ALUMNUS Spring 2017 - Mississippi State University

DAWG EAT DAWG Buzzer-beater in overtime lifts Bulldogs past Huskies, snapping UConn’s 111-game winning streak and sending Mississippi State women’s basketball to national championship game.

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I N S I D E Spring 2017

Teaching without walls p. 12 | Veterinary 911 p. 22 | Future of water p. 26 | Milking it for all it’s worth p. 33

Table of CONTENTS

26 FEATURES

18 Thriving on campus

Disability Support Services helps students navigate the journey through their college years.

22 Veterinary 911

A Mississippi State University-affiliated clinic treats pets today while training the veterinarians of tomorrow.

26 Future of water

As water-related issues come to the forefront of critical research, Mississippi State is leading research to secure this resource for generations to come.

ABOVE: Through collaborative research, Mississippi State University faculty and staff are working to preserve Earth’s water resources for future generations. Here, Sand Creek flows through the north part of the university’s Starkville campus, providing a peaceful, scenic escape.

Photo by Russ Houston

SPRING 2017 | VOL. 94 | NO. 1

PRESIDENT

Mark E. Keenum, ’83, ’84, ’88

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

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Jeff Davis

CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER Sid Salter, ’88

EDITORS

Harriet Laird Susan Lassetter, ’07

WRITERS

Amy Cagle James Carskadon, ’12 Susan Lassetter, ’07 Keri Lewis Amanda Meeler, ’15 Sasha Steinberg, ’14

DESIGNER

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Heather Rowe

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Megan Bean Russ Houston, ’85 Kevin Hudson Kelly Price Tom Thompson, ’13 Beth Wynn

EDITORIAL OFFICE

P.O. Box 5325 Mississippi State, MS 39762 662.325.0630 slassetter@opa.msstate.edu

22 DEPARTMENTS 02 16 33 53 58 66 68

Campus News State Snapshot Our People Infinite Impact Statements Forever Maroon Back Story

ADVERTISING

COVER

Guard Morgan William puts up a last-second shot in overtime against UConn to secure the Bulldogs’ trip to the national championship game in March. The 5-foot-5 junior averaged 10.9 points per game during this season that earned MSU women’s basketball its highest finish in program history. Photo by Keith Warren

CONNECT TWITTER.COM/MSSTATE FACEBOOK.COM/MSSTATE INSTAGRAM.COM/MSSTATE

Jeff Davis 662.325.3444 jdavis@alumni.msstate.edu

Mississippi State University’s ALUMNUS magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Public Affairs and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association.

Send address changes to Alumni Director, P.O. Box AA, Mississippi State, MS 39762-5526. Call 662.325.7000, or email cstockton@advservices.msstate.edu.

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status protected by applicable law is prohibited.

Campus NEWS

Defining a life

Worth Living

By Susan Lassetter | Photo by Beth Wynn

Alicia Hall doesn’t know what makes you happy. She doesn’t know what’s best for you or how to improve your situation. Her concern lies with understanding how all those things come together to make a life worth living.

Now in the early stages of a two-year study, the Mississippi State University assistant professor of philosophy is working to understand and define human happiness and well-being.

“I’m evaluating the common ways researchers conceive of quality of life to create

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a unified theory that can be used for decisions that affect a person’s well-being,” Hall explained.

Specifically, Hall said her work explores ways to incorporate a person’s overall well-being into decisions about health care and public policy.

“Happiness is a positive mental state, but well-being indicates how someone’s life is going

Humans are known to mimic the facial expressions of those around them, which means smiling is contagious.

overall,” Hall explained. “A ‘happy’ state of mind might fluctuate day to day, while well-being remains more constant and that’s what we want to look at.

“You can’t keep a person happy all of the time,” she continued, “but we can try to make decisions that will have a positive impact on their overall life satisfaction.”

Hall’s study is part of a $5.1 million research project based out of Saint Louis University and largely funded by the John Templeton Foundation of Pennsylvania.

Her proposal was one of only 21 chosen from more than 250 submissions to receive a sub-grant from that initial pool of funding.

Dan Haybron, a professor of philosophy at Saint Louis University, serves as leader of the overall project called “Happiness and

billion-dollar health-care industry.

“People are living longer and have chronic conditions that can only be treated, not cured,” Hall said. “When you can’t judge the success of a treatment based on cure, we then have to make a more difficult judgment based on how it affects a person’s life overall.”

It’s a matter of making sure the side effects of a treatment aren’t worse than the symptoms of the condition and ensuring everything works together to contribute to a positive quality of life.

But Hall said this is tricky both because people’s perceptions of their own wellbeing shift over time and because medical professionals have different ways of determining how people perceive their life situations.

The price of

happiness

The cliche “money can’t buy happiness” doesn’t quite tell the whole story. But the more accurate statement—money can increase satisfaction, but only up to a point— doesn’t have the same ring to it.

A 2010 study by a Princeton economist found that money can improve someone’s happiness and well-being to a certain degree.

However, there is a point at which having more money is not likely to improve a person’s life satisfaction.

“A ‘happy’ state of mind might fluctuate day to day, while wellbeing remains more constant and that’s what we want to look at. You can’t keep a person happy all of the time, but we can try to make decisions that will have a positive impact on their overall life satisfaction.” ~ Alicia Hall Well-Being: Integrating Research Across Disciplines.” He explained that while a lot of philosophy research is theoretical, Hall’s work has obvious practical applications.

“We philosophers really like to worry about totally theoretical stuff and you’re going to lose people pretty quickly when you start talking like that to doctors or economists,” Haybron said. “But Dr. Hall’s research focuses on real practical issues.”

Haybron said Hall’s work will help define philosophical ideas in a way that will make the concepts accessible and more easily applicable to other scientific disciplines.

“Her research has the capability to help us understand more clearly what’s going on,” Haybron said. “It can help us see all of the moving parts, analyze situations and ideas, and bring clarity of thought to issues.”

The first year of Hall’s study focuses on establishing a pragmatic account of wellbeing that can be applied in the multi-

“Physicians are measuring quality of life in very different ways,” Hall explained. “If it’s being evaluated too narrowly, it might not provide an accurate picture of how a condition or its treatment is affecting someone’s life.”

Hall said her work could be the basis for creating surveys that can be employed by clinicians and researchers in the medical field to ensure everyone’s efforts and funding are working toward the same goal of helping people live their best lives.

In year two of the study, Hall will apply her understanding of evaluating well-being to public policy to give decision makers a metric other than gross domestic product to measure the happiness and well-being of the public.

“There aren’t indefinite resources, so this is about finding a way to get the most bang for your buck, so to speak, by addressing the things that actually contribute to a person’s life satisfaction overall,” Hall said. n

This income plateau varies from state to state based on cost of living, but it highlights the need for people to look beyond possessions and even financial security to create a satisfying life.

Mississippi State philosopher Alicia Hall said numerous studies show that helping others and having a grateful outlook can improve a person’s perception of life satisfaction.

“Money does influence wellbeing to a certain point, like making sure you have food and things like that. But once you have enough, having more isn’t going to improve your satisfaction,” Hall explained.

“Building relationships with people, giving back, making memories and having experiences, instead of focusing on things, are lasting ways to improve well-being overall.”

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Campus NEWS

MSU AGAIN LEADS THE STATE IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

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By James Carskadon

#1 RESEARCH UNIVERSITY IN MISSISSIPPI

#94 RESEARCH UNIVERSITY IN THE U.S.

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$226.4 MILLION IN R&D EXPENDITURES

More than half of all university research and development expenditures in the Magnolia State flow throw Mississippi State, according to the most recent National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey.

The state’s largest research university, Mississippi State rose to No. 94 nationally among public and private institutions.

The rankings are based on the university’s $226.4 million in total R&D expenditures for fiscal year 2015.

“The current funding environment for research across all disciplines has never been more competitive, so it’s gratifying to see our faculty competing well against our peers,” said David Shaw, Mississippi State’s vice president for research and economic development.

Mississippi State earns funding and support from business and industry, as well as local, state and federal government entities. This supports a diverse portfolio of research, which helped the university place in the top 50 for research expenditures in the agricultural sciences, computer science, the social sciences, and mechanical, aeronautical and electrical engineering.

While this research tackles a variety of complex global issues, its most immediate effects are seen in Mississippi, where the university spurs economic development and solves statewide issues.

For example, Mississippi State’s Research and Curriculum Unit works with the Mississippi Department of Education to develop and evaluate career and technical education in secondary schools, which helps the state’s high school students prepare to enter the modern workforce.

The university’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center manages a comprehensive, statewide data system that has assisted with industry recruitment and informing policy decisions. The State Longitudinal Data

System was praised by state leaders during a summit held last fall in Starkville.

“We convert data into actionable intelligence. It can be a service, it can be a new technology, it can be anything to help state government operate in a more efficient way,” said Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Parisi, executive director of NSPARC. “In the last 15 years, we’ve been able to do something no other state has been able to do,” he continued. “We have reduced the cost of government by making data part of the business operation. NSPARC brings that kind of capability and research that can change the way we do business as a state.”

The research conducted at MSU also improves Mississippi’s $8 billion agriculture and forestry economy. With over $106 million in agricultural research in fiscal year 2015, Mississippi State has been in the top 10 nationally in the field for 18 consecutive years.

“Our researchers, faculty and Extension specialists address real-world problems that affect people across our state and around the globe,” said Greg Bohach, vice president of the university’s Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.

“We’re developing innovative and practical solutions to the agricultural challenges of producing food, fiber and fuel in the 21st century,” he added.

Mississippi State also has many resources dedicated to supporting Mississippi’s manufacturing industry, including the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems Extension center in Canton, which reported nearly $6 billion in economic impact from January 2006 through March 2016.

For more on the National Science Foundation and the annual Higher Education Research and Development Survey, visit www.nsf.gov. More on MSU’s research and economic development efforts can be found at www.research. msstate.edu. n

IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT HUNGER.

WE ARE.

Imagine a world where food is not a privilege, but a right. A world where there is room at the table for everyone. Where food technologies are developed, perfected and shared to feed a growing population that will reach 9.5 billion by 2050. Imagine a world where the spark of an idea grows into a solution that molds the future. We are, at Mississippi State University, where we ring true. MSSTATE.EDU

Campus NEWS

COHEN BRINGS PASSION AS ATHLETIC DIRECTOR

By Sid Salter | Photo by Russ Houston

On Nov. 4, 2016, John Cohen was named Mississippi State University’s 17th director of athletics by MSU President Mark E. Keenum after an exhaustive national search.

The former Bulldog head baseball coach and two-time Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year replaced Scott Stricklin, who became athletic director at the University of Florida in September.

Cohen, 50, has spent over two decades coaching college baseball and has been the head baseball coach at Mississippi State since 2009. A Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native and MSU alumnus, he led the Bulldogs to a College World Series finals appearance, an SEC regular season championship and an SEC Tournament championship.

Q: You were at the top of your game as a baseball coach. Why did you decide to seek the athletic director post at your alma mater rather than continue coaching?

A: I have always wanted to be an athletic director. When this incredible opportunity came along, it was just too enticing to pass up when you consider my age and experiences over the past 25 years. I really enjoyed coaching. It was one of the many great gifts of my life, but when the confluence of age, opportunity, experience and good fortune come together…at a place you love…what an incredible journey it has been.

