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Mississippi State Spring 2007 | Volume 83 | Number 1 USPS 354-520
features Strategic plan outlines MSU goals | page 2
President Robert H.“Doc” Foglesong
Interim Vice President for Development and Alumni and Alumni Association Executive Director Jimmy W. Abraham (’75, ’77)
Mississippi State Alumnus is published three times a year by the Office of University Relations and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association at Mississippi State, Miss. Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526; telephone 662-325-7000; or e-mail fcarr@advservices.msstate.edu. Editorial offices: 102 George Hall, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325. Telephone 662-325-3442 Fax, 662-325-7455 E-mail, snowa@ur.msstate.edu Www.msstate.edu
Editor Allen Snow (’76)
Associate Editor
Mississippi State’s strategic plan for the next 10 years is calculated to help guide the university’s decision making and resource allocation for the greatest benefit to the state and nation.
Investiture of Dr. Robert H. Foglesong | page 4 On Oct. 6, 2006, Mississippi State inaugurated Dr. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong as the 18th president in the university’s 128-year history.
The adventures of Mississippi O’Hear | page 10 John O’Hear is in many ways MSU’s real-life Indiana Jones. Unlike his movie counterpart, O’Hear may not have found the Ark of the Covenant, but he has unearthed some important keys to Native American and European history.
Program produces leaders in biomedical research | page 14 Two Mississippi State alumnae are participating in the National Institutes of Healthfunded Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Helping build veterinary programs in Iraq | page 16 When Deanna Brown graduated from MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990, she hoped to pursue a career as a large animal veterinarian. Today, Lt. Col. Brown is putting her expertise to use in a much different capacity.
Larry Otis’ need for speed | page 18 Alumnus and former Tupelo Mayor Larry Otis is described by one friend and colleague as an “adventuresome soul” with an abiding “need for speed.”
Kay Fike Jones
Designers
A ‘special’ touch for old computers | page 20
Becky Smith Mary Howell (’93)
John Ye, a computer support specialist at the Bagley College of Engineering, is transforming dysfunctional computers for the Boys and Girls Club of Oktibbeha/Starkville.
Photographers Russ Houston (’85) Megan Bean
Mississippi State University Alumni Association National Officers Betty Latimer Black (’74), national president; David W. Jones (’81), national first vice president; Andrew D. Hunt (’70), national second vice president; S. Keith Winfield (’70), national treasurer; Joe L. Bryan (’63), immediate former national president.
Campus news 21 | Sports talk 33 | Alumni news 34 Foundation news 39 | Class news 45 | In memoriam 47
On the cover: Archaeologist John O’Hear is nothing like his movie counterpart, Indiana Jones, but he plots his own adventures and creates his own treasure maps while going about the business of unearthing history. Photo by Megan Bean.
STRATEGIC PLAN By Joe Farris
Mississippi State's strategic plan for the next 10 years is calculated to help guide the university's decision making and resource allocation for the greatest benefit to the state and nation. The plan had its origins in a university-wide strategic review launched by Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong soon after he became MSU president in April 2006. Dozens of faculty, staff, students, and community representatives distilled hundreds of hours of inquiry and discussion into more than 100 recommendations that became FutureSTATE 2015. The document published in September is online at https://ssl.msstate.edu/web/futurestate/. The plan says that “the most fundamental assumption underlying FutureSTATE 2015 is that Mississippi State should aspire to be the most respected land-grant institution in the Southeast, dedicated to improving the lives of Mississippians by adhering to its deep roots as The People’s University and its statewide missions of learning, research and service.” Four primary university goals form the framework for dozens of more specific objectives. They are:
★ Enhance student growth and development; ★ Achieve fiscal stability; ★ Expand research opportunities and promote economic development; and
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Megan Bean
FutureSTATE 2015
outlines MSU goals for coming decade
★ Strengthen pride and involvement with MSU among those who make up the Great Bulldog Nation.
Dwight Riddle
Prominent among the several strategies identified to help achieve those goals are recruiting and retaining highly qualified faculty, ensuring value-added educational outcomes for students, recruiting and retaining qualified students from a diversity of backgrounds, and enhancing private and public financial support of MSU. “FutureSTATE 2015 represents our ambition to reach high, dream big and act audaciously, while remaining accessible, accountable, and responsive to our constituents,” Foglesong said. “It also reflects our commitment to work together cooperatively and selflessly—an approach encapsulated by the motto ‘One STATE-One TEAM.’” Implementation of several of the initiatives spelled out in the strategic plan already was well along by the end of the year. The university had established and funded the initial group of Mississippi State Promise grants, providing tuition assistance to low-income Mississippi residents. A proposed Center for America’s Veterans was up and running. The first class of students had been recruited for the Sonny Montgomery Chapter of the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program. An academic minor in leadership studies had been designed for introduction in fall 2007. And the university’s Phi Beta Kappa faculty had submitted a preliminary application to house a chapter of the prestigious liberal arts honor society at MSU. Planning was under way to launch a fund-raising effort to help create a $100 million “Reach for Excellence” initiative designed to support academic excellence, scholarships, faculty development, and campus enhancement. University funds of $4 million had been identified to jump-start efforts in those areas. A task force had been named to review faculty activities in teaching, research and service and their role in promotion and tenure decisions. Other initiatives range from expanding offerings of the Shackouls Honors College and the library to enhancing the campus landscape and accessibility. The plan calls for synchronization of enrollment growth with increases in faculty and other resources, targeting increases of 300 to 500 undergraduates a year, as well as increased numbers of doctoral graduates.
FutureSTATE 2015 also identifies institutional “centers of excellence” to help focus resources in areas in which MSU can build its national and international reputation. Centers of Excellence are interdisciplinary clusters open to participation by faculty members with appropriate interest and expertise, as opposed to focusing on academic colleges, departments or other units. Areas initially named Centers of Excellence are Agriculture and Natural Resource Systems, Computational Science and Engineering, Applied Social Sciences, Transportation Systems, and Materials and Devices. Fourteen other areas were identified as either “emerging” or “potential” centers of excellence, and more may be added in subsequent years. Primary responsibility for each of the priority initiatives in the plan was assigned during the fall to an individual or unit, and the first progress reports are planned for spring 2007. FutureSTATE 2015 will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to reflect progress and changing circumstances.
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Photos by Megan Bean and Russ Houston
On Oct. 6, 2006, Mississippi State inaugurated Dr. Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong as the 18th president in the university’s 128-year history. Foglesong, a former four-star general in command of the U.S. Air Force in Europe, succeeded Charles Lee in mid-April 2006 as the landgrant institution’s chief executive. A West Virginia native, Foglesong concluded 33 years of active military service in February 2006. He holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from West Virginia University. Foglesong is the founder of the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation, a non-profit organization he founded to identify future leaders and provide them with mentoring and financial support. Foglesong also has been appointed by President Bush as co-chair of the United States-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs. Since coming to MSU, Foglesong has launched several institutional initiatives. A comprehensive campus-wide strategic review has produced “FutureSTATE 2015,” which sets a series of goals for enhancing student growth and development, achieving financial stability, expanding research and economic development, and building pride and involvement throughout the university family. He also implemented Mississippi State Promise, a tuition-assistance program for academically qualified low-income state residents; created the Sonny Montgomery Chapter of the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program; established the MSU Community Action Team to aid state municipalities; and laid the groundwork for the university’s new Center for America’s Veterans.
The Foglesongs’ son David attended his father’s inauguration, along with wife Laura, sons Robert and David and daughter Faith, who is the first girl born into the Foglesong family in 104 years.
Our vision as a university is to gain respect, for our current quality and for our commitment to continuous improvement. A Spring 2007
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Investiture of Dr. Robert H. Foglesong
President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong and wife Mary.
Mississippi State University has been and will continue to be one of the powerful engines that propels our state forward toward a better quality of life for all of our citizens. 6
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Following are Foglesong’s remarks on the occasion of his investiture. Thank you for the warm welcome and the kind words—those extended today and throughout the past six months. Mary and I have been overwhelmed by the hospitality and the acceptance of the community, the state and the Bulldog family. We can never thank you enough for making us feel that we’ve come home. And we’re happy to be home. After three years overseas, hundreds of thousands of miles traveled, and stops in dozens of countries across three continents, we’re glad to be back in the United States—the best and most respected nation in the world. Mary and I are here to proudly announce that we’re born-again Americans. And we’re equally delighted to be back in Mississippi—for the third time. We have lifelong friends here. Our youngest son was born here. As Johnny Cash used to sing, “I’ve Been Everywhere, Man,” and I can tell you—there’s nowhere we’d rather be. We’re proud of Mississippi. We were proud of the state last year, watching from Europe on CNN, when you responded to Hurricane Katrina with determination and resolve—and without pointing fingers or worrying about who to blame. We were proud of your character and courage, then, as we are now. And we’re excited to be part of the wave of energy and optimism that is apparent everywhere we go in Mississippi. Our state has enormous strengths and vast opportunities. Our economic fabric is woven from a strong blend of tradition and innovation, and both strands are important to our future. From catfish and cotton in the Delta, to furniture manufacturing in Northeast Mississippi, to automobile manufacturing in the central part of the state, to shipbuilding and shrimping on the coast, to the developing aerospace corridor in the Golden Triangle—Mississippi is in motion. And Mississippi State University has been and will continue to be one of the powerful engines that propels our state forward toward a better quality of life for all of our citizens. The character and optimism that pervade this state, along with this university’s reputation for quality and its pivotal role in Mississippi’s progress, exerted a strong attraction for Mary and me. We wanted to be part of this team. But let’s be clear—while this ceremony would make my mother proud, it is not about us. It’s about the State of Mississippi and Mississippi State University. One STATE—One TEAM. This day is about everybody pulling together in the same direction. All of us—faculty, staff and students; our 108,000 living alumni; community leaders in Starkville, West Point and Columbus; state and federal officials; and friends everywhere—we’re all part of One STATE—One TEAM.
Today, as we formally reaffirm the commitments and mission of this great institution and establish new directions for its future, we invite all of you to join us by “Stepping into the Maroon” and being a part of the Great Bulldog Nation. What is Mississippi State University? And what is its place in the life of this state and nation? On occasions such as this one, those are questions worth pausing to think about—where we’ve been and where we are today. We’re proud of our history and heritage as a land-grant institution—one of the universities made possible in each state in the latter half of the 19th century by the federal Morrill Act of 1862. These new institutions had the avowed purpose of bringing higher education to the mass of American citizens, with a focus on agriculture and the “mechanical arts” that we now know as engineering. Land-grant colleges offered to working class families an alternative to the tradition of classical education for the social elite, and provided to their states a vital source of trained professionals, useful research and statewide service.
This institution, founded in 1878 as Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College, has evolved, like other land-grants, into a comprehensive university. We offer about 150 undergraduate and graduate majors through eight colleges and more than 50 academic departments. But MSU retains much of the character and the focus of its origins. We are still The People’s University, and wear that label proudly. Mississippi A&M opened its doors in the fall of 1880 to 354 students. Under the first president, Lt. Gen. Stephen
The president took part in an Air Force flyover, preceding the Bulldogs’ home football game against Arkansas.
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Investiture of Dr. Robert H. Foglesong
D. Lee, it operated in military style. The students—nearly all of whom were male— wore uniforms, rose to reveille, attended daily chapel, and performed mandatory daily labor. The three buildings were heated by coal-burning fireplaces and lighted with kerosene lamps. The first graduates received their degrees in 1883. In 1932, Mississippi A&M became Mississippi State College. The first doctoral degrees were awarded in the 1950s. Mississippi State College became Mississippi State University in 1958. The university now enrolls more than 16,000 students representing every state and every county of Mississippi, as well as countries around the world. Almost half of the students are women and about 20 percent are AfricanAmerican.
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MSU ranks 55th among the nation’s more than 600 public universities in research and development expenditures. Its outreach and extension efforts are supported by offices in every county through partnerships with local communities. As Congress envisioned when the land-grant system was created, MSU retains its multiple missions of teaching, research and service. We educate the youth of the state (and increasingly, citizens of all ages); we perform useful research that is directly linked to economic development; and we provide direct assistance to agriculture, business and industry, schools, and communities across Mississippi in keeping with our responsibility for statewide service. Gen. Lee oversaw the first bold steps that led to the Mississippi State we know today. During the years since, the efforts, strength and wisdom of 16 other presidents, more than 7,300 faculty members, and thousands of staff members, students, and alumni have transformed the fledgling A&M into the comprehensive and highly-regarded institution we celebrate today.
As the torch passes to us, we have attempted to envision what our Future STATE will look like. It will be more of the same—but much more! Our vision as a university is to gain respect, for our current quality and for our commitment to continuous improvement. And our primary mission, as it has been for more than 125 years, is to produce an educated work force capable of leading within our state and nation. This institution has awarded more than 140,000 degrees. We have produced thousands of engineers, a large proportion of the state’s teachers and other school professionals, hundreds and hundreds of architects and veterinarians, and thousands of other professionals, agriculturalists and government servants—including my late friend and mentor Sonny Montgomery. We are also proud to have helped commission generations of officers for the U.S. Army and Air Force. To build on that legacy of achievement and service, we devised over the past few months a strategic plan for the coming decade. We call it FutureSTATE 2015, and its goals logically mirror the mission of our university: ✦ To enhance student growth and development, and all that implies—including the recruitment and continued development of a solid faculty, providing the tools for teaching and learning, and giving students opportunities to development their character and leadership potential. ✦ To conduct useful research that supports economic development and leads to a better quality of life for our citizens. ✦ To strengthen pride and involvement throughout the Great Bulldog Nation, and ✦ To assure that university operations are fiscally sound and efficient. Enhancing student growth and development is our first and foremost goal because Mississippi—perhaps more than any other state—needs more men and women who have gained the skills and knowledge associated with a college education and who are prepared to put those assets to work. The benefits are huge, to the individual graduates and to the communities and states where they live. The U. S. Census Bureau estimates that a college graduate typically earns $2.1 million during his or her working life—or almost $1 million more than the average high school graduate, while enjoying a much wider array of employment and promotion opportunities.
