munsell said Meridian serves as an ideal location for training physician assistants because it is a regional medical hub with two major hospitals and diverse practices, allowing students to obtain clinical training in seven different specialties. The program also has benefited from generous financial support from the Meridian-based Riley and Phil Hardin foundations.
“People want to help. They want to see the program succeed and have more medically trained professionals out there,” she said. “They see the need in the state for health care and they see that we can help.”
Munsell and the program faculty have developed local partnerships, planned the curriculum, recruited students and faculty, and worked to help the program achieve Accreditation-Provisional status from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant. As the program develops, the incoming class size will increase to 30 students.
The new program has proven to be popular in its first year receiving applications, in part because of the growing demand for and high job satisfaction of physician assistants. U.S. News and World Report recently ranked physician assistant as the best job in America, citing the reward of helping and treating patients and a positive work-life balance in the medical field. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects more than
31% employment growth for physician assistants by 2029.
Kaiman Parker, a Petal native, said he hopes to practice in Mississippi once he completes the program. After getting an associate degree at Pearl River Community College, Parker worked as a respiratory therapist at Forrest General Hospital and South Central Regional Medical Center, gaining experience in different settings like the intensive care unit, emergency room and neonatal intensive care unit. Wanting to expand the scope of care he could provide, he began to learn more about physician assistants. After earning a bachelor’s degree from William Carey University and completing the prerequisites, Parker was accepted into MSU’s physician assistant program.
While classes have only just begun for Parker and his classmates, he said he is looking forward to gaining exposure in a wide variety of medical settings, which will help him determine his career path as a physician assistant.
“I have a lot of background in pulmonology but I’m also interested in dermatology, cardiology and neurological care,” Parker said. “So, I’m looking forward to actually starting my clinical rotations to expand my interest and pinpoint what I want to do after school.”
Fellow Petal native Taylor Rawls followed a similar path to Meridian as Parker. Having worked in outpatient services, she became interested in the physician assistant program after discussing it with medical providers and realizing the career could provide a good work-life balance. She said she hopes to work in the Laurel or Petal area after graduating.
“I’ll be able to get some experience that will help me decide whether I want to be in a hospital or a clinic setting,” Rawls said. “One good thing about being a physician assistant is you can always change specialties as long as there are providers to take you under their wings. Having those options gives us a great opportunity to find jobs in different areas.”
Both Parker and Rawls said their classes have a good student-teacher ratio, which allows for more individualized instruction time. They also have appreciated the diversity of the 20-student group, which includes students of different ages from a variety of geographic and religious backgrounds, as well as experience in a variety of medical settings.
“As providers, we will have people come in from different cultures and backgrounds, so it really helps us to learn with people from different backgrounds,” Rawls said. “This group has honestly been really great because everyone’s always helping each other out. We’re all here as one unified class and we’ll get to walk across the stage together in 2023. That’s the goal.” n
“I’ll be able to get some experience that will help me decide whether I want to be in a hospital or a clinic setting. One good thing about being a physician assistant is you can always change specialties as long as there are providers to take you under their wings. Having those options gives us a great opportunity to find jobs in different areas.” ~ Taylor Rawls
Student Counseling Services supports
Bulldogs during tumultuous year
By Susan Lassetter
While the past year and a half has been marked by uncertainty, Mississippi State University’s Student Counseling Services has remained a constant source of support for Bulldog students both on campus and away.
Director Lu Switzer said doing whatever it takes to be there for students and support their educational journey is central to the center’s mission.
“We’re here to help facilitate change in students’ lives, whether it’s transitioning from high school to college or from college into whatever their next step might be,” Switzer said. “We want them to be mentally ready for what they’re facing.”
When the issue facing students became a worldwide pandemic, the counseling center acted quickly to make its services available online to ensure uninterrupted care for its current clients and to be ready to assist any new ones.
“There are certain protocols and things that you have to do differently when meeting with a client in a virtual space, so we did a lot of training and learning,” Switzer said. “It took a lot of teamwork, and I was really proud of how the staff pitched in to make sure we were ready to provide remote services and to make sure people knew how to access them.” For Kimberly Peeples, a staff counselor who was recently named assistant director, there was no choice but to adapt so that students could continue to access the center’s vital services.
“It’s not that it was important to continue our work; it was absolutely necessary,” Peeples said. “Mental health is just as important as physical health, and many people don’t realize that the two go hand in hand. So, it’s just as necessary to see a counselor for your mental health as it is to see a general physician for a physical.”
