ALUMNUS Spring 2020 - Mississippi State University

Groundbreaking success, groundwork for the future

Decade of growth at the state’s largest university leaves blueprint for successes to come p. 31 I N S I D E Spring 2020

Bulldogs helping bulldogs p. 6 | Fullbright faculty p. 10 | Granting ACCESS p. 22 | Blessings in disguise p. 42

Table of CONTENTS

FEATURES

22 Granting Access

Mississippi State program opens doors for individuals with disabilities

30 Bulldog Architects

School of Architecture alumni leave lasting campus legacy through facilities

36 Deer University

MSU Deer Lab studies region’s most significant wildlife species

ABOVE: MSU President Mark E.

Keenum is the recipient of the 2020 Chief Executive Leadership Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, District III. He was honored in February for MSU’s achievements during his 10-year tenure in fostering a university culture of innovation and inclusion, record-breaking fundraising and capital improvements.

Photo by Logan Kirkland

SPRING 2020 | VOL. 97 | NO. 1 PRESIDENT Mark E. Keenum, ’83, ’84, ’88

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

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ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Davis CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Sid Salter, ’88 EDITORS Susan Lassetter, ’07 Harriet Laird

WRITERS Emmalyne Beck, ’19 Vanessa Beeson, ’19 Amy Cagle James Carskadon, ’12 Bonnie Coblentz, ’96, ’00 Alaina Dismukes, ’19 Susan Lassetter, ’07 Addie Mayfield Sid Salter, ’88 Sasha Steinberg, ’14 Emily Wright, ’19 DESIGNER Heather Rowe

DEPARTMENTS 02 Campus News 10 Discoveries 20 State Snapshot 42 Profiles 56 Giving Back 64 Alumni News 86 Class Notes 90 Forever Maroon 96 Back Story

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Megan Bean Kevin Hudson Logan Kirkland Tom Thompson, ’13 Beth Wynn

COVER

In the past 10 years, Mississippi State has invested more than $900 million in the construction and renovation of academic, athletic and residence hall facilities across campus. Many of the new or renewed projects started with the vision of graduates of MSU’s School of Architecture.

Photo by Megan Bean

EDITORIAL OFFICE P.O. Box 5325 Mississippi State, MS 39762 662.325.0630 slassetter@opa.msstate.edu ADVERTISING Jeff Davis 662.325.3444 jdavis@alumni.msstate.edu

Mississippi State University’s Alumnus magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Public Affairs and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association. Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526. Call 662.325.7000, or email cturner@advservices. msstate.edu.

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status protected by applicable law is prohibited. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Compliance and Integrity, 56 Morgan Avenue, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

Campus NEWS

Michael Lane, an MSU mechanical engineering alumnus and manager of the Idea Shop, looks at downtown Starkville through the shop’s front window.

NEW MAKERSPACE IN DOWNTOWN STARKVILLE

BRINGS IDEAS TO LIFE

F

rom a company’s first prototype to a community member’s new hobby, a new space in downtown Starkville is giving people the opportunity to turn their ideas into reality.

In March 2019, Mississippi State officially opened the Idea Shop, a 2,000-square-foot facility on Main Street that includes tools to make new products, a place to test them in the marketplace and, perhaps most importantly, a community of support. A collaboration between MSU’s College of Business and School of Human Sciences, it builds on the success of the university’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach.

“To me, it makes perfect sense to have this activity happening downtown,” said Eric Hill, director of the entrepreneurship center. “It allows us to combine a makerspace and retail product accelerator, and highlights the importance of being part of the community since we do transition students from campus into the community.”

Students and community members can purchase memberships to the Idea Shop, giving them full access to tools and other resources at a fraction of the cost of

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By James Carskadon, Photos by Logan Kirkland and Megan Bean

purchasing the equipment themselves. The Idea Shop also provides a space for makers and entrepreneurs to collaborate and talk about their projects.

The Idea Shop is managed by Michael Lane, who graduated from MSU in December 2018 with a degree in mechanical engineering. With a family that’s active in construction, Lane said he grew up with access to tools and spent time building things. When he came to MSU, he became involved in and led The Factory, a maker organization for students. In 2016, he represented MSU at a National Week of Making event at the White House.

As program coordinator of the Idea Shop, Lane now gets to share what he has learned with the broader Starkville community.

“I grew up around construction sites and had a workshop in my backyard,” Lane said. “Part of my original motivation for getting involved was giving people the opportunities I had growing up. Some people might come in here and discover a cool hobby, others might come in and find something they want to do as a career.”

Before the Turner A. Wingo Maker Studio in the Idea Shop opened, Lane was tasked with determining the best way to configure the space and its tools.

Idea Shop members have carving tools, a laser engraver, 3D printers, carving and woodworking tools at their disposal. Since it opened, people have used these tools to create prototypes of new products, make engravings on crafts and even build an outdoor cat patio, among other things.

“When designing this place, my goal was to make it relevant to older and younger people,” Lane said. “It’s like walking into a shop you might have in your backyard, but you have all the hightech tools. We have a fairly significant amount of tools for the space that we have, so it was fun figuring out the best layout for it to still be usable and to get as much equipment in as I can.”

The retail product accelerator is a storefront that allows entrepreneurs to test their products in the marketplace. Over 20 vendors have taken advantage of the chance to sell their products in the Idea Shop since it opened. It also provides retail experience for students in MSU’s fashion

Learn more about how to become a member online at https://ecenter.msstate.edu/programs/the-idea-shop/

BRINGING MAKING TO THE COMMUNITY Since opening in March, the Idea Shop has held several events to encourage students and community members to make things.

In June, it held a Father’s Day gift making workshop where participants built and customized charging docks and coaster sets. During Starkville’s annual Pumpkinpalooza, the Idea Shop held the first “Talladegourd 500” where participants purchased kits to build and then race pumpkin-based vehicles.

The Idea Shop consists of the Turner A. Wingo Maker Studio and a retail product accelerator, giving the Starkville and MSU community a place to build new things and test new products in the marketplace. Located on Main Street, the facility is one of many new town-and-gown partnerships between MSU and Starkville.

design and merchandising programs, who help manage the storefront.

Approximately one-third of the Idea Shop’s members are not affiliated with MSU, which creates interactions between student entrepreneurs and the Starkville community. The new facility is part of MSU’s growing presence in downtown Starkville, which includes the MSU Research and Technology Corporation’s recent purchase of the Cadence Bank building on Main Street. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill said the strong town-andgown relationship between MSU and the city is a major benefit to both parties.

“The Idea Shop is a special concept that embraced being in downtown Starkville and was in return embraced by the city,” Spruill said. “I see this as a step toward a seamless flow from our downtown to campus and back again. It is a precursor for so much more as the innovative sector of entrepreneurship joins traditional business models in making Starkville a prototype small city with huge opportunities to be a leader. The university’s relationship with Starkville helps create an atmosphere of creativity and excellence that we want to

bring into all that we do. Only through fostering that symbiosis do we all succeed.”

The Idea Shop was primarily funded by private donations and a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Business Development Program. Funding from the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation allows students in MSU’s College of Architecture, Art and Design to use the space for class projects. Hill said spaces like the Idea Shop are one way to keep young people in Starkville and in Mississippi after they graduate from college.

“This investment can really make an impact in Mississippi,” Hill said. “Here, students are learning skills that position them to stay in the state. They’re working in downtown Starkville and making community relationships. It makes the town more interesting and everyone can get behind you if you do good work. When they graduate, they’re part of a community that cares.

“When you think about something like this over time, it’s beyond exciting to imagine the potential of having that many more people that are talented and capable of making things in Starkville.” n

Michael Lane, Idea Shop program coordinator, said woodworking and 3D printing workshops will take place in the future as a way for people to gain familiarity with the shop’s tools.

“Most of our workshops are entry-level to get people familiar with the tools,” Lane said. “It’s one thing for people to come in here and see the tools, but they may not know anything about them and it’s daunting. The more you’re familiar with how the tools work, the more you can do when you come in here.”

Lane said community involvement is a significant part of the Idea Shop’s overall plan, which will help drive traffic to the retail storefront and bring people into the makerspace.

“That’s part of why when we had the opportunity to move downtown, we wanted to take it,” Lane said.

“We wanted to be able to get the community involved so people can see the students’ products. The students can get involved in the community as well. It really helps build that town-andgown relationship.”

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 3

Campus NEWS

MISSISSIPPI STATE STATE CELEBRATES CELEBRATES MISSISSIPPI DECADE OF OF HISTORIC HISTORIC UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY AA DECADE ADVANCES ON ON KEENUM’S KEENUM’S WATCH WATCH ADVANCES

By Sid Salter, Photo by Megan Bean

KEENUM MILESTONES

THE FIRST 10 YEARS CASE District III, Chief Executive Leadership Award President of Southeastern Conference Board of Directors, SEC Content Committee

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Chair of SEC Executive Committee Chairman of College Football Playoff Board of Managers Board of Trustees, Mississippi Department of Archives and History

Chairman, Board of Trustees, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges

Signatory to Presidents’ Commitment to Food and Nutrition Security at the United Nations

Chairman of Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research Board of Directors

Chairman of the Board, International Food and Agricultural Development

I

n the decade from 2010-2019, Mississippi State University experienced one of the most prosperous eras in its history. Whether through groundbreaking firsts or almost $1 billion in literal groundbreakings, unprecedented championship-level performances in the classroom or in athletics, the Bulldog family reached new heights, set new records and laid the groundwork for even greater successes to come.

While faculty, staff, students and alumni share in MSU’s advancement as a globally relevant land-grant research university, President Mark E. Keenum’s aspirational leadership has clearly set the pace for that growth. Keenum is eager to look to the future and the many ways Bulldogs will continue to improve the lives of those around the world.

“Because of the quality of our faculty, students, staff and alumni partners, Mississippi State is now uniquely positioned for even more successes on the university’s horizon,” Keenum said. “It has been the greatest honor of my life to have a hand in the phenomenal growth and unquestioned impact of MSU on the people of Mississippi and beyond.”

The 10th anniversary of Keenum’s investiture as Mississippi State’s 19th president brings him into an elite group as one of only six MSU presidents to serve for 10 years or more, an honor he doesn’t take lightly.

“I remain humbly grateful to the late Dr. Donald W. Zacharias, one of the truly great MSU leaders who held this trust before me, for setting me on the path that would eventually lead to my opportunity to serve my alma mater in this exciting way,” Keenum said. “I feel the weight of the rich legacy of my predecessors, and I strive to keep my eyes on the admonition that’s on the seal of the university— learning, research, and service. With the help and support of the Bulldog family, I am confident that we can continue to be a transformational force in changing lives for the better.”

THE DECADE IN NUMBERS ENROLLMENT

GROWTH

+ 2,582

DEGREES AWARDED

from fall 2010 to fall 2019

AVERAGE ACT SCORE

More than

for entering first-time freshmen from

42,000

23.4 to 26.1 Approximately

2,500 additional BEDS

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RESEARCH EXPENDITURES More than

More than

$55 MILLION

26 10 116 14

ATHLETICS Individual NCAA Champions

ENERGY SAVINGS

$2.3 BILLION

SEC Titles

NCAA Postseason Appearances

Bowl Games

First Round Draft Picks

CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION More than

$900 MILLION invested

27 New Facilities or Renovations 16 Academic Buildings 05 Residence Halls 06 Athletic Facilities

ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT

14.7% to 18.1% Alumni Engagement Growth

Chapters + 17 Alumni and Clubs $993,913,079

Total Funds RaisedALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 5 in Keenum’s Tenure

Campus NEWS

BULLDOGS HELPING BULLDOGS MSU Food Security Network eliminates barriers to empower students

By Sasha Steinberg, Photos by Beth Wynn and Megan Bean

LEFT: Tasha Hood, a sophomore psychology major from Cleveland, bags up groceries from Bully’s Closet and Pantry while Harmony Clarke, a graduate student in the College of Education from Wisconsin, makes note of them to track the inventory. RIGHT: Montelleo Hobley, student services coordinator in the Division of Student Affairs, writes the day’s pantry specials for students to see.

W

hether it’s a plate of eggs, bacon and toast, or yogurt with fruit and a cup of hot coffee, many agree that a well-balanced breakfast is the best start to a busy day of class or work. But for hundreds and even thousands of college students, limited financial resources can turn the “most important meal of the day” into one of the most challenging daily decisions on the journey to a college degree.

Through a variety of programs collectively known as the Food Security Network, Mississippi State is increasing access to food, clothing, personal care items and other basic necessities to help students look, feel and perform at their best.

“Students come to Mississippi State because they want to make their lives better by earning a degree, and our highest obligation is to help them achieve that important goal,” said Regina Young Hyatt, MSU’s vice president for student affairs. “Throughout their college careers, many students may be dealing with not-so-visible challenges such as food insecurity or financial needs that present barriers to getting their diploma. As an institution, we want to meet students where 6

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they are and work to accommodate those needs to the best of our ability.”

Hyatt said national data indicates approximately 30 percent of all college students are in need of food, clothing and

“Students come to Mississippi State because they want to make their lives better by earning a degree, and our highest obligation is to help them achieve that important goal.” ~ Regina Hyatt basic necessities like toiletry items. She explained that MSU faculty researchers are conducting studies to better assess these needs.

“We have students from lots of places around the country and across Mississippi who, in their hometown communities, may not have access to the resources we have here on campus, such as great health care, counseling services or even availability of food,” Hyatt said. “The overall numbers of

students we’ve been able to help through the programs we have in place show that there is a need, and research by colleagues in our food science, nutrition and health promotion department and others across campus will yield data that can guide us in centering our efforts, so we can help more students.”

Hyatt said one of the main initiatives in MSU’s Food Security Network is the Block by Block program that allows current students to donate up to three block meals per semester, with MSU Dining Services matching each donation. Students also can contribute to the Block by Block program and MSU’s campus sustainability efforts by forgoing a plastic shopping bag when making a purchase of $15 or more at a campus POD store. For each of these purchases, MSU Dining will donate a block meal to the Block

by Block program.

Since being launched in 2015 by the Student Association, Hyatt said the Block

by Block program annually has made meals available to approximately 200 students in need. Students who are currently enrolled and do not have a valid active meal plan or Flex dollars are eligible to apply by

submitting a form found on the Dean of Students website. Students are then notified and their MSU ID cards are credited with 15 block meals that can be used at Perry Cafeteria or the Fresh Food Company.

Sophomore psychology major Tatyana A. “Tasha” Hood said her participation in MSU’s Block by Block program has been a “wonderful and relieving” experience. The Cleveland native has been working part time since high school to put herself through college, with support from family and various MSU scholarships.

Along with balancing the coursework of a fulltime student, Hood is holding down a part-time job to pay for textbooks, gas and other expenses many fellow students grapple with as well. When she found herself running out of block meals and Flex dollars, Hood applied for the Block by Block program using instructions in a campus email she saved from a previous semester. She said support from this program has improved her academic and work focus and inspired her to help others.

“Mississippi State is really doing a good job of providing resources and helping students who can’t afford all of the meals they need,” she said. “Whether they’re applying for more block meals or struggling with schoolwork, I want to encourage other students to not be ashamed of asking for help or finding somebody to talk to because it’s OK; a lot of us are going through the same thing. MSU is a community, and we’re here to work together.”

In addition to donating unused block meals, Hyatt said students are encouraged to make contributions and raise awareness of other MSU Food Security Network programs, including Maroon Meals and Bully’s Closet and Pantry.

Since its fall 2019 launch, MSU’s Maroon Meals text notification system has connected more than 350 student registrants with free food options. Any MSU student registered for Maroon Meals through the MSU app will receive instructions on the type, location and duration of food availability after a campus event.

The university’s latest effort to ease the financial stresses students face is Bully’s Closet and Pantry, which officially opened in January. The collaborative effort between the university’s Division of Student Affairs and the Student Association makes available nutritious food, basic toiletries and professional dry-cleaned clothing that is often needed for presentations and job interviews. These items are free of charge with a valid MSU ID. “We are a family at MSU,” Hyatt explained, “and Bully’s Closet and Pantry is another way we can take care of our students.” n

BULLY’S CLOSET & PANTRY There are two options for those who wish to support Bully’s Closet and Pantry.

• Donations of nutritious food items, basic toiletries, and professional, dry-cleaned clothing can be brought during operating hours or left in the drop-off station located behind the building. The pantry is located at 120 Morgan Ave. on the Starkville campus and is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 1-6 p.m.

• The most needed items include single-serving drinks and shelf-stable or microwavable meals, and pop-top soups or canned meals, as well as baby food and other childcare items like diapers and baby wipes. Personal care items like Band-Aids, dental floss, mouthwash, lotion, laundry detergent and facial tissue are also in high demand.

• Tax-deductible monetary donations to the university’s Food Security Network Fund also can help with stocking food and other necessities for the pantry. Contributions are being accepted through the MSU Foundation.

For more on Bully’s Closet and Pantry, contact Montelleo D. Hobley Jr., student services coordinator in the Division of Student Affairs, at 662.325.3611 or mhobley@saffairs.msstate.edu.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 7

Campus NEWS John Byrd, a research and extension professor, is now a Fellow of the Southern Weed Science Society.

The highest honor the society presents, fellows are recognized for their significant contributions to the society itself and advances they have made in the weed science discipline across the South.

Anthony Sean Neal, an assistant professor in Mississippi State’s Department of Philosophy and Religion and Faculty Fellow in the Shackouls Honors College, is a recent inductee of Morehouse College’s Martin Luther King Jr. Collegium of Scholars.

Richard Blackbourn, dean of the College of Education, was selected for the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education.

Donald L. Grebner, the George L. Switzer Professor of Forestry, is now head of the university’s Department of Forestry.

Four Mississippi State University students each are receiving a four-year, $140,000 Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship to the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s School of Dentistry. The awardees are biological sciences/pre-dental majors Joshua S. Cochran of Lucedale and Rebecca E. Sheffield of New Albany; management major Bradley B. Stokes of Madison; and biological sciences/pre-optometry major Shelby R. Turner of Sallis.

J. Robert Thompson, an associate professor of philosophy, is now head of the Department of Philosophy and Religion.

Nicole Rader, a professor of sociology, is now head of the Department of Sociology.

Duski Hale is now Mississippi State’s senior legal administrator and director of licensing.

Nancy L. Siegert was named the university’s chief human resources officer. She comes to MSU from Johns Hopkins University where she was human resources manager for the Clinical Practice Association.

Donald M. Shaffer, an associate professor of English and African American Studies, is the new leader of MSU’s African American Studies program. He officially assumed the role Aug. 1 after serving as interim director for the past year.

Veteran MSU Vice President Don A. Zant has assumed broader duties in a campus reorganization plan. He is now vice president of the Division of Finance and Administration. Les Potts, who was a fiscal operations analyst in the Division of Finance, is now associate vice president for administration.

Mike Tagert has been named as associate director for Corporate and Economic Partnerships within Mississippi State University’s Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED). In that role, Tagert also will serve as chief executive officer of the Greater Starkville Development Partnership (GSDP).

Daniel Gadke is now head of the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations in the College of Education. An associate professor, he had held the position in an interim capacity for the previous year.

Renée M. Clary, a professor in the Department of Geoscience and director of the university’s DunnSeiler Museum, was honored as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

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Mississippi State’s student chapter of the Society of American Foresters again is claiming a top honor in the national Outstanding Student Chapter competition, a feat accomplished by the organization for more than two decades. This year, the MSU organization is being recognized as the first-place chapter with officers of the 26-member group recently traveling to Louisville, Kentucky, to accept the honor at the annual SAF convention.

Mississippi State University’s chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, an international honor society for accounting students, received “Superior Chapter” status at the organization’s national meeting in Chicago. The honor signifies the group’s accomplishments and activities during the 2018-19 academic year.

For the fourth year in a row, Mississippi State is being recognized as a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education based on positive employee feedback.

For the second consecutive year, MSU is among seven winners of TVA’s Carbon Reduction Awards for having the lowest carbon emissions among businesses in the TVA region served by local power companies. The award recognizes MSU for going “above and beyond” in efforts to have low carbon emissions in calendar year 2018.

The Sports Turf Managers Association named Scott Field at Davis Wade Stadium the top college football turf in the country for 2019. This year marks the third time MSU has earned the distinction. The awards are chosen by a panel of judges that score entries based on playability, appearance of surfaces, utilization of innovative solutions, effective use of budget and implementation of a comprehensive agronomic program.

Mississippi State University’s Division of Student Affairs was presented with the Seven Seals Award by the Mississippi Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. The honor recognizes significant organizational achievement or initiative that promotes the ESGR mission to gain and maintain employer support for the Guard and Reserve.

A senior marketing major in Mississippi State’s College of Business is one of only 23 students across the U.S. selected to participate in the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council’s 2019 Student Entrepreneur Program. Co-founder of Rocketing Media LLC in Starkville, Shelby B. Baldwin of Ridgeland is the only Mississippi student and one of two representing the Southeastern Conference in this year’s program. A digital marketing and e-commerce consulting agency, Rocketing Media LLC offers individuals and businesses a variety of services, including social marketing, branding, online strategy, advertising and e-commerce solutions.

Sara H. Tyrrell, a senior biological sciences major and Asian studies double-major of North Augusta, South Carolina, was chosen for a selective internship through the University of Tokyo Research Internship Program. As one of only 20 students selected from a pool of 600 applicants, she completed a five-week internship under the direction of Hirokazu Tsukaya, a Department of Biological Sciences faculty member at the University of Tokyo.

Senior biomedical engineering major Mary Catherine Beard of Lufkin, Texas, and senior mechanical engineering major Jacob Easley of Starkville are among just 52 students nationwide named to the 2019 Astronaut Scholar Class by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. The nonprofit was established in 1984 by former NASA astronauts to provide scholarships to the nation’s brightest college students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Besanson

Bowen

Nicholas A. “Nic” Ezzell of Laurel, a recent Mississippi State physics and mathematics graduate, will further his studies of quantum computing, a field that explores the intersection of quantum physics and computation through a new fellowship funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. He is one of approximately 30 students nationwide joining the University of Southern California next fall with a U.S. Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowship to work at the Center for Quantum Information Science and Technology.

Davis

Evans

Simpson Thomas Welch White Eight Mississippi State University students will receive $30,000 per year to attend medical school as part of the prestigious Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program.

The awardees include: biological sciences/pre-medicine majors Kimberly K. Thomas of Belzoni, Jamie K. Bowen of Holly Springs and Torrye R. Evans II of Madison; psychology major Jordan B. White of Dekalb; biological sciences major and business information systems alumnus William T. Simpson of Okolona; biochemistry/pre-medicine major Jessie V. Besanson of Picayune; biomedical engineering major Holly R. Welch of Raymond; and chemistry/pre-medicine major Emily M. Davis of Ripley.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 9

Discoveries

FULBRIGHT FACULTY USE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES

TO FURTHER RESEARCH, TEACHING

By Sasha Steinberg, Photos submitted

As the U.S. Department of State’s flagship international exchange initiative, the Fulbright Program each year enables scholars to gain and share academic, research and cultural knowledge through life-changing experiences in more than 130 countries.

Recently, Mississippi State faculty members Cindy Bethel and Peter Allen visited separate parts of the world as recipients of prestigious Fulbright grants. While they represent two different academic disciplines, both said their months abroad inspired a common goal—advance Mississippi State through meaningful

10 SPRING 2020

teaching, research and service.

“As Fulbright Scholars, Drs. Bethel and Allen are among an elite group of our country’s best scientific and academic ambassadors,” said Julie Jordan, MSU interim vice president for research and economic development. “They both have a passion and dedication to sharing knowledge in order to address challenges that transcend borders.

Once a Fulbright scholar, they will have ongoing opportunities to travel the world representing Mississippi State University. We are very proud of their accomplishments and the impact they have around the world.”

Maggie Fugate, of Ole Miss, and Mississippi State’s Cindy Bethel, David Hoffman and Bryan Farrell at the Fulbright Association National Conference. TOP RIGHT: Mary-Anne Williams (left) was Bethel’s host during her Fulbright experience at the University of Technology Sydney. BOTTOM RIGHT: Bethel says she enjoyed the cultural experiences of her time in Australia, as well as the educational opportunities.

BULLDOG DOWN UNDER “I have to come back here,” Cindy Bethel remembers telling herself in 2016 during a Sydney, Australia, layover on her way to New Zealand. Through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, she has turned those hopeful words into career-advancing research that could impact the lives of many.

“The reputation and prestige of the Fulbright program were interesting to me for research possibilities, but I also wanted to get some cultural experiences, which Fulbright encourages very strongly,” said Bethel, who serves as director of MSU’s Social, Therapeutic and Robotic Systems Lab. “I found that the University of Technology Sydney was looking for someone in social robotics, so I applied. When I got contacted about being selected, it was super exciting.”

But that excitement was just the beginning for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering’s Billie J. Ball Endowed Professor. She said the four-and-a-half month experience “down under” ultimately opened her eyes to a world of teaching, research and service possibilities better than she ever could have imagined.

Bethel said invitations to participate in guest

lectures and colloquiums, as well as an orientation and gala for the Australian Fulbright Program in the capital city of Canberra, were highlights to her Fulbright experience. She also enjoyed the flexibility of scheduling casual visits to Melbourne, Byron Bay, Phillip Island and the large sandstone formation known as Uluru, or Ayers Rock.

“Being in Australia was amazing because I got to spend a lot of time exploring the aboriginal cultures and how they’re different from our Native American cultures. Experiencing state and national elections also was really interesting,” Bethel said.

“Being open to listening and learning without judgment can help you see the similarities and differences between our country and another, and those experiences gave me a greater appreciation for what we do have.”

For the research aspect of her trip, Bethel’s visit to the University of Technology Sydney advanced her study of Therabot, a robotic beagle puppy she created. Bethel said Therabot barks, moves and responds to touch like a live dog, but what sets it apart is the way in which it can be used to comfort individuals coping with stress, anxiety, trauma or fear.