And repeated studies have shown that college graduates have higher levels of personal savings, enjoy more hobbies and leisure activities, live longer and stay healthier, are more likely to vote, spend more time with their children, and pay more in taxes. And they are less likely to go to prison, rely on government support, or smoke. That seems like a good deal to me. FutureSTATE 2015 incorporates dozens of specific initiatives, and we have taken the first steps to put some of them into place. ✦ We have broadened access to The People’s University by providing need-based tuition grants for qualified Mississippians from low-income families through the MSU Promise program. ✦ We have established a framework to provide new leadership and character development opportunities for selected students through the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program, and are working on an academic minor in leadership studies. ✦ We have organized in a way that will allow us to respond more effectively to the needs of communities across the state through the Mississippi State Community Action Team. At every turn, we have been supported and helped by talented and dedicated faculty, staff and students; by legions of loyal alumni and friends; by state-level leaders and policymakers who understand and appreciate the contributions of higher education; by forward-thinking community leaders; and by colleagues in other state colleges and universities. Building on the great achievements of the university’s past, and drawing on the broad-based coalition of believers in the future of Mississippi State, we are reaching for excellence. For the tremendous honor and privilege of joining this team, Mary and I are profoundly grateful. Our hope is that one day we will be able to look back and have the satisfaction of knowing that we had a part in making Mississippi State a more respected university, in opening a bit wider the doors of access for deserving students, and in helping young men and women develop in character and leadership. We asked for two tickets to Paradise—what a delight to discover that the color of Paradise is Maroon.
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John O’Hear
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By Erika Celeste
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John O'Hear is in many ways Mississippi State's real-life Dr. Henry Jones Jr. That's Indiana Jones for those of you not up on the finer details of the archaeology trilogy. Unlike his movie counterpart, O’Hear may not have found the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail, but he has unearthed some very important keys to Native American and European history and had some wild adventures along the way. While the movies are entertaining, his escapades are made of much grittier stuff. Jokes the archaeologist, “I find it's much better to look like a logger than Indiana Jones when I'm working on-site.” Real-life digs may not be as glamorous as the movies, but finding those long-hidden treasures can make the heart of even the most sun-weathered archaeologist race even faster than snagging a treasure with only seconds to spare as a fiveton boulder comes hurtling down on your heels. Of course, it’s usually much quieter, less deadly work. So, for the past 30 years, John O'Hear has worked at MSU, first neatly tucked away with the anthropology program and later in a second-story office at the Cobb Institute of Archaeology. It is there among the stacks of yellowing paper, boxes of hidden wonders and a few dusty artifacts that he plots his adventures, battles for budgets, creates his own treasure maps. O’Hear considers himself a generalist, not specializing in any one subject. But he has developed a fondness for Native American projects. He leans forward in his chair as he begins to tell the story of his career. In the 1970s, he worked tirelessly in advance of the vast, seemingly endless wave of the TennesseeTombigbee Waterway project. With a limited timetable in which to complete the projects, he
had to keep on track or risk losing several sites to watery graves forever. Some of those projects included major excavations at Tibbee Creek near Columbus, as well as 12 prehistoric sites in Tishomingo County. At the same time, some amateur archaeologists were trying to garner interest in an unofficial project they had started as boys. Steve Cook, Buddy Palmer and Julian Riley had collected Chickasaw artifacts around their Tupelo homes since the 1960s. Later, their hobby became a passion as they began to use more sophisticated equipment to prospect, taking detailed notes and eventually writing a paper on the subject. Despite the trio's finds, state archaeologists were too few and far between at the time to help. As MSU alumni, the three had made some contact with the school's archaeology department. However, O'Hear had only heard about it in passing, never realizing the depth of their project. Discouraged, the men locked away their treasures for nearly 20 years. In the early 1980s, O'Hear finished the last major dig associated with the waterway at the Sanders Site in Clay County. It produced one of the largest collections of early (800 B.C.) pottery and some of the earliest evidence of domesticated crops from the region. Time drifted on in a whirlwind of picks and shovels, whisks and dustpans, until one day O’Hear found himself with the
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n Mega Bean
most unlikely of patrons. In 1996, the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo was planning to clear some land for a much-needed facility. The problem was, like much of Tupelo, the land was a treasure trove of Chickasaw artifacts. Hospital officials brought in O’Hear to help excavate the buried village. As he worked, he became more and more intrigued with the Chickasaw and their artifacts. As the scope of the project was realized, O’Hear knew he had to contact the Chickasaw Nation and alert them to the finds. It was the beginning of a relationship that has lasted long after the hospital project, and for O’Hear sparked a thirst for researching Chickasaw collections. He knew just where to find one of the collections. In fact, he'd known since the 1970s, but had been too busy and under-funded to help. Interest sparked, he went in search of the Cook-Palmer-Riley Collection. Not long before, Chickasaw tribal historian Richard Green happened to find a copy of Cook, Palmer and Riley's paper at the local library and contacted the men. After many spirited discussions, (after all, no one had ever wanted to help them; in fact, some Native Americans considered what they had done to be looting) Green gained the men's trust. The friends had always wanted the collection to go to a special place. With assurance from Chickasaw Governor Bill Anoatubby that they would not be prosecuted, the trio donated their collection to the Chickasaw Nation, now headquartered in Oklahoma. But memories and documents only tell so much of a story, and the Chickasaws needed help in deciphering what all the new-found old treasures meant. O’Hear was delighted to help. “It’s pretty interesting. Most archaeologists don’t get to work with collections that are so elaborate,” O’Hear says. 12
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“This collection is full of artifacts that most archaeologists only get to see once or twice during their whole careers and we're suddenly faced with dozens and dozens of them.” O’Hear has been working on the project for nearly two years, and still has not finished cataloging everything. The collection consists of glass and bone beads, bracelets, various tools, and a large assortment of guns. “It’s quite possibly the largest single collection of Indian trade guns in the world. I’m looking forward to being able to sit down with that stuff and work it all out.” Interestingly, many of the artifacts such as the guns were European trade items, which the Native Americans modified. Therefore, studying the artifacts will not only teach O’Hear and others about the Chickasaws, but also provide insight into early gunsmithing methods of the British, French and Spanish. This is important from a European angle because most of the guns were made by small manufacturers which did not preserve records and no longer exist. While the Chickasaw would prefer to leave things as they are, they understand that in many cases that won’t happen, because Tupelo is expanding so fast. Therefore, excavation is preferable to having their ancestors’ memories desecrated under tons of concrete. The fact that so much has been lost and so much more will never be recovered makes the Cook-Palmer-Riley Collection all the more valuable, says O’Hear. “At a time when most people were selling these things or lost them over time, these three kept their collections together, kept detailed notes in many cases, and in others just have really good memories of where and how they found things. So when it comes right down to it, they saved an incredible amount of material that otherwise would have been lost.” Never one to settle on just one project, O’Hear has two others currently under way, as well. For three months last fall, the archaeologist and a colleague from the University of North Carolina got to experience a little bit of heaven in Mississippi as they co-directed an excavation of the Feltus Mounds. Unshaven, in “logger” attire, with the moist scent of fresh dirt filling his nostrils, O’Hear unearthed the “ground level” of one of the mounds, which he believes was used as a community gathering area.
“It was also really nice to be part of the first major, modern mound excavation in Mississippi.” He hopes to work on it more this coming year. While not helping the Chickasaws or excavating major mounds, O'Hear concentrates on being co-director of a third project. A Cuban venture, funded by National Geographic, has been a long time in the making, and promises perhaps to be his most exciting yet. The initial trip was scrapped when the Cuban government denied the team's work permits at the last minute. With one load of equipment already on-site, O’Hear and his colleagues from the University of Alabama and the University of Florida desperately tried to get the attention of Havana officials, to no avail. Sadly, they had to come home and regroup. Today, the trip has again been cleared through a new government agency, with no expected problems. The group plans to start small this summer in the Holguin Province on the eastern end of Cuba. “In a way we're doing the same thing in Cuba that we're doing in Tupelo: studying the impact of European conquest on native populations.” As he scrolls through some photos of the first trip on his computer, he adds, “It will be very interesting to be part of the first Cuban-American archaeological excavation in Cuba. I think there will be a really nice international flavor to it.” Though O’Hear may not care for the Indiana Jones comparison, his work surely could fill volumes and perhaps, just perhaps, make a more realistic archaeology movie—this time starring a guy who looks a little like a logger, complete with beard and dirt under his nails.
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While O’Hear is the epitome of archaeology today—gathering such titles as three-time past president of the Mississippi Association of Archaeologists and immediate past president of the Southeastern Archaeological Conference—he never dreamed while growing up that he would become an archaeologist. “As a kid, I wasn’t fascinated with arrowheads or anything like that. It’s all been more of an accident. Nothing was planned.” The son of a steel worker, O’Hear was born in Chile, where his father often worked. He quickly became bilingual as his family continued to live in South America throughout his childhood. It was that skill and his knowledge of cartography that caught the attention of a professor who encouraged the young O’Hear to join him on a Mexican dig. The dig fell through, but O’Hear was hooked and attended graduate school, earning a master’s degree in archaeology. The rest is history. While O’Hear works strictly in research, and therefore has no students, he does try to educate those with whom he comes in contact. He has two main messages for them: “Archaeological sites aren’t renewable resources. When one has been destroyed, it’s gone forever.” That being said, he hopes to clear up what he feels is a common misconception. “Archaeologists aren’t the bad guys. They don't want to stop projects and development.” He leans forward in his chair as if getting ready to let the public in on a secret. “Most archeological problems can be dealt with in one way or another. If archaeological problems are considered early, they can be planned for and figured in. There will be no reason to slow down construction projects, and money can be allotted or raised before the project starts.” A Spring 2007
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Biomedical Research
Dual program produces leaders in
By Kay Fike Jones Photos by Steve Wood UAB Creative and Marketing
While Jennifer Guimbellot studies genetic diseases and may end up in pediatrics some day soon, Eva Clark spends time in Peru studying the population’s apparent resistance to malaria. Both Mississippi State alumnae are participating in the National Institutes of Health-funded Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. A combined medical/academic doctoral program completed over approximately seven years, MSTP is designed to prepare students for careers that combine research with clinical medicine. UAB is among only about 40 institutions offering the MSTP programs. Guimbellot and Clark are among only 50 or so students enrolled at the Alabama school. Guimbellot said she doesn’t remember how she learned of the medical scientist program, but guesses it probably was during her sophomore or junior years at MSU. She was especially attracted to the idea of a program that considered more than a Medical College Admission Test score. “They look at the whole picture, including research experience,” she explained. Because MSTP graduates learn both how to treat a medical condition and research cures for it, the training is different from that of regular medical students after the first Jennifer Guimbellot
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couple of years. For instance, when regular students begin medical science classes, MSTP students are working on their academic doctorate. Following dissertations, they rejoin the medical school aspect for clinical rotations. Sound hard? Well, it can be. “It can be really hard and frustrating,” Guimbellot agreed. “There are times when I don’t know why I did this! “But, mostly, I really, really like it,” she admitted. Guimbellot, who received a biochemistry/molecular biology degree from MSU in 2000, is researching genetic diseases, particularly cystic fibrosis. The former Goldwater Scholar from Vicksburg is about to enter MSTP’s clinical rotation process and is scheduled to graduate some time in 2008. Does her degree from MSU help her now? “I think my major was perfect for what I am in now,”Guimbellot said. “Dr. John Boyle was a perfect adviser. Many of the classes I took weren’t required, but he encouraged me to take them. “That has made me feel more prepared,” she added. As her doctoral programs winds down, Guimbellot is leaning toward pediatrics for her clinical practice, though family practice is another option. Whatever she decides, she said it’s certain the job will have a laboratory so she can continue her research, most likely in genetics. Guimbellott’s individual success in the MSTP program also led another MSU student to apply. “Jennifer is ahead of me in the program and is, basically, my mentor,” observed Eva Clark. Clark, who left MSU in 2004 with a biochemistry degree, has spent time in Zambia studying the AIDS vaccine. Right now, though, she’s up to her eyeballs in malaria; the study of it, that is. A nasty, mosquito-spread disease, malaria can be prevented with a vaccine—but only when it works. The former Huntsville, Ala., resident has spent many weeks in Peru trying to find a way to make the tricky vaccine work better. “Although the weather in Peru is just as conducive to malaria as any warm, humid spot, the rate of infection there is very low,” she explained. “Because the infection rates average one a year, it is a good model to study.” Clark said she loves the research and the South American country so much, she’s hoping to continue her
Eva Clark
work there—or another developing country—once the MSTP program is complete. “I’ve always been interested in international health,” she said. “And, while I’m sure I’m more interested in being a doctor, I also want to do some kind of clinical research at the same time.” Looking back, Clark recalled that she was thinking more along the lines of four-legged patients when first arriving on campus. It was while working a part-time job in the entomology department that the research bug bit the preveterinary major. Clark said she changed her career plans to pre-med at about the time she first heard of the MSTP program from Boyle, who also was her adviser. It also was the professor who told her about Guimbellot. “I had so much fun at State, but I don’t get much time for fun any more,” Clark said. “I seem to study 24 hours a day! I never had to study that hard before.” Clark admitted that her “need” to know the cause of a disease or why a vaccine isn’t totally effective is the same as her mentor’s. As Guimbellot put it, “I always really liked to ask questions. I was the most annoying kid! Now, I know I’ll always want to know why; to ask questions and to find answers.”
