Mississippi State Alumnus Summer 2003 by MSSTATE

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MSU engineers think small to design cars of the future

contents

Mississippi State Summer 2003 | Volume 79 | Number 2

Harmony with the land

USPS 354-520 President J. Charles Lee Vice President for External Affairs Dennis A. Prescott Alumni Association Executive Director John V. Correro (’62) Mississippi State Alumnus is published three times a year by the Office of University Relations and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association at Mississippi State, Miss. Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526; telephone 662-325-2434; or access by web browser at http://msuinfo.ur.msstate.edu/ alumni/alumni.htm. Editorial offices: 102 George Hall, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325. Telephone 662-325-3442; fax, 662-325-7455; e-mail, snowa@ur.msstate.edu

The university’s new Center for Sustainable Design was created to meet human life support needs for food, water, shelter, energy, waste-processing, and landscape management. Systems planned for implementation over time include water-harvesting for irrigation and for drinking, biological treatment of sewage, thrifty use of wild energy, on-site food production, and landscape management.

Cruising to camp Twelve youths ages 9-19 cruised their way to some new communication skills during a special summer program at Mississippi State. Camp Jabber Jaw—designed specifically for youngsters who must use computer-like devices to communicate—is coordinated by the university’s T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability.

Atoms to autos In an approach being described as “atoms to autos,” the engineers who form MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems are building on university expertise in computational technologies to position Mississippi at the forefront of automotive design and production.

It’s always about people

Ronnie Parker, a 1972 Mississippi State accounting graduate, CPA, and avid bass fisherman, shifted gears early in his career and today is president and chief executive officer of Pizza Inn Inc. The 40-year-old restaurant chain now has 430 locations in 21 states and 10 foreign countries. Parker talks of business matters with passion and energy, but his real priorities are firmly fixed.

Editor Allen Snow (’76) Associate Editor Kay Fike Jones Designers Becky Smith Erin Norwood (’98) Photographers Fred Faulk Russ Houston (’85) Mississippi State University Alumni Association National Officers Gary Blair (’81), national president; Keith Winfield (’70), national first vice president; Joe L. Bryan (’63), national second vice president; David W. Jones (’81), national treasurer; Allen Maxwell (’78), immediate former national president. www.msstate.edu Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or group affiliation, age, disability, or veteran status.

A new kind of crop

Dr. Steven H. Elder grows things, but his aren’t the usual crops of corn, cotton, or sweet potatoes. Elder is attempting to grow cartilage. A researcher with the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Elder and his team of student assistants are seeking ways to greatly aid the field of orthopedics by making the tough, elastic tissue regenerate itself.

Big man, big heart Former MSU football standout and Super Bowl champion Tyrone Keys, who has helped send more than 400 students to college, has been honored as The Tampa Tribune’s People’s Champion. Tribune feature writer Jennifer Barrs takes an in-depth look at the big man with the big heart.

A legacy worthy of a new home

Just hearing the Famous Maroon Band belt out “Hail State” is enough to warm the hearts of Mississippi State players, fans, and students. Since the Famous Maroon Band marched at its first Mississippi A&M football game in 1924, it has become one of the university’s most beloved traditions. But over the course of its 102-year existence, the South’s oldest college band has never had a place to really call home.

On the cover:

Established to enhance Mississippi's research and development efforts related to the new Nissan manufacturing plant near Canton, MSU's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems is enhancing the state's potential to attract other automotive and related industries. Story on page 8. (Photo by Fred Faulk)

harmony with the New Center for Sustainable Design emphasizes

land By Phil Hearn | Photos by Fred Faulk

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Pete Melby believes human intrusion can be a good thing when lovingly applied to such pursuits as, say, affairs of the heart. TAKE FOR INSTANCE, the time he fell in love and married his next-door neighbor, Cindy, two decades and two children ago. “I moved her over to my house in a wheelbarrow,” he said with a grin. “She could sweep a driveway like nobody’s business!” On the other hand, the St. Louis native feels human intrusion can be a bummer—particularly when imposed upon natural habitat without consideration for its scenic beauty, ecological efficiency, or potential for innovative development. For Melby, that too is a heart-felt issue—and a challenge for his profession. “I’ve always been concerned about human intrusion upon natural environments,” said the Mississippi State professor of landscape architecture and co-creator of the university’s unique Center for Sustainable Design, now housed in an academic complex that is among only a few truly self-sustaining facilities in the nation. “When I was in high school I wanted to design facilities that allowed for wildlife, clean water, and natural-looking landscapes,” he added. “This whole idea of sustainability basically deals with how you develop the land, yet retain the strength of the land.”

AFTER ATTENDING the University of Missouri, then earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in landscape architecture from Louisiana State University, Melby worked in his chosen profession for eight years in Atlanta before deciding he wanted to teach. He joined the MSU faculty in 1978 because, “The people here were just incredible. . . . “Our dean was not overly impressed with my beard and long hair, but he and I became great friends,” said Melby, whose first name actually is Philip. Pursuing his burgeoning interest in sustainable design, Melby joined forces with Beth Miller, an MSU human sciences professor who specializes in interior design, and Tom Cathcart, an MSU professor of agricultural and biological engineering with a keen knowledge of thermal dynamics. He also built a close relationship with former NASA environmental scientist Bill Wolverton of Picayune, an expert in sewage treatment.

IN 1995, MELBY AND MILLER began teaching a joint class that mixed bioengineers, interior designers, and landscape architects in projects to design sustainable landscapes. His partnership with Cathcart led to their 1997 co-founding and co-directorship of the Center for Sustainable Design, and co-authorship of a 2002 book, Regenerative Design Techniques: Practical Applications in Landscape Design. Practicality, not academic exercise, drives the MSU effort. “This campus spends about $30,000 a month sending sewage to the Starkville sewage treatment plant,” said Melby. “The projected world population growth convinced us that we’ve got to start looking at things to help close the loop. Over the next 50 years, the world’s population is expected to double from 6 billion to 12 billion.”

WITH ENCOURAGEMENT FROM MSU interim research vice president Jonathon Pote, at the time head of the university’s Water Resources Research Institute, Melby and a facility planning committee composed of faculty in his department charted a course that would turn their concept of a campus-based, sustainable center into a living laboratory. They also were motivated by a desire to move the 30-yearold landscape architecture department—with its 250 students, nine faculty, and three staff—from Montgomery Hall, built in 1903, to a newer facility with some land around it. Their efforts led to procurement of a three-acre site just off Stone Boulevard on the western side of campus. Faculty then created a design illustrating how a center could fit well into the area. When state Sen. Hob Bryan of Amory, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, guided a $3.6 million bond bill to passage in 2000 authorizing construction of a facility with energy conservation features, Melby and his planning committee were ready. “We programmed all the buildings and the site, and the design team that was selected for the project took our ideas and our program,” said Melby. He said the Jackson architectural firm of Dale and Associates of Jackson did an excellent job in designing a facility intended to exist in harmony with its surroundings, while reflecting the unique flair and feel of the Deep South. Dale put Ron Hartley, a graduate of the MSU landscape architecture department, in charge of the project. The brick-and-glass complex of three buildings—which houses MSU’s landscape architecture and landscape contracting academic programs—was occupied last December. It was officially dedicated May 5 in ceremonies that featured Steven A. Williams, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Bryan; MSU President Charles Lee; and Vance

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;This outstanding new building

complex is providing an exceptional

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environment for teaching, learning, and research that already is benefiting our students in landscape architecture and landscape contracting, and the

mississippi people of Mississippi.â&#x20AC;?

MSU President Charles Lee

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Watson, interim vice president of the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Melby also was there, watching in quiet satisfaction. “This outstanding new building complex is providing an exceptional environment for teaching, learning, and research that already is benefiting our students in landscape architecture and landscape contracting, and the people of Mississippi,” Lee said during the ceremony. “The successful operation of this building is going to help us learn how to better manage our spiraling energy costs.” The complex of buildings—which make full use of natural daylight—provides space for classrooms, studios, and administrative offices. Energy-reducing features include: ground-source heating and cooling expected to reduce utility bills by as much as 50 percent; large building overhangs designed to keep buildings 8-10 degrees cooler in the summer; wall and roof designs that prevent summer heat from penetrating the structure; a bank of photovoltaic solar panels, provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority, which will generate “green power” from sunlight for the Starkville city grid that could meet all electrical needs of the MSU center; functioning windows that make heating and air-conditioning unnecessary during milder months in the spring and fall; and concrete floors inside the structures that assure there are no emissions of volatile organic compounds or, in some cases, floor coverings of either recycled rubber tire or natural soy bean-based materials. “Dadgummit, it works!” Melby exclaimed. “It’s very comfortable.” J

“...the grounds will produce vegetable gardens, prairie grass, and themed gardens, with very little mowed grass. Wetland treatment cells, cisterns for harvesting water, and three designed pools of water also are planned.” effluent will be treated with ultraviolet light for final disinfecting of all living organisms, then flow into the site’s outdoor irrigation system. “Here is an opportunity to take the collection and treatment of sewage from a human development, keep it on site without any smell or danger, and use the water and nutrients from the sewage to grow plants and gardens,” said Melby. He said the grounds will produce vegetable gardens, prairie grass, and themed gardens, with very little mowed grass. Wetland treatment cells, cisterns for harvesting water, and three designed pools of water also are planned. “We’re going to have some food-producing plants such as pear trees, fig trees, and blueberry bushes,” he said. “Some of the beds will grow squash, okra, and tomatoes. We want to demonstrate on this site how you can blend food-producing plants with more attractive traditional plantings.”

THE FACILITY WAS DESIGNED to meet human life support needs for food, water, shelter, energy, waste-processing, and landscape management. Systems planned for implementation over time include water-harvesting for irrigation and for drinking, biological treatment of sewage, thrifty use of wild energy, on-site food production, and landscape management consistent with the site’s plant communities and cycles. Utilizing a biological waste disposal system designed by Wolverton, Melby said urine from restrooms will be funneled into two plumbed planters, where it will be cleansed by the microbes on rocks and plants. Then it will flow outside to a septic tank, where solids will settle and liquids will continue flowing to rock-reed treatment beds. In the beds, the liquid

MELBY SAID LONG-RANGE PLANS call for construction of an outdoor amphitheater and an additional classroom building on the site, if an estimated $1 million in private funding can be obtained. He said he also hopes to activate a $25,000 energy audit system, which was built into the walls but is not yet operational. Even the center’s parking lot can be made more environmentally friendly without sweeping, which may be good news to Cindy Melby. A separate plan has been developed to remove wastewater and automobile byproducts from that area. “We’re so excited the university gave us this chance,” said Melby. “This is the beauty of Mississippi. If you have a good idea and it’s reasonable, the people of Mississippi will give you a chance to try it.”

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cruising

to camp ‘Jabber Jaw’ campers hone communication skills By Aga Haupt Photos by Russ Houston TWELVE YOUTHS AGES 9-19 cruised their way to some new communication skills during a special June program at Mississippi State. Camp Jabber Jaw is designed specifically for youngsters who must use computer-like devices to communicate. Coordinated by the university’s T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability, this year’s residential assembly adopted a cruise ship theme. “‘Cruising to Camp’ was our sixth annual Jabber Jaw,” said camp founder Janie Cirlot-New. Participants “explored the cultures of Mexico, Italy, Australia, and China through meals and special activities,” the Martin Center director added.

WHILE PRIMARILY SUPPORTED through 2004 with state funding, future camps will need private donations to continue, Cirlot-New said. Jabber Jaw pairs kids who use communication devices to peers with typical speech abilities. Accompanying parents, caregivers, and siblings also learn from the structured experiences. “By being around others who use similar devices, the campers learn to communicate better,” Cirlot-New explained. “Most are the only ones in their school districts or communities who use computer-based voice output devices, and this camp helps them interact with others and learn to actively participate in conversations in a timely manner.”

IN ADDITION TO ART, dance, crafts, and games, the program involves participants in swimming and horseback riding, among other activities. The 2003 camp culminated with a public play in the Mitchell Memorial Library Small Auditorium. In addition to Martin Center staff, this year’s Jabber Jaw staff included speech pathology majors from Mississippi University for Women and the universities of Mississippi and Southern Mississippi. Also assisting were an occupational therapist from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and current and former MSU students with disabilities.

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By Marid ith P h o t o s B y Wa l ke r G e u d e r Fred Faul k

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'Cradle-to-grave' defines MSU road map to automotive research TO BUILD THE CARS OF THE FUTURE , a group of

Mississippi State researchers believes a good place to start is by thinking small. Very small. As in atoms. In an approach being described as “atoms to autos,” the engineers who form MSU’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems are building on university expertise in computational technologies to position Mississippi at the forefront of automotive design and production. From the “atoms” approach—materials modeling that begins at the atomic level to develop lighter-weight, stronger materials—to improving the ways drivers interact with the auto, MSU research is helping create what one researcher calls a paradigm shift. The old road maps no longer apply. Established in 2001 by the state to enhance Mississippi’s research and development efforts related to a new Nissan manufacturing plant near Canton, CAVS has a goal of enhancing the state’s potential to attract other automotive and related industries, said J. Donald Trotter, director of the center and MSU associate vice president for strategic initiatives. “We have considerable industrial experience on our management team that blends well with academic research in

targeted areas,” he said. A research facility at Mississippi State and a Canton engineering extension center, both now under construction, are expected to open later this year. “In addition to engineering expertise, CAVS has a strong commitment to apply advanced technologies to workforce development, in partnership with community colleges and other Mississippi institutions of higher learning,” Trotter added. “Both in applied research and in workforce education, we feel that higher education can offer major benefits to the state.” CAVS is a broad approach to today’s “new way of doing business,” Trotter explained. “We’re trying to anticipate what will be needed to lead well into the future, not just say ‘me, too.’” With leadership in mind, Trotter has assembled a highly regarded team, including the first MSU endowed chairholder for automotive research. Together, the research leaders are focusing on critical areas that include computational manufacturing and design, alternative power, and enterprise systems and human engineering. All have a goal of reducing product development time, improving automobile efficiency, and A Summer 2003

designing the automobile—and the production process—with the human operator in mind. DESIGNS ON THE FUTURE Lighter-weight materials will be a key part of realizing an industry goal of developing vehicles that can travel up to 80 miles on a gallon of gas, said Mark F. Horstemeyer, who holds the CAVS Chair in Computational Solid Mechanics. “Today, we’re using computational techniques to try to reduce vehicle weight by 25 percent while increasing strength by 50 percent,” he said. To work toward achieving both efficiency and vehicle safety, his research group is starting literally at the most basic level. “Computational technologies will help us characterize the physics of materials from the atomic scale up,” he explained. The multi-scale analysis—which begins at the nanoscale—can be applied to a variety of industries, ranging from automotive components to weapons systems and aircraft. Formerly with Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, Calif., Horstemeyer has gained wide recognition for his work in the mechanics of materials and related topics such as damage evolution, fracture, fatigue, and impact. He was among national experts called on to assist the Columbia Accident Investigation Board in analyzing the impact of falling foam debris following last February’s space shuttle tragedy. The research effort he is directing at Mississippi State is, among other things, modeling the stress-induced changes to materials throughout the life of an automobile. Called “cradle-tograve” modeling, the technique using complex geometry will allow the research team to derive information about the automobile structure at any point in its history, determining the “optimum” design methodologies. Supporting research is concentrated in the broad areas of materials modeling, manufacturing processes, and structure 10