“Therabot is basically an alternative to animalassisted therapy,” she said. “People who may be immune-compromised can get the level of support they need without having to worry about germs

“Being in Australia was amazing because I got to spend a lot of time exploring the aboriginal cultures and how they’re different from our Native American cultures.

Experiencing state and national elections also was really interesting.

Being open to listening and learning without judgement can help you see the similarities and differences between our country and another, and those experiences gave me a greater appreciation for what we do have.” ~ Cindy Bethel ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 11

Discoveries “Wherever you are, people have similar needs. When we take a step back and look at life from a different perspective, we realize that maybe we could do things a little differently on a day-to-day basis.

It’s important to get out of our comfort zone and do some things that will expand us personally and others with whom we interact. For those and other opportunities, Fulbright is a grant definitely worth pursuing.” ~ Peter Allen

12 SPRING 2020

because the robotic dog can be sanitized after each use. They can pet Therabot like a real dog, and it will respond to that.”

While she has been working with Therabot since starting at MSU in 2011, Bethel said the Australian study was the first use of Therabot in a formal capacity. The goal of the study was to determine the robotic dog’s potential in reducing participants’ levels of stress and anxiety. In this case, participants were UTS faculty, staff and students in good health.

Using an open-ended-question approach she learned through the National Child Advocacy Center Forensic Interviewing of Children Training, Bethel engaged participants in one-on-one discussions of physical and emotional effects of their past life experiences. Each participant’s heart and respiration rates were monitored while questions were answered under one of three conditions—in the presence of a stuffed version of Therabot, in the presence of the actual robotic version, and without either version of the dog. At the study’s end, all participants were asked to evaluate Therabot’s current features and offer suggestions for new ones.

Bethel said she appreciated the positive reactions that Therabot received from the study’s participants. She explained that data from the Australian study is continuing to be analyzed and more will be collected.

“When I submitted my application to Fulbright, the literature showed that adults in Australia actually had higher levels of stress and anxiety than those in the U.S.,” Bethel said. “We wanted to conduct the study in Australia and then replicate it at Mississippi State, so we can see if there are differences between the two cultures. It seemed like participants in Australia were much more engaged with the robot, compared to a stuffed animal version that therapists may typically provide during a session. One lady’s initial heart rate of 98 beats per minute came down to 72, and her respiration rate went from 20 breaths per minute to 16, so Therabot had a definite calming effect on her.”

With help from MSU computer science doctoral student Zack Henkel and senior software engineering major Kenna Beth Baugus, Bethel plans to use results and feedback from the Australian study to generate a modified version of Therabot for a future study at MSU. Along with securing funding for future research, she hopes to commercialize Therabot and expand its impact in the U.S. and beyond.

“This vision of Therabot is one of the first things I started on at Mississippi State, so it’s exciting to see it coming to fruition through the good partnership

we have developed with UT Sydney,” she said.

“My host in Australia, Mary Anne Williams, was incredible. She has a large lab similar to mine, so we learned a lot by asking each other questions about how to manage a lab, keep science projects going and mentor students in a more efficient way. It was a very positive experience on both sides, and I look forward to continuing these collaborations.”

Bethel is also excited to mentor other applicants through her service as vice president of the Fulbright Association’s Mississippi chapter.

“Fulbright is a wonderful program that requires an extensive amount of preparation,” she said. “I want to be a source of support and encouragement for people who are interested in being part of the program because it’s a very rewarding experience that opens you to a new way of thinking. The Fulbright experience has helped me advance my research and make a difference, and I’m really thankful for that.”

TACKLING NEW THINGS When presented with an opportunity to learn and grow, Peter Allen reels it in without hesitation.

Through a five-month U.S. Fulbright experience in Chile, the MSU associate professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture has been conducting research that could impact fish conservation efforts in the Magnolia State and across the Southeast.

Allen, who also serves as a technical specialist for MSU’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish, said his South American adventure provided valuable insight on the physiological ecology of fishes that can be useful in future teaching and research efforts.

In addition to the Fulbright program, he appreciates colleagues and leaders for supporting his endeavors while on sabbatical from MSU. “Through my research in Chile, I’ve been using physiological tools to answer ecological questions relating to aquaculture,” Allen said. “In understanding how fish species function under oxygen deprivation or other environmental changes, we can determine how to optimize culture practices for growth, survival and improved production.”

With colleagues at Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA) and the Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN), Allen has been studying the physiology of cojinoba, a fish species that he said has “good characteristics for aquaculture.”

“Cojinoba is already an accepted food fish with a limited supply, meaning that there’s a demand for it beyond what can be provided,” he explained. “It

can be raised in regions where it will be consumed and can be grown at high densities, which is a very good thing. Similar to catfish, this species grows well at high densities.”

Allen said normal capacity for metabolism, stress responses, environmental limitations, as well as cellular and molecular responses and capacity for adaptation, are among the factors he has been analyzing in his study of Cojinoba. He said collaboration among universities, government and private industry has informed his perspective on “how to make things possible.” The experience, he added, can lead to “good academic research benefitting applied causes.”

“In terms of trying to optimize a culture environment for understanding how a species works, there is a lot of crossover. The research we’ve been doing here in Chile can be translated back to the work with catfish or any type of fish that folks in the Southeast or Mississippi might be culturing or looking to culture,” Allen explained.

“We can also think of it from a terrestrial standpoint, where many different animals have similar basic needs.”

Culturally speaking, Allen said his first Chilean trip has been full of great food, family and a lot of fun. He was accompanied by his wife Tammy and their daughters Amanda, 14, and Cassandra, 12.

“As a family, we’ve always wanted to get immersed in a different culture and part of the world, and Chile is an interesting place to do that,” he said. “The different foods we tried were delicious. We could see the Andes Mountains on a clear day, and they were pretty impressive.

Attending local churches has been a great way to get involved in the local community.

“We’ve been working on the language. We’re not fluent, but we’re communicating,” he added with a laugh.

Allen said the Fulbright experience has been instrumental in his growth as a researcher, teacher and person. Along with students and colleagues at MSU, he wants to inspire fellow Mississippians by sharing lessons from his time abroad.

“Wherever you are, people have similar needs.

When we take a step back and look at life from a different perspective, we realize that maybe we could do things a little differently on a day-to-day basis,” he said. “It’s important to get out of our comfort zones and do some things that will expand us personally and the others with whom we interact.

For those and other opportunities, Fulbright is a grant definitely worth pursuing.” n

Mississippi State’s Peter Allen was accompanied by his family—wife Tammy and daughters Amanda and Cassandraduring his five-month U.S. Fulbright experience in Chile. He said the experience studying the cojinoba fish and living abroad helped him grow as a researcher, teacher and a person.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 13

The app has been downloaded in six countries.

Discoveries

WOOD TALKS Listen in with this app

By Alaina Dismukes

W

ith advancing technology, there seems to be a new app coming out every day which adds a novel and convenient way to complete a seemingly normal task. From apps that play music to apps for ordering groceries, there is an app for almost everything—now including one that listens to wood.

Sustainable bioproducts alumni Frederico Franca and Songyi “May” Han teamed up with Dan Seale, a professor in the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, to develop an app that determines the stiffest, strongest piece of lumber in any given stack.

Called Smart Thumper, the app helps carpenters, contractors, architects, engineers, lumber mill personnel, and can be particularly beneficial for the do-ityourself market.

Franca, the app’s co-developer, received a doctoral degree in forest resources with a sustainable bioproducts concentration in 2017. He is now an assistant research professor in the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts. He said he first envisioned the app when he discovered that the 14 SPRING 2020

“The goal was to make something cheaper, and more readily available, to give consumers and stakeholders broader access to nondestructive testing equipment. Now anyone with a smartphone can download the app to help pick out the stiffest lumber pieces for whatever they are building.” ~ Frederico Franca equipment designed to test lumber costs around $8,000.

“The goal was to make something cheaper, and more readily available, to give consumers and stakeholders broader access to nondestructive testing equipment,” Franca said. “Now anyone with a smartphone can download the app to help pick out the stiffest lumber pieces for whatever they are building.”

His love of physics, along with the desire to create something less expensive, fueled his idea for a smartphone app that

would render lumber values through the use of soundwave and vibration.

“With this app, I can show you which lumber is stiffer and hence stronger,” Franca explained. “This can’t always be done through visual inspection. You need vibration or sound.”

Lumber mills use both visual and mechanical means to grade all types of dimensional lumber. Pieces are tested for strength and stiffness and then assigned a score. The scores are placed in an algorithm to determine the grade.

“This app can help further evaluate lumber within established grades, potentially optimizing the longevity and cost efficiency of wood structures by selecting stiffer pieces for situations that demand higher performance,” Franca said.

For example, a pack of lumber meets the specification for a number two grade, but a couple of pieces are needed for a header, which might span the opening for a window or door. With this app, it’s possible to pick the stiffest pieces that are least likely to sag over time.

Han, an English literature graduate from Fudan University in Shanghai, China, earned a master’s degree in sustainable bioproducts at MSU. She assisted with code development and completed her thesis on how to market the smartphone app.

“The use of smartphone apps is not common in the forest products field,” Han said. “This pioneering work has been rewarding for myself and my department, and I believe it has great potential to grow as a business as well.”

Seale led the team of graduate students on the app’s development.

“This app is the first non-destructive lumber testing technology available to consumers at a reasonable cost,” Seale said. “It uses the same technologies that are being employed in lumber mills but at ‘consumer speeds’ rather than mill speeds, which can exceed 150 pieces per minute.”

The app is available for download in the Apple Store. n

MSU EXTENSION DELIVERS PROMISE TO MISSISSIPPI AGRICULTURE

By Bonnie Coblentz, Photos by Kevin Hudson

“All of this back and forth and uncertainty has the effect of leaving farmers stressed and worried.” ~ Keith Coble ast spring when he normally would be preparing for the planting season, Rodney Porter of Valley Park, Mississippi, was building sandbag levees to prevent floodwaters from invading his home.

“We’ve been dealing with a lot of physical and mental stress for the last few months,” said Rodney’s wife Tracey Porter.

Rodney is a south Delta farmer and Tracey is deputy director of the Warren County Emergency Management Agency.

Between her job and her home, Tracey

did not have a break from dealing with flooding for more than six months.

That kind of stress is not unique to the Porters this year. Added to the widespread river flooding problems are more economic stresses than normal, caused in part by tumultuous U.S. and China trade negotiations.

“All of this back and forth and uncertainty has the effect of leaving farmers stressed and worried,” said Keith Coble, Mississippi State University Extension Service agricultural economist and head of the Department of Agricultural Economics.

“We started off this year knowing it was likely not to be a very profitable year

because of the relatively low price levels of markets,” Coble continued. “I think farmers were nervous then, and things that have happened since then continue to make them more so.”

That stress can cause mental health problems and if unchecked, can lead to unhealthy behaviors and addictions.

The MSU Extension Service is attempting to step into that void with the PROMISE initiative, a grant-funded, multi-level approach that brings together a variety of players.

Preventing Opioid Misuse In the SouthEast, or PROMISE, is an initiative formed through a cooperative agreement between MSU Extension, the U.S. ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 15

Discoveries “One effective way to address farm stress is helping them be as informed as possible. But for those who fall through the cracks, we want to be there to pick them up.” ~ David Buys Department of Agriculture and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

It was funded with $1.4 million.

David Buys, MSU Extension state health specialist, said the initiative is a response to farmers in need.

“Farmers work hard day in and day out to feed and clothe us and the rest of the world,” Buys said.

“Life is hard, but they keep plugging away. Injury, exhaustion and economic downturns lead to a less than favorable outcome at times, pushing some to turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms, including the misuse of substances.

“These can include socially acceptable substances like prescription drugs,” he continued.

“We want to help them, because MSU Extension truly cares.”

The work began as opioid misuse prevention and has increased its focus to now address issues that can put a person on the path to substance abuse.

“What we found as we started data collection is that stress is one factor driving opioid abuse in rural communities and everywhere,” Buys said. “Farmers face a particular brand of stress, so our work in mental health and Extension agricultural training is working upstream to reduce that stress.”

Opioids are prescription medication given for recovery from specific injuries or to treat pain for legitimate medical conditions. Although they are legal when obtained through a healthcare provider, they are addictive.

Research has shown that people in rural communities are more likely to overdose on prescription pain medications than people in cities. The rate of opioid-related overdose deaths is 45% higher in non-metro counties, and a 2017 survey found that three out of four farmers and farmworkers say they have been directly impacted by the opioid epidemic.

“We argue that farmers have a unique risk 16 SPRING 2020

Brandon “BJ” McCLenton

Amanda Stone

profile for opioid misuse,” Buys said.

“They already have difficult, long hours, lack of sleep and financial uncertainty as an ingredient. Then they have occupational hazards that put them at a possibly higher likelihood of exposure to prescription opioids.”

Many who find themselves addicted to opioids got the prescription in a valid, legal way, but find themselves using it as a way to treat the stress.

“One effective way to address farm stress is helping them be as informed as possible. But for those who fall through the cracks, we want to be there to pick them up,” Buys said.

PROMISE brings the best of Extension together—experts in agriculture and natural resources, family and consumer sciences, 4-H and community development. In addition to Extension and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, specific units engaged in the initiative include the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion; the School of Human Sciences; the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences; the Department of Agricultural Economics; the Department of Communication; and the Social Science Research Center.

The multi-year effort began by focusing efforts on opioid misuse prevention at the community level. Extension agents led community engagement forums that assessed perceived needs and the readiness of the community to receive education on this topic. Social media helped raise awareness of these efforts, and drug takeback safes were placed throughout selected communities.

The next phase of the PROMISE initiative made opioid misuse prevention strategies and resources available to all Mississippians. This was done through a partnership with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health’s StandUp Mississippi campaign, and efforts were made to train rural healthcare providers in how to provide prescription opioid misuse prevention services to ag producers through a partnership with AgriSafe.

A fundamental component of this phase was educating Extension agents and 4-H volunteers in mental health first aid.

To date, more than 140 Extension agents have received this training.

Amanda Stone, an Extension dairy specialist, had a compelling reason to be one of the first agents to complete it.

“A few years ago, someone confided

in me that they were thinking of dying by suicide,” Stone said. “I had no idea how to handle this situation, and I let it control my life for a long time. I sacrificed a lot of my well-being by putting so much pressure on myself to ‘save’ this person.

“If I had gotten Mental Health First Aid training before this happened, I would have handled it completely differently,” she said. “I think it would have taken less of a toll on me and probably better helped that person also. This training helps prepare us for conversations about a person’s mental well-being and helps tackle the fear of bringing these things up.”

Gary Jackson, director of the MSU Extension Service, mandated the Mental Health First Aid training statewide.

“We know that our lane is traditionally education, and we continue to support farmers to work to reduce the stress they feel by keeping them informed of the latest in technology advances and farm policy,” Jackson said. “But we know that many farm families are going to feel the stress anyway. We want our agents to be equipped to recognize who is struggling and help connect them to the care they need.” n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 17

Discoveries Mississippi State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies will receive $1.25 million to evaluate the impacts of the Bonnet Carré Spillway opening on dolphins and sea turtles in the Mississippi Sound. The research will provide state and federal leaders with a more complete understanding of the spillway opening’s impact on marine life, as well as effective mitigation methods to reduce harm.

Mississippi State University has been awarded a seven-year, $27.9 million grant to prepare low-income students to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. Through the U.S. Department of Education’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant program, MSU’s Research and Curriculum Unit personnel and College of Education faculty will support students in the Greenville, McComb and Meridian public school districts and develop new resources for high school students aspiring to attend college across Mississippi.

MSU’s newest supercomputer, Orion, is ranked as the fourth-fastest academic computing system in the United States and No. 60 overall in the world, according to Top500.org. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration-funded supercomputer is powering research and development advancements in weather and climate modeling, autonomous systems, materials, cybersecurity, computational modeling and more.

Backed by a $3.08 million grant from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Mississippi State University will support the Army’s ground mobility research in several key areas. Led

by MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, the project addresses areas such as remote sensing on autonomous vehicles, additive manufacturing, human performance and modeling and 18 SPRING 2020

simulation development powered by the university’s High Performance Computing Collaboratory. The research will be among the first to utilize the Proving Ground, a 50-acre property recently acquired by CAVS to advance the center’s off-road autonomous vehicle research.

Mississippi State University scientists are receiving a five-year, $3.9 million grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s RESTORE Science Program to increase understanding of how birds use the Gulf of Mexico, helping resource managers improve habitat for coastal species.

The team plans to monitor black rail, yellow rail and mottled duck responses to prescribed fire application using an adaptive management framework. The framework will inform decision-making by helping researchers and resource managers test predictions and better understand how these birds interact with high marsh ecosystems and prescribed fire.

Mississippi State faculty members in the university’s colleges of Education, Arts and Sciences, and Bagley College of Engineering are receiving a $1.6 million National Science Foundation grant to develop teaching materials from weather data to help secondary students learn data analysis and interpretation. Dubbed “3D Weather,” the project will include professional development and instructional activities that will directly involve and benefit 44 secondary science teachers and approximately 2,000 middle and high school students in the state.

Mississippi State University and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College are expanding their Engineering on the Coast partnership with a joint industrial engineering program. MSU and MGCCC are now offering programs in industrial, electrical and mechanical engineering at Gulf Coast’s Jackson County Campus in Gautier.

MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw and Raspet Flight Research Laboratory Director Dallas Brooks both recently testified in separate hearings of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. In October, Shaw highlighted the many ways federal research funding contributes to innovation and development during a hearing on using research and innovation to ensure America’s economic and strategic leadership. In May, Brooks testified on the challenges of integrating unmanned technologies into the National Airspace System.

Shandrea Stallworth, a weed science doctoral candidate in MSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, has been elected to serve as the national graduate student president of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences, or MANRRS. In her role with MANRRS, Stallworth serves as a liaison between regional graduate officers, professional officers and the national office.

Mississippi State University researchers are shifting commonly held ideas about the diet of grey wolves in an article gaining national attention. Published in the scientific journal “Ecology,” MSU Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences Brandon Barton’s article “Grasshopper consumption by grey wolves and implications for ecosystems” details the unexpected effects of wolf reintroduction into the western region of the U.S.

Mississippi State University associate professor of history James C. “Jim” Giesen is a new fellow of the Agricultural History Society and is the namesake of the organization’s inaugural teaching award, the James C. Giesen Award for Exceptional Teaching in Agricultural History.

MSU Assistant Professor of Sociology Margaret A. Hagerman received the 2019 William J. Goode Book Award from the American Sociological Association’s Family Section for her 2018 New York University Press work, “White Kids: Growing Up with Privilege in a Racially Divided America.”

A $200,000 grant from the National Science Foundation will allow MSU College of Engineering researchers Rani W. Sullivan and Jean MohammadiAragh to encourage young women to enter science-based computing fields. The NSF grant will allow the research team to identify differences in engineering messaging within Moroccan and American cultures to determine factors that contribute to women’s decisions to pursue engineering degrees at higher rates in Morocco. The research project aims to help meet future U.S. workforce needs by increasing the number of American women who pursue engineering careers.

Tu Ku Sones, a doctoral student in MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine, received the Whitney Joy Engler Memorial Veterinary Student Research Award from the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists for her work in the field

of animal behavior. She presented her research at the 12th International Veterinary Behavior Meeting.

Yang Zhao, Mississippi State assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, is the 2019 recipient of the Sunkist Young Designer Award from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers.

The award recognizes and honors the organization’s members under 40 years of age for outstanding contributions to the advancement of the profession and professional achievements.

MSU Poultry Science Professor David Peebles was named a fellow of the Poultry Science Association. The elected honor is reserved for individuals who have achieved professional distinction and made significant contributions to the field.

Mississippi State doctoral student Xiuzhu “Joanna” Xu is the recipient of a $7,000 summer fellowship from the American Chemical Society that encourages research in the field of analytical chemistry. Xu’s research explores the development of an analytical method for understanding the fundamental interactions of matter and light.

MSU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences faculty members LaShan Simpson and Raja Reddy have been elected president and president-elect, respectively, of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. Both are researchers in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, or MAFES.

MSU Department of Psychology faculty members Michael R. Nadorff and Emily S.H. Stafford are co-principal investigators on a $1.6 million U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant to develop a more comprehensive approach to statewide youth suicide prevention and intervention.

Melanie E. Loehwing, associate professor in the Department of Communication, is the winner of the 2019 National Communication Association Diamond Anniversary Book Award for her 2018 book, “Homeless Advocacy and the Rhetorical Construction of the Civic Home.”

“Field of Yellow,” a photograph taken on the Starkville campus by junior art major Alexandria K. Johnson of Port Gibson, was one of 60 images featured in an international exhibition at the Midwest Center for Photography in Wichita, Kansas.

Lidong Wang, an associate research professor in Mississippi State University’s Institute for Systems Engineering Research, has been named a “Senior Member” by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Joining an exclusive group of IEEE members, Wang has achieved significant accomplishments and experience in teaching and managing research projects based on but not limited to the areas of automated identification technology, cybersecurity and big data.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 19

State SNAPSHOT

A BLAST FROM THE PAST : Frances Coleman, MSU’s dean of libraries, presents Mississippi State President Mark E. Keenum with a miniature replica cannon shortly after the university unveiled a Model 1841 “6 pounder” cannon that now sits on display outside of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library. The artillery artifact was loaned to the university by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History.

Its carriage was donated to MSU by Shiloh National Military Park and restored by students at nearby East Mississippi Community College. Photo by Megan Bean 20 SPRING 2019

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 21

Granting

ACCESS

MSU program opens doors for individuals with disabilities

By Emily Wright, Additional reporting by Office of Public Affairs Staff Photos by Beth Wynn

S

pencer Kirkpatrick frequently ate breakfast at Mississippi State’s Perry Cafeteria during his freshman year. As a result, he developed a relationship with the woman who greets guests and swipes MSU IDs at the entrance.

One morning, the Perry greeter left her position to run an errand. Spencer, who has Down syndrome, immediately stepped behind her desk to begin greeting students and admitting them into the cafeteria. The act earned him the nickname “the Rockstar of Perry” from cafeteria staff. The next semester he began interning there with the primary task of greeting visitors and swiping IDs as they entered the building.

Maribeth Kirkpatrick, Spencer’s stepmother, said the cafeteria staff adores him.

“I’m so glad that was his first internship because they helped build him up and also build his confidence, so that was a great experience,” Maribeth said.

Spencer is a student within the ACCESS program, a four-year, inclusive and comprehensive, non-degree track for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities.

With academic plans tailored to students’ needs, the program lets them attend college 22 SPRING 2020

while learning life and job skills that will allow them to live independently.

Since his first work experience, Spencer has interned with Mississippi State’s Sanderson Center, Fresh Foods Cafeteria and the ACCESS program, as well as with the Oktibbeha County Hospital in Starkville. In addition, he has volunteered in his hometown at the Tupelo Wellness Center and an outpatient rehabilitation center over a summer.

Because he has Down syndrome, Spencer has somewhat limited conversational abilities but has learned to communicate to fit into his surroundings. He also sometimes needs guidance to complete the tasks and work required of him. However, Maribeth said the Tupelo gym members still have nothing but nice things to say about her son.

“So far everyone has been very receptive to Spencer because he is so friendly,” Maribeth said. “When we saw some of the older people who workout at the wellness center in town, they would tell us how much they enjoyed Spencer and how he talked to them while they were working out.”

Though he adapts well to workplace environments, Maribeth said a little extra guidance helps ensure Spencer stays on task.

“He doesn’t really understand time,” Maribeth said. “For example, he may have had

Spencer Kirkpatrick earned the nickname “The Rockstar of Perry” after he stepped in as greeter to admit students to the cafeteria when the staff member who manned that position stepped away.

A member of MSU’s ACCESS program, he later interned at the campus eatery to gain real-world job experience.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 23

Mississippi State’s ACCESS program, which started in 2010, is one of the oldest four-year transition programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the country. Julie Capella (right), assistant dean and director of student support services, helped establish the program, which began with just one student. Rebecca Spencer (left) joined the university in 2017 as assistant director of ACCESS.

24 SPRING 2020

to be at work at 4 p.m., but if somebody says, ‘Hey, let’s go get ice cream,’ he is going to choose ice cream over work. So, he is learning job responsibility and how to choose a job over something fun which has been his biggest growth.”

With assistance from ACCESS staff and program resources, Spencer is able to acknowledge his disabilities and work on ways to overcome them in the workplace.

MSU ACCESS Established in 2010, ACCESS serves individuals who have intellectual disabilities and developmental delays and do not meet the academic requirements to be accepted into college. Instead, these students receive the opportunity to earn a certificate through classes and experiences that can be applied in the workforce. In addition, they learn the skills necessary to have healthy independent lives once they earn their certificates.

Mississippi State’s ACCESS program is among the oldest of its kind in the country and the only one in the state of Mississippi. Of the 282 now in operation nationwide, it is one of only 18 to hold the federal Comprehensive Transition Post-Secondary program designation—a distinction that not only upped the rigor of the program but also provides some financial assistance for participants.

ACCESS started with just one student but has grown each year to its current enrollment of 25.

Rebecca Spencer, the assistant director of ACCESS, said its status as a comprehensive, residential, transition program has put MSU ACCESS in high demand, with more than 50 candidates applying last year.

“There is such a demand for individuals who want to be in college but grew up thinking it wasn’t an option.

But we’re making it a reality for more people,” Rebecca explained. “Because our program is so individualized to each student, we don’t want to grow too fast.

We don’t want to lose what sets us apart.”

The letters in ACCESS stand for academics, campus life, community involvement, employment opportunities, socialization and self-awareness—the pillars of the program. Rebecca said the goal is to enable participants to lead wellrounded, independent lives.

Each ACCESS participant has four undergraduate peer mentors, who each spend an hour a week volunteering and working with a student on one of four areas—life skills, social skills, wellness and cooking skills. Five graduate assistants, who are students in MSU’s school psychology program, provide systemwide support and individual interventions as necessary.