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Veterinary Programs in Iraq
CVM graduate helping build veterinary programs in By Bob Ratliff (Paul M. McKellips, Global Outreach Officer, U.S. Embassy, Baghdad, contributed to this story)
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MSU graduate Lt. Col. Deanna Brown and Col. Danny McDaniels of Hattiesburg are part of a team of U.S. Army veterinarians working with veterinarians in Iraq.
IRAQ
When Deanna Brown graduated from Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990, she hoped to pursue a career as a large animal veterinarian. She did work as a dairy practitioner in Wisconsin for a year, but today Lt. Col. Brown is putting her expertise to use in a much different capacity. “I’m originally from Little Rock, Ark., but now I live in Fayettville, N.C., at Fort Bragg,” she said. “Just recently I led a large animal veterinary workshop in Erbil, Iraq.” As a U.S. Army veterinarian, Lt. Col. Brown is part of a team working to train Iraqi veterinarians and help them refocus on large animal health. “Most of our emphasis is on improving agricultural production by assisting farmers with improving sheep and cattle production, as well as helping establish private poultry farms,” she said. “We also are working to improve both government and private veterinary services.” Iraq has about 10,000 veterinarians. About 2,900 are employed by the government, universities or laboratories, and another 4,000 are working at least part time in private practice. Approximately 3,000 are unemployed. There is a shortage of veterinary drugs and vaccines in Iraq and they often are too expensive for most farmers to afford. Iraqi veterinarians also struggle with basics their U.S. counterparts take for granted. “Lack of reliable vehicles for vaccination and other treatment activities is one of the most reported complaints by veterinarians,” Brown said. “Clinic staff reportedly rely entirely on taxis for field activities, and the cost severely limits their ability to provide services to farmers.”
Vaccinations against major animal diseases, including those that can spread to humans, are an important part of the work of Iraqi veterinarians. “Veterinarians in Iraq have many issues to deal with that we don’t in the United States,” Brown said. “They have many significant diseases here, including foot and mouth disease, that we don’t. The country also does not have the infrastructure needed to develop overarching programs to control these diseases.” Developing an infrastructure is part of the work of Brown and other U.S. veterinarians in Iraq. “We’ve developed an interagency working group of veterinarians from many different organizations, including the military, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. universities, and the American Veterinary Medical Association,” she said. “Together, we’re helping the Iraqi veterinarians pull together to develop a good plan.” Their work is beginning to show results, especially in northern Iraq. “Veterinarians in northern Iraq are on the front lines when it comes to controlling the spread of avian flu,” Brown said. “They have developed a good plan to control the disease in that part of the country.” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns has proposed developing a program to train Iraqi agricultural experts to work directly with the country’s farmers, much like Extension Service specialists and agents support agriculture in this country. Such a program, Brown said, could have a significant impact on animal agriculture in Iraq. “It would be an opportunity for the veterinarians to actually work with the farmers to teach them about what they can do,” she said. “A lot of the veterinarians here are very excited about the possibility of being involved in an Extension-type program.”
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Larry Otis
feels a need for speed
By Phil Hearn Photo by Russ Houston Graphics courtesy of Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems
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Former Tupelo Mayor Larry Otis is described by one friend and colleague as an “adventuresome soul” with an abiding “need for speed.” As a youngster growing up in rural East Central Mississippi, Otis frequently played with a toy model of the Bluebird racing vehicle Sir Malcolm Campbell drove to a new land-speed record across Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats in 1935. Now retired from private business and politics, Otis is turning his childhood passion into a quest to set a landspeed record of his own in a biodiesel-powered automobile being designed by Mississippi State engineering majors. “I’ve always liked automobiles and I’m project-oriented,” said the Kemper County native and 1960 industrial engineering graduate of the university. “This is an opportunity to pull together some friends and some resources of the university.” Acting on his lifelong ambition, Otis recently approached officials of MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems with the idea of helping him build a Streamliner race car he wants to drive in an effort to establish a new land-speed record for its class. A two-term Tupelo mayor from 1999-2005, Otis chose to compete in the Streamliner G Class, which includes diesel-powered engine sizes ranging from 93 to 122 cubic inches. To be classified a Streamliner, the vehicle must have the front wheel or wheels covered by an aerodynamic skirt and be powered by a mechanical drive train (as opposed to jet or rocket cars). Success will require expertise in chassis design, suspension design and aerodynamic design, while meeting certifying organizational specification rules set by the Federation Internationale de Automobile and Southern California Timing Association.
Also a retired corporate officer of a river towing service, the 68-year-old Otis hopes to drive the race car over a three-mile course at the historic Salt Flats in an attempt to break the Class G existing speed record of just less than 128 miles an hour. A parachute braking system will be used for safety purposes in the individual timed run about two years from now. Wayne H. Causey Jr., CAVS manager of technology development for commercialization, said a team directed by Neil Littell recently digitized Otis’s body dimensions at the research center’s Human Factors Laboratory. “The racer will be designed around Larry’s body dimensions in order to reduce air resistance,” Causey explained. “A digital model of Larry will provide this data.” Littell said a computer software program called CATIA (Computer-Aided Three-Dimensional Interactive Application) is being used in the project. Product life-cycle management coordinator for CAVS, Littell said an estimated 40-50 MSU students enrolled in his industrial engineering and industrial technology classes will begin designing the racer early this fall. The students represent a cross section of such fields as aerospace, mechanical and electrical engineering. Otis and the officials at CAVS, which is directed by Rand German, predict the Streamliner vehicle will be about 18 to 24 feet in length and weigh from 1,200 to 1,500 pounds. MSU’s internationally recognized Raspet Flight Research Center, which specializes in carbon fiber composite technology, may help design the racer’s skin. “We’ve talked about multiple classes devising a variety of designs, so there will be some sense of competition to get the best and most efficient concepts,” said Otis. “We might merge some of those ideas to synthesize this down to an optimum approach.”
MSU researcher Neil Littell, left, outfits Larry Otis with the suit used to digitize the former Tupelo mayor’s body dimensions for the design of the Streamliner race car. For more information, contact www.cavs.msstate.edu. Although CAVS has the capability to do some of the vehicle fabrication, Otis indicated the car actually may be manufactured by friends who operate machine-shop facilities in Tupelo. The racer eventually will be displayed at the Tupelo Automobile Museum, which Otis helped establish in 2004 with the late Frank Spain, a fellow MSU alumnus. “At any rate, we do expect MSU students to participate in the design, fabrication, testing, and racing activities,” said Causey. “Once Neil has a rough plan, we can start putting cost estimates together.” Littell said the project will provide invaluable training for MSU students. “I like to give them projects they know will result in something real,” he said. As for Otis’s fascination with things that go fast, he claims it’s a positive factor. “It keeps me out of trouble,” he asserted.
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John Ye
A “special” touch for
Old Computers By Robbie Ward Photo by Megan Bean
Kids at the Boys and Girls Club smiled with anticipation when John Ye walked into the computer lab, holding a briefcase of technical support and good intentions. Ye, a computer support specialist at Mississippi State’s Bagley College of Engineering, began visiting the Boys and Girls Club of Oktibbeha/Starkville during the fall. His goal was to transform dysfunctional computers in the club’s computer lab into equipment useful for students to browse the Internet and complete computer homework assignments. Before Ye started working on the club’s computers, the 6- to 8-year-old machines had unknown passwords, preventing students and staff at the club from using them. The computers also included lots of unnecessary software, causing them to move at a snail’s pace. Ye worked on the computers for months. Issues with the computers caused him to spend hours on each machine, downloading new software, eliminating programs and further optimizing them. Now students at the Boys and Girls Club of Oktibbeha/Starkville use the computers daily. “They’re slow, but they get the job done,” Ye said recently of his work on the computers. Club director Frances Wilson said Ye’s dedication and focus was making the computers usable for students to complete schoolwork and other projects. She often would meet Ye at the club on weekends to let him in to work on computers. He also would drop in during his lunch breaks and after work during the week, she said.
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“I don’t think anyone else would have spent that much time on those computers,” Wilson said. “Anyone else would have wanted to just get rid of them.” Providing computer access to students at the club helps provide the technology to children who otherwise may not have access to computers outside of their school classrooms. Wilson estimated about half of the 117 students, ranging in age from 6 to 17, enrolled at the club don’t have a computer at home. Tommy Stevenson, the Bagley College’s assistant dean for diversity and student development, said Ye is just one example of the university working with the students at the Boys and Girls Club. Stevenson coordinates with MSU students majoring in engineering to mentor students at the club in math, science and other subjects. The college also organizes at the club a free camp each year which aims to introduce kids to science and engineering concepts at an early age. While Ye’s goal of improving the computers’ usefulness appears close to accomplished, he continues to work on computers at the club. Saying that more work remains, he also has: ✦ installed Internet filters, protecting younger students from viewing inappropriate online material, and other similar programs; ✦ made regular checks on the computers he updated, ensuring they continue to function properly; and ✦ plans to soon install anti-virus features on the machines. “There are so many things that need to be done,” Ye said. “I have no plans to drop this anytime soon.”
John Ye shows a computer program to members of the Boys and Girls Club of Oktibbeha/Starkville, from left, Jamal Williams, Faith Martin, Aundrilyn Evans, and Jermaine Clark.
CAMPUS news Veterans center named for ‘Sonny’ Montgomery
Mississippi State system administrators inspect the new Raptor supercomputer in the university’s High Performance Computing Collaboratory.
Supercomputer ranks high among universities Mississippi State’s new “Raptor” supercomputer is the 18th most powerful computer system among American universities, according to the latest international rankings. Able to perform more than 10 trillion calculations per second, the university supercomputer is ranked in the November 2006 edition of the Top500 Supercomputing Sites. The rankings were compiled and released by the universities of Tennessee and Mannheim (Germany). Recently installed at MSU’s High Performance Computing Collaboratory, the 2,048 processor computing cluster called Raptor also is listed as the 39th most powerful academic computer in the world. Of the 17 other U.S. academic computers ranked ahead of MSU’s Raptor, however, eight are National Science Foundation-funded systems located at three sites. Considered “national assets,” these include five at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, two at the University of California at San Diego and one at the University of Pittsburgh. “Several of the U.S. academic systems ranked ahead of us are located at the same site,” said professor David Shaw, director of MSU’s GeoResources Institute. “This supercomputer keeps MSU in the league of major university research programs that focus on high-performance computing—institutions like the University of Texas, Harvard University and California Institute of Technology,” added Shaw, chair of the HPC2 Operations Board. MSU’s Raptor is the fastest computer system at any Southeastern Conference university. Vanderbilt is ranked 30th; Louisiana State, 31st; and Florida, 34th. They are the only other SEC schools making the Top500 list.
A Starkville native and Army Reserve captain has been named director of Mississippi State’s new G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans. Andrew S. Rendon, a Blackhawk helicopter pilot whose active service included Balkan peacekeeping duties during the late 1990s, will serve as the primary link to military veterans who enroll at the university. He also will work off campus to recruit others to pursue their higher educations at the 128-year-old land-grant institution. The Montgomery Center was conceived by MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, a retired four-star general who commanded U.S. Air Force operations in Europe prior to his retirement last year. It is among several campus memorials to the late MSU alumnus, 3rd District congressman and Foglesong friend whose boundless work on behalf of service men and women earned him the honorary U.S. House of Representatives title of “Mr. Veteran.” “We will focus primarily on three major initiatives,” said Rendon, an MSU alumnus. “In addition to recruiting, they will include academic and career enhancement, and job placement assistance. Specifically, we will work to provide our constituents with value-added services that ensure both academic and lifelong successes.” For additional information on the Montgomery Center for America’s Veterans, contact Rendon at 662-325-6720 or arendon@saffairs.msstate.edu.
Prof wins national award in meat science extension industry A Mississippi State professor is receiving a national award that recognizes outstanding achievement in meat science extension and service to the industry. William Benjy Mikel received the American Meat Science Association’s Distinguished Extension-Industry Service Award during the organization’s recent 2006 conference at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mikel has served for the past year as head of the department of food science, nutrition and health promotion and, concurrently, as director of the university’s Food Science Institute.