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In CAVS labs at Mississippi State, engineers have envisioned the car of the future, and, while today it sounds like science fiction, the reality is just around the corner. simulation. Specific focus areas range from crash simulations and materials evaluation to casting processes and manufacturing equipment. Trotter points out that the computational manufacturing research has implications for many industries, especially for those involving products made of metal. “CAVS research can be extended to other industrial processes to increase productivity and reduce product development time,” he noted. ‘IMMERSIVE’ APPROACH In CAVS labs at Mississippi State, engineers have envisioned the car of the future, and, while today it sounds like science fiction, the reality is just around the corner. In the future, here’s what to expect: a next-generation vehicle that is lightweight and uses fuel cell technology. It will be able to travel 250-300 miles before repowering and will have interactive wireless communication so that it can ‘talk’ to other vehicles, gleaning information about potential obstacles or even the best travel route to a destination. Interactive communication—using multiple electronics systems—also means that the vehicle could alert drivers to potential system failures, link with emergency personnel if needed, provide in-vehicle connection to the Internet, and access local information or current movies. Telematics research is assuring that the driver can safely and effectively make use of these systems. Expect to see this futuristic vehicle driving on the nation’s highways by 2010, the CAVS team says. Limited-range fuel cell vehicles currently are being tested in major cities around the world. Such a vehicle would be a major step in reducing dependency on traditional petroleum-based fuel supplies and would contribute to a cleaner environment, they say. It also offers a higher degree of driver safety. The “immersive technology” which helps create the vehicle means that the design, production and performance of the car have been extensively tested with the help of complex computational

Expect to see this futuristic vehicle driving on the nation’s highways by 2010, the CAVS team says. Limited-range fuel cell vehicles currently are being tested in major cities around the world. simulations. To paraphrase a philosophical tenet, essence precedes existence: a virtual environment can yield a better reality. “There’s in a sense a ‘debugging’ of the design,” explained CAVS research manager Zach L. Rowland. “In one research area, we’re working to improve the efficiency of the manufacturing process, even putting human models into a simulated production line,” he said. “The computer simulations can ‘see’ potential production problems and correct them before humans actually are at work building vehicles and systems have to be retooled. Not only does such troubleshooting prevent production bottlenecks, but it helps improve worker safety,” he said. He notes that there is now a paradigm shift in the approach to vehicle design. The cradle-to-grave model calls for a design in which the whole product life cycle is managed. “Computer tools now being embraced by manufacturers can look at the implications of design without actually making

the product first,” he said. “The technology, which is like an advanced video game, has tremendous cost benefits in building prototypes and increasing speed to market.” Virtual tools also are helping ensure improved safety of automobiles once they’re in use, Rowland said. “We now can perform computer simulations that simulate the crash tests required by the federal government,” he noted. “A cluster of supercomputers can calculate the effect of crashes on humans”—data required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA annually provides consumers with a measure of the relative safety potential of vehicles in front and side crashes, using crash-test dummies. CAVS also is developing computational tools for workforce training and development. A CAVS team is integrating into a distributed Web-based environment adaptive learning technologies with commercial engineering tools exploiting 3D modeling and simulation. The teams also are using commercially available software tools to capture real-time motion. “We will be looking at optimal motion for real-time tasks, with an objective of training a work force in a virtual environment,” Rowland explained. With a wealth of information stored in knowledge bases, A Summer 2003

the computerized system will offer the capability of pulling together highly customized lesson plans. “This effort involves a number of community colleges, and we’re seeking to involve other institutions as well,” Rowland said. “We’re hopeful that this will be a model for helping the Mississippi workforce become technologically aware and prepare the state to move to the next level.” BEYOND THE GAS PUMP—A NEW VISION OF FUEL Think past the gas-guzzling autos of today, with their accompanying emissions, fluctuating fuel costs, and environmental risks. Hydrogen and air may very well power the cars of the not-too-distant future, the CAVS researchers say. Featuring no moving parts, fuel cells are electrochemical devices that burn hydrogen. Water—instead of greenhouse emissions—is the byproduct of the chemical process that creates electricity used to power the vehicle. Automotive manufacturers around the world are investing in fuel cell research, which promises far less pollution, as well as a significant enhancement in fuel efficiency compared with traditional combustion engines.

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Ben S.Y. Choe, research professor of electrical and computer engineering, says that CAVS fuel cell modeling seeks to overcome some of the current barriers in implementing fuel cells commercially. “The initial cost of using fuel cells now is higher than that of internal combustion engines,” he explained. “There also currently are issues of durability and efficiency.” Because water is a fuel cell byproduct, for instance, controlling water vapor in the gas stream is a critical issue to fuel cell efficiency. Being able to monitor and control the fuel stack by developing effective sensors will be critical in preventing a destructive phenomenon known as “thermal runaway.” MSU’s computational tools are being applied to these issues, with a goal of supporting the development of viable fuel cells for industry. “Our vision for the future is a technology that also can be used by utility companies for residences, by the military for its vehicles, and by consumers for mobile phones, personal computers and personal digital assistants (PDAs),” Choe said. High-resolution simulation and modeling are providing a

basic understanding of fuel cells and systems. Computing capabilities allow the development of advanced design tools that can mean improved efficiency and durability for an important future source of alternative fuel. DELIVERING THE GOODS A central goal of the CAVS effort is to transfer the benefits of the university’s research to industry, says C. Dean Norman, CAVS research professor of civil engineering. “We’re committed to providing useful research and development products for Nissan, its suppliers, and other small and medium-sized Mississippi businesses,” he said. “This center is all about moving research directly into industry.” In a 23,000-square-foot extension facility adjacent to the Nissan plant in Canton, the CAVS team has a multi-pronged effort to assist the state’s competitiveness. Focus areas are direct engineering support, education and workforce training, manufacturing extension partnership, and research and development technology transfer. Working with Norman are Clay Walden, manager of engineering extension, and Victor Branch, manager of training. Walden says that work under way at the extension facility seeks “to ensure our research is relevant to the needs of industry. We support activities to solve real problems,” he noted. For Nissan, Walden’s team has created a computer model of the manufacturing process from start to finish—from welding the first part, through assembly, painting, and pre-delivery auto tests, to vehicle exit. The model even includes the time spent waiting. “Because there are random occurrences, we’ve developed a dynamic model,” Walden explained. The goal is to model variability and to ensure that manufacturing processes avoid potential problems. Because the CAVS team began their research 18 months before the plant startup, Nissan was able to respond to predicted bottlenecks. “They made a design change in the plant based on our study,” Walden said. The engineering outreach effort that Walden manages also will extend the benefits of research to other Mississippi industries. Already, the Canton engineering extension center has assisted Delphi Automotive Systems of Brookhaven, and Walden says, “We want to apply what we’ve learned to other small manufacturers.” CAVS also is a part of the federally funded Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which in collaboration with state community colleges will provide technology resources for small Extension Partnership, which in collaboration with state com munity colleges will provide technology resources for small manufacturers.

Making the results of CAVS research available commercially is a final goal of the automotive effort at Mississippi State. “The partnership allows us to leverage state dollars for maximum benefits,” Walden explained. “Through MEP, we give small manufacturers access to high-end resources and technology they otherwise wouldn’t have.” The goal, he said, is for the partnership “to be a guide and to assist businesses so they can realize the value of technology.” Walden said some resources already exist, but a small manufacturer may not have known of them; in other cases, the partnership will introduce leading-edge technology where appropriate. Making the results of CAVS research available commercially is a final goal of the automotive effort at Mississippi State. “We will assist Mississippi companies in bringing new products and services into the marketplace through licensing and services generated by CAVS research,” explained Wayne H. Causey Jr., manager of technology development for commercialization. Potential technology that may be commercialized is MSU-developed training software which, Causey noted, “can be applied to worker training in any complex manufacturing environment.” CAVS research is generating the possibilities for many applications: software to test fuel cell efficiencies, computational materials design to reduce weight and cost, and comprehensive evaluations of automobiles for potential import, just for starters. “The potential applications range across all of the technical disciplines at Mississippi State involved in automotive research,” Causey said.

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Ronnie Parker’s simple philosophy

it’s

always about

people

RONNIE PARKER SMILES politely when asked the stock question he’s probably been asked more times than he can remember and—with the genteel air that typifies him—gives a straightforward answer. “Actually, I have two favorites: our bacon cheeseburger pizza and our chicken fajita pizza. They’re different, and very good.” The 1972 Mississippi State accounting graduate and avid bass fisherman shifted gears early in his career, and today is president and chief executive officer of Pizza Inn Inc. The 40-year-old restaurant chain now has about 420 locations in 21 states and 10 foreign countries. The same month that Parker graduated from Mississippi State, he went to work as an auditor for Arthur Andersen & Co. in New Orleans and became a CPA. Thus began a promising—if rather predictable—career with one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious accounting and financial consulting firms. Little more than two years later, the ink on his diploma barely dry, Parker was offered a job with Chart House Inc., an Andersen client and the largest franchisee of Burger King Restaurants in the country. A decade later, he left his position as chief financial officer for Chart House’s largest operating unit and moved to Dallas 14

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By Allen Snow Photo by Russ Houston

to help manage Bonanza Restaurants Inc. “I went to Bonanza as a vice president, subsequently was named senior v.p. and executive v.p., and stayed for 10 years. We sold the company in 1989, but I stayed there as general manager for three years and ran the company for the new owner,” Parker says. “In 1992, I was offered a position with Pizza Inn as executive vice president. I became president of Pizza Inn about three years ago, and became president and CEO last August.” Recently, having driven all night from his home in McKinney, Texas, to fulfill Super Bulldog Weekend commitments and to answer that favorite-pizza question, Parker recalled his college days. That the Charleston native would attend Mississippi State was never really in doubt. “I wanted to come to Mississippi State from a very early age,” he says. “My parents live about an hour and fifteen minutes from here and my grandparents lived about 10 minutes from here, so it was an easy decision for me.” Parker’s parents, C.W. and Dot, still live in Charleston. His father, a Purple Heart veteran of World War II, earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Mississippi State in 1947 and 1954, respectively, and taught high school for more than 30 years.

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AS A FRESHMAN, Parker decided to major in mathematics in the College of Arts and Sciences. During his junior year, he changed his major to accounting in the College of Business and Industry. “I found the whole business school staff to be very career oriented and pragmatic, and they would give you genuine, honest advice any time. That made a difference for me. “I had a number of outstanding professors. One in particular, accounting professor Billy Simmons, comes to mind. He’s been acknowledged for a long time as a very prominent accounting professor and citizen of the community. Professors Bill Cross and Joe Curry were others. Economics professor Roland Jones was very active in the university, and people knew him to be a friend. He was very accessible to students and very proactive,” Parker recalls. An avid Bulldog sports fan, Parker manages to get back to campus for three or four football games and several basketball and baseball games a year, despite his hectic schedule. His commitment to the university runs deep. He is a member of the Bulldog Club board of directors, recently completed a six-year term on the Alumni Association board, and has just been named to the MSU Foundation board. Parker also is proud of the fact that he’s a member of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association board of directors. “Because of my interest in university life and student activities, as well as athletics, I’ve derived a lot of pleasure in that.” His guiding philosophy is simple and unwavering. “We all need to do what we say we’re going to do. It’s about personal integrity, it’s about telling the truth, and it’s about making sure we’re there for our people,” he says with conviction. “Whether it’s my business life or my personal life, it’s always about people. I work very hard on teamwork. “We spend a lot of time talking about corporate culture and about truly satisfying the customer and listening to the customer. I think one of the attributes that has been diminished in the last few years is the skill of listening. I’ve actually brought in consultants to teach listening skills.”

PIZZA INN COMPETES with some heavy hitters. Pizza Hut, Domino’s, Papa John’s, and Little Caesars are national and they are the four best-known players in terms of size. “We’re known as a regional chain, although we are in 21 states,” Parker says. “We’re fiercely competitive, and actually, in the states where we compete, we compete very favorably, both in quality and perception of quality, and in loyalty of our customers. “We have a broad menu, a lot of variety. At the end of the day, it’s about two things: attracting and satisfying customers. The basics of the restaurant industry are quality,

service, and cleanliness. Any of us who get away from that will feel the wrath of our customers.” According to Parker, the pizza segment of the food market, in spite of its number of units, is still growing because it cuts across demographic lines. “If we ask our kids today what they’d like to eat tonight, chances are that at least one of them will say pizza. From the elderly to young kids, everybody likes pizza.” Parker talks of business matters with passion and energy, but one quickly gets the sense that his real priorities are firmly fixed. “Mine start with my faith and my family and friends, and I include my employees and franchisees in the friends category. “For me, Mississippi State is a close third, because Mississippi State gave me the academic foundation and the skill sets to accomplish things that I’m very proud of,” Parker continues. “I grew up in Charleston, a town of 3,000 people in the edge of the Delta, and I have a lot of dear friends there. It was the foundation of my upbringing. I owe much of whatever success I’ve had to the influence of my father and my mother. “My wife Anne has been an inspiration to me and has been totally supportive in all that I’ve done. I can promise you, when a person works the hours that I work, without a supportive wife it becomes very difficult. I’ve been very blessed in that regard.”

PARKER AND HIS WIFE have four children. When he talks about the children, his face beams with obvious pride. Lisa is a junior elementary education major at Texas Christian University. “She loves Mississippi State, but just couldn’t find it in her heart to travel that distance from home.” Laura, a senior in high school, currently is planning to attend MSU. Leslie is a sophomore in high school. Charles, 13, “is definitely committed to MSU. He’s a die-hard Bulldog, and he’s ready to come here right now if they’d let him. He wears his MSU clothing to school probably three or four days a week.” Considering Parker’s responsibilities to family, career, and alma mater, it’s hard to imagine that he can find even a little time for Ronnie Parker, but somehow he does. “I love bass fishing,” he says almost wistfully. “I don’t have time for many ‘vices,’ we’ll call them, but the two vices I have in terms of personal pleasure are bass fishing and golf. Fishing is very relaxing; you can get away from it all and think clearly. Getting out on a lake early in the morning or late in the afternoon—it’s quiet and it’s really fun for me.” Better take along one of those chicken fajita pizzas, Ronnie. Fishing whets the appetite. A Summer 2003

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kind of Regenerating cartilage focus of orthopedic research By Kay Fike Jones Photo by Fred Faulk

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crop

DR. STEVEN H. ELDER grows things, but his aren’t the usual crops of corn, cotton, or sweet potatoes. Elder is attempting to grow cartilage. A researcher with the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Institute, Elder and his team of student assistants are seeking ways to greatly aid the field of orthopedics by making the tough, elastic tissue regenerate itself. A three-year-old university research effort, the institute encourages scientific collaborations among faculty members in agriculture, bioinformatics, biology, food science, and human and animal medicine. “Cartilage has no blood vessels or nerves, “ Elder said. “It’s very slow-growing and not good at healing itself.” Damaged cartilage generally remains that way, he added. For example, a hole punched in cartilage “typically will not be healed when checked one year later.” Artificial joint replacement is among the current treatments prescribed for patients with orthopedic problems. Unfortunately, Elder observes, plastic replacement parts eventually wear out, necessitating additional surgery. With bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in biomedical engineering from Duke University and the universities of Iowa and Michigan, respectively, Elder’s research always has involved orthopedics. Before joining the MSU faculty in 1999, he spent a year at Vanderbilt University in the clinical Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Department. AT MISSISSIPPI STATE, Elder and his team are continuing the research he began in graduate school. Their work doesn’t involve the controversial embryonic stem cells, however. Instead, they are employing mesenchymal stem cells, which may be found in several tissues throughout the body and tend to dwindle in number as people age. The MSU researchers are attempting to train the mesenchymal stem cells to specialize as chondrocytes, the cells that make up cartilage. “The stem cells remain in the body forever, just sitting there,” Elder says. “At the stem cell stage, they can grow into one of several different tissues, such as cartilage, bone, muscle, and fat. We want them to help regenerate cartilage.” While some researchers use stem cells found in fat liposuctioned from overweight individuals, Elder gleans his from the marrow of rats and the limb buds of embryonic chicks.