With seven staff counselors and a team of interns and graduate students, Student Counseling Services conducted nearly 7,000 appointments with students during the 2020-21 academic year. In addition to one-on-one sessions, the center offers support groups and provides online workshops and tools for self-assessment and developing coping methods.
Peeples said a lot of their work focuses on helping students identify their stressors, process their feelings and break cycles of damaging behaviors.
“We don’t focus on diagnosis. Most of the time, that’s not really necessary to help our clients,” Peeples said. “We focus on giving students the tools to get past or process what’s troubling them or to cope with it.”
Switzer said Student Counseling Services sees clients whose needs run the spectrum of psychological disorders. In addition to providing counseling, the center works closely with the Longest Student Health Center and an on-call nurse practitioner to assist students who need medication or more specialized care.
With 12 years of experience in Student Counseling Services, Switzer said she has seen firsthand the impact proper mental health care can have on a student’s life. It’s a duty she and the other counselors do not take for granted.
“It’s really a privilege to walk with our students on their journeys at such a transitional time in their lives,” Switzer said. “It’s an honor to give them the tools to help find meaning in their lives from a holistic point of view.” n
"We don't focus on diagnosis... We focus on giving students the tools to get past or process what's troubling them or to cope with it." ~ Kimberly Peeples
The COVID-19 pandemic had an undeniable impact on people’s physical and mental well-being. And while safety protocols and vaccinations seem to have stemmed the tide of infection, the effects of the stress it put on individuals and our communities is likely to be long-lasting. Kimberly Peeples, assistant director of MSU’s Student Counseling Services, said overcoming the feelings of isolation that arose during lockdown, as well as coping with the losses spurred by the pandemic— whether they be social, financial or the death of a friend or family member—will be a matter of time and proper mental health management. “COVID took a toll,” Peeples said. “Things are returning to normal, but those feelings of depression and anxiety won’t just go away.” Known as COVID burnout, lasting mental health effects can include anxiety over one’s health, depression brought on by isolation or loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, or the worsening of existing mental health conditions. Lu Switzer, director of Student Counseling Services, said finding ways to manage that stress is important. She recommends the following coping mechanisms outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Take breaks from consuming news or social media. Being informed is important, but a constant rehashing of the world’s problems can be upsetting. • Take care of your body. Exercise, rest and healthy eating habits can help reduce feelings of stress. • Unwind. Find time during the day to do activities you enjoy. • Connect with others. As social distancing and group gathering restrictions are eased, find ways to reconnect with friends and social groups. If infection is still a concern, find ways to connect online, or by phone or mail. Switzer also notes that it’s important to seek help if the feelings of anxiety or depression begin to interfere with daily life. Students can visit www.counseling. msstate.edu to get started with Student Counseling Services. Others might wish to speak with their health care providers to get connected with mental health specialists.
Mississippi State University Civil War expert and associate professor of history Andrew F. Lang received a starred review in Library Journal for his newest book, “A Contest of Civilizations: Exposing the Crisis of American Exceptionalism in the Civil War Era.”
Mississippi State’s School of Architecture received several statewide honors from the American Institute of Architects at the 2020 AIA Mississippi Celebrates Architecture Awards Ceremony. Michael Berk, who retired in 2019 after 29 years with the MSU School of Architecture, received the Education Commendation Award for his significant contribution to the field of education related to the purposes of AIA. The Fred Carl Jr. Small Town Center, led by Director Leah Kemp, received an honor citation for the creation of the Starkville Streatery and Small Town Streatery Toolkit. Associate professor Hanns Herrmann’s project, Mirror Perch Bridge at the Crosby Arboretum Gum Pond Exhibit, received two awards—an honor award for overall design excellence and the Samuel Sambo Mockbee Sprite of Place Award.
David Failla, a mechanical engineering student pursuing both a master’s and Ph.D. in the Bagley College of Engineering, is the recipient of the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Scholarship as part of the Department of Defense’s SMART Scholarship-for-Service-Program. The scholarship provides recipients with full tuition for up to five years, summer internships, a stipend and full-time employment with the Department of Defense after graduation. A native of Picayune, Failla earned a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from MSU in 2018. Veteran educator Amanda Tullos has returned to Mississippi State as the director of the Partnership Middle School and educational liaison to further develop and grow collaborations between the university and Starkville Oktibbeha School District. She was previously a project manager at MSU’s Research and Curriculum Unit and has worked in public school districts throughout the state.