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CAMPUS news ‘Pathfinder’ program leading to student success
Study targets safer vaccines for often-fatal whooping cough
Now in its ninth year, a Mississippi State program to constantly remind freshmen of the importance of class attendance is having a significant impact on the number remaining in school. “You can’t argue with the data” said the program’s founder, David McMillen, research scientist at the university’s nationally recognized Social Science Research Center. For 2005—the most recent year for which figures are complete—more than 82 percent of freshmen returned for their sophomore year, up from just over 75 percent when the program began in 1997. The number is the highest since the program’s inception. “When we started Pathfinders, retention percentages had run in the mid-70s for years,” McMillen said. “We thought personal contact could be a non-threatening, convincing way to encourage class attendance.” Pathfinders enlisted faculty members to voluntarily report absences, based on research that showed student grades decline with the rise in classes missed. Initially the program asked to be notified after three absences; that number is now two. “We’ll contact students throughout the semester, but we’re particularly interested in the first weeks of each semester when habits are being formed,” said Ty Abernathy.
A pair of Mississippi State biological scientists are conducting potentially life-saving research that may result in the development of safer whooping cough vaccines, which sometimes lead to brain damage and death. Professors Lakshmi Pulakat and Nara Gavini are heading a research team that has discovered a unique mechanism in existing vaccines that may trigger neurological damage among whooping cough patients. “Our research has unraveled a new physiological and biochemical role for a protein whose exact role in neuronal functions is still unclear,” said Gavini, former head of the MSU biological sciences department, who now serves on a temporary basis as a program director for the National Science Foundation. Their findings were presented by MSU research team member and biological sciences doctoral student Mary Hetrick during the recent 106th general meeting of the American Society for Micribiology in Orlando, Fla. The ASM communications committee and the 2006 ASM general meeting program committee (including biotechnology entrepreneurs and representatives of pharmaceutical companies) highlighted the MSU research because of its potential for the development of safer whooping cough vaccines, according to Pulakat. Whooping cough—also known as pertussis—is a highly contagious disease affecting about 30-50 million people worldwide, and causing more than 300,000 deaths a year. Children under 1 year are most vulnerable victims and 90 percent of all cases occur in developing countries. “Neurological damage is a dangerous after-effect among patients suffering from whooping cough, and also seems to affect infants vaccinated with DPT vaccine or acellular vaccine,” said Hetrick. The disease is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, which produces many toxins upon infection, she explained. Both whole-cell pertussis vaccines and acellular vaccines are used to prevent whooping cough in the United States and other countries. Although severe problems closely following DPT immunization happen very rarely, experts say, those problems may include a serious allergic reaction, prolonged seizures, a decrease in consciousness, lasting brain disease and even death.
Mississippi State’s Colvard Union is undergoing a $25 million renovation that will add some 60,000 square feet to the 42-yearold student facility. It is being modernized into a state-of-the-art union to serve a new generation of MSU students.
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CAMPUS news Listen up! Podcasting expands classroom concept With a headset microphone, computer connection and the desire to expand the concept of “classroom,” several Mississippi State professors are taking their lectures to cyberspace with the help of the university’s information technology experts. Podcasting, launched last year with three pilot classes, expanded this fall to 14 classes enrolling more than 1,400 students, said Kathleen Olivieri, lead consultant with MSU’s information technology systems office. Since students now can receive lectures on their MP3 media player or desktop computer, podcasting technology essentially is delivering “lectures-on-demand,” she explained. Students also may review course materials more easily, she added. “We knew we wanted to develop a system that was really simple to use and provided a teaching complement,” Olivieri said. “Our goal was to create a stress-free system for faculty members, because we know their classroom time is limited.” Because existing technologies are so expensive, the campus ITS team created its own technology infrastructure, said system services manager Jay Burrell. “Faculty members are in the classroom to teach and we don’t want technology to get in their way.” The MSU-developed system is based on hardware produced by Barix AG of Zurich, Switzerland. It allows faculty members to walk into a classroom, record a lecture with no additional equipment and publish to the Web automatically. “Using commercially available products, we were able to create an all-in-one system that requires very few steps,” Burrell said. At a recent presentation in Dallas, Texas, the fully automated system created so much interest that MSU has been approached by 15 other universities requesting the custom computer codes developed to create the system. Among them are the universities of San Diego, Miami and Georgia, as well as Pennsylvania State and others. Olivieri said the ITS program’s ultimate goal is to enhance the overall learning experience at Mississippi State. “Students are the reason we’ve developed the system and students will determine its success,” she said.
Research may lead to new treatments for bacterial infections A Mississippi State professor’s cutting-edge research may help scientists develop better drugs to attack bacterial infections. The work of James L. Smith, an assistant professor in the biological sciences department, focuses on the development of new and more effective antibiotics designed to overcome a growing problem of bacterial resistance to many drugs now in use. The research findings of Smith, a molecular biologist, are published in the September 2006 edition of Science. The prestigious journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science boasts an estimated one-million readers. The scientific paper is co-authored by Eefjan Breukink of Utrecht University in the Netherlands. “This work opens an innovative area of possibilities of antibiotic design,” said Smith, who joined the MSU faculty this past August. “Conceivably, new antibiotics that are less prone to bacterial resistance could be developed based on our findings.”
Over-60s may attend university at no charge Beginning in January with the 2007 spring semester, Mississippi State began offering tuition-free academic courses to all persons 60 years of age and older. Previously offered only to those 65 and beyond, the new policy is available on a spaceavailable basis to anyone—university affiliation is not required. The option continues to include no limits on the number of course credit hours that may be taken at no cost, other than specific course and laboratory fees and parking permits. “Interested senior citizens should promptly begin the admission and registration processes in order to be placed in the desired courses in time for the first class meeting,” said MSU Registrar Butch Stokes. Spring classes begin Jan. 8, with late registration continuing through the 16th, he added. For complete information on special registration for students 60 years and older, contact the Registrar’s Office at 662-3252662.
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CAMPUS news NSF grant to aid academically talented students A $500,000 grant to Mississippi State will help academically talented, financially needy students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. The National Science Foundation will fund the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program at the university over a three-year period. The program began Jan. 1, 2007, and concludes Dec. 31, 2010. Thirty-six scholarships worth $4,000 each will be awarded over the period to students who are U.S. citizens or lawfully admitted immigrants. Demonstrated academic potential or ability and financial need are among the criteria for selection. The NSF requires applicants to be enrolled full time in a bachelor’s or graduate program in biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, or physics. “We will recruit in spring 2007 and begin to make scholarship awards in fall 2007,” said Corlis Johnson, the grant’s
University playing key role in design of work-force plan Mississippi State researchers are playing a key role in developing an education plan to meet state work force demands in the 21st century. The university’s Research and Curriculum Unit is partnering with the Mississippi Department of Education and other state groups to design and implement a plan titled “Redesigning Education for the 21st Century Workforce.” “The plan still is mostly in a conceptual phase,” said Shelly Bock, assistant director of the unit. “Our staff meets monthly with MDE staff and the state Board of Education Subcommittee for further development of each piece of the redesign.” The Mississippi Department of Transportation, state teachers, industry experts, and the Institutions of Higher Learning’s University Research Center also are participating in the effort, which will examine the delivery of work-force education courses in the state.
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principal investigator and associate head of MSU’s mathematics and statistics department. Johnson said recruiting and retaining students in STEM fields and preparing them to enter today’s highly technical work force are major goals of the NSF program. Scholarship applicants will be recruited from state and regional high schools, community colleges and four-year and historically black institutions, the associate professor of mathematics added. Other co-principal investigators and members of the MSU project team are Sandra Harpole, physics professor and associate vice president for research; Nancy McCarley, associate professor of psychology and director of the Shackouls Honors College; and Donna Reese, computer science professor and associate dean of the Bagley College of Engineering.
University expands global network with link to China Continuing its global outreach, Mississippi State is joining with a major institution of higher learning in China for the formal exchange of ideas, personnel and students. Officially designated as one of 21 key universities in the world’s most populous nation, the Beijing Institute of Technology enrolls more than 38,000 students and focuses primarily on engineering, science and the liberal arts. As its name implies, the school is located in the Chinese capital. BIT is home to a dozen members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or Chinese Academy of Engineering—equivalents of the national academies of Sciences and Engineering in this country. “It’s important to understand that this partnership will benefit many programs on campus,” said Roger King, associate dean of MSU’s Bagley College of Engineering. “We now need to move on to the next step and begin utilizing the full potential of this alliance.” The new partnership is part of an ongoing effort to strengthen the university’s international programs, said MSU Provost Peter Rabideau.
CAMPUS news President Robert Foglesong (r), retired U.S. Air Force general, walked with Capts. Warren Carroll (l) and James Winning in October in preparation for take-off at Columbus Air Force Base. Joined by Col. Dave Gerber, CAFB wing commander, the four piloted two T-38C Talons in a fly-by salute to veterans prior to MSU’s game against the University of Arkansas Razorbacks.
Major benefactor aids JSU students Engineering majors at Jackson State University now can continue their education at Mississippi State with the aid of a new endowment established by a former Brookhaven resident. Dave C. Swalm, a 1955 MSU chemical engineering graduate, is providing a $3 million gift for scholarships at his alma mater’s Bagley College of Engineering. The Swalm-JSU Engineering Scholarship Endowment will assist any bachelor of science graduate of the Jackson institution who desires to pursue an advanced degree in engineering at MSU. Candidates must have graduated with a 3.0 grade-point average, based on a 4.0 scale. The gift, Swalm’s second multimillion dollar commitment to MSU’S ongoing State of the Future campaign, also will benefit Jackson State undergraduate students who wish to transfer and pursue an engineering degree not currently offered there.
MSU developing energy system for residential, ag, commercial uses Mississippi State will use a new federal grant of nearly $1 million to develop an alternative energy production system for use in residential, agricultural and small commercial buildings. The U.S. Department of Energy is channeling a grant of $962,000 to the university’s Micro Cooling, Heating and Power, and Bio-Fuel Center. The federal agency previously provided $3.8 million for the program, which was established in 2004. “The grant will allow researchers to develop a CHP system to be used in residential or small-building application,” said mechanical engineering professor Louay M. Chamra, leader of the university’s Micro-CHP research program. Chamra said the initial system will consist of a vapor compression cooling system powered by a propane or natural gas-driven generator, with waste heat recovery for hot water and heating. He predicted a small commercial CHP system delivering less than 15 kilowatts of electric power could be available within two or three years. “This system will be packaged as one unit to be used in a residential home or on a small farm,” said Chamra, who earned a doctorate in mechanical engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1992 and joined the MSU faculty in 1996. “Fifteen kilowatts is more than enough for most houses.” Combined cooling, heating and power is a promising technology for increased energy efficiency through the use of distributed electricity generation and waste energy recovery systems at or near end-user sites. Waste energy from the power production is used to provide the cooling, heating and hot water/steam needs for the site. Chamra said CHP systems are expected to promote energy reliability and selfsufficiency for many large institutional, industrial and agricultural applications, while also providing energy security during disasters. He said the systems are designed to be environmentally friendly by reducing greenhouse emissions.
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CAMPUS news Study: millions of Southerners living with chronic pain Millions of Southerners are enduring chronic pain with little complaint these days as acute aches and ailments take a devastating toll on their personal lives. Call it Southern stoicism or a penchant for misery, many of the suffering horde seem to accept pain as a “normal part of life” while an assortment of maladies inflict havoc on their work, sex life, sleep, mental health, play, and relationships with others. The findings are part of a newly released study by Mississippi State’s Social Science Research Center, directed by Art Cosby. The university report is
titled “Social and Cultural Dimensions of Pain: An Overview of the Southern Pain Prevalence Study 2004.” More than 3,600 adults in six Southern states answered fundamental questions about pain and pain management during the 2004 study, conducted in partnership with the Mid-South Division of the American Cancer Society. In addition to Mississippi, targeted states included Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Letitia Thompson of the American Cancer Society said the pain study was important “because the management of
New research/clinical imaging facility to aid research, health care education A new facility featuring state-of-the-art research and clinical imaging equipment formally opened in Starkville in mid-October. The 20,000-square-foot facility—the result of a partnership between Premier Radiology and Mississippi State—features a powerful $2.7 million 3 Telsa Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine and a 64slice computed tomography scanner. The MRI equipment is funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research. The facility is located at the intersection of U.S. 182 West and Stark Road. The university’s Institute for Neurocognitive Science and Technology will use the imaging equipment to conduct research aimed at improving the visualization of biomedical data, human performance in complex interactive task environments, and the scientific and clinical understanding of disease. Premier Radiology will make the medical imaging equipment available to physicians and their patients for diagnostic and therapeutic use. Additionally, veterinarians and pet owners will have access to the imaging equipment through MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
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cancer pain occurs in a social and cultural context where understanding of prevalence levels, attitudes and
beliefs can either enhance or hinder the treatment of patients.” The researchers found pain to be “pervasive” among Southern adults surveyed. “Many individuals were experiencing chronic pain, and substantial numbers judged their pain to be either moderate or severe,” they said. “When this data was projected to the six-state region, it was clear that several million individuals are living with chronic pain conditions.” Their report also noted: “About onehalf of respondents (49 percent) said their pain interfered with their sexual relations.” The study examined beliefs and attitudes people hold about pain and pain management, especially those that might be detrimental to their health and well-being. The study indicated most people experiencing moderate to severe pain express a greater satisfaction with health-care providers than with the effectiveness of their pain management. It also found, however, that the willingness of sufferers to risk dependency on or addiction to pain-reducing medication increased with the severity of the pain.