Seeking to enhance the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells to chondrocytes, Elder recently began exploring the application of mechanical stress to stem cells at levels equal to that found in the human body. The team has invented different devices for applying static and intermittent shear and hydrostatic compression to cultured cells. “THE CELLS SEEM TO RESPOND to the mechanical stimuli,” he reports. “We have found that more of the stem cells acquire cartilage characteristics when we apply pressure.” The team also has been working on chitosan, a natural polymer derived from shrimp and other crustacean shells. An ingredient in drugs prescribed for weight loss and cholesterol control, chitosan also may be produced as a film and used as artificial skin or even as a blood clotter. The chitosan could act as “scaffolding” that enables engineered chondrocyte cells to grow, join with natural cartilage, and replace damaged tissue, a process known as tissue engineering. “We’ve found we can make a porous sponge material of the chitosan and it seems to support the attachment and growth of the cartilage cells,” Elder said. “We now are trying to optimize the properties of chitosan for cartilage tissue engineering.” There are drawbacks, however, to using the chitosan. “It doesn’t go away as fast as we would want it to,” Elder admitted. Once it has done its job of helping the chondrocytes repair the cartilage, Elder says it is preferred for the chitosan to be absorbed by the body. While naturally occurring enzymes assist chitosan in biodegrading safely, only one particular enzyme has proven effective—and then only at high concentrations. “We’d like for the chitosan to be out of the body in four to six weeks, but to this point in our research, it’s still there,” he says. If Elder and his student team ultimately achieve success in their “farming” endeavor, the future of orthopedic surgery could be forever changed. From a former football player with bad knees to an elderly woman with a damaged hip, cartilage regeneration could help give both of them a pain- and limp-free future.

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Tyrone Keys played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when they beat the Detroit Lions Sept. 21, 1986, to end a 19-game losing streak on the road. Now he works with other former and current pro players to mentor youngsters.

man,

BIG

heart

BIG

By Jennifer Barrs | Reprinted by permission of The Tampa Tribune

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Former MSU football standout and Super Bowl champion Tyrone Keys, who has helped send more than 400 students to college, is honored as The Tampa Tribune’s People’s Champion. Tyrone Keys gleans such joy from the boy with the backpack. Which has very little to do with the Super Bowl ring on his hand, the one he got in 1986 playing with the Chicago Bears. And it’s a far different deal than his tough-guy cameo in the Burt Reynolds comedy “The Man Who Loved Women.” And who can compare it with his Nov. 2 meeting with President Bush, who stepped from Air Force One at Tampa International Airport and asked the 6-foot-7-inch Keys, “What’s up, big guy?” No, it’s obvious by the expression on his face. Meeting the president doesn’t seem to mean as much to the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer as seeing that kid stroll down East Lake Avenue, his body bent from the weight of books. The youngster tells Keys he’s headed over to Jackson Heights Recreation Center, to study. “To study,” says Keys softly, “in a neighborhood where it’s not cool to be smart.” Keys, 43, explains how the teen has had it tough. So tough he spent time in a juvenile detention center that Keys frequents as part of his director’s job with All Sports Community Service. Since 1993, the Tampa nonprofit organization has helped hundreds get into college through a program that advocates the wisdom of mentors, the benefits of volunteerism and the belief that anything is possible. At least that’s what Keys believes, what he’s been telling that kid, what he told the president and his USA Freedom Corps staff when they came to pick his brain about this volunteers-and-mentors business. Keys likely relied on a favorite expression: “A person without hope is a dangerous person.” To laud efforts by Keys and his staff, The Tampa Tribune has named Keys its 2002 People’s Champion, an honor previously given to luminaries such as Lee Roy Selmon and George Steinbrenner. The award, first given in 1993, recognizes a Bay area resident’s contributions to sports and the community. “I think Tyrone’s work speaks for itself though, obviously, being a former player with a big heart helps,” says Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks, who was the Tribune’s People’s Champion in 1998.

Brooks is one of more than two dozen current and former professional football players who sponsor students through All Sports. Among them: Trent Dilfer, Mike Alstott, Santana Dotson, Keyshawn Johnson, and Brad Culpepper. “When he talks to kids, he comes to their level,” Brooks says. “He’s not afraid to go to their neighborhoods, to bring them in, to find jobs for them. By the kids seeing how hands-on he is, it builds respect. “He sees a bright light in every child.” Within walking distance of Raymond James Stadium, the All Sports offices are a cozy warren of connecting rooms. Videotapes and applications share desk space with coffee cups and trophies. Copies of the staff-written instructional bible, “Playbook for Kids,” are stacked throughout. One dog-eared copy is open to a page headlined “College Tips.” The first? “BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.” Operations manager Chris Whidden smiles when asked

Tyrone Keys was named the 2002 People's Champion by The Tampa Tribune. Photo by Jay Nolan of The Tampa Tribune A Summer 2003

about the cramped quarters she shares with program director Eric “Pink” Floyd, a former offensive lineman with the San Diego Chargers who literally dwarfs his desk. “It’s organized chaos,” explains Whidden. “You’d be amazed.” Glance around, and Whidden’s words echo mightily. Photographs hang ceiling to floor like human wallpaper— snapshots of students signing forms for this college or that, Keys huddling over them with a proud-papa grin. In fact, this organization with headquarters in made-over motel rooms has helped send more than 400 students to college. Contributions totaling $16 million have come from individuals and foundations including NFL Charities, the Banyan Foundation, the Eckerd Foundation and Outback Steakhouse. The first in their family to attend college, these kids would have likely been overlooked when it came time to apply. And not merely because they couldn’t afford to go to college. Maybe they weren’t stars, in academics or athletics. Or maybe they were stars but were ignorant of the system’s language and demands: What’s a Pell Grant, anyway? How do you prepare for entrance exams? Keys, given a heads-up from counselors and teachers, perseveres. He finds the kids who need a push and then pushes back. Gently. That’s because every student who receives aid from All Sports must do volunteer work in college and beyond; typically, a minimum of 25 hours a semester with programs such as Metropolitan Ministries and Joshua House. Among the success stories grinning wide on the All Sports wall: Nate Peoples, a former Armwood High linebacker who went to Mississippi State University, Keys’ alma mater. He’s an assistant strength coach at Stanford University. And how about Cobbie Matthews, a Tampa Catholic defensive end who went to the University of Minnesota. He teaches multicultural relations there while working on his doctorate. There’s Halvern Johnson, a former Tampa Catholic cornerback and college graduate who works as a local director with Boy Scouts of America. And over there’s Kylie Moord, who will soon get a sociology degree from Indiana’s DePauw University. Look close and you’ll also see a youthful Todd Williams peering out from a poster. The Florida State University graduate, who rose from homelessness to athletic and academic success, once attended a Mike Alstott Football Camp organized by All Sports. “Not only does it make you feel good to give back, but it makes you learn that you can’t just accept something without helping someone else,” explains Moord. “That’s the way it’s always been with Tyrone—he does good for people. And he teaches us to do the same. . . . Frankly, he doesn’t expect anything less.”

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But ask Keys why he created the program and he turns pensive, preferring the mantra: “To those whom much is given, much is expected.” Wife Bessie, who married Keys in 1981, says her husband reads motivational literature for fun. Meanwhile, in a 20-year-old college English paper—“The only one I ever got an A on,” Keys says with a grin—he appears to have had his eye on a prize greater than his physical gifts. “Athletics gave me a chance to go to college,” wrote Keys. “It was also people helping me and giving me knowledge in a positive way. To me it was always the small things that count.”

MISSISSIPPI SUCCESS STORY If Keys was ever small, no one really remembers. One of his oldest friends, Larry Friday, says Keys was “always bigger than everybody,” even when, as fourth-graders, they played sandlot ball behind his house in Jackson, Miss. “We also thought Ty didn’t have a mean streak, thought he was so mild-mannered,” says Friday, whose pro career included gigs with the Cleveland Browns as well as Canadian teams, the United States Football League and arena football franchises. “Eventually, we found out different. Always knew when that bottom lip moved around his teeth. Brother, he could dominate.” By the time Keys was a sophomore at Jackson’s Callaway High School, his ability to dominate on the football field was well-known. He caught the eye of defensive coach Odell Jenkins, and in his very first start on defense, Keys went up against the defending state champions. He learned quickly, Jenkins says, and was enormously disciplined, forever playing “sideline to sideline” and memorizing pass-rush techniques that he would employ throughout his career. Jenkins believes Keys’ sense of discipline came naturally, handed down from loving parents. Though Johnnie Ruth Keys, a teacher, and the late Shelton Keys, a contractor, were divorced when Keys was 12, both parents were fully involved in his and his brothers’ upbringing. (Keys’ siblings, twins Cedric and Frederic, are both counselors.) Keys, meanwhile, credits Jenkins for setting a lifelong tone. “I wish I could clone myself and be Coach Jenkins,” Keys says softly. Indeed, whenever he speaks of mentors— fundamental to All Sports” agenda—Keys mentions Jenkins, who has coached 15 players who went to the NFL. With Keys as a defensive dynamo, the Callaway High School Chargers won the state championship in 1976. Named a high school All-American, Keys was also one of the most highly recruited players in the Southeast. He chose Mississippi State, and after graduating college in 1981, Keys, a lineman, was drafted by the New York Jets. He opted to

Keys (98) was one of the big Dawgs on defense during his MSU playing days.

play in Canada for the British Columbia Lions until 1983, when the Jets, who owned his NFL rights, traded him to the Chicago Bears. Bears teammate Leslie Frazier, now the Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive coordinator, remembers Keys as the “biggest, toughest, easygoing guy” who managed to befriend the Bears’ legendary curmudgeon-as-coach, defensive honcho Buddy Ryan. More memorable, Frazier says, was Keys’ generosity. He typically gave away things players accumulated by the pound: T-shirts, jackets, shoes. Frazier also recalls that even before the Bears’ victory over the New England Patriots at Super Bowl XX in 1986—forecast in the “Super Bowl Shuffle” video on which Keys played keyboards—the big man was looking ahead. “Somehow, you always knew Ty didn’t want to be defined by the number of sacks he got,” Frazier says. Keys arrived in Tampa Bay in 1986 with a ring and a commitment, determined to play despite telling Jenkins there were times when “I couldn’t feel my legs out there.” Traded to San Diego in 1988, Keys ended his football career with the Chargers in 1989, sidelined by injuries to his shoulder, back, and knee.

LEGACIES BEYOND HEADLINES

By that time, Bessie Keys says, her husband had crammed his off-season hours with jobs as a substitute teacher and part-time counselor. In high schools and halfway houses from California to Florida, Keys would nudge the kids and prod the pros. He also sympathized with peers who suddenly went from the field to the street, confused about their futures and their legacies beyond the headlines. Sponsoring kids through All Sports, Keys says, was a way to build an emotional bridge—one that

would emphasize what some failed to grasp. And that is, “Education lasts a lifetime,” says Nate Peoples, the Armwood standout turned Stanford coach. “Tyrone knows that anything can happen, that you can’t be too selfish and, frankly, that none of us can play forever. You have got to be self-sufficient.” With the couple’s daughter and son in tow, Keys moved his family back to Tampa, where he worked as a high school counselor. He formally organized All Sports when he received a financial boost from Jerry Ulm Sr.’s family. The owner of a local car dealership, Ulm had been impressed with Keys—so much so that, when Ulm died, his family directed mourners to send donations to All Sports in lieu of flowers. A decade later, All Sports still stresses education. Moreover, its mentoring programs are being staffed by the men and women they once helped. These “graduate mentors” include Trevares Thomas, a 1996 Brandon High School graduate who went to Florida A&M with the help of a Tony Mayberry Scholarship. This All Sports program is sponsored by former Buccaneer and Pro Bowl center Tony Mayberry, who says Keys’ success lies in his remarkable “consistency with kids.” Thomas, who played strong safety and wide receiver at Brandon, is teaching emotionally disturbed students at the high school. In addition, he’s tutoring students once a week. The latter is an All Sports program aimed at bringing college-bound kids up to speed—on how to take the SAT, how to apply for aid, what to expect from college. He is among almost a dozen students who benefited from All Sports programs and have returned to find themselves the teacher, not the student. “The fact that someone else took an interest in me—that pros like Mayberry and Keys cared—was an amazing place to start,” says Thomas, 24. “From them, I learned I wanted to make a difference, to find my heart. With all the hard work that Ty puts into what he does, I was inspired. And now I want to help others explore more of the world, beyond Tampa, beyond the field, beyond my wildest dreams.” A Summer 2003

legacy The Famous Maroon Band

of worthy a new

home By Amy Cagle Photos by Russ Houston

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Just hearing the Famous Maroon Band playing the familiar strains of “Hail State” is enough to warm the hearts of Mississippi State players, fans, and students. Since the band marched at its first Mississippi A&M football game in 1924, it has become one of the university’s most beloved traditions.

The band picked up its “Famous Maroon” moniker in the 1930s when a leading sports writer penned those words based on a “victory” claimed by the band in the late 1920s. During a 1926 football game against Alabama, the Mississippi A&M band took the field for the first time in its maroon and white uniforms, giving such a resounding performance that the Alabama band refused to perform. The members of the A&M band totaled 40 at the time and became known as the “Famous Forty” of Mississippi A&M. Over the course of its 102-year existence, the Famous Maroon Band has given many thrilling performances. But the South’s oldest college band never has had a place at Mississippi State to really call home–a place to accommodate growth.

THE UNIVERSITY BAND has rehearsed through the years in a number of locations, including the Concrete Structure Lab, Old Main dormitory, the Mess Hall, the Agriculture Engineering Building, and the ROTC Building. Since 1954, it has practiced in the same small, inadequate rehearsal facility located just off Hardy Road. There have been little more than cosmetic changes in the existing band hall in the past 40 years. However, during that time, the band has increased in size from 100 to 250 members. Through the years, the increased need for additional rehearsal, equipment, and storage space has placed a tremendous strain on routine band operations and activities. Heading into a new century, the Famous Maroon Band is seeking funds to build a facility worthy of its stature. The band hopes to raise the roof on a new music rehearsal hall soon through the aid of private contributions. More than $1 million already is committed, but at least that much more is needed to break ground for a new facility. “An estimated $2.5 million is needed to build a rehearsal facility for the Famous Maroon Band,” said Dennis Prescott, vice president for external affairs. “At least another $1 million or so is needed for the project to move forward,” he added. Significant progress was made toward the project in the late ’90s. Among the commitments earmarked for the project is a gift of $500,000 from the late Bonnie DeMent of Indianola in memory of her husband Gordon, a Mississippi State graduate and longtime university supporter. Her cornerstone gift initi-

The proposed music rehearsal facility would be located just south of the existing Department of Music Education. ated the fund-raising campaign and placed the focus on the need for a new facility. Another sizeable gift of $250,000 from Charles Maxwell, a 1948 graduate from Greenwood, added momentum to the effort. The most recent commitment, given this year, was an anonymous gift of $50,000 in honor of retired band director Kent Sills. Now, a lead gift must be secured before the project can become a reality. “A single commitment of the remaining amount or at least for $1 million could result in a naming opportunity for the individual who makes the gift. However, gifts of any size are vital to the success of the project,” Prescott said. Funds to date also include a pledge of $250,000 toward the project from the university.