Q: What are your goals for

VISIT ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU TO SEE HIGHLIGHTS FROM COHEN’S TIME AS A DIAMOND DAWG— BOTH ON THE FIELD AND OFF.

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MSU Athletics and what do you identify as the prime obstacle to reaching those goals?

A: These are my goals: • Focus on our student-athletes, making sure their experience is educational and fulfilling.

• Recognize and employ the full scope of compliance, not just from

an NCAA and SEC perspective.

I want our entire department to understand clearly that honesty, integrity and effort should be at the heart of everything we do.

• Exercise fiscal responsibility.

• Serve our MSU family, as the Athletic Department is not an island. Pride should come from recognizing that you are part of something that is much bigger that yourself.

• Relentlessly promote this wonderful institution, Mississippi State University.

There are always obstacles, but to quote Les Brown, “It’s better to aim high and miss than to aim low and hit.”

Q: Let’s talk about the future of Dudy Noble Field at PolkDeMent Stadium. What can our fan base expect over the next year?

A: I am very excited about this project for obvious reasons but most of all, I have confidence that this facility will create a fun, comfortable, safe, convenient and exciting environment for our fans; honor the history of the program; and provide necessary components

John Cohen has twice been to the College World Series: as a Mississippi State player in 1990 and as its coach in 2013.

L-R: DAUGHTER AVERY COHEN, JOHN COHEN, NELLE COHEN, AND DAUGHTER JORDAN COHEN

for the future success of Mississippi State baseball. We will break ground at the end of this season. Our plan is to play around construction through the 2018 season with full completion expected for 2019 season.

Q: Overall, do you feel that MSU is competitive with the rest of the Southeastern Conference in terms of facilities? Is there work left to do?

A: I feel that our facilities are not just competitive but elite. There will always be a need to update, and we are committed to providing the MSU family the best possible facilities for our institution.

Q: We talk a great deal about “family” in MSU Athletics.

At home, how has your family shaped John Cohen?

A: I came from a family of educators.

I have always had a thirst for knowledge and still have a long way to go. I was taught to think critically.

There’s a big difference between critical thinking and criticism.

Q: You earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from MSU. How has this degree served you in your career?

A: My degree from MSU has been invaluable. I just wish I had taken advantage of all that MSU had to offer when I was a student. That’s the advice I most often give to MSU students: Please take advantage of all the wonderful things that this great institution has to offer. I was not a great student. All I cared about was athletics. I received a great education, especially in the English department, in spite of myself. I had incredible professors like Dr. Clyde Williams, among many others.

Q: Technology has had a tremendous impact on sports. Do you expect that trend to continue?

A: Technology will be the driving force for what happens in the stands and on the playing fields and courts in the future. Technology will greatly affect athlete performance and will influence the way fans interpret what is happening in the game.

Q: How can we best protect the MSU tradition that you call your favorite, the cowbell?

A: We can best protect our beloved cowbell by continuing to follow the rules, and that means always ringing responsibly. n

CANNIZARO BEGINS FIRST SEASON AS BULLDOG SKIPPER

By Susan Lassetter | Photo by Russ Houston

The largest opening-weekend crowd in Mississippi State baseball history welcomed Andy Cannizaro to the Maroon and White family in his debut as head coach of the Diamond Dawgs. He plans to reward that enthusiasm by bringing an exciting brand of play to Dudy Noble Field.

“We’re going to be aggressive and we’re going to play fast,” Cannizaro said of his coaching style. “We’re going to be aggressive in the batter’s box, we’re going to take the extra base, and we’re going to play an entertaining style of baseball that our fans are really going to enjoy.”

“The passion of the fan base and just how much this community loves college baseball really attracted me to this job.” ~ Andy Cannizaro Cannizaro, 37, comes to Starkville from Louisiana State University where he spent two years as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator and helped guide the Tigers to an SEC championship and College World Series.

Having faced Mississippi State as an SEC division rival, he is familiar with the devotion of the MSU faithful, and that dedication is part of what drew him to the headcoaching position.

“The passion of the fan base and just how much this community loves college baseball really attracted me to this job,” Cannizaro said. “When you think about college baseball and the programs that really influenced where the game is now, I think MSU baseball is one of the most genuine and historic programs in the country.

“I think it’s a really great opportunity to continue to raise the bar that Ron Polk and John Cohen set for Mississippi State baseball,” he added.

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Campus NEWS

MISSISSIPPI STATE MARKS MILESTONES FOR THREE PROGRAMS

By Sasha Steinberg | Photos by Megan Bean

GEOSCIENCES CELEBRATES CENTENNIAL

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The Department of Geosciences is celebrating 100 years of changing lives at Mississippi State and beyond.

“We are in many ways the department that is most involved with answering the environmental and social questions facing society,” department head Bill Cooke said.

A major point of pride for the geosciences department stems from its nationally recognized broadcast meteorology program. It boasts an approximate 95 percent job placement rate and has graduates working as on-air meteorologists in 85 percent of all U.S. markets.

“We work hard to maintain connections with on-air markets that keep our students competitive and employ them after graduation,” Cooke said.

Kathy Sherman-Morris, an associate professor and director of distance learning, said the department also has been strengthening relationships with students through distance learning since 1987. A master’s program designed for K-12 teachers and professionals in education-related fields was added in 1998.

In 2010, the department introduced a master’s in geosciences with a concentration in applied

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meteorology that has benefited individuals with meteorological, environmental and hazard-related careers worldwide.

Cooke said the department is working to build its distance-learning offerings. It is moving to a clinical faculty model that will provide excellence in distance education through the efforts of faculty with distance education as their primary focus.

“We have reached a lot of people and changed many lives through distance learning,” Sherman-Morris said. “Through our operational meteorology program, we have been able to provide weather forecasting training to many, including those serving in the military.”

Cooke added, “An MSU education can make a huge difference in how these individuals stationed across the globe conduct exercises and war efforts around the world.”

In 2015, the department was designated a Center of Academic Excellence in Geospatial Sciences by the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey. Cooke said, since then, the department has been working with the NGA to develop a pipeline for student employment in the intelligence community.

“Courses in geospatial intelligence are being developed to be incorporated into the curriculum,” Cooke explained. “The goal will be to equip graduate students with the problem-solving skills needed to integrate

socio-political occurrences with geospatial technologies.”

Along with expanding its reach via distance learning, the geosciences department has connected with future students through the U.S. Army-sponsored LeaderSTATE program, which is designed to provide highschool students with leadership training and specialized education.

“Bringing these exceptional students to participate in this program at Mississippi State is important for our department because it provides an opportunity to showcase what our faculty and students are doing in physics, chemistry, engineering, UAV and other fields,” Cooke said.

In geology, the geosciences department provides outreach education to students and the local community through its DunnSeiler Museum.

Under the direction of Renee Clary, an associate professor, the museum provides outreach to many groups both on and off campus. Public outreach efforts include a museum-sponsored contest for repurposing Styrofoam, along with annual Fossil Extravaganza and Earth Day celebrations. On average, the museum provides guided tours to approximately 1,000 school children each year.

“We’re doing a lot of things well,” Cooke said when reflecting on the department’s accomplishments and goals. “I’m proud of where we are and where we’re going.” n

Far Left: Past graduate student, Jessica Van Meter, practicing before a green screen in the Geosciences Climate Lab. Above: Jarell Colston, biomedical engineering student, working in a lab in Dorman Hall.

Then MSU student Danielle Phillips presenting at the Martin Luther King Oratory Contest in Fowlkes Auditorium.

BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING HITS 50 IN 50

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES MARKS 10 YEARS AT MSU

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When Mississippi State’s curriculum was introduced for biological engineering in 1967, it became the first of its kind in the nation. Now, 50 years later, it celebrates another important milestone.

“This is the first time in the history of engineering at Mississippi State University that a department has had more women than men in an undergraduate program,” explained Jonathan Pote, head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.

He continued, “Mississippi State and North Carolina State University both started programs in biological engineering, but Mississippi State actually had students in the program first and therefore was the first to have its program ABET accredited.”

Pote said the biological engineering program has been continuously accredited since 1972.

In addition to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in the subject, the department also offers a bachelor’s in

agricultural engineering technology and business, and graduate degrees in biomedical engineering and engineering technology. Starting this fall, it will add a bachelor’s in biomedical engineering to its program offerings.

Pote said he attributes the rise in female enrollment both to national trends and his department’s growth, which went from 240 undergraduates in 2009 to more than 400 last fall.

“We’ve grown fast,” Pote said.

“There’s a long history of women in biology, and biological engineering is a natural entry point for the field.”

Pote said one of the department’s priorities moving forward is continuing to hire expert faculty who can contribute to the overall diversity of the department.

Currently, the department employs six female faculty members, three of whom are African American.

“We’re hiring the best,” Pote said, adding that recent female faculty hires have included graduates of Mississippi State, Clemson, Rice, Harvard and Georgia Tech.

“There’s a family orientation to our department. Our colleagues watch out for each other and serve as great role models for our students.” n

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Mississippi State’s African American Studies program is celebrating 10 years at one of the Southeast’s most diverse institutions of higher learning.

“I am grateful for the support leaders of this great university have showed this young program,” said program director Stephen Middleton. “As I reflect on the first 10 years of African American studies at Mississippi State, I believe the program is a rising sun.”

Since its inception in 2007, the AAS program has promoted multiculturalism both through its academic efforts and diverse events and programs held on campus.

“Over the years, we have brought in speakers who have taught on a wide variety of issues and concerns relating to race, politics, African American culture and literature,” said Donald Shaffer, an associate professor of English and African American Studies.

“We have brought in scholars who are and are not African American because we want to show students that there are people other than people of color who are doing great work in the field of African American studies,” he added.

Shaffer said the AAS program also has created opportunities for students and faculty to approach the history and culture of African Americans in a way that very few people are doing.

“We are very proud that Mississippi State has one of the most diverse student bodies in the Southeastern Conference, right at 20 percent,” Shaffer said. “Part of our larger mission moving forward is to create a more diverse faculty, both in terms of race and gender.” n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Campus NEWS

“Our focus will always be on our students and their success.

The opportunities we are providing them to join hands with nationally acclaimed faculty guarantees that the work of Mississippi State will continue to make a contribution every day in making the world a better, safer and more sustainable place to live.� ~Judy Bonner

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BONNER ANSWERS NEW CALLING

By Susan Lassetter | Photo by Megan Bean

A year ago, the mountains called to newly retired Judy Bonner.

Universities with administrative vacancies tried to tempt her, but a pine-shaded cabin in the clean mountain air had a stronger pull. Then she heard from Mississippi State.

With the opportunity to be the chief academic officer at one of the region’s leading land-grant universities, Bonner quickly changed course from the mountains of North Carolina to the plains of Northeast Mississippi.

“President Keenum has developed and is implementing a strategic plan that has placed this university on a clear trajectory of progress,” Bonner said. “I thought if I can become a contributing member of that team, I would be proud to be a part of the Mississippi State family and the Bulldog Nation.”

Bonner, who holds a doctoral degree from Ohio State University, joined the Mississippi State ranks last July as provost and executive vice president to replace Jerry Gilbert, who is now president of Marshall University. She brings more than 35 years of administration experience in higher education, including three years as president of the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, where she received bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Despite having an extensive resume that recounts a career of numerous leadership positions, Bonner considers herself a faculty member, first. As provost, she holds true to those roots by providing leadership for the academic mission of Mississippi State.