CAMPUS news Wetland conservation scholarships offered A Georgia-based company is doing much more than building upscale residences these days. Scenic Homes, a family owned business, also is working to further waterfowl and wetland conservation through a $424,000 scholarship endowment recently established at Mississippi State. The owner and partners of the construction firm—which also has offices in Mississippi, Louisiana, and North and South Carolina—have established the Scenic Homes-Dr. Richard M. Kaminski Scholarship in Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation at the university. The academic award will provide qualified students with $8,000 annually for tuition and fees, housing, books, and supplies. “We are excited about the opportunity to provide scholarships for students interested in a professional career as a waterfowl or wetlands ecologist, manager or conservationist,” said Scenic Homes owner Paul Meng. Scenic Homes/Kaminski Scholars must be enrolled fulltime in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in wildlife and fisheries science from the College of Forest Resources. An MSU grade-point average of 3.0 or higher (based on a 4.0 scale) and involvement in professional and leadership organizations in their field of study also are required.
‘Dynamic women of Mississippi’ named Four women from Mississippi State are included in the inaugural class of a statewide honor coordinated by the City of Madison’s Chamber of Commerce. Recently recognized as 2007 Dynamic Women of Mississippi were university faculty members Linda T. Coats, Nancy A. Hargrove and Sandra H. Harpole, and staff member Kristy I. Riley. The recognition program seeks to annually spotlight outstanding accomplishments and contributions by women in the fields of business, government, the arts, education, health care, and community service. The four from MSU are among 12 noted for enhancing the national and international prominence of the state and will be featured in a desk calendar to be produced by the chamber. They include: —Coats, interim head of the curriculum and instruction department and a 20-year teaching veteran. Her research and national presentations have focused on learning styles, learning experiences of African-American students and leadership behaviors. —Hargrove, a William L. Giles Distinguished Professor of English and a specialist in 20th century American and British poetry. She is the author of two books and a third in progress, as well as more than 40 essays. Hargrove has received five Fulbright awards, most recently a Fulbright Distinguished Chair recognition reserved for only 30 scholars in the nation. —Harpole, associate vice president for research and the director of the Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology. She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science while teaching at West Point High School and the John Grisham Master Teacher and Mississippi Science Teachers Association Outstanding College Science Teacher awards, among others, while at MSU. —Riley, a summa cum laude MSU graduate currently serving as director of marketing and communication for the division of development and alumni. She is the founder and co-adviser of the MSU Phi Theta Kappa Alumni Association, an organization that recognizes and provides network opportunities for transfer students from junior and community colleges.
Alumni Mary and Hartley Peavey presented a one-of-a-kind custom Peavey electric guitar to MSU President Doc Foglesong, right, at the MSU-Arkansas football game. Hartley, a 1965 MSU graduate, is the founder of Meridian-based Peavey Electronics. The guitar features the M-State logo and will be kept in the president’s office, symbolizing the relationship between a world-class company and a world-class university.
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CAMPUS news Institute could generate dollars, improve storm forecasting Mississippi State is playing the lead role in establishing a cooperative research institute on the Gulf Coast that could yield “hundreds of millions of dollars” in scientific and economic benefits for the state and region. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in early November that it is providing a first-year grant of $6.3 million to a consortium of universities and institutions in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana to create the Northern Gulf Institute. The NOAA funding will ratchet up to just under $10 million a year over the
remaining five years of the contract period—and possibly beyond—with escalating economic benefits anticipated for the entire area. Storm-forecasting will be a major function of the institute. MSU will serve as lead institution for the institute
New Marszalek book focuses on black politician in Jim Crow South John Marszalek’s new book about a black South Carolina congressman’s life and career in the Jim Crow South paints the picture of a man who would not abandon his quest for justice despite the forces of racism that thwarted his every step. “Here’s a man and race of people who weren’t just rolling over and playing dead,” the Mississippi State historian said of George Washington Murray, the subject of his new political biography. “They were going to do everything they could to try to make it in a hostile world.” “A Black Congressman in the Age of Jim Crow: South Carolina’s George Washington Murray” is offered by University Press of Florida. It is part of a UPF book series, “New Perspectives on the History of the South,” edited by professor John David Smith of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Born a slave in 1850s South Carolina and elected to Congress in the 1890s, Murray appeared to be the antithesis of the African-American male in the Jim Crow South. To many, he served as a beacon for blacks who saw their hopes crushed in the aftermath of the Civil War. An MSU Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, Marszalek conducted extensive research to reconstruct Murray’s life story. His book defines an age and its people through the compelling battle of one man, showing how and why the nation’s efforts to reconstruct the South into a biracial democracy failed. 28
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based at the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, where Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and NOAA administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr. were among those participating in the announcement ceremony. The other institutional players include the University of Southern Mississippi, Florida State and Louisiana State universities, and Alabama’s Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory. MSU’s GeoResources Institute, directed by David Shaw, will apply its cutting-edge spatial and modeling technologies to improve storm forecasting. It also will address a wide range of other critical environmental issues in the northern Gulf of Mexico region, which stretches from the Sabine River on the west to the Suwannee River on the east. Researchers say a key goal of the institute will be to help decision-makers and management agencies understand the linkages between ecosystems and human societies, in an effort to reduce the vulnerability and enhance resiliency of these linked systems. MSU programs currently operating at Stennis include the GRI’s Science and Technology Research Center and the Department of Defense-funded Center for Programming Environment and Training.
CAMPUS news Smith to direct MSU leadership program Cade Smith recently was named director for the new Sonny Montgomery Chapter of the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program. A former MSU plant and soil sciences research associate, he also now is an assistant dean in the Division of Student Affairs, where the ALHP is housed. ALHP is the brainchild of President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, the retired Air Force four-star general who became the land-grant university’s 18th chief executive earlier this year. The chapter is a memorial to the former MSU alumnus, longtime U.S. congressman and Foglesong mentor and Smith friend who died in May in his hometown of Meridian. “Our mission is to prepare the next generation of business, political and academic leaders as they enter America’s work force,” Smith said.
Schulz named Fellow of scientific society Interim vice president for research Kirk Schulz is a 2006 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society. A professor of chemical engineering and dean of the university’s Bagley College of Engineering for the past two years, Schulz is among 449 AAAS Fellows honored for their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its application.
Minor expands leadership program A recently approved addition to Mississippi State’s curriculum will offer a minor in leadership studies to qualified students taking coursework in a specified program of studies. Part of a “leadership continuum” established by university President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, the new academic component is among a variety of initiatives designed to help students from high school through graduate school develop critical leadership skills. In addition to an academic leadership component, the “continuum” also includes the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Chapter of the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program for second- and third-year MSU students, a “Young Guns” program for rising high school seniors and a “Day One” experience for entering MSU freshmen. The three programs, along with additional components being developed for athletes and graduate students, were conceptualized by Foglesong. “We believe leadership should extend from the cradle to the chief executive’s office, and we believe higher education has a pivotal role to play in fostering leadership skills,” Foglesong said. The new academic minor—available to entering freshmen and transfer students—will include courses in ethics, social sciences and communication. Each participating student also must complete an off-campus internship. Specifics of the undergraduate minor were proposed by a campus committee made up of faculty and staff members, students and administrators. The effort was chaired by veteran psychology professor Thomas C. Carskadon, who holds the additional title of John Grisham Master Teacher. Students successfully completing the required courses and internship will earn a designation on their official transcripts at the time of graduation.
Offices share advancement honors Five university outreach units of Mississippi State are major winners in a regional competition of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. CASE is the country’s leading educational-support organization for professionals working in alumni relations, communications and development. Staff members in the Office of University Relations received two CASE Grand Awards, the highest honors, at the organization’s recent District III annual conference in Nashville, Tenn. Their entries and four others from MSU receiving 2007 Awards of Excellence were among more than 1,100 submitted this year from educational institutions in nine Southern states stretching from the South Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River. In addition to Mississippi, CASE District III includes nearly 600 public and private institutions of higher learning, independent and secondary schools, and other educational entities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. It is among eight CASE districts covering the United States and Canada. CASE national offices are located in Washington, D.C. In all, the organization serves more than 47,000 professionals on the staffs of member institutions.
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A senior from Ocean Springs is the sole U.S. Air Force ROTC cadet receiving a special national award. At a fall ceremony, aerospace engineering major Christine M. Schudrowitz was presented with a $3,000 scholarship from the Armed Forces Communication and Electronics Association, in partnership with the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. Her award is one of only four given this year to ROTC participants and the only one going to a member of the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Similar awards are being presented to a member of Army, Navy and Marine Corps programs at other schools. A 2003 Ocean Springs High School graduate, she is the daughter of James and Mary Schudrowitz. She was nominated by MSU’s departments of aerospace studies and aerospace engineering. 30
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The camp will be jointly sponsored by the university and foundation, along with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Sessions will be held June 18-23 and 25-30, and July 16-21 and 23-28. In addition to taking place primarily at the MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian, they will include complementary exercises on the Starkville campus and at the NativeAmerican reservation in Choctaw. “Those selected to attend will reflect the diversity of Mississippi in their backgrounds, interests and ambitions,” Foglesong said. “Young Guns will begin the process of transforming these young men and women into enlightened leaders capable of motivating others to accomplish extraordinary things.” Young Guns will be led by Cade Smith, a Grenada native named last year to lead MSU’s Sonny Montgomery Chapter of the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program—another program conceived by Foglesong. The ALHP is a part of the Division of Student Affairs.
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A Mississippi State-developed leadership program for high school students is being launched with the gift of more than $440,000 from a private Lauderdale County foundation. Conceived by university President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, the Young Guns Summer Leadership Camp will stress personal character and leadership development to rising seniors. The Meridian-based Riley Foundation grant will enable the landgrant institution to offer four oneweek sessions in June and July. Foglesong recently received notification of the award from foundation executive director Becky G. Farley.
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Smith said each camp will be diverse in gender, race and socioeconomic status, and will include those who currently may not see higher education in their future. “Each camp also will involve 10 Choctaw students to help foster shared cultural experiences,” he added. While free to all who are selected, the camp will require a $20 enrollment fee to ensure follow-through of the admission process, Smith said. The fee may be waived, however, if a sponsoring educator indicates that the amount creates a financial challenge. “Ultimately, these students will form a foundation of adult citizens capable of leading their communities in social progress, education reform, economic emergence, and other critical needs of this state and the nation as a whole,” Foglesong said.
Abraham to serve as interim vice president Jimmy W. Abraham, executive director of the alumni association at Mississippi State, will serve as interim vice president for development and alumni during the university’s search to fill the position. Dennis A. Prescott, who has held the position since 1999, recently announced he has accepted a position at Baylor University in his native state of Texas. “Jimmy has a deep knowledge of Mississippi State and has served in successively responsible positions for more than three decades,” said President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong. “We appreciate his Abraham willingness to assume temporary additional duties while the search process is under way.” A 1975 MSU graduate and Clarksdale native, Abraham will continue leadership responsibilities as executive director of MSU’s Alumni Association, and, while holding the interim position, for the fund-raising arm of external affairs, Foglesong said.
CAMPUS news National Humane Society provides major grant During January ceremonies at Mississippi State, representatives from the nation’s largest animal protection organization presented a $900,000 check to the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine. The Humane Society of the United States’ two-year grant will establish spay and neuter surgical programs at Mississippi’s only veterinary medical training facility. MSU officials officially accepted the check from Dr. Andrew Rowan, executive vice president, and Melissa Rubin, vice president of field and disaster services, for the 10 millionmember society. “This support from the Humane Society of the United States will allow Mississippi State to continue its significant response to animal needs following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina,” said Vance H. Watson, vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine. In collaboration with the HSUS’ Rural Area Veterinary Services program, MSU is launching a comprehensive program to assist lowincome families—especially those affected by Katrina—with spay and neuter services as well as basic animal health care. The program also is designed to foster relationships with local humane organizations in reducing pet overpopulation, as well as to provide students with hands-on veterinary experience. Rowan said the grant is funded by donations specifically designated to help animals in the communities affected by the massive 2005 Gulf storm. “This program not only provides real-world training for students, it is an opportunity to have a long-term positive impact in the lives of people and animals in these communities,” he observed.
Also participating in the announcement were Dr. Kent Hoblet, dean of the veterinary college, and Dr. Philip A. Bushby, Marcia Lane Endowed Professor in Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare. Bushby will oversee the program. “This partnership will be a comprehensive program that will provide basic veterinary care, as well as spay and neuter procedures for animals whose owners cannot afford veterinary services,” Bushby said. He added: “It will also create opportunities to educate school children and animal owners on the need for routine medical care for their animals and on the prevention of animal overpopulation.” The program also will insert an information microchip into the animal
patients and provide vaccinations at the time of surgery. MSU’s effort will be modeled after HSUS’s Rural Area Veterinary Services program, which combines community outreach and veterinary education to bring free veterinary services to underserved rural communities where poverty and geographic isolation make regular veterinary care inaccessible. “Through their support, the HSUS has provided us with an extraordinary opportunity to positively impact the people and pets of our region, particularly those affected by Hurricane Katrina,” said Hoblet. Pet owners participating in the MSU program will receive vouchers to cover the costs of post-operative care and follow-up vaccinations for their pets at local clinics, ensuring the longterm health care of the pets.
Dr. Andrew Rowan of the Humane Society of the United States (second from right) presented a $900,000 check to the College of Veterinary Medicine. Accepting were (from left) Vice President Vance Watson, and Dean Kent Hoblet and Dr. Philip Bushby of the college.
