Mississippi State University Alumnus Fall 2002 by MSSTATE

A L U M N AU SL U M N U S A L U M N U S

F A L L F A L2 L 0 20 0 00 2 F A L L 2 0 0 0

James Worth Bagley makes historic gift to Mississippi State

C O N T E N T S

ALUMNUS Fall 2002 Volume 78 Number 3

USPS 354-520

Interim President Charles Lee

Historic gift establishes James Worth Bagley College of Engineering A $25 million contribution from Mississippi State alumnus and Texas resident James Bagley and his wife Jean will name the university’s engineering college.

Vice President for External Affairs Dennis A. Prescott

Alumni Association Executive Director John V. Correro (’62)

Architectural historian explores the past of state, national landmarks For Michael W. Fazio, associate dean of Mississippi State’s School of Architecture, an old building is a work of art and, often, a mystery to solve.

Mississippi State Alumnus is published three times a year by the Office of University Relations and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association at Mississippi State, Miss. Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526; telephone 662-325-2434; or access by web browser at http:// msuinfo.ur.msstate.edu/alumni/ alumni.htm. Editorial offices: 102 George Hall, P.O. Box 5325, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325. Telephone 662-325-3442; fax, 662-325-7455; e-mail, snowa@ur.msstate.edu.

Common-sense approach, governmental safeguards counteract bioterrorism threat to food supply Dr. Douglas Marshall, a professor of food science and technology, says some possible terror threats people fear most, such as contamination of a city’s reservoir, would be almost impossible to carry out.

A special day draws us home University photographers Fred Faulk and Russ Houston captured the pageantry and excitement of Homecoming 2002.

Editor/Designer Allen Snow (’76)

Associate Editor Kay Fike Jones

Smooth ride through Canton plant goal of MSU research Most college class projects end with an exam paper, but a group of MSU student engineers will see the results of their efforts when the first Nissan vehicle rolls off the Canton assembly line.

Designer Becky Smith Student Writer Carol Keltz (’02)

Photographers Fred Faulk Russ Houston (’85) Mississippi State University Alumni Association National Officers Allen Maxwell (’78), national president; Gary Blair (’81), national first vice president; Keith Winfield (’70), national second vice president; David W. Jones (’81) national treasurer; Robby Gathings (’81), immediate former national president. www.msstate.edu Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status.

Stanley K. Burt: Expressing creativity Stanley K. Burt spends his days using supercomputers to search for more effective ways to treat cancer. His nights, however, are spent making music.

On the cover: The James Worth Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State will join the ranks of 20 or so named engineering schools in the country, including those at Auburn, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, and Texas A&M universities. Story on page 2. (Photo by Jeff Firestone, Firestone Photography.)

16 Campus News 26 Athletics 29 Alumni Activities 32 Philanthropy 38 Class News 43 In Memoriam

Historic gift establishes

James Worth Bagley C By Amy Cagle

Photos by Jeff Firestone, Firestone Photography

A $25 million contribution from Mississippi State alumnus and Texas resident James Bagley and his wife Jean will endow the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. Mississippi State University will join the ranks of 20 or so universities in the country with named engineering schools in the country, including those at Auburn, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Northwestern, and Texas A&M universities. The Bagleys’ gift is the largest single financial commitment in the university’s 124-year history, coming at a time when private gifts are more important than ever to public universities. The College of Engineering will use the gift to attract more students and nationally known faculty, enhance programs, and better position itself to

secure support from other sources. The naming of the college recently was approved by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning.

“The College of Engineering has made enormous progress in the scope and quality of its teaching, research, and service programs in recent years,” said Interim President J. Charles Lee. “We now have the potential to achieve true greatness in part due to the gift from Jim and Jean Bagley. “This gift from the Bagleys will move us to the next level of academic achievement and service to the people of our state and region,” Lee added. “We are grateful for their trust in our university and their vision for achieving a better life for the people of our state through this university.”

Fulfilling an obligation to the state of Mississippi is important to Bagley. He earned an education at MSU with the aid of a student loan and, later, a graduate assistantship. “If it weren’t for State, I couldn’t have gone to school. MSU was available to me, and they educated me,” Bagley said. “I tell this to young people all the time: ‘When you go to a good school, your undergraduate education will never hinder you,’ and mine never did.” Bagley, the engineering college’s 1994 Alumnus of the Year, is a passionate supporter of the college’s desire to break into the ranks of the top 25 engineering schools in the nation. The college currently ranks in the top 15 percent in the nation and fourth in the Southeast among colleges of engineering

The man behind the gift Coming from a working-class family, Jim Bagley’s ethics and values have been molded largely by his heritage. Bagley’s parents, William Otis Bagley and Christina Bagley, met while his father was stationed with the U.S. Army at Fort Bragg, N.C. The couple later moved to Michigan, where all four of their children were born in different houses. Jim was born in Wyandotte, about 15 miles south of Detroit. During World War II, when Bagley was around the age of 4, his family moved to Mississippi. He vaguely remembers the housing and food shortages that impacted the family. The Bagleys moved from Vicksburg to

S Fall 2002

Yazoo City and then to Jackson, with changes in his father’s job. The value of a dollar is something Bagley learned at an early age. By fourth grade, he began earning his own money delivering newspapers, a livelihood he would continue through high school. Eventually, he worked at a local service station before and after school. Bagley always has been drawn to engineering. He grew up in an environment where everyone was a “practicing mechanic,” including his father and older brother. A defining moment for Bagley came one day while working in the family garage. “One of my most memorable recollections is rebuilding a 1949 Packard that I had purchased for $50 from my

brother. I reassembled and started the motor on the garage floor before I reinstalled it,” Bagley recalled. “Dad was pressing me to hurry so he could put his car back in the garage.” Bagley doesn’t have the Packard anymore, but he’ll never forget the valuable hands-on lesson he learned from the extensive overhaul of the automobile. Although Bagley’s primary interest always has been in mechanical engineering, his dad’s influence gave him an appreciation of all things electrical. In

College of Engineering in research expenditures. Enrollment stands at more than 2,100 students studying in 10 major fields. Bagley’s memories of Mississippi State and his time here as a student during the late-’50s and mid-’60s remain vivid. He had dreams of moving to California earlier, but decided to attend MSU instead. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1961 and a master’s in 1966, both in electrical engineering. Throughout a successful 36-year career in the semiconductor business, currently as chairman of the board and CEO of California-based Lam Research Corp., Bagley has remembered his ties to the university and its engineering school. He always has believed that Mississippi State provided him with the necessary building blocks for his career and credits the

engineering fellowships and program with his expand research success in the activities; the Bagley corporate sector. Excellence Fund will The engineerfund professional ing college’s use of development for the Bagley gift will faculty and staff, be fourfold. special scholarships Besides naming the and fellowships, college, the gift equipment, and will establish student enhanceseveral endowments; and an ments. The Bagley additional fund will Faculty Excellence provide for facility Fund will be used enhancements. to attract nationNaming the Bagley and wife Jean ally respected College of Engineerfaculty and provide training to develop ing and impacting the graduate program younger faculty; the Bagley Graduate is, in Bagley’s mind, a symbol of the role Excellence Fund will endow graduate continued next page

fact, he endowed the James W. Bagley Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering at MSU because it was reflective of many of the things his dad did. William Bagley worked at LaTourneau, a large equipment company in Vicksburg for about 10 years. “My father developed an electrical system to control remotely a large earth-moving piece of equipment,” Bagley said. “He was very innovative and ahead of his time. As an example, in the early ‘60s, he described to me a power and braking system that is very similar to that used in today’s gasoline/electric hybrid cars.” Family is a priority for Bagley. He met Jean while both were attending Forest Hill High School in Jackson and now, 41 years

later, they are the proud parents of three children and grandparents of eight. The Bagleys are very hands-on grandparents. They divide their time between Texas, to be near their family, and California, where Lam Research Corp. is located. Jean remains a full-time homemaker and, according to Bagley, his greatest asset. Bagley began his professional career at Texas Instruments in 1966, following graduation from Mississippi State with a master’s in electrical engineering. After nearly 16 years at TI, he joined Applied Materials Inc. During his tenure, from 1987 to 1996, as president and chief operating officer, and then later vice chairman of the board and chief operating

officer, the company grew from $175 million to almost $4 billion in annual revenue. Today, Bagley’s success is evident. He has been chairman of the board and CEO of Lam Research Corp., headquartered in Fremont, Calif., since 1997, when he facilitated a merger between Lam Research Corp. and OnTrak Systems, where he was chairman and CEO. Lam Research Corp. is a leading global supplier of wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry. Bagley also serves as a member of the board of directors for Micron Technology, Teradyne, and Wind River Systems.

A Fall 2002

philanthropy must play if the aspirations of the engineering school are to be realized. “Mississippi State is already turning out engineers for the global marketplace, but I believe the graduate program is going to take the college to the next level,” he said. He wants the college to use his gift to enhance its national image and reputation while placing an emphasis on graduate teaching and research. “It is a rarity that a philanthropist of Jim Bagley’s caliber expresses such a definite interest in graduate education,” said Dennis A. Prescott, vice president for external affairs. “He truly believes that concentration in this area will enable the College of Engineering to move upward through the ranks, and he personally wants to ensure that it happens.” When Bagley received his bachelor’s degree at MSU, there were a limited number of opportunities awaiting him. “When I finished my undergraduate degree, I went to work for Texaco in Houston, Texas, because, at the time, that was the highest paid job I could get,” he said. “I soon learned that I needed more education and so I started thinking about graduate school. Unfortunately, I never worked a day in Mississippi after I obtained my MSEE degree,” Bagley recalls. It’s the firsthand experience that made Bagley realize that students need to obtain a graduate degree from a nationally recognized engineering school. To promote graduate education, Bagley wants a portion of his gift to be used to encourage matching funds to endow graduate fellowships. Bagley’s dream to pursue an engineering career took him away from Mississippi, and he wants to ensure that students who receive an education in the state have the option of remaining here to work. Through his gift, he hopes Mississippi State will be able to stimulate technology

S Fall 2002

growth and provide opportunities for students to pursue their careers in the state. According to engineering dean Wayne Bennett, the Bagley gift will greatly affect the college. “The Bagley commitment will have a profound impact on MSU engineering. It will provide us with the resources we need to keep students in Mississippi and offer them a world-class undergraduate and graduate education from a named engineering school.” As a member of the College of Engineering Dean’s Development Council, Bagley has increased his involvement with the university. He was participating in a process to identify future priorities and goals of the engineering college when he was approached about making a substantial contribution to the college’s capital campaign. “In a meeting in my office with Dennis Prescott, I asked him if he had a prospect for the lead gift,” stated Bagley. “Dennis said, ‘Yes, you.’ “I was surprised because I had in mind making a $10 or $15 million gift, not the lead gift,” Bagley recalls. Bagley believes that you have an obligation to give when you are able, but he always weighs his decisions carefully. “There are many people who could make this gift, but I felt like there was no reason for me not to. No one convinced me; I knew it was the right thing to do,” he said. “I looked on this opportunity as a way to further the goals and objectives of the engineering school and at the same time make a contribution to the state of Mississippi,” he added. For Bagley, the gift adds to 20 years of philanthropic support for Mississippi State. He and his family award four engineering scholarships at MSU annually through the J.W. Bagley Foundation. Bagley also has endowed the James W. Bagley Chair in Electrical and Computer Engineering and has made notable contributions to the Robert D. Guyton Chair in Engineering, honoring his

longtime mentor and graduate adviser. Bagley is a modest man who only consented to naming the school for him at his wife’s persuasion. “My interest was not so much in naming the school for the family or for me, but to see that it got done,” Bagley said. “Jean said to me,

Bagley discusses operations in a boardroom at Lam Research Corp.

‘You’ve got to stop thinking about yourself and instead think about what this will mean to your children and grandchildren.’” Leaving a legacy at his alma mater struck a chord with Bagley. “I thought there was real wisdom on Jean’s part to take a very long-term view of this. In all likelihood, my great-grandchildren won’t know much about me, but the Bagley College of Engineering will be part of their family history,” he said. “Naming the college then became more compelling than something else I might do.” Bagley sees himself as any concerned alumnus of the university. However, he just happens to be the man who engineered his gift in a way he hopes will create a chain reaction of future support among other alumni and friends of Mississippi State and its College of Engineering.

The Way We Were Architectural historian explores the past of state, national landmarks By Maridith Walker Geuder Photos by Fred Faulk and Michael W. Fazio

For Michael W. Fazio, an old building is a work of art and, often, a mystery to solve. He sees what is there and explores with an architect’s eye—and a historian’s detail—what came before it and what it may yet become. He can look at Mississippi State’s Montgomery Hall, built in 1903, and since 1975 listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and see a NeoPalladian building with a “glorious cliff of brick on the exterior” and an apse that is “the single most dramatic architectural feature on the campus.” He knows the history of R.H. Hunt, the building’s architect and the designer of MSU’s Lee Hall (1909), as well as some of the most famous buildings in Chattanooga, where Hunt lived. The turn-of-the-century architect also designed several historic buildings on the Columbus campus of Mississippi University for Women. Hunt’s buildings, Fazio says, typically are “quirky and energetic,” and in many cases, “spectacular.” If he speaks of buildings in terms of personalities, it’s because he’s passionate about his work in historic preservation. Associate dean of Mississippi State’s School of Architecture, Fazio is a widely regarded architectural historian whose expertise has guided projects that include renovation of Biloxi’s White House Hotel, Hattiesburg’s Saenger Theater, the Hinds County Courthouse in Jackson, Whitworth College in Brookhaven, and the University of Mississippi’s Lyceum Building, among a host of others. At Mississippi State, he provided background and recommendations for a current renovation of Montgomery Hall being directed by architect James Eley of Jackson. Built originally as a science building and library, the more than 30,000 square-foot structure will house Student Affairs offices when fully refurbished later this year. MSU architectural historian Michael W. Fazio, right, discusses renovations at Montgomery Hall with architect James Eley of Jackson. A Fall 2002

Eley says he has come to rely on Fazio’s advice in major projects such as Montgomery Hall and the Ole Miss Lyceum. As historical consultant, Fazio “produces the historical structures report, shepherds us through state requirements, and determines for us what was original and what was added. He knows his craft,” Eley said.

pressed metal ceiling, and interior of the rear apse. Both Fazio and architect James Eley believe the apse to be the defining feature of the building. Originally housing the campus library, this extended portion of Montgomery Hall is a principal floor with two mezzanine levels. “This will be one of the major interior spaces on the campus,” Eley predicts.

