Mississippi State Alumnus Summer 2007 by MSSTATE

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Mississippi State Summer 2007 | Volume 83 | Number 2 USPS 354-520 One State. One Team.

President Robert H.“Doc” Foglesong

Alumni Association Executive Director and Associate Vice President, Development and Alumni Jimmy W. Abraham (’75, ’77)

Vice President for Development and Alumni John P. Rush (’94, ’02)

Mississippi State Alumnus is published three times a year by the Office of University Relations and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association at Mississippi State, Miss. Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526; telephone 662-325-7000; or e-mail fcarr@advservices.msstate.edu. Editorial offices: 102 George Hall, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325. Telephone 662-325-3442 Fax, 662-325-7455 E-mail, snowa@ur.msstate.edu Www.msstate.edu

Editor Allen Snow (’76)

Associate Editor

features No shortcuts | page 2 Dr. Katrina Poe’s hard work paid off when she was named the national 2005 Country Doctor of the Year. The town of Kilmichael’s only doctor says the experience was truly humbling, but the most rewarding part of her job is working with her patients on a daily basis.

Old Main Plaza to transform central campus | page 6 When the Old Main Plaza is completed between Colvard Student Union, Perry Cafeteria and McCool and Montgomery halls, it will commemorate a campus landmark at the same time it makes central campus more pedestrian friendly and attractive to today's students.

Inaugural ragtime music festival a huge hit | page 8 Music was in the air in March as pianists from across the country—and beyond— assembled at Mississippi State for the inaugural Charles Templeton Ragtime Music Festival.

Planting technique spells salvation for Deer Island | page 10 Two MSU professors hope to use a new technique they developed on parts of Biloxi’s beach to stop vegetation loss on Deer Island, which in turn should halt erosion and even help the island expand.

Historic points of interest at MSU | page 12 In 2006, as Mississippi State anticipated opening the Welcome Center at the new Cullis Wade Depot, two retired university administrators who were MSU alumni were asked to develop a guide of historic buildings on the Starkville campus.

The right place at the right time | page 16 When Richard Gilbrech was 7 years old, he watched in fascination as Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. Today, as director of the Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, he’s helping others achieve their exploration dreams.

Kay Fike Jones

Designers Becky Smith Mary Howell (’93)

Photographers Russ Houston (’85) Megan Bean

Mississippi State University Alumni Association National Officers David W. Jones (’81), national president Andrew D. Hunt (’70), national first vice president Charles Cascio (’79), national second vice president S. Keith Winfield (’70), national treasurer Betty Latimer Black (’74), immediate past president

Campus news 21 | Alumni news 30 Foundation news 37 | Class news 45 | In memoriam 47

On the cover: Dr. Katrina Poe ('92) of Kilmichael, the town's only physician, was named the national 2005 Country Doctor of the Year. Photo by Megan Bean.

No shortcuts

Katrina Poe

“I truly feel that I was meant to be here at this particular time. And I feel like that’s a calling from God.” -Poe 2

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By Erika Celeste The people of Kilmichael may very well have a math professor to thank for their health.

Freshman bravado When Katrina Poe first arrived in Agathea Misiano’s freshman algebra class at MSU in the fall of 1988, she was confident that she would ace the course. So confident, that she didn’t pay attention to one of her professor’s first lectures in which she told the class not to take shortcuts when solving their equations. To Katrina’s great surprise, she got a “B” on her first test. Horrified, she went to the instructor to point out what just had to be an error in grading. “She told me, ‘Katrina you’re a very good student, but when things come easy, you tend not to pay attention to detail and some important things may fall by the wayside.’ She pointed out that I had taken a shortcut in solving the problems—something she had forbidden in her class. But, she gave me that one-on-one attention, and did it in such a nice way that it didn’t make me feel little.”

A strong foundation That lesson has been the foundation on which Poe has built her career as a family physician and chief of staff at Kilmichael Hospital. It also has helped her relate to her patients in a much more human way.

“They expect me to come in and say, ‘Hey, sweetie, how are you doing?’ You know, the hugs, the pats. They expect that from me. Usually, if I don’t do that, if I’m really busy, if I have an emergency, they think that there’s something wrong.” Being a country doctor isn’t the easiest path someone with Katrina Poe’s education could take. But she’s never been the type to take a shortcut to happiness either. Growing up in Kilmichael, she always knew she wanted to be a physician—which could have created a great dilemma for her, because she also wanted to follow in the steps of a beloved aunt. “She was a graduate of Mississippi State, and I knew from the start that that’s where I was going to college, as well.” To prepare for medical school, Poe majored in biological sciences. Along the way, she met another brilliant young student, Calvin Johnson, who was interested in medical administration. The two began dating. The romance blossomed as the years flew by, and all too soon, she graduated. From there,

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No shortcuts

“I hope that when my patients come and see me, they take away from that visit that, ‘Hey, she really listens, and she really cares about what’s going on with me.’”

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she went straight to medical school in Jackson. After 11 years of courtship, she and Calvin married.

A new doctor in town Upon returning to Kilmichael, life was not quite as she remembered it. Even though years had passed, and she was an adult with a medical degree, in many ways, time stood still in the small town of 900. Folks still remembered her as a little girl in pigtails, and had trouble taking her seriously as a doctor. The only other doctor at the hospital, L.C. Henson, had delivered her years earlier. She took comfort in the fact that she would be working alongside him for a year before he retired. But within a month, plans changed and she was left to fend for herself. Though she was a bit nervous to have so many people depending on her, she stood tall and reminded herself “no shortcuts.” “Of course, a lot of people would tell me in the beginning, ‘Well Dr. Henson didn’t do it that way; Dr. Henson would give me this.’ But, with time, people adjusted to my style of practice and it’s been very rewarding.” Since then, life at Kilmichael Hospital has fallen into routine. Katrina is up every morning between 4 and 5. She takes her younger son to her mom’s and is at the office by 6 to work on leftover charts and dictations. By 7, she’s making rounds in the 19-bed hospital, and by 8, she’s at the clinic to see patients. On good days, she’s able to have lunch with Calvin, who happens to be the hospital administrator. Then, it’s back to the patients at the clinic. Before returning home for the evening, she makes another set of rounds, ending the workday around 9 p.m. Of course, she’s still on call evenings and most weekends. “Everybody looks at it and they ask me, ‘How are you able to do that?’ I think the main thing is I truly feel that this is what I was meant

Poe enjoys spending quality time with her younger son James, whose nickname is “Deuce.” Her older son is C.J.

to do. I feel that I was meant to be here at this particular time. And I feel like that’s a calling from God. So I feel that God is the one who gives me that strength to do those day-to-day activities.” She also has a wonderful support system. Her parents often watch her two boys, 4 years and 18 months, and her husband gets to see what she does every day, which she believes makes him more understanding.

Mommy’s helper She’s learned to treasure the stolen moments with her children, yet her oldest, C.J., has a way of alerting all those around him to just who his mommy is. “He tells everybody that his mommy’s a doctor. If anybody is sick, even in the stores, he tells them, ‘You need to go see my mommy.’” She often takes him on rounds with her, wearing his own scrubs and carrying his own medical bag. So, she thinks he may someday develop an interest in medicine, as well. “If that’s truly what he wants to do, I would be excited about it. I would encourage him. But if he decided that he wants to do something else, I wouldn’t be disappointed.”

Poe and office manager Linda Turner take a scrapbook break between patients at the clinic.

The country doctor All Dr. Katrina Poe’s hard work recently paid off when she was named 2005 Country Doctor of the Year, a national award, for which she beat out a physician from Virginia who’d been practicing for 60 years. Though she says the experience was truly humbling, the most rewarding part of her job is working with her patients on a daily basis. “Well, I hope that my patients come and see me and we spend time together, even though they have a problem, I hope that they take away from that visit that, ‘Hey, she really listens, she really cares about what’s going on with me. She’s not just going to write me a prescription for my medical illness.’ I hope that they take away from the visit that

I’m somebody who truly cares.” And that’s something she wouldn’t trade for the world. “I love my job. In fact, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.” She may not have been able to do it so well without that one important lesson long ago from Professor Agathea Misiano. So, when the spring of Katrina Poe’s freshman year rolled around and she was honored at a banquet with an award from the dean’s office, she didn’t take any shortcuts to offering thanks. Instead, she took Misiano as her honored guest.

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Old Main Plaza

to transform central campus

The planned Old Main Plaza will fill the central campus footprint of famed Old Main Dormitory.

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By Kay Fike Jones Before it burned in 1959, Old Main was most likely the largest dormitory under one roof in the entire U.S., housing more than 1,000 students. When the Old Main Plaza is completed, it will commemorate a campus landmark at the same time it makes central campus more pedestrian friendly and attractive to today’s students. Drawing from elements of the original facility, the pedestrian corridor will be developed between the newly renovated Colvard Student Union, Perry Cafeteria and McCool and Montgomery halls. During its 40-year lifespan, Old Main covered the site now occupied by McCool and the union. “We are building this in phases,” explained university architect Michael T. “Tim” Muzzi. “There is so much infrastructure and so much coordination needed that it could be constructed in 10 different phases.” Old Main Plaza, part of the Old Main District of central campus, will feature: • Replica arches that duplicate those of Old Main. The new arches will be constructed at the approximate site of the originals. They will create a visual “axis” between the Drill Field’s bust of Stephen D. Lee and the arched entrance doors of the cafeteria. A shuttle bus turnaround will be located at each end of the axis. • A 30-foot pedestrian corridor will link surrounding buildings. • Lee Boulevard north of Colvard Student Union and Perry Cafeteria, which was gated last year to remove normal vehicular traffic, will become a pedestrian walkway that creates space for outdoor gatherings.

• Tracy Drive, between Lloyd-Ricks and Perry Cafeteria, as well as Walker Drive south of Hull Hall and the Chapel of Memories, will be improved to create a more efficient traffic flow and to complete a loop around the historic central campus. • A new fountain will be constructed as a visual centerpiece north of the cafeteria in the Bell Island Commons, which will reconnect the chapel and Bell Island. The chapel bell, which sits in the grassy area, will be placed on axis with the entry to the chapel’s entrance doors. The Bell Island design will reflect an arboretum and garden style of the early 1900s. In addition, the memorial of the class of 1928 will be restored and relocated in the commons. A private donor has pledged support for the $5 million project, which will be under the direction of MSU’s Facilities Management. The first phase of the project is work on Tracy Drive, at the rear of the cafeteria. Plans are to finish that phase by this August. Muzzi said the new green space, which has been approved by the state College Board, will make central campus easier to navigate for those on foot.

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Inaugural Ragtime Music Festival

Ragtimesmash

Inaugural

music festival a

By Lyle Tate

Music was in the air in March as pianists from across the country—and beyond—assembled at Mississippi State for the inaugural Charles Templeton Ragtime Music Festival.

Mimi Blais

Sue Keller

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The festival, held in Mitchell Memorial Library and McComas Hall, welcomed a number of guests as the music, composers and spirit of ragtime music were lauded. Performers included the “New Queen of Ragtime,” Canadian pianist Mimi Blais; bandleader and showman Jeff Barnhart; boogie-woogie specialist Neville Dickie from England; co-artistic director of Sedalia, Missouri’s, Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, Sue Keller; and daughter of ragtime great Trebor Tichenor, pianist Virginia Tichenor. David Jasen, musicologist and author from New York, served as master of ceremonies and festival adviser. With seminars, mini-concerts and tours of the Charles H. Templeton Sr. Music Museum, plus concerts with the artists each evening, the first Templeton festival was a smash hit. “Having performers of this caliber here for our inaugural festival was simply thrilling,” said Stephen Cunetto, MSU Libraries’ coordinator of systems and one of four coordinators of the festival. “Their artistry, their enthusiasm, and their knowledge of the ragtime genre brought exactly what we wanted to the event, and that was for attendees to learn and to fall in love with this incredible music.”