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CAMPUS news First endowed professor in animal ethics, welfare named In mid-January ceremonies on the 15-acre Lowndes County farm of Marcia Lane, Mississippi State officially named its first professor to hold an endowed chair funded by the philanthropist. Dr. Philip Bushby, who has taught in the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine since 1987, now holds the title of Marcia Lane Endowed Professor in Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare. The position was created in June with announcement of a $500,000 supporting gift from the California native and animal-welfare benefactor. The Lane Chair will enable the college to develop collaborative relationships with animal sheltering organizations throughout the state and surrounding region. It also will enhance efforts by Mississippi’s only academic program in veterinary medicine to: —support local spay/neuter programs; and —develop education outreach programs to introduce area school children to proper care of animals and issues of pet overpopulation. Bushby said that Lane’s generosity will allow him to “contribute to the solution of overpopulation of unwanted pets and to the relief of animal suffering.” The true impact of her generosity “will not be seen in my activities, but in the activities of our graduates, whose education was impacted by this program and who will continue to contribute day after day, year after year, graduate after graduate,” he added. A Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, Bushby currently is service chief of primary care at the college’s Animal 32
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On hand for the ceremony were (lr) Retha Bushby, Dr. Phillip Bushby and Marcia Lane.
Health Center, which annually treats approximately 9,000 animals from around the state. He also has directed the office of educational innovation and, as academic program director, initiated a major curriculum development using problem-based learning. Bushby was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Ireland in 2000 to
further explore the teaching approach. He has made more than 300 presentations at national and international meetings, primarily in the areas of animal surgery and the use of computers in veterinary practice and education. He also currently serves as president of the Columbus-Lowndes County Humane Society.
Longtime archaeologist receives national organization’s highest achievement award Longtime Mississippi State religion professor and Middle Eastern archaeologist Joe D. Seger is receiving the highest achievement award presented by the American Schools of Oriental Research. A university faculty member since 1982 and director of the Cobb Institute of Archaeology since 1988, Seger received the prestigious Richard J. Scheuer Medal at the national organization’s recent 2006 annual meeting in Washington, D.C. The Scheuer Medal is named for the venerated life trustee of ASOR and first recipient of the award in 1989. Considered ASOR’s top honor, it was presented to Seger by unanimous concurrence of the ASOR awards committee. The medal is given to honor one who emulates Scheuer’s “long-term service as a trustee, outstanding generosity in supporting ASOR and all of its affiliated overseas institutes, and sustained vital interest in the objectives of the ASOR mission.”
SPORTS talk Nine Bulldogs earn awards A record number of Mississippi State softball players collected National Fastpitch Coaches Association AllAmerica scholar-athlete awards, while the team itself finished in the top 20 among Division I schools and in the top half among Southeastern Conference institutions, according to the softball organization. MSU’s previous high was eight in 1998. Callye Williams earned the individual accolade for the third consecutive season, becoming just the sixth Bulldog to earn the honor at least three times. Michelle Kinney and Katie Johnson were honored for the second consecutive season, while Sammie Jo Bailey, Hayle Guess, Sara Hickerson, Lindsay Hunley, Gina McCloud and Kelli Miller took home the laurel for the first time. State’s 3.330 team grade-point average recorded during the 2005-06 academic year ranked 18th among all Division I schools, behind only the universities of South Carolina (fourth, 3.463 GPA) and Florida (16th, 3.350) among SEC squads. “It is a tribute to our student-athletes and the hard work they put in both academically and athletically,” said MSU head coach Jay Miller. “To have nine ballplayers earn NFCA Academic All-America is a tremendous honor. It is a tradition we want to continue here at Mississippi softball.”
Fanning garners 500th career win The Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs blasted visiting Troy 74-43 in a seasonopening win to give head coach Sharon Fanning her 500th career victory Nov. 10. With the win, Fanning becomes the 29th Division I head coach to reach the 500win plateau. Fanning ranks 22nd on the same list among active coaches. All of her wins have come at the Division I level throughout her 31-year career. “I know this is a joyous occasion for us to finally get Sharon to her 500th win and we are so very proud of her here at Mississippi State. This is one step to us getting better for the years to come. The team that she has right now, I think are really playing for Coach Fanning and we will see definitely a lot more wins for her around here,” said Ann Carr, senior woman’s administrator.
Dates Set For 2007 Super Bulldog Weekend The dates for Mississippi State’s annual spring homecoming, Super Bulldog Weekend, have been announced for 2007. This year’s festivities will be held March 30 April 1. In addition to MSU’s three-game Southeastern Conference baseball series with Kentucky, the annual spring football game also will be held that Saturday. Other Bulldog
events slated for that weekend include a three-game softball series with South Carolina, women’s tennis against Arkansas on Friday and men’s tennis hosting LSU on Sunday. State’s track and field squad will also be hosting the Bulldog Invitational on Saturday. A schedule of events complete with all times for 2007 Super Bulldog Weekend will be announced at a later date. A Spring 2007
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ALUMNI news Hurst honored as National Alumnus of the Year A 1949 Mississippi State graduate and continuing benefactor from Texas is the university’s newest National Alumnus of the Year. Louis A. Hurst Jr. received the honor in January during a campus awards ceremony held as part of the MSU Alumni Association’s annual leadership conference. A Houston resident, he retired in the 1980s after more than three decades as assistant director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.’s Memphis Region. A Poplarville native and accounting graduate, Hurst already was a longtime contributor to the College of Business and Industry when he made a major gift in July to the MSU Promise Program. Created by Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong shortly after he became MSU’s 18th president last year, the Promise program provides tuition support for Mississippi freshmen and community college transfers who meet academic qualifications and whose family incomes fall below $30,000 annually. “He is providing a lifetime legacy to students who otherwise might be squeezed out because of rising tuition,” Foglesong said at the time of Hurst’s generosity. Hurst previously had established an endowment fund in the business college, where he serves as a member of its senior executive advisory board. Additionally, he is a member of the MSU Foundation’s prestigious Old Main Society and has been designated as a Dean W. Colvard Founder because of lifetime gifts to his alma mater. An earlier tribute to Hurst’s generosity took place in late October when MSU’s newest residence hall was named in his honor. A part of the Northeast Village complex, the 82,000-square-foot facility is a 250-bed, co-residential facility filled with the latest in studentcentered amenities. 34
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National Alumnus of the Year Louis A. Hurst Jr., center, is congratulated by Alumni Association president Betty Latimer Black and President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong.
Outstanding alumni chapters honored The Alumni Association named outstanding chapters for 2006 at the annual alumni banquet in January. The recipients were selected from among chapters throughout the state and nation. In-state chapters recognized for excellence in giving, chapter membership and activities, and leadership were: Category I, selected from chapters with membership potential of under 325— 1. Covington County, and 2. George-Greene County. Category II, selected from chapters with membership potential of 325 to 749.—1. Lincoln County; 2. Tippah County; and 3. Yazoo County. Category III, selected from counties with membership potential of 750 or more—1. Central Mississippi; 2. Warren County; and 3. Oktibbeha County. Outstanding out-of-state chapters for 2006 were—1. Memphis, Tenn.; 2. Birmingham, Ala.; and 3. Houston, Texas. Honor chapters for 2006 were the DeSoto, Lee, Lowndes, and Washington chapters within the state, and the Atlanta, Ga., Baton Rouge, La., Dallas, Texas, Huntsville, Ala., Mobile, Ala., and Nashville, Tenn., chapters out of state.
ALUMNI news Outstanding Young Alumna honored
Distinguished Service Awards presented Miles Patrick Nelson (’73) of Southaven, Charles A. Jordan Jr. (’68) of Greenville, Jimmy Lee “Jim” Yonge (’64, M.S. ’67) of Lucedale, and Charles W. Farrior (’82) of Madison, Ala., have received Distinguished Service Awards for their years of service and dedication to the MSU Alumni Association. They received the honors at the annual alumni awards banquet in January. Nelson is lead customer service manager for Entergy Corp. Jordan is president of Planters Bank and Trust Co. in Greenville. Yonge is a broker and retired Extension 4-H youth development specialist. Farrior is business manager for the U.S. Army Targets Management Office.
Want to make your newest addition an official
BULLDOG?
Jodi Leigh White of Birmingham, Ala., is being honored as the 2007 Outstanding Young Alumna by the MSU Alumni Association. White serves as chief financial officer and vice president of Red Mountain Bank, and is the youngest CFO in the state of Alabama. She graduated magna cum laude and White holds two degrees from Mississippi State: a bachelor of professional accountancy in 1997 and a master of business administration in 1999. In addition, she was a member of Beta Alpha Psi, an honorary for financial information students and professionals. A certified public accountant in both Mississippi and Alabama, she was recognized by the Birmingham Business Journal as a Top 40 Under 40 in 2005. A member of the Bulldog Club, as well as the MSU Alumni Association, White has served as treasurer of the Birmingham chapter since 2004. Using her financial background, she initiated the addition of the PayPal component for the chapter Web site, making it easier for monetary gifts. She also serves on the chapter’s Golf Tournament and Student Recruiting committees. When not working on behalf of MSU, she volunteers at her church or at a shelter for abused women and children, among other causes.
You can receive a “Future Bulldog” certificate for your son or daughter by simply calling the Office of Admissions and Scholarships at 662-325-2224, by e-mailing admit@msstate.edu, or visiting http://msuinfo.ur.msstate.edu/friends/ futurebulldog.html. You must include the child’s full name, your address, and the year he or she will be a freshman at Mississippi State. Start your Bulldog traditions now. A Spring 2007
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ALUMNI news Show your pride with an MSU class ring Tradition is a special part of the Mississippi State experience. Thousands of MSU alumni show their devotion to the university every day by proudly wearing an official MSU class ring. By ordering yours today, you, too, can show the world your pride in your alma mater. The distinctive ring features the university name, date of its founding, your graduation year and degree letters, and any engraving you wish on the inside of the ring. The class ring contains a brilliant garnet (maroon) stone and is available in mens’ and ladies’ designs in 10, 14, or 18-karat white or yellow gold. For more information or to order your official Mississippi State class ring, call 1800-BALFOUR or visit www. balfourcollege.com.
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What’s going on? Check out our new Web site at www.alumni.msstate.edu for a frequently updated calendar of alumni events.
ALUMNI news College Alumni of the Year named College Alumni of the Year for 2007 were announced at the January alumni awards banquet. The group includes, front row from left, Patricia J. O’Kelly, managing director of media relations for the National Symphony Orchestra, College of Education; Amy Tuck, lieutenant governor of Mississippi, College of Arts and Sciences; Charlie W. Morgan, Mississippi state forester, College of Forest Resources; back row from left, Brett Beckman, owner of Burnt Store Animal Hospital, College of Veterinary Medicine; Franklin Myers, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Cameron International Corp., Bagley College of Engineering; Kyle W. Rushing, vice president of integrated product research for INCOTEC North America, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and William A. “Lex” Taylor, president of Taylor Group, College of Business and Industry. Not shown is Heather O’Sullivan, associate principal and design director for Looney and Associates, College of Architecture, Art and Design.
Alumni Association welcomes two new chapters Mississippi State alumni in Charlotte, N.C., and East Texas now are better equipped to stay in touch with their alma mater. University graduates living in the respective areas recently received chapter charters from the MSU Alumni Association’s board of directors at its annual meeting on the Starkville campus. The Charlotte chapter has some 350 members spread among 19 North and
South Carolina counties. In all, more than 1,400 alumni currently live in the two Atlantic Coast states. The East Texas Alumni Chapter involves 16 counties in an area stretching from Paris to Marion. Approximately 250 MSU alumni live in this area of Texas and over 5,000 alumni reside in the Lone Star State. “We are so excited to welcome these two special entities into our Bulldog family,” said Jimmy Abraham,
executive director of the association. “The alumni association is committed to building relationships and networking with our alumni and friends, and our local chapters are the heart and soul of our efforts.” Formed in 1885, the MSU Alumni Association now has 87 chapters that represent more than 100,000 living alumni.
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ALUMNI news Make a STATEment! Mississippi State currently leads the way in the number of counties with more collegiate license plates than any other university in the state. When the time comes to renew your license plate or purchase one for your automobile, show your support for Mississippi State with the new MSU tag. The cost of a collegiate license plate is just $51 per year in addition to the normal cost, and $32.50 of that fee is a tax-deductible gift to the university. Proceeds from the sale of MSU license plates fund priority programs at your alma mater. So, the next time you visit your local county license office, make a STATEment!
Mississippi State University Leads County
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FOUNDATION news Couple’s gift honors ‘love affair’ with MSU One day June Pace read about the need for private funds for scholarships at Mississippi State University. She immediately sent in a gift to the State of the Future campaign in honor of her husband John. At the time, she had no idea she would eventually create a lasting legacy for the two of them. June was simply searching for a way to keep John, who was undergoing kidney dialysis at the time, connected with the university. John Pace, a 1956 agronomy graduate, enjoyed a long love affair with Mississippi State. He died in February 2006. Now, John and June’s loyalty to Mississippi State will continue in perpetuity. A bequest of the couple’s entire estate will one day provide scholarships in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. John, a native of Lake, graduated from Hinds Community College and then attended Mississippi State with the aid of the Montgomery G.I. Bill. “I wanted to do something that would benefit a lot of students, so I decided on scholarships in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, where John got his degree,” June said. “Although John attended Mississippi State with assistance, he realized that many students had to work their way through college, and I would like to help them because that is what he would have wanted.”