A forensic investigation Restoring historic buildings such as From smoking ruins Montgomery Hall requires that the Architect Larry Albert of Hattiesburg architect adhere to national and state recalls thinking that the ruins of the Perry regulations. Under the National Historic County courthouse looked like “a big Preservation Act, the Secretary of the barbecue pit.” The structure in New Interior maintains standards and Augusta, which dated from 1905, was guidelines for preservation of structures gutted by fire in February 1990. on the National Register of Historic A member of the School of Places. State historic preservation Architecture’s first graduating class, officers—in Mississippi, designated Albert was just establishing his practice personnel at the state Department of when he proposed to the county’s board Archives and History—ensure that the of supervisors that the building be standards are met. restored rather than razed. Those guidelines, Fazio says, are fairly For help, he turned to his former broad. “They describe a philosophy professor and mentor. “I hesitated to take about what has to be done to preserve as on a project like this as such a young much of the original fabric as possible firm,” he remembers, “and I told Dr. Fazio while still accommodating modern we couldn’t do it without him. He needs.” believed we could restore the building.” Discovering the historic fabric, however, can be a painstaking, complicated process. “It’s sometimes like solving a mystery,” Fazio said. “Even with drawings, it can be a forensic investigation.” In the case of Montgomery Hall, the university’s own records became a starting point. The original R.H. Hunt plans, as well as those of a 1939 interior remodeling, were on file with the The Perry County courthouse in New Augusta was gutted by fire early in 1990. university’s Physical Plant office. The present-day structure retains the Fazio arrived when smoke was still essence of the 1939 exterior, with the rising from the site. Immediately, he saw exceptions of the styles of windows and the significance of preserving the downspouts. structure. Among Fazio’s recommendations were “While many homes in New England maintaining and restoring the exterior to locations such as Newport are built of its 1939 form and maintaining the stair, Perry County pine, the income from sale 6

S Fall 2002

of native materials allowed the construction of the single piece of county public architecture,” he said. “After the Civil War, Perry County basically was clear cut and the wood shipped north.” Piecing together the historical record involved collecting the clues that would provide an accurate sense of the original structure. Fazio observed that at least one major doorway had been moved inside the structure. He sought out even tiny pieces of molding that could be matched. From the ashes, he was able to find enough details to provide an accurate sense of the original building and its evolution. “Nothing I’ve worked on in the state is more dramatic than the Perry County Courthouse,” he said. More than a decade later, architect Larry Albert still finds it hard to believe the building was reborn. “Whenever I look at the before and after pictures, I’m amazed,” he said.

The importance of the past Fazio, whose research has led him from the historic buildings of Mississippi to some of the major structures of the nation’s capital, believes he’s doing his small part to preserve significant parts of the past. “There is an increasing consciousness that our earth is finite,” he said. “It’s clear that we need to use our resources intelligently, because there are repercussions in every area of life.” His corner of that life, he says, is architecture. “Buildings are charged with emotion and meaning,” he said. “We often travel great distances to see them.” He describes such travels as a pilgrimage, “a revelation connected to seeing objects that have over time accumulated significance.”

Fazio served as historical consultant for this restoration of the Perry County Courthouse, directed by architect Larry Albert, an MSU alumnus.

Fueled by the 1970s’ misdirected interest in urban renewal, the importance of historic preservation has gained momentum ever since, he noted. “Once a structure is razed, it is gone forever. A watershed moment such as the destruction of New York’s Penn Station brings this home. It’s gone: there’s a hole in the city and a hole in our own understanding of place.” Fazio became interested in preservation after pursuing academic studies in architecture. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture at Auburn and Ohio State universities, respectively, before earning a doctorate in architectural history and urban development at Cornell University. He now is the longest serving faculty member at MSU’s School of Architecture, founded in 1973. In 1997, he was named a Distinguished Professor by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. In addition to developing the School of Architecture’s graduate studies program, Fazio has continued to pursue scholarly interests ranging from federal period architecture to the industrial architecture of his native Birmingham, Ala.

The architect as author The coming year will see the publication of major works based on his research. A longtime interest in the

British-born architect of national co-authored with Marian Moffett of the landmarks such as the nation’s capitol, University of Tennessee and the late the White House, and the Baltimore Larry Wodehouse, formerly a University Cathedral is resulting in Inventing the of Tennessee faculty member. American House: The Domestic “We’ve attempted to provide a Architecture of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, universal view of architecture, including to be released by The Johns Hopkins pre-Colombian, Chinese, Japanese, and University Press next spring. Islamic architecture, among others,” he explained. Featuring more than 500 Fazio and co-author Patrick Snadon— illustrations and a detailed electronic formerly of MSU and now at the study guide, the book is broadening the University of Cincinnati—consulted on scope of architectural history. the restoration of two Latrobe properties, the Pope Villa in Lexington, Ky., and the Closer to home, Fazio also is Decatur House in Washington, D.C. They continuing his research for a book spent a decade conducting research that tentatively titled Reading Birmingham: involved travel to every property about The Architecture of Coal and Iron. A which they wrote and poring through descriptive history, his study will include major portions of Latrobe’s sections on geology of the city, correspondence amounting to nearly industrialists and planners, the 10,000 letters. Depression, Black “Latrobe was Birmingham, among the first and the new generation of Birmingham. great architects in America, and Once a major is still among the iron- and steelgreatest,” Fazio producing city whose first said. “Thomas furnace was built Jefferson in 1878, brought him to Birmingham Washington to Fazio visits Birmingham’s now defunct Sloss became a work on public Furnaces for research on a book-length “sprawling ironbuildings, some descriptive history about the former major making of which are the iron- and steel-producing city. nation’s most enterprise,” notable landmarks.” Fazio said. Prices were undercut by cheaper overseas production, and a Ironically, Fazio notes, most people century later, the city took a dramatic have never heard the architect’s name. turn. “Iron-making now is virtually That may change with publication of the gone,” he said. forthcoming book and the formation of a new national consortium, Latrobe’s Michael Fazio’s impressive body of America, a group of cultural institutions work illustrates that architecture is a whose collections, architecture and visible symbol of the past. “When I first began to study architecture, I wasn’t history are connected to Latrobe [see www.latrobesamerica.org]. Fazio is one aware that one could become an of several consultants for the group. architectural historian,” he said. Fazio also is the author of a “As it turned out, I’ve made a career of forthcoming architectural history it.” textbook to be released by McGraw Hill in the fall. Buildings Across Time: An Introduction to Architectural History, is A Fall 2002

“. . . common sense is a most important factor in food safety, and in bioterrorism.”

Food safety expert Douglas Marshall believes common sense is one of the most effective weapons in combating bioterrorism.

Common-sense approach, gover bioterr By Kay Fike Jones

Photos by Fred Faulk

Clouds of lethal gas sprayed over a field by cropdusters. Millions of people poisoned by a toxic substance placed in a city’s water system. These are the fears many Americans are harboring since 2001 terrorist attacks, but a Mississippi State scientist urges people to calm down—the risk may not be as great as they believe. Dr. Douglas Marshall, a professor of food science and technology, is an expert on food safety and has served as an infectious disease expert for the National Institutes of Health. He says some possible threats that many people fear, such as contamination of 8

S Fall 2002

a city’s reservoir, would be almost impossible to carry out. “It would take a whole trainload of toxins dumped into a reservoir to even make someone sick—and that’s if the water treatment plant’s purification system wasn’t working,” Marshall said. “There are just too many controls already in place, such as purification systems and limited access areas, for something like that to happen. Plus, that much water would immediately dilute any toxin that is added. “It also would be pretty difficult to get that much substance to the water system without anyone noticing,” he added.

As far as the cropdusting fear goes, Marshall said, spraying a pathogen from an airplane onto, say, a crop of lettuce in California, again runs into the dilution problem. “You will get a certain amount of drift

Marshall and his assistants use every precaution when working with hazardous chemicals.

disease could then catch it, when you spray the substance, so some of it thousands of cows were destroyed won’t even reach its target,” he said. all over Britain. “There’s also the sun, which can inactivate Marshall said regulatory many pathogens and toxins, and then possible rain, which will wash it off. There’s agencies keep abreast of world also the processing of the lettuce, where even situations and when officials saw what was happening, the import of more water is used for washing. British cattle “The was banned. chance of And, someone even because the getting sick Marshall’s research involves the use of hazardous materials. American from this is beef remote.” government are addressing the problem processing industry So, if there aggressively.” renders parts at a is little risk to Everything can be improved, however, higher temperature, crops grown and Marshall recently participated on a mad cow disease is in the United panel that assessed microbiological hazards not a problem here. States, what in food. The 100-member international “We have active about the panel was sponsored by a joint World Health surveillance around food we Organization/United Nations Food and the world,” Marshall import? Agriculture Organization’s Roster of said. “We check and Marshall Experts. The group studied risks posed by analyze reports and said that, Graduate students who assist Marshall check the results of their experiments. biological agents found in substances have agreements again, humans consume for nourishment and with other governcontrols are in suggested improvements in regulatory ments. And, those governments don’t want place by the Food and Drug Administration systems. to lose us as a trading partner, so it’s an and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to And, while bioterrorism is a real economic incentive for them to have keep out many problems before they can possibility, Marshall pointed out that internal controls.” even get here. He cited the recent prolifera-

rnment safeguards counteract rorism threat to food supply tion of mad cow disease in Europe as one example of a problem that never made it to this country’s shores. “The problem began a few years ago in Great Britain when changes were made to the rendering process—using carcass parts to make animal food. To save money, the temperature used to cook the parts was reduced. Unfortunately, the mad cow agent survived the lower temperature.” Once healthy cows ate the food containing the pathogen, many eventually developed the disease. And, because there is a chance that people who eat beef infected with the

He added, “Of course, we know which countries have good regulatory bodies and we have our own regulatory system in place. There are layers of controls to protect the American people.” As for bioterrorism, Marshall said the potential for an event is real, but he believes the consequences are not that large and that the federal government is doing an acceptable job in prevention. “Controlling people is difficult,” Marshall said, “but we can control access and try to control people. “The consumer and general public should be reassured that business and the

“common sense is a most important factor in food safety, and in bioterrorism.” His “common sense” tips include: handle food properly, cook food thoroughly and use reputable vendors. “I think the consumer can be confident that the probability of contamination is low, and, if it happens, an outbreak would be limited in scope,” he said. Marshall added, “People should remember that even though there are some exotic agents out there, they are not new and controls are in place in this country. “We already know what could happen.”

A Fall 2002

Homeco

oming 2002 Gridiron action,

marching bands, old friends, and the crowning of dreamsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; no other single event in the life of a university compares to the tradition, pageantry, and warmth of Homecoming. Mississippi State photographers Fred Faulk and Russ Houston captured the excitement of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s special October day.

Smooth ride through Canton By Bob Ratliff

Photos by Fred Faulk and Russ Houston

Most college class projects end with an exam paper, but a group of Mississippi State student engineers will see the results

Engineer Robert Hinkel (M.E. ’93) checks a sealer application robot in the body assembly area of Nissan’s Smyrna, Tenn., plant. of their efforts when the first Nissan vehicle rolls off the Canton assembly line. Students in MSU’s industrial engineering department began working on a production system model for the Canton plant in early 2001 and recently completed the first phase of the project. “The production model looks for bottlenecks in the movement of vehicles through the plant,” said MSU industrial engineer Clayton T. Walden. “Once problems have been identified, a simulation plan can be developed that will improve the plant’s efficiency.” Walden is the project’s principal investigator. He, along with fellow industrial engineering faculty members Stanley F. Bullington and Allen G. Greenwood, direct a team of 10 undergraduate and graduate industrial engineering students. Nissan uses production modeling to assess some of the individual departments 12

S Fall 2002

in its Smyrna, Tenn., manufacturing plant, team member Lindley Sumler, a graduate but Canton will be the first of the student from Corinth. company’s facilities to have a Other team members production system model include graduate students for the entire process. Travis Hill of Rocky Mt., “There literally are N.C., Rommel D’Souza, thousands of factors to Arunkumar Subramanian, and consider,” Walden said. “The Tai Chi Wu, all of Starkville, and students are focusing on some that can Brent Wilson of Dyersburg, Tenn. Underhave the biggest impact, including graduate team members include Philip movement of vehicles in and out of the Culver of Starkville, Allyson Kalberkamp plant’s paint shop.” of Jackson, Sebastian Hatch of Ripley, and Jeff Miller of West Point. The student team is drawing on the university’s computer simulation resources The Mississippi State student work is to plot the movement of vehicles during an important part of Nissan’s preparation the assembly process and to spot any of the Canton facility, said Scott Pollard, snags along the way. They then look for Nissan department manager for industrial ways to change the simulation to eliminate engineering supply chain management. the potential bottlenecks. “We are looking forward to using the computer simulation and seeing what When run on a computer, the simulaimpact such factors as changes in line tion shows “vehicles” moving through the Canton assembly line. The program can account for variables in the manufacturing process, such as equipment breakdowns. Nissan industrial engineer Jeff Wilkes is assigned to the Canton plant, and he says the MSU project is helping solve problems before they happen. “It’s a good way to look into the future and see MSU production model team members, from left, Philip what’s going to happen Culver, Clay Walden, Lindley Sumler, and Travis Hill with before you have bricks and the finished product at the Smyrna plant. mortar,” he noted. speed, model mix, and equipment downIn addition to what they’ve learned in time have on overall plant performance,” class, the MSU team also has visited he said. “The model will assist us in Nissan’s plant in Smyrna to learn from identifying and reducing plant-wide engineers there. constraints.” “The project lets us use a lot of the things we’ve done in class and we can see how they apply to the real world,” said

n plant goal of MSU research Left: The production model for the Canton plant includes computer-generated representations of the entire manufacturing process. The computer model can be put into motion and changed to reflect equipment breakdowns and other variables. Below: Industrial engineering students, from left, Rommel D’Souza, Sebastian Hatch, Lindley Sumler, and Brent Wilson survey an architect’s model of the Canton plant.

In addition to gaining valuable hands-on experience in their chosen career, the MSU students also are being exposed to potential employment. “This is not just about the computer modeling,” Walden said. “The students also are learning about the automobile manufacturing process.” Pollard agrees that the project is an opportunity for Nissan to see some potential employees in action. “We get to see how the student engineers work and get an idea of the quality of their work,” he said. He added that the expertise the Mississippi State industrial engineering students have shown indicates possibilities for other projects as the Canton plant moves toward completion.

“I think you may see some work in ergonomics related to training operators and setting up our work stations,” he said. “There’s also the possibility of some online training or simulated training.” Support for the industrial engineering project is being provided through the university’s Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, which was established as part of the proposal that brought Nissan to Mississippi. The cross-disciplinary research center targets the needs of the auto manufacturer and the dozens of companies that supply it parts and other support.

The center’s goals include reducing product design time and manufacturing start-up time, increasing production efficiency, improving passenger safety and transportation efficiency, and developing alternative power systems.