Jeff Barnhart

hit Neville Dickie

Virginia Tichenor Along with Friends of the Libraries President Chip Templeton, Dean of Libraries Frances Coleman, and Director of University Relations Maridith Geuder, Cunetto coordinated the weekend with numerous Starkville and MSU volunteers, and with the help and guidance of Jasen. “The Charles H. Templeton, Sr. Music Museum contains the most complete collection of Victor Talking Machines from the beginning in 1897 until 1930,” Jasen said. “The concept of having artifacts illustrate the ‘business’ of music in the United States is unique and is not only important for serious students of popular music, but for history buffs, sociologists and everybody interested in knowing how music influenced this country during the entire 20th century and continuing into the 21st.” “Through the Templeton collection of instruments, sheet music and recordings, the mission of the festival is not only to inspire future performers, but also to expose and share this extraordinary collection with music lovers, historians, researchers and scholars,” said Coleman.

“We couldn’t have hosted this successful a Festival without David’s vast knowledge and invaluable assistance,” she added. “We truly claim him here at Mississippi State as one of our own.” “We’re so excited by the success of this year’s festival,” said Templeton, “and we hope people will be marking their calendars for next year’s.” For more information about the Charles H. Templeton Sr. Music Museum and to see more photographs from the 2007 festival, visit library.msstate.edu/templeton or call 662-325-6634.

Mark your calendar March 28-30, 2008 Templeton Ragtime Festival Mississippi State University

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Deer Island

By Robbie Ward Photos by Russ Houston Wind and waves wash away pieces of Deer Island daily, less than a mile from Biloxi’s beach. The barrier island has served as a first line of defense for the mainland area against hurricanes and other storm surges for years. When islands like Deer Island have strong trees and other vegetation, they help weaken violent weather approaching Biloxi’s beach. However, the island met its match in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina whirled destructively through Mississippi and Louisiana, and now looks like Mother Nature started an oversized game of pickup sticks with its trees, most lying uprooted and dying. With few trees using their roots to keep the island intact, erosion eats at the island faster than before. Like many other barrier islands along the coastal area, Deer Island may disappear altogether if nothing changes. However, visitors to the island may see strong, healthy trees and grass growing near the shoreline once again. That is, if two Mississippi State University professors can duplicate their earlier results along parts of Biloxi’s beach. Professors Pete Melby and Tom Cathcart boarded a sailboat in March and took students enrolled in Melby’s sustainable communities class to visit the island. Melby, a landscape architecture professor with strong interests in sustainable communities and irrigation, and Cathcart, a professor of agricultural and biological engineering, have worked for years on projects on the Mississippi Gulf Coast’s beaches and other areas. Landscape architecture and biological engineering students first worked with the city of Biloxi in 1991 to plant grass along about three acres of the

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beach, seeking to restore the section to its natural salt marsh environment. Melby and Cathcart have brought students to the coast ever since, except for the class trip planned after Katrina. “We couldn’t find a place to stay,” Melby said. The two professors hope to use a new technique they developed on parts of Biloxi’s beach to stop the shrinking trend on the island and possibly help it expand. One problem with planting vegetation along sandy beaches involves providing trees with access to water. An experiment in 2006 on beach land donated by the city of Biloxi led Melby and Cathcart to thinking of ways to save barrier islands and give a different look to parts of the beach. Melby calls their solution “deep planting irrigation,” which calls for planting trees, shrubs and grass up to five feet deep, about twice as deep as normal when planting. In June 2006, students in Melby’s class planted trees and shrubs using the irrigation method. Of the 25 planted, 24 lived. A month later, they planted 600 sea oats that continue to grow in the sand. During the most recent trip to the Coast in the spring, Melby’s students planted 50 trees and 600 salt hay plants and moved 35 cubic yards combined at an experimental site and at a privately owned area. All trees planted—live oaks, eastern red cedar and long-leaf pines—grown in Mississippi State’s tree and plant nurseries are native to the Gulf Coast. “This process requires planting tall trees,” Melby said, “so they’d still be above water after they’re planted.” The area along the beach where students planted trees and plants retained sand with their roots forming a stronghold, becoming the highest area on the beach. This decreased the amount of sand blown along U.S. Interstate 90, much to the delight of people strolling along the beach sidewalks. Students in Melby’s class benefited from the practical experience from the landscaping work on a beach, but they also appreciated having an opportunity to improve the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina devastated the entire region. They worked together with hoes, shovels and plenty of energy to plant trees and install irrigation hoses on the beach. “It feels good to come down and contribute,” said Jamie Beatty, who graduated in May and accepted a job in St. Petersburg, Fla.

After seeing success on the beachfront, Melby and Cathcart plan to work with local officials to use their irrigation method on Deer Island. The professors will seek a federal grant to remove dead trees and plant more. If the plantings are successful, it will have practical benefits that include breaking the energy from storm surges on the nearby land. It also will extend the lifespan of the island by using tree roots to prevent winds from blowing soil and sand away. “We know it’s going to work,” Melby said. “We just need to take it to an island landscape.” Melby and Cathcart hope to use the irrigation technique on other barrier islands if their Deer Island project succeeds. “We’ll be able to demonstrate how nurserygrown natural plants can grow and help defend against storms,” Melby said.

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Historic points of interest at MSU

Historic points of interest at 1

Edited by Sammy McDavid Photos by Megan Bean and Russ Houston

In 2006, as Mississippi State anticipated opening the Welcome Center at the new Cullis Wade Depot, two retired university administrators who were MSU alumni were asked to develop a guide of historic buildings on the Starkville campus. Compiled by former vice presidents J. Chester McKee and Roy H. Ruby, the following information may be used for a self-guided tour that begins from the visitor’s center at the depot’s east end. Involving 17 historic structures or points of interest, the circuit starts with the adjacent stadium. The remainder begins at Eckie’s Pond in the southeast corner of campus. In addition to the name, each location is identified by construction year and, where appropriate, architectural style. 6

1. Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. 1914. Located adjacent to the depot on the west side of the campus, Scott Field is named for Don Scott, a famous 1917 Mississippi A&M College graduate and outstanding Olympic runner in the 1920 Paris Games. In the late 1930s, the first 10,000-seat concrete section was completed. Later additions expanded seating to 55,000, including 1,100 at the club level and 50 luxury skyboxes. Final additions were made possible by successful businessman Davis Wade.

4. Textile Building/Industrial Education and Seed Laboratory. 1900. Italianate. Constructed for the textile engineering program, the distinctive structure now is the oldest on campus and the first to have electricity. Included in 1975 on the National Register of Historic Places, it features typical textile-plant towers of the time. Often called the “Twin Towers” or “IED Building,” it now houses the Department of Instructional Systems, Leadership and Workforce Development and Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision.

2. Eckie’s Pond. 1893. Built by horticulture professor A.B. McKay, the pond was designed to demonstrate the use of natural irrigation in truck produce farming. Its name evolved from “Echo,” the nickname early students gave the quite-deaf McKay. Over time, “Echo’s pond” evolved to Eckie’s Pond.

3. Former Mobile & Ohio Railroad Depot. 1928. Commercial. From the first, Mississippi A&M was linked to the larger world via a Mobile & Ohio Railroad branch line connecting to the mail line in Lowndes County. In 1928, the permanent M&O structure replaced a nearby open-air platform. After the branch line closed in the 1960s, the building eventually was converted to house the John C. Stennis Institute of Government, a memorial to the distinguished alumnus and longtime United States senator.

5. Herbert Hall. 1928. Romanesque Revival. Herbert Hall first housed students in the innovative Part-Time College Program. After the program ended, it became the athletic residence hall for all male athletes. With construction of a new hall, Herbert became part of general student housing. Today, it is home to the Office of Housing and Residence Life.

6. Power Plant. 1921. Industrial. The massive building (more than 21,000 square feet of interior space) originally housed two coal-fueled Skinner steam engines that provided electricity and distributed water and heating to the entire institution. Still a power plant, the Mississippi Landmark facility now uses fuel oil to generate hot and cold water for heating and cooling older campus buildings.

Historic points of interest at MSU

7. Bowen Hall. 1930. Romanesque Revival. Built to house the new School of Business—now one of the Southeast’s oldest—and named for founding dean J.V. Bowen, the building is a Mississippi Landmark in recognition of its architectural and historical significance. In 1934, a new School of Education also took up residence, causing it to also be called the BE Building (for business-education). Recently renovated, it houses the departments of Political Science and Public Administration, and Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work.

8. Dairy Building/ROTC Building/Middleton Hall. 1907. Colonial Revival. To meet demands of a developing farm industry, the Dairy Building built in 1907 originally featured classrooms and a student-staffed creamery. It later was used for a variety of functions until occupied by Army and Air Force Reserve Officer’s Training Corps programs. In 1986, the now-ROTC Building was renamed for Army Gen. Troy Middleton, an A&M graduate and World War II combat leader who became Louisiana State University’s president.

9. Harned Hall. 1921. Late Gothic. Another Mississippi Landmark building, Harned Hall was constructed to provide offices and laboratory space for expanding basic biological science programs. For a time, it also housed the College Library on the third floor until Mitchell Memorial Library was built in 1950. A major 1973 addition was completed with National Science Foundation funding.

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10. Lee Hall. 1910. Beaux Arts. Another Mississippi Landmark, Lee Hall is named for A&M’s first president Stephen D. Lee. For 60 years, it was the center of academic, administrative and cultural activities. Its 1,100-seat auditorium—recently renovated and expanded—also served for 95 years as the primary events venue. Over time, Lee housed, among others, offices of the President, Vice President for Student Affairs, Registrar, and Graduate School. Student Affairs and the departments of English and Foreign Languages continue there today.

11. Magruder Hall. 1938. Georgian Revival. Magruder was one of two student residences built after the Old Main Dormitory quadrangle was completed. Named for English professor Billy Magruder, it became the first women’s residence as they enrolled in greater numbers after World War II. When newer women’s halls were added in the 1960s, Magruder became an office building and now houses the Department of Psychology.

12. George Hall. 1902. Colonial Revival. A National Register of Historic Places designation, George Hall was the College Infirmary and center of campus medical care for more than 60 years. When the 1918 world influenza pandemic caused several campus deaths, student workers built caskets in the basement to transport the remains home. George now houses the Office of University Relations.

13. Young Men’s Christian Association Building. 1914. Italianate. From the first classes in 1880, A&M maintained a strict daily routine that included 7:45 a.m. chapel exercises. By 1912, student programs of various denominations began work to erect a facility where religious contacts could continue. Private donations and a Rockefeller Foundation grant were combined to build the YMCA for all those not excused due to religious beliefs. Still “The Y” and home to the campus post office, it also is a Mississippi Landmark.

14. The Cafeteria/Perry Cafeteria. 1922. Late Gothic Revival. With its open length and sweeping Gothic revival arches, this Mississippi Landmark is among the most impressive campus structures. During the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, it also accommodated many dances featuring nationally prominent Big Bands. In 1997, it was named for George D. Perry, a 1919 graduate, successful businessman and major university benefactor.

15. Chapel of Memories. 1965. The chapel is a memorial to Old Main, the original campus dormitory that housed thousands of students until destroyed by a 1959 fire. President Ben Hilbun conceived the idea of a tribute featuring the recovered Old Main bricks. A much-used facility especially popular for weddings, the chapel shares grounds with a carillon tower also made from bricks of the massive quadrangle residence hall.