“THE UNIVERSITY as a whole and the Athletic Department have invested resources in our band for equipment and other needs, including a new band hall,” said Elva Kaye Lance, director of the band. “President Lee and athletic director Larry Templeton have been very supportive of our needs, realizing that the band goes hand in hand with athletics.” “The Famous Maroon Band has been and continues to be a special part of the great game-day activity of a football game on the Mississippi State campus,” said Templeton. A Summer 2003

The MSU Athletic Department has made a commitment to lead the drive to construct a new band hall facility by encouraging gifts to the project on its season ticket order form. Sales from tickets in a specific section of the upper deck in Davis Wade Stadium can be purchased with the proceeds benefiting the project. “THE MAROON BAND is part of the total campus—not just one small area. I’m committed, the Athletic Department is committed, and the university administration is committed to building a first-class band hall,” Templeton said. When alumni and other fans enjoy the atmosphere of Davis Wade Stadium, they may assume that the band is housed in a modern facility, as well, because of its tremendous performance on the field. “People don’t realize the preparation it takes for the Famous Maroon Band to actually perform on Scott Field,” Lance said. MSU band students spend countless hours practicing in sometimes nearly unbearable conditions. On game day, the band must assemble in Lee Hall for preparation because the entire group cannot squeeze into the existing band structure with their instruments. Former band members, faculty, and parents have voiced their concerns at reunions and other events about the need for a new facility for the popular band.

“AT LEAST HALF A DOZEN parents and alumni are always asking me when we will get a new facility, so you can imagine how much of a challenge recruiting can be for us,” Lance said. Lance, who received a bachelor’s degree in music education in 1976 and is the first female director in the history of the band program, has a personal interest in the venture. She is an alumna of the band herself. “I have a sentimental stake in all of this, and during my tenure, I am determined that there will be a new music rehearsal facility of which we can be proud,” she said. Lance believes the Famous Maroon Band needs a facility comparable to those of its peers at other universities, or at least comparable to those of community colleges and high schools where recruiting is done. Many of these schools

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have more modern and better-equipped rehearsal facilities than MSU’s existing structure. Through the years, the marching band program has evolved into a comprehensive, multi-faceted music performance and music education program. A new music rehearsal facility, according to Lance, would benefit numerous musical groups on campus and assist with recruiting student musicians as well. Dr. Michael R. Brown, professor and head of the Department of Music Education, agrees with Lance’s observation.

“THE FAMOUS MAROON BAND is at the heart of the Mississippi State family and it would be truly wonderful to have a new base of operations for the band that would allow for future growth,” he said. Currently, the program consists of the Famous Maroon Band, the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, and two basketball Pep Bands. The concert bands maintain an active performance schedule, with the Wind Ensemble conducting recruiting tours of area schools each spring. For more information on the fund-raising drive for the Music Rehearsal Facility, or to make a gift to the fund, contact the MSU Foundation at 662-325-7000.

The annual reunion of the Famous Maroon Band is scheduled for Oct. 3-4 in conjunction with the MSU vs. Vanderbilt match-up. Deadline for registration with the Alumni Association is Sept. 19.

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CAMPUS News Iowa State administrator named MSU provost The dean of Iowa State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been named to the secondranking position at Mississippi Rabideau State. Peter W. Rabideau is the university’s new provost and vice president for academic affairs. A professor of chemistry, Rabideau earlier served as dean of the College of Basic Sciences at Louisiana State University. “Dr. Rabideau emerged as the candidate ideally suited for this vital position by virtue of his outstanding credentials as a scholar, his extensive critical experience as an academic dean at two land-grant universities, and his reputation for getting important things done,” said MSU President Charles Lee. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and has held national appointments with the American Chemical Society and the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences. At Iowa State, Rabideau developed the concept for a recently implemented Institute for Science and Society, a partnership between the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Agriculture. He also recruited the leadership team to develop a $10 million endowment campaign for the music and theater department. 26

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Rabideau holds a bachelor’s degree from Loyola University of Chicago and master’s and doctoral degrees from Case Western Reserve University.

Veteran diversity administrator to head Holmes Center A former student affairs administrator at the University of North Florida is the new director of the Holmes Cultural Diversity Center. Aretha Jones-Cook, who most recently directed the UNF Center for Multicultural Affairs, assumed her duties this spring. “Ms. Jones-Cook is a dynamic, visionary leader who will significantly enhance Mississippi State’s Jones-Cook commitment to fostering a culturally diverse campus,” said Jimmy W. Abraham, interim vice president for student affairs. A native of Somerville, Tenn., Jones-Cook holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and history from Tennessee State University and a master’s in sociology and anthropology from Lincoln University in Missouri.

Pathfinder program honored for innovative student support Mississippi State freshmen who miss more than two classes in the first six weeks of school can expect a friendly phone call, e-mail, or personal

visit to remind them how important attendance is to academic success. Called “Pathfinder,” the five-year-old program is making “significant progress” in keeping students enrolled once they get to campus, said founder David L. McMillen of the university’s Social Science Research Center. Echoing McMillen is NoelLevitz, a higher education consulting firm associated with Sallie Mae, the federally guaranteed national student loan fund. Last month, Iowabased Noel-Levitz named MSU as one of eight selections for its 15th annual Retention Excellence Award. “This truly is a campuswide program in which people have come together to offer their time, skills and resources to ensure student success,” McMillen said. Though no longer a faculty member, McMillen continues to direct the program with the assistance of SSRC research associates Ty Abernathy and John F. Edwards. The retired psychology professor led in establishing Pathfinder on a limited basis in 1997. Since then, the percentage of students retained each year by MSU has continued to rise, as has participation by MSU faculty and staff. “When we began the program, about 76 percent of students in the freshman class returned for a second year; that number now has risen to 81 percent,” he said. “Statistically, the increase is extremely significant.” McMillen said retention numbers have continued to rise even as admission standards remain unchanged and entrance scores and other student indicators are relatively stable. “When we started the program, about 75 percent of

freshmen were attending class with no absence problems,” McMillen said. “We’ve now increased that number to 90 percent.”

MSU ranked 61st in African-American bachelor s degrees Mississippi State ranked 61st among all institutions and 37th among historically white colleges and universities in awarding bachelor’s degrees to African-Americans in 2001-02. According to a recent report in Black Issues in Higher Education magazine, MSU also is listed by discipline as being seventh in education, 36th in business, and 37th in engineering among all institutions awarding AfricanAmerican baccalaureate degrees. Information for the report in the June 5 issue is drawn from U.S. Department of Education data. MSU awarded 377 bachelor’s degrees to AfricanAmericans in 2001-02, representing 14 percent of the university’s total. The number was up from 287 in the previous year. Other Mississippi institutions on the magazine’s “Top 100 Degree Producers” list include Jackson State University, ranked sixth overall with 748 graduates; University of Southern Mississippi, ranked 36th overall; and Mississippi Valley State University, ranked 75th overall.

International aquaculture society recognizes professor An aquaculture scientist recently received the highest honor bestowed by the World Aquaculture Society, the largest professional aquaculture society in the world.

Louis R. D’Abramo, professor in the wildlife and fisheries department, recently was honored by the international nonprofit organization headquartered in Baton Rouge, La. He was presented the Exemplary Service Award, one of only eight that have been awarded by WAS since its 1970 founding. A faculty member whose specialty is crustacean and fish aquaculture and ecology, D’Abramo also is a scientist in the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station at MSU.

Jennifer Phillips tapped for Truman Scholarship A Starkville senior is the latest student at the university to be selected for a national Harry S. Truman Scholarship. Jennifer L. Phillips, already a John C. Stennis Scholar in Political Science, is among 76 students from 63 institutions chosen to receive the $30,000 academic awards created by Congress in 1975 as the official United States tribute to the 33rd president. Like other scholars, she will receive $3,000 for her senior year and $27,000 for graduate-level study. She previously was awarded MSU Academic and U.S. Air Force ROTC scholarships. Since the 1980s, MSU has produced a total of 15 Truman Scholars.

Three MSU students named Barry M. Goldwater Scholars Three Mississippi State students are among a select group nationally being named 2003 Barry M. Goldwater Scholars. Seniors Erin R. Bassford of Germantown, Tenn., and Alan P. Boyle of Starkville, along with junior Angela M. Spence

Campus News Six high school seniors receiving MSU Presidential, Schillig awards

Bassford

Boyle

of Brandon, are among only 300 university students Spence named this year in the federal program recognizing outstanding scholars in mathematics, engineering, and the natural sciences. More than 1,000 students applied for the awards, which provide up to $7,500 annually to support continued academic study. All three 2003 MSU honorees maintain perfect 4.0 grade-point averages and plan to pursue careers in research. In the past five years, Mississippi State has produced six Goldwater Scholars.

Four high school students from Mississippi and two from Alabama are the newest selections for Mississippi State’s top scholarships. Five will be Presidential Endowed Scholars; the other, an Ottilie Schillig Leadership Scholar. All are ranked at the top of their respective senior classes. The Presidential Scholars include Adrienne Bottom of New Hope, Grant Chandler of Athens, Ala., Kristina Moore of Biloxi, Jennifer Rupinski of Homewood, Ala., and Mandy Wallace of Jackson. Alex McIntosh of Brandon is this year’s Schillig Scholar, a family honor now being shared with his sister Kate, a senior communication major. Each scholar receives a total of $34,000, which is approximately the cost of

tuition and fees, room and board, and books for four years of study.

Investiture set for Sept. 5 Mississippi State alumni and friends are cordially invited to the investiture of President J. Charles Lee on Sept. 5. The 1 p.m. ceremony will be held in Humphrey Coliseum. The public also is invited to the 125th Anniversary Gala Ball, which will take place at 8 p.m. in the coliseum. Black tie is optional for both events. Lee was named the university’s 17th president in January, having served in an interim capacity throughout 2002. Prior to that, he had been MSU’s vice president for agriculture, forestry, and veterinary medicine since 1999. He also served as dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences beginning July 2002, and from 1978-83, he was dean of the School of Forest Resources and associate director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

Researchers helping develop plan to combat terrorism Bottom

Chandler

Moore

Rupinski

Wallace

McIntosh

Researchers at Mississippi State are working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to develop a computer-friendly guide aimed at protecting U.S. military installations around the globe from increasing terror threats. The Joint Anti-Terrorism/ Force Protection task force is working with the SENTEL

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CAMPUS News Corp. and MSU’s Center for Educational and Training Technology to produce an antiterrorism program management guide for use by all five military service branches. Col. Jerry Love of the Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Vicksburg is JAT director. Created in 1996 and led by Dan Brook and Richard Koshel, the Center for Educational and Training Technology develops innovative software tools through an interdisciplinary approach involving a wide cross section of students and faculty. “We face an enemy that is difficult to define,” said Love.

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“Our intelligence is imperfect and we are required to make estimates and assess risks in the planning process. The JAT Guide is an integrated decision-making process to help the commander and his AT staff focus scarce resources in a programmatic approach to continuously provide a successful installation defense against terrorist attack.”

Former Rankin extension agent honored through scholarship Family and friends of the late Robert S. Barker are establishing a scholarship endowment in his memory.

The endowment honors the Copiah County native who served for nearly three decades as a Mississippi State Extension Service agent in Rankin County. Barker died in May of 2002. The fund will support a scholarship for any major in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, one of the university’s two oldest academic units. The Robert S. Barker Fund in the MSU Foundation may be increased through additional contributions. For more information, telephone the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at (662) 325-8112.

Two professors named to endowed positions in engineering Two faculty members—one with research interests that

include both the automotive industry and war on terrorism—are being named to endowed professorships in the university’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. Mark F. Horstemeyer Horstemeyer of mechanical engineering, nationally recognized for his work on multi-scale material modeling, now holds the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Chair Zappi in Computational Solid Mechanics. While much

of his previous work at Sandia National Laboratories in California is classified, some of it dealt with the war against terrorism and U.S. attacks on enemy forces hiding in the caves of Afghanistan. Mark E. Zappi, who has generated a total of more than $9 million research funds while at MSU, will be the new Texas Olefins Professor in the college’s Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering. He currently directs both the MSU Environmental Technology Research and Applications (ETech) Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energysupported Mississippi University Research Consortium for the Utilization of Biomass. Established in 2001, the Texas Olefins Professorship is named for the Houston-area company founded in 1968 by Swalm, a 1955 MSU chemical engineering graduate and one of the university’s major benefactors.

MSU again advances in national research rankings Mississippi State continues to climb the ranks of the nation’s top research universities. According to statistics newly released by the National Science Foundation, the university rose from 84th to 82nd among American universities, both public and private, in total research and development expenditures for fiscal year 2001. MSU also is up from 34th to 32nd in engineering research expenditures and remains at No. 5 for agricultural sciences research. Among public universities, MSU retains its 57th ranking on the basis of FY 2001 expenditures of $146.9

million, up from $132.5 million during the previous year. Those figures are among the wealth of data included in the NSF publication “Academic Research and Development Expenditures: Fiscal Year 2001.” The full report is available at www.nsf.gov/sbe/srs/ nsf03316/htmstart.htm.

Campus News Looking for Energy

Mississippi State University researchers John Plodinec and Kristina Umfress are helping the state s Band of Choctaws determine if mixtures of chicken litter and sawdust can be turned into an alternative energy source while helping the environment. Plodinec is director of the university s Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory and Umfress, of Fulton, a 2002 graduate of MSU s chemical engineering program, is a research associate for DIAL.

MSU students design, build, fly a winner An unmanned, radiocontrolled aircraft designed and built by Mississippi State students is landing a third consecutive top-10 finish in an international test of aerospace engineering skills. Headed by aerospace engineering majors Erin Wahlers of Gulfport and Viva Austin of Tylertown, the 23member university team finished No. 8 overall in recent annual competition sponsored by the Cessna Corp. and the U.S. Office of Naval Research. The rigorous challenge for student members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics pitted MSU against more than 30 other collegiate groups from throughout the United States, as well as from Canada, Italy and Turkey. In the timed-assembly category, MSU was No. 1, defeating all other teams hands down by having their entry ready for flight in just nine seconds.

Research may help Choctaws turn chicken litter into jobs Mississippi State scientists and the state’s Band of Choctaws are combining research and entrepreneurial skills to determine if mixtures of chicken litter and sawdust can be turned into reservation jobs while helping the environment. Responding to a U.S. Department of Energy initiative to develop energy sources on tribal lands, the university’s Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory is working with the Choctaws to test whether poultry litter and wood waste can become a source of

Seniors Viva Austin of Tylertown, left, and Erin Wahlers of Gulfport join faculty adviser Bryan L. Gassaway to display their radio-controlled aircraft.

electricity and/or commercial chemicals. Established in 1980, the MSU laboratory—referred to as DIAL—is a research unit in the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. “The tribe seeks to further diversify into technology-based industries that will provide higher-paying job opportunities for tribal members,” said John Hendrix, economic developer for the Mississippi Choctaws. “Using renewable resources to generate electricity makes sound environmental sense. This study will determine if it also makes economic sense.” The Choctaws now operate 25 separate business divisions in the United States and Mexico, and rank as the third largest private employer in Mississippi. Seven counties under study include Scott, Leake, Neshoba, Jones, Newton, Winston, and Kemper.

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CAMPUS News

MSU Writing-Thinking Institute director Sherry Swain, second from left, receives the 2003 Governor s Achievement Award from Gov. Ronnie Musgrove. Also pictured are institute staff leaders Linda Irby, left, and Kim Patterson. The university program serves as Mississippi s link to the National Writing Project, the only federally funded effort to improve the teaching of writing in American schools.