John Pace’s spirit of philanthropy and patriotism was apparent in everything he did. He served in the 1st Marine Division during the Korean
June Pace and her late husband John
War and will forever be remembered as one of the “Chosin Few,” the survivors of a three-week battle in the snow-covered mountains around North Korea’s Chosin Reservoir. The 1950 battle earned a place in military history as one of the most savage ever fought. John was employed with Jackson’s Cyclone Fence Company, a division of U.S. Steel Corporation, for 33 years. He remained a staunch MSU supporter throughout his life. He and June were members of the Ag 100 Club in the
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “Early in our 49-year marriage, I was a little jealous of the fact that he was so wrapped up in Mississippi State, but as time went by, I too learned to really appreciate the university. “For us, Mississippi State has always been the only university in the state of Mississippi,” June said emphatically. “In fact, John read everything he could get his hands on about what was going on at State and the tremendous progress that the university was making.” Although he was not an athlete in high school or college, John loved MSU athletics and out of his passion for athletics grew a deeper appreciation for all things Mississippi State. “While we were gainfully employed, we gave extensively to the university and supported the university by attending every event that we could,” said June, who resides in Jackson. And that support will continue with June’s careful planning. “Donors making a bequest, like June Pace, have the benefit of knowing their legacy will endure for years to come,” said Vance Bristow, director of planned giving. “We encourage alumni and friends who have included MSU in their wills to contact us so that we may document their gifts and recognize their generosity,” he explained. To learn more about gift planning, contact Bristow at 662-325-3707 or email vbristow@foundation.msstate.edu.
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hen Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong assumed the presidency of Mississippi State, State of the Future was in full swing. Following several months in office, Foglesong and his administration developed FutureSTATE 2015, a long-range strategy for Mississippi State University to become the region’s most respected land-grant institution. “Placement of Mississippi State at national levels while remaining true to our heritage of serving Mississippians is our focus,” Foglesong stresses. “We can achieve our goals by taking everything we do up a notch—learning, research and service—as we reach toward excellence in all that we do,” he added. Foglesong identified a need for more private funds in additional areas to assist the university with its strategic goals either not covered or still short of their targets in the existing campaign. From further planning emerged “Reach for Excellence,” which seeks to secure at least $100 million in private support of four strategic initiatives in FutureSTATE 2015 for four key areas. “Reach for Excellence will exist simultaneously with the ongoing State of the Future campaign and serve as a catalyst to enable Mississippi State to surpass its $400 million campaign goal
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by a wide margin,” Foglesong explained. “The MSU Foundation is extremely pleased we have been able to secure $344 million toward our minimum goal for State of the Future from a host of alumni and friends and are confident of hitting our goal in the near future,” said John P. Rush, director of major gifts. “This confidence enables us to eagerly assist Doc Foglesong with this new initiative he sees as vital to catapulting Mississippi State forward in its mission.” A main objective within “Reach for Excellence” will be scholarships and
other mechanisms that will allow for growth and development of Mississippi State students. “We want to make Mississippi State accessible for qualified students and sustain them by stabilizing our tuition base and establishing additional scholarships,” Foglesong said. One of the first programs Foglesong initiated upon taking office was the Mississippi State Promise, a scholarship program which provides assistance for incoming freshmen and community college transfers whose family income falls below a certain level. The inaugural year of the program was funded by a generous private gift. However, continuing the program is contingent
‘Reach on additional gifts to build an operating endowment. Mississippi State will seek $25 million for scholarships as part of its “Reach for Excellence” initiative. These funds will aid in recruitment of students by increasing the overall undergraduate and graduate student financial aid programs offered at the university. Additional needs identified under this category include more funds for further study abroad opportunities for students and to enhance the educational experience of students through exposure to other cultures, including a development of an initiative that focuses on recruiting international students. Other components include funding for the Institute for Leadership and Service, and funding for the Sonny Montgomery Chapter of the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program to prepare the next generation of business, political and academic leaders as they leave Mississippi State and enter America’s work force. Expanding Mississippi State’s offerings for its students, Foglesong
With the State of the Future campaign entering its final phase, Mississippi State University is launching a new initiative that will enable the university to pursue a private giving component for its long-term strategic goals.
University launches
for Excellence’ believes, must be paired with the addition of more top-caliber faculty members to teach and inspire those students. Mississippi State University seeks $25 million for faculty development as part of its “Reach for Excellence” initiative. Funds sought for this initiative will establish a faculty honors and rewards program to recognize and retain outstanding faculty members. The funds also will be used to provide competitive startup packages and salaries to recruit new faculty for the university. “We want to lure distinguished faculty to Mississippi State by offering salaries competitive with our peer institutions,” Foglesong said. “These are the people who need to be guiding our students and mentoring their colleagues,” he explained. Providing accessibility for all students with opportunities for growth
and development, coupled with resources invested in faculty development will pave the way for a third component of “Reach for Excellence,” which is academic excellence. “Reach for Excellence” will seek $25 million for academic excellence at Mississippi State which will assist with a number of objectives including the recruitment of faculty members who are leading scholars and researchers in their respective fields. “Private funds for this area will be used to increase the number of endowed chairs and professorships at the university,” Foglesong explained. “We are also hopeful that the 2007 legislative session will produce a state matching program for endowed faculty positions,” he added. Additional funds needed for this area will fund programs in support of the Phi Beta Kappa initiative, and enhance library resources and services by developing a plan of action that will lead to membership in the Association of Research Libraries. Yet a fourth area of “Reach for Excellence” will be enhancing the physical environment of Mississippi State through campus beautification and preservation projects through a $25 million endowment. Mississippi State’s 129year-old campus needs much upkeep to maintain its lush grounds for welcoming visitors and prospective students. Each new building construction or building
addition brings with it a new landscaping challenge. In the coming years, just the replacement of trees on the interior of campus near the historic Drill Field will require funding. Constructing new walkways and improving environmental safety are objectives within this area, as well. Simple ongoing maintenance of the campus grounds may prove somewhat costly on an annual basis, and an endowment is needed through “Reach for Excellence” to cushion all of these costs. “There are numerous opportunities for alumni and friends to assist with providing funding for MSU’s long-term strategic goals and I am confident they will go the extra mile by continuing to invest in the future of Mississippi State,” Rush said. For more information on supporting “Reach for Excellence” or State of the Future, contact John Rush at rush@foundation.msstate.edu or telephone 662-325-7000.
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FOUNDATION news Foundation names new Annual Fund director Michael R. McPherson is the new director of Mississippi State’s annual giving program. A former Terry resident, McPherson comes to Mississippi State from Belhaven College in Jackson, where he has served as director of alumni relations and development services. A Yazoo City native, he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business McPherson administration from Belhaven. McPherson also has held positions in the state capital as human resources director for the Morris Corp., registered financial adviser with
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Prudential Insurance Co. and audit and training coordinator with Mapco Petroleum. “Mike brings a wealth of experience to the MSU Foundation,” said major gifts director John Rush. “He will be a great asset as he works directly with our alumni association, where gifts to the annual fund automatically activate their membership.” The MSU Annual Fund traditionally focuses on gifts less than $10,000. McPherson also will oversee the university’s telefunding center that employs some 30 MSU students to make telephone solicitations of alumni and friends of the institution. Center staff members also work to update alumni association records during the contact process.
Rush said the MSU Annual Fund is designed to “provide an avenue through which donors can support any area of Mississippi State on a continual basis.” Gifts may be specifically designated for a college or school, academic department, scholarship fund, or any other area, he added. Annual Fund support also directly impacts Mississippi State’s standing in U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” rankings. Among major criteria used by the publication to determine a university’s score is alumni satisfaction, which is measured by the percentage of alumni contributing consistently to the annual fund. “The greater the participation rate is for alumni and friends in the annual fund, the higher the ranking will be for Mississippi State,” Rush said.
The following individuals, corporations and foundations have made commitments of more than $50,000 from August 16, 2006, through November 30, 2006, for State of the Future: The Mississippi State Campaign. AKA Companion Animal Recovery Canine Support and Relief; Barlow-Eddy-Jenkins P.A.; BellSouth; Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation; ChevronTexaco Corp.; The Chisholm Foundation; The Day
Foundation; Design Integrations Inc.; Dunlap & Kyle Co. Inc.; EADS Airbus North America Engineering; Ergon Inc.; ExxonMobil Corp.; Wallace J. Hosmer Estate; Mr. Frank T. Jackson; Johnson Bailey Henderson McNeel Architects; Mr. and Mrs. Ansel
E. Miller; Mr. and Mrs. Alton C. Morris; Puckett Machinery Co.; Ms. Myra M. Rein; The Riley Foundation; Scenic Homes Inc.; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Sims; Dr. and Mrs. John L. Tilley; Viking Range Corp.; and Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Walsh
STATE OF THE FUTURE NEARS ANOTHER MILESTONE Alumni and friends of Mississippi State still have an opportunity to be a part of the university’s successful State of the Future campaign. State of the Future stands just shy of another milestone, gaining steam as it approaches $350 million. As 2006 drew to a close, campaign counting had reached $334 million. The overall goal for the campaign remains $400 million. As an alumnus, friend or corporate supporter of MSU, you can help the university meet goals in key areas by
supporting State of the Future. The campaign continues to seek funds for endowed scholarships and fellowships, endowed chairs and professorships, new and renovated facilities, and educational and other program enhancements. State of the Future began in July 2001 and will continue through December 31, 2008. Any gift or pledge during this time period will be considered a commitment to the campaign. Major commitments in the form of fiveyear pledges or planned gifts are needed to
fulfill many of the campaign’s goals. However, annual support designated for a specific college, school or areas through the MSU Annual Fund also is needed. For a complete list of State of the Future goals, please request a copy of our case statement and Guide to Giving, by calling the MSU Foundation at 877-677-8283. You also may conveniently visit us online at www.msufoundation.com for more information or make a commitment in a secure environment.
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Class news '51 HOWARD D. CLARK of Morton, a doctor at the Clark Clinic, has been honored by the City of Morton for his 50 years of service to the community. He received the National Country Doctor of the Year Award in 2000.
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NORMAN DUPLAIN of Biloxi and wife Lavada recently qualified for the National Senior Olympics, Norman in a golf tournament at Dancing Rabbit Golf Course in Philadelphia and Lavada at a 5K race in Clinton. The Duplains have each qualified for the Senior Olympics seven times. They will represent Biloxi and the Sunkist Country Club in the nationals in Louisville, Ky., this year.
'63 LARRY J. HOWELL of Louisville, a retired band director, has been inducted into the Mississippi Bandmasters Hall of Fame.
'71 WALTER R. SHELTON of Jackson, owner and orthopedic surgeon at Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center, is president of the Arthroscopy Association of North America.
'73 STEPHEN B. GORDON (M.A. ’75), education program officer for the World Bank, has received the Albert H. Hall Memorial Award from the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing. He received the NIGP’s Distinguished Service Award in 2005. CHARLES MICHAEL SMITH (PH.D. ’76), professor of entomology at Kansas State University, has been
named a Fellow of the Entomological Society of America.
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'74 JOHN GRAFTON of Atlanta, Ga., has
ANNE G. TIREY has been designated a certified community bank internal auditor by the Independent Community Bankers of America. She is employed by Guaranty Bank & Trust Co.
been named senior research analyst for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, concentrating on automotive and real estate classified advertising.
'75 TONY ACOSTA of Winnfield, La., a physician assistant and retired teacher, has won the American Academy of Physician Assistants’ Paragon Award for exemplary service to patients. Also in 2006, he was named the Louisiana State University Medical School’s Physician Assistant Alumnus of the Year. DENNIS MOFFETT of Lucedale has been installed as sergeant-at-arms of the Lucedale Rotary Club.
'76 WILL COLTHARP of Nashville, Tenn., a cardiothoracic surgeon at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, is president-elect of the hospital’s medical staff.
'77 NAPOLEON LEVERETTE JR. of State Line has been elected chairman of the board of directors of the Gulf Coast Community Action Agency. STEVE SMITH of Leakesville is president of the College of Forestry Alumni Association at MSU.
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BRENDA SMITH of Leakesville has retired after more than 27 years as a teacher in the Greene County School System.
'80 WILLIAM DALE HUTCHISON of St. Paul, Minn., professor of entomology at the University of Minnesota, is Section F secretary for the Entomological Society of America. REN LOHOEFENER has been named regional director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Pacific Region, which includes the states of Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands.
'81 VICKIE SMITH GRAVES, co-owner of AMS Mortgage, has been named one of three finalists for the National Association of Mortgage Brokers’ Broker of the Year Award. She also recently earned designation as a certified residential mortgage specialist. MAXINE WALKER, vice president and western division claims manager for FM Global insurance company, has been honored by Business Insurance magazine in its “Women to Watch” issue, which profiles an elite group of female leaders in the insurance industry.
'83 SCOTT H. HUTCHINS of Indianapolis, Ind., a Dow AgroSciences employee, is the 2007 president of the 6,000member Entomological Society of America. MARK EVERETT KEENUM (M.A. ’84, PH.D. ’88) of Alexandria, Va., has been nominated by President George W.
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CLASS news Bush to serve as Under Secretary of Agriculture for Foreign Agricultural Services and to be a member of the board of directors of the Commodity Credit Corp.