16. Lloyd-Ricks Building. 1929. Jacobethan Revival. As agricultural activities expanded in the 1920s, Montgomery Hall no longer could accommodate both the Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service. The need for space resulted in what now is Lloyd-Ricks-West—first called the Experiment Station Building. It was joined a decade later by a “twin” building for the extension service. With a small connector linking “old” and new sections, it was renamed for former directors E.R. Lloyd and J.R. Ricks. Still the experiment station’s home, it also is a Mississippi Landmark.

17. Montgomery Hall. 1903. Beaux Arts. Built as the Science Building, Montgomery first housed agricultural academic programs and those of the biological and physical sciences. Before moving to Harned Hall, the College Library was housed in the apse—the rounded portion at the rear. The building honors Col. W.B. Montgomery, a prominent Oktibbeha County farmer and businessman who led in having the 1878 Mississippi Legislature establish a land-grant college near Starkville. (He was the great-grandfather of the late U.S. Rep. G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery, a distinguished alumnus whose statue is situated just east of the building.) Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, it houses the offices of Admission and Scholarships, Career Center and Student Support Services.

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the right place at the right time

By Shannon T. Simpson Photos courtesy of NASA Stennis Space Center director and MSU graduate Richard Gilbrech is excited about his generation’s shot at the moon.

Gilbrech

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When Arkansas farmer R.C. Gilbrech let his 7-yearold son watch a late-night newscast in 1969, he might not have realized the passion he ignited would guide his son’s education and define his career. “To see Neil Armstrong put his foot on the moon,” said Dr. Richard Gilbrech, “that really fired my imagination and focused my attention.” Like so many of his generation, the young Rick Gilbrech was captivated by the vision of a man walking on another heavenly body, by the thought of Armstrong planting his footprints in dust untouched by humans—and he was seized by the hope he’d one day explore other worlds, too. He wanted to be an astronaut.

“To see Neil Armstrong put his foot on the moon, that really fired my imagination and focused my attention.” -Gilbrech Instead, the 1984 Mississippi State graduate now serves as director of NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, helping others in America’s space agency achieve their exploration dreams. Gilbrech said he chose Mississippi State for several important and pragmatic reasons. The aerospace engineering department within the school’s Bagley College of Engineering was a hard-to-find option among regional institutions. MSU was closer to home and offered him scholarships, an important consideration in a family of 10 children. A family connection, in fact, sealed the choice. Gilbrech’s stepbrother, Brad Gentry (also class of 1984), had already been enrolled for a year when Rick arrived. “I knew I would get a first-rate engineering education at State,” Gilbrech said. “And I did. On the other side of the coin, the relationships I formed there have been as key to my success as that top-notch technical education.” In his role as SSC director, he manages all of NASA’s rocket propulsion test capabilities, including facilities in Alabama, New Mexico and Ohio. He also is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the center, providing policy, planning and management for implementing the missions of NASA directorates, such as earth science applications. Gilbrech also oversees management of the center’s physical properties, many leased to the 30-plus federal, state, academic, and private tenant organizations and high-tech companies that call SSC home. Prior to NASA naming Gilbrech director of SSC in February 2006, he served as deputy director of NASA’s

Langley Research Center in Virginia. The nation’s first civilian aeronautics laboratory and home to some of the world’s largest wind tunnel test facilities, Langley conducts aviation and space research for aerospace, atmospheric sciences and technology commercialization. Gilbrech talked about the highlights of his first year at SSC. “We’ve come a long way post-Katrina, but there’s still a lot to do,” he said. “We still have 108 employees in FEMA trailers (as of mid-January 2007). There were originally more than 1,000 of the 4,500 employees at Stennis who lost their homes during Katrina. We’ve made it through most of the repair projects. Our focus now is on mitigation and preparation. We’re extremely thankful we had no major storm threats in 2006. “I sat on the console of the firing room with lots of NASA leaders during the three space shuttle missions of 2006. It’s been great to be an active part of the launch process, to see those engines tested at Stennis carry our astronauts safely into orbit. That’s a good feeling.” In November 2006, Gilbrech took part in a ceremony marking the official beginning of new work at the center’s rocket engine test complex. The A-1 Test Stand is being converted from space shuttle main engine testing to test the J-2X engine that will power the upper stage of NASA’s next-generation crew launch vehicle, Ares I, and the Earth departure stage of the new cargo launch vehicle, Ares V. Those spacecraft will help America fulfill its vision for space exploration: to return to the moon by 2020, then travel to

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the right place at the right time

STENNIS DEPUTY DIRECTOR ‘EXCITED TO BE HOME’ Gene Goldman, a 1977 graduate of MSU and native of Russell, was named deputy center director at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in October 2006. He supports Center Director Rick Gilbrech in coordinating all of NASA’s rocket propulsion test capabilities and Stennis’ roles in NASA’s applied science programs, in addition to managing the center. Goldman Stennis Space Center is America’s largest rocket engine test complex where all space shuttle main engines are tested. Goldman began his career with NASA in 1990 at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., as a project engineer for the space shuttle systems integration office and advanced to eventually become the manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project at MSFC. As project manager, he was responsible for the management of design, production and operation of the space shuttle main engines—a $300 million project with more than 1,000 employees in Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, and California. “I am excited to be back in my home state as part of Stennis Space Center, and am looking forward to the exciting and challenging work ahead,” said Goldman. After earning a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from MSU, Goldman started work as an engineering manager for the Tennessee Valley Authority in Athens, Ala. He later became a project engineer/manager for Gulf States Utilities in Baton Rouge, La., before moving back to the TVA as project engineer in Hartsville, Tenn. Goldman’s wife, the former Jennifer Swearengen of Natchez, is a 1979 MSU graduate.

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Mars and beyond. “It’s a historic time. We’ll be back into testing moon rockets again. This is our generation’s Apollo,” Gilbrech said. Testing NASA’s rocket engines has been SSC’s main line of business since it was established in the 1960s. Since 1975, the center has tested and proven flight-worthy every engine for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. A catch-phrase used to say “every Apollo and space shuttle astronaut has ridden into space on engines tested at Stennis Space Center.” As NASA moves ahead with plans to retire the space shuttle by 2010, SSC will conduct two testing programs side by side: the shuttle’s main engines and the J-2X engines for the future vehicles. The adage, true in the Apollo era, will hold true for the future. Gilbrech said one of his goals for the center’s future will be to more fully utilize the potential of Mississippi’s colleges and universities, particularly by forming more research collaborations. Among the state’s education treasure troves, he cited MSU’s Augustus “Gus” Raspet Flight Research Laboratory, an internationally recognized center of expertise in low-speed aerodynamics, aeronautical structural composites and rapid prototyping. Gilbrech’s own student tour of the Raspet Lab with aerospace engineering professor Dr. Keith Koenig “was a turning point for me. (Koenig) got me on the path to go to Cal Tech. It really set me on a course for my post-graduate degrees. “As a teenager, I used to work as a flagman for the crop dusters around my family’s farm,” Gilbrech said. “Around those aircraft, I knew I really had the bug to fly, to go into space. I originally wanted to be a military fighter pilot.” When the need for corrective lenses scuttled that plan, Gilbrech decided if he couldn’t make the astronaut corps as a pilot, he’d “go up” as a scientist. To do that, he had to do well at Mississippi State, get a Ph.D. at a top-ranked school, then go to work for NASA. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in aeronautics from California Institute of Technology with a minor in planetary science. NASA hired Gilbrech to fill a position at SSC in 1991. It was during his first stint at South Mississippi’s space center that he told then-center director Roy Estess, “I want your job someday.” Estess, also an MSU alum, served as SSC director from 1989 to 2002. Gilbrech never lost his passion for flying, but any dream of space travel was finally quashed in 1995. He was only one med-

ical exam away from his first solo flight and a pilot’s license when doctors discovered he had a heart murmur. “Everything I did up to that point was driving toward the goal of becoming an astronaut,” Gilbrech said. “It all came to a grinding halt. But everything happens for a reason. Opportunities have since opened up that I wouldn’t have had—to contribute to where NASA is going, to help craft the Constellation Program (the blueprint for carrying Americans back to the moon), taking part in the flight of the space shuttle. In the end, it was really a blessing.” Since then, Gilbrech has served as Stennis National Aerospace Plane project manager; SSC’s X-33 (a precursor to NASA’s new J-2X engine) project manager; chief of the Propulsion Test Engineering Division within SSC’s Propulsion Test Directorate; technical assistant to the space shuttle program manager at Johnson Space Center, Houston; SSC’s deputy director of propulsion testing; manager of SSC’s Propulsion Integration Office, and finally to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Virginia, where he ultimately served as deputy center director until his reassignment to SSC as center director. In February 2007, Gilbrech was among 10 tapped by MSU to be a Distinguished Fellow of the Bagley College of Engineering, recognizing graduates who have made significant contributions to their fields.

“Everything I did up to that point was driving toward the goal of becoming an astronaut.” -Gilbrech “I feel uniquely qualified to be here,” Gilbrech said. “I know SSC, I know NASA, I know engine testing, and I know the people in the program. I really do feel like I’m in the right place at the right time.”

Gilbrech (back row, fourth from right) was a member of the cheerleading squad while at MSU. A Summer 2007

CAMPUS news New MSU honor code emphasizes student integrity A university honor code recently adopted by Mississippi State is designed to institutionalize a campus culture of integrity and personal responsibility, according to President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong. “This is a big step forward in emphasizing the value Mississippi State places on academic and individual honesty,” he said, adding that the new policy has been under development for the past two years. Under the leadership of Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs, a campus-wide committee of faculty, students and staff developed a detailed structure defining academic misconduct. Sanctions for dishonesty and an academic integrity intervention program also were established by the group. “It is a comprehensive approach that has been endorsed by the MSU Faculty Senate, Student Association and administrative leadership,” Kibler said. “This was a team effort, and the results are very consistent with our university’s emphasis on leadership and character.” Formally approved by Foglesong earlier this year, the code reads: “As a Mississippi State University student I will conduct myself with honor and integrity at all times. I will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor will I accept the actions of those who do.” Kibler said faculty members will be asked to include the code with every class syllabus. He added: “We also will post Honor Council rules and procedures on the council’s MSU Web site. In addition, we will ask student and faculty members to serve on the Honor Council, which will provide training and programs on academic integrity.” Former Student Association president JR Love said the Honor Code “is a great illustration of what our university is known for among our students. We have a student body full of character, integrity, and, most importantly, honor.” Foreign languages professor Robert E. Wolverton Sr., president of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate, observed that a central feature of the code is that “it is a uniform system that treats everyone fairly.” “Overall, it will heighten awareness among faculty and students of the importance of academic honesty,” Wolverton said. “We are looking forward to helping implement the policies so that they become a good working document.”

Under terms of the new code, acts of academic misconduct are defined as: —Use of any unauthorized materials, including notes, study aids or information from unapproved collaboration; —Falsification of research materials or data; —Multiple submissions of the same work, or representing group work as one’s own; —Plagiarism, including using another’s work, as well as failure to appropriately credit sources; —Complicity in knowingly helping someone else commit academic dishonesty; and —Violations of departmental or college rules regarding academic misconduct. Cases of academic misconduct may be referred to the Honor Council or, in some cases, handled by the individual faculty member. Sanctions for incidents deemed academic misconduct may range from a grade of “XF,” which signifies failure because of dishonesty, or, in some cases, probation or removal from the university. An XF grade may be replaced by an F if a student successfully completes an academic integrity intervention program. “This policy has been well reasoned and has received feedback from faculty and students,” Kibler said. “It reaffirms our university’s commitment to the highest standards of academic conduct.”

MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong was in Washington, D.C., as part of his official duties with a presidentially appointed commission where he presented some MSU memorabilia to another president—George W. Bush.