“No good university will ever be great if its core mission isn’t student-centered,” Bonner explained. “Mississippi State is a great university because our outstanding faculty, loyal alumni and entire leadership team have long understood that basic fact.”

Bonner said part of what lured her from retirement is Mississippi State’s unlimited potential to succeed in today’s rapidly changing and extremely competitive higher-education environment.

“In the last five years there have been fewer students nationally pursuing college degrees,” Bonner said. “Financial support from states is inadequate and the cost of attending college is

rising. In order to thrive, we must find ways to be agile in our decision making, look for ways to be more efficient and effective, and renew our sense of urgency.”

She continued, “I view my role as an administrator as facilitating the work of others.

It’s not about ‘me.’ It’s about ‘we’ and how we can work together in order to move forward.”

Bonner explained that as a land-grant university with a mission of service, research and teaching, Mississippi State is in a strong position to touch the daily lives of those not only in Mississippi, but all 50 states and around the world. And with this reach, she sees valuable opportunities to continue to build on the academic success of the university.

“Our focus will always be on our students and their success,” Bonner said. “The opportunities we are providing them to join hands with nationally acclaimed faculty guarantees that the work of Mississippi State will continue to make a contribution every day in making the world a better, safer and more sustainable place to live.”

Bonner noted that the university’s enrollment is not only growing but growing with quality. She said that will continue to be a priority as Mississippi State recruits freshmen and transfer students, and increases graduate studies. By building the programs at MSU-Meridian, as well as distance education and partnerships with community colleges and international institutions, she said the university will serve those unable to attend classes on the main campus.

For Bonner, making Mississippi State’s nationally recognized academic programs accessible to a wide variety of students is the fulfillment of its role as a land-grant institution and its promise to produce graduates whose work will build a stronger economy and solve problems facing the world.

“I want our students to know that their success is what motivates us,” Bonner said. “I want our alumni to understand that while I didn’t graduate from Mississippi State, I well understand the pride they have in their alma mater. Their love for MSU is not only well placed, it’s justified and contagious.

“The spirit and loyalty of our graduates and friends have made Mississippi State a truly one-ofa-kind place.” n

THE TORCH OF KNOWLEDGE Generations of graduating Bulldogs have watched from their seats as a procession marched onto the stage to begin a ceremony they waited long, study-filled years to attend.

At the head of the line, one honored faculty member sets the pace, carrying the most iconic symbol of the university’s academic excellence.

Bearing three brass faces that proclaim “Service,” “Learning” and “Research,” Mississippi State University’s ceremonial mace serves as a reminder of the land-grant institution’s primary missions.

Carved by the late Francis Newton Matthews, who was an associate professor of industrial education, the mace is topped by a stylized flame representing the torch of knowledge. A tapered wooden staff serves as its base and symbolizes the people who support the institution.

The ceremonial mace is housed in the President’s Office until it is retrieved for use at Fall Convocation and twice-yearly commencement ceremonies. The macebearer for each ceremony is either that year’s recipient of the Grisham Master Teacher honor, the most prestigious faculty award at the university, or the Early Career Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award.

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Campus NEWS

TEACHING WITHOUT WALLS By Keri Collins Lewis | Photos by Kevin Hudson Those working for Mississippi State Extension no longer ride on horseback from farm to farm sharing the latest scientific methods for crop production, yet today’s agents still have a lot in common with their predecessors who started the organization more than 100 years ago.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture started the Extension Service in 1914 to help rural families improve their lives through more efficient farming, economical homemaking, and educated children. At the time, they had to convince skeptics that trying something new was worth the risk.

That has not changed much, observed Alex Deason, who has served as an Extension agent in Sunflower County for three years.

“Our mission is to extend knowledge

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and change lives, but it’s a balancing act,” Deason explained. “Clients are receptive to Extension at varying levels, and there are different needs in different areas of the state. That’s why it’s so important to understand that Extension is a neighborhood voice. We build relationships in our area.”

Extension operates offices in all 82 Mississippi counties. Most offices have at least two agents. One is typically responsible for agriculture and natural resources programming, while the other focuses on family and consumer sciences.

Both are responsible for working with 4-H Youth Development and community and economic development activities.

But what does an Extension agent actually do?

Ask any agent that question, and the answer is usually a laugh.

A WELL-CONNECTED NEIGHBOR WITH A PLAN Deason may start the day with a todo list but then the phone starts ringing, clients drop by the office and text messages start rolling in.

“Every generation is different, so part of my job as an Extension agent is figuring out the best ways to communicate with people.

Ultimately, I want to change not just their level of knowledge, but their behavior,” Deason said. “We have to find out what they want learn, and then we put it into a format that best helps them to learn.”

With clients ranging from age 5 to 85, Deason understands everyone has different expectations, so he plans programs and communication methods accordingly, and doesn’t rely on a traditional workshop for every audience.

FAR LEFT: As Extension’s Forrest County coordinator, Tawnya Holliman helps with 4-H activities, including the county and district livestock shows. ABOVE: Sunflower County agriculture and natural resources agent Alex Deason visits a client, Adam Snell, to discuss irrigation.

For example, Deason visits an 85-yearselection for irrigation pipe planning,” old client in person each year to discuss Deason said. “But some of our clients his pastures. have never used a computer. They have to “He wants a one-on-one visit at his trust me and feel comfortable learning the farm. My parents’ generation wants a technology because they can’t just turn simple phone call. My over a portion generation, the Google of their business “EXTENSION’S STRENGTH generation, we have to someone they IS THAT WE CAN TAILOR to help them get the don’t trust.”

OUR SERVICES TO WHAT IS correct information,” If Deason NEEDED IN OUR COUNTY.” Deason explained. doesn’t know “People can look the answer to a ~ TAWNYA HOLLIMAN online, but not all client’s question, of the information is reliable. Extension he has a network of colleagues across provides science-based information people the state he can rely on to provide the can trust.” needed information. They may share the Trust has always been a key factor in same job title, but even within agriculture Extension’s success, and Deason understands and natural resources, every agent has a the significance of this responsibility. different area of expertise.

“Irrigation is a significant focus right “It could be agronomy, plant and now, and we emphasize computerized hole soil science, animal science, forestry or

Tawnya Holliman enjoys interacting with 4-H’ers as part of her job with the MSU Extension.

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Campus NEWS

Notable Mississippians Sen. Thad Cochran and Faith Hill are among the famous alumni of the 4-H Club.

horticulture,” Deason said. “That’s one of the best aspects of Extension–we are all different and we all know each other. I can say I have 81 counterparts, and I can call each of them and they have something unique to bring to the table.”

Holliman graduated from Alcorn State University with a plan to be an Extension agent because she didn’t want to be a school teacher like both of her parents.

“When I became an agent, I figured out I’m

“EVERY GENERATION IS DIFFERENT, SO PART OF MY JOB AS AN EXTENSION AGENT IS FIGURING OUT THE BEST WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE.” ~ ALEX DEASON A HELPING HAND IN THE COMMUNITY Tawnya Holliman, a 20-year veteran Extension agent, gained appreciation for the state’s diverse needs through her work in Bolivar, Marion and Forrest counties.

“In a smaller county, your work as an agent is more widely known because you have fewer people and they know you are the beginning and the end of help in that rural county,” she said.

“You do a lot of work that falls under community resource development because you are advocating for resources the county doesn’t have. In a larger county, you have to find your niche.”

Holliman, who currently serves as the county coordinator and family and consumer sciences agent in Forrest County, works to establish partnerships with local organizations who share the same goals and educational mission.

“Extension’s strength is that we can tailor our services to what is needed in our county,” she said. “We are team players and that can make the community much better.”

VOLUNTEER WITH EXTENSION Mississippi State Extension offers a variety of opportunities for individuals to make a difference in their local communities or learn a new skill.

Visit extension.msstate.edu to learn about these programs.

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SPRING 2017

actually a teacher but the county is my classroom,” she explained. “Older agents say, ‘We are here for you from the cradle to the grave’ because Extension provides educational information that benefits families financially, with health and nutrition, with parenting or with professional education for those working with young children. Extension has something for Mississippians of all ages.”

Holliman emphasized the importance of volunteers in Extension’s many programs, which include 4-H and Master Gardeners.

“Without volunteers, Extension wouldn’t work at all,” she said.

With the ever-growing interest in doit-yourself projects and sites like Pinterest, Holliman is confident Extension is perfectly positioned to help Mississippians learn vital skills for the next 100 years.

“My friends ask me gardening questions because they want to grow their own food,” she said. “Sewing classes fill up every time they’re offered. We’re getting back to the basics and Extension is here to help.” n

• 4-H • Master Gardeners

• Mississippi Coastal Cleanup

• Mississippi Homemaker • Equine Assisted Therapy Programs Volunteers • Master Clothing • Women for Agriculture Volunteers • Master Naturalists

• Keys to Community

• Junior Master Wellness • Master Technology Innovator Volunteers • MyPI (Mississippi • Master Floral Youth Preparedness Designer Initiative)

Every day is different for Extension agents, who are educators, mentors, community servants, event organizers, economic developers and role models.

Find a County Office extension.msstate. edu/county-offices

Visit to learn more about local volunteer opportunities!

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State SNAPSHOT FOUR IT ALL: Junior Victoria Vivians

takes the floor as Mississippi State’s starting line-up is called before its NCAA Women’s Final Four match-up against the University of Connecticut at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Morgan William’s last second jumper in overtime put the Bulldogs up 6664 over the Huskies, snapping UConn’s 111-game winning streak and earning a trip to the national championship game. The Bulldogs earned a No. 2 final ranking in the USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest finish in program history. Photo by Kelly Price

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THRIVING ON CAMPUS Disability Support Services Helps Students Navigate Journey through College Years

By Allison Matthews | Photos by Megan Bean

TOP LEFT: Stevie Flynt and her guide dog Nala Belle take a break between classes in Flynt’s room at the Delta Gamma sorority house. TOP RIGHT: Flynt and Nala Belle routinely use MSU’s S.M.A.R.T. transit system to get around campus. MIDDLE LEFT: Micah White, left, associate director of Student Support Services, walks with Flynt as she learns new routes on campus at the start of the spring semester. MIDDLE RIGHT: Benjamin Michael Woods, a graduate assistant with Disability Support Services, walks with Flynt through McCool Hall. BOTTOM LEFT: Associate Professor Vasabjit Banerjee answers questions regarding a spring semester political science course and relevant accommodations that may be helpful through the semester. BOTTOM RIGHT: Flynt gets acquainted with classmates in her Introduction to Logic philosophy course.

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SPRING 2017

After their daughter was born blind, Stephanie Flynt’s parents decided she would be best served learning to navigate school alongside sighted students. She calls the process mainstreaming, and it set the tone for how she approaches life.

“A lot of people don’t see me as a person.

They see me as a disability with a side of person,” she explained. “When I’m talking to a person for the first time, I want them to get a good impression that I’m not my disability.

I’m a person at the end of the day.”

The Brandon native who goes by “Stevie” developed a high level of independence while

Centrally located in Montgomery Hall and based in the Office of Student Support Services, Disability Support Services provides educational access and opportunity through resources, advocacy, collaboration and academic accommodations for any student with a documented disability, including visual or physical impairments or learning disabilities.