Web site earns kudos for College of Forest Resources A Web site introducing the academic resources of the College of Forest Resources is earning recognition from a national organization. The academic portion of university site www.cfr.msstate.edu recently received an Outstanding Electronic Publication Certificate of Merit from the National Academic Advising Association. Developed by College of Forest Resources student services coordinator Rachel L. Singleton and Web designer Karen A. Brasher, it was among four honored this year. The MSU Web site, which contains sections both for prospective and current students, earlier was honored with a Golden Triangle Advertising Federation citation of excellence. The academic sections provide entry to individual course Web sites, as well as frequently needed student forms. 30

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Gearhiser honored for contributions to MSU Ham Radio Club William P. Gearhiser has been an amateur radio operator for nearly 75 years and now, at the age of 92, many believe he may be the oldest active ham in Mississippi. Gearhiser, who earned bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering from Mississippi State in 1931 and 1932, Gearhiser respectively, received his federal amateur radio operator’s license during his freshman year on May 25, 1928. As the university’s superintendent of utilities for 15 years starting in 1960, he also was “keeper of the

chimes” for the Carillon Tower at the Chapel of Memories—a duty he performed for years after his 1975 retirement. The Starkville resident also was a faculty sponsor to the university’s W5YD Radio Club for more than 35 years, providing valuable leadership to amateur radio operators on campus. To honor that contribution, current members of the MSU amateur radio club recently designated their Simrall Hall meeting room as the W.P. Gearhiser Ham Radio Club Room during a special dedication ceremony at the site. Still active in the Starkville and campus radio clubs, Gearhiser said he checks the radio waves twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening.

Scientists work to stop crumbling walls of world landmark A group of Mississippi State scientists and engineers will join a U.S. effort to help the government of India stop industrial pollution from toppling the walls of the 17th century Taj Mahal. The university’s Diagnostic Instrumentation and Analysis Laboratory, known as DIAL, is part of a team that has been hired by the United States Agency for International Development to help arrest the deterioration of the white marble mausoleum, invariably listed as one of the world’s foremost wonders. The team is led by the Louis Berger Group, a New Jerseybased international engineering firm that has an office in the Indian capital of New Delhi. Located 200 kilometers south of New Delhi in the city of Agra, the Taj Mahal has been considered one of the world’s most beautiful architectural masterpieces since its

completion in 1648. Agra was the capital of Muslim emperors who ruled Northern India between the 16th and 19th centuries. “Unfortunately, the Taj Mahal’s white marble and jade facade is crumbling as a result of industrial pollution in the surrounding area,” said DIAL director John Plodinec. “The team will work with the Indian government and with industry in that area to reduce the pollution that is causing the deterioration.” Plodinec, who will coordinate the DIAL effort, said the project is expected to start Oct. 3 and could last as long as five years. He said the contract dollar amount is being negotiated.

Five engineering faculty recognized for achievements Five faculty members in Mississippi State’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering are being recognized for achievements at the university during the 200203 school year. Recently honored in campus ceremonies were: —Associate dean Robert P. Taylor, who received the Career Achievement Award; —Taylor and mechanical engineering professor B. Keith Hodge, the Outstanding Instructional Paper Award for their report titled “PipingSystems Solutions Using Mathcad”; —James E. Fowler Jr., associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, the Outstanding Research Paper Award for his study titled “Wavelet Transforms for Vector Fields Using Omnidirectionally Balanced Multiwavelets”; —J.W. Bruce, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, the

The 2003 Bagley College of Engineering Distinguished Fellows include front, from left, Carmelo Bianca Jr. of Huntsville, Ala.; W.B. Berry of Houston, Texas; and Beth C. Fleming of Vicksburg. Rear, from left, are Bradley D. Carter of Lexington, Ky.; Ron Brightwell of Albuquerque, N.M.; and Everette R. Ramage of Huntsville, Ala. C. Dorman Blaine of Knoxville, Tenn.; Paul R. Davis of Shreveport, La.; James W. Jones of Gainesville, Fla.; and Eugene H. Bishop of Clemson, S.C., are not pictured.

Outstanding Educator Award; and —Nicholas H. Younan, professor of electrical and computer engineering, the Outstanding Researcher Award.

Veterinary college gains reaccreditation At a time when animal health, safety and research are more crucial than ever to the welfare and security of the nation, the College of Veterinary Medicine has once again received national accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education. As one of only 27 accredited veterinary colleges in the country, MSU’s veterinary college met or exceeded all requirements of the AVMA. The accreditation allows MSU to award the veterinary medicine degree to students and indicates the college is providing high quality education and medical treatment. “Accreditation is something the college should expect, but it is also something to be proud of,” said Dr. Phillip Nelson,

associate dean and director of academic affairs at the college. The AVMA evaluates each veterinary college on its compliance with essential standards in 11 areas, including organization, finances, curriculum, and research programs. The accrediting body can re-evaluate a college in a shorter time period if the college demonstrates problems in some areas. Another evaluation of MSU’s veterinary college will not be necessary until 2007. “Receiving accreditation demonstrates that this college reached or even surpassed the standards in all the crucial areas,” said Dr. John Thomson, dean of the college. “The reaccreditation reflects the high caliber of the faculty, staff, and students, and support from Mississippi leadership.”

Deer pens to be dedicated to former university employee The Captive Deer Complex at MSU was renamed for Rusty Dawkins, its longtime head who died last year. Dawkins, a 40-year-old Starkville resident and Noxubee County native, had

Campus News served for 15 years as coordinator of the 11-acre animal care facility established nearly 30 years ago by the university’s department of wildlife and fisheries as part of its research program. During the 2003 session, the Mississippi Legislature passed a resolution commending the life of Dawkins and expressing sympathy for his death. Bruce Leopold, head of the department of wildlife and fisheries, said the dedication will honor Dawkins’ exemplary work as animal care facilities coordinator. In addition to his work at MSU, Dawkins was a 21-year veteran of the Starkville Fire Department, where he was battalion chief.

into inaccessible university classrooms. The inconvenience made an impression on Prisock but it obviously didn’t slow him down. Today, the lifelong cerebral palsy victim and married father of an active 7year-old son is the university’s disability services coordinator. Despite the challenges, the Starkville native persevered, eventually earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees at MSU and a doctorate from the University of Mississippi. He has worked at MSU since 1981 in Student Support Services as an advocate for others with disabilities. Prisock’s accomplishments recently were recognized with a special award presented during the state’s first Veteran staffer Celebration of receives special Achievement. honor for work with Sponsored jointly by disabled the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Donald L. Services and “Donnie” Prisock Mississippi Society remembers his first for Disabilities, the days as a Mississippi event honoring five State student in Mississippians was 1972. As the lone Prisock headlined by freshman in a Heather Mills McCartney, wife wheelchair, he often had to be of former Beatle Paul carried by helpful classmates McCartney.

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Athletic News

LaToya Thomas named a four-time Kodak All-American Mississippi State senior LaToya Thomas became only the sixth four-time honoree when the 2003 Division I women’s basketball Kodak All-America team was announced in It is a April. Thomas was the privilege to be first pick in the recognized Women’s National Basketball and a part of Association draft by such a talented the Cleveland Rockers. group of The Kodak/ women that WBCA AllAmerica Awards has achieved honor the 10 best women collegiate this honor. basketball players in Thomas the nation. Thomas joins Ann Meyers from UCLA (197578), Lynette Woodard from Kansas (197881), Cheryl Miller from Southern Cal (1983-86), Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee (1996-99), and Tamika Catchings of Tennessee (1998-01) as the only four-time honorees. Thomas is one of three players who represent the SEC this year, along with Chantelle Anderson of Vanderbilt and Kara Lawson of Tennessee. “It’s a great honor to be named a fourtime Kodak All-American,” said Thomas. “Not everyone gets that opportunity. It is a privilege to be recognized and a part of such a talented group of women that has achieved this honor.” In her first season at MSU, Thomas became only the eighth freshman in the 25year history of Kodak All-America honors to earn the award. Now after earning the honor her senior season, she has become just the sixth player in women’s basketball history to receive this honor for all four years of her career. In addition to being named a four-time Kodak All-American, Thomas was named

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to the All-America First Team by the Associated Press earlier in the year. The 6'2" Greenville native was named to the first team for the second straight year. She earned AP AllAmerica Second Team honors for her sophomore year performance. She capped off her final season at MSU by being named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and she also became only the second student in Mississippi State history to be named an SEC Athlete of the Year when she took the league’s female top spot. Baseball great Will Clark earned the SEC Male Athlete of the Year title in 1985.

Lady Bulldog senior LaToya Thomas, flanked by aunt Henrine Nichols and cousin Carl Nichols, waved to the crowd at her last game in Humphrey Coliseum. She registered her 44th career double-double, with 29 points and 13 rebounds. Playing before a crowd of 3,087, MSU defeated Georgia 76-71 in the team s final home game.

McMichael grabs NFCA first team All-American honors Junior Iyhia McMichael of Nacogdoches, Texas, became just the third player in the history of Mississippi State softball to garner National Fastpitch Coaches Association allAmerican honors when she was recognized at a May pre-NCAA Women’s College World Series banquet in Oklahoma City. McMichael, third player in university history to hit better than .400 in a single season, joined former Bulldog standouts Kellie Wilkerson (2000-01) and Keri McCallum (2000) on the list of first team all-Americans for the Bulldogs. “This is a tremendous honor for Iyhia, as well as Mississippi State,” said Bulldogs head coach Jay Miller. “Throughout the season, she has proven to be a clutch player for us and has paced us offensively. It is nice to see her get recognized with such a prestigious honor.” McMichael, who earned 2003 SEC Softball Athlete of the Year honors and

was named to the final 10 for the ASA/ USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, broke or tied 10 single game or single season records in 2003, three of which came in one game. In a 15-4 victory for the Bulldogs over Samford on Feb. 16, she hit 3-for-4 with seven RBI, including a grand slam and a school record-tying two triples. The outburst moved her atop MSU’s single game total base (10) and RBI (7) list. The only unanimous selection on the 2003 first team all-SEC squad, McMichael hit .403 this season to go along with 33 extra-base hits (18 HR), 63 RBI and 63 runs scored. She drew 38 walks and matched her own school record with 36 stolen bases in 37 attempts (.973), recording a .502 on-base percentage and a school record .801 slugging percentage. She currently is atop five career lists at Mississippi State and is on pace to shatter seven more career records by the end of her senior season in 2004.

Athletic News Curtis named assistant coach for MSU women s hoops Former Texas A&M assistant coach Steve Curtis came home to Mississippi State after five years away when women’s basketball head coach Sharon Fanning named him a Lady Bulldogs assistant coach. Curtis was a part of the Bulldog family as an assistant coach during the 1997-98 season. “Steve has been in the college game 15 years and during that time he has been a part of very successful programs both in and out of the state of Mississippi. We welcome him back,” said Fanning. Curtis’ primary responsibilities at MSU will include assisting with game and practice preparations, recruiting, camps, coaches clinics, and scheduling. A 15-year coaching veteran, Curtis was an assistant coach Curtis at Texas A&M for the 2002-03 season. He served as the top assistant for four years, 1998-2002, at Nebraska, reaching the NCAA Tournament twice and advancing to the semifinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament. The Gulfport native was an assistant coach at the University of Mississippi, 1991-97, before spending the 1997-98 season at Mississippi State as an assistant. After graduating from Mississippi in 1990, he served as the head coach at Clarke Junior College during the 1990-91 season. Overall, Curtis has been on the sidelines for eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including two Sweet 16 bids, while helping his teams to a 272-174 (.609) record. “I’m very excited to come back to Mississippi State,” said Curtis. “Obviously, they have done well in the past years and I look forward to improving and being a part of the future and competing for championships in the best conference in the country. I really enjoyed my time at Mississippi State before and feel very fortunate to come back home.”

Diamond Dawg second baseman Thomas Berkery applies the tag to a North Carolina Tarheel during NCAA first-round regional baseball action. MSU hosted post-season baseball competition for the 11th time since 1979 when Middle Tennessee, Missouri, and North Carolina traveled to Dudy Noble Field in late May. North Carolina won the tournament, advancing to super regional play.

Ambert earns All-America status for second time Mississippi State tennis player Romain Ambert has earned AllAmerican laurels for the second straight season. He was part of the 2003 All-America men’s tennis team named by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. He was named to the team for the second consecutive season in singles and is one of only nine MSU players ever to earn All-America honors more than once during a career. A native of Toulouse, France, Ambert finished tied for 20th nationally in the final ITA singles rankings, qualifying him for All-American status in 2003. The nation’s preseason No. 3 player in September, Ambert dropped from the rankings after missing the fall with an injury but worked his way back up the polls during the spring. He compiled a 15-8 overall record during the semester and was rated as high as No. 15 during the term while holding down MSU’s No. 1 position. Last season, Ambert became State’s 17th All-American after notching a very impressive 37-11 record, with those 37 wins the third-most ever in a single season at MSU. He ended the campaign ranked ninth in the country. A senior-to-be in 2004, Ambert has compiled career records of 79-30 in singles and 53-35 in doubles. He was named the ITA’s National Player to Watch in 2002 and earned two awards of distinction this season as the Southeast Region’s recipient of the Arthur Ashe Sportsmanship & Leadership Award and the Rafael Osuna Sportsmanship Award. He also is a three-time, first-team, AllSoutheastern Conference selection, the only Bulldog ever to earn first-team honors in each of his first three seasons.

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Athletic News McWilliams sets meet record; wins first national title Sophomore Tiffany McWilliams won Mississippi State’s first NCAA track individual title in the 1500-meter run, setting a new meet record on the final day of the 2003 NCAA Outdoor Championships in June in Sacramento, Calif. McWilliams crossed the finish line in 4:06.75, breaking the record set in 1990 by more than one and one-half seconds. She

topped her school record time by nearly four seconds. “She did the race plan exactly as we laid it out,” head coach Al Schmidt said. “She did what she trained for all year. Everything came to fruition for us today.” MSU’s women scored the most points in NCAA meet history and took home the second NCAA championship for the

Former MSU golfer Clay Homan is the new head coach of the men’s golf team. “The opportunity for me to come home and coach for my alma mater is very exciting and I couldn’t be more proud,” said Homan. “I intend to bring enthusiasm and a winning attitude to the golf program and Mississippi State University.” Homan returns to his alma mater after a four-year stint as the head coach for the Rice Owls in Houston, Texas, where he coached three individual tournament champions and three NCAA Academic AllAmerica honorees. He also coached 16 golfers to Western Athletic Conference AllAcademic accolades. While at Rice, Homan served as the director of the annual Rice Intercollegiate Golf Tournament. He also organized five fund-raising golf tournaments that collected more than $40,000 for the endowed scholarships at Rice. “We are excited about the opportunity of Clay Homan returning to Mississippi State,” MSU director of athletics Larry Templeton said. “His knowledge of the game of golf and his experience in coaching within the collegiate ranks were outstanding strengths. His involvement in the junior golf programs and golf circles within our state were an added plus as well.”

During his professional golf career, 1996-1999, he was a member of the Golden Bear Professional Golf Tour (1998-1999) and the Tommy Armour Professional Golf Tour (1995-1997). In 1999, he participated in the PGA Southern Farm Bureau Classic and the FedEx/St. Jude Classic in 1996. As a student, he qualified individually for the 1995 NCAA East Regional and was named the 1994 Kroger Intercollegiate champion. In 1994, he earned Mississippi Amateur medalist honors along with being a U.S. Amateur Match Play participant. Other college awards include being a member of the 1995 MSU golf team that was named a Southeastern Conference AllAcademic Team, a 1995 second-team AllSEC honoree, and a two-time team cocaptain. He also was named Most Valuable Player of the 1994-95 MSU team and was awarded the 1994 and 1995 Carroll and Francis Newsom Award. Homan earned a bachelor of business administration degree in 1995.