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CAMPUS news Schulz named research and MSU continues ‘best value’ economic development VP listing by Kiplinger’s magazine Following a national search, Mississippi State’s interim vice president for research and economic development is being named permanently to the position. Kirk Schulz, formerly dean of the university’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, has served since January in an interim capacity. His appointment was approved by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. “We are confident that we have found the right person to lead Mississippi State’s robust research program to the next level,” said President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong. “In the few months that he has directed our research and economic development Schulz efforts, Kirk has already made an impact, and we are building momentum.” Named last year a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Schulz came to MSU in 2001 as the holder of the Swalm School of Chemical Engineering’s Earnest W. Deavenport Jr. Chair. “I am proud of the outstanding department heads, new national fellows, and new endowed chairs and professorships that occurred during my tenure as dean,” Schulz said. “In my new position, I am looking forward to working with all our faculty, staff and students to grow our research programs.”

MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong (far right) was honored by Congress for efforts to promote leadership and personal development among youths age 14-23. Taking part in the recent Congressional Awards Program ceremony in Washington, D.C., were (from left) Reps. Marsha Blackburn, RTenn., and Chip Pickering, R-Miss., and Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. Blackburn is an MSU alumna.

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Mississippi State is being recognized again by Kiplinger magazine as one of the top 100 “best values” among the nation’s public colleges and universities. Ranked at 87, the 129-year-old land-grant university is one of two state institutions listed by the personal finance magazine, which each year provides the ranking based on its assessment of more than 500 schools. Mississippi University for Women also is rated in the report. Selected schools are “noteworthy for their combination of top-flight academics and affordable costs,” the publication’s editors said. In compiling its “best values,” Kiplinger’s considers academic measures that include freshman retention rates, student-faculty ratios, and four- and six-year graduation rates. Measures of cost include total and average costs, as well as average percentage of need met by financial aid. The 60-year-old monthly publication places greater emphasis on academic quality, noting that “we were looking for schools that were academically strong as well as affordable,” the editors explained in their introduction to the report. “We’re proud that Mississippi State continues to offer an outstanding return on investment and a great education for our students,” said MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong.

CAMPUS news JEFCOAT WINNERS

Political science Professor Diane Wall (center, left) and academic coordinator Elaine Reed (center, right) of the College of Arts and Sciences received 2007 Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence in Advising Awards. Flanked by award namesake Jefcoat and wife Bette, the two veteran employees also received $5,000 stipends made possible by alumnus Hunter Henry.

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CAMPUS news Adults support R-rating for films showing tobacco According to a new survey, 81 percent of adults in the United States agree adolescents are more likely to smoke if they watch actors smoke in movies. Also, 70 percent support a new R-rating for any movies with on-screen tobacco imagery, unless the film clearly demonstrates the dangers of smoking. The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control is an annual poll of public attitudes about tobacco control policies. The American Medical Association Alliance, the 26,000-member grassroots arm of the AMA, joined researchers from Mississippi State University’s Social Science Research Center in February to make the announcement during the AMA’s National Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. According to the report, public concern over the issue of tobacco imagery on screen has grown substantially over the past year: • Support for an “R”-rating for movies with tobacco that fail to portray its health risks jumped nearly 12 percentage points between 2005 and 2006. • Two-thirds of adults want movie theaters to show antitobacco spots before any film with tobacco images, up more than 5 percentage points from the year before. • More than 60 percent of adults want tobacco branding out of all movie scenes, a rise of nearly 7 percentage points from the previous year. AMA Alliance members have launched a national, grassroots, parent-to-parent campaign to clear tobacco imagery from future movies rated G, PG and PG-13 by calling on the Motion Picture Association of American and movie studios to implement voluntary solutions to reduce youth’s exposure to movie smoking. “There is an overwhelming and consistent body of evidence that shows a clear link between smoking in movies and youth starting to smoke,” said Robert McMillen, associate research professor at MSU’s Social

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Science Research Center and lead author of the report. “This national survey demonstrates substantial public and parental support for voluntary policy changes by Hollywood to reduce this toll, including Rrating for almost all future tobacco scenes.” In 2005, one-in-six topgrossing U.S. movies showed or mentioned an actual tobacco brand. Two out of three U.S. live action movies featured tobacco in 2006, including 68 percent of PG-13 films. The Social Climate Survey of Tobacco Control is an annual poll of public attitudes toward tobacco policies. The 2006 survey of 1,800 adults nationwide has a margin of error of plus 2.3 percent. Results for the on-screen tobacco questions are available at www.ssrc.msstate.edu/socialclimate.

CAMPUS news MSU gets boost to improve career, tech education A major outreach arm of Mississippi State is receiving nearly $5 million to develop a unified program for scoring and reporting statewide career and technical education assessments. Based at the Research and Curriculum Unit, the new Mississippi Assessment Center will be led by Cindy Morgan, along with principal investigators Denise Sibley and Stephanie King. The RCU is a part of the university’s Office of Research and Economic Development.

ROAD DAWGS TOUR 2007 MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong and head football coach Sylvester Croom were among university representatives taking part in the first “Road Dawgs Tour” in May. Both appeared at most of the eight visits to cities in Mississippi and Alabama. They were joined by others from the athletic department, as well as the MSU Alumni Association, Bulldog Club and admissions and scholarships office. While in each locale, they were joined by prospective students, business leaders, and alumni and friends of the university in a variety of activities. “The purpose of the ‘Road Dawgs’ is to take MSU to local areas,” said Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni. “We want our great university to reach so many people, so what better way than to take Mississippi State to them?”

The Mississippi Department of Education will provide the funding through the 2016 school year, said Morgan, the RCU’s coordinator of assessment and accountability. Since 2001, the RCU has been contracted to research and develop the state’s career and technical assessments. During this time, however, responsibilities for printing, disseminating, scoring, and reporting were contracted separately to South-

ern Illinois University, Morgan explained. “Awarding the contract to one center for the complete process will increase efficiency and provide higher quality assistance to Mississippi’s career and technical centers,” Morgan said. “Since few states have their own standardized, career and technical assessments aligned to a statewide curriculum framework, we are extremely proud to now have the entire process consolidated literally under one roof.”

MSU offices share advancement honors in Southeast competition Five university outreach units of Mississippi State are major winners in a regional competition of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. CASE is the country’s leading educational-support organization for professionals working in alumni relations, communications and development. Staff members in the Office of University Relations received two CASE Grand Awards, the highest honors, at the organization’s recent District III annual conference in Nashville, Tenn. Their entries and four others from MSU receiving 2007 Awards of Excellence were among more than 1,100 submitted this year from educational institutions in nine Southern states stretching from the South Atlantic Coast to the Mississippi River. District III Grand Award winners included: —Photographer Megan Bean, for the portrait series of client families served by MSU’s T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability; and —Publications coordinator Becky Smith, who shared the honor with the Division of Student Affairs’ Office of Admissions and Scholarships for a student recruitment package of print materials. Four awards of excellence, the next highest levels of recognition, went to: —University Relations assistant director Erika Celeste, for production of “High Notes,” a series of radio programs and announcements; —The MSU Alumni Association and Office of Admissions and Scholarships, for sponsoring and organizing a series of entering freshman send-off parties in advance of the 2006 fall semester; —The MSU Foundation, for improvements in the design of annual reports; and —MSU Foundation and University Television Center, for a series of television spots promoting the ongoing “State of the Future” fundraising campaign. CASE national offices are located in Washington, D.C. In all, the organization serves more than 47,000 professionals on the staffs of member institutions. A Summer 2007

CAMPUS news Veteran, Purple Heart recipient named Truman Scholar An Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran who received a Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon for Middle East service is Mississippi State’s 16th Truman Scholar. Aaron R. Rice of Sumrall, a junior political science major, was named in March by the Washington, D.C.-based Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Selected from approximately 600 applicants, he is among 65 to earn the competitive national award that recognizes and rewards a desire to enter public service. Truman Scholars receive up to $30,000 to pursue graduate degrees in public service fields. In return, they must commit to work in any of those

fields for three of seven years after completing their degrees. “This is one of the highest and most competitive honors acknowledging both ability and the desire to make a professional commitment to service,” said President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong. “Aaron has demonstrated his leadership at Mississippi State, and we’re confident that the Truman Scholarship will be instrumental in helping him fulfill his dream of contributing to public policy.” A 2002 Oak Grove High School graduate, Rice said he plans to attend law school and specialize in administrative law and public policy. “My goal is to become a public servant in Mississippi,” he added.

Rush named development, alumni vp Having earlier been named the preferred candidate for the university’s development and alumni vice presidency, university alumnus John Rush officially assumed the position in April. “Over the last few weeks, John has met with a wide variety of campus and alumni constituencies, and all have given him extremely positive feedback,” said President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong. “We believe his knowledge of Mississippi State, his experience and his energy are a winning combination for this position.” Rush, who has played a major role in the university’s $400 million State of the Future fundraising effort, was selected by Foglesong following a national search headed by Bill Kibler, vice president for student affairs. Kibler led a committee of faculty, staff, alumni, and students who identified candidates forwarded for consideration. Rush A Leakesville native, Rush received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1994 and a master’s in public policy and administration in 2002. Rush has held a variety of successively responsible fundraising positions at MSU since 1997. His most recent position was director of major gifts for the MSU Foundation.

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Rice, who entered MSU as a freshman in 2002, interrupted his studies to join the U.S. Marine Corps. As a lance corporal, he was deployed in 2005 to Iraq’s Al Anbar Province, where the Humvee in which he was a passenger was struck by a land mine early into his tour. The loss of the lower part of his left leg led to months of rehabilitation at the National Naval Rice Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Now active with the use of prosthesis, Rice says the experience “forced me to grow up. He continued: “My military service, my resulting injuries, and the fact that I’m married have given me a more mature outlook.”

How We See Ourselves: Faculty, Staff and Student Views of MSU, a survey conducted by the Social Science Research Center is available at www.msstate.edu/web/survey/

CAMPUS news Team launching commercial operation from research Until recently, Scott Willard of Mississippi State considered himself a bovine reproductive physiologist, not an entrepreneur selling artwork generated from thermal imaging or a provider of services and devices to fellow scientists. An animal and dairy sciences department researcher at the university, he now is adding businessman to the professional hats he wears. Willard recently established RAMS—an acronym for Remote Animal Monitoring Solutions—a company offering a variety of services and products to the livestock industry, as well as other research scientists and large animal managers.

The enterprise originated from his research at the land-grant institution. His business partner is Anna Chromiak, manager for another research program in animal and dairy science. In addition to providing thermal imaging to help fit saddles on horses and the remote monitoring of livestock via the marketing and distribution of research devices (some of which are produced under contract with an international company), RAMS also creates artwork from thermal images generated from research that also can be used for diagnostic applications. Through six years of MSU research with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Willard has created and modified various devices based on the needs of his work. As a scientist, he hasn’t been alone in needing better devices to monitor livestock without having to physically handle the animals. He said the impetus to create a company based on his research came from the longstanding Mississippi State efforts to create “spin-off” companies based on campus-based research. To that end, RAMS was selected to receive a $22,500 grant from the university’s Thad

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Cochran Endowment for Entrepreneurship, which seeks to help potential entrepreneurs spark economic growth in the region and state. RAMS is among the three companies to, so far, receive an endowment grant. The support is designed to help cover start-up costs associated with forming a new enterprise. TCEE director Gerald Nelson said RAMS fits the profile for what the program seeks to do: make the university a breeding ground for the entrepreneurial spirit that will create jobs and additional entrepreneurial experiences for students, faculty, alumni, and others. “The TCEE is all about creating a culture of entrepreneurship on the campus of Mississippi State,” Nelson said.