A Fall 2002

Stanley K. Burt: By Bob Ratliff Photos by Fred Faulk Stanley K. Burt spends his days using pharmacology. Next was postdoctoral work and the Pips. I also played for Broadway supercomputers to search for more at Stanford, where he studied under Dr. productions around Chicago. effective ways to treat, and hopefully cure, Gilda Loew, a pioneer in the application of There were fewer opportunities to play cancer. quantum chemistry to biology. after he joined the National Cancer As director of the National Cancer Burt then began applying what he Institute in 1992, but he’s recently started Center’s Advanced Biomedilearned as a researcher at playing duets with another staff member cal Computer Center in Stanford. He also rediswho plays piano. He also has found a way Frederick, Md., Burt is in covered his love of music. to tie his professional and musical interests control of some of the “I took some lessons together with computer music. world’s most sophisticated and began playing with the “I have a synthesizer with a full equipment in the fight Peninsula Symphonic Band keyboard and am using it to write some against one of the most in Palo Alto,” he said. “I brass quintet music,” he said. “I do most vexing diseases to plague also began playing jazz for of my arranging and composition using mankind. the first time.” computers and music software.” His nights, however, may He continued to play in While cancer research and jazz may be spent in a much different his spare time after moving seem worlds apart, Burt notes that they environment. An accomto Chicago as a computahave a lot in common. plished musician, he has tional chemistry group “They both require practice and are a Dr. Stanley K. Burt played trumpet with Gladys leader for Abbott Laboratochallenge to do well,” he said. “They also Knight and the Pips and ries. provide venues to express creativity.” other pop groups and symphony orchestras. “I was with a quintet that played for “I was a good trumpet player in high weddings, but I also was playing school and was offered a band scholarship with jazz bands that performed at at Mississippi State,” he says. local jazz clubs,” he explained. He declined the band scholarship, “Since I was playing professionally, opting instead to pursue a bachelor’s in I had to join the musicians’ union.” physics, which he completed in 1965. The union membership led to While at MSU, he worked with the late opportunities to play with some Glenn Bryant, a research engineer at the well-known groups who would use Raspet Flight Research Laboratory. union musicians to supplement their In his spare time, Bryant designed and touring groups. built race cars and his student assistant “Probably the best known group helped him built the last turbine car to run I played with was Gladys Knight at the Indianapolis 500. After completing his bachelor’s degree During a recent campus visit, Burt discussed the at Mississippi State in physics, Burt impact of supercomputers on medical research with attended the University of Mississippi, faculty members, including professor of sociology Frank Howell. where he received his doctorate in

S Fall 2002

▼ Mississippi State greets most academically talented freshman class Mississippi State this fall welcomed the most academically talented class of new freshmen in the history of the state’s largest university. The newcomers boast a record high average ACT score of 23.8, up from 23.5 last fall, and count 38 National Merit Scholars among their number, up from 29 last year. MSU led the state’s universities in both categories last year. More than 23 percent of this year’s freshmen scored 28 or higher on the ACT. The national average ACT score this year is 21.8 and the average for Mississippi is 19.8. MSU’s first-time, full-time freshmen reported a typical high school grade-point average of 3.17 on college prep courses, a slight increase from last year. The number of AfricanAmericans in the freshman class increased by 9 percent from last year, to 321. More than 18 percent of the freshmen are AfricanAmerican, and 71 percent are Mississippi residents. “Our efforts to keep the state’s best students in Mississippi clearly are paying off,” said Interim President J. Charles Lee. “National Merit Scholars and other top 16

S Fall 2002

performers have their choice of prestigious universities across the country. We’re pleased that growing numbers of them are finding the challenges and

last year, attracted the largest share of this year’s 1,759 freshmen and also claims the highest average ACT score, at 27.4. Biological engineering and mechanical engineering are the most popular choices among the 10 bachelor’s degree programs available to the 434 new College of Engineering freshmen, about 23 percent of whom are women. Total enrollment at the university this fall is 16,610.

MSU now among top 10 university supercomputer sites

opportunities they need right here at Mississippi State.” In past years, a majority of Mississippi’s National Merit Scholars, who represent the top 1 percent of college students nationwide, have chosen outof-state colleges and universities. MSU officials hope to see that streak end this year when final figures are available. Last year, Mississippi produced 127 National Merit Scholars and the state’s public and private colleges and universities enrolled a total of 60, including the 29 at MSU, which is among the top 10 percent of the nation’s public institutions in National Merit enrollments. The important freshman retention rate also is up slightly at MSU, with more than 80 percent of last year’s freshmen returning for their sophomore year. The College of Engineering, where freshman enrollment has increased by 25 percent from

Mississippi State continues up the ranks of national supercomputing sites, currently at No. 10 among American universities. Data on the world’s leading supercomputer sites, termed the “TOP500,” is compiled and released twice a year by the universities of Mannheim (Germany) and Tennessee. Released at the end of June, the latest list also shows MSU’s Engineering Research Center as the 68th most powerful in the U.S. and tied for 126th in the most-powerfulcomputer-sites-in-the-world category. MSU also contributes to the state of Mississippi’s overall supercomputing power, which now is fifth in the nation and first among all Southeastern states. “MSU debuted at 359 on the TOP500 list in 1996,” said ERC computer specialist Roger Smith. “Thanks to a new system that actually is a cluster of computers, it has moved to its current position.” Smith said the cluster is made up of 1,038 processors using special software and a high-speed network to make them function like a single supercomputer. More information and some fun facts about the ERC’s

supercomputer are available at www.erc.msstate.edu/about/ facilities/empire/funfacts.html.

MSU research grants increase by 10 percent to $123 million Major projects in areas ranging from remote sensing to biotechnology are bringing Mississippi State’s research funding to $123 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30. A 10 percent increase over the previous year, the recordsetting contract and grant amounts reflect the university’s commitment to developing and disseminating technologies to benefit Mississippi, said Dr. Jonathan W. Pote, interim vice president for research. The funding included 1,576 sponsored projects, up from 1,468 the previous year. “In addition to remote sensing and biotechnology, research areas with direct economic benefits to the state include electronics, computational engineering, and automotive design,” Pote said. MSU currently ranks 57th among public universities in total research and development expenditures, which include all funds used in the operation of a research project. It ranks fifth in agricultural expenditures and 37th in engineering expenditures among all U.S. universities. Major funding sources are the Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the Department of Energy. In addition to research funds, MSU was awarded $17.2 million for student support, bringing total awards to $140.4 million for 2001-02, Pote said.

▼ Hattiesburg foundation makes $1 million commitment to MSU A Hattiesburg philanthropic organization recently committed $1 million for a new student scholarship program at Mississippi State. The Asbury Foundation initially is contributing $250,000 to the university’s unrestricted scholarship fund. The first gift will be followed by three annual payments of equal amounts. Executive director William K. Ray said the gift to MSU is part of $35 million the

“Most Mississippi college students now receive some type of financial aid,” Ray said. That’s why, in light of the state’s budget situation, private support by foundations and other such organizations is “more important now than ever,” he added. Created in 1984 as the nonprofit service arm of Wesley Medical Center, the foundation came into being with the sale of Interim president Charles Lee, left, and Wesley Medical Asbury Foundation executive director William Systems. K. Ray. Supporting educational, health and lifefoundation is spreading among quality programs in a several state universities and Hattiesburg-centered region Jackson’s Millsaps College. once served by Methodist

Hospitals, its efforts are focused primarily on a sevencounty area. Beginning next fall, MSU students in any academic major from Covington, Forrest, Jefferson Davis, Lamar, Jones, Marion, and Perry counties may begin applying for the scholarships.

Engineering professor to lead SimCenter, ERC A veteran researcher has been named interim director of Mississippi State’s Computational Simulation and Design Center, also known as the SimCenter, which is one component of the nationally recognized Engineering Research Center at MSU. Mechanical engineer David Marcum, who serves as director of the overall ERC, began leading the SimCenter in

Show your support of Mississippi State University wherever you go. Purchase an MSU license plate at your local county licensing office! $31.50 of the annual fee goes to support university programs and is tax deductible.

COUNTY

YEAR

MONTH

Promoted by the MSU Alumni Association P.O. Box AA • Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526 • Telephone 662-325-7000 www.msubulldogs.msstate.edu/affinitytags.htm

A Fall 2002

▼ July. He succeeds aerospace engineer David Whitfield, who left MSU for the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. MSU’s SimCenter conducts research related to computational simulation that benefits federal government agencies and industry in areas that include design and certification of marine, aerospace, and propulsion systems. The SimCenter, as one of five research components that make up the ERC, accounts for about 14 percent of overall ERC research expenditures and personnel. All five units are involved with computational related research in areas including ships, aircraft, spacecraft, automobiles, remote sensing, scientific visualization, computational systems, oceanographic, atmospheric, manufacturing, materials, and bio-medicine. Thanks in large part to supercomputing capabilities of the ERC, MSU recently has moved to No. 10 in the ranks of national supercomputing sites at American universities. Marcum has been an MSU faculty member since 1991, with teaching and research specialization in the fields of computational fluid dynamics, fluid mechanics, grid generation, and numerical methods. He worked prior to joining the university for Boeing aircraft company and TRW Ross Gear Division. He earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from Purdue University.

S Fall 2002

Georgia researcher named Mississippi state chemist Dr. Kevin L. Armbrust is the new state chemist and director of the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory. Also an associate professor in the chemistry department, he succeeds Dr. Earl G. Alley, who retired last year. Armbrust Armbrust formerly was a researcher and assistant professor in the University of Georgia Extension Service. Prior to that, he worked as a research chemist with DuPont Agricultural Products. A specialist in environmental chemistry and toxicology, he has worked extensively with state and federal regulators and industry to solve issues impacting business, farming and environmental interests. Armbrust holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental toxicology and a doctorate in agricultural and environmental chemistry from the University of California at Davis.

Computer science students bring home top honors A student computer science team from Mississippi State is the winner of 2002 regional competition organized by the Association for Computing Machinery International.

Sponsored by IBM, the annual collegiate computer programming contest recently took place at the Daytona Beach, Fla., campus of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. MSU’s Team Maroon was first to correctly solve eight of 10 problems posed to the 83 teams from Southeastern universities and colleges. Team White, its sister group, finished 30th. The Florida Institute of Technology, University of Central Florida, and Georgia Institute of Technology finished second through fourth, respectively. Assistant professor David A. Dampier and associate professor Donna S. Reese are faculty coaches of the MSU teams. “The teams in competition are comprised of students who excel in computer programming at their respective schools,” Reese said. “The outstanding showing of both MSU teams reflects quality and the dedication of our students.” By virtue of its win, Team Maroon travels to Beverly Hills, Calif., in March for the world collegiate programming competition. Founded in 1947, ACM and its 75,000 members promote activities that advance the skills of information technology professionals and students worldwide.

Physics professor to assume interim research post at MSU A veteran Mississippi State faculty member and the director of a campus research center is being named interim associate research vice president at the university. Dr. Sandra H. Harpole of West Point, an MSU physics faculty member since 1987,

also will continue to direct MSU’s Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology, which she founded in 1996. “Dr. Harpole has a distinguished record of attracting external funding from major national agencies, as well as developing applications that directly benefit Mississippi,” said Dr. Jonathan W. Pote, interim Harpole vice president for research. She has generated more than $4.3 million in research funding, including five major grants from the National Science Foundation. “Dr. Harpole’s success rate with NSF in particular—one of the nation’s most selective granting agencies—is a clear indication of her commitment to the highest possible quality in proposals and performance,” Pote said. In her new role, he said Harpole will build on her record of making innovative linkages between the state’s needs and potential funding sources, provide faculty assistance in the proposal process and help faculty expand connections to major federal agencies. She holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Mississippi State.

MSU prof serves as NASA chief earth science technologist Dr. Roger King teaches and searches for ways to apply remote sensing technology to areas ranging from transportation systems to agriculture.

▼ For the next year, however, the Mississippi State professor of electrical and computer engineering also will lend his extensive expertise to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. King, director of the university’s Computational Geospatial Technologies Center and chief engineer for the Remote Sensing Technologies Center, will serve as NASA’s chief technologist for earth science applications. “NASA was looking for someone with a broad overview of remote sensing to help focus its activities in areas that are important to the nation’s economy and security,” King King said. “Finding practical applications for the emerging technology are something we’ve been doing at Mississippi State for several years.” Remote sensing uses satellites or airplanes to collect images that reveal features not apparent to the naked eye. Uses for the data from the images include forest mapping, pollution detection, crop analysis, and transportation corridor planning.

New project explores new use for smalldiameter trees Mississippi State is teaming with an Australian company to locate an engineered-lumber pilot plant on the Starkville campus. The university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center is working with TimTek, a firm with offices in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, and Clarkesville, Ga., to develop a commercial market for a process the company has developed. Patented by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, the process makes high-strength engineered lumber from small diameter trees thinned from pine plantations. To form the resin/wood fiber composite, long strands of crushed trees are coated with an exteriortype adhesive and dried before being formed to desired shapes in a specialized steam-injection hot press.

In the past, trees of three-toeight-inch diameters were used primarily for pulpwood. With a decreased demand in the South for pulpwood, few markets are left for small trees thinned from Mississippi’s almost three million acres of plantation pine. Professors Dan Seale and Terry Sellers Jr. of MSU’s department of forest products, received a $1 million grant from the Mississippi Land, Water and Timber Resources Board to bring the technology to the state and provide funds for related infrastructure.

International society honors faculty member Mississippi State faculty member Michael Barnes is receiving the Forest Products Society’s 2002 Fred W. Gottschalk Memorial Award. The award recognizes and honors exceptional service to the international organization by an individual member. It is presented annually in memory of the society’s first president, who died in a 1965 plane crash. Barnes, a professor in the Forest and Wildlife Research Center’s Department of Forest

Products, is internationally known for his work in the field of wood preservation. His research has yielded innovations that have extended the quality, usefulness and service of numerous timber products.

Wolfe named admissions director After serving since 1998 as associate director, Diane D. Wolfe is the new director of admissions at Mississippi State University. She succeeds Jerry B. Inmon, who retired in July following a career spanning more than 30 years. “Diane Wolfe is uniquely qualified to provide leadership for the critical admissions role at Mississippi State,” said Dr. Jimmy W. Abraham, assistant vice president for student affairs. “In an age of increased information requirements and more detailed evaluation procedures, she brings to the position a wealth of knowledge about the institution and the admissions processes.” Wolfe, who earned a bachelor’s degree at MSU and a master’s at the University of Mississippi, has held a variety of positions in the admissions office, beginning with her initial 1989 assignment as an international admissions clerk. She also has served as coordinator, supervisor and assistant director of admissions.

MSU online resource highlighting state’s black authors

Geoff Sanderson, center, shows a TimTek board to Dr. Sam Foster, left, CFR dean, and Dr. Vance Watson, interim vice president for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine.

What do novelist Margaret Walker Alexander, civil rights leader Medgar Evers and actress Beah Richards have in common? For one, all three are included in a unique Internet-available collection of

A Fall 2002

▼ Mississippi authors maintained at Mississippi State. The university’s Mitchell Memorial Library is home to an evolving online file of African-American authors compiled to assist students and scholars in researching black writers with Mississippi ties, said Gail Peyton, interim reference services coordinator. The file can be accessed by choosing the “Of Special Interest” option at http:// nt.library.msstate.edu/. Peyton said the list currently contains 91 novelists, playwrights, poets, and journalists who either had an influence on the state of Mississippi or who themselves were influenced by the Magnolia State. Each selection includes a biography and list of the author’s publications.

Space technology becomes latest tool in kudzu-control effort Kudzu, the lush imported vine that can grow up to 60 feet a year, creates green sculptures as it covers trees, telephone poles and abandoned buildings in the South. In timberland, it also creates economic losses by delaying harvests and damaging tree health. To help lessen kudzu’s impact, two Mississippi State faculty members are combining their areas of expertise to tame the fast-growing weed. Dr. Lori M. Bruce, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Dr. John D. Byrd, research professor of plant and soil sciences, are applying the space-age technologies of remote sensing in a research

effort they hope will produce a fully automated detection system to precisely locate kudzu. “The advantages of applying remote sensing technology to the problem of kudzu include the ability to detect infestations in remote areas, as well as eliminating man-hours of ground surveying,” Byrd said. “The images generated by remote sensing equipment also allow us to monitor changes in infestations over time.” Remote sensing captures data from aircraft- or spacebased platforms. With funding from MSU’s Remote Sensing Technologies Center, the team is preparing to analyze the first publicly available data from a 2000 NASA satellite launch. The data will be validated by ground observers. “Our ultimate goal is to find a cost-effective way to establish the amounts of kudzu in the state and to pinpoint the areas where it grows,” Bruce explained.