Clay Homan named men s head golf coach

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university in women’s athletics history. The doubles McWilliams team of Jackie Holden and Claire Pollard took home the 1989 NCAA championship trophy in women’s tennis. For MSU’s men, senior Kelvin Harris finished his collegiate career in eighth place in the 110-meter hurdles. The Natchez native clocked a time of 13.86 to earn his only All-American title. “In God’s word, he says that the race isn’t won by the swift but by those who endure,” Harris said. “Getting a point at nationals is a victory for me. All my hard work has paid off for myself and for Mississippi State. I hope this isn’t the end to my track career, but this is the best ending for me to my collegiate career.” His teammate senior Pierre Browne finished second in the 100-meter dash. He clocked in at 10.34, behind Mardy Scales of Middle Tennessee. The Toronto native took home his sixth All-American award in his career and second this year after winning the NCAA Indoor 60-meter title. Junior Marquis Davis, who advanced to the finals, false started and did not place. Davis, however, becomes a four-time AllAmerican, taking home the honor in the 200-meter dash. Sophomore LaChristopher Lewis ended his 2003 season ranking 10th in the 400meter dash semifinals. The Coldwater native ran a time of 45.86 and will be named an All-American for the first time.

Maholm named to ABCA All-South Region team Bulldog junior Paul Maholm was one of seven Southeastern Conference players named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-South Region first team this spring. Maholm, the eighth player selected overall and the first SEC athlete chosen in last week’s major league baseball draft, compiled a 9-2 record with a 2.76 earned run average. He registered a career-high 101 strikeouts in 107.2 innings.

Reception planned A reception for Bulldog football fans attending the Mississippi StateUniversity of Houston game is scheduled for Sept. 19. The one-hour get-together will begin at 6 p.m. at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo-Reliant Center. The event is sponsored by the MSU Alumni Association, Bulldog Club, and the MSU Foundation. Two ticket choices are available: to attend the MSU reception only, the cost is $10 per person; the reception, plus roundtrip bus transportation from the Doubletree Post Oak Hotel to the Reliant Center, is an additional $12 per person for a total of $22. A cash bar and beverages will be offered at the center. Parking at the Reliant Center is $7 per vehicle. The deadline to reserve a spot is Sept. 5. For more information, telephone Dianne Jackson, MSU Alumni Association, at 325-3444.

A tradition begins

Jason Livingston, a senior management major from Booneville, was among those officially receiving his class ring from President Charles Lee in recent campus ceremonies. The Alumni Association sponsored the event to commemorate an institutional ring first developed in 1935. The presentation ceremony will become an annual event.

ALUMNI News

Alumni Association names new officers

Recently elected to lead the Mississippi State University Alumni Association for 2003-04 are, from left, Gary A. Blair of Brookhaven, president; S. Keith Winfield of Starkville, first vice president; Joe L. Bryan of Yazoo City, second vice president; David W. Jones of Jackson, treasurer; and immediate past president E. Allen Maxwell Jr. of New Albany. The new officers assumed their duties July 1.

A 1981 agribusiness administration graduate and senior vice president of the Federal Land Bank Association of South Mississippi is the newly named national president of the MSU Alumni Association. Gary A. Blair of Brookhaven will serve during the next year in a leadership role for the more than 94,000 MSU alumni. He most recently served as national first vice president and has been a member of the board since 1995. Blair succeeds E. Allen Maxwell, a 1978 general business graduate and manager of The Peoples Insurance Agency, who now assumes the title of immediate past president. Other newly elected 2003-04 association leaders are: —S. Keith Winfield of Starkville, national first vice president. A 1970 accounting graduate and partner in the accounting firm of Watkins, Ward and Stafford, he has served on the association’s board of directors since 1993, most recently as national second vice president. —Joe L. Bryan of Yazoo City, national second vice president. A 1963 agricultural economics graduate, he is senior vice president of the Bank of Yazoo City. He has served since 1998 as Central 1 Region director. —David W. Jones of Jackson, national treasurer. A vice president and IS auditor manager for Trustmark National Bank, Jones is a 1981 accounting graduate and is serving his second year as treasurer. He was director of the Central Mississippi Chapter 1995-2001. Regional officers also recently elected include: —Tommy Bryan of West Point, North 3 Region director. He is a 1971 business management graduate. —C.M. “Bo” Reid, Central 2 Region director. He is a 1953 education graduate. —Joe Robison of Laurel, South 1 Region director. —John M. Shappley of Hattiesburg, Young Director-Southern Region. He is a 1997 finance and economics graduate. —David T. Cozart of Jackson, Tenn., out-of-state director. He is a 1986 biological engineering graduate. A Summer 2003

ALUMNI News Faculty Award winners announced

Five persons were recognized in April by the MSU Alumni Association at the 2003 Faculty Recognition Awards Program. They are, front from left, Melissa L. Moore of marketing for undergraduate (junior-senior) teaching; Richard M. Kaminski of wildlife and fisheries, graduate-level teaching; and John D. Byrd of the MSU Extension Service, service. Back, from left, Patrick Lestrade of physics and astronomy, undergraduate (freshmansophomore) teaching; and Bruce D. Leopold, wildlife and fisheries, research. The honors program, begun 38 years ago, recognizes significant contributions to the welfare of humankind and the stature of Mississippi State in the categories of classroom teaching, research, and service.

VOTUM 1/2 page black and white ad here

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Nominations sought for officers, board of directors Nominations for national officers and directors of the Alumni Association are being sought prior to elections scheduled for January 2004. The Nominating Committee will present a slate of names for election at the association’s annual business meeting during Leadership Conference weekend. The new officers’ terms will begin on July 1, 2004. No person is eligible to serve as director for more than two consecutive terms. The officer positions open for consideration include national president, national first vice president, and national second vice president. Positions on the national board open for consideration include North 2 Region Director: Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tippah, Tishomingo, and Union chapters; Central 1 Region Director: Bolivar, Holmes, Humphreys, Leflore-Carroll, Sharkey-Issaquena, Sunflower, Washington, and Yazoo chapters; South 3 Region Director: Southeast Mississippi (Forrest-LamarMarion-Perry), George-Greene, Hancock, Harrison-Stone, Jackson, and Pearl River chapters; Young Director–Northern Region: Alcorn, Calhoun, Chickasaw, Clay, Coahoma, DeSoto, Grenada-Montgomery, Itawamba, Lafayette, Lee, Lowndes, Marshall-Benton, Monroe, Oktibbeha, Panola, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Quitman, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tippah, Tishomingo, Tunica, Union, Webster, and Yalobusha chapters; and Out-of-State Director. A young director must be 32 years old or younger at the end of the term to which he or she is elected. No state shall have more than one out-of-state director. Current directors are from the states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Tennessee. All alumni are eligible to recommend names for consideration. Send the names to: Nominating Committee, MSU Alumni Association, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526. Recommendations must be received no later than Oct. 1, 2003.

ALUMNI News Finding old friends has never been easier! Keeping alumni connected is important to the MSU Alumni Association. That is why the association has launched a new, secure Online Community exclusively for Mississippi State alumni. Two features included in the community are an online Alumni Directory and ClassNotes. Similar to the printed directory, the online Alumni Directory is a powerful tool that allows registered community members a simple way to search for old friends either by name, geography, class year, and occupation. Or, depending on the users’ networking needs, a more advanced search feature is available. There is also a MyContacts feature that allows members to bookmark frequent contacts for easy access.

Registered members also can update their personal information and post information regarding births, engagements, marriages, moves, and career changes via the ClassNotes feature. Access to the Alumni Online Community is limited to only Mississippi State alumni who log on using a User ID and personal password. There are no fees or obligations associated with the community. To register, go to the alumni Web site at www.msubulldogs.msstate.edu, click on online directory, and follow the instructions to set up your password. The Alumni Online Community is an exclusive service that alumni can enjoy and find to be a valuable resource for everyday use.

Show your pride in MSU! Alumni and friends of Mississippi State can support the university and show their Bulldog pride at the same time by ordering an MSU license plate through their county license office. Proceeds from the sale of the MSU collegiate tags fund priority programs at the university. Promoted by the Mississippi State University Alumni Association P.O. Box AA Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526 662-325-7000 www.msubulldogs.msstate.edu

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ALUMNI News ALUMNI ASSOCIATION CALENDAR OF EVENTS AUGUST 30

MSU vs. Oregon; Alumni Association Pre-game Open House, Hunter Henry Center; begins 2 ½ hours prior to game.

SEPTEMBER 12

MSU reception at Tulane; 6 p.m., Renaissance Pere Marquette Hotel in downtown New Orleans. Contact Dianne Jackson at 662-325-3444 to make reservations.

MSU reception at Houston, Texas, 6 p.m. at Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo—Reliant Center. Contact Dianne Jackson at 662-325-3444 to make reservations.

19-21

MSU vs. Houston travel package. Make reservations today at 888-367-8781 or visit Web site at www.TotalSportsTravel.com.

MSU vs. LSU; Alumni Association pre-game open house, Hunter Henry Center; begins 2 ½ hours prior to game.

OCTOBER 1

Deadline for nominations for Alumni Association national officers and directors for term beginning July 1, 2004.

3-4

Famous Maroon Alumni Band 2003 reunion. For information, call Karen Hudson at 662-325-2284.

MSU vs. Vanderbilt; Alumni Association pre-game open house, Hunter Henry Center; begins 2 ½ hours prior to game.

Homecoming—MSU vs. Memphis; Alumni Association pre-game open house, Hunter Henry Center; begins 2 ½ hours prior to game.

MSU reception at Kentucky; 6 p.m., Hyatt Regency-Lexington. Contact Dianne Jackson at 662-325-3444 to make reservations.

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Alumni Association offers loan consolidation program The MSU Alumni Association has added a new service to benefit recent graduates and young alumni. The Alumni Loan Consolidation Program offers alumni the opportunity to consolidate their student loans, lock-in a fixed interest rate, and reduce monthly student loan payments. A majority of graduating students, alumni, and parents with outstanding student loans may be able to save thousands of dollars through this program. The Alumni Loan Consolidation Program is being offered to provide the “best-of-class” services for young alumni. Visit www.alcp.org and select Mississippi State from the menu or call toll-free 1-800-930-7535 for additional information and an application for this new alumni benefit.

GradMed provides coverage for alumni, new grads GradMed is the ideal choice for new graduates or alumni between jobs who need short-term major medical insurance coverage. It’s a premier service of the Mississippi State Alumni Association. After graduation, student health coverage and health insurance protection provided by parents’ policies end. And alumni between jobs may be without coverage. GradMed can cover you from 60 to 180 days—while you land that new job or wait for employee benefits to kick in. Subsequent policies may also be available for additional 60-180 day periods, if needed. Both accidents and illnesses are covered by GradMed. Pre-existing conditions are excluded. Rates are reasonable and coverage is immediate. Visit www.GradMed.com/msstate to apply online instantly or call 1-800-9221245 for information and an application.

Bardsley ties remain strong at Mississippi State from Mississippi State in 1950 and 1959, Charles E. Bardsley, who died in April, respectively. will be remembered for many things, Bardsley had a distinguished career in among them his musical talents and his the development of generosity to his alma mater. pesticides and related Bardsley shared a rich work with the U.S. history with Mississippi State Department of University. He and his wife Agriculture. He was Viola planned carefully to vice president of the strengthen their ties to the Agritec Co. in Houston, university through financial Texas, and was a support. They began their research manager with support in 1996 by establishing Mallinckrodt Chemical an annual scholarship in the Co. in St. Louis, Mo. College of Veterinary Medicine. He also taught and During Dr. Bardsley’s directed graduate lifetime, the couple continued research at Clemson to give generous outright gifts University and was a to their annual scholarship Bardsley research associate with fund. They also gave numerous American Can Co. in Neenah, Wis. He gift annuities and made a significant held two patents and authored 48 scientific bequest to the university. Proceeds from articles and book chapters. these deferred gifts will An accomplished trumpet establish an endowed Dr. Bardsley player, he wrote and scholarship in veterinary arranged music for a number medicine. and his wife of bands, including MSU’s “Dr. Bardsley and his wife Famous Maroon Band. shared an appreciation for the shared an While at Mississippi State, importance of education and appreciation for he was a friend of band science for the betterment of our society,” said John the importance director W. Thomas West and maintained an interest in Thomson, dean of the College of education music. He was author of a of Veterinary Medicine. Thomson said the CVM and science for band march entitled “Mr. Ben,” named for then scholarship fund will sustain the betterment university president Ben F. their legacy at the university. Another of his “The students receiving the of our society. Hilbun. contributions was “The benefits from their generosity Stephen D. Lee March” will address the health and John Thomson named in honor of MSU’s well being of animals and dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine first president. associated human and For his musical environmental health issues accomplishments, Bardsley through modern veterinary was elected to the Hall of medical science,” he said. Fame for the Mississippi A native of Newport, R.I., Coast Jazz Society in 1991. Bardsley was retired from the Following his retirement, he and his wife Army Air Corps after serving in World War resided in Ocean Springs. II. He received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Rhode Island in 1948 and a master’s and doctorate

PHILANthropy The gift annuity program at Mississippi State A charitable gift annuity is a contract between a donor and the Mississippi State University Foundation. In return for a charitable gift of $10,000 or more, the Foundation will provide the donor and/or another beneficiary a guaranteed fixed income for life or for a specific period of time. The gift may be in the form of cash or other property, such as appreciated stock. There are no fees or other costs in establishing a gift annuity. In addition to receiving fixed payments, benefits to donors also may include: • Partial tax-free payments. • A charitable deduction that will help reduce income taxes. • The ability to support Mississippi State at the end of the annuity contract, with no probate, delay, or additional expenses. Current payout rates can be as high as 11.5 percent. For more information on how a gift annuity might meet your estate planning needs, please contact: Vance Bristow Director of Planned Giving MSU Foundation P.O. Box 6149 Mississippi State, MS 39762 662-325-3707 877-677-8283 vbristow@foundation.msstate.edu or visit us at www.msufoundation.com

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Handing out good advice is nothing new for Sylvia Byrd Sylvia Byrd takes her role as an academic adviser very seriously. She strives to be more than a signature on a form for her students; she is a counselor, a mentor, and a friend. For her work helping students schedule their academic coursework and meet requirements necessary for graduation, Mississippi State recently honored Byrd with one of its highest accolades. She was named the outstanding adviser for 2003 and earned the right to compete with her peers for national recognition. Now, Byrd is receiving an Outstanding Advising Award from the National Academic Advising Association for faculty academic advising, making her part of an elite group. MSU faculty advisers have been included in NACADA’s top award categories for the past decade. Byrd joined the MSU faculty in 1994. She is assistant professor of human sciences and serves as dietetic internship/ graduate studies program director for the School of Human Sciences. She teaches

graduate level courses, advises students, and conducts and supervises research projects. “Sylvia Byrd demands excellence from her students and works hard to bring out the very best from them,” said Gary Jackson, associate professor and interim director of the School of Human Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Communication, Byrd believes, is a key element in advising. “I don’t think you know students until they know you care about what’s going on in their lives—I know their faces and I hear their concerns,” she said. Strong values made Byrd the kind of teacher and adviser she is today—one who is not afraid to give advice to students about more than just academics. Growing up on a farm in North Carolina provided Byrd with a strong sense of right and wrong. Her mother was a home economics teacher, her dad a farmer. She

credits her parents with instilling in her values and teaching her lessons about life. “I have always been interested in home economics, foods, and nutrition, I guess

Sylvia Byrd advises a group of dietetic interns.

it’s just in my genes,” Byrd said. “I was involved in 4-H growing up and in my national project I listed my goal in life was to become a college professor.” continued next page

Endowment sought for university s faculty advisers Gifted faculty advisers are essential to Mississippi State and its students. To ensure future recognition for these talented faculty members, the university is seeking to build a permanent endowment through private support. Currently, Mississippi State presents an annual award to recognize outstanding performance in academic advising—one of the most important responsibilities to a student by a faculty member. The amount of the award is typically $1,000 and is funded by the university. “To have an endowment that would fund such advising awards in perpetuity is to promote and achieve excellence in

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advising,” said George Rent, associate provost for academic affairs. “When we recognize a faculty member for an outstanding contribution, we establish a role model that others will follow,” Rent said. “The end result is that our students are better served because of the quality of the activity has been improved.” An endowment is made up of invested money donated by alumni and other supporters that is placed in a permanent fund. Some of its income is disbursed for the purpose designated by the donor. The remaining income goes back into the fund to ensure that the endowment always will

provide the same benefit as when it was first created. A gift of at least $100,000 could create an endowment to honor faculty advisers, according to Dennis Prescott, vice president for external affairs. Establishing such an endowment would allow Mississippi State to recognize several outstanding faculty advisers each year. For example, a $100,000 endowment would generate $4,000 in earnings. The overall winner could receive $2,500 and $1,000 and $500 could be awarded to the runners-up. For more information on creating an endowment to support academic advising awards, contact the MSU Foundation.