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Three Mississippi State seniors are recipients of the university’s G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Leadership Award. The annual $5,000 scholarships were presented in mid-April by representatives of the Meridian-based Montgomery Foundation and MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong. Selected for the inaugural scholarships are Joshua S. Burnett of Saucier, Aaron R. Rice of Sumrall and Christopher S. Walker of Newton. Montgomery, a 15-term U.S. representative from Meridian, was a 1944 Mississippi State graduate. He died in 2006.

A senior Mississippi State administrator was named a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. Jackson native Jerry Gilbert was inducted in March during the organization’s annual meeting at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. The high honor recognizes those in the top 2 percent of the profession. Gilbert has served since 2004 as the university’s associate provost and associate vice president for academic affairs.

A former state Department of Finance and Administration official began work in January as Mississippi State’s new director of procurements and contracts. Donald G. Buffum is the university’s top manager for procurement policies, procedures and objectives. His MSU appointment was approved by the state College Board. 28

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He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Washington in Seattle, and also completed a master’s in the same field from Mississippi College.

A former head of Mississippi’s marine resources department now is co-director of the recently created Northern Gulf Institute. Glade Woods’ appointment to the Stennis Space Center-based institute recently was approved by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. He led the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources 1994-2000. Woods holds an electrical engineering degree from MSU and a master’s in engineering administration from the University of Utah.

Four wildlife and fisheries science graduate students in the College of Forest Resources are top winners in recent regional research competitions. Heather J. Theel of Aurora, Ill., Nathaniel C. “Nate” Hodgins of Sioux City, Iowa, and Amy B. Spencer of Columbus, Ohio, were among seven competing at the annual meeting and technical conference of the Mississippi American Fisheries Society. Others involved in the Vicksburg program represented the universities of Southern Mississippi and Louisiana at Monroe. In a separate event at Destin, Fla., Tyler S. Harris of Louisville took first place in the visual display competition. He was among nine students competing at the concurrent annual meetings of the Southeastern Bat Diversity Network and Colloquium on

Conservation of Mammals in the Southeastern United States. Theel received the first-place award, Hodgins finished in second place for his report, and Spencer won third place for presentation and second place in the people’s choice category.

A Mississippi State business college leader is being named a Fellow of the Marketing Management Association. Brian Engelland, head of the university’s department of marketing, quantitative analysis and business law, was the 20th member of the international organization to receive the high honor. The associate was recognized in late March for his consistent scholarly research and continuing service to the profession. He earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Purdue University in 1969 and a master’s in business administration from the University of Cincinnati in 1971. His doctorate was completed at Southern Illinois University in 1993.

An Indiana university administrator is the new dean of Mississippi State’s College of Business and Industry. Lynne Richardson, dean of the Miller College of Business at Ball State University in Muncie, will begin work at MSU Aug. 1. Her appointment was approved earlier by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Richardson received a master’s degree in business administration in

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1983 and a doctorate in marketing in 1989, both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her bachelor’s in marketing was completed in 1980 from the University of Montevallo (Ala.).

A senior Mississippi State aquaculture scientist is receiving a major honor from an international professional society. Louis R. D’Abramo was presented with a meritorious award recognizing outstanding leadership and dedicated service to the National Shellfisheries Association, at its annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, this spring. A specialist in crustacean and fish aquaculture and nutritional ecology, D’Abramo is a professor in the university’s wildlife and fisheries department and a scientist in the campus-based Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. He received a bachelor’s degree from Assumption College in Worcester, Mass., and a master’s and doctorate from Yale University.

Heidie Lindsey is being recognized for outstanding professional service by the Southeastern Interfraternity Conference. Lindsey, associate director of the university’s Colvard Student Union, is the regional organization’s selection for the 2007 Tom Shoemaker Adviser of the Year Award. A staff member since 2001, she currently oversees programming, governance and leadership development for MSU’s 28 national fraternities and sororities. Lindsey, a former regional officer for Delta Gamma social sorority, is a

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psychology graduate of the University of Central Florida. She also holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from Florida State University.

An award-winning classical guitarist and faculty member is receiving a 2007-08 Fulbright Scholar Award. Michael Patilla, an assistant professor of music, will teach guitar over a four-month period at the National Autonomous University in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the capital city of the Central American republic. While there, he also will review submissions by native composers for a published edition of the music and a later compact disc recording. Patilla earned a doctorate from the prestigious Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. At MSU, he has established the music department’s growing guitar program and directs the campus Guitar Ensemble.

A leader of the Mississippi State Alumni Association is the new regional head of an international educational support organization. Associate director Libba B. Andrews of Starkville recently was chosen for a two-year term as chair of District III of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. A Columbus native, she is a 1983 MSU communication graduate. CASE, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the country’s leading organization for education professionals working in the areas of alumni relations, communications and development.

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A higher education professional at Mississippi State is the Black History Month Educator of the Year for Mississippi. Mary Alexander, assistant to the president, received the honor in February during a monthly meeting of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. She is also an instructor in the department of instructional systems, leadership and workforce development. Walter N. Taylor, assistant dean for MSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a professor of agricultural information science and education in the School of Human Sciences, also was recognized as one of eight IHL honorees.

MSU awarded honorary degrees to two well-known state residents who have made significant contributions in their fields at spring commencement ceremonies in May. Myrna Colley-Lee of Charleston and Dr. William G. Riley of Meridian received honorary doctorates in creative arts and science, respectively. Colley-Lee is a nationally acclaimed theatrical costume designer who joined with others to establish the national SonEdna Foundation Inc., which works to support writers in achieving their creative goals. Riley is a lifelong Lauderdale County resident who has made major contributions as both a physician and philanthropist. Along with brother Richard Riley, he led in creating the Riley Foundation from proceeds of the hospital’s sale.

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ALUMNI news A letter from Betty Black I would like to thank the MSU Alumni Association Board of Directors for choosing me as national president for 2006-07. It has been a wonderful year. This year, we added two new chapters, one in East Texas and one in Charlotte, N.C. There is a possibility of two more in the very near future. Several new Black programs have been added. The alumni tent at the new Junction was a tremendous success. I also was able to attend the football game tailgates at UAB, Georgia and Alabama. What fun to get alumni together at these pre-game events! There also was a great gathering of Bulldogs before the NIT semi-final game in New York. The MSU birthday party was a huge success. Having lunch with students, faculty, staff, friends, alumni, and future students was great fun. The entertainment, having the Famous Maroon Band members there, and birthday cake and MSU ice cream— what a great day! The university has made great strides on many fronts during the past year. The new Cullis Wade Depot with its Barnes & Noble Bookstore, two new residence halls, The Junction gathering space, and the new band/ choral rehearsal facility are just a few examples of the outstanding progress taking place on campus. It has been so rewarding to be able to work with Alumni Association Executive Director Jimmy Abraham and President “Doc” Foglesong. Jimmy has done a wonderful job of bringing our association to the front. We have more alumni and friends interested in what we do. “Doc” and I have been on many trips together. I have shared views with him and he is 30

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eager to listen. He and his wife Mary are wonderful people. I also wish to thank my boss, Steve Taylor (a former national president), my co-workers at BankFirst Financial Services, and my wonderful husband, Mike, all of whom have been supportive in so many ways. I’ve been in awe of previous alumni presidents. To have had this honor bestowed upon me was beyond my wildest dreams. I have had a great year! I have met some of the best people in the world. Having this

opportunity has made me a better Dawg—if that’s possible! I would encourage all students to find out about the alumni association before they graduate. Wherever they go, there will be Bulldogs. What a great resource for meeting new people, making contacts for employment and staying in touch with old friends!

GO DAWGS! Betty Latimer Black, ’74 2006-07 National President MSU Alumni Association

Alumni Association installs new officers National officers for 200708 are (l-r): Charles Cascio, second vice president; David W. Jones, president; S. Keith Winfield, treasurer; Andrew D. Hunt, first vice president; and Betty Latimer Black, immediate past president.

David W. Jones of Jackson became national president of the MSU Alumni Association July 1. A 1981 accounting graduate and first vice president and IS auditor manager for Trustmark National Bank, he previously was first vice president for the association. David succeeds Betty Latimer Black of Starkville, a 1974 music education graduate. Black now holds the title of immediate past president. Other newly elected 2007-08 officers are: Andrew D. Hunt of Hattiesburg, national first vice president. A 1970 graduate, he is owner of Hunt Insurance Agency. He previously served as second vice president for the association. Charles Cascio of Cleveland, national second vice president. A 1979 industrial engineering graduate, he is the business development manager at Baxter Healthcare Corp. He previously served on the association’s executive committee. S. Keith Winfield of Starkville, national treasurer. A 1970 business graduate, he is a partner of Watkins, Ward and Stafford accounting firm. The new slate of officers will serve the university’s more than 100,000 alumni through June 2008.

ALUMNI news

Hudson receives teaching award The newest members of the Alumni Delegates are: (front row, from left) Lauren Cobb, Starkville; Carrie Hancock, Tupelo; Lynn Mullen, Winona; Laura McBeath, Brandon; Jeral Self, Madison; (second row, from left) Jessica Litton, Meridian; Suzanne Nichols, Lubbock, Texas; Chloe Gooden, Hoover, Ala.; Carrie Radke, Murray, Ky.; Mary Margaret Cockroft, Kosciusko; (third row, from left) Brett Jeter, Brandon; Travis Woods, Brandon; Hayes Singleton, Hattiesburg; Blake Jeter, Brandon; Jason Burge, Gulfport; (fourth row, from left) John Mark McIntosh, Norcross, Ga.; Adam Shields, Columbus; Peyton Hill, Ripley; Joel Russell, Ridgeland; and Lee Weiskopf, Columbia.

New Alumni Delegates selected The Alumni Association recently selected 20 students as the newest members of the Alumni Delegates program. With the addition of the new members, the Alumni Association now has 44 students serving as delegates. This special student group works closely with the association to better serve MSU students, alumni and friends. “Over 230 students applied to the program this spring,” said Libba Andrews, associate director of the association. “They were an incredible group of very impressive Mississippi State students.” The applicants went through a rigorous selection process that involved an application process, group interviews and one-on-one interviews. “The 20 students we selected through the process are great. They’re excited about being part of the group, and we’re excited about having them, as well,” said Andrews. The Alumni Delegates program is an organization whose members serve as liaisons between Mississippi State students and alumni. Their purpose is to improve the understanding of the role of the Alumni Association by educating and involving students in activities and events of the association.

Dr. M. Darren Hudson, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics, is the 2007 recipient of the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, presented by the MSU Alumni Association. Hudson, a 1997 doctoral graduate of Texas Tech University, joined the MSU faculty in 1998. He currently serves as coordinator for the master’s of agribusiness program. In 2004, he received the Overall Teaching Award and Graduate Teaching Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Congratulating him is Dr. Jimmy Abraham, associate vice president for development and alumni and executive director of the MSU Alumni Association.

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Alumni celebrate milestones at. . . Members of the Mississippi State graduating classes of 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, and 1967 returned to campus in March to hold reunions in conjunction with Super Bulldog Weekend activities.