“Our college coaches are undergraduates who are employed by ACCESS to provide individualized support for each student. They really are the backbone of the program,” Rebecca said. “The college coaches come from all backgrounds and majors, and they really seem to enjoy working with our students. We also had more than 100 students volunteer to be peer mentors last year—so many that we had to start a waiting list.”

ACCESS students take classes specific to the program but also audit traditional classes with the rest of the student body. While similar programs at other institutions limit their students to a list of preapproved courses, Rebecca said Mississippi State allows ACCESS students to choose any class that piques their interests. This, along with shadowing various careers, helps them prepare for internships and future employment.

Beginning the second semester of their freshman years, ACCESS students are required to complete an on-campus internship each semester until graduation. As seniors, they work a minimum of 10 hours a week at an off-campus internship unless a disability prohibits it.

“By their senior year, we try to have their days mirror as closely as possible

what their lives will be like when they leave here,” Rebecca said. “When they walk across that stage at graduation, they aren’t walking into this big scary world.

They’re prepared, they’re armed and they’re confident and ready to go.”

Preparing for the Real World To prepare each student for an internship, ACCESS requires freshmen to take an employment class that teaches proper workplace etiquette, punctuality, how to look for a job and how to fill out an application. They also complete career assessments and declare areas of focus to help guide their placement in internships.

ACCESS graduate assistant Anne Hollis Lipscomb, a two-time MSU alumna, said finding the right internships can go a long way to helping prepare students for a future in the workforce.

“We have areas of focus for our students related to the careers they would like to pursue,” Anne Hollis said. “For example, one student, Michaela Tolleson, was really interested in floral design and things like that, so she worked with florists, gift shops and at The Biscuit Shop.

Basically, she focused on hospitality fields.”

ACCESS employment coordinator Jamey Bachman said she evaluates each student’s strengths and tries to find job opportunities that are a good match. She then meets with the potential employer to ensure everyone’s needs will be met.

For example, with Spencer, Jamey noted that he had good social skills and does best working independently when he has routine job tasks. Michaela performed well in her floral design classes, so her strength lay in her knowledge and creativity in that subject.

She works best with a list of tasks and a schedule for the day.

“We don’t disclose a student’s disability to the employer. Instead, we share some of the student’s current goals and discuss accommodations that have ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 25

helped students perform well in the past,” Jamey explained.

Anne Hollis, who is now working toward a doctoral degree in school psychology at Mississippi State, said she thinks keeping the line of communication open helps ensure both the students and their managers are comfortable and have their needs met.

“I definitely think because of the lack of exposure, people can be skeptical about hiring individuals with disabilities because they don’t really know what to expect,” Anne Hollis said. “I think Jamey does a really good job of preparing people and letting them know that we will be involved also. So, it’s not like we are throwing you this student you have never met and you have to figure out on your own what to do.”

Jamey agreed, noting that even employers who might have been apprehensive at first have enjoyed their experiences as ACCESS partners.

“Most managers are pleased to hear that Mississippi State provides such an inclusive learning environment and are excited to be part of the learning process for ACCESS students,” Jamey said. “The majority of businesses we’ve worked with have evolved into on-going partnerships with many supervisors asking if there are opportunities to have an ACCESS intern the next semester, too.”

Putting Skills in Action

When discussing plans for the future, Michaela’s face lights up with excitement. As a member of the MSU ACCESS program, she walked Mississippi State’s graduation stage not to receive a degree but rather a completion certificate with an emphasis in floral design.

“My grandmother was a floral designer for 20-something years, and she still does stuff on the side,” Michaela said. “My aunt also owned a flower shop for a while, so it has just been a dream of mine since I was a little girl.”

Michaela was born with Fragile X syndrome, which is the most common cause of intellectual disability. Although she is able to perform many daily tasks with ease and 26 SPRING 2020

independence, she still struggles with anxiety and increased sensory sensitivity. She also requires additional learning support.

However, Michaela has not allowed her disabilities to hinder her dreams of becoming a florist.

Michaela interned in Starkville for Flowers by the Bunch, University Florist, The Biscuit Shop, MSU women’s basketball team and Vowell’s Marketplace, but she said her favorite place to work was Fleur-de-Lis Flowers and Gifts because of the skills she learned while working there and the way the owner, Joni Lofton, treated her.

“She has a nephew who has an autism spectrum disorder, so she kind of gets the whole point,” Michaela said. “She has helped me not be nervous. She is very understanding, patient and very helpful. She let me back off for a second if I was feeling nervous and taught me how to do things instead of just handing me a job and telling me to do it.”

She said she had a similar experience with the University Florist where she worked first as an intern, then as a paid employee. Under the guidance of Taylor Bowden, who has a background in horticultural therapy for special populations and also has family members with disabilities, Michaela said she improved her skills, including floral design.

Taylor said one of the most surprising things about Michaela was her ability to create floral arrangements.

“She really has an eye for it, and I was so impressed with her design skills,” Taylor said.

“She can do something in 10 minutes that takes me 20. She is just very efficient and does not second guess herself which is really important. You need to have that kind of confidence.”

Taylor said she was also impressed with Michaela’s work ethic.

“She is a hard worker and an all-around good employee,” Taylor said. “If she was in a grumpy mood and I asked her to do something, it was still done efficiently and well, no questions about it.”

This efficiency helped push her to paidemployee status; however, with this change she was required to not only make floral designs but also carry out the everyday tasks of

Taylor Bowden (left), manager of the University Florist at MSU, helped ACCESS student Michaela Tolleson (right) develop the skills necessary to work independently at a flower shop, including designing arrangements and taking orders over the phone. Bowden said she will continue to work with ACCESS by hiring more of the program’s students in the future.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 27

As employment coordinator for the ACCESS program, Jamey Bachman (left) evaluates each student’s strengths and tries to find job opportunities that are a good match. By keeping the lines of communication open with those who employ ACCESS students, like Elvin Primas (center) and Adrienne Morris (right) with campus dining contractor Aramark, she can ensure both the student and managers’ needs are met.

28 SPRING 2020

a florist such as taking out the trash, cleaning the shop and working the cash register.

“During her internship, it was a little different in the way that I did not ask her to do things that were not fun,” Taylor said. “So, when we did the actual employment with her, it was challenging because she was used to having a good time, goofing off and always doing flowers, but that’s not the reality of it.”

Overall, Taylor said Michaela was equipped for the job. She just needed assistance with the presentation and application of her skills. So, Taylor created a capstone project for Michaela —to take a floral design order over the phone.

Throughout the semester, Taylor created a script and practiced with Michaela before eventually allowing her to take a call by herself.

“As the semester went on, I would ask off-duty employees to call in. They would text me before they did, and I would have Michaela answer it,” Taylor said. “It let me coach her a little bit while also giving her the freedom to actually take the call and feel really accomplished about it. By the end of the semester, she could take a real order with no problem.”

One of Taylor’s primary goals was to provide Michaela with the skills that would eventually allow her to work independently at her own floral shop.

“Something that people with disabilities need is a goal so they can feel accomplished, and when people pay them for their work, they need to be fulfilled,” Taylor said. “I just wanted to give her the possibility of having a real career where she is the same as everyone else.”

Taylor said she will continue to work with the ACCESS program by hiring another student for an internship with University Florist and said she would recommend employing an ACCESS student to any manager.

“It’s so important to show people that they are valued; that they can do something that is tangible and that people want,” Taylor said. “Everyone needs to know that they can make something that’s valuable to other people or that they can provide a service.

You don’t lose anything by doing it. You just learn together.” n

L-R: MSU Homecoming King Spencer Kirkpatrick, an ACCESS program student from Tupelo, and Queen Rachel Dumke, a senior kinesiology major from Franklin, Tennessee

A CROWNING MOMENT

By Chris Lowe, The Reflector; Photo by Kelly Donoho

Spencer Kirkpatrick made history last November as he became the first ACCESS student to represent Mississippi State University as Homecoming King. He faced eight other candidates and won with 36% of the votes as tallied by the MSU Student Association.

Spencer’s father, Kevan Kirkpatrick, said his son has long been a dedicated Bulldog.

“He has been a Mississippi State fan since birth. He grew up wearing maroon,” Kevan said. “The thought of college really was never a possibility for him until we discovered the ACCESS program. So just the fact that he was able to go to college at Mississippi State was really a dream come true for him.”

Kevan is also quick to note that there is more to Spencer than being Homecoming King. He said his son has dreamed since childhood of living an independent life, something that is becoming a reality as Spencer’s graduation draws near.

“Like any college student, he is very excited to graduate in May,” Kevan explained. “He will move back to Tupelo and live as independent of a life as he possibly can.”

Spencer’s ACCESS mentor and friend, Melody Mayden, a junior kinesiology major, praised the newly-crowned king’s attitude and commitment to the university, saying he represents the values of MSU. “Not only does he love this school wholeheartedly and in a whole other kind of way that people probably don’t understand, but he also knows almost every person on this campus,” Melody said. “Where other people may have a motive behind what they’re doing, whether it’s to have their face out there or for networking purposes, Spencer just did it because he loves this school and wants people to know that.”

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 29

30 SPRING 2020

MSU ARCHITECTURE ALUMNI LEAVE LASTING LEGACY THROUGH CAMPUS FACILITIES

By James Carskadon, Photos by Megan Bean and Beth Wynn

W

hen alumni come back to visit Mississippi State, they may go see one of their old study spots, drive by their freshman residence halls or visit their favorite places to eat on campus. However, for some School of Architecture graduates, a visit to Starkville means stopping by the buildings they helped design.

In recent years, these alumni have designed the academic buildings, research labs, student housing and athletic facilities needed to help the university meet growing demand and carry out its teaching, research and service missions. Since the School of Architecture was formed in the 1970s, its alumni have worked on meaningful projects across the state, country and world, while also leaving a lasting mark on the Mississippi State campus.

With MSU being home to the only architecture school in Mississippi, almost every major modern era construction project on campus has had a Bulldog on the design team. Many buildings and spaces enjoyed by MSU students, alumni and visitors were once a concept put to paper by the university’s graduates.

LEFT: Having commenced campus operations in 1880, Mississippi State University, seen in this aerial photo from 2014, is home to both historic and new, state-of-the-art facilities that are renovated and designed to meet the growing needs of the state’s premier research university.

Photo by Russ Houston.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 31

W

hen Tim Muzzi drives to his office on the MSU campus, he travels past several reminders of the past 15 years of his career.

“When I was in private practice and worked on a building, I may never see that building again,” said Muzzi, who has served as the university architect at MSU since 2004. “But here, I see every one of them every day. Good or bad, I live with it. I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to come back here and do this.”

Muzzi has overseen the design and construction of more than $1 billion in campus construction projects, working to ensure each facility fits within the university’s long-term plan and meets the needs of its users. Some of his favorite projects include the construction of Old Main Academic Center, the new Dudy Noble Field, and major renovations to Lee Hall and Colvard Student Union.

Before he was making plans for a large land-grant campus, Muzzi got his start designing grocery stores for Sunflower Foods. At the time, he had attained an associate degree in drafting and design. When the School of Architecture was opening at MSU, he took the opportunity to advance his education in a field he had grown to enjoy. He was accepted into the program and finished with the school’s second graduating class in 1979. He then had a successful career in private practice before returning to his alma mater.

Mississippi State’s campus features buildings that have been designed and built in several different eras dating back over a century. Muzzi said he has worked to create a more unified architectural vision on campus.

“You’re not going to re-create a Carpenter Hall or a Lee Hall,” Muzzi said of the historic buildings. “You can’t afford to because of the detail on it. But you can pick up on some of the elements of them, which we’ve done in recent years.

We’ve picked up on a certain brick color that we like. It all unifies the campus. The biggest compliment somebody could give us is that a building looks like it belongs at Mississippi State.”

One of Muzzi’s most notable designs is not a building, but rather the popular green space just south of Davis Wade Stadium, The Junction. The idea started with a brainstorming session between Muzzi and Ray Hayes, former MSU vice president for budget and planning. Over lunch, the two explored ways to get rid of Malfunction Junction, the infamous crossroads of five streets in the middle of campus.

They realized that if traffic was routed around the intersection, it would create a large green space south of the football stadium, perfect for tailgating on a fall Saturday.

The space has served that purpose for nearly 15 years, and has received national exposure as the backdrop for ESPN’s “College GameDay” and the SEC Network’s “SEC Nation.”

In the days leading up to every commencement ceremony, graduates can be seen taking pictures at the Bully statue in The Junction, with grass, trees and the large Mississippi State logo on the back of the stadium’s videoboard serving as the background.

“I think it’s the best tailgating venue in the SEC,” Muzzi said. “It’s maybe not quite as important as the Drill Field but it’s become a significant green space on this campus.”

TIM MUZZI University Architect and Director of MSU’s Office of Planning, Design and Construction Administration

32 SPRING 2020

BELINDA STEWART Principal, Belinda Stewart Architects, Eupora, Mississippi

B

elinda Stewart knew she wanted to make an impact as an architect in her community. The 1985 School of Architecture graduate was doing just that early in her career as she learned the ins and outs of historic building renovation in North Carolina. However, after five years, she realized she could have those same opportunities in Mississippi.

“I started thinking ‘Why am I investing all my time in this town that’s not mine?’” Stewart recalled. “So I decided to move back to my hometown and see if I could do some of these same things.”

Home for Stewart is Eupora, a town of approximately 2,000 residents 30 miles west of the MSU campus. In 1990, she started running her own firm out of her grandmother’s home. Within a few months, she had enough work to rent office space. Now, her team comprises 16 employees who work on projects across the country.

Stewart maintains her expertise and experience in the renovation of historic buildings. Her firm has worked on 30 courthouses in Mississippi, helping bring buildings that often sit in the center of a community back to life.

At Mississippi State, Stewart led the renovation of the historic YMCA building and designed Old Main Academic Center, a 150,000-square-foot facility that pays homage to the historic Old Main dormitory that burned in 1959. The new building sits at the corner of Barr Avenue and George Perry Street, with a facade reminiscent of the original

dormitory. On its busiest class days, 11,000 people use Old Main Academic Center.

“The intent was never to copy Old Main,” Stewart said.

“It was to respect it, honor it and speak to its memory.”

The YMCA building, constructed in 1912, was an early building design from N.W. Overstreet, one of Mississippi’s first architects. With original building plans available to her, Stewart said she enjoyed getting to know the ins and outs of the building as the university sought to give it modern amenities.

“We found a mechanical closet way down deep that still had original materials in it,” Stewart said. “That gave us information to build back the details in the basement. The other two floors had so much original material intact that the issue really became working with that and changing it in a minimal way. We made lots of changes in the background, but visually we wanted to keep that character.”

With several School of Architecture graduates on staff, as well as current students working in co-op positions, Stewart said she is impressed with the way the school teaches students to be problem solvers, a skill that suits them in her firm or wherever they go.

“It’s a changing world and a changing field, so you have to always be learning,” Stewart said. “With existing buildings, there is such a diverse range of things you run into. You have to know technologies from 1920 and 2020.

You need a lot of depth to do projects like this.”

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 33

MICHAEL BOERNER Principal Architect, Wier Boerner Allin Architecture, Jackson, Mississippi

W

hen Michael Boerner was studying architecture at Mississippi State, the lifelong baseball fan designed a downtown Jackson ballpark for his senior thesis in 2002. That stadium never came to fruition, but within 15 years, Boerner’s firm was tasked with redesigning Dudy Noble Field, one of the most celebrated facilities in college baseball.

“I really have to pinch myself sometimes when I think about the new Dudy Noble being one of our projects,” Boerner said. “There are a lot of special ballparks out there, but I’m really proud of what we ended up with.”

After graduating from MSU, Boerner worked for architecture firms in Birmingham, Alabama, and New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina caused him to move to Jackson. In 2009, he and former classmate Jamie Wier decided to start their own firm. Jack Allin, another MSU alumnus, joined the firm five years later. As Wier Boerner Allin celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2019, it is also able to celebrate the completion of Dudy Noble Field, the firm’s largest project to date.

For both his senior thesis and the Dudy Noble Field design, Boerner was able to consult with Janet Marie Smith, the MSU alumna who designed Camden Yards, the nationally acclaimed home of the Baltimore Orioles.

On Dudy Noble, he also had consultation from passionate fans who cherish memories from the old stadium and its famed Left Field Lounge.

34 SPRING 2020

Boerner said the design team and university officials wanted to make sure Left Field Lounge retained its sense of community, while also becoming safer and more accessible. Boerner said one of his favorite features of the stadium is the “parade route,” a concourse that wraps around the stadium and through Left Field Lounge, providing 360-degree views of the field.

During the 2019 season, ESPN broadcast a game from the Left Field Lofts, the condos overlooking the stadium, highlighting another feature that is unique among college baseball stadiums.

“It really took a team approach between administrators, designers, engineers and contractors to make this stadium happen,” Boerner said. “This project has opened a lot of doors for us, and we’re thankful for that.”

Wier Boerner Allin also led the design of Nusz Park and the renovation of A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre, a project that connects MSU’s tennis and softball facilities.

Boerner said he has always been impressed with the level of expertise of the School of Architecture’s faculty and staff, which helps produce quality graduates.

“Over our 10 years of hiring MSU graduates, we’ve been blown away with what they are able to do right out of school,” Boerner said. “Their level of preparedness and understanding of design is phenomenal. In my view, the program is only getting stronger.”

W

hen Robert “Bob” Luke first came to Mississippi State in 1972, he was ready to embrace the social life.

He was less enthusiastic about his studies.

A few years after leaving campus without a degree, Luke returned with a wife and young child, prepared to take his education seriously. In the time that he was away, MSU opened its School of Architecture, which appealed to Luke. He met with the school’s first dean, Bill McMinn, and had a great conversation about his goals as a student and dreams about becoming an architect. Then the dean asked to see a copy of Luke’s transcript.

“I had intentionally not brought my transcript because my grades were so poor,” Luke said. “So, he told me to run over to the Registrar’s Office and get a copy. When I got back, he looked at my transcript and said, ‘The guy I spent an hour and a half talking to and the guy on this transcript cannot be the same guy.’”

The dean was willing to give Luke a chance with a one-year trial run taking the program’s pre-requisite classes. At the end of two semesters, Luke had shown he was serious about school this time around and was given a spot in the architecture program. He would go on to graduate in 1980.

After six years working in Charleston, South Carolina, Luke took an opportunity to return to Mississippi and started a firm in Meridian in 1987.

“My first time at Mississippi State, I got a social education, the second time I got an academic education,” Luke said. “When I came back to school, I took almost all of my electives in business, because architecture is an art, a science and a business. It has served me well in running LPK as a business over the past 30 years.”

Luke has been able to work with his alma mater on several projects

as his firm led the design of the Davis Wade Stadium north end zone expansion and the Leo Seal Football Complex. With the stadium expansion, Luke led a design team that took the MSU fan experience to a new level.

“Game day at Davis Wade Stadium, with our cowbells and our students, is one of the most exciting experiences in college football today,” Luke said.

He also worked with MSU on the Zacharias Village residential community, as well as Oak and Magnolia residence halls. Before Zacharias Village opened in the mid-2000s, MSU had not built a new residence hall in over 50 years. With the enrollment boom that followed, MSU would need all the housing space it could get.

“The new residence halls offer all of today’s modern conveniences with a traditional look, which in turn makes the student feel at home and allows MSU to compete for high-quality students,” Luke said.

Among Luke’s favorite projects by his firm is the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience, or The MAX, in Meridian.

The 50,000-square-foot facility showcases Mississippi’s arts and entertainment legacy, honoring the state’s creative legends and inspiring tomorrow’s artists.

With MSU now producing architecture graduates for 40 years, Luke said the school has left a visible impact on the state and around the country.

“My education from Mississippi State has allowed me to compete with people all over the country,” Luke said. “If you look around the state, the quality of the architecture has increased since the 1980s. I think a lot of that can be attributed to the fact that most firms in the state are being led by people that were educated by Mississippi State’s School of Architecture.” n

ROBERT “BOB“ LUKE Principal Architect, LPK Architects, Meridian, Mississippi

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 35

DEER UNIVERSITY MSU Deer Lab studies region’s most significant wildlife species

By Vanessa Beeson

36 SPRING 2020

A

ccording to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hunting in the Magnolia State brings in $1.14 billion dollars annually with a little over 300,000 hunting licenses issued in 2018. Every year, as the weather turns cool, many of these hunters head to the woods in search of white-tailed deer.

As a sport shared across generations, hunting often relies on anecdotal evidence when it comes to the best places and ways to bag a buck. More than ever, however,

Recently referred to by the Quality Deer Management Association as “conducting some of the best research in the nation,” the MSU Deer Lab has a rich legacy. hunters turn to science-based information to improve their experience in the forest. That’s where the MSU Deer Lab lends a hand.

The MSU Deer Lab provides scientifically backed information for everyone from academics to farmers to those who enjoy the beauty of white-tailed deer or relish in the thrill of the hunt. And the quality of its research, teaching and service is without measure.

Recently referred to by the Quality Deer Management Association as “conducting some of the best research in the nation,” the MSU Deer Lab has a rich legacy. As one of the premier labs nationally, the lab, which was formally started just over a decade ago, developed from the MSU deer research program that began in the mid-1970s under the direction of Harry Jacobson and Dave Guynn.

As part of the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center and the university’s Extension Service, the lab’s team has published more than 100 peer-reviewed research articles covering such topics as antler development, deer biology, deer management, habitat management, human dimensions, and tools and technology.

The lab is a center for teaching with a hands-on outdoor lab, where graduate and undergraduate students have participated in meaningful research for more than 40 ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 37

years. The MSU Deer Lab is also at the forefront of technology with a robust website, a well-followed social media presence, smartphone apps and a podcast called “Deer University.”

Steve Demarais, co-director of the MSU Deer Lab, said the white-tailed deer is the most significant wildlife species in the Southeastern United States, for positive and negative reasons.

“While deer hunting provides tremendous economic value to our state, deer can also be a nuisance whether they are causing damage or harm— from damage to a farmer’s crops to human harm in an automobile collision,” said Demarais, who pointed out that while the lab occasionally studies other large mammals, its focus has always been on white-tailed deer ecology and management.

In addition to Demarais, the lab includes co-

and Parks. She is responsible for all management activities across the state’s wildlife management areas.

Alumnus Jason Sumners, who received a master’s from MSU in 2004, holds a similar position as wildlife bureau director for the Missouri Department of Wildlife Conservation while Randy DeYoung, who earned a doctoral degree in 2004, is a professor and research scientist in molecular ecology of wildlife at Texas A&M—Kingsville.

APPLIED RESEARCH FOR TODAY’S LAND MANAGERS AND HUNTERS

The MSU Deer Lab focuses on applied research that land managers and hunters can use in the short term. They also conduct long-term studies that

“When it comes to home range, we learned that bucks fell into one of three categories. One-third of the bucks were homebodies who didn’t leave their home range while another third established two home ranges and moved back and forth between them. The rest were somewhere on the scale between these two extremes.” ~ Colby Henderson director Bronson Strickland, the St. John Family Endowed Professor of Wildlife Management, and Garrett Street and Ray Iglay, both assistant professors in Mississippi State’s Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Demarais, who is the Taylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, began as a master’s student at MSU in 1977 under the direction of Jacobson. After earning a master’s degree, he stayed for a doctoral degree graduating in 1984. He returned to the land-grant institution in 1997 when Jacobson retired and has been leading the research program ever since.

Since then, Demarais said many alumni have gone on to serve in leadership positions in the wildlife field.

To name a few, Demarais points to 1981 wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture alumnus Seth Mott who is now assistant director of science applications for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, focusing on strengthening science partnerships, setting conservation priorities and leveraging resources to achieve them at the national level. Amy Blaylock, who earned a bachelor’s in forestry in 2004 and a master’s in wildlife and fisheries in 2007, is the first female director of Wildlife Resources for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries 38 SPRING 2020

illustrate important aspects of deer ecology and management within a historical framework.

In one recent study, the lab partnered with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to study buck and hunter locations to determine how deer respond to hunting activity.

Strickland, an alumnus who earned a doctoral degree in 2005, said the team sought to answer questions that perplex hunters.

“Hunters were primarily interested in learning whether or not big bucks moved out of range during hunting season and whether or not hunting impacted the time of day bucks were on the move,” Strickland said.

The team used GPS collars to track approximately 50 bucks for two years across 60,000 acres of diverse habitat along the Big Black River in Madison and Yazoo counties in Mississippi.

The team—including Colby Henderson, a Starkville native and current master’s student who will focus on the research for his master’s thesis— determined that in some cases the hunters were correct in thinking that the large buck they’d set their sights on had moved to another home range.

“When it comes to home range, we learned that bucks fell into one of three categories,” Henderson explained. “One-third of the bucks were homebodies who didn’t leave their home range while another third

TOP: Bronson Strickland, co-host of Deer University and co-director of the MSU Deer Lab, takes antler measurements from deer within the MSU Deer Unit.

MIDDLE: Undergraduate wildlife student workers, Nick Mosby (left) and Keion Smith load and move a sedated buck to a secure area within the MSU Deer Unit for measurements and health check.

BOTTOM: Steve Demarais, co-host of Deer University and co-director of the MSU Deer Lab, checks on the sedation level for a buck prior to measurements and health check.

Photos by Logan Kirkland.

PICK OF THE PODCAST

An avid podcast listener, Bronson Strickland, co-director of the MSU Deer Lab, said the “Deer University” program was inspired by his love of the format.

“I love listening to podcasts and when I started listening I noticed there were plenty of hunting podcasts, but none focused on deer ecology and management,” he said.

More than 35 episodes are available for download and while Strickland is proud of them all, he lists these three among his favorites.

1) “THE SCIENCE OF THE RUT” (EPISODE 32): Demarais and Strickland discuss the biology behind how the rut works and how the timing is determined by genetics, hormones and the ratio of daylight to darkness. Why and how does the timing of the rut vary from place to place? Does moon phase affect the rut? Can hunters influence the duration of the rut? Everything one needs to know about the rut is reviewed in this episode.