Its work has contributed to Mississippi State coming in at No. 3 on the list of top colleges for students with visual disabilities as published

by Universities.com.

In Flynt’s case, the support office provides staff to walk with her to class at the beginning

feels her blindness helps her relate to many underrepresented groups, and she’s confident in advocating for herself and others.

Associate director of Student Support Services Micah White said the ability to advocate from first-hand experience is invaluable to his office as it works to form individual plans of action for clients.

“We see the student as the expert because they’ve lived with this disability and know what they’ve done in the past in a classroom that could work now,” White explained.

He said Disability Support Services also works with MSU faculty to learn what is

LEFT: Flynt eats lunch at the Delta Gamma house with her sorority sisters. MIDDLE: A state-of-the-art Braille note taker is a learning and communication tool Flynt uses for both personal and academic tasks. She also uses screen readers and smartphones which she says have greatly benefited the vision-impaired community. RIGHT: Flynt enters the Office of Student Support Services, which includes Disability Support Services. Centrally located on campus, many describe the Montgomery Hall office as a great “home base,” where students can come by to consult with staff members or simply to get a cup of coffee and find a study spot.

in high school in Rankin County. While she says it left her well prepared for the next step in education, she admits to feeling daunted by the prospect of leaving home for the vast campus and academic demands of Mississippi State University.

Joined by Nala Belle, a newly acquired guide dog, Flynt started her campus journey with assistance from Mississippi State’s Disability Support Services.

Now in her second year on campus, Flynt is a President’s List Scholar with enough credit hours to classify as a junior. In her words, she’s thriving at Mississippi State, living away from home for the first time. She even followed in her mother’s footsteps and joined Delta Gamma social sorority, which coincidentally has a service mission focused on assisting those with visual impairments.

Flynt credits Disability Support Services for much of her successful transition into college life.

“They’ve given me a very good support system,” Flynt explained.

of each semester as she learns the new routes that come with a new schedule. But after those first few weeks, it’s just her and Nala crossing campus and using the shuttle to get to and from her sorority house.

Flynt also uses new technology like screen readers and smartphones that, while not specifically designed for the blind, have greatly benefited the vision-impaired community. She also uses a state-of-the-art Braille note taker during classes. Disability Support Services assists her with getting textbooks in electronic format, as well as translating some materials into Braille to help her efficiently complete her classwork.

“When you say it’s a Mississippi State University family, it really is, and I couldn’t have been accommodated better anywhere else,” Flynt said. “I know everybody here, I fit in well here and I’m happy here.”

A 20-year-old political science major with a minor in Spanish and pre-law, Flynt plans to go to law school after graduation, so she can represent minority groups. She

expected from students in their classes.

“When you know what both sides need, everything can work together to create a successful and satisfying educational experience for everyone,” White said.

Austin Nix starts each day in Moseley Hall where he has lived for most of his time on campus. The 22-year-old information technology senior remembers transitioning to MSU as a freshman and living apart from his family for the first time as a daunting task.

“I knew how big this place was,” recalled the Mississippi School for the Blind graduate.

“It was a difficult first semester, but I knew things would get better.”

The Brandon native said he visited the Office of Student Support Services almost daily to help with the adjustment, taking advantage of an open-door policy Julie Capella describes as one of the office’s greatest strengths.

“You don’t have to have an appointment to come, and you don’t have to sign in,” the assistant dean of students and director for Student Support Services said. “We see a lot ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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ABOVE: Austin Nix has lived in Moseley Hall for the majority of his time at Mississippi State. He uses a cane to navigate campus and a sign to ask for assistance when crossing roads. BOTTOM RIGHT: Trenell Scales, a junior kinesiology major from Sturgis, helps guide Nix across a roadway near Montgomery Hall. Julie Capella, director of Student Support Services, says, “I think it remains a constant that our students who don’t have disabilities are very willing to assist students who do.”

of our students not only daily, but sometimes several times a day because this is a home base.

They come in here to talk or just have a place to relax, feel comfortable and get a cup of coffee.”

Like Flynt, Nix was born with blindness. At age 9, he began losing hearing in one ear, and soon after, the other followed. He now qualifies for support services at the university as someone who is blind and deaf, although he actually has partial hearing with the help of hearing aids.

A special device that hangs around his neck and a small microphone he can give professors to clip onto their clothing function as direct connections to his hearing aids.

Disability Support Services has worked with Nix since he arrived on campus. In particular, the staff helps him get textbooks in electronic formats. He doesn’t need a lot of special accommodation for taking tests because he takes many tests on a computer. However, the office does assist many students with testing services.

In a year, the staff typically administers about 3,600 tests, but last semester, they doubled that pace in accommodating students with a variety of registered disabilities, including posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and Autism spectrum disorders.

Capella explained that the university doesn’t

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see accommodation as “something extra.”

“We see it as a great part of the diversity of campus that enriches everyone, and I think it shines through here more so than in other places,” Capella said. “I think our students are the big push for having an accessible, open mind and an expectation that it’s part of the diversity of Mississippi State.”

Blindness does not indicate a lack of intelligence. Some people seem to think that it does, and they’ll yell and scream at you or talk really slow. I haven’t run into many people like this at MSU. Most are pretty friendly, and they try to be helpful.” ~ Austin Nix Nix receives help from support staff to establish routes to classes in the first few weeks of each new semester. Beyond that, he traverses campus independently using a cane and a sign that helps him request assistance from other pedestrians when crossing roads.

This independence and acceptance from

fellow students encouraged Nix to extend his time in Starkville. Following his May graduation, he plans to attend graduate school.

“Blindness does not indicate a lack of intelligence,” Nix explained. “Some people seem to think that it does, and they’ll yell and scream at you or talk really slow. I haven’t run into many people like this at MSU. Most are pretty friendly, and they try to be helpful.”

Capella said inclusive attitudes are among the multiple factors on campus that impact students like Nix who have one or more disabilities.

“Access is more than just the physical characteristics and navigability of campus—it includes inclusive attitudes,” Capella said.

“Because of our hospitality on campus, just in general for the university, this spills over,” she continued. “I think it remains a constant that our students who don’t have disabilities are very willing to assist students who do. They are very willing to accept others.”

LaBrittany Knight is a 23-year-old recent graduate of Hinds Community College and a native of Indianola, a town she describes as “close-knit.” She said this first year on a large college campus has been overwhelming at times, but she is finding her place by plugging

,060 Active Students 1 28 With Documentation For Visual Impairment

5 DSS Staff 4 Student Workers 2 Graduate Assistants

LEFT: LaBrittany Knight visits with friends in Deavenport Hall. She said the support system from friends and professionals on campus has helped her adjust to university life. ABOVE: Knight uses a motorized wheelchair to get around the university. “I always knew I wanted to come here,” she says.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW MSU CREATES BRAILLE FOR STUDENTS AT ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

into campus life. She said the encouragement of those around her, especially her resident assistants in Deavenport Hall, also helps.

Knight has 20/20 vision with her glasses, although she does have exotropia, which means one eye has weak muscles and turns a bit. Premature birth and subsequent medical developments caused her to have spastic diplegia cerebral palsy.

While the part of her brain that controls muscular movements is affected by cerebral palsy, Knight is quick to point out that she has an above average IQ with no intellectual disability. Physically, she can take a few steps, but her movement is limited, so she uses a motorized wheelchair.

Among Knight’s goals is graduating cum laude from MSU with a degree in information technology and a minor in business. She said her dream job would be to work for Google and largely credits her drive to achieve to her parents, who encourage her to “go after what you want.”

“They say you can’t wait for it to fall in your lap because it doesn’t work like that,” Knight recalled. But when it came to choosing Mississippi State, she found a bit of encouragement.

One of her middle school teachers was a Mississippi State graduate, and Knight said she believes that might have been part of the reason she felt drawn to MSU from a young age.

“I always knew that I wanted to come here. I guess I just knew it was where I was meant to be,” Knight explained.

“Because of our hospitality on campus, just in general for the university, this spills over. I think it remains a constant that our students who don’t have disabilities are very willing to assist students who do. They are very willing to accept others.” ~ Julie Capella She said she appreciates the staff in Disability Support Services, who are dedicated to helping her and other students in their pursuit of success. Not only does she benefit from assistance in getting the various accommodations she needs, but she also participates in weekly lunches as part of the

TRIO program, which is designed for firstgeneration college students. Both Disability Support Services and TRIO are administered

by Student Support Services.

“Everyone is just so sweet here,” Knight said of the Montgomery Hall office. “It’s a good place to be and when you come here, you feel at home.”

The Dean’s List Scholar said she also enjoys her job at Barnes & Noble on campus.

“People are shocked because the stereotype is that if you have a disability, you can’t work,” Knight explained. “But the managers are so nice, and they really care about me.”

Knight helps with answering calls, managing the textbook rush and frequently works with the retail store’s spreadsheets.

“I think it’s fun that I get to work within their databases a little bit. It’s really a fun job, and never a dull moment,” Knight said. “I’m actually living my dreams because all I ever wanted was to go to school and work. I’m doing that now, so my dreams are coming true.”

Visit www.alumnus.msstate.edu to see how Student Support Services produces Braille text for visually impaired Bulldogs. n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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V e t e r i n ary

911

Treating pets today to train the veterinarians of tomorrow

By James Carskadon | Photos by Tom Thompson

An ordinary day at the Animal Emergency and Referral Center in Flowood usually marks a day in the patient’s life that is anything but normal.

That was the case for Oreo, a patient benefiting from the services provided by the center. The 9-yearold mixed-breed dog developed a mast cell tumor on her thigh and a mass near her mammary glands. She was first diagnosed by emergency clinicians, which led to a surgery consultation and ultimately, the decision to remove the two masses.

Providing emergency services 365 days a year, staff at the Mississippi State University-affiliated AERC see trauma cases such as fractures, gunshot wounds, impalements and lacerations, as well as a wide variety of unfortunate ingestions.

“There’s a lot of poisonings,” hospital administrator Darrell Phillips said. “We manage many patients that have upset stomachs from eating things they shouldn’t, including patients that have been poisoned by eating things such as recreational drugs, chocolate or antifreeze. We also see patients that require surgical removal of items they’ve eaten, including clothing, rocks and money.”

In addition to providing after-hours emergency services, the center also provides specialty services such as ophthalmology, dermatology, internal medicine, diagnostic imaging and dentistry, which

Phillips said complement the existing services in the Jackson metro area.

In Oreo’s case, it was the clinic’s surgical services that were needed. She was put on a steroid regimen leading up to the surgery, which helped reduce the size of the masses and limit the damage from the surgery.

The day of the procedure, a team of dedicated staff prepared Oreo for surgery. Veterinary technicians and clinicians brought her from her kennel, placed her under anesthesia, shaved and prepared the surgery sites, monitored her vital signs, and finally positioned her on the operating table.

Throughout this process, AERC surgeon Amanda Wagoner was preparing to perform the operation.

For the 2011 MSU College of Veterinary Medicine alumna, the goal of the surgery was to make Oreo more comfortable by removing the masses and submitting them for examination by a pathologist.