CLASS OF 1947 CLASS OF 1942

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MSU CLASS REUNIONS CLASS OF 1957

CLASS OF 1952

CLASS OF 1962 More than 115 alumni, spouses and guests participated in the reunions, which are sponsored annually by the MSU Alumni Association. CLASS OF 1967 A Summer 2007

ALUMNI news Classmates reunite through Traveling Bulldogs program When MSU alumnus Dean Wingo and his wife Lauran of Collierville, Tenn., signed up for a Latin American vacation through the MSU Traveling Bulldogs program, they expected to have a great time. What they didn’t expect was a reunion with college friends. They soon found, however, that two of Dean’s former MSU classmates—Henry and Jane Vick from Marietta, Ga.—were also along for the vacation. Dean received a bachelor’s degree from MSU in 1970 and a master’s of business administration from the university in 1970. Both Henry Vick and his wife Jane are 1967 graduates of Mississippi State. “Dean had known them back in college in the ‘60s, and the guys were fraternity brothers,” said Lauran, who received a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women in 1970. “We thoroughly enjoyed our reunion and have since seen them in Atlanta and e-mail back A blue-footed booby—a rare and forth bird native to the Galapagos often.” Islands. The Wingos and Vicks, along with approximately 40 other college-affiliated travelers, ventured to the Galapagos Islands in February 2007 with the Traveling Bulldogs, a travel program available through the MSU Alumni Association that makes first-class international travel available to MSU alumni at discounted rates. “When the chance came to go on this trip, Henry and I didn’t think about it more than 15 minutes,” Jane said. “The chance was just too good to pass up. You grow up hearing about these islands, but never do you 34

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imagine that you might actually get there.” The Galapagos Islands are made up of several volcanic islands west of Ecuador, a country in northwestern South America. To preserve the native wildlife species for which the islands are famed, almost 98 percent of the islands’ land area is classified as a national park and the surrounding 43,000 square miles of ocean are declared a marine reserve, second in size only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Noteworthy species include the island’s iguanas, Galapagos tortoises, blue-footed booby, vampire finches, and sea cucumbers. “Every day we went to a different island and every island had different types of wildlife,” Lauran said. “You could practically touch the animals and the photo opportunities were amazing.” “I came away with an entirely different understanding of the islands—how they came to be, how they have survived,” Jane added. “The whole experience was just superb.” After seven days in the islands, the Wingos chose to continue the tour with an add-on visit to Machu Picchu, a well-preserved, pre-Columbian Inca ruin located on a mountain ridge in Peru. Forgotten for centuries, the area was brought back to international attention in 1911, and is now the country’s most popular tourist attraction. More than 400,000 people visit the site each year. “It was incredible to see that something so elaborate could have been built and hidden to the world until about 100 years ago,” Lauran said. For the Wingos, their first trip to this part of the globe was truly memorable. “We chose this trip because it was an easy way to get to two remote areas we wanted to visit, and it was well worth

Henry Vick enjoys the company of an iguana.

it,” Lauran said. “We were so impressed by the efficiency of the tour guide. We never had to wait to check in our hotels or get boarding passes— somehow the tour guide would always have them in hand.” This was the second Traveling Bulldogs trip for the Vicks, who say they will happily sign up again the next time they can fit it into their schedule. “Both were absolutely fantastic,” Jane said. “I would encourage anyone to try one of the trips.” Upcoming travel destinations include a visit to Scotland in August and a tour of the Greek Isles in October. For more information about the travel program, contact Libba Andrews, associate director of the Alumni Association, at landrews@alumni.msstate.edu or 662325-7000, or visit www.alumni.msstate.edu.

ALUMNI news Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a few good Bulldogs Do you know a potential Mississippi State student who may not be aware of the opportunities our great university has to offer? If so, please complete as much of this form as possible and mail to Office of Admissions and Scholarships, P.O. Box 6334, Mississippi State, MS 39762, or fax to 662-325-1MSU. You can make a positive difference for a high school or community college student by introducing him or her to your alma mater. Studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name

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Address City, State, ZIP Phone

E-mail

High school or community college GPA

Graduation date ACT/SAT

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Academic interest Your name

MSU class year

Relation to prospective student Your phone

Your e-mail

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ALUMNI news Class pin and pendant offer alternative to class ring In addition to the traditional class ring, the Alumni Association now is offering a class pin or pendant for ladies. The official pin and pendant were designed recently with the input of MSU alumni and current students. It features the Mississippi State University seal, surrounded by alternating garnets and cubic zirconias. As an option, diamonds are available in place of the cubic zirconias. The price of the pin or pendant starts at $415. The class pin and pendant, like the official class ring, are offered exclusively by Balfour and the MSU Alumni

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Association. All students and alumni are encouraged to purchase and proudly wear an official MSU class ring, pin or pendant to show the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; wherever you goâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;that Mississippi State University is your institution of choice.

For specific questions regarding the new pin and pendant, contact Libba Andrews, associate director of the association, at 662-325-3479 or landrews@alumni.msstate.edu.

FOUNDATION news Tripletts create endowed chair in agriculture When Mississippi State agronomist Glover Triplett looks across a planted field overflowing with weeds, he sees much more than meets the average eye. He truly appreciates the surface terrain, as well as what lies beneath. Triplett has never been a proponent of traditional farming with neatly plowed rows, referring to the practice as “recreational tillage.” A native of Noxubee County, he saw firsthand the effects of farming when its long-term impact on the land is not considered. When Triplett, along with a research partner at Ohio State University, introduced the innovative idea of zero tillage in corn and soybeans more than 45 years ago, quite a few people laughed at his “ugly farming,” including his wife, Imogene. Instead of using a plow to loosen the soil and form rows, no-till farming uses equipment to plant seeds into almost undisturbed soil and crop residue. The use of herbicides for weed control and other management techniques replace plowing during the growing season. Today no-tillage and minimumtillage farming are globally accepted production practices that have revolutionized agriculture in the United States and also provided agricultural opportunities in countries where soils and climate conditions may make crop production difficult to practice otherwise. Studies have shown countless benefits of no-tillage, including less work for farmers, more profit and erosion control. “Well over 100 million acres worldwide are now planted in notillage,” Triplett proudly acknowledges. Seeing no-tillage, a more environmentally friendly method of farming, become an accepted practice was

meaningful for Triplett, but continuing the research he began is perhaps even more so. Triplett certainly understands the importance of research conducted at universities. He enjoyed a distinguished career at Ohio State’s Agricultural Research and Development Center. Since 1983, he has continued his groundbreaking research as a faculty member at Mississippi State, excelling in the areas of no-tillage and forage crop research. In order to continue his life’s work of research and development, Triplett and his wife have established the first fully endowed faculty position in Mississippi State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a significant outright gift. The Dr. Glover B. Triplett Endowed Chair in Agronomy within the department of plant and soil sciences will provide leadership in agronomy education and research, as well as outreach to industry. “The endowment will enable Mississippi State to attract and retain nationally recognized faculty who excel in the areas of agronomic research and cropping systems,” said

Imogene and Glover Triplett

Vance Watson, vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine. “Available funds from the endowment may be used to supplement the university salary and research expenditures of the chair holder as well as provide for graduate assistantships,” added Watson, who also serves as dean of the college. “The endowed chair funded by Dr. and Mrs. Triplett’s contribution will be invaluable in furthering farmingsystems research in Mississippi,” said Michael Collins, head of the department of plant and soil sciences. “This endowed position will allow us to A Summer 2007

FOUNDATION news continue the kind of cutting-edge member’s research direction,” Triplett The Tripletts have supported the research for which Dr. Triplett himself observed. “This way, the chair will university for a number of years. is so well known,” he added. give someone the latitude to research Imogene established the Imogene C. Triplett’s research contributions to as they deem beneficial,” he explained. Triplett Endowed Scholarship in agriculture have impacted the lives of To create the endowment, the ornamental horticulture and retail people all over the world and leaving a Tripletts donated a 1,063-acre tract of floristry management for Mississippi legacy behind is important to him. timberland in the Fairport community residents. The couple also established When the Tripletts the Dr. Glover B. Triplett began talking about Endowed Fund for Crop The Dr. Glover B. Triplett Endowed Chair in Agronomy options for their estate, Research, which provides within the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences setting up an endowed funds specifically for the position at Mississippi will provide leadership in agronomy education and research, department of plant and soil State was a perfect fit sciences. as well as outreach to industry. for them. Today, the Ohio research “We are getting plots begun by Triplett and older and decided it was time to make of Noxubee County to the MSU Dave Van Doren are the longest these plans,” Imogene said. “I told Foundation. Proceeds from the sale of continuous no-till research plots in the Glover he would enjoy meeting the the property will fund the position. world. The OSU site has been named first holder of the chair and exchangTriplett’s connections with MSU run the Triplett-Van Doren No-Tillage ing ideas with him, so it needed to be deep. He attended MSU, earning his Experimental Plots in their honor. As a done in our lifetime,” she recalled. bachelor’s degree in 1951 and his credit to the life’s work of Triplett, the Triplett agreed wholeheartedly. master’s in 1955. He received a plots are still yielding results by Simply put, he said, “I chose an doctorate in agronomy from Michigan allowing farmers to maintain longendowed position because I wanted to State University in 1959. term productivity of cropped soil and help someone else do what they love. Imogene attended Mississippi State, allowing researchers to explore carbon “The climate for research today but jokingly says she only had time to sequestration in response to concern appears to me to be largely driven by receive a “Ph.T.,” which stands for over global warming. grants which often mandate a faculty “putting him through school.”

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FOUNDATION news Campus romance becomes part of Maroon Mile When Mississippi State alumnus Jason Noffsinger decided to make a truly memorable proposal to his girlfriend, he wanted it to last forever. The proposal, which reads “Sunny Thornton, Will You Marry Me?” is now set in stone on MSU’s historic Drill Field, making it part of the university’s newest brick project, the Maroon Mile. Through a gift to the MSU Annual Fund, names and special messages, like Jason’s proposal, may become a part of the Maroon Mile—a campaign to pave the sidewalks and walkways of the historic Drill Field and other parade grounds with individualized brick pavers that, when laid end-toend, would stretch one mile or more. Jason graduated from Mississippi State in 2005 with a degree in microbiology and currently is enrolled in an accelerated nursing program as he

Maroon Mile Brick Paver Options Donors may purchase a four-by-eight-inch brick with a $500 gift and engrave it with a three line message of up to 14 characters per line. Currently enrolled students and recent graduates (within the last 12 months) may secure a brick at a reduced price of $250. For a larger donation, individuals or groups may purchase a 28-by-16-inch paver which can be engraved with a fourline message of up to 16 characters per line. Alumni, parents and friends interested in purchasing a brick may contact the MSU Annual Fund at 662-325-2466 or via e-mail at mmcpherson@foundation.msstate.edu .

trains to become a nurse anesthetist. A Starkville native, he appreciates the nostalgia connected with the Drill Field and campus. Both Jason and Sunny are thrilled that a part of their relationship will perpetually be entwined with their alma mater. “The brick will be there forever so our grandchildren will see it one day,” said Sunny, a Brandon native, who graduated in May with a Jason Noffsinger and his fiancée, Sunny Thornton, with their degree in elementary Maroon Mile marker. education. Sunny and Jason will wed in price, which makes a perfect graduaDecember. Their love story is just one tion gift and rewards a job well done.” of the many touching accounts bound The bricks sold in the next few to surface as pieces of the Maroon years will be part of the Drill Field Mile are put into place. walkways and could eventually “The Maroon Mile is a unique extend to other areas, linking the opportunity for alumni and friends to university by name after name of leave a lasting impression on their alumni and friends who are willing to alma mater and become a part of give just a small amount for a lasting Mississippi State history,” said Mike legacy. The university’s master plan McPherson, director of the annual for campus currently calls for new giving program. walkways in numerous areas. The project is a way for persons to “A gift designated for the purchase memorialize a loved one or a friend, of a brick will qualify as a ‘first’ gift recognize parents or pay tribute to an to the university through the MSU influential faculty member, he said. Annual Fund for persons who have Gifts designated to the Maroon never given before,” emphasized Mile will benefit the Division of McPherson. “Our goal is to lay the Student Affairs, which works to enrich bricks in the first quarter of each the total Mississippi State student calendar year and encourage persons experience through student services, attending Super Bulldog Weekend to organizations and activities. drop by and see their brick.” “We want to encourage a new As with gifts of any amount, the tradition at the university,” said Brett purchase of a Maroon Mile brick will Aldridge, development officer for the activate a donor’s membership in the division. “Newly classified MSU MSU Alumni Association and will seniors and their parents will be given count toward the university’s ongoing an opportunity annually to purchase a State of the Future campaign. commemorative brick for a special A Summer 2007

FOUNDATION news Gift honors lifetime contributions of Bill Taylor Generations of business students at Mississippi State will benefit from the influence of William A. “Bill” Taylor Jr., longtime chairman of the board of the Louisville-based Taylor Group of Companies. As a fitting honor of his life’s work, the Taylor Group announced in March the creation of the Taylor W.A. “Bill” Taylor Jr. Excellence Fund at Mississippi State with a generous $1 million gift through its charitable foundation. “We at the Taylor Group of Companies hope that this financial support will encourage others to give and by doing so help prepare young people from all walks of life to live, learn and contribute greatly to our state and our nation’s futures,” said group president William A. “Lex” Taylor III. In appreciation for the support, Mississippi State is naming a new auditorium in its renovated and expanded business complex for Taylor. The 300-seat W.A. Taylor Jr. Auditorium in McCool Hall has been designed to serve large college classes, as well as visiting speakers or programs hosted by any campus entity. The Taylor Excellence Fund will provide funds for maintenance of the auditorium and technology upgrades throughout the business complex. “Bill Taylor is an American success story,” said Lex Taylor. “We hope every student who goes through the doors of this auditorium will be the next American success story.”