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KELMER R. SMITH has been named president of Sustainable Power Corp., a subsidiary of U.S. Sustainable Energy Corp.
'85 ED SMITH has been named vice president of student affairs at Jones County Junior College. He previously was dean of students and athletic director at Jones.
'87 JAY WILEMAN has been named president and chief executive officer of GE Equipment Services, Rail Services, a unit of the General Electric Co.
JOHN MILLER, math teacher at George County High School, coached a GCHS student team to a third place finish in Division 1 of the 2006 Mississippi Science and Mathematics Tournament. Competing in the field were 138 teams from across the state. REGINALD SYKES has been named assistant commissioner for community and junior college relations for the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. He previously was vice president at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jefferson Davis Campus.
'92 WILLIAM LONG has been named national director of football for the National High School Coaches Association.
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'98 CURTIS J. AUSTIN, assistant professor of history and co-director of the Center for Oral History and Cultural Heritage at the University of Southern Mississippi, has written a history of the Black Panther Party, Up Against the Wall, published by the University of Arkansas Press. WESLEY ORTIZ of Amory, a visual artist, has received a $500 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission.
'01 EDWARD J. EVERITT of Birmingham, Ala., has joined the law firm of Bradley Arant Rose & White as a member of the construction and procurement practice group.
'04 JOSH BLADES of Sylacauga, Ala.,
EVAN MARBLE (B.S. ’02) of Ellijay, Ga., has been promoted to project engineer for Gold Kist’s poultry engineering department. DARLA J. MILLER of Orlando, Fla., has been named vice president of MSCW Inc., an Orlando-based planning and multidisciplinary design firm.
former campaign spokesman for Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, has received a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholarship to further his education abroad at a university of his choice.
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'94 MELISSA S. WARREN of Gulfport,
LAWRENCE CHRISTOPHER CAMPANY (M.P.P.A. ’91) is deputy director of planning and zoning for Calvert County, Md.
an adviser with Grubb & Ellis/Sawyer Commercial, has received the Certified Commercial Investment Member designation from the CCIM Institute.
assigned to the U.S. Department of State’s Public Affairs Global Outreach Team in Iraq. She was on a 90-day assignment from the Department of Homeland Security—Transportation Security Administration.
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STACY CAMPBELL-DOMINECK (M.S. ’93) of Lakeland, Fla., has been named executive director of Polk Works, the county’s work force development agency.
DONNA V. YOWELL of Madison, executive director of the Mississippi Urban Forest Council, served as a national adviser on urban forestry to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.
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CHANDRA FURCHES MALAMUD of Panama City, Fla., has been named vice president of the Federated Republican Women of Panama City Beach.
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'05 REBEKAH WILLIAMS recently was
'06 KYLE A. FRAZIER of Madison has been selected as the winner of a $25,000 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship that will allow him to continue his education abroad at a university of his choice. Please send class news items to Allen Snow, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325 or e-mail to snowa@ur.msstate.edu.
BIRTH announcements Colin Michael Boyd, May 8, 2005, to MARLANA MINGA BOYD (’98) and husband Christopher of Smithville. William Dean Gammill, Aug. 30, 2006, to RANDY D. GAMMILL (’97) and SUSANNE WILLIAMS GAMMILL (’96) of Cordova, Tenn. Noah Joseph Kassner, Nov. 3, 2006, to CHRIS KASSNER (’94) and wife Stephanie of Houston, Texas.
KERMIT O. EVANS Captain, U.S. Air Force Kermit O. Evans of Hollandale and Clovis, N.M., a captain in the United States Air Force, died in the line of duty Dec. 3, 2006, when his helicopter crashed in Iraq. He was 31. Evans earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering at Mississippi State in 2000. He joined the Air Force in August 2001 and was promoted to captain in November 2005. He was serving his second tour in Iraq. Evans was one of four servicemen who died after the U.S. Marine Corps CH-46 helicopter they were riding in made an emergency water landing in western Al Anbar Province. He is survived by his wife Perneatha and son Kermit Jr. Evans was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. He is believed to be the first university graduate to die in the Iraq war. C.R. PATTON (’33)—96, Jackson; retired engineer for the Federal Highway Administration and state of Mississippi and World War II veteran, Sept. 25, 2006. SARAH EDNA O’KELLEY (’39)—99, Brentwood, Tenn.; retired teacher and librarian, July 31, 2006.
Jameson Taylor McGarity, July 23, 2006, to ROCKY MCGARITY (’83) and wife Michelle of Lucedale. Alexander Ray Patterson, May 12, 2006, to AMY SCHUMPERT PATTERSON (’97) and husband Anthony of Tupelo. Charles Raley Pugh, Oct. 3, 2006, to CAROLINE BUFFINGTON PUGH (’90) and husband Rusty of Tupelo.
Kamryn Elise Smith, June 6, 2006, to KEYSHA WASHINGTON-SMITH (’99, M.S. ’00) and LEESHAKIE SMITH (’99). Gracie Alyne Woodall, Oct. 17, 2006, to BRAD WOODALL (’90) and KARIE CRAVEN WOODALL (’96) of Meridian.
JOY YARBROUGH RANGELEY (’39)—89, Mountain Brook, Ala.; kindergarten teacher, Oct. 28, 2006. ROBERT W. FERGUSON JR. (’40)—83, Hattiesburg; retired manager for Office Supply Co. and World War II veteran, Oct. 29, 2006. JOSEPH B. KELLY (’40)—87, Savoy, Ill.; retired University of Illinois agronomist, retired Air force lieutenant colonel, and World War II and Korean War veteran, Jan. 25, 2006. FRANCIS W. NORWOOD (’40)— 88, Columbus; retired Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent and professor of criminal justice at Middle Tennessee State University, Sept. 3, 2006. KENNETH THIGPEN SR. (’40)— 87, Orlando, Fla.; structural engineer and World War II veteran, Oct. 20, 2006. HARRIS BARNES JR. (’41)—87, Clarksdale; retired farmer, agricultural journalist and photographer, former editor for Delta Farm Press, retired Marine Corps Reserve colonel, Progressive Farmer Magazine Man of the Year in 1967, and World War II veteran, Aug. 25, 2006. TOM J. GOODWIN (’41)—88, Tuscaloosa, Ala.; retired plant manager for Perry’s Pride and World War II veteran, Oct. 6, 2006. GARNETT A. MCGARAH (’41)—88, Seattle, Wash.; retired
aeronautical engineer for the Boeing Co., July 20, 2006. LAFAYETTE E. GHOLSTON (’42, M.S. ’47)—87, Starkville; soils specialist for MSU Extension Service, head of soil testing for the state of Mississippi, and World War II veteran, Aug. 9, 2006. KERMIT D. LAIRD (’43)—84, Starkville; retired family physician, owner and operator of Kerlyndale Farms, and World War II veteran, Oct. 3, 2006. LEONARD T. SIMPSON (’47)—86, Brookhaven; retired quality control manager for Kraft Foods Inc. and World War II veteran, Sept. 27, 2006. JAMES AUSTIN COOK (’48)—80, Canton; farmer, retired manager of New Oil Mill Gin and World War II veteran, Oct. 17, 2006. OLLIE JOHNSON GANNAWAY (’48)—78, Starkville; missionary and coordinator of international activities for the Presbyterian Peacekeeping Program, Aug. 12, 2006. HORICE J. JAMES (’49)—80, New Orleans, La.; certified public accountant and financial planner and World War II veteran, Jan. 6, 2006. DERWOOD MCCULLOUGH (’49)— 81, Houlka; retired chancery clerk of Chickasaw County, farmer and cattleman, and World War II veteran, Oct. 11, 2006. VERNON OSCAR BULLOCK (’50)—80, Tylertown; retired U.S. Army Reserve brigadier general, teacher, businessman, farmer, retired sales manager for Mississippi Chemical Corp.,
IN memoriam
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IN memoriam and World War II and Korean War veteran, July 31, 2006. FREDERICK RAYMOND CLARK (’50)—80, Yazoo City; retired partner in Williams, Williams and Clark engineering firm and World War II veteran, Sept. 16, 2006. KENNETH FINLEY (’50)—83, Amory; retired United Gas Pipeline Co. employee and World War II veteran, Aug. 11, 2006. MARY ALICE HARVEY BOX (’51, M.S. ’54)—89, Starkville; retired elementary and special education schoolteacher, Sept. 25, 2006. DON R. BRANCH (’51)—77, Jackson; retired dairy farmer, Nov. 23, 2006. BOBBYE LOCKE RODRIGUEZ (’52)—87, Winona; education specialist for the U.S. Civil Service, Oct. 2, 2006. JIMMIE COLEMAN LOGGANS (’53)—78, New Orleans, La.; retired vice president of sales for OCS and World War II veteran, Sept. 30, 2006. JACKIE PARKER (’54)—74, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; former Canadian Football League player and coach and member of the CFL Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame, and Mississippi State University Hall of Fame, Nov. 7, 2006. He received the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player Award in 1957, 1958 and 1960. RALPH H. WEEMS JR. (’55)—74, West Point; farmer, past president of the American Soybean Association and former member of the Chicago Board of Trade, July 3, 2006. DAVID BRUNER COURTNEY (’57)—70, Lucedale; farmer, July 8, 2006. SUE KELLEY SIMPSON (’57, M.A. ’64)—69, Tupelo; English and Spanish teacher at Tupelo High School, Sept. 1, 2006. WILLIAM CASWELL WALKER (’57)—78, Independence; retired farmer and retired tool and die specialist for Chromecraft Corp., Dec. 22, 2005. BARBARA O. PARKER (’58)—74, Tishomingo; retired elementary schoolteacher, Aug. 18, 2006. 48
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JOHN AUBRY MITCHELL (’59)— 68, Jackson; retired sales representative, Sept. 8, 2006. TOMMY G. SANDERS (’59)—83, Newton; retired dairy and poultry scientist for the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and World War II veteran, Oct. 24, 2006. CLARENCE LARRY ZACHARY (’60)—69, Brandon; State Farm Insurance Co. agent, Aug. 13, 2006. JON HURD HILL (’62)—66, Corinth; attorney, Oct. 2, 2006. ROBERT T. HARPER JR. (’63)—65, Vicksburg; retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, retired Corps of Engineers employee, and Vietnam War veteran, Oct. 28, 2006. ANDREW W. SHURDEN (’64)—63, Drew; Sunflower County Justice Court judge and retired farmer with Shurden Brothers Inc., April 8, 2006. JAMES OLDRUM SMITH JR. (’66)— 63, Vicksburg; entrepreneur and businessman, Aug. 24, 2006. EDNA PEARL LUKE BOZEMAN (’68)—60, Gulfport; bookkeeper for Pepsi Cola Bottling Co. in Gulfport, Aug. 29, 2006. GEORGE HAYS DUETT (’68)—60, Philadelphia; registered forester, real estate broker and appraiser, Oct. 8, 2006. HENRY MICHAEL MACOY (’69)— 61, Topsham, Maine; vice president of operations for Enefco International, Sept. 11, 2006. ROBERT FRANKLIN KELLY (’72, M.ED. ’73)—56, Batesville; former housing director at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, July 27, 2006. PHILIP T. DEAN (’73)—55, Columbus; attorney, Aug. 30, 2006. ALMA VANHOOK COX (’74)—80, Jackson; retired director of research and statistics for the state Welfare Department, Sept. 26, 2006. LARRY KENNEDY (’76)—64, Hattiesburg; president of William Carey University and minister, Sept. 21, 2006. SUSAN CAROLE BOYCE SHAW (’76)—51, Okolona; attorney for North
Mississippi Rural Legal Services, Aug. 6, 2006. JAMES E. HENRY (’77)—51, Destrehan, La.; site maintenance leader for Dow Chemical Co., Sept. 21, 2006. KATIE AVENT (’80)—54, Oriental, N.C.; longtime journalist, editor, educator, and founder and publisher of The Boating News, Sept. 2, 2006. RALPH ALAN MCDONALD (’80)— 47, Madison; retired director of outreach services for the Information Systems Division of the state Department of Transportation, Aug. 21, 2006. GARY EUGENE SHELTON (’85)—49, Olive Branch; financial analyst for FedEx in Memphis, Sept. 29, 2006. TERRI LYNN MILSTEAD COOK (’86)—44, Stonewall; math teacher at Southeast Lauderdale High School, Aug. 19, 2006. KIMBERLY COLEMAN GEE (’92)— 37, clinical educator for LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center, Oct. 12, 2006. J.B. HUNT (’92)—37, Starkville; entrepreneur and business owner, Aug. 29, 2006. CHRISTOPHER SHAW RUCKER (’92)—43, El Paso, Texas; Western Refining Co. employee, Jan. 27, 2006. AARON SCOTT BARNETT (’95)— 34, Greenville; city engineer for Greenville and past president of the Mississippi Engineering Society, Oct. 7, 2006. Please send obituaries to Allen Snow, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325 or e-mail to snowa@ur.msstate.edu.
Justin Roe Ledbetter (student)—22, Benton; mechanical engineering student at Mississippi State, Aug. 19, 2006. Clare L. Bingham (former employee)— 86, Johnson City, Tenn.; former Kappa Sigma fraternity house mother, Oct. 10, 2006. Ruth Shankles Davis (friend)—90, Rochester, Minn.; former schoolteacher, Dec. 3, 2005.
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