The scholarship’s namesake, a vice president with the Jackson architectural firm of Canizaro Cawthon Davis, makes the annual award possible. He is a 1980 graduate of MSU’s School of Architecture. Davis Scholarships are reserved for African-American residents of the state who are enrolled full time in the first year of the architectural design studio. Sayles, an incoming freshman, will receive $1,000 for the 2002-03 academic year. The son of Katherine Russell, he is a May graduate of Clarksdale High School, where he was named the academic athlete of the year, state academic defensive player of the year, National Science Merit Award winner, and a selection for Who’s Who Among American High School Students selection. “We are most grateful for Steve Davis’ continuing commitment to his alma mater,” said Dean James L. West. “His support greatly assists us in attracting talented minority students like Moses Sayles into the architecture program at Mississippi State.”

Little car offers big possibilities for some with disabilities A prototype being developed by Mississippi State may become “the little car that could” for some folks whose disabilities won’t allow them to drive a standard automobile. The university’s T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability recently took delivery of a commercially available electric vehicle that often is used in residential communities and industrial parks. Evaluations for adaptive driving and recommendations for appropriate operating technologies are among the varied services offered by the facility. With funding from the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities, the center is reconfiguring the vehicle, using advances in electronics, environmental sensing and telematics. The latter refers to systems used in automobiles that combine wireless communication and global positioning system (GPS) tracking. Small, dome-shaped and powered by six 12-volt batteries, the four-seat prototype can be recharged

Clarksdale student named first MSU Davis Scholar Moses M. Sayles of Clarksdale is the first T. Steven Davis Scholar in Architecture at Mississippi State.

MSU rehabilitation engineer Andy Whetstone second from left, with Ed Butler, left, and Jane Taylor of the Mississippi Council on Developmental Disabilities and junior Jacob Davis, a mechanical engineering major who works at the Martin Center, look over the commuter car.

▼ through normal electrical outlets. “It’s a low-speed, limited-range vehicle whose maximum speed is about 25 miles per hour,” said the Martin Center’s Andrew G. Whetstone. The rehabilitation engineer said the MSU research team anticipates that elements of adaptive technologies being employed in the project have the potential to help individuals with developmental disabilities overcome some physical, cognitive, and sensory limitations. Even with existing technologies for sedans, minivans and vans, some individuals are unable to drive

cars with standard adaptations, he explained. “We’re looking at developing a rear-entry system to accommodate a single wheelchair user,” Whetstone said. The vehicle will use drive-by-wire technology to control the gas and brake or the gas, brake and steering, he added.

Student forestry group maintaining high standards Mississippi State’s student chapter of the Society of American Foresters is again

among the top organizations of its kind in the nation. The 80-member university chapter finished second in the 2001-02 SAF Outstanding Student Chapter Awards competition. The honor recognizes a chapter’s leadership and participation in professional and service activities at local, state and national levels. Founded in 1900, the SAF is the world’s largest professional organization for foresters. Its awards presentation will take place Oct. 6 as part of a national convention in Winston-Salem, N.C. First place will go to the University of Wisconsin– Stevens Point. The latest honor is not the first for the MSU student chapter, which captured first place in the 2000-01 and 1996-97, and also was second in 1998-99.

New MSU wildlife study offers hope for duckling survival rates Regarded by many as the continent’s most beautiful duck, the North American wood duck also happens to be one of the Southeast’s most popular waterfowl. A distinctly North American species, it’s now the subject of a recently released report on duckling survival rates completed by scientists at the university’s Forest and Wildlife Research Center. “To understand early survival of wood duck ducklings, we looked at factors ranging from the age of the mothers to the predators that feed on ducklings,” said wildlife and fisheries professor Richard Kaminski. “Habitat use also was an important part of the study.”

NOW THEY'LL KNOW WHAT YOU'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL THESE YEARS Every MSU grad has fond memories of Oby's™ warm mouth-watering po-boys, the rich spicey red beans & rice and crisp fresh salads. For years, the folks at Oby's™ have heard their out-of-town customers wishing aloud that they could enjoy a delicious Oby's™ meal in their hometowns. It's for that reason, they have responded with a new

FRANCHISING OPPORTUNITY... Turn wishful thinking into reality!

To find out more, contact Oby himself or Ayers Spencer at 1 (866) 629-7338.

for over 25 years

▼ Over a four-year research period, Kaminski, his colleagues and graduate student team members found that more than 90 percent of the brooding wood duck females survived. Sadly, only about 20 percent of their offspring ever reached adulthood. To gather information, MSU investigators fitted radio transmitters weighing less than one-tenth of an ounce to more than 130 nesting females and 400 ducklings in the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge of East Mississippi and the Aliceville Lake of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in West Alabama. Movement and survival data was collected by then-doctoral student Brian Davis, under the direction of Kaminski and other faculty members. In the Forest and Wildlife Research report, Davis identified predators to be the primary cause for low duckling survival rates. “Birds, including hawks, owls and herons, devoured a large percentage, while aquatic predators, including spotted gar, snapping turtles, alligators, and even cottonmouth snakes, also took a significant toll,” he reported. Additionally, Davis observed that a major factor in the loss rate had much to do with a well-intentioned change to the birds’ nesting habit introduced by humans in the 1930s. To help the waterfowl deal with increasing natural habitat loss, man-made boxes were substituted for the natural tree cavities ducks instinctively seek as predator-

S Fall 2002

and flood-proof sites for laying eggs and rearing young. “Clearly, nest boxes help rebuild populations that almost were exterminated by overharvest and habitat losses,” Davis said. “However, because boxes often were placed close together in areas lacking adequate vegetative cover, the ducklings became easy predator targets.”

James Martin named engineering journal editor A Mississippi State professor is the new editor of an American Society of Civil Engineers journal. Dr. James L. Martin recently was appointed to head the society’s Journal of Energy Engineering, a three-times-ayear publication. Formed in 1852 and based in Martin Reston, Va., ASCE is the nation’s oldest engineering society. A professional organization serving more than 125,000 civil engineers in private practice, government, industry, and academia, it publishes journals on a variety of topics, including infrastructure systems, urban planning and development, and professional issues in engineering education and practice. The journal that Martin will edit reports on the development of scientific and engineering knowledge used in the

planning, management and generation of electrical power. Martin, who joined the MSU faculty last year, is the College of Engineering’s Kelly Gene Cook Sr. Chair in Civil Engineering. He has more than 20 years experience conducting and managing water quality modeling projects for the United States Army Corps of Engineers and Environmental Protection Agency, as well as AScI, an international environmental firm headquartered in McLean, Va. “I look forward to working with the ASCE membership and the Journal of Energy Engineering associate editors to move the journal to a new level of excellence,” he said. An Amarillo, Texas, native, Martin holds a bachelor’s degree in wildlife science and civil engineering and a doctorate in civil and environmental engineering from Texas A&M University. He also received a master’s in biology/marine biology at Southwest Texas State University. He is a licensed professional engineer in Florida, Georgia and Mississippi.

MSU project examines wildlife buffers around Delta fields A Mississippi State study is examining the benefits to wildlife of a popular conservation practice designed to prevent soil and pesticide runoff from cultivated fields. The new investigation of conservation bumpers by the department of wildlife and fisheries expands the scope of research already under way by other scientists at the university. Conservation buffers are narrow strips of permanently vegetated land designed around cultivated fields to intercept pollutants and manage other

environmental concerns. In 1997, the U.S. Department of Agriculture launched the National Conservation Buffer Initiative to help landowners add up to two million miles, or 6 million acres, of buffers around fields. “Mississippi is emerging as a leading state in examining the ecological benefits of buffer practices,” said principal investigator Wes Burger. “Extensive research in MSU’s plant and soil science department previously has focused on the herbicide retention benefits. Now, we in wildlife and fisheries are working to determine their economic, agronomic, and ecological costs and benefits.” Nationally, more than 1.2 million miles—or 4.6 million acres—of buffers have been established, most of those through the Conservation Reserve Program. Mississippi has about 60,000 acres in the program, according to Burger, a professor of wildlife and fisheries. “Previous studies have shown conservation buffers help control soil erosion and improve soil and water quality by removing sediment, fertilizers, pesticides, and other potential contaminants from runoff,” Burger said. “There is little information, however, about the impact on wildlife, especially regarding reproductive performance of birds in field borders.” The three-year study, which also includes researchers from the department of biological sciences, is funded by Delta Wildlife Inc. It will determine the effects of field border management practices on bobwhite quail and other ground-nesting grassland bird species, as well as songbirds. Delta Wildlife is a Greenville-based 2,000 member organization devoted to improving the wildlife

Tuition, savings plans help parents prepare

▼ most hits (4,191), and most runs scored (2,244). Cobb, who died in 1961, was among the first five players elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Creevy’s deeply researched study deals with a teen-age Cobb’s struggle to escape the New book by Pat Creevy domination of his politically gives slice of ‘The prominent father and make a Georgia Peach’ career in what many considered “a trivial game.” A historical novel about the Sadly, the Cobbs’ man still considered reconciliation came just as professional baseball’s fiercest scandal was about to overtake competitor is the the family: amid new work of an rumors of an affair, English his mother killed her department husband of more than faculty member at 20 years. Mississippi State Cobb—18 years University. old at the time—was Tyrus is filled with both grief associate and rage as he left his professor Patrick northeast Peach State J. Creevy’s roots to try out with fictional account the Tigers, some 700 of a young Tyrus very long miles away. R. “Ty” Cobb, Creevy, a member of Creevy who went on to the MSU faculty earn a recordsince 1976, holds a making name for himself as bachelor’s degree from Holy both “The Georgia Peach” and Cross College and a doctorate “The Meanest Man in from Harvard University. He Baseball.” The 396-page earlier authored another work psychological portrait is of fiction, Lake Shore Drive published by Forge Hardcover (1992), which is set in his of New York. hometown of Chicago. Born in 1886 in The Narrows, Ga., Cobb began his major league career in 1905 as ENGINEERING MILESTONE — a center fielder with the Detroit During an October ribbonTigers. After more than two cutting ceremony to reopen decades, he remained in the historic McCain Hall following American League but left the renovation, participants also celebrated the 90th birthday of Tigers to join the thenformer engineering dean Harry Philadelphia Athletics. C.F. Simrall of Starkville. Simrall During an almost quarterretired in 1978 after a 44-year century in what was a very career with MSU rough-and-tumble sport, he established numerous records, including highest major league lifetime batting average (.367), most games played (3,033), habitat and the environment of the Mississippi Delta. The funding provided by the organization is through a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Two state programs allow Mississippi’s parents to plan early and conveniently for their children’s college expenses. The Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition Program (MPACT) and Mississippi Affordable College Savings Plan (MACS) are available to lessen the impact of increasing college tuition and expenses. MPACT offers enrollees the ability to lock in today’s tuition rates and the ability to offset future tuition hikes without creating debt. Under the program, the full payment of tuition and mandatory fees at any public institution of higher learning in the state of Mississippi is guaranteed. The guarantee stands regardless of the difference in tuition costs from the time one purchases the plan and the time that the enrollee actually attends college. The enrollment period is continues through Nov. 30. Enrollees can use the MPACT plan at any accredited college or university, in-state or out-of-state, public or private. However, for out-of-state institutions, payments will be based on average tuition and fee costs at Mississippi’s public institutions in the year of attendance. MACS allows families of all income levels to open an account with a minimum investment of $25 ($15 through payroll deduction), with a maximum account balance limit of $235,000. As an investment savings plan with money market rates of return, MACS offers three investment options—Money Market Option, 100 percent Equity Fund, and Managed Allocation Option. MACS imposes no residency requirements for purchasers or beneficiaries. Enrolling in one or both of the plans can eliminate long-term student loans or dependency on insufficient financial aid. To find out more about the MACS and MPACT plans, call the College Savings Mississippi office toll-free at 1-800-9874450. You also may call to obtain an application and a full disclosure booklet or visit www.collegesavingsmississippi.com.

A Fall 2002

Business faculty, students tour Shanghai

▼

Officially re-opening renovated McCain Hall were, from left, engineering dean A. Wayne Bennett, state Rep. Billy McCoy of Rienzi, U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, state College Board member Bryce Griffis, and engineering student Tommy Thompson.

Historic McCain Hall renovated Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) joined state and university officials at Homecoming to officially re-open a historic academic structure. McCain Hall, a 1905 Mississippi Landmark building and College of Engineering facility, has received a $6.25 million renovation to equip it with the latest in instructional and administrative technologies. “This renovation is a milestone for the College of Engineering because it significantly improves our ability to teach and serve our students,” said Dean of Engineering A. Wayne Bennett. The renovations include wireless Internet access in classrooms that also will be used by other MSU academic departments. Additionally, the college’s offices of diversity, outreach, and the enhancements 24

S Fall 2002

to the undergraduate engineering experience will be brought together in one location. The building also will include a new branch of the university’s Career Center, which will provide engineering students access to career planning and cooperative education opportunities. McCain also will house the industrial engineering department and the dean’s office. First established as a separate school in 1902, the engineering college today includes the aerospace, agricultural and biological, chemical, civil, electrical and computer, industrial, mechanical engineering, and computer science departments. Currently, the National Science Foundation ranks the college 34th in engineering research expenditures. In addition to reopening

McCain Hall, the ceremony celebrated the 90th birthday of Dean of Engineering Emeritus Harry C.F. Simrall of Starkville. A 1934 electrical engineering and 1935 mechanical engineering graduate of then Mississippi A&M College, he retired in 1978 after a 44-year career with the institution. Simrall’s long years of dedication and leadership previously have been recognized by MSU with two major honors: the naming of a new electrical and computer engineering building after him in 1977 and his selection in 1999 for one of the school’s first honorary doctorates. McCain Hall is named for Simrall colleague Dewey M. McCain, who led the civil engineering department from 1930 until his death in 1966.

Seven Mississippi State graduate students and four faculty members visited the People’s Republic of China in October for an informationsharing program focusing on business management. The College of Business and Industry group spent eight days in Shanghai. The trip was financed in large part by their sponsor, Shanghai-based UFSoft Co., China’s largest independent software development enterprise and provider of management software and services. “The company is making a transition from a solo financial software producer to a diverse management applications provider, and is seeking our suggestions for managing a large corporation,” said Dr. Barbara A. Spencer, MSU director of graduate studies in business. With Spencer were Drs. Louis M. Capella, associate dean for internal affairs; John O. Lox, director of the international business academic program; and management professor Stephen Taylor. All but one student in the MSU group are pursuing master’s degrees in business administration. The MBA majors include Richard L. Bowles of Meridian, Guy Jones of Trussville, Ala., Anna S. Martin of Clinton, Kent Mortimer of Kilmichael, Lenito J. Sinay, also of Meridian, and Laura Ellen Thornton of Mobile, Ala. Bowles and Sinay attend MSU-Meridian; the others, the Starkville campus. For Xiaomei Luo—the lone finance major—the trip provided an unplanned opportunity to return to her hometown.