Wagoner is one of approximately 50 employees of the Animal Emergency and Referral Center. The South Carolina native joined the clinic in September 2016 following the completion of a surgery residency at a private referral practice in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Like many veterinary professionals, she grew up with a love of animals and began working toward her goal of becoming a veterinarian in middle school.

TOP: A welcoming environment greets patients at the Animal Emergency and Referral Center in Flowood. MIDDLE RIGHT: AERC staff prep Oreo, a 9-year-old mixed-breed dog, for surgery to remove two masses. BOTTOM LEFT: A veterinary technician treats a patient at AERC. BOTTOM RIGHT: Darrell Phillips, AERC hospital administrator, graduated from MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine in 1983.

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TOP: State-of-the-art technology helps AERC provide quality care for all patients. MIDDLE: CVM students have the opportunity to gain more experience in operating rooms while going through rotations at AERC and observing surgeons. BOTTOM: Amanda Wagoner, a 2011 CVM graduate, performs between four and eight complex surgeries every week at AERC.

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to avoid unintentionally cutting veins or arteries.

After receiving her undergraduate degree from Lander For Wagoner, the opportunity to have a teaching role University in Greenwood, South Carolina, Wagoner was one of the appeals of working at AERC. enrolled in MSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine. She “Being able to have a small influence on their said she was attracted to MSU by the hands-on experiences education is a lot of fun for me, because a lot of people offered by the college and its welcoming environment, had to do that for me to get me where I am today,” but in the beginning, she envisioned returning to her Wagoner said. “It’s really rewarding to be able to give hometown to practice. back to veterinary medicine.”

“I thought I would become a general practitioner and Phillips said supporting the veterinary medicine move back to South Carolina to practice at the family community is important to AERC, and he works to ensure clinic my parents and grandparents took their pets to,” it has good relationships with pet owners, clinic staff and Wagoner said. “We had a really deep connection with this CVM students, as well as area veterinarians, who send practice. But, during the surgery rotation in my third year referrals to the clinic. of vet school, I realized I really enjoyed surgery.”

“The AERC emergency service is open all the time, so She now performs between four and eight complex we can always provide emergency veterinary care,” Phillips, surgeries every week at the AERC. a 1983 CVM graduate, said. “When the other veterinary “I really like being able to fix animals, and we get to clinics in the area are not open, we are available to provide do a lot of that,” Wagoner said. “You take a fracture, put it care for their patients. back together and in two months, it’s healed.

“AERC also provides specialty services, which “Even with Oreo, though we may ultimately diagnose complement the care provided at local clinics,” he cancer in this patient, we’ve still been able to help her continued. “It is really a team effort, with the specialists quality of life,” she continued. “We may not have cured and local doctors her, but we’ve removed the cancer “The AERC emergency service is open all the time, so we working together to ensure the from her body and can always provide emergency veterinary care. When patient receives the we can obtain an accurate diagnosis, the other veterinary clinics in the area are not open, best possible care.”

Since opening, which will lead to we are available to provide care for their patients.” the clinic has seen the next steps in her ~ Darrell Phillips patients from at treatment.” least 58 counties.

A handful of Approximately 10 percent of its patients come from outfourth-year veterinary students watched and assisted while of-state visitors that happen to be in the Jackson metro Wagoner operated on Oreo, benefiting from the same type area, with the majority of the patients coming from Hinds, of hands-on learning that she enjoyed as a student.

Madison and Rankin counties or the Delta.

All College of Veterinary Medicine students work a The clinic usually sees an uptick in visits on two-week rotation at the center in Flowood. The experience weekends and holidays, with three-day weekends helps broaden their perspectives by demonstrating animal typically bringing in a large number of emergency care in different settings. patients. Phillips said he and the AERC staff always Josh Wells, a fourth-year CVM student, went with keep in mind that each patient is someone’s beloved his fellow students to assist at the nearby Jackson Zoo pet, and they are well-trained to manage a vast array of while they were in the area and helped with a physical medical situations and help the owners make important examination on a cougar. The Vardaman native, who plans pet health care decisions. to practice both small and large animal medicine, said his The AERC staff works well together, Wagoner said, AERC experience was educational. which helps them take care of the pets they are seeing “At this point in our education, we’ve learned a lot of today while preparing the veterinarians of tomorrow. things, and repetition is key,” Wells said. “The more you “We’ll sit in the doctor’s office and talk about difficult see, the better you get. By the last year, we don’t have as cases and try to figure out what the best course of action many questions, so it definitely helps the speed of the is for those animals,” Wagoner said. “Ultimately, that’s clinic. Every time you have someone with more experience what we’re here to do—try to help animals and try to who can impart some wisdom, it’s always great.” give them a good quality of life for as long as possible.”

Summer Walton Graves, a fourth-year CVM student Visit alumnus.msstate.edu for a behind-the-scenes from Florence, said Oreo’s surgery provided a lesson in looks at Oreo’s surgery and for tips on how to better proper technique. She also noticed Wagoner’s detailed protect the health of man’s best friend. n knowledge of canine anatomy, which allowed the surgeon ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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MISSISSIPPI STATE EXPLORES THE

‘Future of Water’

BY AMANDA MEELER | PHOTOS BY RUSS HOUSTON

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L

ast fall, the Southeastern Conference announced an expansion to its lineup of academic-centered initiatives, with the debut of a new event to highlight the far-reaching impact of research initiated by members of the SEC. Sponsored by SECU, which specifically focuses on advancing the academic endeavors of member institutions, a new SEC Academic Conference series will connect the minds of researchers, faculty and students across the region. To increase accessibility for faculty and students, the events will take place on a college campus—the first held at Mississippi State University.

Ranked among the top 100 research institutions in the National Science Foundation’s latest survey, Mississippi State accounted for $226.4 million in total research and development expenditures. Mississippi State officials jumped at the chance to host this SEC event, according to David Shaw, the university’s vice president for research and economic development.

“When we have the ability to address a globally important topic and have the opportunity to showcase our university, it’s a win-win situation all the way around,” Shaw said.

With a focus on “The Future of Water,” the March conference examined a subject that rests heavily on the minds of scientists, engineers and researchers as environmental factors shift with time around the globe.

In recent years, water issues have been pushed to the forefront of critical research in response to increased demand for both water and energy, as well as variables in climate.

“Globally, there are very few topics that are more important,” Shaw explained. “This affects many different aspects of research.

From droughts in California and India to the availability of sanitary water in Africa, it’s an expansive topic of conversation.”

Along with conference organizers, Mississippi State officials welcomed three distinguished keynote speakers to explore this research and share expertise from diverse backgrounds in water resources.

Serving as headlining speakers were John M. Barry, the best-selling author of “Rising Tide;” Dennis Dimick, a former executive environment editor at National Geographic magazine; and Jay Famiglietti, a senior ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

27

water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology.

“It was really exciting to have a NASA scientist, a best-selling author and a former CEO of National Geographic on our campus as speakers,” Shaw said. “It speaks volumes about the stature of Mississippi State and of the vision that we have going forward in this crucial research domain.”

Experts from each of the 14 SEC institutions also spoke throughout the twoday conference, with sessions covering policy, shared coastlines, climate change and shared watersheds. The Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies also were represented during conference proceedings.

Shaw said conferences like this invigorate the minds of attendees, especially students.

“I will tell you that real innovation comes from fresh minds that don’t yet understand the word ‘no,’” Shaw said. “The opportunity to connect this global topic with students who have unique ideas and untapped potential–

that’s something we’re excited to see come out of this conference.”

Designed to facilitate innovation and idea-sharing among attendees, the conference itinerary included networking opportunities and breakout panels to encourage discussion between SEC students, faculty and researchers.

Although often characterized by competitive athletics and die-hard fans, the SEC is no stranger to collaboration among member institutions. A recent social media and commercial campaign highlighted academic accomplishments and partnerships taking place among member institutions because in the SEC, the effort to make a difference “just means more.”

“The interaction between SEC faculties is probably one of the most important elements of the whole conference,” Shaw said. “By cultivating these conversations among trailblazers in the field of water research, I think we will see interactions that spark an idea between minds, with potential for those ideas to transform into joint

research proposals or collaborations among universities.”

By hosting the SEC Academic Conference and exploring possibilities for the future of water, Mississippi State is also pursuing its existing university-wide research initiative to eliminate global hunger. This commitment analyzes the challenge of feeding a growing population that is expected to surpass 9.5 billion by the year 2050.

In 2014, MSU President Mark E. Keenum joined Presidents United to Solve Hunger, which strengthened the university’s focus on global hunger solutions and engaged researchers from across the university to target each area of the food chain, including water resources.

“We talk a lot about food security, which means a safe and sufficient supply of high quality food. There are many factors that come into play, but there is no factor more important or necessary in the production of food than the availability of water,” Shaw said.

“When you talk about food sources, you have to have the conversation about water sources at the same time.”

“When we have the ability to address a globally important topic and have the opportunity to showcase our university, it’s a winwin situation all the way around.” ~David Shaw

By using on-farm water storage ponds, Mississippi Delta farmers have the ability to rely on natural sources, like runoff and rain water, for crop irrigation.

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CROSS-COLLEGE COLLABORATION LEADS TO SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

BY VANESSA BEESON | PHOTOS BY MEGAN BEAN

A new raingarden in the landscape architecture department’s courtyard opened in April.

Funded by a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, landscape architecture, graphic design and engineering students all had a hand in its creation.

Cory Gallo, associate landscape architecture professor, said the raingarden manages one-fourth of the building’s rainwater runoff, but the project’s main purpose is to serve as an educational showpiece that teaches about green infrastructure technologies.

“This is the most comprehensive raingarden demonstration project in Mississippi and perhaps even in the Southeast,” Gallo said. “I don’t know of any that communicate what a raingarden does as well as this one.”

The raingarden’s focal piece is a 2,000-gallon cistern that collects rainwater and directs excess water

into a 1,500-square-foot bioretention basin where it is managed with soil and plants. It demonstrates sustainable water management in three steps: conveyance, storage and management. As water comes off the roof, it goes into the cistern for storage and then into the garden. Once in the garden, the water is cooled, filtered, absorbed and delayed.

Landscape architecture students built the garden while civil engineering students completed water quality testing prior to construction as part of the preliminary work.

Graphic design students developed informational graphics to communicate the project’s purpose in an effective, concise manner.

“All of the students worked really hard. I am very proud of them,” said Suzanne Powney, assistant professor in the Department of Art. “This is a permanent structure they can come back to years in the future and say, ‘I built this.’”

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FAST FACTS ON

Even though approximately 70 percent of Earth’s surface is covered by water, only 1 percent of that can be used by humans. (EPA)

While over 5 billion people have reasonable access to fresh water, over 1 billion do not.

(UN-Water)

On average, an American will use 575 liters of water per day, putting the United States in the No. 1 spot for water consumption around the globe.

(UN Human Development Report 2006)

For every minute that a bathroom faucet runs, 2 gallons of water slide down the drain.

Showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute. (EPA)

Seventy-five percent of the 3.5 billion gallons of water used daily in the state of Mississippi comes from groundwater.

(MS State Department of Health)

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Graduate student Juan Pérez-Gutiérrez gets a hands-on opportunity to work with local farmers to implement and monitor ponds in the Mississippi Delta. Farmers can collect and recycle nutrient-rich run-off water, which is then used during summer’s dry months as an alternative to irrigation from groundwater pumping. Associate professor Joel Paz said he believes the change can have long-term effects on the ecosystem and current irrigation methods.