Scott Willard, interim dean of MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, received the Love of Learning award from Phi Kappa Phi, which recognizes recipients' academic contributions and achievements. In two decades of service to MSU, Willard has been a champion of the university’s diversity and food security initiatives.
Keith Coble, William L. Giles Distinguished Professor and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State, has been named vice president for the university’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine. An MSU faculty member for more than 20 years, Coble has also served since last July as a special assistant to the vice president for DAFVM. He succeeds Reuben Moore, who recently retired after serving as interim vice president for the division for nearly two years.
Shelly Hollis, assistant director of cyber education for MSU’s Research and Curriculum Unit, recently was selected to serve on the information technology task force created by C Spire and the Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB). The task force includes other leaders from state education, industry, workforce development and Mississippi Coding Academies.
Daniel B. Reynolds, an accomplished Mississippi State weed science professor, was named associate vice president for international programs and executive director of the university’s International Institute. The longtime MSU faculty member has led MSU’s international initiatives on an interim basis since last April. Reynolds previously has held the Edgar E. and Winifred B. Hartwig Endowed Chair in Soybean Agronomy in MSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.
Two Mississippi State faculty members were honored during the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning’s annual Diversity and Inclusion Awards ceremony. Qiana M. Cutts, assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations, as well as Derris Devost-Burnett, assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, were recognized for their efforts in advancing diversity and encouraging understanding and respect.
Athena Owen Nagel, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Geosciences, is the recipient of a University Professional and Continuing Education Association national award for her innovative and dedicated distance learning teaching methods. UPCEA is the leading association for professional, continuing and online education.
Teresa Jayroe is the new College of Education dean after having served as associate dean since 2011. She previously worked as director for the college’s Office of Clinical/FieldBased Instruction, Licensure and Outreach.
Longtime Mississippi State University Information Technology Services employee Jason Tiffin has been named director of Enterprise Information Systems within ITS.
Christopher B. Robinson, a first-generation college student in Mississippi State’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College earned two prestigious honors this spring. In addition to representing Mississippi as a Harry S. Truman Scholarship finalist, the biological engineering major from Brookhaven also received a Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute Fellowship to Princeton University. The biological engineering major from Brookhaven is the sixth MSU honors student in seven years to receive the national PPIA Junior Fellowship and will be the fourth to participate at Princeton.
Senior civil engineering major Jessica Lewis has been named to the prestigious New Faces of Civil Engineering for 2021 list by the American Society of Civil Engineers. She is one of just 10 college students worldwide to be recognized. The ASCE New Faces program highlights a select group of civil engineering leaders and recognizes their academic or professional accomplishments as well as their community engagement.
Dipangkar Dutta is Mississippi State University’s winner of the 2021 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award, which annually honors distinguished faculty from across the SEC for their teaching accomplishments, scholarly contributions and discoveries.
Reese A. Dunne, a Mississippi State Presidential Scholar and senior mechanical engineering major from Starkville, has been selected to receive the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship. He is the 19th Mississippi State student to be recognized with the Goldwater Scholarship since the Goldwater Foundation’s inception.
Ming Ying Hong, an assistant professor of drawing, was selected to represent Mississippi as a 2021 State Fellow by Southern Arts, a nonprofit regional arts organization that works to enhance the public value of the arts. She received a $5,000 prize and is included in an exhibition at the Bo Bartlett Center in Columbus, Georgia, until Dec. 20. MSU President Mark E. Keenum is pictured with forestry students and mentors during a congratulatory meeting with members of the university’s student chapter of the Society of American Foresters, which again is being recognized as the national Outstanding Student Chapter. Pictured, left to right, row 1: Baylor Doughty, a sophomore from Mobile, Alabama; Daniel West, a senior from Hoover, Alabama; and Brianna Ellis, a senior from Starkville; row 2: Noah Hammond, a senior from Linden, Alabama; and Joshua Rush, a senior from Philadelphia; row 3: MSU President Mark E. Keenum; row 4: Dustin Zavala, a senior from Fulton; and Adam Lindsey, SAF president and a senior from Purvis; row 5: Professor Robert Grala, SAF advisor; and Professor and Forestry Department Head Donald Grebner. (Photo by Beth Wynn)
Mississippi State’s Community Garden, a collaborative garden project led by faculty in Mississippi State’s College of Architecture, Art and Design, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was honored by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture with its Collaborative Practice Award. The honor recognizes architectural educators for exemplary work in inspiring and challenging students, contribution to the profession’s knowledge base, and extending their work beyond the borders of academy into practice and the public sector. (Photo by Megan Bean)