▼

Dear Alumni and Friends of MSU: State support of our universities has been reduced significantly during the past three years and the outlook is for more lean years ahead. A key to our success in the state legislative appropriations arena will be active alumni participation. State support for university budgets statewide has been reduced by $98.4 million, or almost 16 percent, over the past three years. At Mississippi State, funding for general operations has declined by nearly $13 million since 1999-2000, and state support for the university’s separately budgeted units such as the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and MSU Extension Service has declined by an additional $9 million. State appropriations for the 2003-2004 academic year may bring another decline. During the current year, universities are working with $48 million in budget contingency funds that we have been told will not be available next year. Loss of the budget contingency alone would be the equivalent of a further 8.3 percent reduction in state funding. The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning has raised tuition over the past two years to help offset some of the state funding loss, but transferring more costs to students and their parents is not the answer to our current challenge. Mississippi State has eliminated more than 300 non-teaching positions as they became vacant through attrition, reduced travel and equipment expenditures, implemented electricity cost savings, and pursued other efficiencies while striving to protect the core functions of the university. A retirement incentive program offered to retirement-eligible employees at the end of FY 2002 will reduce personnel costs by more than $5 million year. Still, it was necessary this fall to reduce the number of courses and course sections offered by about 8 percent in order to make ends meet. Faculty salaries that lag those of MSU’s peer institutions in the Southeast have led to an increase in resignations among promising young faculty members. We have much to be proud of. This year’s entering freshmen are the best-prepared in university history. We again lead the state, by a wider margin than ever, in National Merit Scholars in the freshman class. Retention and graduation rates are improving, and private giving and research funding are at all-time highs. But the state’s financial woes are now threatening the quality of university programs built at such effort and cost over many years. We must halt the rapid erosion of state support for Mississippi State and the other universities during the coming legislative session. We cannot afford not to. Our voices must be heard by legislators, the governor, and other decision makers. We must reinforce the need for stable funding for higher education. Please contact your state senator and representative and urge them to protect our universities from further harm in the 2003 legislative session. Mississippi’s future depends on it.

Allen Maxwell President, MSU Alumni Association

A Fall 2002

▼

MSU inducts three into sports hall of fame Mississippi State has selected former baseball standout Nat “Buck” Showalter and former Bulldog gridiron stars Stan Black and Tyrone Keys as its 2002 selections into the school’s sports hall of fame. The trio were inducted during pre-game ceremonies of the Bulldogs’ Sept. 19 home game against Auburn University. A part of Ron Polk’s first recruiting class at MSU, Showalter set a single-season record for batting average in the SEC in 1977 with a .459 clip. A first-team, all-SEC and AllAmerica selection, Showalter also led the Bulldogs that year with 44 RBIs. A fifth-round selection by the New York Yankees in the 1977 amateur draft, Showalter played seven years in the minors, setting a Southern League record for hits in a season in 1980. Showalter later would manage in the Yankees’ minor league system before taking over as manager of the major league club in 1992. He won the American League Manager of the Year award in 1994 and led the club to the playoffs in 1995 before being eliminated by the Mariners in the five-game Division Series. Showalter later took the reigns as the first manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, helping build the club from the ground up as he directed the amateur drafts from 1995-97. He directed the club in its first three years of existence, helping the team to its first 100-win season in 2000 and laid the foundation for the team’s World Championship in 2001. Showalter now serves as an analyst for ESPN’s Baseball Tonight broadcasts and color commentator for both radio and TV games for ESPN.

S Fall 2002

Hall of Famers, from left, Keys, Showalter, and Black.

Keys was named second-team, all-SEC for three straight years (1978-80) during his tenure as a Bulldog. He currently ranks sixth on the school’s all-time sack chart, recording 15 during his four-year career. Keys went on to play football in the Canadian Football League for two seasons and played for Chicago, Tampa Bay and San Diego during his seven-year NFL playing career. Now a resident of Tampa, Fla., Keys received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Unsung Hero award to recognize his work in community service as founder of the All Sports Community Service organization in 1993. ASCS helps needy youth obtain fouryear scholarships to universities throughout the U.S. and Canada while also promoting community involvement. Black earned four letters on the football field from 1973-76. The Associated Press and United Press International named him first-team, all-SEC at safety in 1976 after

recording 91 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one sack. In 1975, he tied for the team lead in interceptions with three. In 1974, in one year as a wide receiver, Black caught 14 passes for 266 yards and brought down four touchdown passes, helping that 1974 team to a Sun Bowl win over North Carolina. Black led the ’75 and ’76 Bulldogs in punt return yardage, averaging 12.3 yards per return in 1976. He also ranked as the third-leading tackler on the team in 1976. A 1977 draftee by the San Francisco 49ers, he now resides in Madison as owner of Bulldog Construction Co. The class of 2002 marks the 145th, 146th, and 147th former State standouts to be inducted into the MSU Sports Hall of Fame, which was established in 1970.

Net teams earn ITA academic awards

▼

Miller takes over softball program Jay Miller, who guided Missouri to five NCAA Regional appearances and two trips to the NCAA Women’s College World Series, was named Mississippi State’s newest head softball coach in August. “We are fortunate to be in a position to Miller hire a proven collegiate head coach to guide our softball program,” said Larry Templeton, director of athletics. “Jay Miller has outstanding credentials at the Division I level. He comes to us highly recommended by a number of people involved in the softball community.” In 15 seasons as coach of the Missouri Tiger program, Miller reeled off an impressive 556-309 (.642) record, including two conference championships and one conference tournament championship. A three-time recipient of the Big Eight/Big 12’s Coach of the Year award (1990, 1991, 1997), Miller also earned NCAA Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors on two separate occasions. Prior to his stint in Columbia, Miller amassed a 122-95 (.562) clip as head coach

of NAIA powerhouse Oklahoma City, guiding the Stars to a second-place finish at the 1986 NAIA National Championships and a fourth-place finish at the 1987 national championships. While serving in various capacities with the USA Softball organization, Miller proved successful on the international level as well, most recently coaching the USA Elite (Developmental) squad, which included former Mississippi State allAmerican Kellie Wilkerson, to an appearance in the 2002 Canada Cup championship game on July 21. In 2001 he was selected as one of six finalists for coaching positions on the 2004 Olympic team. A leading authority on softball technology, Miller has written more than 30 articles for professional publication, most recently authoring a chapter entitled “Offensive Strategy” for The Softball Coaching Bible, published by Human Kinetics Press in 2002. In addition, Miller has developed four softball skills videotapes currently marketed internationally. He also is considered one of the top softball clinicians in the world, having conducted more than 100 camps and clinics in the United States, Netherlands Antilles, Italy, Czech Republic, Holland, France, and Malaysia.

Smith hired as softball assistant coach Former Missouri assistant coach Annie Smith recently joined the MSU softball program, completing first-year softball coach Jay Miller’s staff. Smith comes to Starkville after serving in various capacities under Miller the past seven years in Columbia, Mo. She joins Bo Reid who was retained from the previous staff. Following an outstanding playing career at Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, Smith was added to the nationally-ranked Missouri Tiger program in 1996 as a team manager. She served as a graduate assistant coach under Miller from 1997-99, then was hired on as a fulltime assistant coach prior to the 2000 season. A 1995 graduate of Grinnell with bachelor’s degrees in history and psychology, Smith recetly earned a master’s degree in health and exercise sciences from Missouri in 2002. She is native of Manhattan, Kan. “I’m very excited for the opportunity to continue working under coach Miller and to be at Mississippi State University,” Smith said. “We have a great team here and I am excited to work with this new team and coach Reid. I look forward to the upcoming year and competing for an SEC championship.”

Mississippi State’s men’s and women’s tennis teams have been awarded national honors on both the team and individual levels by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for the 2001-02 season. Both the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs earned the ITA’s All-Academic Team Award, which went to squads that recorded a cumulative 3.20 grade point average or higher for the year. State’s men’s roster notched an impressive 3.27 team GPA while the Lady Bulldogs posted a solid 3.21 mark. Mississippi State was the only school in the Southeastern Conference to have both its men’s and women’s squads earn the team award. In fact, State’s men were the only male team in the league to be honored.

Karatassos promoted; new Bulldog Club head Straton Karatassos, a longtime employee in the Mississippi State athletic department, was promoted to associate athletic director for external operations and executive director of the Bulldog Club. Karatassos had served the past eight years as assistant athletic director for athletic development and, for 20 years prior to that assignment, in MSU’s athletic training facility. He joined MSU in 1973. A native of Savannah, Ga., Karatassos will oversee the operations of the Bulldog Club, MSU’s athletic fund-raising organization.

A Fall 2002

White joins basketball staff

▼

Volleyball Bulldogs earn academic award For the third consecutive year, the Mississippi State volleyball program has been cited for excellence in the classroom. The Volleyball Bulldogs compiled a 3.35 team grade-point average during the 2001-2002 school year, becoming one of 47 NCAA Division I teams to receive the 2001-2002 AVCA/Molten Team Academic Award. Molten USA Inc. has sponsored the award for three years in conjunction with

the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Teams must maintain a GPA of 3.30 to be eligible for the honor. “Earning this award for three years running is quite an achievement and represents a high degree of commitment by our players,” said Bulldog head volleyball coach Brenda Bowlin. “Volleyball is a team sport, and it is fitting that Molten and the AVCA honor teams for their academic success.”

New north end zone bleachers provide another 3,500 seats to Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.

Austin named to preseason all-American team All-SEC frontcourt standout Mario Austin was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason All-American Team, according to the organization’s Preseason Selection Committee. Comprised only of returning players, the prestigious list of 50 student-athletes is based on last year’s individual performances and team records. These 50 candidates are the early frontrunners for college basketball’s most coveted trophy. The list will be trimmed to a midseason top 30 around the start of the new year, prior to the nationally televised 2003 Wooden Award ceremony at the Los Angeles Athletic Club on April 13. A preseason SEC Player of the Year candidate for coach Rick Stansbury’s Mississippi State squad, Austin earned second-team all-SEC honors (AP and Coaches) last season after leading the record-setting 27-8 Bulldogs in both scoring (16.1 points per game, eighth in the SEC) and rebounding (7.6 rebounds per game, fifth in the SEC). Created in 1976, the John R. Wooden Award is the most prestigious individual honor in college basketball. 28

S Fall 2002

Kentucky native Mark White recently was hired as the coordinator of men’s basketball operations. In his new position, White primarily is charged with coordinating the team’s travel arrangements, as well as scheduling and film exchange responsibilities. With 14 years of coaching and teaching experience at both the collegiate and high school levels, White comes to Mississippi State from Central Hardin High School in Cecilia, Ky., where he served the past two seasons as head boys’ basketball coach and special education instructor. Prior to moving back to his home state of Kentucky in 2000, he served as an assistant coach for four seasons at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, where he helped tutor former MSU point guard Todd Myles. With Myles competing as a freshman playmaker prior to his transfer to Mississippi State, White helped guide the 1996-97 NIC Cardinals to a fourth-place team finish at the NJCAA Tournament with a 30-6 overall record. White received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in health/physical education from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tenn., in 1988 and 1989, respectively. Previously, he worked together with head basketball coach Rick Stansbury while the two were both on Lake Kelly’s coaching staff at APSU. Following two seasons as a graduate assistant/volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater, White served brief coaching stints on the staffs at Pikeville College (1990-92), Wabash Valley College (199293), Georgia Southern University (199394), Barton County Community College (1994-95) and Jacksonville (Texas) College prior to his move to Idaho in 1996. While assisting head coach Pat Smith at Wabash Valley, Barton County and Jacksonville College, White helped direct all three junior college programs to either regular-season national rankings or postseason tournament national finishes. A native of Russellville, Ky., White, 38, has one son, Cade, 3.

▼

Alumni Fellows return to campus, share experiences Mississippi State’s 2002 gathering of Alumni Fellows involved, among others, the first international student to graduate from the School of Architecture and one of the state’s most widely read news columnists. Sponsored and organized by the MSU Alumni Association, the 13th annual fellows program featured eight graduates of distinction who returned to campus in October to share experiences and offer career guidance to current students and their faculty mentors. Chosen by each college and school, they carry the honorary title permanently. John V. Correro, executive director of the alumni association, said the fellows program recognizes the ultimate measure of a university—the quality of its alumni. “For more than a decade, alumni fellows have enriched our students’ university experience by exposing them to outstanding professionals who are willing to discuss the specific competencies, attitudes and efforts needed to succeed,” Correro said. This year’s MSU Alumni Fellows and the academic units that selected them are: Robert A. Haupt of Hayward, Wis., College of Forest Resources, is a 1992 master’s degree graduate in forest products. Today, he is global technology manager for Dynea Paper Overlays, a leading international manufacturer of adhesives, industrial resins, and other bonding products. Formerly of Aurora, Ill., he also holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois. During the 1990s, he held the rank of senior research chemist at the company’s global research and development group in Norway. James E. “Ed” Hester of Benoit, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, a 1955 agricultural engineering graduate, is managing partner for H&H Farms in Bolivar County. In addition to being active in a host of agricultural and related organizations, he has held leadership positions, including the presidency of the

Mississippi Soybean Association and the vice presidency of the Delta Council. Hester received the Lancaster/Sunbelt Expo’s Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award in 1995. Jerry D. Moore of Madison, Ala., College of Engineering, vice president emeritus of ADTRAN Inc., received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1962. He went on to complete master’s and doctoral degrees in the same field from the universities of New Mexico and Alabama, respectively. After several university teaching and industrial management positions, Moore founded his own telecommunication test equipment company that merged in 1989 with ADTRAN, a designer and manufacturer of high-speed digital transmission equipment. Behzad B. Nakhjavan of Auburn, Ala., School of Architecture, a 1981 architecture graduate, is a professor of architecture at Auburn University. After leaving MSU, the Iran native completed a master’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., before beginning a professional career. In 1988, he joined the faculty of Auburn’s College of Architecture, Design, and Construction, where he has been honored numerous times for innovative teaching and design. He also maintains a private practice in the city of Auburn.

Haupt

Hester

Moore

Nakhjavan

Neely

Rouse

Salter

Stewart

continued next page

A Fall 2002

2003 Travel Program

▼

Finding old friends has never been easier! Keeping alumni connected is important to the MSU Alumni Association. That is why the Alumni Association has launched a new, secure Online Community exclusively for Mississippi State alumni. Two features included in the community are an online Alumni Directory and ClassNotes. Similar to the printed directory, the online Alumni Directory is a powerful tool that allows registered community members a simple way to search for old friends either by name, geography, class year and occupation. Or, depending on the users networking needs, a more advanced search feature is available. There is also a MyContacts feature that allows members to bookmark frequent contacts for easy access. Registered members also can update their personal information, and post information regarding births, engagements, marriages, moves, and career changes via the ClassNotes feature. Access to the Alumni Online Community is limited to Mississippi State alumni who log on using a user I.D. and personal password. There are no fees or obligations associated with the Community. To register, go to the alumni Web site at www.msubulldogs.msstate.edu, click on online directory, and follow the instructions to set up your password. The Alumni Online Community is an exclusive service that alumni can enjoy and find to be a valuable resource for every day use.