MAKING WAVES IN WATER RESEARCH

As interest grows for innovative research at Mississippi State, university faculty and students from various departments across campus are making significant contributions in areas of water conservation, sustainability and ecosystems.

W

ith concerns growing over the decline of groundwater pumping resources in the United States, researchers at Mississippi State are working to conserve the country’s natural resources by implementing alternative methods of water storage.

Groundwater serves as the main source of drinking water for about half of the population of the United States and nearly all of the rural population. But because of excessive pumping, many areas of the country are seeing exponential depletion of these water sources.

As part of a project initiated by the United States Department of Agriculture, members of James Worth Bagley College of Engineering and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are working to implement on-farm water treatment systems in the Mississippi Delta, a major contributor of food and fiber across the country. These systems collect and recycle nutrient-rich run-off water, which is then used during summer’s dry months as an alternative to irrigation from groundwater pumping.

Since groundwater has traditionally been a source of sustenance for crops in rural

Mississippi areas, Joel Paz, an associate professor in the dual-college agricultural and biological engineering department, believes the change can have long-term effects on the ecosystem and current irrigation methods.

“We want to prepare for a time when water might be scarce,” Paz said. “We get plenty of rainfall, especially in the winter, but the challenge has been finding a way to harvest and store it. These on-farm, water-storage systems act as a solution to how we handle water efficiently.”

Efforts to monitor the treatment system, which wrapped up in the fall of 2016, were successful.

One Mississippi farmer was able to use water from the storage pond for an entire summer, eliminating the need to pump any groundwater.

“Imagine the amount of water savings you’d see if our structure was implemented by the majority of farming systems across the Mississippi Delta,” Paz said. “With the constraint of low groundwater levels, we’ve got to face the issue of altering the water sources meant for agriculture and irrigation. These systems can be applied as part of that solution, even on a global stage.”

S

ince water and energy appear as allied environmental resources, a natural inclination to unite them exists in the realm of environmental conservation.

With a deep-rooted passion in both areas, Veera Gnaneswar Gude, an assistant professor in the civil and environmental engineering department, has initiated two projects regarding wastewater and energy conservation.

“Water and energy are two of our most fundamental resources,” Gude said. “We really need to protect these in order for future generations to live without a problem.”

Combining innovation with conservation, Gude and his team of graduate and undergraduate students are working to generate energy from wastewater sources. Using a microbial desalination process, anammox and electron-producing bacteria treat pollutants in the wastewater. The carbon waste that is removed can be converted into an energy source.

“While existing resources can create energy and might be cheaper, they also put chemicals and wastes back into the ecosystem,” Gude said.

“This process allows us to create energy without neglecting existing resources and generating more waste to negatively impact the environment.”

Community-wide water issues are also being addressed by Gude’s research. To find sustainable solutions to wastewater concerns in rural Mississippi communities, he is developing options for on-site treatment systems by analyzing past and present community conditions, along with external factors like weather and seasonal activity.

“We’re looking into the problems these communities have and are working to create a valuable source for wastewater treatment and management,” Gude explained. “We want to make sure these communities have water that is compliant with the environmental standards.”

With funds from the EPA, United States Geological Survey, Mississippi Water Resources Research Institute and the National Science Foundation, Gude strives to design both projects to be ecologically and economically friendly, with an added emphasis on preparing the environment for future use.

“My hope is to design a framework for the sustainable development of global communities, whether those areas are waterrich or drought-stricken,” Gude said. “I think the key to achieving that lies in examining the commonalities between the holistic system of water and energy schemes.”

Veera Gnaneswar Gude, left, an assistant professor in the civil and environmental engineering department, works with graduate student Bailey Rainey, right, on one of his two projects regarding wastewater and energy conservation, including using microbial desalination to convert carbon waste into energy.

“Water and energy are two of our most fundamental resources. We really need to protect these in order for future generations to live without a problem.” ~ V. Gnaneswar Gude

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Many in the Simwatacheula Chiefdom, Zambia, travel miles to reach water that may or may not be healthy to consume. Photo by Beth Wynn

BULLDOGS ABROAD Assistant professor Anna Linhoss, right, and graduate student Catie Dillon, left, examine sediment tracers, a technology that could decrease sand erosion and potentially lead to self-sustaining coastlines.

A

bout 250 miles south of the Mississippi State campus, where coastal shores meet rippled waves of the Gulf of Mexico, the traditional process for maintaining coastal ecosystems is undergoing a transformation.

An assistant professor in the agricultural and biological engineering department, Anna Linhoss is developing an innovative hydrodynamic model that has the potential to change the way the oyster population and its ecosystem are cared for.

As a result of oil spills, oyster restoration has risen in priority to save a huge economic resource while monitoring the general health of the Gulf.

For experts to introduce a substrate that oysters can grow on, specific environmental factors, like salinity, must be present for the organisms to thrive. By mapping the presence of those needed qualities in the western Mississippi Sound and simulating the water quality, Linhoss’ model will allow experts to plan more efficiently, eliminating the need to test the ever-changing salinity with a probe from a boat. And with national funding from

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sources like the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, she believes her research will have an impact beyond Mississippi’s waters.

“Oysters don’t respect state boundaries, and their larvae get transported across shared coastlines,” Linhoss said. “What we are doing here is affecting other places and what other places are doing is affecting us.”

Linhoss incorporates a regional focus into her projects that impact coastal communities across the Southeast. With funding from the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, she works to track vanishing coastlines and moving sediment on Mississippi’s Deer Island, a barrier island that serves as both a buffer from Gulf storms and a source of tourism.

She also works with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to monitor water quality and an increase in algal blooms on the Florida coast.

“Water-related research is an extensive reason to build collaboration and work together across different universities and states in the Southeast,” Linhoss said. “It will allow us to avoid interstate conflicts and build a regional identity for our water resources.” n

TAKING WATER CONSERVATION TO RURAL AFRICA Mississippi State University researchers aren’t the only ones making impacts in the realm of water resources.

The Mississippi State student chapter of Engineers Without Borders is approaching the final phase of its five-year project in southern Zambia, a region with extreme water scarcity due to a dry season lasting six to nine months.

The student volunteers transformed the hope for sustainable water resources into a reality by installing nine new hand-pump wells and restoring existing, inoperable wells in rural areas, actively affecting over 300 villages in the Simwatacheula Chiefdom of Zambia.

By providing clean water to an estimated 10,000 people, MSU students increased quality of life for nearly half of the rural population in the chiefdom and expanded the university’s impact on a global level.

Our PEOPLE

Milking it for all it’s worth

By Susan Lassetter | Photos by Beth Wynn

From his home in rural Alabama, Will Gilmer comes up with some udderly unique social media posts. They’re quick, witty, often informative, and in general a real teat—make that treat—for his more than 11,000 Twitter followers.

A third-generation dairyman, Gilmer uses social media and a liberal dose of pun-infused humor to offer a glimpse into the daily operations of a modern, family-owned farm.

Raised on the 600-acre Gilmer Dairy Farm in Vernon, Alabama, he learned early on what it takes to get food from the barn to consumers’ tables. After leaving home for Mississippi State University, however, Gilmer learned most others don’t share this knowledge.

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Our PEOPLE

When Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, she was basically eating the byproducts from the first step in cheese making.

TOP LEFT: The 600-acres of Gilmer Dairy Farm provide enough land for more than 200 head of cattle and the crops that support their diet. TOP RIGHT: Holsteins look down into the operator area waiting for their turn to be milked. By working in the lower area, the farmers can more easily and safely connect and disconnect the pumps from the cows’ udders. BOTTOM LEFT: Farmhands help usher the cows into the milking parlor. BOTTOM MIDDLE: (L-R) The father-son duo of David and Will Gilmer now run the dairy started by David’s father more than 65 years ago. BOTTOM RIGHT: The dairy averages 13,000 pounds of milk a day.

“I realized that even at a university with an agriculture background, a lot of people weren’t coming from small towns or farms,” the 2001 agricultural engineering technology and business graduate recalled. “They didn’t have any experience or knowledge about where their food came from, other than you got it at a grocery store.”

After returning to the family business following graduation, Gilmer decided to help enlighten consumers by sharing how life is dairy-good on the farm.

“It’s not practical where we are to give farm tours,” Gilmer explained, noting that even GPS struggles to get visitors to the door on the first try. “But it’s important for people to understand how we work and what’s affecting the food supply.”

Gilmer first started a website and blog that reported on daily farm operations. He then began a program to let schools “E-dopt” members of their herd. Each participating class was assigned a specific cow whose life they would follow throughout the year.

“I’d send them a picture of the cow

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with a certificate. They’d get monthly milk production updates and special announcements for any other big event, like if she had a calf,” Gilmer explained. “Then social media came along and it became the next progression.”

Today, Gilmer primarily uses Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to share his farming experience. And as his father David explained, the now 65-year-old farm never fails to keep life interesting.

“Every day is almost like Christmas morning because you never know what you’re going to uncover,” explained the elder Gilmer, a 1977 agricultural engineering technology and business graduate of Mississippi State.

Their days start before sunrise, with a 3 a.m. wake-up call. By 4 a.m., the father and son pair have ushered the first 20 of more than 200 Holstein cows into the parlor for the day’s first milking. As they wrap things up three hours later, the dairy’s two full-time farmhands report to work, taking over cleanup duties and giving the Gilmers a chance to see to things at home.

For Will, that often means a chance to

catch up on messages. Despite the early hour, he’ll have been actively Tweeting all morning, so as people at home pour cream into their first cup of coffee, they can catch up on the dairy’s activities through his real-time posts.

Depending on the morning, it could be a beautiful sunrise over the fields, an inevitable but decidedly less beautiful manure-splatter selfie, a dairy-themed hashtag, or updates on the herd.

“I want people to say ‘We might not be on your farm, but we know what’s going on on your farm,’” Gilmer explained.

Things become less predictable mid-morning as the Gilmers and the two farmhands tackle the various tasks of farm operation—growing the food stock, feeding and monitoring the health of the animals, and repairing and maintaining buildings and equipment.

“A lot of our equipment and buildings have been here since my grandfather started the dairy, so it’s in various states of disrepair.

But I guess we’ll keep using it until a strong enough wind comes to knock it down,” Gilmer said jokingly.

Cows consume 100 pounds of food and 50 gallons of water each day.

SY A C HEE

TOP: David Gilmer uses green ink to mark the calves for easy identification. BOTTOM: Will Gilmer sanitizes a cows udder before connecting the milk pump.

Though he makes light of the situation, there’s some truth to Gilmer’s jest about milking all of the life out of the dairy’s facilities and equipment. For family-owned farms, it’s important to keep costs down, and with the number of dairies in the area shrinking every year, it’s becoming more difficult to find replacements or even repairmen for their specialized machines.

“Right now, there’s one dairy supply company that operates in our area. If it goes out of business, then getting service will be an issue,” Gilmer explained. “If we have a critical piece of equipment go down and we can’t fix it ourselves or have to wait for a part, that puts us behind pretty badly.”

The dairy averages 13,000 pounds of milk a day between the morning and afternoon milking sessions, which works out to about 7 gallons per cow. Still, even with an established herd and a fairly self-sustaining farm, Gilmer explained that a lot of their success is determined by things beyond their control.