PHILANthropy Human Sciences for food and nutrition “When faculty think comprehenstudents. sively like Dr. Byrd, without forgetting Byrd’s educational background the importance of excellent academic includes degrees from Appalachian State advising, the university community University in North Carolina and the progresses,” Jackson said. University of North Carolina at Byrd often includes her students Greensboro, as well as a in activities with her family. doctorate in nutrition As a wife and mother of two Byrd consults with Brent Fountain, project coordinator from Mississippi State. I don t think children, she works hard to for the family nutrition program. She is a member of the maintain a balance in her you know Byrd continues to be an asset to the American Dietetic life, often struggling to divide MSU faculty, according to Jackson. She Association and the time between home and work. students until has successfully advised more than 100 Mississippi Dietetic “It is very important to me to they know you students through the dietetic internship Association and chaired be a good role model for program/graduate studies program in the the Council on Education students, both personally and care about School of Human Sciences. “This is a and Research 1998-1999. professionally,” Byrd said. “I try what s going on She served as Area 3 remarkable achievement considering the to show them how important time frame, rigorous course work, and coordinator for Dietetic family and career are to me and in their lives I national accreditation standards,” said Educators of how I fulfill my obligations to Jackson. know their faces Practitioners, a practice both.” During a recent site visit by the group of the American Besides the traditional and I hear their American Dietetic Association’s Dietetic Association, plaque, as top adviser Byrd Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics 2000-02. received a $1,000 check. She concerns. Education, the site team, according to promptly donated her Sylvia Byrd Jackson, indicated that Byrd’s work as “winnings” back to the School of program director was superior.

First scholarship awarded in memory of 9/11 alumnus Jennifer E. Jennings of Starkville is the first student to receive Mississippi State’s Jerry D. Dickerson Jr. Memorial Scholarship. The Mississippi Delta Community College graduate will enter the university in August as a junior psychology major. The $1,500 award is a memorial to the 1983 MSU alumnus and Durant native who was a casualty of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon. “In the days following 9/11, Mississippi State and the MSU

Foundation endowed a scholarship in the name of Lt. Col. Jerry Dickerson,” said foundation executive director Richard Armstrong. The scholarship “ensures that this and future generations will remember

and honor Lt. Col. Dickerson and the things for which he lived,” he added. For additional information about the Dickerson scholarship, telephone Amy Cagle of the MSU Foundation at (662) 325-1006.

Jennifer Jennings, left, MSU s first Jerry Dickerson Memorial Scholar, is congratulated by Dickerson s widow, Page, and President Charles Lee during the dedication ceremony for the Dickerson Flag Monument at the Hunter Henry Center.

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PHILANthropy A $2.5 million donation by Fred E. Carl Jr. of Greenwood will support increased small town design research and education at Mississippi State’s College of Architecture. Announced in early July, the major commitment to the university by the president of Viking Range Corp. and Viking Capital Ventures will endow the college’s Small Town Center, now renamed the Carl Small Town Center. Carl, a fourth-generation Leflore County entrepreneur and former MSU architecture student, long has been a major supporter of student scholarships, student recruiting efforts, and specific small town projects undertaken by the college. College Dean James West said the gift will ensure stable funding for operational, staffing, and materials needs of the center for years to come. “This endowment by Fred Carl and Viking Range Corp. to create the Carl Small Town Center will provide resources to expand the scope and depth of the center’s involvement and increase the number of communities we serve,” West said. The center has developed a national reputation for its assistance to rural Mississippi towns with various aesthetic and structural challenges. Established in 1979—six years after the state’s only university program in architecture itself was launched—the non-profit unit also utilizes its community projects as realworld teaching tools for architecture majors. “The Small Town Center always has believed in the value of good design to bring order and meaning to the built environment in support of a higher quality of life,” West said. “Fred Carl has embodied this philosophy in his business and his work and this gift is another example of his personal commitment to make it a reality in the small towns of Mississippi.”

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West said the center now will be equipped to engage more students and faculty in community assistance projects. “This focused engagement helps communities enhance their physical environments and create stable, safe and healthy towns that reveal their unique heritages and diverse values,” he added. College alumna Kimberly Brown said the center she directs has worked with or researched about 24 projects over the past year. Of that number, all have involved Mississippi towns and communities, she added. Among some recent efforts cited by Brown: a transit feasibility study for Starkville, a variety of architecture-related challenges in the Mississippi Delta town of Jonestown, and the design of Habitat for Humanity homes in Meridian and Starkville. “I join Dean West and everyone else in the College of Architecture in thanking Mr. Carl for his generous support,” Brown said. “These are exciting times for architecture research and education at Mississippi State, especially now that we have this endowment to be used to promote the role of architectural research in education in small town design.” Founded by Carl in 1987, Viking Range manufactures and markets professionalgrade kitchen appliances for the home. With headquarters on historic Cotton Row in downtown Greenwood, the company employees more than 1,000 in three Leflore County manufacturing facilities. The company also is constructing a research and development complex adjacent to the MSU campus that will serve as an engineering testing ground for new Viking products. West credited the Carl gift to the businessman’s personal experience with the center’s staff. In 2002, Viking provided a grant to investigate the potential for revitalizing the much-declined Cotton Row, a five-block area that fronts the

Photo by Lamb s Photography

Carl gift supports architecture center

Fred Carl Jr.

Yazoo River along Howard Street. This followed other projects in Greenwood, including a design by the Small Town Center for the redevelopment of the impoverished Baptist Town neighborhood. Recently, the company also renovated and reopened the Hotel Irving, another historic structure near Cotton Row. Now called The Alluvian, the dramatically modernized facility serves as an upscale residence for visiting Viking distributors from around the country, as well as a steady stream of Delta tourists. In addition to the College of Architecture, Carl serves on the MSU College of Business and Industry’s advisory board and MSU Foundation’s board of directors. He also is a board member of Trustmark National Bank, Mississippi Partnership for Economic Development, and Greenwood-Leflore County Economic Development Foundation. Carl was inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame in 2002.

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Jimmye S. Hillman of Tucson, Ariz., professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, Tucson, has been awarded an honorary degree, Doutor Honoris Causa, by the Federal University of Brazil for “forging and consolidating cooperative efforts . . . for an entire generation.”

Emmett Tynes (M.S. ’54) of Brandon is retired as a soil conservationist for the USDA Soil Conservation Service and from the real estate business.

Ernie Moore (M.B.A. ’63) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has won a gold medal in duplicate bridge in the South Florida Senior Games. He is a certified instructor and director of the Fort Lauderdale Bridge Club, which recently was named the No. 1 club in the U.S. and Canada by the American Contract Bridge League.

Hassell Franklin of Houston, president and CEO of Franklin Corp., has been inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame for his contributions to the growth, development, and impact of business in the state.

W.G. “Mickey” Holliman Jr. of Belden, president and CEO of Furniture Brands International in Tupelo, has been inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame for his contributions to the growth, development, and impact of business in the state.

Jim Corley of Lucedale, a retired mechanical engineer, has completed a stone sculpture of his grandmother, longtime Lucedale librarian Alma Lumpkin. The

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sculpture recently was dedicated by local officials and placed in front of the new George County Public Library.

H. Scott Williams Jr. of Lucedale, structural engineering manager and design engineer for Volkert & Associates in Mobile, Ala., received the 2002 Engineer of the Year award from the Mobile Area Council of Engineers.

Norman Robinson of Atlanta, Ga., has been elected treasurer of the board of directors of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association. He is senior director of live production for Goldkist Inc. in Atlanta.

Joseph V. Pace III (M.S. ’67) of Knoxville, Tenn., retired head of the Radiation Shielding Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, recently graduated summa cum laude from Roane State Community College, with a degree in physical therapy. He is working at Baptist Hospital West in Knoxville. Peavey Electronics Corp., whose founder and CEO is Hartley Peavey, recently won nine Music & Sound Retailers’ Music & Sound Awards at the Winter 2003 National Association of Music Merchants Exposition.

Calvin H. Gray (M.P.A. ’69) of Georgetown, Texas, is scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 405 in Georgetown. In the 16 years of his tenure, the troop has produced a remarkable 103 Eagle Scouts, representing about 30 percent of the troop’s membership during that time. Hal P. Staten of Oxford has retired from USDA Rural Development following 35 years of service, most recently as community development manager.

Patricia Gray of Galveston, Texas, state representative in the Texas House of Representatives, has received the American Medical Association’s Dr. Nathan Davis Award for Outstanding Government Service. It is the organization’s highest award for public officials. An outspoken health-care advocate, she was first elected to the House in 1992. The award was presented at a Washington, D.C., ceremony in February.

Linda C. Gray of Georgetown, Texas, is the chartered organization representative for Boy Scout Troop 405 in Georgetown. During the 16 years of her volunteer work with the troop, she and her scoutmaster husband have seen an impressive 103 of its members earn the designation of Eagle Scout.

Burton B. Hosch Jr. has been named division vice president for the Peoples Bank & Trust Co. He is a past national president of the MSU Alumni Association. John M. McCullouch of Jackson, president of BellSouth-Mississippi, has Hosch been appointed to the board of directors for the BellSouth Foundation. He also is chairman of the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mississippi. C.D. Pangallo (Ed.D. ’73) of Washington, D.C., has been promoted to managing director of continuing education for the American Institute of Architects. He previously was director of the AIA’s Center for Diversified Services. Karl H. Smith of Lucedale owns and races quarter horses, and recently his horse, Toy Dreams, won the Alabama Bred Futurity RG3 at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.

Elizabeth B. Barrett of Manhattan, Kan., associate professor of hotel, restaurant, institution management and dietetics at Kansas State University, has received the 2003 Commerce Bank Award

for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching. The award includes a $2,500 honorarium. Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn of Brentwood, Tenn., was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2002. She won the 7th District seat vacated by fellow Republican Rep. Ed Bryant. Blackburn had served four years as a state senator, and previously was film and music commissioner for the state of Tennessee. She is the owner of Market Strategies, a promotion, event management, and product marketing business. Ann Chadwick (M.S. ’76) of Alexandria, Va., retired executive director of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, has received that organization’s 2003 Distinguished Service Award.

Lee Hedegaard of Lucedale, general manager and CEO of Singing River Electric Power Assoc., has received the Boss of the Year award from the Greater George County Economic Development Foundation and Chamber of Commerce. He also received an award for his support of the George County High School ROTC program. Pat Pennington Jackson of Athens, Ala., executive director of the Hospice of Limestone County, has received the Athens/Limestone Chamber of Commerce Public Service Award.

James S. Pounds of Booneville, assistant district attorney in the 1st Judicial District, has received the Booneville Junior Auxiliary’s 2003 Outstanding Citizen award for his work as developer and coordinator of the Kids Town playground project in Booneville.

Ray C. Dillon has been named president and chief executive officer of Deltic Timber Corp., headquartered in El Dorado, Ark. He previously was executive vice president for Gaylord Container Corp.

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Dawn T. Jones of Hattiesburg, a certified public accountant, has been promoted to shareholder with the accounting firm of Nicholson & Co.

Jones

Samuel T. Nichols Jr. Of Arlington, Va., has been promoted to the rank of colonel in the United States Army. Rama N. Reddy of Little Rock, Ark., professor of systems engineering at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, has received the Ted and Virginia Bailey Faculty Excellence Award in Teaching.

Vess Johnson (M.S. ’86) of Austin, Texas, has been named president and CEO of Silicon Metrics Corp., a leader in the field of Internet provider characterization and modeling. Johnson previously was Silicon’s senior vice president of operations.

Danny Thomas of Jackson has been named vice president of finance and administration for KLLM Transport Services Inc. He previously was the firm’s director of planning and reporting.

Thomas

Wade P. Crabb of Jackson, Mo., has been promoted to branch operations manager with Ford Motor Credit Co. at its Cape Girardeau, Mo., office.

LeaAnn Cavin Knight has been named director of counseling and recruitment at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson.

Graeme Lockaby of Waverly, Ala., professor and acting associate dean for research in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences at Auburn University, has received the 2003 Science Research Award from the Environmental Law Institute’s Wetlands Program.

Beth C. Fleming (M.S. ’99) of Vicksburg, acting director of the Environmental Center for the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, has been named a Distinguished Fellow by MSU’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering.

Dean Burchfield (M.Ed. ’89) is chair of the Social Science Division at Itawamba Community College in Fulton and adjunct professor of history at Delta State University in Cleveland. Jerri Caveness Hines of Franklin, Mass., has written and released a book, They Called Him Coach, A Biography of Coach Gerald Caveness. The subject of the book was a member of the MSU basketball team 1953-54, and was an AllSEC selection both years.

Fleming

John D. Brady of Columbus, an attorney, has joined the law firm of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams in the firm’s Columbus office. Robert Pilgrim of Austin, Texas, a landscape architect, has joined TBG Partners, a landscape architecture and land planning firm Pilgrim based in Austin.

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Class News Alan K. Sudduth of Pascagoula has been appointed county administrator by the Jackson County Board of Supervisors. Bill Syed of Dallas, Texas, has been promoted to chairman and chief operating officer at Gillani Inc., a supplier of supply chain management software.

W.R. Lee Adams of Ridgeland, a certified public accountant, has been admitted as a member of the CPA firm of Haddox Reid Burkes & Calhoun in Jackson. Kevin Aeschliman is a registered nurse in the adult emergency department at University Medical Center in Jackson. He previously was an emergency room technician at the medical center. Phillip Woo has been promoted from attorney to counsel by Exxon Mobil Corp. He works at ExxonMobil Chemical Co. in Baytown, Texas.

James W. Cagle of Jackson has become a shareholder with Horne CPA Group. His specialty is performing audits of healthcare entities. Stacy W. Swafford of Brandon has joined Southern Pipe and Supply as a regional industrial waterworks representative.

Brian Anderson (M.S. ’98) of Mansfield, La., physical education teacher and baseball coach at Stanley High School, coached his baseball team to the 2002 state championship. That year, he was named District Coach of the Year, All-Area Coach of the Year, and All-State Coach of the Year. In 2003, he repeated as District and All-Area Coach of the Year and was chosen to coach the Louisiana all-star game.

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Sarah Mooney Tracy of Ridgeland, an environmental engineer for the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, has been named Young Engineer of the Year by the Mississippi Tracy Engineering Society. She recently served as president of the Jackson chapter of MES and is president of the Bio Engineering Advisory Board for the Bagley College of Engineering at MSU. Steven Verner of Nashville, Tenn., is employed with Gresham, Smith & Partners architects. Kenneth T. Wilson, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, has completed a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Arabian Gulf while assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

Becky Miller Verner of Nashville, Tenn., is employed with the Tennessee State Museum.

Kris Mallard has joined the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations-Defense as a professional staff member. She previously was a budget analyst for the Department of the Navy. Damon J. Williams has joined Union Planters Bank as assistant vice president and branch sales manager of the Madison office.