S Fall 2002

Madrid Deluxe Escapade Feb. 5-12, 2003 Alumni Campus Abroad in Tuscany-Pienza April 8-16, 2003 Alumni Campus Abroad in the Swiss Alps May 25-June 2, 2003 Alumni Campus Abroad in the Loire Valley July 1-9, 2003

Alumni Fellows continued Bettye H. Neely of Grenada, College of Education, is assistant superintendent of the Grenada School District and a member of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. She received a doctorate in curriculum and instruction in 1999. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Mississippi Valley State University, a master’s in elementary education from Jackson State University, and an educational specialist degree from Delta State University. As assistant superintendent, she supervises the school district’s federal programs, grades 6-12 curriculum, and the testing program. She was appointed to a 12-year College Board term in 2000. James J. “Jim” Rouse of McLean, Va., College of Business and Industry, a 1962 industrial management graduate, is vice president of ExxonMobil and the world’s largest energy company’s senior official in Washington, D.C. He previously was a vice president of the Exxon Corp., for which he now has worked some four decades. He is a member of the board of directors of the MSU Foundation and the College of Business and Industry’s Senior Executive Advisory Council.

Realize a travel dream with one of the 2003 travel opportunities listed below. Share with us the incomparable beauty from around the world, whether by air, motorcoach, or luxury cruise ship. You’ll feel comfortable and confident traveling with experienced tour guides who will attend to all of your needs.

Sidney L. “Sid” Salter of Forest, College of Arts and Sciences, a 1988 political science and history graduate, is Perspective Editor for the Clarion-Ledger and a syndicated columnist. Before joining the Clarion-Ledger, he was editor of the Scott County Times in Forest, where he resides. During a career that began in the mid-1970s, he has received numerous journalism honors, including two J. Oliver Emmerich Editorial Excellence Awards, the highest tribute bestowed by the Mississippi Press Association. In 1992, MSU invited Salter to donate his papers to the Mississippi Writer’s Collection in Mitchell Memorial Library. Dr. Sylvia Y. Stewart of Jackson, College of Veterinary Medicine, is a 1981 graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine, where she received the Small Animal Award of Excellence at the completion of her studies. A year after graduating, she opened a full-service emergency clinic for small animals in Jackson, the first of its kind in Mississippi. Before enrolling at MSU, she received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Jackson State University. She is a member of the City of Jackson Planning Board and Leadership Jackson.

SEC Cruise, The Baltic Sea and Norwegian Fjords July 8-19, 2003 Canada/New England Fall Foliage Sept. 15-26, 2003 Germany’s Holiday Markets Nov. 21-29, 2003

For more information, contact Dianne Jackson in the Alumni Association at djackson@alumni.msstate.edu, 662-3253444, or see our Web page at http:// www.MSUbulldogs.msstate.edu/travel/ travel.htm.

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

▼

NOVEMBER 16

MSU vs. Tennessee; Alumni Association Pre-game Open House; begins 2 1/2 hours prior to game.

MSU vs. Arkansas; Alumni Association Pre-game Open House; begins 2 1/2 hours prior to game.

JANUARY 2003 24

MSU Alumni Association Executive Committee meeting MSU Alumni Association National Board of Directors meeting Alumni Awards Banquet

North to Alaska Several Mississippi State adventurers took part in the SEC Alumni Alaska Cruise in June. Discussing their exciting experiences in the Land of the Midnight Sun are, from left, alumni association executive director John Correro and Gloria Correro of Starkville, Noel Sumrall (’67, M.B.A. ’69) of Columbus, and Nellie Sue and Tom (’73) Walden of Paducah, Ky. See page 30 for a summary of 2003 travel opportunities for alumni and friends.

Alumni Association Annual Business Meeting Leadership Conference

Challenge provides opportunity to help build Henry Center The Alumni Challenge for the Hunter Henry Center had generated more than $436,000 from alumni and friends of Mississippi State as of October 15. With nearly $164,000 in matching funds still available, the opportunity remains for MSU supporters to help guide the project to completion. In January 2001, the Alumni Association allocated $600,000 in the form of a matching grant to challenge its alumni and friends for contributions to construct the Henry Center, which is the new home for the Alumni Association and the Foundation.

“As an alumnus or friend of Mississippi State, the Alumni Challenge is your chance to help build this new state-of-the-art facility,” said John Correro, executive director of the alumni association. “The challenge was issued to allow everyone an opportunity to make a commitment to support the project.” Through the challenge, the Alumni Association will match gifts up to $49,999. Gifts of $1,000 or more may be made over a three-year period. Gifts of less than $1,000 must be completed within one year. Contributors through the challenge will have their names permanently displayed in

the new facility. For their tax-deductible gifts, donors will also become active members of the Alumni Association as well as receive recognition in the appropriate giving levels within the MSU Foundation. “The Alumni Challenge will match not only your gift, but your company’s matching gift dollars as well, dramatically increasing the impact of your gift,” Correro said. “We want to encourage everyone to take part in this effort to build one of the finest alumni centers on any university campus.”

For more information regarding the Alumni Challenge, contact the MSU Alumni Association at 662-325-8399.

A Fall 2002

▼

Alumni Association, Foundation rel The Alumni Association and the MSU coupled with the gifts of so many others in “The endowment will support the Foundation have set up operations in the the MSU family, have enabled us to erect building’s maintenance and operation.” The MSU Foundation hopes to generate Hunter Henry Center, their new 41,000 such a spectacular facility,” Prescott said. The building of the Hunter Henry enough revenue to begin the operating square-foot complex built entirely on the Center has been a catalyst for many alumni endowment through funds raised from the strength of private gifts. remaining naming opportunities that exist “Thanks to the generosity of alumni and friends, construction both inside and outside the Henry Center at the levels of $50,000 and above. of the Henry Center is complete,” said Dennis Prescott, Among the remaining opportunities are interior conference rooms for the executive vice president for external affairs. “As we begin working committees of the Alumni Association and the MSU Foundation, the planned giving from within our new headquarters, we look forward to suite, and Legacy Hall, providing even greater service the building’s for the university and its more centralized than 96,000 alumni and friends.” In late October, the two donor organizations, along with the recognition Trish Hughes, left, and Cathy Office of External Affairs, began area. ThirtyLammons, admire one of the moving into the facility, located two of the building’s special donor at One Hunter Henry Blvd., on building’s 50 recognition pieces in Legacy Hall. the western edge of campus pillars, which where Barr Avenue becomes flank the halls University Drive. Landscaping of the of each wing, and friends who grounds is expected to begin shortly. remain typically do not Although the formal opening of the unnamed as support the facility is planned for spring 2003, the well. university Professional woodworker Fletcher Cox of Tougaloo Henry Center is open to the public. “In the Some of philanthropically carefully centers a plaque in the Henry Center’s Legacy spring, we’re planning an open house— to join with other Hall recognition area. The Ring of Honor handrail will the building’s bear the names of donors whose lifetime gifts to MSU throwing out the welcome mat during remaining alumni and total $1 million or more. Super Bulldog Weekend for every alumnus exterior friends who do. of the university,” Prescott said. “We’re features include Alumni Alley, two water “The Henry Center has opened avenues looking forward to officially opening the gardens, and a large reflecting pool that to some donors who may not have given to building to the MSU campus and the will occupy prominent places on the the university otherwise,” Prescott said. Golden Triangle community for events,” he grounds. Also remaining is the Henry “They want to be a part of the building to added. Center’s signature feature, the distinctive show their involvement and dedication to Alumni and friends of MSU have been 80-foot spire. Mississippi State. This is their building awaiting the opening of the Henry Center According to Richard Armstrong, and they definitely want to be a part of it,” since groundbreaking ceremonies in March executive director of the Foundation, he added. 2001. Since then, fund-raising efforts have persons should carefully consider the Although the initial construction cost of resulted in more than $9.3 million in remaining naming options. “If you have the Henry Center has been met, the MSU commitments to fund the cost of construcnot made a commitment to the new home Foundation is seeking funds to begin an tion. The $3 million lead gift for the of your Alumni Association and Foundaoperating endowment. “By the time all building came in the spring of 2000 from tion, I appeal to you to do so,” he said. fund-raising efforts are complete, we would Hunter W. Henry Jr., a 1950 alumnus and “Donors may still take advantage of the like to have about $11 million in hand to the retired president of Dow Chemical Alumni Challenge match for gifts less than pay for furnishings, landscaping, and build USA. $50,000 or select one of the remaining an operating endowment,” Prescott said. “We can’t wait for Hunter Henry to naming opportunities.” “Such an endowment will put the center come and view the completed complex and The Henry Center offers a premium on a sound footing and guarantee that it is see how the results of his generosity, location for campus or corporate meetings, maintained in perpetuity,” Prescott said. 32

S Fall 2002

Offices get new phone number, address

▼

locate to Henry Center charity events, reunions, and receptions. Ten meeting spaces throughout the complex will accommodate multiple events. The spacious kitchen, located just off the 5,000 square-foot Parker Ballroom, can provide complete on-site service for all events. “We think the demand for the building will be incredible,” Prescott said. “Persons are already calling to reserve the facilities.” The Office of External Affairs is handling all inquiries regarding booking. Beginning in January, reservations will be taken for the Henry Center. The university will keep the Butler-Williams building open. The guesthouse will be managed by Facilities Use. The remaining space in the Butler-Williams building will be occupied by the campus police department. “Current plans call for the campus police to move into the portion of the building vacated by the Alumni Association and Foundation,” said Gaddis Hunt,

chief administrative officer for business affairs. “Some renovation of the facility may be required,” he added. “The Butler-Williams Alumni Center has served the university and its alumni and friends well for many years, and its location in the heart of campus has been very accommodating,” said John Correro, executive director of the Alumni Association. “Now that the Hunter Henry Center is our new home, we hope that all of our alumni will visit with us and take advantage of the many opportunities that this state-of-the-art facility offers every time they visit campus.”

The Alumni Association, the MSU Foundation, and the Office of External Affairs now can be reached more conveniently. The three MSU organizations may be contacted by dialing one central telephone number. By telephoning 662325-7000, you can reach any office in the new Hunter Henry Center complex. Alumni and friends may continue to use the Foundation’s toll-free number 1877-677-8283 for assistance, as well. The physical address for the alumni, foundation, and external affairs offices also has changed. All three offices are located at the Hunter Henry Center, One Hunter Henry Blvd., Mississippi State, MS 39762.

Construction crews are putting the finishing touches on the interior of the Henry Center as work continues on the grounds. The building is now the permanent headquarters for alumni and philanthropy at Mississippi State.

REMAINING NAMING OPPORTUNITIES $1 Million Level

$500,000 Level

$250,000 Level

$100,000 Level

Alumni Hall (Wing)

Alumni Executive Committee Room

Large Reflecting Pool

Alumni Alley

Foundation Hall (Wing)

Foundation Executive Committee Room

Large Water Garden (Wetlands Pool)

Meeting Room

Planned Giving Suite

Seating Ring

Legacy Hall (Donor Recognition Area) Spire

$50,000 Level Pillars

Small Reflecting Pool Terra Basin

*All major commitments to the Henry Center are payable over a five-year period.

A Fall 2002

▼

Hartwig gifts further mission of university Winifred B. Hartwig is continuing her unwavering support of Mississippi State University. Since her husband’s death in 1996, she has funded a series of gift annuities totaling more than $1.5 million to Mississippi State. Funds received from the annuities at Mrs. Hartwig’s death will support the Edgar E. and Winifred B. Hartwig Endowed Fund for Excellence in Plant and Soil Sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Established by Mrs. Hartwig to continue the research of her late husband, the fund will primarily support graduate assistantships. The Hartwigs began their association with Mississippi State, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station’s Delta Branch in 1949. Dr. Hartwig was a longtime university employee and internationally recognized agronomist. Known in agronomy circles as “Mr. Soybean,” Edgar Hartwig was an adjunct professor of agronomy at Mississippi State at the time of his death. During a career that spanned more than half a century, he is credited with developing 90 percent of the soybean varieties grown in the South. A longtime resident of Leland, Mrs. Hartwig currently lives in Greenville. Through the years, she has been a teacher, a homemaker, a rosearian, and an accomplished artist.

How a gift annuity works: A charitable gift annuity is a contract between the donor and the Mississippi State University Foundation. In return for a charitable gift of $10,000 or more, the MSU Foundation will provide you and/or another beneficiary designated by you a guaranteed fixed income for life or for a specific period of time. Your gift may be in the form of cash or other property, such as appreciated stock. There are no fees or other costs in establishing a gift annuity.

Donor Benefits Benefits you will receive from a contribution to Mississippi State in the form of a gift annuity may include: • Fixed payments for one or two lives or for a specified period of time. Common examples are life income for husband and wife (and then the

S Fall 2002

survivor) and income for a specified period of time to a child or grand child to support his or her education. • Partial tax-free payments. • A charitable deduction that will help you reduce your income taxes. If you cannot use the entire deductible amount in the year the gift is made, it can be carried over for up to five additional years. • The ability to support the area of your choice at Mississippi State through the return of principal at the end of the annuity contract, with no probate, delay, or additional expenses.