“The public dictates so much of what we can do through the regulations that are passed

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and even matters of trade,” Gilmer explained.

“That’s a big reason why it’s important to share what we do.”

Gilmer’s social-media posts largely focus on the fun and funny side of life on the farm, while still illustrating the hard work and time that go into dairy farming. He said that approach helps people connect to the science behind the industry.

“The general public that doesn’t deal with this on a daily basis doesn’t necessarily want to hear about the science,” Gilmer said. “Even though the science works and proves that what we’re doing is what’s best for us, our animals and the consumers, people aren’t going to buy our product if they don’t like how we’re making it. That’s why we have to make that emotional connection, too.”

Gilmer’s approach seems to be working.

An informal, social-media poll revealed engaged followers as far away as Sweden and scattered throughout the United States. His popular online presence regularly results in media attention and invitations to share his philosophy with civic groups and schools,

and to teach his strategies to others in the agriculture community. In early March, he participated in a technology in agriculture panel at the South by Southwest festival and conference in Austin, Texas.

Though these outreach efforts are time consuming and often pull him away from his farm duties, he said it’s worth it to spread the word that farmers are more than meets the eye.

So, whether it’s from the tractor, the barn, his living room, or a world-famous technology conference, Gilmer will keep posting until the cows come home.

“The more people who know what we do and how we do it, perhaps the more friendly they will be to the way that we do it when they have a chance to make their voices heard,” Gilmer said.

Find Gilmer Dairy Farm at www. gilmerdairyfarm.com or by searching the name on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat or almost any other popular social media platform. n VISIT WWW.ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU TO SEE HOW MILK GOES FROM PASTURE TO PASTEURIZED.

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Our PEOPLE

“I want school to be a safe environment where our students can get a hot meal, be heard, be understood and have their minds stimulated. Wherever they go, I want them to be able to hold their heads high because they know they have an education.� ~ Rhonda Burrage

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MSU EDUCATION ALUMNA INSPIRES GENERATION OF LIFELONG LEARNERS

By Sasha Steinberg | Photos by Megan Bean

When Mississippi State alumna Rhonda Burrage earned the prestigious national Milken Educator award, she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her $25,000 prize. It’s something she has done every single day since she first started teaching eight years ago–put her students first.

“One of the first things I did was buy some more calculators for my eighthgrade class,” said Burrage, who graduated from Mississippi State with a bachelor’s in mathematics education and master’s in secondary mathematics in 2003 and 2010, respectively.

Burrage likes to ask lots of questions and provide students with plenty of time to practice new concepts during class. She also is happy to meet before and after school to tutor students who need extra help grasping new material.

“Sometimes a student may not have a ride after school, so I’ll meet with them before school instead,” she said. “I always build rapport with my students and check on their understanding because if they’re confused, I want to help them as soon as they start getting stuck.”

This desire to help others is one that Burrage said she developed at a young age, with

to learn the material, but they know they’re also going to be rewarded for actively participating in class and doing their work.”

Since arriving at Magnolia Middle, Burrage has implemented a reward system in her classroom. Students who give correct answers or provide helpful mentorship to each other receive tickets that can be redeemed for a variety of educational items that Burrage purchases.

Working to obtain her educational specialist’s degree from Mississippi State, Burrage aspires to one day teach on a collegiate level. Because students learn in different ways, she said she is always doing her homework on new types of

MSU alumna Rhonda Burrage takes great pride in preparing the next generation of lifelong learners at Magnolia Middle School. In addition to improved performance on the state algebra test, her teaching success is evident in the attentiveness and enthusiasm that emanates from her eighth-grade students. She is pursuing an educational specialist’s degree at Mississippi State to further impart on students the value of a quality education.

A native of Meridian, Burrage teaches eighth-grade pre-algebra and algebra I at Magnolia Middle School in her hometown’s public school district. She was among 40 honored last year by the annual Milken Educator recognition program. Known as the “Oscars of teaching,” it was established in 1987 to reward and inspire excellence in education.

Throughout her career at Magnolia Middle School, Burrage has won the hearts of students who have benefited greatly from her patient teaching style that doesn’t cut corners. She also has earned the respect of administrators and fellow teachers for her continued success in improving student performance on the state algebra test.

“According to all of my data, I’ve always had students pass the state algebra test since I started teaching at Magnolia,” Burrage said.

“Five years ago, in my first year at Magnolia, 100 percent of my students achieved proficient or advanced on the state algebra test. Since then, I’ve been able to manage two-digit percentages. I don’t think I’ve ever had below 84 percent.”

support from her parents and seventh-grade teacher. She wants to instill the same passion for math, and education in general, in as many students as possible.

“Math always came very easily to me, and I loved the idea of breaking things down into simpler steps,” Burrage recalled. “My seventhgrade teacher selected me to be the math tutor for the classroom, so once I finished my work, I would circle around and help my peers. A few years later, I was even tutoring college students in college algebra.”

She continued, “I try not to do too much talking and instead let my students talk and discuss more with each other. I teach them how to hold themselves accountable for the material, so they can explain it to me and I can see they understand it.”

Burrage said seeing students successfully grasp new concepts is rewarding, and she encourages her students to celebrate personal victories, both big and small.

“Whether they get an A on something or just make some progress, I tell my students to give themselves a pat on the back,” Burrage said. “They know they’re going to be challenged

educational resources she can incorporate in the classroom.

“I want school to be a safe environment where our students can get a hot meal, be heard, be understood and have their minds stimulated,” she explained. “Wherever they go, I want them to be able to hold their heads high because they know they have an education.”

Burrage has not missed a day of school since she first started teaching. Outside of her classroom duties, she enjoys tutoring students from other city and county schools, as well as chairing Magnolia Middle’s BETA club, where she coordinates community service projects for sixth, seventh and eighth-graders. Most of all, she remains grateful for opportunities to impact the lives of her math students, who she said bring her so much joy.

“I have a lot to do and there is a lot of planning involved, but there’s not a day where I go to or leave school feeling stressed,” she said.

“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher, and I don’t see myself in any other profession. I go to work and I’m happy. I teach my students and I’m happy. I come home and I’m happy. It’s just good all around.” n ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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Our PEOPLE

MASTERS MAKES MAJOR LEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

By Susan Lassetter | Photos by Beth Wynn

A smattering of cheers greets Burke Masters when he steps up in his crisp baseball jersey—a natural reaction from this hometown crowd to someone in Chicago Cubs colors. This time, the blue and red just happen to be accented by the black and white of a clerical collar.

“The odds of me being here as a priest and in a Cubs shirt are astronomical,” he says, “so all things are possible with God.” Masters is addressing close to 100 parishioners at the Church of St. Mary in Lake Forest, Illinois, after delivering the homily for Friday morning Mass. The unusually large weekday-morning crowd has turned out to hear the story of how the son of non-practicing Protestants not only became a Catholic priest, but one who helps others answer the call to priesthood and ministers to World Series champions.

Known as Father Burke in the parishes he visits, Masters was cast into the national spotlight last

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November when he delivered a blessing live on ESPN before Game 6 of the World Series.

“They asked me 10 seconds before going on air if I would do a blessing to kind of counter the curse,” Masters says of how the show’s producer approached him to break the “Billy Goat Curse” blamed for keeping the Cubs from World Series glory since 1908.

“I’ve always been uncomfortable praying for wins,” Masters continues. “So, I just prayed that they would play to the best of their abilities and that no one would get hurt. Then, since the Cubs won that game, ESPN asked me to come back and do it again before Game 7.”

Many fans who watched the blessings broadcast live from The Cubby Bear say the rain delay that preceded Chicago’s rally in Game 7 was heaven sent. But while Masters certainly doesn’t take any credit for that, he does say the sentiment applies to his affiliation with the Cubs organization.

Nicknamed the Friendly Confines, Wrigley Field is the oldest park in the National League.

“I really thought when I became a priest that my baseball days were over. And I was fine with that because I knew I was meant to be a priest. Then I get this call to be the Catholic chaplain for the Cubs,” Masters explains. “If God would have said, ‘Tell me your biggest, wildest dream,’ I wouldn’t have imagined this.”

Most Mississippi State faithful understand Masters’ connection to baseball. As No. 23 for the Bulldogs, the third baseman secured his place in Maroon and White history with a grand slam against Florida State in a Super Regional game that helped send the Diamond Dawgs to the 1990 College World Series. However, even that MVP-earning performance and four years as a starter weren’t enough to help him realize his lifelong dream of playing in the major leagues.

“The draft occurred during the College World Series,” Masters recalls for the

Masters quit his job and starting making a list of things that interested him, and though he’d converted to Catholicism in 1985 as a senior at Providence Catholic High School, the priesthood didn’t make the cut. Instead, he found himself, once again, working toward a career in baseball, this time on the administrative side.

After earning a master’s in sports management from Ohio University, he got a job with the Kane County Cougars, then a minor league affiliate of the Florida Marlins based in Illinois.

“I couldn’t wait to go to work every day and I thought, ‘This is what I’m meant to do,’” Masters recalls. “At the same time, I started attending Holy Cross Parish and met Stephanie—the woman I thought I was going to marry.”

Described by Masters as a devout Catholic woman, she encouraged him to grow in his faith.

I REALLY THOUGHT WHEN I BECAME A PRIEST THAT MY BASEBALL DAYS WERE OVER. AND I WAS FINE WITH THAT BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS MEANT TO BE A PRIEST. THEN I GET THIS CALL TO BE THE CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN FOR THE CUBS. IF GOD WOULD HAVE SAID, ‘TELL ME YOUR BIGGEST, WILDEST DREAM,’ I WOULDN’T HAVE IMAGINED THIS. ~ BURKE MASTERS crowd. “One by one, I watched each of my teammates get a call saying, ‘Congratulations you’ve been drafted,’ but my phone was silent.

I had planned my whole life for that day and it didn’t happen, so I returned home to Joliet (Illinois) very disappointed.”

Masters did end up signing with a Chicago White Sox minor league team, but his contract wasn’t renewed at the end of the season. Once again, he says he was faced with disappointment and a sense of loss as he tried to determine what to do with the rest of his life.

A math major who earned a perfect GPA from Mississippi State, Masters landed on a low-stress, high-paying job as an actuary, assessing risk for an insurance company.

“I was bored to tears,” Masters admits. “I remember telling my parents, ‘If this is what the next 40 years of my life is going to be, it’s going to be miserable.’ My mom said, ‘You’re going to be working the rest of your life. Do something you enjoy.’ I listened.”

“I told her that was her downfall,” Masters jokes. “If she hadn’t invited me to that first Eucharistic adoration, I might not have realized I was being called to the priesthood.”

Masters says the weekly hour of silent meditation, known as Eucharistic adoration, helped him hear and eventually accept his calling.

“Have you ever seen that bumper sticker ‘If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans,’” Masters asks rhetorically. “I said, ‘God, I don’t want to do this, but you have to make it clear,’ and so different people started coming up to me at random saying I’d make a really good priest. I would say to God, ‘I’m dating Stephanie, work with me,’ but finally I had to surrender.”

Masters entered seminary at the age of 30 and was ordained five years later. Now 50, he delivers Mass around the Chicago area through the Diocese of Joliet, which he serves as director of vocations, the arm of the church that helps guide men who feel they’re being called to the priesthood.