2) “NUTRITION OR GENETICS” (EPISODE 8): Ever heard the old saying “You are what you eat?” A 10-year research project conducted by the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks and the MSU Deer Lab was designed to explore the regional differences in buck body and antler size found throughout Mississippi and whether these differences were caused by nutrition or genetics. The results prove nutrition, whether good or bad, will impact deer for generations.

3) “MINERAL STUMPS FOR DEER NUTRITION” (EPISODE 7): Marcus Lashley, a former habitat management specialist with the MSU Deer Lab, discusses a novel habitat management technique called mineral stumping.

To subscribe to the Deer University podcast, visit https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deeruniversity-podcast/id1234304336.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 39

established two home ranges and moved back and forth between them. The rest were somewhere on the scale between these two extremes.”

As for the second question of whether hunting season influenced the time of day the deer moved, the team did not detect a temporal shift in buck movement during hunting season. In other words, bucks mostly move during early morning and late afternoon hours, rather than shifting to nighttime and midday movements, as often suspected by hunters.

The study also asked hunters to self-report hunting data in the area. Hunters recorded hunt start and finish times, location and harvest data on Deer Hunt, an MSU Deer Lab smartphone app.

More than 100 area hunters uploaded data helping researchers investigate how hunting pressure might influence buck behavior.

They found that bucks in heavily hunted areas tended to have smaller home ranges. They also determined that bucks avoid areas frequently visited by hunters.

combination of managed fire during the dormant and growing months will optimize habitat quality for both deer and turkey.

Strickland said the purpose of all research is to help establish best management practices that help landowners and hunters alike.

“Our goal is to help land managers better manage for deer. We also try to answer questions important to hunters to help them maximize their time in the woods,” he said.

PRECISION DEER MANAGEMENT On the technology front, the MSU Deer Lab has a robust online presence to connect with land managers and hunters near and far. A comprehensive website, msudeer.com, which has tallied nearly 60,000 visitors since its 2013 launch, serves as a go-to guide for those seeking to learn about white-tailed deer. On social media, the lab

“Our goal is to help land managers better manage for deer. We also try to answer questions important to hunters to help them maximize their time in the woods.” ~ Bronson Strickland The next steps include analyzing the data to better determine how bucks respond to hunting pressure and delving into details about what kind of vegetation and habitat bucks seek when selecting a home range.

Wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture master’s student Ashley Jones will investigate hunting pressure while Henderson will continue to focus on habitat.

Another graduate student is focused on the risks associated with supplemental feed. Master’s student and Carmel, Indiana, native Miranda Huang, is working on documenting zoonotic diseases potentially associated with supplemental feeding of deer. She is studying how the popular practice among landowners might impact three potential sources of disease: ticks, aflatoxins and gastrointestinal parasites.

She will also use trail cameras to identify animals visiting the site and determine what species are at risk for contracting diseases found at the sites.

“I hope this information will help improve our understanding of the effects of supplemental feeding and can provide guidance on how to mitigate any risks of feeding,” she said.

In another research project, Rainer Nichols, a master’s student from Calhoun City, is interested in the timing of fire and how it affects habitat quality, and subsequently, the quality of deer. He is evaluating in both winter and summer months to see if a 40 SPRING 2020

has more than 22,000 followers on Facebook, over 1,000 followers on Twitter, and nearly 400 subscribers to its YouTube page, MSU Deer Lab TV. The lab produces podcasts under the name Deer University and has 224,000 downloads from fans across all 50 states and 29 countries.

The lab also provides three apps including one that helps hunters age deer, another that helps land managers plant food plots for supplemental feed, and a third called Deer Hunt that Strickland said is useful for land managers, hunters and wildlife biologists alike.

“The Deer Hunt app gives us a way to collect hunting data quickly and easily. It’s a tool for hunters, researchers and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks,” Strickland said.

“Hunters can check into a stand remotely and record and upload all the data from a particular hunt, including observational data that can be incredibly helpful to wildlife biologists.”

The MSU Deer Lab is a hub of white-tailed deer research and outreach efforts aimed at keeping land managers, hunters and the general public informed about all things related to the Southeast’s most significant wildlife species. Additionally, the lab provides the tools and training to help future biologists invested in the important work of better understanding white-tailed deer. n

RIGHT: The 11-acre Johnie R. Dawkins Memorial Deer Unit has housed up to 100 deer. Number of deer fluctuates depending on current research needs.

Photo by Logan Kirkland.

UNDETERRED Tips for hunting in the age of chronic wasting disease

As chronic wasting disease—a deer-killing illness now found in the Magnolia State—spreads throughout the Southeast, misinformation and misunderstandings can leave hunters unsure of what to expect when they hit their favorite hunting spots or whether they should even continue with the sport.

Bronson Strickland, co-director of the MSU Deer Lab, said while the consequences of CWD can be dire for deer populations, there’s no need to discontinue hunting, as long as precautions are taken.

1

Don’t use supplemental feeding in areas where CWD has been detected. Saliva is one method of disease transmission which puts congregating deer, like those that gather around feeders or green fields, at greater risk of contracting the disease.

2

Don’t assume a “healthy” appearance means a healthy deer.

While CWD is fatal, it does not cause immediate death like other diseases. The effects of CWD can take anywhere from six months to two years to manifest in an infected deer. In the meantime, the deer will often die from other causes such as vehicle collisions, predators, hunter harvest or other mortality factors CWD predisposes them to.

3

Have harvested deer tested. Because CWD doesn’t manifest immediately, it is important to test harvested deer to ensure the meat is safe to consume and help state officials track the spread of the disease. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks website has a list of testing locations in the state. The MSU College of Veterinary Medicine’s Mississippi Veterinary Research and Diagnostic Laboratory in Pearl is working with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to test all submitted deer.

4

Be careful handling harvested deer. When field-dressing an animal or butchering the carcass, wear rubber or latex gloves, and bone-out the meat. As always, wash your hands and instruments thoroughly afterward.

5

Only get and share information from reputable sources that are backed with information by deer biologists. With social media, it’s easy for misinformation, such as video clips that claim to “cure” CWD, to spread. The scientific community is actively studying this disease, looking for solutions and sharing reliable information with the public. At this time, no cure has been identified.

Strickland said the main thing is to continue to enjoy hunting responsibility. Responsible hunters can be invaluable to helping protect Mississippi’s most valuable wildlife resource.

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BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE Bishop creates chances for fellow Bulldogs to realize dreams

By Addie Mayfield, Photos by Beth Wynn

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hose closest to George H. Bishop will likely say his successful business endeavors are due in large part to his patience, optimism, and unwavering loyalty to his commitments and those around him. But Bishop tells the story differently.

Acknowledging the collective forces that have helped him along the way, he sums up his success as a multitude of blessings.

Yet, the road to becoming one of the most accomplished players in his industry wasn’t without adversity. When Bishop was only 5 years old, his father was killed in a tragic accident. Soon after, his mother became ill with tuberculosis and was hospitalized. The young Bishop was subsequently placed in the care of his grandparents, who continued to help his mother raise him following her recovery.

Growing up in the rural South in the 1940s wasn’t an easy life, especially considering the hardships he earlier faced, but when Bishop recalls his childhood living with his grandparents, he smiles.

“We had no electricity and no running water at the time,” said Bishop, who remembers hauling cotton from his grandparents’ home place in Smith County to nearby towns by a mule-drawn wagon.

“But it was a great time in my life. We never knew we were poor—and really, we weren’t because we always had love.”

Some years later, his mother remarried, and they moved to Raleigh. Bishop admired his stepfather, and the two formed a close relationship. Bishop also credits his stepfather for much of his primary training in business and “breaking bread with people.”

After graduating from high school in 1954, Bishop set his sights on thenMississippi State College. Not having a car, he hitchhiked his way to Starkville—a common occurrence of the time— sometimes catching rides that carried him only one mile of the nearly 120-mile trip.

Upon reaching his destination and settling into college life, Bishop joined the Air Force ROTC and began pursuing a degree in aerospace engineering. However, the coursework proved extremely difficult,

and Bishop soon found himself in search of a different field of study.

“I just wanted to be a pilot,” he said.

“But I’d gone to a country school that was only in session for part of the year because we all had to be home for crop gathering.

I just couldn’t keep up with the students from bigger schools, like Jackson, who had finished their books each year.”

At the time, it seemed like Bishop’s dream of flying was over. Little did he know that disappointment was a blessing

“We had no electricity and no running water at the time. But it was a great time in my life.

We never knew we were poor—and really, we weren’t because we always had love.” ~ George Bishop in disguise—one that would usher him in a new direction where he would discover untapped potential in much more than himself. Turning to his college roommate, a friend and former classmate from Raleigh who was studying geology, Bishop began to reconsider the term “rock bottom” and shifted his focus from the sky to the ground.

In 1958, Bishop graduated with a degree in petroleum geology and began a career in the oil business as a self-proclaimed “rock hound.” Following the humble beginnings of his first job “mud logging” on a Mississippi oil rig, Bishop headed to New Orleans where he quickly climbed the ranks in the industry. He was hired among the first four employees for British Petroleum in the United States and later became the chief geologist for Burmah Oil. When Burmah acquired Houston, Texas-based Signal Oil and Gas Inc. it

relocated its headquarters to the Lonestar state, and Bishop followed suit. In 1979, Bishop finally took the plunge and launched his own company, NRG Exploration, with three other employees, in a small two-room office. Finding himself in the right place at the right time, Bishop sought promising opportunities in the Austin Chalk plays, where NRG first got its start.

Bishop recalls grabbing a quick bite to eat after drilling the first well and returning to find they had struck oil. Hard-pressed to find something suitable for a toast in the vast remoteness of the south Texas chalk fields, the team celebrated the victorious stake with a shared bottle of Boone’s Farm.

In addition to being among the first in the oil and gas industry to pioneer the Austin Chalk, Bishop was also an early adopter in using seismic readings to stake wells. The frontrunner expanded his entrepreneurial endeavors with the creation of GeoSouthern Energy in 1981 as the drilling arm of NRG. Once again, the timing was right as the coming years brought the discovery of directional drilling—a revolutionary technique that gave way to the shale boom.

Accordingly, Bishop redirected his attention to the shale deposits in the Eagle Ford Basin, which he had long suspected to be the source rock for the Austin Chalk formation. Unlike many traditional shale plays that predominantly produce either oil or natural gas, the Eagle Ford generates great amounts of both. As GeoSouthern reached new heights in the area with horizontal drilling techniques, Bishop made another key move in advancing the company when he hired Margaret “Meg” Molleston, who currently serves as manager and vice president of GeoSouthern and its affiliated and subsidiary companies.

A fellow trailblazer in the industry, Molleston got an early start in the oil and gas industry. Her first job as a young girl was helping her father, a geologist and oil and gas lease broker, pull record books in courthouses and prepare contracts.

Building on that early experience, she earned a law degree from the University of ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 43

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“I never dreamed I would be able to do anything for Mississippi State, so when the opportunity came, it just felt like the right thing to do.

I like helping people, and I especially want to help students that have the desire to work but don’t have the funds to accomplish their goals on their own.” ~George Bishop

44 SPRING 2020

Arkansas and struck out to pave her own way in the family business.

Bishop and Molleston had been acquainted years earlier through their shared connections in the oil and gas business, and their careers continued to cross paths over time. When the two finally joined forces in 2006, their complementary skillsets and visionary resolve proved successful.

Eventually, the two had collectively acquired some 550,000 acres from Louisiana to Texas and major financial partners were assembled both in the U.S. and abroad.

After drilling more than 1,000 producing wells in the Eagle Ford, Bishop and Molleston sold much of their south Texas holdings in a lucrative 2013 deal. They subsequentially invested in the Haynesville natural gas project in Louisiana, where GeoSouthern currently produces more than 700 million cubic feet of natural gas per day with more than 1,000 wells remaining to be drilled.

“I couldn’t have done it without Meg,” said Bishop. “She was the genesis of the idea. I knew I needed her on my side to take GeoSouthern to the next level—you’ve got to shepherd what you build.”

Since then, Bishop has stepped away from much of the day-to-day operations of GeoSouthern, but continues to advise and consult on major projects. An entrepreneur through and through, Bishop is redeploying his interests in other ventures in Texas including several ranches, the Eagleford restaurant in Cuero and a hotel development in San Antonio, among others. In 2014, Bishop purchased Chub Cay, a resort island in the Bahamas, and has developed the property into a major destination for tourists and locals alike.

In honor of Bishop’s 75th birthday in 2011, Molleston created the George H. Bishop Endowed Scholarship in Geology at Mississippi State, which gives preference to students from Bishop’s native Smith County. Five years later, she extended her gifts with the addition of a professorship, graduate fellowship and an endowment for a new advanced computational laboratory in the MSU Department of Geosciences, all of which bear Bishop’s name and provide ongoing support to areas most meaningful to him.

“George takes great pride in his alma mater and his home state of Mississippi,” said Molleston, who pointed out Bishop’s partiality toward MSU-like maroon when designing GeoSouthern’s corporate logo. “I hope that my commitment will honor George’s legacy and recognize his contributions to the oil and gas business. I also hope the students will be inspired by George’s story to see that even a guy from a small town in rural Mississippi can achieve almost anything with a good education from MSU, a little luck and a lot of perseverance.”

Although Bishop has always prioritized giving back to others, he admits he never realized the impact he could make by giving back to MSU. Recognizing the opportunities he could create for ambitious young students, Bishop made significant commitments to scholarships at MSU. “I never dreamed I would be able to do anything for Mississippi State, so when the opportunity came, it just felt like the right thing to do,” Bishop said. “I like helping people, and I especially want to help students who have the desire to work but don’t have the funds to accomplish their goals on their own.”

The George and Kathy Bishop Promise Scholarship, created in 2016, demonstrates the dedication of Bishop and his wife Kathy to investing in the future of promising students.

Awarded based on students’ financial aid eligibility, and in conjunction with the MSU Promise Program, the gift benefits incoming freshmen and transfer students who are facing economically challenging situations and may not be able to afford higher education otherwise. Since inception, the Bishop Promise Scholarship has provided essential support to bridge the gap between the cost of tuition and all other financial aid for more than 40 Bulldog students.

Further extending student support, Bishop made a significant commitment in 2018 for a subsequent endowment. Aimed at expanding scholarship opportunities for more Mississippi students to attend MSU, the George Bishop Family Endowed Scholarship provides university-wide support to recruit and retain ambitious students from all disciplines. The $10 million gift is a powerful investment that

TOP: Kathy and George Bishop with their scholarship recipients. BOTTOM: MSU President Dr. Mark E. Keenum presenting an honorary doctorate to George H. Bishop.

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Kathy and George Bishop with their family.

will greatly impact accessibility to higher education at the land-grant institution now and into the future.

“I liked the idea of the endowment because I didn’t want to do something that would be here and then gone,” said Bishop, who enjoys interacting with scholarship recipients. “I like getting letters from students. They’re very moving, and I’m proud to be able to help them in some way.”

Bishop’s most recent gift to MSU benefits the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability. After learning of the center’s comprehensive services that help advance the lives of individuals faced with disabilities, he was inspired to strengthen support for the valuable programming. Further cementing his connection to the university, Bishop was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science in 2019 in honor of his lifetime achievements.

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For someone whose life’s work has taken them from a childhood with no electricity or running water, to being named on the Forbes 400 list, it’s easy to imagine Bishop enjoying a relaxing retirement. However, he is most content when he’s working and helping others.

Whether diving into his next “project,” shifting gears behind the wheel of a large piece of equipment or figuring out new ways to make life better for someone else, he is still busy building his legacy every day. In addition to his generous spirit, Bishop’s foresight and loyalty have also characterized much of the synergetic relationships he has built over the years and hopes to pass on to future generations.

“George has helped me and so many others by simply giving us a chance without having preconceived ideas about our strengths and weaknesses or where we came from,” Molleston said.

Bishop is proof that setbacks aren’t always what they seem. A small-town boy with his eye on the sky closed the door on his first dream of flying, and things were never the same. Although he took a different road, in the end, he managed to reach greater heights and accomplish even bigger dreams. When Bishop left Raleigh in the summer of 1954, he never could have imagined just how far the journey to Mississippi State would take him.

And today, he is helping to create similar opportunities for students at his alma mater who are working to write their own fulfilling stories.

“I’m most proud of the fact that all my success doesn’t really make a difference to me,” Bishop said. “I came from nothing, but you have to believe and know you’re blessed to accomplish great things. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, and more so for what’s been done for me along the way.” n

Per capita, Americans consume 2 cups of coffee per day.

CAFFEINE DREAMS

Alumna knows ‘beans’ about coffee business

By Emmalyne K. Beck, Additional reporting by Office of Public Affairs Staff, Photos by Beth Wynn

I

f coffee were a person, it would be Madison Grant. She exudes warmth, provokes energy and provides comfort to those around her.

Sitting in Mississippi State’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, surrounded by glass walls scribbled with ideas and fledgling business plans, Grant is completely at ease. As passersby wave hello, it is clear the transfer student turned alumna and staffer has found her place among the entrepreneurs on campus.

“I literally used to walk past this place going to class and I would just look and go, ‘I don’t even know what that is. It looks really cool.’ There are writings everywhere and sticky notes, and it’s just like, ‘Oh my gosh, those people are dreamers,’” Grant said. “I just felt like those were my people.”

The 2019 business administration graduate said she has always been a

dreamer. And it was a big dream that made her walk through the doors of the entrepreneurship center her first semester as a Bulldog. With help and guidance from its staff, she soon founded Jitterbean’s Coffee, a coffeeroasting company.

While Grant was not born in a coffee-drinking home, the Elberta, Alabama, native began routinely drinking java as a student at Coastal Alabama Community College. She said she fell in love with a local coffee shop where she passed the time between classes and soon hatched the idea for Jitterbean’s.

“I even had the name picked out before I came to State because my nickname is Bean and coffee makes you jittery. I was like, ‘Jitterbean’s, oh, it would be so cute,’” Grant said, smiling.

Her first pitch to MSU’s entrepreneurship center was for a

coffee truck—something to bring the atmosphere of a coffee shop to the masses where they gather—but panel member Charles Freeman, an associate professor in the School of Human Sciences, pushed her to take the idea further.

“He was blunt which was great,” Grant recalled. “He said I needed something more unique and suggested I look into roasting my own beans, so I borrowed a propane grill, bought a $35, 15-inch cast-iron skillet and began experimenting on my porch.

“I was able to actually see the changes as the beans roast,” Grant continued. “I wonder how many roasters actually see it happen before their eyes to really understand the process as they’re learning.”

Grant said she aims for a slower roast at a lower temperature to ensure her beans have a full, developed flavor and not a burnt or undercooked taste. As she ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 47

PROFILES worked to perfect her product, she continued to present to the Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Board and ultimately was awarded $7,500 to kick-start the company.

Two-years later, Grant has expanded the operation from a grill on her back porch, where it would take 35 minutes to roast a pound of coffee, to a professional-quality roasting machine that takes about one-fifth of the time.

Consumers can purchase her product as whole beans or grounds through her website or at

A survey by the National Coffee Association finds that 63% of American adults drink coffee daily.

put me in Starkville with a good work family doing a job I love,” Grant said. “Helping other startups build their businesses based off what I know and have learned through Jitterbean’s— it’s like a dream job I never knew existed.”

The ever-smiling CEO admits she’s sometimes questioned her decision to continue the business, like during the typical summer slowdown in Mississippi’s College Town.

However, she said there has always been something around the corner to keep her going.

“The dream now is to create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and where everyone sees that you can relate to one another over a cup of coffee.” ~ Madison Grant the State Fountain Bakery, MSU’s Idea Shop and Vowell’s Marketplace in Starkville. It is also brewed daily at the campus bakery and downtown’s Proof Bakery and Arepas Coffee and Bar. “Most of my business is wholesale, but I like that,” she explained. “It’s a lot of fun to roast the coffee then go drop it off like, ‘Hey, the coffee is here!’”

Grant said she is also branching into privatelabeling, through which she will roast beans to be sold under another company’s brand. Her first partner is Old Waverly in West Point.

“It’s exciting because it will actually have their name on it instead of ours, so we’ll benefit from that brand loyalty,” Grant explained.

“Folks’ll be buying coffee from a brand they know rather than some new company.”

Business major Brandon Johns who, along with fellow business major Caleb Lovejoy, cofounded the company with Grant, said it’s her enthusiasm for the company and its products that has helped it succeed.

“She’s a hard worker, but, more importantly, she’s optimistic,” Johns said. “We have run into many barriers since starting Jitterbean’s, but when the team seemed down, Madison was there to always pick us up.”

Grant now shares her excitement with other student entrepreneurs in the university’s entrepreneurship center, where she has worked as a program specialist since graduating in May. “I feel like God 48 SPRING 2020

“There have been plenty of times when I thought I was insane, like what am I doing trying to make a coffee business work? It’s such a huge, saturated market,” she explained. “But every time I think I’m at my wit’s end or I’m lacking motivation, something happens.

“My best example is last summer,” she continued. “Things were slow, and I was praying on my way to work for God to tell me if I should be doing this. That afternoon, someone walked in to tell me that Todd Vowell wanted to put Jitterbean’s on the shelf at his grocery store. Little things like that have kept me going. It’s never anything huge, just slowly building the business. It’s not easy, and it’s going to take time.”

Grant said right now her house is overflowing—much to her roommate’s chagrin—with roasted beans, grounds, beans waiting to be roasted and the containers they will eventually be put into, so the next step for Jitterbean’s Coffee will be to find a commercial space for prepping and packaging its products.

However, she said she hasn’t given up the idea of eventually bringing her coffee truck to life.

“The dream now is to create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and where everyone sees that you can relate to one another over a cup of coffee,” Grant said. “One where you can build relationships over coffee, even if you have nothing in common, but the fact that you’re both standing in the same place, drinking a cup of coffee. That is what brings us together.” n

COOL BEANS As founder and CEO of Jitterbean’s Coffee, Madison Grant knows a thing or two about beans and the process of turning the green seeds of the coffee plant into the liquid that jumpstarts people’s mornings around the world.

Grant said she gets unique flavors and brews by using beans grown in specific regions.

Tanzanian beans – “We use these for espresso because they are very smooth. They have citrus, earthy and brown sugar notes. It takes a very refined palate to distinguish those notes, but everyone can appreciate the smoothness.”

Ethiopian beans – “These have an almost fruity flavor. I think they do better in a lighter roast and primarily use them for blends or special requests.”

Guatemalan beans – “These are smooth and go well with everything. They are like that friend you have who gets along with everyone.”

Unlikely arrival at MSU begins generations of Bulldog legacy for Adamson family

By James Carskadon, Photos submitted

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rowing up in Michigan in the 1930s and ’40s, Don Adamson never expected to get his college education in Mississippi. However, a combination of military service and love led him to a new home in the Magnolia State.

Adamson joined the Navy and was stationed in San Diego, California, when he met his wife, Mim, a Neshoba County native who was also stationed in San Diego at the time. The two fell in love, but soon encountered a problem. It was against Navy policy for Mim, an officer, to date Don, an enlisted man.

“We got leave for the weekend and eloped in Yuma, Arizona,” Adamson said.

“I called my mom and said ‘Hey, mom, you probably need to know what I did this weekend.’ She was eventually able to meet my sweetheart of a wife.”

When Adamson came to visit his new in-laws in Mississippi, he developed an appreciation for life in the South.

After his enlistment ended, he decided to enroll at Mississippi State because of its strong business school. Although his career took him all over the country and world, Adamson has remained loyal to Mississippi State.

“I was a married guy with a couple of children when I came to MSU, so I wasn’t into the party scene and all that jazz,” Adamson said. “We were family doing stuff together, and I became a pretty serious student for a change.”

Adamson went on to graduate from MSU in 1960 with a degree in industrial management and began working for IBM, the company he would work for throughout his professional career. His people skills and leadership abilities helped him climb the corporate ladder as the computing company continued its substantial growth in the second half of the 20th century.

“At Mississippi State, I learned how to do right and not goof up,” Adamson said.

“That came in very handy. IBM is built on being pretty sure of what you’re doing and doing it right.”

During his 27-year career with IBM, Adamson moved to nearly a dozen towns in Louisiana, New York, Michigan, Connecticut and Florida, and lived abroad in Brazil. With a focus on personnel, Adamson eventually came to oversee the corporation’s management training. At each stop, Adamson got involved in the community by taking on leadership positions in churches and other organizations.

As much as Adamson enjoyed the communities he moved his family to, he made sure his kids understood why Mississippi State was important to him.

Adamson’s three children would all go on to enroll at MSU, catching flights to wherever their family was living when they traveled home.

Adamson became a regular traveler to Starkville in those years, including trips to see children graduate in 1977, 1979 and 1983.

“The whole time I was growing up, I thought, ‘Of course, I’m going to go to MSU,’” said Debbie Adamson Hammack, the oldest of Don’s three children. “Other kids were talking about going to NYU or Georgia State, wherever we happened to be living. I was talking about going to MSU. We knew we’d be going to State.”

Adamson retired from IBM in 1987, moved to Georgia and then to Hattiesburg to be closer to his wife’s family. Living in the Magnolia State has made following Bulldog athletic teams much easier, Adamson said. While he may not attend every game, he does catch the vast majority of them on TV. One chance meeting and an elopement has created a Bulldog legacy that will soon reach four generations. Three of Adamson’s grandchildren have graduated from MSU, with great-grandchildren expected to join the MSU alumni ranks in the future. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 49

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THE LITERACY GUY Alumnus imparts ‘leader of learning’ wisdom

By Sasha Steinberg Photo by Third Eye Vision Media LLC

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eautiful landscaping.

Muscadine ripple ice cream.

The Chapel of Memories.

Supportive faculty and staff who encourage students from all walks of life to pursue academic and professional dreams. And, of course, football.