The MSU Foundation has been assisting MSU alumni and friends, like Mrs. Hartwig, with gift planning for almost 40 years. If you would like more information on how a gift annuity or other planned gift might work for you, please contact: W. Vance Bristow Director of Planned Giving MSU Foundation P.O. Box 6149 Mississippi State, MS 39762 Phone: 662-325-3707 Toll-free: 877-677-8283 E-mail: vbristow@foundation.msstate.edu

▼

Thomson gift aids humanitarian efforts of veterinary students Kathryn Wright was able to travel to veterinary medicine,” Thomson said. medicine has to serve society and that is Mongolia to use the skills she acquired as a “Travel to underdeveloped countries is why we chose create this endowment at the student at Mississippi State’s College of encouraged,” he added. university,” Thomson said. “We feel that if A native of Marianna, Ark., Wright Veterinary Medicine. MSU students experience using veterinary came to MSU strictly to pursue a degree in Students like Wright now may receive medicine for the betterment of our global assistance with travel expenses society, they will develop a heightened thanks to the generosity of CVM appreciation for the profession’s Dean John Thomson and wife humanitarian contributions as veterinarians,” he added. Carolyn Kay Thomson. The Thomsons established the Mongolia was not Wright’s first choice of destination. “I had thought about going International Veterinary Humanitarian Endowed Fund in to Africa to treat distemper, but Dr. the college with a gift of $20,000. The fund provides travel funds to assist with humanitarian efforts in an international location of the student’s choice. Animals used in conjunction with Wright, a senior CVM veterinary classes at the national student, spent four weeks last agriculture and veterinary school are summer in Ulaanbaatar, the housed at this farm in Mongolia. capital city of Mongolia, as an instructor at a veterinary college. She veterinary medicine received $1,000 from the Thomson because it was in such endowment for expenses related to her trip. close proximity to her “The fund supports veterinary students home state. She was like Kathryn who are dedicated to immediately impressed The veterinary school at the National University of Mongolia combining their commitment to the with Dean Thomson and occupies this building in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital betterment of mankind with the practice of his interaction with the city. CVM students. Thomson pointed me in this direction,” “I have known Dr. Thomson since my Wright said. “He has been to Mongolia freshman year. We basically started at the several times and saw firsthand what university at the same time,” Wright said. needed to be done.” “He is very proactive in getting involved with the students and assisting us with our During her stay in Mongolia, Wright goals in life,” she added. worked with a veterinary project called Thomson has served as dean of the Vetnet. The team, composed of 20 to 30 veterinary school since 1999. Prior to foreigners from America, Switzerland, entering higher education, he and his wife Scotland, and various other countries, was served a rural Iowa region through a mixed stationed in Mongolia. animal private veterinary practice for 20 The Vetnet team assists the national years. Through travels and exchanges agriculture and veterinary school at the associated with academic appointments at National University of Mongolia. Team several universities, the Thomsons have members teach English as a second Wright taught veterinary classes and English gained an appreciation for how veterinary language to the nomadic people of as a second language to a varied group of medicine fits into globalization. Mongolia and provide continuing education students during her four-week stint in “Kay and I are sensitive to the many Mongolia. often unrecognized opportunities veterinary Continued next page A Fall 2002

▼ small animal hospital in what was formerly a Russian-occupied building and made some house calls. “I was only there a short period of time, but it was an eye-opening experience,” Wright said. “The Mongolian people don’t have a lot of resources so I gained practical experience when examining and treating patients.” Following graduation in May 2003, Wright plans to pursue a career in a private practice with a personal interest in surgical work. She says she’ll always reflect back

Lessons in anatomy and veterinary terminology are some of the items included in Wright’s curriculum. Students ranged from firsttime veterinary students to adult students who were furthering their education. for veterinarians such as advancing their methodology and techniques. Although the majority of Wright’s time in Mongolia was spent based at the university, she assisted with setting up a

on her brief stint in Mongolia and the insight she gained into veterinary practices in an underdeveloped country. “I think any veterinary student would benefit from a trip like mine. Not only does it test your veterinary abilities, but you also must work with people from different cultures, as well as those of the same culture with different views,” Wright said. The International Veterinary Humanitarian Endowment is an open fund in the MSU Foundation and may be increased through additional contributions. Recipients must be full-time MSU students enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine who have demonstrated leadership ability.

Ensure your family’s Bulldog tradition. Plan now for their future. Are you paying for your grandchild’s education? Would you like to make a gift to MSU? Why not do both?

With an education charitable remainder trust, your grandchildren can remain your favorite charity, and your alma mater can benefit as well.

Here’s how it works: Donor transfers assets to a trust managed by a trustee. Trust document is developed specifying the term of years, beneficiary, payment type (fixed or varied) and charitable recipient for the trust. Donor receives benefits including an immediate income tax deduction and, if applicable, bypass of capital gains tax on the sale of the assets placed in the trust. Student receives payments for the specified term of years. After the term of years, remaining assets in the trust go to MSU.

To learn more about gifts that give back to MSU, contact: Office of Planned Giving ● P.O. Box 6149 ● Mississippi State, MS 39762 662.325.3410 or 877.677.8283 toll-free www.msufoundation.com

S Fall 2002

▼

University records all-time high for private gifts As the university prepares to enter its 125th year, private support for Mississippi State continues to thrive. Private gifts and pledges of future support tallied more than $74.3 million for the university during fiscal year 2001-02. This record-breaking total marked the third consecutive year of significant growth in fund raising, a figure that surpassed the previous year’s $55.8 million by 33 percent. Alumni and friends of the university contributed $74.3 million in gifts, pledges payable over five years, and deferred gifts, such as bequests, during the 12 months ending June 30, said Vice President for External Affairs Dennis Prescott. “This level of private support for Mississippi State despite the sluggish behavior of the economy over the past year is clear evidence that alumni and friends have confidence in the quality of the university and are committed to helping us do a still better job of serving Mississippi,” said Interim President J. Charles Lee. “The individuals and organizations who are investing their own resources in the future of this institution and the people it serves recognize the vital role that Mississippi State plays in the life of the state and region,” he said. “We are deeply grateful for their support, which is probably more important during this era of declining state funding than at any time in the history of the university.” Mississippi State reaped the benefits of an increase in the level of support for nearly all areas. “The combination of current gifts that were immediately available and income produced from previously existing endowments translated into more than $16.3 million that was available to beneficiaries across the university community during the past fiscal year,” Prescott said. The 14,000 separate gifts received from individuals, corporations, foundations,

In April, students from the Bulldog Calling Center marked a milestone by surpassing the $1 million mark in annual gifts and pledges for the university, a first for the annual telefunding campaign. The group went on to secure just under $1.5 million for all university areas, including athletics. Their efforts were counted in the university’s recordbreaking $74.3 million total.

trusts, and estates represents a 35 percent increase in the number of gifts from the previous year. In addition, the proportion of alumni who contributed jumped from 12 to 16 percent, surpassing several major peer institutions in that measure of support among former students. “Alumni and friends of the university are truly making an investment in the future of education when they make the decision to support Mississippi State year after year,” said Richard Armstrong, executive director of development. “They truly are making an investment in the future of education.” Another record-breaking year of private support is an important milestone for the university, said Prescott. “The Foundation, just as it has for the past 40 years, truly is making a difference at Mississippi State.” Most fund raising for Mississippi State is conducted by the MSU Foundation,

established in 1962 to help the university attract support from private sources. Of the total funds raised in 2001-2002, new gifts accounted for $35.3 million, up 83 percent, and new pledges totaled $32.5 million, up 35 percent. Deferred gifts made up the remaining $6.5 million. Total giving for a fiscal year is the sum of outright gifts, pledges of new gifts, and commitments of deferred gifts, Prescott said. The total does not include payment of pledges from previous years or receipts of deferred gifts committed in previous years. The university’s endowment currently is more than $153 million.

A Fall 2002

▼

Edited by Carol Keltz

50 Marion L. Brown of Yazoo City has been named to the Marquis Who’s Who in America for achievements in chemistry and chemical engineering research.

53 Norman DuPlain of Biloxi won the Senior Olympics’ Pine Belt Senior Classic golf tournament in April. His wife, Lavada, won the 5K race both in her age group and overall. The DuPlains will represent Mississippi, for the sixth time, in the national Senior Olympics next year in Virginia.

56 Ernest Randall of Dallas, Texas, was chosen Alumnus of the Year by the Mississippi State University Alumni Association, Dallas Chapter for 2001. He is executive managing director at Vantage Companies, a commercial real estate developer.

Randall

60 Roy S. Estess of Carriere has retired as center director for NASA’s John C. Stennis Space Center. He has served the government for 42 years, 37 of them with NASA.

65 Davis A. Richards III of Brandon has been named chief executive officer of Rankin Medical Center. He was formerly the CEO of King’s Daughters Hospital in Greenville.

68 James L. Roberts Jr. of Pontotoc received the Distinguished Criminal Justice Faculty award from the department of criminal justice at the University of Southern Mississippi. He has served as a professor of criminal justice since September 2000. He also served as a justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court 1992-1999.

71 William T. Dalton Jr. of Corinth has been promoted to president of the Peoples Insurance Agency Inc. Marion R. Wells of Murfreesboro, Tenn., professor emeritus of biology at Middle Tennessee State University following a 40-year teaching career, has received the Career Achievement Award from the MTSU Foundation.

72 Hubert O. Farrish of Portland, Ore., has been named the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency deputy administrator for commodity operations. James M. Timble of Houston, Texas, has been appointed chief executive officer and president of Tri-Union Development Corp. He most recently served as president of Elysium Energy.

Richards

Judith Reaves Davenport of Columbia, Mo., keynoted the 27th National Institute on Rural Social Work at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Md. William R. Johnson of Valrico, Fla., Southeastern sales representative for Shamrock Seed Co., was elected this year’s president of the Florida Seedsmen Association.

Joe Adams of Madison, Holmes Community College vice president and Ridgeland campus director, has received

S Fall 2002

the 2002 Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction. He won the award based on his longtime support of Phi Kappa Theta international honor society. William R. Bell of Jackson has been named radio newsperson of the year. He is currently the news director for WMSI-FM. Phillip L. McDade of Madison has been elected president of the Construction Specifications Institute. He is the first landscape architect and first Mississippian to serve in this capacity.

McDade

Charlie Mitchell of Vicksburg is the new incoming president for the Mississippi Press Association. He is managing editor at the Vicksburg Post. W. Reed Hillen of Tupelo has been named to the Local Advisory Board of BancorpSouth in Tupelo. He is a partner in the law firm Holland, Ray, Upchurch & Hillen. Mary Ann Odom of Cleveland has been named assistant to the president at State Bank and Trust.

77 Arthur Eugene Goldman of Madison, Ala., is deputy manager of the Space Shuttle Main Engine Project at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. He will participate in the candidate development program for NASA’s senior executive service. Goldman has received a NASA Certificate of Appreciation and the Marshall Center Director’s Commendation.

78 Brooks Taylor of Tunica has completed her tenure as Mississippi Press Association president. She now edits the Tunica Times.

79 Lester Michael Lamberth of Hendersonville, Tenn., has been promoted to captain in the U.S. Navy. He has been recalled to active duty and is serving at U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.

89 â&#x2013;ź

80 Robert E. Luke of Meridian was elected treasurer of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. He previously served as regional director for the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Southern Conference. He currently serves as vicepresident, treasurer, and managing partner for Luke & Kaye Architects, P.A. Luke

82 Marilyn Skelton of Belden has been promoted to vice president of bank coordination and relationship manager of BancorpSouth. Michael J. Niezgoda of Tampa, Fla., an Air Force lieutenant colonel, has received a master of strategic studies degree from Air War College. He has been assigned as commander of the 1st Combat Communications Squadron at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

84 Scotty Winfred Goldman of Prattville, Ala., has received a doctorate of ministry degree from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

85 James Michael Martin of Starkville has received a post-doctoral position with the Food Science Institute at Mississippi State University.

86 Joe P. Bowen of Franklin, Tenn., has been promoted to executive vice president of secondary marketing at Franklin American Mortgage Co. He was formerly executive vice president of operations Bowen for the Accubanc Division of National City Mortgage Corp.

87 Debbie Cherry of New Albany has become one of only two females to direct a Mississippi architectural firm. She formerly worked for Staub, Robinson and Williams architectural firm. Dave Dickson of Vicksburg has been named city president of State Bank and Trust. He was formerly president of AmSouth. Haley Fisackerly of Little Rock, Ark., has been named vice president of customer operations for Entergy Mississippi. Jay E. Gee of Houston, Texas, has joined the Epidemiologic Investigations Laboratory of the Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Ga.

88 Janet Campbell Anderson of Collins has been promoted to vice president and cashier at Covington County Bank. Walter N. Bone of Memphis, Tenn., landscape architect for the STAX Museum and Academy, has had an article published in the February issue of Landscape Architect & Specifier News. Beth Fleming of Vicksburg has been named deputy director of the Environmental Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. Fleming

John Thomas Arnold of Southaven has been promoted to senior consultant with AG Consulting, an ADP company. Stacey E. Thomas of Jackson has been named a shareholder in the Jackson office of the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell.

90 Jay Halford of Gautier has been promoted to supervisor of substation maintenance for Mississippi Power Co. in Gulfport. Will Manuel of Jackson is now a partner with the Jackson-based law firm of Bradley, Arant, Rose & White, where he is involved in business litigation. James Brent Turley of Norfolk, Va., has been named senior project manager with Geo-Marine Inc. He will be working in the Newport News office.

91 Michelle Lawrence Pennington of Pelahatchie has taken a position as a kindergarten teacher at Flowood Elementary School.

92 Leslye Burton Bishop of Biloxi has been promoted to training manager of Isle of Capri Casino and Resort. She has been with the Isle of Capri since 1998, formerly as convention services coordinator. Patrick Y. Manuel of Pembroke Pines, Fla., has been named the new CIO of Island Cruises, a United Kingdom based cruise company offering cruises in the Mediterranean and off the coast of Brazil. Shelley Powers of Richland has been named public relations director for the Mississippi Arts Commission. She previously worked in the communications department for the Mississippi Employment Security Commission. Suzanne Teel of Ridgeland has been awarded the regional service award for the Southeast by the Teel National Association of Christian College Admissions Personnel. She is director of admissions for Belhaven College. A Fall 2002

▼ William Thompson of Easton, Pa., has been promoted to tax/accounting analyst for Masterfoods USA, formerly known as M&M/Mars. He is currently working in the corporate headquarters in Hackettstown, N.J.

New

So what’s

Have you or a Mississippi State alumnus you know received professional recognition?

93 Robin Burchfield of Sykesville, Md., has joined the Social Security Administration as confidential assistant to the deputy commissioner for communications. Marsha D. Cummings of Ocean Springs has been promoted to the business department chair for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on the Jackson County campus. Phillip Allen Horel of Houston, Texas, has joined Alstom T&D Bitronics Inc. as a sales support engineer. John Oxley of Brandon has been promoted to president of purchasing for Steel Service Corp. He previously was head of purchasing for SSC.

degree New new? New job baby

Share the word with former classmates through the class news section in Alumnus and help the Alumni Association keep track of you at the same time. Complete the form and return it to: Mississippi State Alumnus P.O. Box 5325 Mississippi State, MS 39762-5325 fax 662-325-7455 e-mail snowa@ur.msstate.edu

Name Soc. Sec.#

MSU major, degree(s) and years received

Occupation Company

94 Kelly L. Mims of Tupelo has opened a law practice in Tupelo. Brandon Reid of Flowery Branch, Ga., is working for United Behavioral Health in Houston, Texas. Brandon Scordino of Birmingham, Ala., has been named the director of Internet and e-commerce for Motion Industries.

Address Street/Box City State

ZIP

Phone

95 Ronald L. Berry of Monroe, La., received an outstanding professor’s award from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He is head of the computer information systems department. Christopher S. Landess of Pensacola, Fla., Berry has graduated from the Naval Basic Civil Engineer Corps Officer School.

S Fall 2002

Spouse’s name Spouse’s MSU graduation (if applicable)

News for Class News:

▼ Kyle Banks Powell of Warsaw, Mo., is a high school principal at La Monte. Travis Wade Swenson of Jackson has joined Daly-Sublette Landscape Architects in Metairie, La.

97 Jennifer Hussey Grant of Jackson has received a doctor of medicine degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. She received the Mississippi Eye, Nose, and Throat Association Excellence Award. She currently is serving an ophthalmology residency at UMC in Jackson.

98 Marissa Campbell Atkinson of Oxford is a third-year law student at the University of Mississippi School of Law. Jennifer Everett of Memphis, Tenn., has been named store manager of Ann Taylor Loft at Peabody Place. She formerly worked at Goldsmith’s of Federated Department Stores as a sales manager. Michael Jason Highfield of Lexington, Ky., has earned a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Kentucky and has joined Louisiana Tech University as an assistant professor of finance in Ruston, La. Robert Davison Miller of Lubbock, Texas, has been promoted to associate director of campus recreation at the University of Texas at San Antonio. William D. Mostenbocker II of Houston, Texas, has been promoted to downstream operations and applications support for Global Database Administration Services. His promotion will move him to Baton Rouge, La. Mike Tagert (M.S. ’98) of Starkville has been named state entomologist and director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, a division of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. He most recently served as the agency’s deputy director.