Pernille Christensen of Smyrna, Ga., a practicing intern architect with Niles Bolton Associates, has received the 2003 J. Neel Reid Prize from the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation. Christensen The $5,000 fellowship will fund her research trip to Venice, Italy,

this summer to study the work of renowned architectural writer John Ruskin. Lee A. Durrett of New Albany, an attorney, has joined the law firm of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams in the firm’s Tupelo office. Thomas Duane Gordon of Canton, communications and programs officer for the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson, has been named a Hull Fellow by the Southeastern Council on Foundations. The program recognizes and encourages emerging young leaders in philanthropy.

Cindi Rayburn Baddour of Hernando has joined Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals as a sales representative for northwest Mississippi. She recently received an M.B.A. degree from Belhaven College. Jacqueline DiCicco of Columbus, a consultant and owner of Skin Care Clinic, has received an Alumni Achievement Award from Mississippi University for Women.

Jennifer Edwards of Nashville, Tenn., created the stage and floral design for “A taste of Romance with Connye Florance,” a recent performance at Nashville’s Belcourt Theater. She previously coordinated concept and installation crews for Sandy Rose Set Designs of Los Angeles, Calif. Matthew Wilson has been accepted into the juris doctor program at Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va.

Say

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Mississippi State Alumnus is pleased to publish photos of our graduates in Class News, along with word of their accomplishments. To ensure that your photo submissions for Class News are usable, please provide us with studio-quality prints or electronic files in JPEG or TIFF format. Electronic submissions (via e-mail or CD) should be 300 dpi minimum and generated on PC-based equipment. We cannot use Macintosh files, laser prints, or photos clipped from newspapers, magazines, or other publications.

Class News

Barry Iseminger of Tuscaloosa, Ala., has joined Gulf States Paper Corp. as planer mill supervisor for the Wood Products Division at the Moundville, Ala., sawmill. Adrianne Johnson Iseminger has joined Rock-Tenn Co. in Eutaw, Ala., as controller. Sarah Wax Nicholas of Jackson is public relations and marketing associate for the Institutions of Higher Learning. Elizabeth Jones Williams (M.S. â&#x20AC;&#x2122;01) of Waco, Texas, has been named spirit coordinator at Baylor University. Suzanne Berry Williams of Florien, La., is an assistant extension agent, 4-H youth development and character education, for Louisiana State University. She is assigned to the DeSoto Parish Agriculture Center Extension office.

Joe Galbraith of Orlando, Fla., has been named assistant director of communications for Florida Citrus Sports. He will continue to serve as press box manager for the Mazda Tangerine Bowl and the Capital One Bowl.

Alyssa Boswell of Memphis, Tenn., has joined ALSAC/St. Jude Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Research Hospital as event marketing representative. Emily Carson has been accepted into the juris doctor program at the University of Alabama. Keith Gibson of Charlotte, Mich., is a broadcast meteorologist at KFYR-TV in Bismarck, N.D. KFYR-TV serves central and western North Dakota.

Gregor Scott Harris of Collinsville, Ill., lead forecaster for the 15th Operational Weather Squadron at Scott Air Force Base, has been promoted to science and technical operations officer. He also received Civilian of the Quarter honors. Isaac G. Holman of Nashville, Tenn., has joined Earl Swensson Associates architectural and design firm as an interior designer. Katherine J. Newbold, a seaman in the U.S. Navy, has completed Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

Chris Cox of Columbus has joined Avid Engineering of Palm Harbor, Fla., as a landscape architect.

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BIRTH Announcements Greta Ann Allen, April 23, 2003, to Randy Allen (’87) and Amy Arledge Allen (’92) of Olive Branch. Morgan and Brandon Anthony, April 22, 2003, to William Anthony (’95) and wife Kristin of Huntsville, Ala. William Pearson Barber, Dec. 16, 2002, to Chad Barber (’96) and Tonya Morgan Barber (’96) of Madison. Eden Jade Bedsaul, Aug. 30, 2002, to Douglas Bedsaul (’99) and wife Shannon of Starkville. Emma Grace and Cecila Lee Blackledge, Oct. 12, 2002, to Brett Blackledge (’92) and wife Elizabeth of Chattanooga, Tenn.

Catherine Anne Bourn, Jan. 29, 2003, to Kimberly Moody Bourn (’93) and Trey Bourn (’97) of Ridgeland. Matthew Joseph Cafiero Jr., March 24, 2003, to Mary Alice Guest Cafiero (’90) and husband Matthew of Dallas, Texas. Cory Davis Crabb, May 28, 2002, to Wade P. Crabb (’85) and wife Karen of Jackson, Mo. Tanner Michelle Fromm, March 20, 2003, to Michael Fromm (’88) and Kay Fromm (’89) of Madison. Margaret Shea Haggerty, Nov. 19, 2002, to Timothy S. Haggerty (’85) and wife Bernadette of Houston, Texas.

So, what s new?

John Connor Harrell, April 8, 2003, to John Ramey Harrell (’99) and wife Bridget of Carthage. Sydney Elaine and Madison Frances Horel, March 15, 2003, to Phillip Horel (’93) and wife Sara of Houston, Texas. Caleb Nikolas Knedlik, Feb. 28, 2002, to Bobbie Sanford Knedlik (’97) and Andrew Knedlik (’97) of Cullman, Ala. Charles Griffin Landrum, April 1, 2003, to Jim Landrum (’88) and LeAnne McGahey Landrum (’94) of Columbus. Isabel Elaine and Olivia Koury Leatherman, Jan. 28, 2003, to Bryan D. Leatherman (’93) and wife Sissy of Little Rock, Ark. Gillian Sophia May, March 28, 2003, to Jeffrey D. May (’98) and Gina Holmes May (’99) of Ocean Springs.

New degree? New job? New baby?

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ZIP

S Summer 2003

Ethan Thomas McGrath, Feb. 16, 2003, to Stephen McGrath (’90) and wife Jaime of Mexia, Texas. Brooke Elizabeth Molen, March 13, 2003, to Leigh Webster Molen (’95) and Greg Molen (’97) of Jackson. Ellen Kavanay Overstreet, July 18, 2002, to Kreg Overstreet (’97) and Emily Batson Overstreet (’97) of Wiggins. Savannah Leigh Phipps, Jan. 28, 2003, to Shannon Robertson Phipps (’96) and husband Steve of Milton, Fla. Leo W. Seal IV, February 7, 2003, to Leo W. Seal III (’00) and Farrah Jaudon Seal (’00) of Bay St. Louis. Clayton Paul Sheffield, Dec. 20, 2002, to Tony Sheffield (’96) and wife Nicki of Grenada. Jack Douglas Sledge, Jan. 24, 2003, to Carlton Sledge (’92) and wife Angie of Petal. Denton Harper Smith, Feb. 27, 2003, to Natalie Moses Smith (’92) and husband Chuck of Jackson. Morgan Claire Smith, Nov. 22, 2002, to Gil Smith (’94) and Kendall Harrison Smith (’95, M.S. ’00) of Vicksburg. Samuel Colton Smith, May 12, 2003, to Hugh C. Smith V (’97) and wife Emily. Noah Lee Stansbury, April 26, 2002, to Meo Mellen Stansbury (’92) and husband Rick of Starkville. Thomas Henry Tucker, June 11, 2002, to Shannon Belk Tucker (’91) and Thomas C. Tucker (’92) of Starkville. Preston James Turner, May 26, 2003, to Joe M. Turner (’92) and Rosemary Speakman Turner (’95) of Tucker, Ga. Riley Elizabeth Verner, March 14, 2003, to Steven Verner (’93) and Becky Miller Verner (’94) of Nashville, Tenn. Catherine Grace White, Sept. 4, 2002, to Allen White (’86) and Tracy Byrd White (’89, ’92) of Austin, Texas. Jeremy Allen Willoughby, Oct. 23, 2002, to Lynda Palmertree Willoughby (’93) and Paul Allen Willoughby (’94) of Charlotte, N.C. Kayla Marshall Young, Sept. 10, 2002, to Camille Scales Young (’94, M.S. ’96) and husband Keith of Madison.

IN Memoriam Harry Charles Fleming Simrall dean emeritus of engineering

Harry Charles Fleming Simrall (’34, ’35) of Starkville, longtime faculty member and dean of engineering at Mississippi State, died April 12, 2003. He was 90. A Memphis, Tenn., native, he received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at Mississippi State in 1934 and 1935, respectively. After receiving a master’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Illinois in 1939, he worked for Westinghouse Electrical Corp. Simrall served in numerous capacities at Mississippi State, beginning as a part-time instructor in 1934, followed by advancements as assistant, associate, and full professor and head of the Department of Electrical Engineering. In 1957, he became dean of the College of Engineering. The Simrall Electrical and Computer Engineering Building at MSU was dedicated in his honor upon his retirement in 1978.

Jesse Edward Harmond (’32)—96, Corvallis, Ore.; retired engineer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Seed Harvesting and Processing Lab at Oregon State University, March 30, 2003. George W. Howard (’32)—90, Tucson, Ariz.; retired director of the Engineering Experiment Station, University of ArizonaTucson, former technical director of the Engineer Research and Development Laboratories, and World War II veteran, Feb. 24, 2002. Levi Dempsey (’35)—93, Starkville; retired petroleum products engineer for the Petroleum Products Laboratory at MSU, May 27, 2003. James U. Blanchard Jr. (’37)— Metairie, La.; retired vice president for Chicago Bridge and Iron Co., Dec. 27, 2002. John Murrah Lovorn (’37)—87, Canton; retired director of the Rural Areas Development Program for Framers Home Administration, consultant, civic volunteer, and World War II veteran, March 6, 2003. John Henry Mize (’38)—87, Booneville; retail business owner, April 20, 2003. Ethan A. Porter (’39)—85, Pattison; farmer, former president of the Mississippi Cattlemen’s Association, and World War II veteran, May 28, 2003.

Elmo Fondren McClain (’40)—87, Miami Lakes, Fla.; retired manager for Hertz Auto Rental and World War II veteran, Feb. 18, 2003. Joseph Frank Poole Sr. (’41)—86, DeKalb; retired civil service worker in Okinawa, Japan, Dec. 27, 2002. Alonzo L. Benton Jr. (’43)—79, Brandon; retired vice president of human resources for Jitney Jungle and World War II veteran, Feb. 28, 2003. Joel Davis Branscome (’47)—80, Grenada; retired owner and operator of Glenwild Livestock Exchange and World War II veteran, May 17, 2003. Joseph William Havard (’47)—81, Lucedale; grocery and cattle farm operator and World War II veteran, May 7, 2003. Robert C. Brent (’48)—79, Crystal Springs; retired owner of Brent Insurance Agency and World War II veteran, Feb. 19, 2003. Tabor Andrews McDowell Jr. (’48)— 78, Inverness; retired bank president, former Inverness alderman, and World War II veteran, March 29, 2003. John E. Stafford (’48)—83, Vicksburg; retired attorney for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and World War II veteran, Feb. 13, 2003. Thomas M. Tann (’48)—80, Terry; retired accountant and attorney and World War II veteran, March 23, 2003.

A Summer 2003

IN Memoriam James Caroll Parker (’49)—80, Gainesville, Fla.; retired professor of engineering and director of Biomedical Engineering Services at the University of Florida, Dec. 8, 2002. Roy Norris Martin (’50)—76, Wiggins; former sales representative for Southern Pipe & Supply Co., plumbing service owner, and Korean War veteran, May 21, 2003. Howard M. Raspilair (’50)—76, Guntersville, Ala.; retired from civil service with Redstone Arsenal, U.S. Army Missile Command, Feb. 9, 2003. Kenneth L. Frantz (’52)—76, Harrisonburg, Va.; retired general manager of the Harrisonburg Electric Commission and World War II veteran, Aug. 21, 2001. Grover C. Harned Jr. (’52)—73, Durango, Colo.; retired founder and CEO of MCI Electronics, March 13, 2003. Wesley O. Harvey (’52)—Tylertown; retired farmer, April 2003. Gene Douglas (’53)—72, Starkville; former plant science researcher and professor at the University of Georgia and Mississippi State and former head of research and seed development for Hollandale Ag Services, April 20, 2003. Burton Ralph McMillan (’54)—95, McVille Community; former state senator from Leake County, 1940-48, former schoolteacher, and World War II veteran, March 19, 2003. Robert Ray Smith (’54)—70, Jackson; neurosurgeon at St. Dominic’s Hospital and professor emeritus and former chairman of the Department of Surgery at University of Mississippi Medical School, May 8, 2003. James M. Magee Jr. (’56)—72, Florence ; retired electrical engineer and Korean War veteran, March 16, 2003. Jess Winfield Williams (’56)—71, Friendswood, Texas; certified public accountant, Feb. 11, 2003. Charles Edward Bardsley (’59)—81, Ocean Springs; former USDA soil scientist, director of graduate research at Clemson University, corporate executive, musician, and World War II veteran, April 7, 2003.

S Summer 2003

Lillie Laverne Carson Doty (’60)—64, Starkville; schoolteacher and Girl Scout troop leader, Feb. 19, 2003. George S. Reese Jr. (’61, M.A. ’72)— 68, Hollandale; minister at Hollandale United Methodist Church, May 14, 2003. Richard L. Farlee (’66)—61, Jackson; claims manager for EMC Insurance Cos., March 20, 2003. Travis Lamar Jennings (’66)— Shawnee, Kan.; retired federal employee, April 12, 2002. John Barton McGee (’66)—61, Laurel; retired petroleum geologist, Feb. 17, 2003. Dorothy Carpenter Curan (’70)—65, Sturgis; retired librarian for Starkville Public Schools, May 16, 2003. William Thomas Baggett (’72)— Fredericksburg, Va.; retired major in the U.S. Army, Feb. 3, 2003. Frank M. Sessums (’72)—53, Green Cove Springs, Fla.; regional manager for Watkins Motor Lines, April 15, 2003. Larry Oliver Trotter (’75)—49, Madison; agricultural chemical sales employee of Southern States, May 14, 2003. Richard Babb Griffin (’76)—48, Greenville; veterinarian and owner of Allen and Griffin Animal Hospital, May 7, 2003. Marla Wray Hood (’80)—44, Eupora; mathematics teacher at Eupora High School, March 7, 2003. Jean Blue Taylor (’81)—61, Starkville; piano teacher, April 6, 2003. Frances Egger Watson (’83)—64, Jackson; schoolteacher, educational consultant, and business executive, March 18, 2003. Robert G. Spell (’93)—40, Glendora; master of foxhounds and huntsman for the Whitworth Hounds, Feb. 26, 2003.

Ben Lewis Gilbert (attended)—54, McComb; jewelry store owner and real estate broker, April 12, 2003. Pat H. Shivers (attended)—82, New Hebron; former mayor of New Hebron and retired owner of Seay Appliances, Feb. 14, 2003.

Courtney L. Hubert (student)—19, Vicksburg; freshman at Mississippi State, starting goalkeeper on the MSU soccer team, and 2002 Gatorade girls soccer Player of the Year for Mississippi, May 13, 2003. Janet Arndt Batchelder (employee)— 62, Starkville; recruiting and scholarship assistant for the Bagley College of Engineering, May 5, 2003. Lois Kaufman (former employee)— 90, Starkville; retired teacher of music appreciation and theory at MSU and former piano teacher at Maben High School, March 2003. M.W. Myers (former employee)—89, Starkville; former professor of geography at Mississippi State, May 3, 2003. Vincent Paul Correro (friend)—88, Greenwood; retired sales representative for Carnaggio Distributing Co., March 29, 2003. Birney Imes Jr. (friend)—88, Columbus; publisher and owner of The Commercial Dispatch in Columbus and broadcasting executive, March 12, 2003. Ruben Earl Morgan (friend)—63, Starkville; retired merchant and coordinator of the drug treatment program for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Feb. 23, 2003. Alan Tempel Riekhof (friend)—60, Starkville; April 27, 2003.