There’s a lot to love about Mississippi State.

Just ask one of the university’s biggest fans—proud Mississippian Zackory Kirk.

“Hands down, Mississippi State is the best option in the state for education,” said the De Kalb native, who was the first in his immediate family to go to college. “Attending this university was one of the best decisions I have made because the education was absolutely top of the line. It’s also been such a calming place to return to as a graduate. I love it.”

Kirk enrolled at the state’s leading research university in 1999 and was awarded an inaugural Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholarship in 2000. During his time as an MSU student, he found inspiration in two “amazing role models”—Frances McDavid, the now-retired, longtime journalism instructor and faculty adviser to The Reflector student newspaper; and Jimmy Abraham, former executive director of the Alumni Association and adviser to the Roadrunners student recruitment organization.

“Ms. McDavid was an advocate for all students and was instrumental in helping to make my experience as a student and The Reflector’s opinion editor a positive one,” Kirk recalled.

“Dr. Abraham was the gold standard of leadership. He taught us to always be positive, keep your word and honor your commitments, and those are takeaways that I have continued to use to advance my education both

According to a scholastic survey, 89% of children say their favorite books are ones they choose themselves.

learning specialist, literacy coordinator and in and out of the classroom.” director of curriculum and instruction.

Kirk graduated from MSU with a 2001 Now a partnership executive for Houghton bachelor’s and 2002 master’s in secondary Mifflin Harcourt’s International Center for education. He later earned a doctoral degree Leadership in Education division, Kirk said while living in Georgia. The decision to he enjoys helping schools and school systems pursue multiple degrees, he said, was part of a identify services and products to meet the broader mission to be “a leader of learning.” needs of their students.

“To me, any advanced degrees you get “For example, let’s say a school is show that you are a constant learner. It sets struggling with low math you up to be a great “To me, any advanced scores and I partner with motivator and role model them to see if we can offer for your students and also degrees that you get a solution to help improve helps you be a true expert show that you are a that area for them. One in your field of study,” he constant learner. It sets way to do that is helping said. “That concept was a you up to be a great teachers identify good major motivator for me to motivator and role professional development pursue all the education model for your students and learning opportunities that I could.” and also helps you be a in which they can Like many educators, Kirk said his passion for true expert in your field engage,” he said. “If you can change and enhance learning started with a of study.That concept classroom instruction love of reading. was a major motivator among the teachers—the “I always found a for me to pursue all the main practitioners on the way to get my hands education that I could.” ground—you’re going to on books because I had ~ Zackory Kirk change learning outcomes great teachers, librarians and provide more and media specialists opportunities for the kids they teach.” to help me,” he said, expressing particular As a teacher, Kirk said there’s nothing he appreciation for his fifth-grade librarian Sheila loves more than his students’ success. One Aust, an MSU graduate who always made of his proudest career moments has been sure he was reading the “next big thing.” seeing one of his favorite students attend his “When she was reading something great, beloved alma mater.

Ms. Aust would encourage me to check it “I taught Mary Allison North in the 11th out, and I would just jump right into it. To and 12th grades, and she graduated at the this day, we communicate about books that top of her class. It meant a lot to me when we read,” he said. “I’m also grateful for my she told me that I was a role model for her seventh-grade teacher Ms. Ruth Triplett, an to attend MSU,” Kirk said. inspirational person who really let me know “I’ve been extremely competitive I was meant to be an educator.” for every opportunity that I have been After completing his third college presented and able to achieve, and it degree, Kirk set out to build a career that all goes back to that Mississippi State has earned him a reputation as “The foundation,” he continued. “The Literacy Guy” among colleagues in his coursework was challenging, but it adopted home state of Georgia and across prepared me for every single challenge the country. From 2002-11, he taught high that I face in the world of work. Any time school English in Henry County Public I have a chance to teach someone or am Schools before joining the Atlanta Public being trusted with someone’s learning, School System in various leadership roles, I feel really, really blessed.” n including instructional coach, professional

How to Support Childhood Literacy at Home 1. LET CHILDREN SEE YOU READING AND WRITING. When children see their parents cooking, they want to cook.

When a child sees a parent reading and writing, that child will want to read and write. We reinforce what is important to our children by what we share with them. If our children don’t see us reading and writing, they may be hard-pressed to find value in these tasks.

2. LEARN ONE “BIG” WORD PER WEEK. We can all enhance our vocabulary through the study of language. Select one unknown or unfamiliar word per week, post it–along with the pronunciation and definition–in a visible place.

Use the word throughout the week in conversation.

3. HAVE A FAMILY BOOK CLUB. Everyone loves talking about a good movie or television show.

The exact same thing happens with a good book when your family selects, reads and discusses it together. Imagine the power of a family book discussion at the dinner table around classics like “Charlotte’s Web” or “Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry.”

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Dawgs in

More than 500 miles from Starkville, the Greater Houston, Texas Chapter of the Alumni Association and over 3,000 alumni are leaving their mark on the Lone Star State’s largest city.

INVESTING IN EDUCATION When Cyndi Tucker discusses her earliest memories, they come wrapped in Maroon and White. It’s the house on Magruder Street where her grandparents lived. It’s sitting on a stool at the “DP” sharing MSU ice cream with her grandfather. It’s married student housing where she lived with her parents from ages 2 to 6, and where she was when Old Main burned.

So, when it came time for Tucker to choose a college, there was never any question where the Aberdeen High School graduate would go.

“Starkville was home,” Tucker explained.

Though her grandfather, John Lamar Anthony, was a College of Agriculture 52 SPRING 2020

and Life Sciences graduate and longtime professor of agronomy, and her father, Robert Tucker, graduated from the College of Education, Tucker chose to study economics in the College of Business.

She earned a bachelor’s in 1977, an MBA in 1978 and was working on a doctorate when she decided it was time to stop studying and start working.

“Eating on a regular basis became a priority,” she said, jokingly. “I interviewed with Conoco when the recruiters came to campus and went to work in its IT department in Oklahoma.”

Tucker spent 35 years with the company that is now ConocoPhillips, moving from information technology to transportation and, ultimately, technology

development. During that time, she traveled the world for business, which combined with her adventures since retirement, brings her total countries visited to more than 110.

Still, despite keeping busy with her travels, Tucker still finds time to return to Starkville as an adviser for the College of Business and avid Bulldog sports fan.

She also visits Mississippi State to meet the recipients of the Cyndi Tucker Loyalty Scholarship.

Over the past 25 years of financial support, her scholarship has benefited approximately 50 students.

“My dad was a school teacher in Mississippi, so there were no extra funds to send me and my brothers to college. We had

STAYING ABOVE WATER Katie Landry-Guyton often tells people she was baptized by fire and water when she started her job as the senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Houston, a role that tasks her with forecasting rainfall, as well as predicting where rainwater will go once it falls, how high the water will get and who it will impact.

Serving 23 counties in southeast Texas, Landry-Guyton is the only NWS hydrologist in that area. She had been on the job less than a year when Hurricane Harvey hit the region, bringing over 60 inches of rain and causing historic flooding in Houston.

“I had my work cut out for me when I got here, trying to figure out how to improve flood forecasting and how we get the warnings out,” Landry-Guyton explained. “Then about eight months later, Harvey hit.

“The forecasters I work with, even those who had been there for more than 15 years, had never seen anything like the flooding we had with that storm,” she continued. “But they were there to help me with whatever we needed to do the best job possible.”

A 2012 geoscience graduate with an emphasis in professional meteorology, Landry-Guyton said she became interested in studying the weather as a way to overcome her fear of storms as a child.

“I realized the more I learned about it, the less I would be scared of it,” LandryGuyton recalled. “I started watching the news in the mornings and even met with some of the broadcasters. That led me to fall in love with it.”

Originally on the broadcast meteorology track, the St. Rose, Louisiana, native, completed two internships with news stations in the New Orleans market.

A final internship with the NWS Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center in New Orleans piqued her interest in hydrology and sparked a shift to a more operational meteorology course load.

Following her graduation, LandryGuyton worked as a hydrometeorological analysis and support forecaster at the NWS Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center for more than four years before she and her husband John, a 2013 MSU chemical engineering graduate, decided to make the move to Houston to further their careers.

Landry-Guyton said she almost didn’t apply for the senior hydrologist position

fearing she lacked the necessary experience for the role. But it offered the challenge she was looking for—even if she didn’t know just how challenging it would quickly become with the arrival of Hurricane Harvey.

While it isn’t within her specialty to try to control or mitigate the flooding, Landry-Guyton’s work in forecasting and communicating the possible effects of the storm helped save lives in the region. The NWS honored those efforts by awarding her the national Isaac M. Cline Award, which recognizes operational excellence in hydrology, and the Gregg. B. Rishel Award, the agency’s highest award for outstanding service in the field of hydrology. n

to pay for it ourselves,” Tucker explained. “I have not lived in Mississippi since 1979, but it’s still home for me. I believe the key to helping this state progress is education, so that’s where I put my money.”

Tucker said she is glad to see the changes underway at the university, including growing enrollment numbers and stronger academic requirements in the College of Business. And while today’s campus might not resemble the campus of her childhood—that yellow house her grandparents shared is now home to the Maroon and Write program and MSU ice cream is sold through the “Cheese Store,” instead of the dairy plant—she still enjoys coming “home.”

“I wander around campus and I’m overwhelmed with the construction and that’s fabulous,” she said. “It’s a wonderful transformation.” n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 53

PROFILES

GROWING THE BULLDOG FAMILY After graduating in 1990 with a degree in communication, alumnus Patrick White set off to find what he wanted to do with his life and education. Over the next four years, the Picayune native worked in a variety of industries performing media and public relations before ultimately landing at LSI Industries in Houston.

Then, with his career firmly on track, White decided it was time to give back.

“I didn’t have much to give in terms of financial resources, but I thought I could always give time, so I got involved with the local Mississippi State alumni chapter,” White explained. “One thing led to another and the next thing I know, I’m president of the chapter. I have really enjoyed the progression of being involved not only locally but also as a national board member.”

White, who is now the national vice president for the MSU Alumni Association, said one of his top priorities as an alumni volunteer has been recruiting students to join the Bulldog family.

54 SPRING 2020

“It might sound cliche, but we use the term family because it’s true.

There really is a connection you have with fellow Bulldogs,” White explained. “For me, I think the essence of wanting to give back is wanting to share the MSU story so it can make a difference in kids’ lives the way it did for me—by providing a valuable education.”

White said the Houstonarea alumni volunteers attend college fairs in the region and reach out to prospective students to encourage consideration of Mississippi State. The chapter also sponsors scholarships to further entice its local students to become Bulldogs—something that’s not always easy when competing against the multitude of in-state Texas schools, as well as other Southeastern Conference members who recruit in the region.

White said it’s the sense of community among Maroon and White faithful that helps set Mississippi State apart.

“There is a family in Houston—the Downeys—and I helped encourage their daughter to attend State,” White explained. “Her father is a staunch LSU supporter and really tried to persuade his kids to go to Baton Rouge. But his daughter got engaged with State and took a campus visit.

“After that he took the time to write me and explain how the spirit of MSU— the value of the education and the sense of community—won his family over,” White said.

In his letter, Carlton Downey, a Louisiana State graduate, confesses to trying to steer his children to his alma mater, but that Mississippi State is a “special place.”

He noted his daughter, Cassidy, chose to become a Bulldog even though it meant turning down more scholarship money from other schools.

“After attending the MSU Spring Preview day, I started accepting the fact that my daughter wanted to be a Bulldog,” he

“I didn’t have much to give in terms of financial resources, but I thought I could always give time, so I got involved with the local Mississippi State alumni chapter. One thing led to another and the next thing I know, I’m president of the chapter.” ~ Patrick White

wrote. “I was apprehensive about sending her nine hours away from home, but I knew she would be joining what everyone on campus called the MSU family.”

Downey continued, explaining that while in Omaha for the 2018 College World Series, his wife and younger daughter Camille joined Cassidy in wearing maroon and white while he sported LSU purple and gold. And while he took some “good-natured ribbing” from State fans, he enjoyed the hospitality of the “Bulldog nation that had taken over Omaha,” and was comforted by the alumni and current students who told him—“with passion and pride”—how well cared for his daughter would be while in Starkville.

This was confirmed by a staff member later during spring 2019 Academic Insights.

“An employee from the student services office told Cassidy if she needed anything to just poke her head into an office and someone would get her to where she needed to be,” he wrote. “She then turned to me and said, ‘Dad, we are going to take care of your girl for you while she is here.’ I wholeheartedly believed her, and I have no reservations about sending Cassidy to MSU. “After being on campus and at the CWS, I now understand that ‘MSU Family’ is not a slogan, it’s a way of life.”

White points to this as an example of what sets State apart from other schools.

“I’ve always felt that if you get people to campus, they are sold,” he said. “They truly see what that Hail State family spirit is all about.” n

GEARING UP FOR THE GRIDIRON When the Houston Texans hit the field, every cleat, every chin strap and every headset is present, accounted for and in good working order thanks to the behind-thescenes work of Mike Parson.

Now in his fifth season as director of equipment services for the NFL team, Parson is responsible for outfitting approximately 150 people—from players to coaches to support staff—and ensuring they have everything necessary to do their jobs.

“No one is going to notice us unless we mess up,” Parson said of his crew’s background role. “You have to be really organized and thorough because the last thing you want is a guy not having something he’s used to having.”

A 2003 physical education graduate, Parson said he began learning the ropes of the equipment field as a student manager with Mississippi State’s football team under head coach Jackie Sherrill and industry legend Phil Silva, the Bulldog’s longtime equipment manager.

“Phil really let us run the operation and that gave me an idea of how I want to do things,” Parson said. “The goal is to have all of the equipment there and ready to go so the only thing the players and coaches have to worry about is the game. There will be issues but that’s why we have contingency plans for everything.”

Contingency plans are something Parson will never take for granted.

He was an intern with the New Orleans Saints in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit, uprooting the team from its home in the Superdome for the entire season.

Parson said he remembers loading equipment onto trucks and driving north until the storm passed. Later, he and other interns drove back into the city to load additional supplies and equipment into their cars.

“It pretty much made us nomads because we moved so much,” Parson explained. “At the time, I didn’t realize it would make me an expert at logistics but in this industry, we move around a lot so that experience gave me a good idea of how to keep the operation going without any hiccups.”

Parson said these circumstances were unusual even within the industry, but he found himself drawing on the experience two years ago when Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Texas.

“That experience with the Saints definitely prepared me for what we went through with Harvey,” Parson said. “We were on our way back to Houston when it hit but were diverted to Dallas. I had sent trucks ahead and we were able to keep operations running as best we could.

My experience with Katrina, and knowing to anticipate the potential of a storm like that, really helped me.” n

Mike Parson suiting up J.J. Watt, Houston Texans defensive end.

In his job as equipment services director, Parson manages everything Houston Texans personnel touch for games and practices from the shirts worn by the staff to the telecommunications equipment and training room tools. But among his highest priorities is the team’s safety gear.

One of the most important aspects to consider with safety gear is a proper fit, something he says is crucial when choosing a helmet. While he regularly deals with professional athletes and $2,000 state-ofthe-art helmets, he offers the following suggestions for parents looking to ensure their children are properly, and safely, outfitted for football.

• Ensure the helmet has a snug fit and does not move around on the child’s head while running.

• Only use helmets that meet the standards of NOCSAE—the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment.

• Discard helmets that are more than 10 years old.

• Avoid secondhand helmets unless they’ve been recertified and reconditioned.

“The helmet, especially for young kids, is the most important piece of equipment to invest in,” Parson said.

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GIVING Back

Alumna gifts music department with Steinway concert grand piano

By Amy Cagle, Photos by Beth Wynn

A

lumna Kathy Olsen recognizes perfection in an instrument when she hears it— particularly an exceptionally crafted Steinway piano. Olsen is reaffirming her love of music through Mississippi State University with instrumental support for the College of Education’s Department of Music.

Olsen has become loyally engaged with the campus community in the last few years. Upon learning about the department’s Steinway Initiative, 56 SPRING 2020

she made a gift in honor of her first MSU piano teacher, Geraldine “Gerry” Collins, now a professor emerita. Over the past two years, Olsen has assisted the department with the selection of two Steinway pianos for the ongoing initiative.

By invitation, she accompanied Rosângela Sebba, a professor and MSU’s only faculty Steinway artist, to the Steinway & Sons headquarters in Astoria, New York. Joining the group was Olsen’s cousin, Greenwood native Jim Wooten, a violinist

and retired piano technician for the Metropolitan Opera, who lives in New York. On each trip, Wooten helped select the best Steinway classic grand from a room of magnificent pianos.

Following the first excursion to purchase a Steinway-B, Olsen, a twotime MSU music graduate, decided to further assist the department in its quest to become an All-Steinway School by personally gifting one herself.

Olsen’s contribution of $170,000 for the Steinway-D concert grand brings a premier piano for departmental and campus use.

“I’m very happy I’ve helped MSU in this manner. After we selected the ‘B’ model, I decided to gift the talented faculty with a ‘D’ concert grand model because it will be a spectacular addition for the new music facility,” said Olsen, who describes the instrument’s sound as pure perfection.

The Department of Music hopes to finalize the Steinway Initiative as it opens a new music building on the southeast side of campus in 2021. For the successful conclusion of the Steinway Initiative, between 25-28 additional Steinway-B classic grands and Steinway upright pianos are needed through private gifts.

“This superb Steinway-D given by Kathy Olsen will tremendously elevate the

image of the Department of Music and aid in the recruitment of stellar musicians,” said Barry E. Kopetz, professor and Department of Music head. “Kathy has been invaluable in supporting the students and faculty through her spirit of giving and volunteerism.”

“I’m very happy I’ve helped MSU in this manner. After we selected the ‘B’ model, I decided to gift the talented faculty with a ‘D’ concert grand model because it will be a spectacular addition for the new music facility.” ~ Kathy Olsen Olsen and her husband, Robert, recently hosted Sebba and other music faculty in their Nashville, Tennessee, home. Some 60 guests, including friends and music lovers, enjoyed Sebba’s recital and the following reception. She played Olsen’s heirloom piano, a prized possession from her maternal grandmother that dates to around 1923. A Steinway-M grand piano, it has been refurbished with new Steinway parts to

complement its original soundboard.

A love of music has always been a part of Olsen. She grew up near Clarksdale and developed an appreciation for music as both her grandmothers had Steinway-M grand pianos. She graduated from MSU with a bachelor’s in music and a master’s in music education in 1973 and 1974, respectively. After graduation, she taught music for four years at Northwest Mississippi Community College in Senatobia. Later, she earned an accounting equivalency degree from the University of Memphis. With degree in hand, she spent nearly a decade working as a CPA, specifically in taxation. At Malone & Hyde Inc., she met Robert, a Vermont native, who was an executive vice president for the company.

At MSU, the Olsens also support research and teaching methods in the College of Veterinary Medicine. They were impressed by the abilities and sincerity of MSU clinicians when they sought treatment for their beloved schnauzer, Lillie, who suffered from an ulcer on her cornea. Now the Robert and Kathy Olsen Hardship Veterinary Medicine Fund helps low-income families receive treatment for their companion animals at the Animal Health Center. The Olsens also support student scholarships. The Robert and Kathy Olsen Scholarship in CVM assists talented and dedicated students annually.

“We were greatly impressed with the veterinary staff and their concern and treatment of our family pet,” Olsen said.

“Bob and I have always supported animals and animal rights, so support for the veterinary college was the next logical step for us.”

The Olsens plan to continue their connection with MSU for years to come.

They anticipate hearing the first melodic strains of the Steinway-D concert grand firsthand when the new music building opens for the MSU-Starkville community. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 57

GIVING Back

3719_USSP_NCAA_MIssStAlumniProgramAd_FINAL.indd 1

318 Howard St • Greenwood, MS 662.453.2114 • thealluvian.com

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9/28/15 3:22 PM

Luckyday Foundation Board Chairman Holmes S. Adams, left, and MSU President Mark E. Keenum sign a memorandum of agreement, establishing MSU’s inaugural Luckyday scholarship awards. (Photo by Beth Wynn)

LUCKYDAY SCHOLARS PROGRAM LAUNCHES ANNUAL SUPPORT FOR MSU STUDENTS

By Addie Mayfield

The Luckyday Foundation of Jackson has pledged significant support benefiting Mississippi State University students who are residents of the Magnolia State.

The $650,000 commitment will provide scholarship awards and promote student success through enhanced programming and engagement over four years.

Beginning fall 2020, the inaugural Luckyday Scholars Program at MSU will award 10 incoming freshmen with fouryear scholarships of $6,000 per year, given their continued eligibility. The program also will provide a mentor and resources for associated programming aimed at

furthering student success, including the freshman Luckyday Scholar Seminar and university-sponsored community service projects.

Founded in 1978 by the late Frank Rogers Day, a native of Aberdeen and chairman of the board and CEO of Trustmark National Bank, the Luckyday Foundation funds scholarships to assist young Mississippians in pursuing their goals of higher education. In addition to helping students afford college expenses, Luckyday also encourages students to graduate in four years while maintaining academic standards and getting involved in their communities. Prior to its most recent commitment at MSU, the foundation extended early support to MSU’s Promise Program.

“We are grateful to partner with the Luckyday Foundation in growing opportunities for more of our state’s ambitious students to achieve their

goals through much-needed financial and academic support,” said MSU President Mark Keenum. “The Luckyday Foundation’s commitment to developing outstanding leaders within our state is evident by the investments it is making in the lives of these deserving scholars.”

Recipients of the Luckyday scholarship will be first-time entering freshmen from Mississippi who have earned a minimum 3.0 high school GPA and an ACT score of 2028, or the SAT equivalent. Candidates will be selected via an application and on-campus interview process, and priority will be given to students who demonstrate leadership skills, school and community involvement, and have unmet cost of attendance.

To learn more about the Luckyday Scholars Program at MSU, contact Naron Remillard, director of student recruitment and marketing, Office of Admissions and Scholarships, at n.remillard@msstate.edu or (662) 662.325.1565. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 59

GIVING Back

L-R: John Crisler Wilson Jr., Robert Thaxton Wilson, Patsy Stidham Wilson, John Crisler Wilson Sr. and Michelle Dalyn Wilson

Wilsons honor family patriarch and support Compass Scholarships

By Amy Cagle

T

he Wilson family of Franklin, Tennessee, has become part of a large, unified effort at Mississippi State University. They are joining other members of the Bulldog family to collectively pave The Junction walkway south of Davis Wade Stadium in support of the Compass Scholarship Program.

Family matriarch Patsy Wilson learned of the opportunity and thought it was an excellent way to honor her husband, John C. Wilson Sr., a retired longtime MSU Extension Service employee. The couple’s three children were also instrumental in making the gift possible and recognizing their dad with the paver as he marked two special occasions in 2019 — Father’s Day and his birthday.

“It was a great moment to learn of the paver. Patsy and I are proud Bulldogs and were happy our children also wanted to

60 SPRING 2020

attend MSU. The university has enabled us to have rewarding careers and enjoy a great quality of life,” John Wilson said. “Our love of MSU also keeps us connected as a family; this is an incredible honor.”

With 10 degrees combined, the Wilson family knows firsthand the value of an MSU education, and the family’s black granite paver displays the names and class years of its graduates and an M-State logo.

John Wilson earned three degrees from MSU, a bachelor’s in 1964, a master’s in 1966 and a doctoral degree in 1981; Patsy Wilson graduated with a bachelor’s in 1966; daughter Michelle Wilson of Franklin, Tennessee, earned a bachelor’s in 1992 and a master’s in 1995; son John Wilson Jr., a bachelor’s in 1993 and a master’s in 1994; and son Rob Wilson a bachelor’s in 2018.

Both sons reside in Brentwood, Tennessee.

Although the family names will now

be set in granite on the MSU campus, it is quite a different surface where John and Patsy spend most of their time. The semi-retired couple have a passion for ballroom dancing and own Dance Shoes of Tennessee.

“Since 2004, we’ve met a whole new tier of friends through our company,” said John, who retired from various roles with the MSU Extension Service in 1993.

“Ballroom dancing is a great way to spend time with each other, and we help other people reach fulfillment with their recreational time through our business.”

In Mississippi, Patsy taught school for several years in Jackson and later worked with churches in Starkville and Columbus before the family relocated to Tennessee, where she has since retired as a children’s minister.

“We are thrilled to remain connected

to the university that provided for the educations that have helped us all become successful graduates,” Patsy said. “And now our names will be a part of the Compass Scholars Walk, and our gift will help other dedicated students earn their degrees.”

The Compass Scholars Walk gives members of the Bulldog family, like the Wilsons, a chance to leave a permanent mark in The Junction while making a positive difference in the lives of students through scholarships. Since inception, some 1,700 students, representing all eight academic colleges at Mississippi State, have received a scholarship through the Compass Scholarship Program.

The scholarships are administered on a year-to-year basis. The university seeks contributions yearly for the scholarship program through an annual giving goal. Once achieved, MSU will match that amount,

annually doubling the impact of donor gifts.

Many constituents become part of the Compass Scholars Walk to honor a family member, graduating senior or even a faculty member who made a positive difference in their lives. Compass Scholars Walk options include 8-by-4 inch bricks for $500 each and 8-by-8 inch bricks for $750 each. Additionally, 16-by-16 inch black granite pavers garner support for the Compass Scholarships Program with required pledges of $1,500 or more annually for five years.

Compass Walk bricks and pavers are laid twice annually, and contributors receive a replica brick. Alumni and friends who wish to secure their place in the Compass Scholars Walk should visit msufoundation.com/compasswalk or contact Georgia Carter, director of annual giving, at 662.325.5975 or gcarter@foundation.msstate.edu. n

Get exclusive discounts at participating businesses

Make your impact and donate to Mississippi State University

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 61

GIVING Back

ANDREWS CONTINUES LEGACY OF GIVING TO HIS ALMA MATER

By Amy Cagle

L

ester Andrews has given Mississippi State University a lifetime of support in many ways. His loyalty to the university began as his parents taught him an appreciation of its landgrant research mission and its rich heritage. They instilled in him a strong desire to value land as a great resource for progress, inspiring him to include MSU in his philanthropic endeavors.