99 Steven Cooksey of Meridian was among less than 2 percent of the candidates for the Certified Public Accountant exam in Mississippi who passed all four required sections of the test on the first sitting. He is a member of the auditing staff at Rea, Shaw, Giffin, & Stuart accounting firm. Ryan Layne Cooper of Cincinnati, Ohio, a surgery specialist for Ethicon Endo-Surgery, has moved from Miami, Fla. David McCarty of Starkville, a second-year student at the Mississippi College School of Law, has joined the campaign to elect Louis Coleman Hinds County circuit judge. Alicia Catherine Judd has moved to Cordova, Tenn., to accept a position at Houston High School teaching resource math. She is also the assistant softball coach. Dee Dee Smith Coker of Kansas City, Mo., is a first-year medical student at the University of Health Sciences.

00 Yulanda Myesha Davis of Macon is a business/computer education teacher at Noxubee County High School. Last year, she received Teacher of the Year honors. Paul Grady Dixon of Athens, Ga., has received a master of science degree in geography from the University of Georgia. He has moved to Phoenix, Ariz., to pursue a doctoral degree in geography and atmospheric science at Arizona State University. Jesse Richard Jacobson has earned a master’s degree in civil engineering at Virginia Tech. He is a geotechnical staff engineer for S&ME Inc. in Asheville, N.C.

Kristen Martin of Douglasville, Ga., has been named public relations coordinator for the Sisters of Charity Providence Hospitals. She previously worked as a corporate compliance specialist with CT Corporation System. She will now reside in Lexington, S.C. Johnny Olsen Jr. of Biloxi is an intern architect with Luke and Kaye Architects. John M. Rigdon of Tupelo has been promoted to loan officer at the Barnes Crossing branch of BankcorpSouth.

01 Hayley Butler of Ocean Springs is an advertising account representative for the Ocean Springs Record newspaper. Jamie Coker of Kansas City, Mo., is employed with TruGreen Chem Lawn in Kansas City. Ashley Michelle Craig of Southaven has earned a master’s degree in English from the University of Mississippi. Justin W. Markham of Ackerman has been promoted to bank officer at Citizens National Bank in Kosciusko. Lauren Elizabeth Jones of Jackson has been working with Congressman Chip Pickering’s re-election campaign. She previously worked for the National Cotton Council in Washington, D.C.

02 Todd Clark of Birmingham, Ala., has returned to work at TurnerBatson Architects as a designer on religious and corporate projects. Garrett Ryan Garriga of Westwego, Iowa, is an industrial engineer for Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, Avondale Operations, in New Orleans, La.

A Fall 2002

▼

Lauren Ashlee Bailey, June 25, 2002, to Heather Eakes Bailey (’98) and husband Greg of DeKalb. Lauren Nicole Boykin, Nov. 22, 2001, to Regina Williams Boykin (’96) and Paul Wayne Boykin (’95) of Jackson. Emma Nicole Cushing, July 11, 2001, to Tammy Cushing (’99) of Kennesaw, Ga. Joshua David Edmonds, Nov. 6, 2001, to Khristina Wickersham Edmonds (’96) and husband David of Jackson.

S Fall 2002

Lucas Stanton Everitt, Aug. 13, 2002, to Cynthia Bright Everitt (’94) and Cass Everitt (’94) of Austin, Texas. Isabella Christine Goglia, May 21, 2002, to Adam J. Goglia (’93) and wife Jennifer of Converse, Texas. Tanner Smith Graves, Jan. 22, 2002 to Robin Devine Graves (’91, M.S. ’97) and Larry Hugh Graves (’95) of Collierville, Tenn.

Elizabeth Carol Hailey, Nov. 19, 2001, to B.J. Hailey (’92) and wife Phaedra of Brandon. Joel Eugene Hellums, Aug. 15, 2002, to Edmond Eugene Hellums II (’99) and Suzanne Winslow Hellums (’00) of Anchorage, Alaska. Thomas Hanway Henderson, June 1, 2002 to Thomas Caldwell Henderson (’94) and Bonney Hicks Henderson (’95) of Jackson.

William Drew Hendry, April 9, 2002, to Wes Darryl Hendry (’89) and Cindy McDaniel Hendry (’90) of Bay Springs. Elizabeth Anne Hubbard, June 4, 2002, to Stephanie Castelli Hubbard (’93) and Robert Hubbard (’88) of Memphis, Tenn. Karly Beth Huffman, Oct. 3, 2001, to Wendy Huffman (’00) and husband Richard of Houlka. Bryce Jordan and Brett Alexander Johnson, July 18, 2002, to Phillip Johnson (’84) and wife Adinah of Raleigh. Phillip Andrew Ladd, June 2, 2001, to Breck Ladd (’96) and Laura Ladd (’97) of Brookhaven. Olivia Carroll Lowden, May 16, 2002, to Ken Lowden (’96) and Shellie Moore Lowden (’96) of Cleveland, Tenn. Carter Montague McElroy, June 22, 2001, to Glenn McElroy (’85) and wife Genna of Vaiden. Ryan Scot McMinn, Jan. 19, 2002, to Scot McMinn (’92) and Sara McReynolds McMinn (’92) of Collierville, Tenn.

Alaina Paige Olsen, May 1, 2002, to Johnny Olsen Jr. (’00) and Amy Ford Olsen (’97) of Biloxi. Cole Robert Rayner, Jan. 13, 2002, to Craig Rayner (’88) and wife Angela of Hixson, Tenn. Allyson Jo Reed, July 25, 2002, to Thomas L. Reed (’98) and wife Christy of Hessmer, La. James Bradford Riley, July 18, 2002, to Jon Riley (’00) and Jo Riley (’00) of Florence, Ala. Sarah Grace Ruth, March 19, 2002, to Kimberly Watkins Ruth (’95) and husband Tony of Calhoun City. Austin Lee Seid, Feb. 27, 2002, to Dennis H. Seid (’91) and wife Catherine of Huron, Tenn. Payne Edward Sleeper, March 28, 2002, to Ronnie Sleeper (’90) and wife Natalie of Corinth. Conner Hart Smith, Jan. 13, 2002, to Robert Hart Smith (’92) and Kimberly Doggett Smith (’91) of Meridian.

William James Thomas, March 15, 2001, to Stacey E. Thomas (’89) and Ginger Cook Thomas (’92) of Jackson. William Garrison Walker, Jan. 10, 2002, to William Wilbur Walker (’96) and Shanna Garrison Walker (’97, ’00) of Oxford. Mary Claire Weaver, Sept. 26, 2001, to William Stewart Weaver Jr. (’92) and Evelyn Rushing Weaver (’94) of Proctor, Ark. Ashley Rebecca Wingo, Jan. 30, 2002, to Staci Roberts Wingo (’95) and Robert Bradley Wingo (’94) of Charlotte, N.C. Grady Alden Worbington, July 3, 2001, to Vincent Worbington (’93) and wife Anne of Melbourne, Fla. James Keith Worrell, May 13, 2002 to James Keith Worrell (’89) and Karen Gordon Worrell (’90) of Madison.

Chris P. Haynes Sr. (’40)—83, Jackson; president of Chris Haynes Electric Supply and World War II veteran, June 18, 2002. Bill Jamieson (’40)—83, Fulton; cattle farmer, owner and operator of the Dixie Theater and Drive-In, and World War II veteran, July 11, 2002. Cyril William Robinson (’40)—90, Conway; retired utilities technician for Reliant Energy, May 15, 2002. Jack Locke (’40)—83, Columbus; retired, World War II veteran, May 22, 2002. Robert Sullivan Barker (’41)—82, Brandon; retired Grenada County extension agent, May 18, 2002. Thomas Griffin James Jr. (’41)—86, Florence; retired South Central Bell employee and World War II veteran, June 3, 2002. James Montgomery (’41)—83, Gulfport; retired Jefferson Pilot Life employee and World War II veteran, June 16, 2002.

Luther W. Kea Sr. (’43)—80, Jackson; U.S. Treasury Service employee and World War II veteran, Dec. 18, 2001. Howell W. Henson Sr. (’47)—81, Weir; retired United States Postal worker and World War II veteran, June 14, 2002. Patricia Walton Shelby (’49)—73, Beulah; homemaker and volunteer, former president general of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, and former president of the National Gavel Society, June 14, 2002. C.C. Murray Jr. (’50)—78, Jackson; retired independent geologist, May 27, 2002. Mumford Rhett (’50)—75, Columbus; retired commercial real estate developer and World War II and Korean War veteran, July 4, 2002. Dodd Jamison (’51)—75, Kosciusko; retired employee of City Services Petroleum Co. of Lake Charles, La., July 9, 2002.

▼

Edited by Carol Keltz

Wightman Shearer Tyson (’23)—101, Winchester, N.H.; retired banker, July 19, 2002. William Gates Jacks (’28)—98, Kilmichael; retired educator, businessman, and farmer, Aug. 16, 2002. Marvin R. Calder (’31)—95, Magee; retired personnel director for McCarty Farms, Aug. 8, 2002. Ansel Estess (’37)—89, Tylertown; Walthall County agent, July 2, 2002. Reuel McCord Sr. (’37)—96, Belden; retired supervisor for Farmers Home Administration, May 14, 2002. Charles Earl Ballard (’39)—94, Madison; retired from Department of Agriculture, May 6, 2002. David Morris Pittman (’39)—86, Greenwood; retired from General Motors Acceptance Corp., United States Navy veteran, July 3, 2002. Meredith Minga Temple (’38)—86, Madison; retired Mississippi State University mathematics professor, May 23, 2002.

A Fall 2002

▼ Charles Eugene Newman (’51)— Austin, Texas; World War II and Korean War veteran, April 18, 2002. Marion Dodson Jr. (’52)—73, Jackson; retired sales representative, June 1, 2002. Hazel Slay Bishop (’53)—87, Hazlehurst; retired school teacher, June 1, 2002. Olga Corbett (’53)—98, Baldwyn; retired school teacher and reporter for the Baldwyn News, July 22, 2002. Raymond Brown (’58, MS ’78)—69, Holly Springs; state supervisor of secondary and post secondary technical education and Korean War veteran, June 11, 2002. James Sisson (’56)—71, Kansas City, Kan.; retired electrical engineer consultant, May 6, 2002. Darrell Holaday Jr. (’59)—69, Louise; manager of Holaday Co., June 21, 2002. Mario Rocconi (’59)—64, Worton, Md.; retired Dupont/Conoco vice president for human resources, April 8, 2002 Gerald D. Hodges (’60)—64, Little Rock, Ark.; salesman for Fowler Equipment Co., Aug. 8, 2002. James ‘Ken’ Johnston (’60)—67, Clinton; math professor and chairman of the math department at Hinds Community College in Raymond, August 2, 2002. Larry S. Brannon (’61)—Little Rock, Ark; retired quality control manager for Safeway Stores Inc., May 9, 2002. Mazie Elizabeth Calvert (’61)—62, West Point; retired teacher and research microbiologist, June 4, 2002. Vergie Mae Hailey (’64)—94, Columbus; retired school teacher, July 25, 2002. Shelby Harris (’65 )—64, Newton; mathematics teacher at East Central Community College, May 14, 2002. Charles E. Williams Sr. (’65)—58, Inverness; retired farmer and state Public Service Commission employee, Aug. 15, 2002. Gregory D. Baggett Sr. (’69)—56, Ocean Springs; owner of Napa Auto Parts, June 19, 2002.

S Fall 2002

Charles R. Thurman (’70)—55, Hattiesburg; former president of Camrick Electric and electrical designer for I.C. Thomasson. Derrell Bernard Stevens (’72)—54, Ackerman; building and trades instructor at the Choctaw County Career and Technology Center, June 29, 2002. Martha Kabbes Burns (’73)—68, Jackson; owner and director of the Education Center School, July 18, 2002. Thomas Larry Hillhouse (’73, Ph.D. ’76)—Concord, Calif.; retired international market developer for Zeneca Agricultural Products, Nov. 1, 2001. Dianne Ball Natale (’73)—50, West Palm Beach, Fla.; director of music at Bob’s Pianos and Organs, professional keyboard instructor for 15 years, July 18, 2002. Teresa Lamae Honeycutt High (’74)—48, Fayetteville, N.C.; partner with Williford and High Certified Public Accountants, Sept. 22, 2001. Lawson M. Smith (’75)—53, Clinton; research geologist with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, June 5, 2002. William H. Brooks (’75)—51, Winona; partner in Killebrooks Fabrication Inc., April 26, 2002. Kathy M. Caughran (’76)—47, Gig Harbor, Wash.; retired special education teacher, April 18, 2002. Daniel Eugene West (’77)—49, Madison; manager for Cole Brothers & Fox, June 25, 2002. Robert Eugene Faust (’77)—48, Houston, Texas; accountant, July 10, 2002. Dorothy Ann Jones (’84)—61, Eupora; retired educator, July 9, 2002. Marguerite Dennis (’88)—69, Philadelphia; Care Lodge staff member, July 20, 2002. Evelyn Marie Morris (’90)—Columbus; social worker and sociology professor at East Mississippi Community College at Mayhew, July 4, 2002. David Abbott Remy (’00)—Starkville; director of career services and leadership development at Mississippi University for Women, May 6, 2002.

Sam T. Boleware (attended)—73, Brandon; retired sales manager, May 28, 2002. John A. Greco Jr. (attended)—49, Carthage; retired farmer and construction worker, May 13, 2002. Fredrick M. Jones (attended)—44, Hattiesburg; business owner and commercial pilot, May 16, 2002. Mary Henkel Kelly (attended)—95, Concord, N.H.; retired teacher, April 20, 2002. John King Jr. (attended)—66, Jackson; June 17, 2002. Kenny Perez (attended)—28, Arcola; graphic artist for Delta Democrat Times, July 11, 2002. Kenneth Allen Shaw Sr. (attended)— 64, Jackson; founder of Industrial Services Co., April 27, 2002. John Patton Sylar (attended)—Little Rock, Ark.; sales representative for Whiting Systems, Inc. and Vietnam War veteran, July 1, 2002. Debbie Jean Edmonds Waller (attended)—45, Starkville; homemaker, July 15, 2002. Udine Burns Williford (attended)— 79, Drew; retired school teacher, June 17, 2002. Catherine W. Bryan (friend)—93, West Point; former social worker and community leader; July 25, 2002. Charlotte G. Pinson (friend)—77, Belzoni; homemaker, May 29, 2002. Ruby Linskey (friend)—Drew; honorary member of Mississippi State University’s department of industrial engineering, June 13, 2002. Opal M. Straton (friend)—73, Poplarville; retired employee of the Mississippi State Experiment Station and Pearl River Circuit Clerk office, July 5, 2002. Edith Stewart Harrelson (former employee)—94, Starkville; retired 30-year employee of MSU Dining Services and manager of the “DP,” which housed the fountain, bakery, and cheese store. Sara Lemmons McWhirter (former employee)—84, Starkville; retired receptionist and South Central Bell employee, May 11, 2002.