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Interim business dean Dan Hollingsworth, left, and MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong, second from right, with members of the W. A. “Bill” Taylor Jr. family—his daughter, Teresa Taylor Ktsanes with her son Matthew, wife Mitzi Taylor, and son Lex Taylor.

The exterior pillars of the Taylor Machine Works building in Louisville display three words—faith, vision and work—cornerstones of all that Bill Taylor and his business exemplify. The values were handed down from his late father, William Alexander Taylor Sr., the founder of the company who started the business in a small machine shop. Today, Taylor Machine Works, one of five family owned and operated companies which comprise the Taylor Group Inc., remains at the heart of the organization that is synonymous with Bill Taylor. During the past 80 years, the company, with its signature “Big Red” equipment, has evolved into the largest privately held manufacturer of heavy industrial lift trucks in America. The Taylor organization now provides state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing resources for material handling worldwide.

Bill Taylor attended Mississippi State and over the years has been an advocate of the institution, serving in various advisory capacities and supporting MSU. His sons Lex and Robert are graduates of the college. Daughter Teresa Taylor Ktsanes attended the university, as well. “There’s a new energy in the business school. It’s on the verge of breaking out to the next level, and a large part of this success will be due to supporters like the Taylor family,” said MSU President Robert H. “Doc” Foglesong. Earnings from the Taylor endowment may also be used to support visiting distinguished scholars, symposiums and conferences, faculty research programs, and professional development activities, as well as student scholarships and assistantships.

The following individuals, corporations and foundations have made commitments of more than $50,000 from December 1, 2006, through May 31, 2007, for State of the Future: The Mississippi State Campaign. Autodesk Inc.; BancorpSouth;Viola G. Bardsley; John Bentinck-Smith Trust; Mr. and Mrs. William B. Berry; Mr. Peter E. Blum;The Boeing Foundation;Tom Bradshaw;The Annie E. Casey Foundation; Citicorp; Dr. and Mrs. William M. Cobb; Mr. and Mrs. James W. Crook; James A. Davis Estate;The Day Foundation; Drs. Michael and Wanda Dean; Dr. and Mrs. James L. Flanagan; Mr. and Mrs. Warren Garrard; Mrs.

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Linda M. Garrett; Guild Hardy Associates Architects, PA; Harrell Contracting Group, LLC; Mr. Michael L. Havard;The Humane Society of the United States; Mr. Louis A. Hurst Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. James C. Johnson; W.K. Kellogg Foundation; Kelly G. Cook Sr. Foundation, Inc.; Ms. Marcia P. Lane; G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Foundation; Ann J. Moore; Mr. and Mrs. Frank L. Moore;The Riley Foundation; Mr. and Mrs. James J. Rouse; Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Rula; Joe Frank

Sanderson Foundation; Scenic Homes Inc.; Mr. and Mrs. Leo W. Seal Jr.; Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Shackouls; Rufus W. Shivers Estate; Southern Cattle Co.;The Taylor Group Inc.; Dr. and Mrs. Glover B.Triplett Jr.; Trowbridge Farms; Mr. and Mrs. Allan H.Tucker Jr.; Mr. and Mrs.Thomas H. Walker; Dr. Clinton E. Wallace; Mrs. Joe Ann W. Ward; Paul L. Wells Estate; and Mr. and Mrs.Turner A.Wingo.

FUTURE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN TOPS $374

The State of the Future campaign has raised more than $374 million, placing it a full year ahead of the projected pace needed to reach $400 million by December 2008. As of May 31, campaign counting totaled $374,032,010 as gifts from alumni and friends continued to pour into the MSU Foundation. “Our supporters have taken us to levels never before expected and their generosity has impacted nearly every aspect of Mississippi State,”

said John Rush, vice president for development and alumni. Already in State of the Future, over $62 million has been received for endowed scholarships and fellowships, over $29 million has been raised for endowed faculty positions, and just over $40 million has been earmarked for new and renovated facilities and campus enhancements. In addition, almost $47 million has been used to enhance educational and other programs, including the Shackouls Honors College, the Thad Cochran Endowment for

MILLION

Entrepreneurship, and the development of learning communities. “Gifts from our donors are making a difference,” Rush said. “There isn’t an area on campus that hasn’t been positively touched by one or many of our generous supporters.” All private gifts to Mississippi State through Dec. 31, 2008, including those to athletics, are considered State of the Future contributions. For more information on State of the Future, contact Rush at 662-325-9306 or visit www.msufoundation.com.

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FOUNDATION news MSU Foundation names new

Crane

Dowdle

Easley

Henry

MSU Foundation Board President Richard C. Adkerson (center) rang the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange in March. Adkerson is the CEO and director of Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc., the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest publicly traded copper company.

Members of the Mississippi State University Foundation board of directors are making a Montgomery difference across the nation in their roles as leaders in business and industry and through their service to the university. Foundation board president and MSU accounting alumnus Richard C. Adkerson is certainly no exception. In March, Adkerson was on hand to ring

Hurst

Roberts

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the closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange. The occasion marked a noteworthy acquisition by his company, Phoenix, Ariz. based FreeportMcMoRan Copper and Gold Inc. By attaining Phelps Dodge Inc., FCX created the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest publicly traded copper company. Adkerson is the chief executive officer and a director of Freeport-McMoRan and

FOUNDATION news officers and board members also serves as co-chairman of the board of McMoRan Exploration Co. Other MSU Foundation board officers for 2007 are James J. Rouse of Houston, Texas, a retired vice president of ExxonMobil Corp., who serves as vice president for the board, and Hunter W. Rouse Rush Sanders Taylor Henry Jr., a San Marcos, Texas, resident and retired president of Dow Chemical USA who serves as treasurer. The remaining officers are John P. Rush, MSU’s recently named vice president for development and alumni, who will serve as CEO, and David D. Easley, chief financial officer for the MSU Foundation. The MSU Foundation also has selected new and returning members Wade Ward White for its board of directors. Incoming members who reside in Mississippi Other members whose terms began Healthcare; and James T. “Tom” White include: Johnny Crane of Fulton, CEO Jan. 1 include: Louis A. Hurst Jr., a of Dallas, Texas, who is president of of F.L. Crane and Sons Inc.; John N. retired senior administrator of FDIC H.C. Price Co. Board members are “Nutie” Dowdle of Columbus, CEO of who resides in Houston, Texas; Mary elected to serve three-year terms. Dowdle Enterprises; C.R. “Bob” Diane Roberts of Louisville, Ky., a Under the guidance of its 46Montgomery of Canton, a partner with retired professor of business at Indiana member board, the MSU Foundation Montgomery McGraw Collins and State University East in Richmond, now administers the institution’s Rand PLLC; Michael W. Sanders of Ind. who still teaches on a part-time academic fundraising activities and Cleveland, president and CEO of basis; ZonaDale L. Taylor of endowment funds, which currently Jimmy Sanders Inc.; Floyd D. Wade Jr. Collierville, Tenn., an independent stand at nearly $250 million. of Newton, owner of Wade Properties; management/business consultant who and Joe Ann Ward of Jackson, who is is retired from Glaxo Smith Kline owner of Briarwood Enterprises.

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Class news '54

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C.P. FORTNER JR. of Eupora, attorney and former mayor of Eupora, has been elected president of the board of directors of Natchez Trace Electric Power Association.

MICHAEL D. GILPIN of Hattiesburg has retired as a brigadier general with the Mississippi Army National Guard after more than 38 years of service. He is a Vietnam War veteran and graduate of the Air War College and U.S. Army War College.

SARAH STERDIVANT SMITH (M.ED. ’74, PH.D. ’05), an assistant professor of educational leadership at Jackson State University, recently presented a research paper, “The Changing Face of Educational Leadership in Mississippi,” at the Oxford Round Table at Oxford University, England. She was the only presenter from Mississippi at the prestigious forum. Smith’s husband Melvin and sons Demetrius and Cedric are all graduates of MSU, and her youngest son Anthony is scheduled to graduate from the university next year. ROBERT P. TAYLOR (PH.D. ’83) of Northport, Ala., a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Alabama, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Before joining the faculty at Alabama, he was a mechanical engineering professor at Mississippi State.

'56 BOBBY MARTIN of Ripley, chairman and president of The Peoples Bank, is the Boy Scouts of America Yocona Area Council’s 2007 Distinguished Citizen. SELBY PARKER of Clinton, a counseling psychologist, has published his third novel, Scopophilia. It and his two previous books, The Camel Boy and The Man from Bandera, are available online from major book distributors.

'63 JIM GORDON of Houston, retired businessman, has been elected secretary of the board of directors of Natchez Trace Electric Power Association.

'66 SHELDON WEBSTER of Birmingham, Ala., chairman of BKR Borland Benefield CPAs, has published his fourth novel, House of Deception, available at AuthorHouse.com.

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WILLIAM M. MCPHAIL (M.B.A. ’69) of Burke, Va., has retired from the United States Government Accountability Office after nearly 37 years of service as a senior analyst with the congressional investigating agency.

'69 WENDELL COUCH has received the Hospitality Loss Prevention Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Hospitality Law Conference. He is recently retired as senior vice president for global risk management for InterContinental Hotels Group. CHARLIE V. SANDERS of Senatobia recently achieved Life Board of Director status with the National Association of Home Builders. He was president of the Home Builders Association of Mississippi in 2000.

'70 JIMMY BALL of Calhoun City, owner of Ball Building Supply, has been elected vice president of the board of directors of Natchez Trace Electric Power Association.

'72 JIMMY MCCULLY (M.S. ’75) of Starkville, a research professor and coordinator of agriculture education and special initiatives in the Research and Curriculum Unit at MSU, has received the National Association of Agricultural Educators’ Outstanding Service Citation Award. Henry O. Welch of Columbus has been named chairman of the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.

'77 JOHN MCKIE of Madison has been named a partner and executive vice president at GodwinGroup, one of the South’s largest and oldest advertising agencies.

'80 JAMSHED QAMAR of San Jose, Calif., has been named vice president of customer engineering services for ChipX, a leader in the development and manufacturing of differentiated application-specific integrated circuit solutions.

'83 BECKY ESSIG MURPHY has been named vice president of sales covering the seven-state Southwest region for Sirius Computer Solutions. A Summer 2007

CLASS news BEN PACE (M.P.A. ’84) of Madison has been promoted to vice president of finance for Cellular South, the nation’s largest privately held wireless provider. GRAY SWOOPE (M.B.A.’91) of Jackson has been named by Gov. Haley Barbour to serve as executive director of the Mississippi Development Authority.