Andrews graduated with highest honors from Mississippi State in 1963, earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. He earned a doctoral degree in physical chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 1966. Today, he resides in Charlottesville, Virginia, where he is an emeritus professor of chemistry and a 2008 Distinguished Scientist awardee at the University of Virginia. To date, he has published 875 research papers, and he continues research in his areas of expertise, including infrared spectroscopy, photochemistry and electronic structure calculations of new reactive molecules.

During his life, Andrews has maintained strong ties to Mississippi and the state’s largest university.

He grew up in Starkville while his father, the late W.B. Andrews, was an agronomy professor. It is a passion for research that Andrews shared with his father that drives him to create opportunities for MSU scientists and students.

With his charitable giving, Andrews has developed a meaningful and practical formula. As he supports MSU, he maximizes his charitable goals by gifting tracts of farmland and timberland, always ensuring that proceeds from proper land and timber management and timber sales on these tracts benefit the designations he carefully sets forth.

Over a decade ago, Andrews honored his late father, W. B. Andrews, in a special way. The W. B. Andrews Agricultural Systems Research Farm, a part of the MSU North Farm complex, was created with proceeds from the sale of 550 acres of timberland in the Pheba community. Today, the research farm provides an environment for MSU scientists and students to pursue state-of-the-art research with

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geographic information systems, new plant varieties, crop management systems and numerous other projects. Additionally, the W.B. Andrews Endowment for Soil Sciences, also from that Pheba land gift, provides for graduate assistants in soil sciences and for necessary equipment to improve the quality of soil science programs.

Andrew’s father earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from then-Mississippi A&M in 1929 and 1931, followed by a doctorate from Michigan State before he joined the then-Mississippi State College faculty in 1936. As an agronomy professor, he was a pioneer in research to use anhydrous ammonia as a fertilizer, performing experiments on local small farms in the late 1940s. The application of anhydrous ammonia as a fertilizer was recognized among the top 10 agricultural developments in the 20th century.

Later, his work led to the formation of Mississippi Chemical Corporation to produce ammonia, where he was an agronomist for the last half of his career.

In 2012, Andrews further grew his family legacy as he donated pine forestland near Longview for the new Andrews Forestry and Wildlife Laboratory. As part of the university’s Bulldog Forest, MSU scientists have transformed the 249-acre property into a unique habitat for wildlife and for conducting research and teaching best land-management practices as a demonstration forest. Some seven years later, with proceeds from the sale of 80 acres of real estate in Oktibbeha County, Andrews has established a fund that will maintain the laboratory over time. As the Andrews Forestry and Wildlife Laboratory Endowed Fund matures, an annual fund will make possible equipment, start-up funding for research projects, student scholarship support and other opportunities for the College of Forest Resources.

“Some years ago, I decided our family farmland would be an excellent site for Mississippi State to continue pioneering agricultural research, and it is very gratifying for our land to have become a living research laboratory,” Andrews said.

“By working in a laboratory all of my adult life as a chemist, I understand the need for research, and it is my hope that new

Bronson Strickland, Extension professor (left), with Lester Andrews

discoveries made from experiments on this farm will benefit the farmers of Mississippi and people everywhere.”

He continued, “Gifts of property, specifically land, are not considered by everyone, but since I no longer live in Mississippi, it gives me great satisfaction for Mississippi State to utilize it in this manner. I know the structure of my gift will cement our family legacy and that my father would be happy to know that the strong research component of the university still thrives today.”

The Andrews name is synonymous with MSU in many ways. Andrews extends his impact through the College of Arts and Sciences where the Andrews Endowed Fellowship in Chemistry rewards outstanding research faculty. The fellowship acknowledges exceptionally meritorious faculty in the Department of Chemistry, and endowment earnings provide a salary supplement and support for the holder. Additionally, the Lester Andrews Graduate Research Symposium established in 2011 by then department head Ed Lewis honors him as the most distinguished MSU graduate in the field of chemistry. The symposium annually brings a preeminent chemist to interact with talented graduate students from across the Southeast. A select number of student participants receive travel awards, and a monetary award is given for the best

graduate research presentation.

Along with the colleges of arts and sciences and forest resources, support from Andrews assists the Famous Maroon Band in the College of Education. Some years ago, a gift from him helped build the campus band facility and proceeds from his most recent land gift now benefit the Maroon Band Endowed Fund for Excellence, which provides instruments, equipment and scholarships for band members. Andrews fondly recalls his time as a first-chair clarinet player in the Famous Maroon Band from 1959 through 1963. He gained his lifelong love of music from his mother, and his memorial to her, the Clara Adele Self Andrews Music Scholarship, assists talented undergraduate students who are music education majors or members of the 118-year-old Famous Maroon Band. Andrews still plays clarinets, both Bb and Eb, now in the Charlottesville Symphonic Band.

For Andrews, supporting Mississippi State translates to ensuring his beloved homeland is profitable for future generations. He believes the gift of knowledge can be infinite and creating the means for students and faculty to seek and find that knowledge is imperative for our world. And the Andrews name, through the endowments he carefully crafted, will remain perpetually entwined with the institution. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 63

ALUMNI News

HOUSTON

WELCOME TO THE CITY In key cities across the nation, Mississippi State University Alumni Association chapters, along with the Young Alumni Advisory Council, hosted Welcome to the City events to introduce recent graduates of MSU and other young alumni to their communities and alumni chapters. In its inaugural year, the program encouraged fellow Bulldogs to gather to connect with their local city scene, network with fellow young alumni and engage with alumni chapter leaders to learn how to become connected and involved with their respective alumni chapters.

Welcome to the City events were held in Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; Houston, Texas; Jackson, Mississippi; the cities of Chattanooga, Memphis, and Nashville in Tennessee; and Washington, D.C. For more information on how to participate in young alumni programs, visit www.alumni.msstate.edu/youngalumni.

JACKSON

MEMPHIS

JACKSON CHATTANOOGA

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ATLANTA

BIRMINGHAM

WASHINGTON, D.C.

MEMPHIS

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ALUMNI News

L-R: John W. Jordan, Gavin W. Rees, Cindy West Simpson, Shawn M. Hunter, President Mark E. Keenum, Taylor D. Lyne, Jimmy Bullock, David E. Seago, and Becky Murphy

MSU, Association honor 2019 Alumni Fellows A group of Mississippi State University’s notable alumni are selected each fall as Alumni Fellows. They are honored in recognition of the ultimate measure of a university—the quality of its alumni. Alumni Fellows hold the distinction for life.

The MSU Alumni Association honored the 2019 class of Alumni Fellows in November.

The group visited campus Nov. 14-16 to be recognized for their lifetime achievements.

Sponsored by the association and the university’s eight academic colleges, the

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program engages Alumni Fellow honorees who share their extensive knowledge and real-world experience in the classroom and informally with MSU students and faculty. For 30 years, this educational activity has served as a means for enriching students’ university experiences by exposing them to outstanding alumni who are willing to talk about specific competencies, attitudes and efforts needed to succeed.

The 2019 Alumni Fellows are among the nearly 146,000 living alumni worldwide. The newest honorees include:

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Starkville native Becky Murphy earned a Bachelor of Science in home economics from MSU in 1983. Her parents were longtime MSU employees, Alice Essig and the late Werner Essig.

After graduation, she began a career in the technology field with IBM and held several leadership roles in sales over the next 20 years. In the last six years of her time there, she serviced one of IBM’s top partners, Sirius Computer Solutions Inc. By 2007, Murphy joined the Sirius company, where she progressed to senior vice president of sales for the southwest region before her retirement in 2019. A longtime resident of Dallas, Texas, she has been actively involved in the community and has a passion for helping “at-risk” children. For 16 years, Murphy was part of Communities in Schools in Dallas, which focuses on keeping at-risk students in school, and she dedicated time serving that organization’s board.

College of Architecture, Art and Design

Cindy West Simpson graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in interior design in 1996.

Simpson has worked for Gensler, the world’s largest architecture and design firm, for almost 20 years. She is Gensler’s co-regional managing principal for the south-central region and co-managing director of the firm’s Dallas office, and a member of the firm’s client relationships committee and the firm’s board. She is also a Fellow in the International Interior Design Association. For her many accomplishments, Simpson was named one of the 500 Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas and Fort Worth

for three years by D CEO Magazine.

At MSU, Simpson has served the CAAD advisory board and the MSU Foundation board. She was the college’s 2010 Alumna of the Year. Originally from Aberdeen, she resides in Plano, Texas. In her local area, she assists women’s and children’s charities and serves on the board of HopeKids for families with a child with cancer or other life-threatening medical condition.

College of Arts and Sciences

Dr. David E. Seago grew up in the Jackson area and still resides there. He earned a Bachelor of Science in general science from MSU in 1997. Following his time at MSU, Seago obtained a DMD in 2000 from the University of Mississippi School of Dentistry. He continued his studies in the oral and maxillofacial surgery program at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and received extensive training in all aspects of oral and maxillofacial surgery. He also participated in the Shriner Hospital’s Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic. Seago is a partner of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates P.A., with offices in Flowood and Madison.

In his community, Seago volunteers with Mission First Dental Clinic, providing free care for patients and oral surgical procedure training for dental students.

He also participated in foreign mission trips to Mexico and South Africa for nearly a decade with fellow Bulldog alumni as part of Doctor Dawgs.

College of Business

Shawn M. Hunter of Mobile, Alabama, is owner and CEO of Industry Services Company Inc. He graduated from MSU in 1992 with a Bachelor of Business Administration with an emphasis in real estate and mortgage finance. After graduation, Hunter joined his family’s business, Lynn Whitsett

Corporation, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Then, in 1995, he purchased his first company, D.A. Collins Refractories Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2000, he added Industry Services Company Inc. and moved the headquarters of his business to Mobile, Alabama. Since that time, through additional purchases and organic growth, the company has become a specialty industrial contractor supplying technical services, equipment and field crews to combat heat and corrosion problems for customers, and operating six offices throughout the U.S. Hunter credits MSU and the College of Business for giving him a great foundation in academics. For his professional achievements, Hunter was saluted among the Top 100 MSU business alumni over 100 years.

College of Education

John W. Jordan of Madison earned a Bachelor of Science in social studies education in 1976, a Master of Arts in education in 1980, and a Doctor of Education in school administration in 1982. He began his 35-year career in education as a teacher and while attending graduate school was employed as a technical writer for the MSU Research and Curriculum Unit.

He assumed his first administrative role in 1983 as principal of Natchez Cathedral School, followed by assistant superintendent in the Jackson School District and superintendent of education in Oxford. He joined the Mississippi Department of Education as deputy state superintendent of education and later became interim state superintendent of education. In 2006, Jordan was the first executive director in the preconstruction phase of the Mississippi Children’s Museum. He is executive director of Core Learning LLC, an educational consulting firm he founded in 2012. Jordan is a native of the Carter community near Yazoo City.

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ALUMNI News

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Gavin W. Rees earned a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering in 1978. After earning his degree, he began a productive 36-year career with the Procter & Gamble Company. Rees managed a variety of manufacturing operations at plants in St. Louis, Missouri, and Frostproof, Florida, for some 10 years. He then transferred to customer service and logistics, working with Publix and other customers to help optimize their supply chains within the Florida market. Next, Rees was appointed as Southeast customer service center manager in Augusta, Georgia. After his assignment in Augusta, Rees helped lead the consolidation of all regional customer service centers into Cincinnati, Ohio, the headquarters of Procter & Gamble. He assumed responsibilities for the company’s U.S. import and export businesses. In one of his final career roles, Rees helped lead the development, implementation, and support for the company’s integrated information system, SAP, to all of its more than 130 manufacturing sites around the world. He retired as a global manager in 2015.

College of Forest Resources

James F. “Jimmy” Bullock Jr. earned a Bachelor of Science in forest resources in 1980 and a Master of Science in wildlife ecology in 1982. The Brookhaven native began his career as a technician with the U.S. Forest Service and with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in the university’s College of Forest Resources. Today, as senior vice president for forest sustainability for Resource Management Service LLC, Bullock resides in Bogue Chitto and oversees sustainable forestry, environmental policy, and programs and advocacy on forestry issues for RMS-managed timberlands in the U.S. He has responsibility for the sustainable 68 SPRING 2020

forest management certification of all RMS-managed forestlands globally, including oversight of all related third party and internal audit programs. Bullock also leads environmental, social and governance initiatives for RMS-managed forestlands globally. He has been with the company since 2006, assuming his present role in 2013. He is well known as a Certified Wildlife Biologist for The Wildlife Society, a Mississippi Registered Forester, and a Society of American Foresters Certified Forester. He earlier held management positions with International Paper, Union Camp Corporation and Anderson-Tully Company.

College of Veterinary Medicine

Dr. Taylor D. Lyne worked at his family’s veterinary practice beginning at age 10 and later become a kennel assistant there. He completed his undergraduate education at Emory and Henry College and Virginia State University. He enrolled at MSU for veterinary school because its curriculum enabled him to gain clinical knowledge earlier than at other institutions. After graduating with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine in 1994, Lyne returned to the practice his father founded and became veterinarianin-charge and eventually owner of the business. Today, Lyne Enterprise LLC consists of Chester Animal Clinic, Courthouse Road Animal Hospital, and West Chester Pet Resort—all around Chester, Virginia, where he resides.

Lyne has mentored students at MSU and institutions in his native Virginia, including Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and through Blue Ridge Community College, imparting best practices to the next generation of veterinarians.

For detailed biographies on the 2019 class of Alumni Fellows and other information about the alumni association, visit www.alumni.msstate.edu. n

Cindy Simpson (right) with CAAD Dean Angi Bourgeois

Alumni Fellows lead by example and give of their time through their designated colleges by serving as guest lecturers and student mentors as they share their lifelong experiences with currently enrolled Bulldogs.

John Jordan at the Hunter Henry Center

Dr. Taylor Lyne at the Wise Center’s CVM Auditorium

Becky Murphy at Hunter Henry Center

Honorees with Jeff Davis, Alumni Association executive director (far right), at MSU vs. Alabama football game Gavin Rees at the John Grisham Room in Mitchell Memorial Library

Reception for honorees at the Hunter Henry Center

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ALUMNI News

Young Alumni Advisory Council The MSU Alumni Association Young Alumni Advisory Council is dedicated to helping young MSU alumni transition into their professional lives while engaging them in lifelong relationships with fellow alumni and the land-grant institution. The council gathered for its December meeting at MSU where members discussed strategies for young alumni programming and strategies for the association and university.

Front Row L-R: Courtney Griffin, Jessica Dougan, Walker Price; Middle row: Nikki Robinson, Victoria Hall, Paul Minor, Jasmine Morgan, Rachelle Sanderson; Back Row L-R: Jeff Mayeux, Amanda Bobo, Cole Glass, Bradley Mason, Kylie Rigdon

Keen wins spring tuition

Isaac Keen of Louisville is the latest winner of the MSU Alumni Association’s tuition drawing. A sophomore studying kinesiology with a concentration in 70 SPRING 2020

neuromechanics in the College of Education, Keen will receive free, fulltime tuition for the 2020 spring semester.

At MSU, he works as a student athletic trainer with the Sports Medicine Program.

Initiated in 2013 by the Alumni Delegates, an Alumni Association student organization, the drawing is open each fall and spring semester to any student enrolled full time at MSU. The

ongoing project provides funding for 12 academic credit hours at the land-grant institution—$4,455 or the equivalent of a typical in-state semester’s tuition. This semester, the Alumni Delegates raised $17,986 in ticket sales from 4,274 tickets purchased to generate financial support for student scholarships and priority programs in the association.

NEW TRADITION FOR DECEMBER GRADUATES DEBUTS

The MSU Alumni Association hosted its first Senior Celebration for fall graduates in 2019. Over 150 students attended an evening of celebration at the Hunter Henry Center on December 4 with Santa, Jak and Bully the mascot, along with alumni staff.

The association traditionally hosts a Senior Celebration in conjunction with spring commencement, and fall graduates will now also be saluted for their accomplishments.

All Bulldog graduates are given a one-year complimentary membership with the MSU Alumni Association, where they can become part of over 100 chapters and clubs worldwide.

NATIONAL ALUMNI BOARD The MSU Alumni Association National board of directors gathered on campus in October for its annual fall meetings.

Front Row L-R: Lisa Newcomb, MS North 1 director; Carol Moss Read, MS North 3 director; Celeste Carty, MS South 2 director; Lynn Burwell, MS South 3 director; Sherri Carr Bevis, national president; Andrea Frank, MS central 2 director; Fred Monsour, MS South 1 director; Janelle Finley Adams, At-Large director; Brad Garrison, Texas director; Riley Nelson, MS Central 3 director; Jimmy McPherson, MS North 3 director; and Samuel Nichols, Out-of-State region 2 director. Back Row L-R: Fred Nichols, MS Central 3 director; Brad Reeves, Immediate former national president; Gary Blair, former national presidents representative, Theressia McAlpin, MS Central 3 director; Terri Russell, Alabama director; Patrick White, national vice president; Brenda Smith, MS South 3 director; Will Carpenter, MS South 1 director; Jeff Davis, executive director; Dave Dickson, Out-of-State region 1 director; Todd Bennett, MS North 1 director; Randy Follett, president Holland Faculty Senate; and Bert Clark, MS Central 1 director.

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Alumni Delegates

The Alumni Delegates program is an organization that serves as a liaison between Mississippi State University students and alumni. Founded in December 1980, its purpose is to improve the understanding of the role of the Alumni Association by educating and involving students in activities and events of the association.

Student involvement will help foster lifelong relationships while continuing to maintain the Alumni Association’s mission. Alumni Delegates are today’s student leaders preparing to be tomorrow’s alumni leaders. Forty-five students, of which 27 are returning and 18 are new members, represent the 2019-20 Alumni Delegates group.

Front Row L-R: Jess Mayts, Roshni Jignesh Patel, Molly Terry, Bethany Tillman, Elizabeth Orr, Nate Bell, Kerry Steen, Brittany Corder, Osvaldo Ballesteros, Gracie Chavez, Caroline Sleeper, Sarah Suddoth, Hollis Hoggard, Kylie Watts, and Dionne Williams. Middle Row L-R: Parker Thoms, Taylor Neyland, Anna May, Emily McGinity, Jeff Guenther, Jake Hughes, Frankie Webb, Allison Galinsky, Dylan McDonald, Charlotte Corr, Alysse White, Jay Warren, Blake Bulinski, Daniel Bond, and Jordan Ramsey, the group’s adviser.

Back Row L-R: Quin Gray, John Neil Stanback, Ann Mason Hunter, Haden Rumsey, Chinwe Okorie, Sam Cagle, Seth Male, Joy Hickman, John Nix Arledge, Josh Stanford, Julia Garletts, Hannah Huddleston, Warner Buxton, Andrew Weddle, and Jon Stockton.

Not pictured: Emily Stone

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To plan your will or trust, request our free Estate Planning Guide by visiting msugiftplanning.org.

Or, if you’ve already included Mississippi State in your plans, please let us know.

MSU is an EE/EEO university.

Wes Gordon, Director of Planned Giving (662) 325-3707 | wgordon@foundation.msstate.edu 72 SPRING 2020

BLACK ALUMNI ADVISORY COUNCIL

Black Alumni Advisory Council members are pictured with three of the six 2019-20 BAAC Scholarship Recipients. Front Row L-R: Recipients Zaria Ford, Destiny Orr and Cathelen Coleman-Dancer. (Back L-R) BAAC members James Collins, Rocheryl Ware, Desi Crouther, Hester Buie, Clinton Vaughn, Robert Barnes, Eileen Carr-Tabb and Harvest Collier.

The Black Alumni Advisory Council of the MSU Alumni Association serves as a representative body comprised of African American graduates, former students and friends of Mississippi State University. The council strives to support current and future African American students and MSU through the endowment of scholarships and the development of other resources. This support is intended for African American students to attend, excel and graduate from Mississippi State.

Saluting for mer National Alumni Presidents Former national presidents of the MSU Alumni Association gathered September 13 at the Hunter Henry Center to be collectively recognized for their loyal service as part of Former National Presidents Day.

Those honorees in attendance included front row L-R: Camille Scales Young, A.D. Hunt, Clay McWilliams, Charles Cascio, B.B. Hosch, Pap McElroy, Bob Montgomery, and David Jones.

Second Row L-R: Billy Gillon, Jackie Ford, Karen Lawler, Bill Long, Betty Black, Keith Winfield, Durr Boyles, and Walter Becker. Third Row L-R: Brad Reeves, Ronnie Walton, Tommy Roberson, Ron Black, and Joe Bryan. Back L-R: Jeff Davis, Steve Taylor, Gary Blair, and Robby Gathings.

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ALUMNI News

T

he MSU Alumni Association serves nearly 146,000 living alumni of Mississippi State University who share the same love and devotion to the institution as the first three graduating classes that began the alumni association in 1885. This loyalty and passionate spirit of service and accomplishment displayed by many graduates over time is saluted annually in a special awards ceremony.

With nearly 400 alumni and friends in attendance at The Mill at MSU, the university’s 2020 National Alumnus, college alumni of the year, the 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna, and the 2019 Distinguished Service Award recipients were honored in February. Additionally, many of the association’s chapters and clubs worldwide were recognized for their accomplishments.

The following day, some 149 alumni leaders and volunteers from around the nation gathered for the Alumni Association’s annual leadership conference as participants attended informative presentations, shared ideas and networked with other chapter and club volunteers at The Mill.

2020 ALUMNI BANQUET & LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

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For commemorative videos and photos, visit www.alumni.msstate. edu/banquet or view the Alumni Association’s Facebook page at facebook.com/msstate.alumni

CELEBRATING

DANNY E. HOSSLEY National Alumnus 2020

“MSU … where it all began.” This simple phrase on a hand-painted cowbell held special meaning for Danny E. Hossley of Hideaway, Texas. It now stands as a fitting tribute for an alumnus who made his university a significant part of his personal and professional life.

Danny will be remembered for his energetic spirit of volunteerism as a longtime alumni leader and devoted student recruiter.

He died Tuesday, Feb. 4, three days before the ceremony to honor him as MSU’s 2020 National Alumnus of the Year.

A native of Vicksburg, Danny met his wife, Philadelphia native and fellow transfer student Ann McClain, on campus. The commemorative cowbell depicts the couple in 1964 standing in front of Perry Cafeteria, where Ann worked as a student. It was there that Danny, who was a campus resident adviser, happily proposed to her the day he received an employment offer, resulting from his studies. They married in August of that year, beginning a 56-year union in which they shared a passion for each other, their four children—Kathy, Allen, Kristie and John Paul—and six grandchildren, and for MSU. After graduation in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Business, Danny began his career with the U.S. Steel Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama, before returning to his hometown and joining

The 2020 National Alumnus of the Year award for Danny E. Hossley was presented to his wife, Ann McClain Hossley (center) by MSU President Mark E. Keenum. From left are the couple’s daughter, Kristie King with husband Eric of Draper, Utah; son John Paul Hossley and wife Erin of Dallas, Texas; and son Allen Hossley and wife Jill of Tyler, Texas. The couple’s eldest daughter, Kathy Hossley, passed away as a college student. The Hossleys also have six grandchildren, Lexi, Kaitlin, and Hayden Hossley, and McClain, Avery, and Davis King.

Westinghouse Electric Lighting Division.

Over the next decade, he held progressive positions at Westinghouse, culminating as sales manager for the southern U.S. territory. In 1977, Danny left Westinghouse and founded Hossley Lighting Associates in Dallas, Texas, which became nationally recognized. In 2000, upon retirement, he and Ann, who was accounting manager, rewarded their associates with the ownership of HLA. The company’s legacy continues today as one of the nation’s largest independent lighting sales organizations.

In retirement, Danny led a grassroots effort as founder and inaugural president of the award-winning East Texas Alumni Chapter of the MSU Alumni Association.

As the chapter’s student recruitment coordinator, he also started the Robert L. Jones East Texas Scholarship, named for MSU’s late vice president for the Division of Student Affairs. For his accomplishments, Danny received the Alumni Association’s 2007 Distinguished Service Award. He also served the MSU Alumni Association national board of directors from 2010 to 2018, with multiple terms as student recruiting committee chair and a member of the executive and nominating committees.

Through the years, Danny was a dedicated alumni leader with a compelling

desire to maintain a strong student recruitment presence in East Texas. During the administration of MSU President J. Charles Lee, Danny forged an important voluntary role as the university’s first recruiter in Texas.

Danny thrived in that capacity and enlisted Ann as his voluntary associate recruiter. The Hossleys are credited with creating an MSU presence in that region and recruiting students from Texas, along with others from Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina, to enroll at Mississippi State. More than 200 individuals became Bulldog students because of the Hossleys’ encouragement.

Danny understood the importance of a college education as the eldest of 10 children, having to work as a switchman for the Illinois Central Railroad for money to attend MSU. It was his desire to see others attain their college education that motivated his involvement in recruitment.

In tribute, the East Texas Alumni Chapter has initiated the Danny E. Hossley Memorial Annual Scholarship to help more talented and dedicated students from East Texas earn a college education. Fellow alumni and friends can help build the scholarship, continuing Danny’s inspiring legacy and providing future recipients with their own great beginning at MSU. Memorial scholarship contributions can be made at msufoundation.com.

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Front Row L-R: Jon Nash, Lynn Tincher-Ladner, MSU President Mark Keenum, Mark Worthey and Barry Knight. Back Row L-R: Richard McNeel, Michael Wood, Gregory Rader and Boyce Adams.

ACADEMIC COLLEGES RECOGNIZE

Alumni of the Year

Mississippi State University’s eight academic colleges collectively selected a group of impressive Bulldogs as their 2020 College Alumni of the Year.

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

BARRY L. KNIGHT OF CORDOVA, TENNESSEE,

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Oklahoma native Barry L. Knight holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University and a 1988 master’s degree from Mississippi State, both in agronomy.

While an MSU student, he worked on a USDA research team, focused on the fruiting behavior of the various cotton varieties. His work on this thesis project has provided growers and researchers tools to maximize their opportunity. Knight credits MSU for providing valuable 76 SPRING 2020

skills he continually applies to his career.

Professionally, he began his career with positions at American Cyanamid and Monsanto Co., where he held several roles in the southern U.S. region. Next, he was executive vice president of Jimmy Sanders Inc. in the Memphis, Tennessee, regional office. Today, Knight is with Indigo Agriculture and oversees the world’s largest agriculture laboratory as senior vice president of Global Indigo Research Partners. For his accomplishments, Knight was named the 2011 Alumni Fellow for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

RICHARD H. MCNEEL OF JACKSON, College of

Architecture, Art and Design Richard H. McNeel has spent four decades in the field of architecture where he’s licensed by the American Institute of Architects. As president of Jacksonbased JBHM Architecture, he’s been named a Top Mississippi CEO by the Mississippi Business Journal. He’s also the first Mississippi architect to receive the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. A lifelong proponent of quality education, training and testing

for architects, McNeel has helped develop the national architect’s exam for 13 years.

He actively participates in his profession as a juror, adjunct professor and adviser to the MSU College of Architecture, Art and Design from which he earned a 1979 Bachelor of Arts in architecture and was selected as a 1990 Alumni Fellow.

McNeel has served the college’s School of Architecture Advisory Council for many years and currently chairs the group. He’s also served multiple terms on the MSU Foundation Board.

MARK A. WORTHEY OF MCKINNEY, TEXAS,

College of Arts and Sciences Mark A. Worthey began studying at MSU before entering the Air Force, where he spent four years in aircraft maintenance.

He returned to MSU and completed a Bachelor of Science in petroleum geology in 1984, proudly becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. Worthey began his career with Marlin Drilling Co. as a roustabout, then Newport Petroleum Inc. as a geotech, and Coho Resources Inc. as a geologist and exploitation manager.

He then spent nearly 14 years with Denbury Resources Inc., where he was a founding officer and senior vice president of operations. He next was appointed CEO of Reichmann Petroleum Inc. and guided the company through liquidations.

Most recently, Worthey founded McClaren Resources Inc. and serves as its president.

He has served the boards of Genesis Pipeline Co., Rancher Energy Inc. and the MSU Foundation. In 2009, MSU honored him as Alumni Fellow for the College of Arts and Sciences.

BOYCE ADAMS SR. OF COLUMBUS,

College of Business

Boyce Adams Sr. graduated in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in marketing.

He began his career in the oil industry, developing software to improve operations

from the field to the front office, and he later worked with an accounting firm.

By 1992, Adams co-founded BankTEL Systems and was president and CEO for many years. Under his leadership, BankTEL became a leading supplier of auxiliary financial software in the financial services industry. In 2019, AvidXchange acquired BankTEL, and Adams now serves as a special adviser. He also is involved with the Innovate North Mississippi Angel Fund and the Bulldog Angel Network investment group that mentors start-up companies that originate from MSU students, faculty and staff. Adams was honored by the College of Business as its 2014 Alumni Fellow. He’s a member of the College of Business Dean’s Advisory Board, the MSU Entrepreneurship Center Advisory Board, and the Bulldog Club Board. He’s also chairman of the Old Waverly Junior Golf Foundation.

LYNN TINCHER-LADNER OF LONG BEACH,

College of Education Lynn Tincher-Ladner serves as president and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society—the nation’s oldest and largest honor society serving community college students. She joined the PTK staff in 2012 as chief information and research officer.

She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from the University of Southern Mississippi and a doctoral degree in community college leadership from Mississippi State, where she has served on the graduate faculty for the College of Education. Tincher-Ladner has more than 20 years of experience in higher education instruction and information technology. She has been published in many periodicals, presents her innovative research on student success at national conferences, and speaks at convocations and commencements. Tincher-Ladner serves on national boards for the College Promise Campaign and the Center for Community College Student Engagement.

She has consulted with colleges across the country on strategic planning, accreditation, economic impact and student advisement.

GREGORY RADER OF COLUMBUS, James

Worth Bagley College of Engineering

Gregory Rader is a 1984 petroleum engineering graduate of Mississippi State.

He is executive chairman of Columbus Recycling Corp., where he serves as the organizational lead and keeper of the company’s “always do the right thing” culture. Rader joined the company in 1991 as vice president for operations and purchased the company in 1996. He has since driven the company’s growth, both organically and through the acquisition and integration of four processors. For his efforts, the company was honored as Scrap Company of the Year with a Global Award for Steel Excellence in 2014 and 2015. In his community, Rader is a member of the Columbus Rotary Club and he serves the boards of BankFirst Financial Services, Heritage Academy, the Lowndes County Industrial Development Authority and the YMCA. At MSU, Rader is a Bulldog Club Board member, served the MSU Foundation Board and was an officer for the Lowndes County MSU Alumni Chapter.

MICHAEL W. WOOD OF HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS,

College of Forest Resources Michael W. Wood holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science, both in wood science and technology, earned from MSU’s College of Forest Resources in 1976 and 1980, respectively. Wood then began his accomplished career with Chapman Chemical Co. as a research wood scientist, then sales representative and finally regulatory affairs manager.

By 1988, Wood joined Weyerhaeuser Co., one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands, as an operations manager. Since then, Wood has enjoyed ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 77

ALUMNI News a number of progressive roles from environmental audit manager, regional environmental affairs manager, U.S. state environmental affairs team leader and environmental team leader, where he led teams of high performing, environmental professionals providing regulatory and technical support to manufacturing and timberlands operations worldwide. More recently, Wood is leading environmental managers supporting manufacturing operations in the eastern U.S. and also works to mentor employees rising toward senior-level positions.

JON NASH OF ORLANDO, FLORIDA,

College of Veterinary Medicine Starkville native Jon Nash wanted to become a doctor, but he was unsure of his vocation until he learned MSU was chartering a veterinary school.

He was among the inaugural class of early-entry students in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, from which he graduated in 1991. Nash is a proud fourth-generation Bulldog, and the iconic campus building Carpenter Hall honors his late great-grandfather, Professor R.C. Carpenter, who was the first engineering graduate of thenMississippi A&M. Over his career, Nash has been associated with several animal clinics in Florida—Howell Branch Animal Clinic, Markham Woods Animal Hospital and Sand Lake Animal Clinic. Since 2011, Nash has owned the five-doctor Sand Lake Animal Clinic in Orlando that is accredited by the American Animal Hospital Association. His special interest is orthopedic surgery. Outside of his practice, Nash has volunteered for an annual weeklong veterinary mission trip to Honduras for the past 14 years.

78 SPRING 2020

Wilson garners Outstanding Young Alumna The MSU Alumni Association annually honors the university’s most outstanding young alumnus or alumna. For her professional, leadership and service achievements, Blaire Nicole Wilson of Decatur, Georgia, has garnered the honor of 2019 Outstanding Young Alumna.

Wilson is a two-time graduate of MSU, earning a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and a Master of Public Policy and Administration in 2012 and 2013, respectively. After receiving her degrees, she began a career in higher education. Wilson is currently associate director of the Honor Council and deputy Title IX coordinator for the College of Arts and Sciences at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

In the Atlanta, Georgia Alumni Chapter, she’s become an integral part of the chapter’s leadership team, serving as vice president, secretary and chair of the committees for community service, student recruitment and young alumni.

She is indispensable as a forwardthinker, infusing chapter efforts with creative, cost-effective social media communication that helped the Bulldog Benefit scholarship fundraiser became a signature annual event. Her successful student recruitment letter-writing event known as Sip & Scribe has been adopted by several other chapters. Wilson’s impact resonates throughout the Atlanta chapter and the MSU Alumni Association, setting a great foundation on which to build future alumni engagement.

Beyond MSU, Wilson is active with her church council with stewardship initiatives and as preschool coordinator. With her employer, Emory University, she’s also been a MORE Mentor, working to connect students from underrepresented ethnic groups with resources and guide them to success. In the future, Wilson hopes to inspire fellow Bulldogs and fellow citizens with her faithful support of education through her university.

L-R: Stephen Woo, Jeffery Ellis, Edward Sanders

THREE VOLUNTEERS RECEIVE SERVICE AWARDS The Distinguished Service Award annually recognizes individuals who go beyond the call of duty in carrying out the work of the Alumni Association through their local chapter, thus bringing favorable recognition to the association and the university. Three dedicated alumni are recipients for 2019.

Jeffrey Michael Ellis was honored as MSU’s 2013 Outstanding Young Alumnus, and now he claims a 2019 Distinguished Service Award for his volunteerism. A Biloxi resident, Ellis is a 2006 Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering graduate employed as an engineering manager at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula. Following his MSU graduation, Ellis served as HarrisonStone Alumni Chapter president from 2006-2012 and was a tireless advocate of its merger with Hancock and Jackson counties into the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chapter, which he served as founding president from 2015-2018. Under his leadership, the new group increased alumni involvement and increased chapter fundraising. In particular, Ellis was instrumental in establishing the annual Road Dawgs tour stop on the Gulf Coast, making it a major event with corporate

sponsorships and dramatically using the successful fundraiser to grow the chapter’s scholarship fund. Ellis continues to serve the chapter’s board as immediate past president. Additionally, Ellis was Southern District Region Director of the MSU Alumni Association National Board from 2012-2015.

Another former Outstanding Young Alumnus honoree, Edward Anthony Sanders of Washington, D.C., who received the award in 2012, is now being honored for his service. Sanders has served as the National Alumni Board of Directors’ at-large director for three years, out-of-state director for three years, and spent nine years as a local leader, including holding the office of chapter president.

He also is a founding co-chair of the MSU Black Alumni Weekend, the biennial campus event that has led to hundreds of new and returning members of the Alumni Association. Sanders has helped bring MSU license plates to Washington, D.C., and he has actively raised funds for the Bulldog Club, the Washington, D.C. Alumni Scholarship, and the Marty Wiseman Scholarship. A 2006 political science graduate, Sanders is a former director of the Congressional Liaison

Office for the U.S. Department of State and a former analyst for the White House.

He is currently an entrepreneurship executive with a joint partnership between the Charles Koch Foundation and the UNCF: United Negro College Fund.

Another Distinguished Service Award was presented to Stephen Ronald Woo of Cordova, Tennessee. He is loyally involved in every aspect of the Memphis, Tennessee, alumni chapter—giving his time and resources and serving all committees. He is known for his “servant’s heart”—putting forth his greatest effort whether leading committees or part of the collective team.

From 2011-2014, Woo was the Memphis chapter director for the MSU Alumni Association National Board. He has been a Memphis Maroon Club board member, treasurer, vice president, golf tournament chair, and now scholarship committee chair. At Mississippi State, he is active with his college as a member of the Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy Advisory Council. Woo earned two degrees from the school—a 1994 Bachelor of Professional Accountancy and a Master of Accountancy with a concentration in taxation in 1995.

He works as senior vice president of tax for Mid-America Apartment Communities Inc. ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 79

ALUMNI News ASSOCIATION SALUTES OUTSTANDING ALUMNI CHAPTERS The MSU Alumni Association includes over 100 chapters and clubs worldwide, and 51 of them were honored during the banquet. Some 696 events were held on behalf of Mississippi State in 2019, and chapters and clubs played an integral role in this accomplishment.

Gold, silver and bronze cowbells were presented to representatives of the top achievers in each category, while others obtained the status of Honor Chapter. Chapters also received special recognition banners on behalf of their achievements.

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE GOLD CHAPTERS: (L-R) Deborah Hayes, Leake County; Joy Herndon, GeorgeGreene; Patsy Fowlkes, Greater Chattanooga, Tennessee; Dwanda Moore, Central Mississippi; and Cara Robinson, Atlanta, Georgia.

SILVER CHAPTERS: (L-R) Michael Moore, Greater Orlando, Florida; Amanda Edwards, Oktibbeha County; Lisa Newcomb, Panola County; Jimmy Cassell, Claiborne-Jefferson; and John Guyton, Greater Houston, Texas.

BRONZE CHAPTERS: (L-R) Adrien Silva, Greater Fort Worth, Texas; Milan Nelson, Lawrence-Jefferson Davis; Greg Wilkinson, Southwest Mississippi; Phillip Demoran, Mississippi Gulf Coast; and Kerry Doughty, HuntsvilleDecatur, Alabama.

IN-STATE HONOR CHAPTERS

OUT-OF-STATE HONOR CHAPTERS 80 SPRING 2020

IN-STATE HONOR CHAPTERS: Front Row (L-R): Adrienne Morris, Lowndes County; Charlotte Griffin, Newton County; Eli Parker, Leflore-Carroll; Jack Alexander, Yazoo County; Lisa Riley, Clarke County; Cheryl Comans, Bolivar County; and Stephanie LeClair, Grenada-Montgomery. Back Row (L-R): Lewis Sanders, Clay County; Andy Dixon, Washington County; Bert Clark, Sharkey-Issaquena; William Sanford, Lauderdale County; Jamie Morgan, Monroe County; Beth Luper, Simpson County; and Riley Nelson, Warren County. Not Pictured Are: Adams-FranklinWilkinson; Attala County; DeSoto County; Lee County; Lincoln County; Pine Belt; Tate County; and Tishomingo County.

OUT-OF-STATE HONOR CHAPTERS: Front Row (L-R): Kristen McDonald, Dallas, Texas; Terri Russell, Birmingham, Alabama; and Marianne Granier, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Back Row (L-R): John Walley, South Texas; Johnnie Butler, Nashville, Tennessee; Gavin Rees, Greater Cincinnati-Dayton, Ohio; and Pete Weisenberger, East Texas. Not pictured are: Charlotte, North Carolina; Memphis, Tennessee; Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans, Louisiana; Rocky Mountain-Denver, Colorado; Greater St. Louis, Missouri; and Washington, D.C.

2020 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Photos by Megan Bean Alumni leaders from across the nation attended the annual Leadership Conference at The Mill on Saturday, Feb. 8.

During the day-long event, Alumni Association leadership and staff shared best practices in TED Talk format followed

by Q&A and breakout sessions. Other MSU personnel were featured presenters, including MSU Provost David Shaw, Athletic Director John Cohen, and head women’s basketball coach Vic Schaefer.

C

D A

E B A: The MSU Alumni Association welcomed the Greater Tampa, Florida Chapter as its newest charter. Pictured are Jeff Davis, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association, and Renee Gardner, chapter secretary. B: Alumni Delegate Brittany Corder assisted at the conference registration table. C: MSU Provost David Shaw gave an update of the university and the Office of Academic Affairs. D: Alumni Delegates distributed MSU apparel to alumni chapter leaders, including Johnathan Boyd of the Birmingham, Alabama, Chapter. E: Kirk and Linda Shaw of the Mobile, Alabama, Chapter, made their way to Starkville. F: Alumni Delegate Ozzie Ballesteros Garcia visited with Cathy and Johnnie Butler of the Nashville, Tennessee, Chapter.

F

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FALL CLASS RING CEREMONY The MSU Alumni Association hosts The Ring at MSU, a ceremony for the presentation of the university’s official class rings purchased prior to each spring and fall commencement. The historic Chapel of Memories provides a traditional setting for celebrations with family and friends as MSU President Mark E. Keenum presents the official rings. The December 2019 ceremony acknowledged the association’s honorary recipient for his legacy of service. Turner A. Wingo, the 2016 MSU National Alumnus, a 1967 general business graduate and retired retailer from Collierville, Tennesse, received a special class ring. Wingo is a steadfast supporter of the institution and has served on various advisory boards, always volunteering his time for his university. For more information on official MSU class rings, visit alumni.msstate.edu/classring.

82 SPRING 2020

Embark on an adventure with the Traveling Bulldogs For nearly 30 years, the MSU Traveling Bulldogs program has taken alumni and friends around the world to exotic and thrilling locations. Hand-picked and arranged by MSU’s travel partners, exciting destinations await in the United States and abroad for wanderers and explorers.

Join the Traveling Bulldogs on one of our exhilarating trips around the world. Discover cities of old and enjoy the companionship of fellow alumni and friends, as well as opportunities to explore on your own. Trips include historical walking tours and lectures, tours of some of the most amazing architecture, and views of breathtaking landscapes and coastlines. Whether at a sandy island shore or holiday marketplace, the MSU Traveling Bulldogs program is bound to have the adventure for you!

Visit alumni.msstate.edu/travel.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 83

ALUMNI 2021 News

Destinations*

January • The Pride of South Africa February • Legends of the Nile • Wonders of the Galápagos Islands • Passage through the Panama Canal & Costa Rica

Embark on an

ADVENTURE with the

MSU Alumni Association

March • Great Trains & Grand Canyons • Brazilian Spotlight • Edinburgh & The Castles of Scotland April • Toronto to Vancouver by Rail • Kentucky Derby • Aegean Glories May • Dutch Waterways • The Rise & Fall of Hitler’s Germany with the National WWII Museum June • Flavors of Chianti • The Great Journey Through Europe • Glaciers & Blooms of Alaska (MSU SEC Cruise Ambassador: Mr. Rockey Felker) July • Cape Code & The Islands • Circumnavigation of Iceland August • Panoramic Great Lakes • Black Hills & Legends of the West September • Northern Lights & The Wildlife of Northern Manitoba • Singapore & The Island of Indonesia • Yosemite, Death Valley & The Great Parks of California October • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta • Ancient Greece an Agean Odyssey • Ramblas & Rivieras November • The River Seine to the Beaches of Normandy December • Holiday Markets Cruise along the Festive Rhine River

alumni.msstate.edu/travel

*All trips and dates subject to change.

Visit our website for the most current information.

The MSU Alumni Association annually sponsors trips across the globe through the Traveling Bulldogs program. Itineraries are booked through 2021. Our program also includes fan travel, featuring trips for select away football games in 2020! Explore our website for more information at alumni.msstate.edu/travel or contact the Alumni Association at (662) 325-7000.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 85

CLASS Notes

1970s

David B. Allen (B.S. banking and finance, ’71) and his managing partners at Ashford Advisors, based in Atlanta, have been recognized with two GAMA International Leadership Awards. The awards recognize excellence in traditional and contemporary field management.

William B. “Bill” Berry (B.S., M.S. petroleum engineering, ’74, ’76) was named chief executive officer of Continental Resources Inc. based in Houston, Texas. He previously worked with ConocoPhillips and retired as executive vice president.

John W. Hatmaker Jr. (B.S. chemical engineering, ’79; MBA, ’85) has been promoted to vice president of operations of the central region municipal and commercial for Veolia North America. He previously served as project manager. He is also principal of Hatmaker Consulting LLC and serves on the advisory board for the Mississippi State MBA program.

Checky Herrington (B.A. communication, ’79) was honored with the 2019 Professional Achievement Award by the Southern Public Relations Federation. The award recognizes a professional who exemplifies the highest standards in public relations and has a commitment to advancing the field. A senior member of Mississippi State’s Office of Public Affairs staff, he serves as brand manager for the university. He received the Public Relations Association of Mississippi’s Professional Achievement Award, a precursor to the SPRF honor, earlier this year and was inducted into the SPRF Hall of Fame in 2017.

Richard McNeel (B.A. architecture, ’79) received the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service from the 86 SPRING 2020

National Council of Architectural Registration Boards at the organization’s 2019 Centennial Annual Business Meeting.

McNeel, who is president of JBHM Architecture in Jackson, was honored for more than a decade of service to the council, including leadership positions on the Mississippi State Board of Architecture and Region 3. He is chair of the MSU School of Architecture Advisory Council.

1980s

W. Michael Aust (B.S. forestry, ’82; M.S. forestry, ’85) was named the Honorable Garland Gray Professor of Forestry by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. He is a professor of forestry in the College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech where he has been a member of the faculty since 1989. His work has focused on maintaining and improving long-term sustainability of managed forests.

Tim Burcham (B.S., M.S. agricultural engineering, ’83, ’85) is the director of the Northeast Rise Research Extension Center for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. He was previously dean of the Agriculture College at Arkansas State University.

Mimi Burke Speyerer (B.A. political science, ’84) has joined the law firm of Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush in Ridgeland as part of its bankruptcy and creditors’ rights section. She was previously a law clerk for U.S. bankruptcy judge and fellow MSU alumnus Edward Ellington for 32 years.

Danny Walker (B.S. agricultural engineering technology and business, B.S. banking and finance, ’84) was named one of Mississippi Business Journal’s CEOs

of the Year for 2019, an honor that recognizes high performing chief executives from companies of all sizes throughout Mississippi. He has been CEO of Heartland Catfish, the country’s largest single producer of farm-raised catfish, since its founding.

Dr. Scott Carlton (B.S. chemistry, ’85) received the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians Military Award for 2019. He is a board-certified family physician at MEA Medical Clinic, a service of St. Dominic’s Hospital, and serves as a colonel and field surgeon in the medical command of the Mississippi Army National Guard.

A 25-year employee of broadline foodservice distributor US Foods, Paige Moses Long (B.S. business administration, ’86) was promoted to major account executive in the Jackson warehouse.

Deborah Roberts Pugh (B.A. communication, ’86) was recognized as a Senior Practitioner at the 2019 Southern Public Relations Federation Conference.

The award honors veteran public relations professionals with high ethical standing.

With more than 29 years of experience, Pugh is a staff writer in the marketing and public relations department of North Mississippi Health Services.

Johnny Ray (B.S. banking and finance, agricultural economics, ’86) was elected chairman of the Mississippi Council on Economic Education board of directors. He has more than 33 years of banking experience and is executive vice president and Jackson regional president for BankFirst.

Know a Bulldog who has news or a recent promotion? Send an email to alumnus@msstate.edu.

of the Meridian market by Trustmark.

He previously served as president of the Vicksburg market and has more than 17 years of banking experience.

The redesign of Dudy Noble Field at Mississippi State University won the American Society of Civil Engineers of Mississippi’s Large Project Award for 2019. The Pickering Firm Inc. of Flowood was responsible for the surveying and civil engineering portion of the project under the leadership of project manager Nat Whitten (B.S. construction engineering technology, ’86) and senior civil engineer Shelby Murray (B.S. civil engineering, ’95).

James R. “Dick” Farrar Jr. (B.S. fitness management, ’87) has released “The Rise and Fall of a Construction Giant: The History, People, and Stories of CFW Construction,” a new book that chronicles the life of a construction company in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Founded in 1952, CFW Construction was named for its founders, including Farrar’s father, and enjoyed 40 years of success before scandal brought the company to an end.

Alan Hargett (B.B.A. banking and finance, ’89) is now chief executive officer of Planters Bank, replacing fellow MSU alumnus James Clayton who held the role for 35 years. A native of Ruleville, Hargett joined the Planters Indianola office in 1989.

He was named president and chief operating officer in 2018 and is a member of the board of directors. He also serves on the board and executive committee of the Mississippi Bankers Association and recently served on the American Bankers Association Agriculture and Rural Banking Committee.

Tom Kendall (B.S. agricultural economics, ’89; B.A. general business administration, ’89) was named president

Britt Virden (B.A. political science, ’89) opened the Virden Law Firm, PLLC in Greenville.

He specializes in civil litigation while the law practice focuses on personal injury, premises liability, employment law and workers compensation.

He is admitted to practice law in both Mississippi and Arkansas.

1990s

Wesley Golden (M.S. geoscience, ’90) was named to the Clinton (Iowa) High School Hall of Honor. He joined the Iowa National Guard in 1997 and was deployed for more than 15 months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom beginning in 2003.

He received the Bronze Star and his unit was awarded the Joint Meritorious Unit Citation. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 2010 and was named battalion commander for a one-year deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2012. He was promoted to colonel in 2016 and was assigned as a brigade commander.

He taught for 20 years in his high school alma mater’s science department and serves the school district as director of learning and collaboration.

Chad Boyd (B.P.A accounting, ’96; Master of Taxation, ’97) is now a tax partner with Reynolds, Bone & Griesbeck PLC in Memphis, Tennessee. He has more than 21 years of public accounting experience across the midSouth having previously worked at Arthur Andersen and Deloitte.

Billy Stewart (Ph.D. higher education administration, ’97) retired as president of East Central Community College. He was announced as the college’s eighth president

in 2012 and initiated a strategic planning process to shape and guide the institution.

This resulted in 2020 Vision, the institutions plan to grow in prominence nationally, while meeting the education and training needs of people in its district. With more than 30 years of experience in various teaching and administrative positions, he previously served as vice president for finance and administration at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and worked as dean of community services and the Simpson County Center for Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

Germany Kent (B.S. business information systems, ’98) was honored with a prestigious Sigma Delta Chi award from the Society of Professional Journalists. A native of Greenville now based in Los Angeles, she received the award for online independent deadline reporting for her work “Tragedy in Thousand Oaks,” focused on the 2018 mass shooting at the Borderline Bar and Grill.

2000s

James Cresswell (B.S. political science, ’03) was published in The Drake Journal of Agriculture Law with the article “The Time Has Come to Reconsider Liability in Aerial Application Cases.” He is a partner in the law firm of Petkoff & Feigelson, PLLC in Memphis, Tennessee.

Miranda Moore Reiter (B.S. business administration, French, ’03) was selected from 1,000 applicants as one of 40 recipients of the InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 award for leadership, accomplishment, promise and contribution in financial planning.

A certified financial planner, Reiter is a financial adviser, as well as a doctoral ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 87

ALUMNI News candidate in financial planning at Kansas State University.

Lt. Lennie R. Day (B.S. mathematics, ’04) commissioned a new ship for the U.S. Coast Guard as the vessel’s first commanding officer. A native of Mobile, Alabama, he was a four-year letter winner on the defensive line for Bulldog football in the early 2000s. The ship, Coast Guard Cutter Benjamin Bottoms, is a 154-foot multi-mission ship and the last of four Fast Response Cutters to be homeported at Base Los Angeles-Long Beach.