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CECELIA BOWDEN of Starkville has illustrated a children’s book, Dandy Lion: The Adventure Begins, written by Marcia Bryan of West Point. The two currently are collaborating on a second project.

MATTHEW MITCHELL has been named women’s basketball coach at the University of Kentucky. He previously was head basketball coach at Morehead State University.

'90 CAROLINE BUFFINGTON PUGH

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STEPHEN L. FARR of Nashville, Tenn., has been named co-managing director of the national healthcare practice for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. He also is a division senior vice president for the company.

of Tupelo has joined Robinson & Associates advertising and marketing firm as a copywriter and coordinator of account services.

'85 JIM RICHMOND of Madison has

GEORGE E. BAIRD IV, co-founder of Baird and Brunson Land Management Group in Collierville, Tenn., has been named Professional Farm Manager of the Year, an award sponsored by Syngenta, the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, and AgProfessional magazine. Baird and his partner manage about 40,000 acres for more than 70 clients. WILLIAM KIRKPATRICK of Leesburg, Va., has been named regional manager for IP core routing and optical networking for the Sprint-Nextel account by Cisco Systems.

been promoted to director of corporate communications for Cellular South.

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JOHN EDWARDS (M.S. ’93), a partner in the litigation section of the Texas-based Jackson Walker law firm, has been named a Rising Star for 2006. Rising Stars are attorneys who have been in practice less than 10 years, and are chosen for the honor by “Super Lawyers” who have observed their level of professional skill. JOHN M. HAIRSTON of Gulfport has been named chief executive officer of Hancock Holding Company, the parent company of Hancock Bank. Hairston also serves as the company’s chief operations officer. WILLIAM L. STOPPEL (M.A. ’89), chief of the Personnel, Policy and Readiness Division of the Army National Guard in Arlington, Va., has been promoted to the rank of colonel in a ceremony at the Pentagon.

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'94 JAMES ALBERT of Buffalo, N.Y., a veterinarian, has been elected to the board of the Niagara Frontier Veterinary Society. BRETT HATTEN of Brandon has been promoted to director of quality and product management for Cellular South. AMY MARQUEZ has been named executive director of the Mississippi Arthritis Foundation.

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C. MITCHELL ADRIAN has been named dean of the College of Business at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, La.

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JAMES D. DAVIS JR. has been promoted to associate with the JasterQuintanilla engineering firm. He previously was manager of the civil department for JQ/Dallas. JOHN ROUNSAVILLE (M.A.B.M. ’98) of Madison has been appointed state director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development by President George Bush. He is former policy adviser to Gov. Haley Barbour and deputy chief of staff to Congressman Chip Pickering, R-Miss.

'98 DERECK RUSH of Chandler, Texas, has been named head football coach at John Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas. The school has a premier 5A football program.

'01 JAMIE H. JENKINS of Nashville, Tenn., has been appointed state executive director for Tennessee by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.

Class news '02 AIMEE RICHERSON KILPATRICK has been promoted to assistant vice president at Trustmark in Jackson.

'03 JOSH DALY (M.B.A. ’04) of Grenada is in his third year of medical school at the New York College of

Podiatric Medicine and is serving as class president.

'06 JUSTIN STARLING of Mount Olive has been awarded a full-tuition scholarship to the Mississippi College School of Law. The award goes each

year to the outstanding applicant from select colleges known for their rigorous undergraduate pre-law programs.

Please send class news items to Allen Snow, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 397625325 or e-mail to snowa@ur.msstate.edu.

BIRTH announcements Garrett Amias Dobson, Sept. 14, 2006, to AMY M. PARKER-DOBSON (’00) and DUANE F. DOBSON (’94). Harvey Chandler Drane, Dec. 29, 2006, to THOMAS WALTON DRANE JR. (’02) and wife Sandy of Carthage. Eleanor Elizabeth Garrett, Dec. 4, 2006, to CLINT GARRETT (’00) and wife Robyn of Muscle Shoals, Ala. Cale Benjamin Huffman, Nov. 10, 2006, to AARON M. HUFFMAN (’05) and wife Chrissy of Orlando, Fla. Elias Alexander McFadden III, March 11, 2007, to ROBERT GEORGE MCFADDEN (’04) and wife Amanda of Petal. Alexandria Roth McGee, Jan. 29, 2006, to STEPHANIE EATON MCGEE (’98) and WADE MCGEE (’98) of Collierville, Tenn.

Luke Demere Modenbach, Jan. 24, 2007, to MARK MODENBACH (’02) and LAURYN LANDRY MODENBACH (’02). Lillian Claire Montgomery, July 12, 2006, to EMILY KOERBER MONTGOMERY (’00) and husband Gray of Hattiesburg. Braden Ross Park, June 27, 2006, to CHRISTY ALBRIGHT PARK (’95) and husband JungHyun of Woodstock, Ga. Anders Ward Peterson, Jan. 21, 2006, to RICHARD W. PETERSON JR. (’99) and wife Jodi of Anderson, S.C. Anna Kathleen Roberson, Feb. 7, 2007, to SUZANNA FARRELL ROBERSON (’97) and MICHAEL ROBERSON (’96) of Lakeland, Fla.

Ann Garvin Rush, May 2, 2007, to JOHN P. RUSH (’94, ’02) and wife Jennifer of Starkville. Summer Lynn Smiley, Jan. 4, 2007, to CHARLIE SMILEY (’92) and wife Sherri of Canton, Ga. Ellen Frances Tagert, Sept. 5, 2006, to MIKE TAGERT (’98) and MARY LOVE TAGERT (’06). William Walker Tate, Nov. 1, 2006, to KEVIN MICHAEL TATE (’94) and wife Amy of Tupelo. Ruby Wallace Walton, Jan. 15, 2007, to JAY WALTON (’95) and STEPHANIE WALLACE WALTON (’95) of Nashville, Tenn.

JAMES RANDOLPH HARRIS (’37)—92, Cary; retired assistant chief engineer for G.M. & O. Railroad, Jan. 25, 2005. EARL HOLLAND (’38)—93, Canton; retired business owner, April 10, 2007.

JACK DAVIS COOK SR. (’39)—93, Starkville; retired vice president of Security State Bank, longtime treasurer of the MSU Alumni Association and World War II veteran, Feb. 18, 2007. THOMAS W. MOORE (’39)—88, St. Helena, Calif.; retired president of the

ABC television network and of Ticketron, vineyard owner, and World War II veteran, March 31, 2007. DAVID NAUGHER (’40)—89, Pontotoc; founder and manager of Naugher Dairy Farm and World War II veteran, Feb. 8, 2007.

IN memoriam A Summer 2007

IN memoriam HARRY CARLTON BELL JR. (’41)—87, Starkville; retired district manager for the Mississippi State Tax Commission, Dec. 25, 2006. JAMES HAL MOORE SR. (’41)— Pope; retired farmer, businessman and World War II veteran, Feb. 14, 2007. THOMAS HAL PHILLIPS (’43)— 84, Corinth; acclaimed novelist, screenwriter and World War II veteran, April 3, 2007. JOSEPH VALLEY DAWSEY JR. (’48)—84, Vicksburg; retired engineer for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, lieutenant colonel in U.S. Army Reserve, and World War II veteran, Jan. 14, 2007. CHARLES KENNETH HARRELL (’49)—Jackson; retired from ChevronTexaco Corp., Dec. 16, 2006. D.L. TRIGGS JR. (’49)—83, Jackson; retired state executive director of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and World War II veteran, March 4, 2007. ADDISON HARTWELL WYNN (’49)—88, ; retired soil scientist for the Soil Conservation Service and World War II veteran, Feb. 26, 2007. JAMES A. EVANS JR. (’50)— Covington, La.; retired engineer and World War II veteran, Dec. 27, 2006. HAROLD MALLORY STRINGFELLOW (’50)—79, Lucedale; owner and operator of Stringfellow Equipment Co., Feb. 28, 2007. RICHARD LEE MILLER (’52)—81, Jackson; retired comptroller and vice president for Miller Transporters Inc. and World War II veteran, Feb. 7, 2007. TOMMY BARR BRUMFIELD (’55)—75, Walker’s Bridge; retired probation/parole officer for the Mississippi Department of Corrections and Korean War veteran, March 18, 2007. GUY JONES JR. (’56)—73, Carrollton; owner of Guy Jones Construction Co., Jan. 8, 2007.

S Summer 2007

JACK M. KENDALL (’60)— Huntsville, Ala.; vice president of Kendall Moulding & Frames, Feb. 15, 2007. FRANK WOODRUFF SHROPSHIRE (’60)—74, Clinton; retired U.S. Forest Service specialist, retired district forester for the Mississippi Forestry Commission, and Korean War veteran, Dec. 22, 2006. WAYNE ANTHONY MANUEL SR. (’61)—68, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.; retired chief accountant for Blumenthal Print Works, Jan. 22, 2007. WILLIAM LARRY WEBB (’61)— 69, Hazlehurst; retired from poultry industry in Mississippi and Alabama, May 18, 2006. NATHAN L. GULLY (’62)—85, Carthage; retired forester for the Mississippi Forestry Commission, Dec. 31, 2006. GRAVIS WILTON ALEXANDER JR. (’64)—66, Silsbee, Texas; founder of Alexander Forest Service Products, Feb. 7, 2007. C.O. HERCHENHAHN (’64)—64, Houston, Texas; pastor of Spring Woods Baptist Church, Dec. 4, 2006. MICKEY PUTMAN (’64)—64, Fayetteville, Tenn.; partner in Putman and Hancock CPAs, Dec. 22, 2006. DONALD R. WILKES (’66)— Huntsville, Ala.; founder of AZ Technology, an aerospace coatings and optics company, July 8, 2006. PHYLLIS ANN CORRERO HARRIS (’71)—63, Brandon; homemaker and home construction management, Jan. 1, 2007. DONALD ALLEN CRAIN (’73)— 55, Holly Springs; finance industry sales consultant, Dec. 6, 2006. H. LEON MCKEE (’73)—55, Meridian; president and manager of Molpus Forest Products, Dec. 16, 2006. MARGIE HOOD (’74)—54, Duncan; insurance representative, Jan. 9, 2007.

PHILIP HENRY ERWIN (’75)—58, Rayne, La.; longtime employee of Texaco Oil Co. and Vietnam War veteran, April 6, 2007. JOHN LARRY FRY (’75)—54, Round Rock, Texas; retired education specialist, high school principal, teacher, and coach, March 28, 2007. JOHN PERKINS LANCASTER (’98)—31, Jackson; sales representative for the Mississippi Association of Self Employed, Dec. 30, 2006. Ariel Brown Brasher (student)—19, Oakland; freshman at Mississippi State, Feb. 16, 2007. James McLean Bell (attended)—79, Austin, Texas; independent car dealer and businessman, March 17, 2007. Kincheon Varner Combs (attended)—77, Gulfport; former mayor of Gulfport, retired Air Force brigadier general , and Korean War veteran, Feb. 13, 2007. William E. “Gene” Manning (attended)—77, Hernando; retired insurance agent/owner and former state representative, Jan. 2, 2007. Dean Ricketts (attended)—83, Amory; retired Amory Garment Co. employee and World War II veteran, Dec. 2, 2006. Nell Slade Shoemaker (attended)— 78, Hattiesburg; registered nurse and businesswoman, Jan. 5, 2007. Ellouise Rutledge Good (former employee)—80, Starkville; retired secretary in the Extension horticulture department, Nov. 22, 2006.

Please send obituaries to Allen Snow, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325 or e-mail to snowa@ur.msstate.edu.

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