Michelle Johnston (Ph.D. educational leadership, ’06) was named president of the College of Coastal Georgia. She previously served as the president of the University of Rio Grande and Rio Grande Community College in Ohio.

Her early career included 10 years as a faculty member and more than 20 years in administration with positions at the University of Montevallo, University of Louisiana-Monroe, Mississippi State University and Wood College.

Laurie Todd-Smith (Ph.D. curriculum and instruction, ’07) is now the director of the Women’s Bureau for the U.S. Department of Labor. A former executive director of the State Workforce Investment Board and State Early Childhood Advisory Council in Mississippi, she served as a senior education policy adviser to Gov. Phil Bryant and was an adjunct faculty member and researcher at Mississippi State University.

2010s

Hannah Becker (B.S., animal and dairy science, ’10) joined the Military Family Advisory Network Advisory board in Washington, D.C. She is the digital creative director for Becker Digital, a veteran-owned marketing and public relations agency in Florida. MFAN is a national nonprofit organization that partners with government agencies and 88 SPRING 2020

private industry to support military families and increase community awareness.

Scott Waller (B.S. business information systems, ’10) has been selected to serve on the Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which focuses on leadership, policy and best practices by identifying emerging issues that impact chambers and their members. He is the president and CEO of the Mississippi Economic Council. He spent more than 20 years as a journalist prior to joining the council in 2006. He serves on the State Workforce Investment Board, the council of State Chambers board of directors and is chair of the council’s policy center.

Claire Massey (B.S. business administration, communication, ’11) has joined Gambel Communications of New Orleans as a communications strategist. Her responsibilities include media relations, community relations, special event planning and management, and social media for a variety of clients.

Brian Howell, RLA (B.L.A. Landscape Architecture, ’15) completed the requirements to become a Registered Landscape Architect, including a two-year apprenticeship and passing the Landscape Architectural Registration Examination.

He apprenticed with HRC, a civil engineering, landscape architecture, land surveying and construction administration firm in Douglasville, Georgia, under fellow MSU alumnus Darryl D. Ray. Linda Merry (B.S. geoscience, ’16) participated in the summer 2019 Miami University Earth Expeditions global field course in Guyana to study the traditional ecological knowledge of the Makushi people. She is a technical assistant at Berkshire Community College in Massachusetts.

Zachary Buchanan (B.S. psychology, ’17) was selected for the 2019-20 Douglas Fellowship Class by the Human Trafficking Institute. Now in its third year, the program provides law students a unique opportunity to use their classroom knowledge and engage with the institute’s mission to decimate modern slavery at its source. Buchanan is a third-year law student at Harvard Law where he serves as an editor with the Civil Rights—Civil Liberties Law Review.

Lauren Coleman (B.S. biological sciences, ’17) was awarded the Helen St. Clair Scholarship for students of optometry by the Mississippi Vision Foundation. A third-year student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry, the Corinth native was a member of Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society and the Shackouls Honors College at MSU.

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Forever MAROON

Honoring Jim & Jean Bagley

A LASTING LEGACY James W. “Jim” Bagley (B.S., M.S. electrical engineering; ’61, ’66) and Jean Austin Bagley are among the most outstanding Bulldogs for their bold vision and for their longtime philanthropy.

Their connection with Mississippi State University is forever cemented by a monumental endowment they created that positively transformed engineering education at the land-grant institution.

Jim, the honorary namesake of the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, died Feb. 17 at age 81, having just lost his beloved wife, Jean, 80, on Feb. 6. They were preceded in death by one son and are survived by two daughters and a number of grandchildren.

The Bagleys are former Jackson residents who met while attending Forest Hill High School.

After marriage, they lived for many years in Los Altos, California, where Jim was longtime executive chairman of the board of Lam Research Corporation in nearby Fremont. Following retirement, the couple resided in Coppell, Texas.

Jim and Jean devoted much time to their family and causes they held dear, including education.

Through the years, they generously supported K-12 schools, colleges, children’s homes, women’s shelters and medical facilities in California, New York, Texas and Mississippi.

Jim was a firm believer in hard work and perseverance. Growing up, he delivered newspapers and later worked at a gas station, but his boyhood dream of becoming an engineer brought him to Mississippi State University. The first-generation college student attended MSU by way of the co-op program, working for Mississippi Power and Light for two years and earning a scholarship from the company for his junior and senior years.

Upon completion of his bachelor’s in electrical engineering degree in 1961, Jim began his career with Texaco. Later, with a graduate assistantship at the now Paul B. Jacob High Voltage Laboratory, Jim returned to obtain a master’s degree from MSU in the same academic field in 1966 before joining Texas Instruments where he spent 16 years. Next, he was president, chief operating officer and vice chairman of the board for Applied Materials Inc. He then successfully steered OnTrak Systems Inc. and merged the company with Lam Research 90 SPRING 2020

Corporation. It was there his professional success in advancing the nation’s semiconductor industry became immeasurable over four decades. He retired as executive chairman of the board of Lam Research Corporation, a California-based leading supplier of wafer processing equipment and services.

For Jim, giving back to Mississippi State and the engineering industry would help define his legacy. His vision and generosity were instrumental in enabling future engineers to pursue top-notch undergraduate and graduate education at Mississippi State. A cornerstone $25 million contribution by the Bagleys resulted in the endowing of the university’s engineering college some 18 years ago. The James Worth Bagley College of Engineering became MSU’s first named academic college when the IHL Board approved the naming upon its 100th anniversary as a formalized college.

It was Jim’s voluntary service with the engineering college’s advisory board that sparked his unique investment. By serving on the board, he realized there was a need to philanthropically take the lead with a college-wide endowment to generate earnings for strategic areas of growth. Jim served multiple terms on both the Bagley College of Engineering deans/ directors advisory board and the MSU Foundation board of directors and voluntarily helped guide the university’s capital campaigns.

Over time, the Bagleys have significantly supported Mississippi State through many areas, including endowed chairs to attract top-caliber faculty, graduate fellowships to expand research activities, undergraduate scholarships for talented students, the Partnership School at MSU, a collaboration with the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, and resources for facility preservation and renovation.

Mississippi State acknowledged Jim multiple times for his achievements. For the engineering college, he was a 1991 Distinguished Engineering Fellow and 1994 Alumnus of the Year. In 2009, he was saluted as the university’s National Alumnus of the Year.

The Bagley name has become synonymous with engineering education at MSU and growing its reputation nationwide, and the impact of the family’s giving will ensure their legacy is forever entwined with the university.

TOP LEFT: Jim and Jean Bagley BOTTOM LEFT: The Bagleys are pictured with then interim MSU President Charles Lee (second from left) and then engineering Dean Wayne Bennett for the 2002 announcement of the couple’s $25 million gift—the single largest ever for MSU. TOP RIGHT: Jim was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Science from MSU in 2005 and gave the May commencement speech at Humphrey Coliseum.

SECOND RIGHT: Jim receives the 2009 National Alumnus of the Year recognition from MSU President Mark E. Keenum.

THIRD RIGHT: (L-R) Steve Lindsay, Jean Bagley, Liz Lindsay and Jim Bagley are longtime friends. The Lindsays were inspired to support MSU because of the Bagleys’ passion for the university.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Jim Bagley speaking on campus.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 91

Forever MAROON James D. “Pat” Arnold (B.S. civil engineering, ’48) 96, Vicksburg — He attended Mississippi State on a football scholarship before and after WWII. He served on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps as an engineering officer both during WWII and the Korean conflict obtaining the rank of captain. He was employed as a civil engineer with the Vicksburg District, I/S/ Army Corps of Engineers, retiring as assistant chief of the engineering division. He earned numerous awards for service and was later inducted into the Vicksburg District Gallery of Distinguished Employees. He was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church of Vicksburg, and served several years on the City of Vicksburg Planning Commission. — July 29, 2019 Hilton Wroten Ball (B.A. Mathematics, ’65) 75, Ridgeland — He attended MSU on a football scholarship and served as co-captain in 1964 and president of the M-Club. A linebacker, he helped MSU win the Liberty Bowl the last year it was held in Pennsylvania. Following his graduation, he joined IBM, learning computer skills that would serve him in his work with First National Bank, Deposit Guaranty, several insurance companies and in retirement as a self-employed computer programmer. He worked as the technology coordinator at Park Place Christian Academy until 2017. — April 30, 2019 Lee A. Benoist (B.S., M.S. agricultural economics, ’81, ’84) 61, Jackson — He was employed with Stone Wealth Management in Ridgeland and was vice president of the Private Client Group, Sterne Agee Inc. He was a member of the MSU Alumni Association, serving on the national board from 2004-09. He also served on the Central Mississippi Chapter’s scholarship board, received the 2010 Distinguished Service Award and contributed to the annual “Evening In Maroon” banquet. A lover of the outdoors, he co-hosted the call-in radio program “Outdoors with Uncle Lee and Bobby C” 92 SPRING 2020

on WFMN Supertalk from 1999-2003.

— June 21, 2019 Martin L. Bridges (B.S. agronomy, ’53) 89, Swainsboro, Georgia — A native of Wesson, he was an Air Force veteran of the Korean War. He received the UDC Cross of Military Service and later joined the Army Reserves. He was a member and past master of the Masonic Lodge and received his 50-year award from The Grand Lodge of Georgia. He retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a soil and water conservationist. An active member of his community he was a part of the Swainsboro Exchange Club, the choir of Swainsboro First Baptist Church and was an Eagle Scout. — May 27, 2019 Leota Cardwell (M.S. education, ’71) 95, Starkville — A math teacher for 23 years in the Starkville School District, she was named Starkville Teacher of the Year in 1989 and was a member of the education society Delta Kappa Gamma for 50 years.

Upon arriving in Starkville in 1952, she joined the MSU Women’s Club, which she later served as president, and became a member of Home Economics in Home and Community, becoming the first president of the local chapter. She served as the HECA state president for two terms. She was also on the Oktibbeha County 4-H advisory board for 35 years.

A 26-year volunteer with the Oktibbeha County Hospital Auxiliary, she was a past president and earned the Volunteer of the Year award. A four-time cancer survivor, she was also active with Relay for Life.

In 2002, she was named a Mississippi Ageless Hero by Blue Cross Blue Shield and earned the Good Neighbor Award.

She was once voted Starkville Woman of the Year and later Starkville Volunteer of the Year. She was a past president of MSU’s Phi Delta Kappa chapter and was a past president of the College of Education Alumni Association. She was also a Patron of Excellence with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

— April 26, 2019

Russell Carlisle Carothers Jr. (B.S. business marketing, ’64) 77, Gulfport — He was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and received the Semi-Century Sig Award for 50 years of service to the organization.

He graduated from the School of Mortgage Banking at Northwestern and was active in the field for many years before becoming a real estate broker. He was a Top Producer Club Round Table Life Member of the Gulf Coast Association of Realtors and participated in many civic organizations including the Kiwanis Club which he served as president and received the Legion of Honor. — July 29, 2019 Davis Ray Clark (M.S. horticulture, ’72) 76, Leland — He earned a bachelor’s from Mississippi College and, following his graduation from MSU, did post graduate work at North Carolina State University. He worked at Morson Sterling Oil Company and the Delta Branch Experiment Station as a member of the MSU Extension Service. Active in the First Baptist Church in Leland, he was a deacon and served on numerous committees. He also worked for Habitat for Humanity helping to build, wire and finish many homes. He was a member of the Leland Rotary Club, serving as secretary for many years. He also served many terms as assistant governor and was deputy assistant governor. — Dec. 26, 2019 Lt. Col. George R. Crosby (B.S. business, ’50) 91, Germantown, Tennessee — While at State he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Following his graduation, he joined the Air Force, from which he retired after 23 years of service.

Following his retirement, he worked as director of training at Holiday Inn University. — Oct. 1, 2019 William Dale Darnell Sr. (B.S. general education, social studies, ’53) 87, Caledonia — He was a high school teacher and coach in Moss Point, Winona, and Lee High School in Columbus. He was the founding father of the Caledonia Confederates which he also served as

Know someone who should be remembered in Forever Maroon? Send an email to alumnus@msstate.edu.

basketball coach. He worked as plant manager for Beneke in Columbus, Stephens Toys in Missouri and Richards Medical in Memphis, Tennessee. He also served a vice president of manufacturing for Microtek Medical in Columbus and the Dominican Republic. — Jan. 13, 2019 James “Bud” Dillard (B.S., M.S., Ph.D. agricultural economics, ’62, ’63, ’72, retired professor) 82, Muscle Shoals, Alabama — A native of Winfield, Alabama, he became an agricultural economist with the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1963. He later returned to Mississippi State as part of the Extension Service and the faculty with economic research that supported Mississippi’s beef cattle industry. He would return to TVA once more before ultimately joining MSU’s Department of Agricultural Economics and expanding his research to include the catfish industry. — May 5, 2019 Nora Beth Hull Featherston (friend) 92, Spartanburg, South Carolina — She was born on MSU’s campus to the late William W. and Anne Hull, part of the Hull family from which the residence hall gets its name. She later donated family photos and papers to the University Archives, as well as $100,000 in support of its expansion.

She donated another $100,000 to the university in honor of her cousin John McWhorter, among other philanthropic endeavors throughout her life to support education and providing educational opportunities. — June 17, 2019 Robert “Bob” Fye (retired faculty) 95, Starkville — He served in the U.S. Army during WWII, earning the rank of mater sergeant. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Iowa State, a master’s at Washington State and a doctoral degree in entomology at the University of Wisconsin. He began his career at New Mexico State University as an assistant entomologist, but soon joined the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he spent 28 years as a research entomologist. During that time, he enjoyed sabbatical work in Canada and

Australia before coming to Mississippi State as a member of the faculty. He was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, Phi Sigma, Gamma Sigma Delta, American Men of Science and was awarded a USDA Certificate of Merit. — July 12, 2019 George T. “Bubba” Hampton (B.S. accounting, ’67; MBA, ’68) 74, Meridian — An offensive lineman for Bulldog football, he was selected All-SEC and was inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame in 1996. Following his graduation, he went into banking, eventually becoming president of the Meridian branch of Trustmark National Bank and executive vice president of Community Bank. He served as voluntary president of United Way of East Mississippi and helped in fundraising events for Boy Scouts, the Rotary Club of Meridian and First Presbyterian Church Meridian, as well as many local sports organizations.

— Sept. 13, 2019 Connie Morgan Hay (B.S. social studies education, ’49) 94, Harrison, Tennessee — A veteran of WWII with the U.S. Army, he retired from the Boy Scouts of America after 36 years. He was a member of Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church. An active alumnus, he was the oldest alumnus in the Greater Chattanooga, Tennessee Alumni Chapter. — July 30, 2019 Charles B. Ivy (B.S. civil engineering, ’57) 82, Starkville — While at State, he was active in ROTC and a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. Following his graduation, he was an Air Force officer for three years before completing a master’s degree at the University of New Mexico and a doctoral degree at Texas A&M. He was an associate professor of civil engineering at Mississippi State for 10 years then continued his career as a structural engineer and founded Ivy Engineering Associates Inc. in Louisiana.

— July 27, 2019 Dudley Russell Jones (B.S. horticultureornamentals, ’79) 66, Cleveland, Georgia — A native of Birmingham, Alabama, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served

in Vietnam. After earning his degree, he began working in the field of viticulture.

He helped establish the vineyards of Habersham Winery in Georgia and worked as a winemaker there. — Dec. 23, 2018 William D. McCain Jr. (B.S. chemical engineering, ’56) 86, Bryan, Texas — He enlisted in the Mississippi Army National Guard on his 17th birthday and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. Upon returning from the war, he graduated from MSU and went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees from Georgia Tech. During his 50-year career as a petroleum engineer, he held both faculty and consultant positions, including being a professor and head of petroleum engineering at MSU and a member of the faculty at Texas A&M. He then attended the Army War College in Pennsylvania and retired as brigadier general. He also served as a consultant and provided expert testimony for hundreds of clients. He has three U.S. patents, published 38 technical papers and published five books. — Sept. 20, 2019 Joe V. Pettiet (Ph.D. agronomy, ’64; Extension staff ) 87, Leland — He served in the U.S. Army before moving to Arkansas to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas.

After earning a doctoral degree from MSU, he joined the Delta Branch Experiment Station in Stoneville. He and his wife, Iris, opened Pettiet Agricultural Services Inc., a soil-testing and plant analysis laboratory in 1973, and he worked there until his retirement. — May 21, 2019 Raymond E. “Ray” Radke (B.S. management, ’54) 87, Snellville, Georgia — A native of Tupelo, he served in the Air Force and worked at the Stratford Furniture Company of New Albany. He later moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to work as an energy engineer at Memphis Light, Gas & Water where he retired after 25 years. — Nov. 22, 2019 Andrew M. Ratcliff (B.S. animal science, ’50) 94, Natchez — He served in the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet in the Pacific where he ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU 93

Forever MAROON was wounded in action during the invasion of the Philippines. After graduating from MSU, he began a 45-year career with International Paper Company. During that time, he was treasurer of the Old South Federal Credit Union. He continued to serve on its board of directors after his retirement and was inducted to the Mississippi Credit Union System Hall of Fame. — July 4, 2019 Jerry E. Ritchey (B.S. industrial arts education, ’56) 84, Mt. Vernon, Illinois — A member of the MSU basketball team, he began teaching in Illinois after his graduation. He later earned a master’s from Southern Illinois University and earned a doctoral degree from Illinois State University. He became principal in Mason City, Illinois, and then unit superintendent of schools. He later held the same title in Olney, Illinois, where he served until his retirement. He was elected to the Richland County Board of Education and served for 10 years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Rotary Club, which he served as president. He was a lifetime member of the Illinois Association of School Administrators and the Illinois Retired Teachers. He served in the U.S. Army during the Berlin Crisis.

— Aug. 25, 2019

Ike Winston Savelle Sr. (B.S. business and finance, ’53) 89, Columbus — A native of Columbus, he served in the U.S. Air Force for a year before attending Mississippi State where he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. He began his insurance career in 1950 with the Winston-Savelle Agency from which he retired in 1992. Within his community he volunteered with Little League baseball, the Boy Scouts, Lions Club, Jaycees, the Masonic Lodge and IOOF. — May 6, 2019 Robert “Bob” Stubblefield Smith Jr. (B.S. aeronautical engineering, ’60) 81, Huntsville, Alabama — He worked as an aeronautical engineer for 43 years and was a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserves.

He was actively involved in Gideons International, Jail Ministry, First Baptist Church ministries, Baptist Builders and Meals-on-Wheels. — Jan. 4, 2019 John Edward Wells (M.S. electrical engineering, ’82; retired staff) 72, Starkville — He retired from the MSU Extension Service where he worked in the agricultural communications office as a video producer.

He was a graduate of the Marion Military Institute and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. A Blues drummer, he was known as “Boogie Daddy” and served as a DJ for Mississippi State’s campus radio station. — Nov. 7, 2019

Leon Weir Williams (B.S. general agriculture, ’50; M.S. animal science, ’54) 91, Newton — He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in 1952 and shortly enrolled at Mississippi State.

He worked as an assistant county agent for the Mississippi State Extension Service in Bolivar County before joining the MSU faculty where he taught and conducted research until 1962. He then earned a pharmacy degree from the University of Mississippi and bought a half-interest in McMullan’s Drug Store, which was renamed Williams Drugs after he acquired full ownership. He operated the pharmacy with his wife until 1991. He was a member of the National Association of Retail Druggists, Mississippi Pharmacist Association Insurance Commission, District 6 Pharmacists Association Board, Professional Affairs Commission and a preceptor for the University of Mississippi pharmacy staff. He was preceptor of the year in 1987 and earned the A-H Robbins Bowl of Hygiene Award for outstanding community service. He was a member of the Newton Chamber of Commerce, the Newton High School Athletic Booster Club, chairman of the United Givers Fund and director of the Newton County Recreation Association. — July 22, 2019

Remembering HARVEY LEWIS Harvey S. Lewis of St. Petersburg, Florida, a former Mississippi State leader who once served as interim university president, died Aug. 4, 2019. He was 80.

A native of Byram, he earned a bachelor’s in banking and finance from the College of Business in 1961 before completing an MBA and doctoral degree at the University of Arkansas.

Lewis had a successful career in higher education, with positions at Mississippi State including vice president for administration and development and dean of the College of Business until his retirement in 1997.

Lewis also served as executive vice chancellor at the University of Mississippi and associate dean of business at the University of Central

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Florida. He was a member of the MSU Foundation board of directors from 1984-85 and was a past president of the Starkville Rotary Club.

Lewis, along with his wife Di Ann Bartee Lewis, who holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from MSU’s College of Education, have given generously to their alma mater. This financial support includes annual scholarships and the Dr. Harvey S. and Dr. Di Ann B. Lewis Endowed Scholarship in business and another in special education. The Dr. Harvey S. Lewis Mezzanine in McCool Hall was made possible by more than 30 contributors who wanted to honor Lewis’ impact on the lives of Bulldogs.

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Back STORY

WITH STRATON KARATASSOS

I came to Mississippi State as an athletic trainer in 1973. I planned to earn a master’s degree then move on to bigger and better things, or so I thought. That first night, Doug May, who was responsible for bringing me in, predicted I would end up staying a long time and marrying a Southern Baptist from the Delta. Sure enough, that’s what happened.

Over the years, I’ve seen that same thing happen with coach after coach and player after player. They get here thinking they’ll get what they need to from Mississippi State and then move on. But once they’ve been here a while, they love it and, in the end, they want to come back.

There’s just something about this place that’s magnetic. It’s charismatic.

My first trip to Starkville was for a baseball regional as a trainer for Georgia Southern under Ron Polk. I loved the campus, and McArthur Hall where we stayed felt like a Hilton. But I wasn’t sure what to make of Left Field Lounge at the time. They’d yell and scream and drink and cook and even invite us out there to eat after the game.

It was incredible.

Of course, Mississippi State athletics has changed a lot since my first visit and my first year on staff—both our facilities and our expectations. For so long it seemed like we were satisfied to just have a good showing, but now we’re not satisfied. The anticipation level and the expectation level is much higher. And that really changed with the hire of coach Jackie Sherrill.

People talk about Armstrong landing on the moon, well, he was kind of like that for us. It was a giant step. Here’s a guy who shows up with his national championship ring and Presidential Rolex. He looked the part and did a lot to instill confidence in our fans and the players. He proved to us that we could get it done.

Larry Templeton and President Donald Zacharias deserve a great deal of credit, too.

They were responsible for bringing our football games back to campus—most of our home games were being played in Jackson. In the ‘70s, the stadium could maybe hold 35,000 and if we wanted to play a night game they had to bring in banks of lights. But with that decision to play more home games, things started to change.

The fan interest grew and so did the university’s investment in athletics.

Two major stadium expansions, the new Dude, Mize Pavilion, Palmeiro Center, Shira

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Complex, Nusz Park, not to mention the Holliman, Templeton and Pitts centers—I’m just so proud of how far we’ve come, where we’re going and all of the people—the fans, athletes, coaches, presidents and athletic directors—who have passed through this place, each leaving it a little better and stronger than it was before.

I came to spend one year. It’s been 47 now and I can’t even think about leaving. This place and the relationships I’ve formed with the people I’ve met mean so much to me. I consider myself the wealthiest person in the world. I just can’t liquidate my assets nor would I ever want to.

A native of Savannah, Georgia, Straton “Strat” Karatassos graduated from Georgia Southern and worked in its athletic department before coming to Mississippi State in 1973 where he was one of two athletic trainers for all Bulldog athletics. He earned a master’s degree from MSU in 1974 and was named head athletic trainer in 1981. He later held the title of assistant athletic director for sports medicine before transitioning to the Bulldog Club in 1993. He is a member of the Mississippi Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame, class of 2007, and the Mississippi State Hall of Fame, class of 2015. He is also a member of the MSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors. He was married to his “Southern Baptist from the Delta”—the late Harriett Karatassos—for close to 40 years, and the couple raised two daughters— Mary Straton (’03) and Harris (’07). He is a member of the First Baptist Church of Starkville and is now married to Thelma Black of Flora.

RESPONSES Back STORY

Fall 2019

MARY LYNN POWERS I couldn’t have been more surprised when I saw my uncle, Roy Wilson, on the back of Alumnus magazine. Uncle Roy graduated from MSU in 1943 with a degree in aerospace engineering and then received a master’s at George Washington in engineering administration.

His career included many, many projects with U.S. Navy aero engineering on assault helicopters and other aircraft.

After an exciting career, he retired in 1970 and died in 2008.

Uncle Roy was my mother’s younger brother and one of four generations of my family to attend MSU. It began with my great grandfather, Wilson Hemingway, who attended the first four years of the university’s existence, then his son Wilson Hemingway Jr., grandson Roy Wilson and great-grandson Lea Brent. I attended the W but married Millard Powers, who attended from 1957-58 and loves MSU. Content has been edited for length and style consistency.

Taken in 1980s, this photo from the University Archives shows construction underway at Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium. The nation’s second oldest on-campus stadium in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, Davis Wade hosted its first game in 1914. A $7.2 million expansion in 1986 marked Davis Wade’s first substantial upgrade since 1948. Since then two major renovations totaling more than $100 million have turned the Home of Bulldog Football into one of the loudest, most fanfriendly venues in the Southeastern Conference. Share your memories of Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field by contacting us.

Please include your major(s) and graduation year(s) as some responses may be published in print or online with the next issue.

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MSU PARTNERS WITH COMMUNITY FOR A MAKERSPACE THAT TURNS IDEAS INTO REALITY From a company’s first prototype to a community member’s new hobby, MSU’s Idea Shop in downtown Starkville is giving people the opportunity to turn their ideas into reality. Open to members of the Mississippi State family and the broader Starkville community, the 2,000-square-foot Main Street facility provides tools, workspace, a marketplace and learning opportunities for makers of all ages.

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