LEFT: As Catholic chaplain for the Chicago Cubs, Masters performs Mass for players and staff at Wrigley Field before Sunday games. TOP: As a high-school senior, Masters toured MSU, largely, as a chance for his father, a former Bulldog basketball player, to see old friends. He quickly fell in love with the atmosphere of Dudy Noble and canceled his remaining college visits. BOTTOM: With a grand slam in a 1990 super regional game, Masters secured his spot in Maroon and White history.

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Our PEOPLE

The phrase “FLY THE W” refers to a “W” (for win) flag that is flown above the center field scoreboard after a Cubs victory.

I ACTUALLY LEARNED A LOT ABOUT BEING A PRIEST FROM COACH POLK, THOUGH I DIDN’T REALIZE IT AT THE TIME. HE TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT MERCY AND HOW TO TREAT PEOPLE WITH KINDNESS AND COMPASSION. HE HAS A RARE COMBINATION OF GIFTS. ~BURKE MASTERS As vocations director for the Diocese of Joliet, Masters helps men understand their calling and take the first steps on the road to the priesthood. He regularly visits other parishes and dioceses to share his unique story.

Thanks in part to his baseball background, Masters was asked by Catholic Athletes for Christ to serve as chaplain for the Cubs in 2013. In this role, he delivers Mass at Wrigley Field to players and stadium employees before all Sunday home games. While there was only one person in attendance for the first service at the Cubs’ home stadium, there were more than 75 participants before the last home game of the World Series in 2016.

“What is really beautiful about that Mass at Wrigley is there’s a starter for the Cubs and someone who sells popcorn at the game sitting side by side, and in God’s eyes, they’re the same,” Masters says. “God doesn’t care how much money he has or what her job title is. What God cares about is right here, in their hearts.”

After pre-game Mass, Masters makes himself available in the dugout or the locker room to hear confessions or just talk about life with the players and coaches. He says Cubs Manager Joe Maddon gave him insight into how a priest’s presence helps with attitudes.

“I grew up around locker rooms, so I know the conversations that go on, but now I can come around the corner and conversations change,”

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Masters explains. “My mission is just to bring Christ’s presence there to remind them that there’s something beyond baseball.”

Mississippi State’s legendary skipper Ron Polk said even without the priest’s blacks, Masters has always had a steadying influence around the clubhouse.

“You never had to worry about Burke,” Polk recalled. “You couldn’t tell if he had a bad day or a good day. At the end of the game, he still looked the part—he smiled, shook hands and signed autographs. He was very mature and a great teammate.”

Masters admits that while a life as a priest didn’t seem like a possibility while in college, looking back, a lot of his lessons in Starkville helped prepare him for where he is now.

“I actually learned a lot about being a priest from Coach Polk, though I didn’t realize it at the time,” Masters explains. “He taught me a lot about mercy and how to treat people with kindness and compassion. He has a rare combination of gifts.

“He also didn’t let us get full of ourselves, like when we hit a home run or made a big play.

He always taught us to act like we did it all the

time by not getting too excited about it,” he continues. “That humility is something I hope the Cubs have as they respond to having won the World Series.”

Masters says even though it wasn’t in the way he dreamed of as a child, being even a small part of a World Series-winning ball club has been an incredible experience.

“Before becoming a priest, I kept counting the costs—all of the things I was giving up.

But I didn’t think about what I was going to receive,” Masters explains. “I thought I would marry Stephanie. Well, I got to marry her anyway when I performed the ceremony for her and my best friend. I thought I was giving up baseball, but here I am involved in the major leagues in a big way. And I think my grand slam in the Super Regional was God’s way of letting me really enjoy that moment in baseball, knowing that I wasn’t going to realize my dream of the major leagues.

“God’s generosity has blown me away,” Masters says. “Sometimes I can’t believe it’s my own life as I’m telling it because it seems unreal.

I can’t wait to see what God has in store next.

It’s been quite a ride.” n

MAKING THE CALL Heading to the plate with a 3-1 count, Masters recalls thinking, “I’m going to take a pitch because if he walks me the game is tied.” But when he squared up to bat he thought of how “hot” he had been that game and made the decision to swing: “The ball was in the perfect spot. The whole thing was in slow motion…I knew when I hit it, it was a homerun.”

B Jim Ellis has broadcast Bulldog sports for nearly 40 years. Like his mentor, Jack Cristil, he is known for maintaining a calm demeanor even during tense moments of the game, which is part of what makes his excited announcement of Masters’ grand slam legendary.

urke Masters admits he was not known as a home run hitter during his time in Maroon and White.

It’s funny then that his legacy is forever linked to a grand slam in one of his last games at Dudy Noble Field and the now legendary radio call that announced it to Bulldog faithful across the country.

At the other end of that goose bump-inducing radio moment is MSU’s veteran radio personality Jim Ellis, providing the words that still echo in the minds of Mississippi State fans every time they hear Masters’ name.

“I kind of went berserk, which was out of character,” Ellis said. “I never want to be over the top, but I knew as soon as he hit the ball that he had crushed it. The left fielder never even turned around.”

Though Ellis has nearly 40 years and three sports-worth of Bulldog broadcasting behind him, he still vividly recalls that game and that moment from the 1990 post-season.

Mississippi State was down 7-8 to Florida State in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded.

“Burke was having an unbelievable tournament,” Ellis recalled. “He was really seeing the ball well and was a great guy to have at the plate. We would have been happy if he had hit a double into the gap and gotten those runs across the plate, but he got his pitch and did what he had to do with it.”

And as the call goes, “Masters at the plate is five for five in this ballgame…the 3-1 pitch is a drive…deep…it’s gone. It’s gone! A grand slam for Masters!

A grand slam for Masters!”

Mississippi State had to beat Florida State twice more that weekend to secure a spot in Omaha, but it’s Masters’ grand slam that rates as most fans’ “I remember where I was…” moment. And as for Ellis, that entire team and the feats they achieved will always be a personal favorite.

“I love that ball club,” Ellis said. “It was a veteran team with quality guys who have done well after baseball. And 1990 was a special season.”

In early March, Ellis announced his retirement from football and basketball broadcast duties, but plans to maintain his role as “Voice of the Diamond Dawgs” for the foreseeable future. n VISIT ALUMNUS.MSSTATE. EDU TO SEE THE PLAY AND HEAR ELLIS’ NOW FAMOUS CALL FROM THAT 1990 BROADCAST.

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BANQUET, CONFERENCE ATTRACT

Over 400

ALUMNI

Awards 2017

From the time Mississippi State’s first three graduating classes began the university’s alumni association in 1885, many lives have been impacted through lasting connections among Bulldog faithful. Today, the MSU Alumni Association remains strong, spreading its impact throughout 101 chapters and clubs worldwide.

More than 137,000 living alumni share the same love and devotion as the inaugural group of graduates who founded the organization.

In February, this loyalty and passion for Mississippi State were reignited during special ceremonies as more than 400 dedicated alumni and friends gathered for the annual awards banquet and leadership conference weekend.

The Mill at Mississippi State University Conference Center provided an iconic backdrop as the MSU Alumni Association saluted some of its most outstanding alumni and chapters.

Honored during the February 3 banquet were the university’s 2017 National Alumnus, the college alumni-of-the-year group, the 2016 Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year and the 2016 Distinguished Service Award recipients. The featured speaker for the evening was MSU President Mark E. Keenum, who also participated in the award presentations.

Additionally, the 2016 outstanding alumni chapters were recognized.

The following day, Alumni National Board members gathered for their annual business meeting at the Hunter Henry Center, and alumni leaders from around the country attended a conference at The Mill. Participants heard informative presentations by many key university representatives, shared ideas and networked with other chapter leaders.

For a more detailed recap of events, including commemorative videos and photos, visit www.alumni.msstate.edu/banquet.

By Amy Cagle | Photos by Russ Houston

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ALUMNI AWARD JOHNSON TOP HONOR For all his personal and professional achievements, Mississippi State University salutes Herbert V. “Herb” Johnson as the 2017 National Alumnus of the Year. The Houston, Texas, resident is a loyal Bulldog well known for his spirit of service and investment in education.

“We are proud to honor Herb Johnson, on behalf of Mississippi State, for his success as an engineer and an entrepreneur, and for his loyal, lifelong connection with his alma mater,” said Jeff Davis, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association. “Of our more than137,000 living alumni, Herb is a distinguished selection for Alumnus of the Year.”

Johnson joins a long list of distinguished national alumnus honorees. The program began at Mississippi State in 1958.

“I am greatly honored to accept this distinguished recognition by Mississippi State University,” said Johnson, who was previously honored as the Bagley College of Engineering’s alumnus for 2014. “The MSU experience reinforced my confidence and gave me a firstrate platform to see and interact with the world, and that has been a significant key in realizing my dreams.”

Johnson grew up in Como, the youngest of nine children born to the farming family of Jessie and Sarah L. Johnson. He developed a love of agriculture, and while in school was a member of the Future Farmers of America, sometimes journeying on field trips to Mississippi State’s Starkville campus. However, the high school senior who was selected most likely to succeed wasn’t particularly interested in agriculture as a longtime career.

Johnson attended Northwest Mississippi Community College before pursuing civil engineering at Mississippi State. He attended MSU with the much-needed financial assistance of the G.I. Bill, having served in the U.S. Army following his time at community college. And, in 1978, Johnson proudly earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State, becoming the first member of his family to attend and graduate from college.

After graduation, Johnson began his career

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HERBERT V. “HERB” JOHNSON RECEIVES THE 2017 NATIONAL ALUMNUS AWARD FROM MSU PRESIDENT MARK E. KEENUM.

in federal government positions with the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It was during this time that he earned a master’s degree in civil engineering from MSU in 1981.

Today, Johnson is president of Houston-based HVJ Associates Inc., one of the largest specialty, minority-owned engineering companies in Texas. He founded the firm in 1985, and HVJ has grown to include all metropolitan areas of Texas. Some landmark projects in HVJ’s

University of Houston. In writing the book, Johnson wanted to inspire, motivate and encourage others to find success and realize that lifelong education is truly a gift.

Beyond the book, Johnson has also memorialized his parents at Mississippi State with a scholarship. Since its inception in 2009, the Jessie and Sarah L. Johnson Scholarship has assisted more than 40 MSU engineering students. The endowment continues to grow through Johnson’s generosity and his desire

“ The MSU experience reinforced my confidence and gave me a first-rate platform to see and interact with the world, and that has been a significant key in realizing my dreams.” ~ Herbert Johnson extensive portfolio include the 170-mile Grand Parkway in Houston, the AT&T (Cowboys) Stadium in Arlington, and the skyline-altering Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi.

With a desire to share his entrepreneurial journey and personal path to success with others, Johnson published “Engineering Business Success: Essential Lessons in Building a Thriving Business” in 2014. The book was dedicated to his late parents and his son, Herbert V. Johnson II, who studied at the

to assist talented minority students from Mississippi and Texas.

Through his volunteerism, Johnson helps shape Mississippi State. He serves on the boards of the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering and its Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as the university’s MSU Foundation board of directors. As a passionate alumnus, his involvement and philanthropy are leaving a lasting impact at Mississippi State.

MSU President Mark E. Keenum (center) is flanked by National Alumnus Herb Johnson and Liz Rooks-Barber. Middle row (L-R): Toxey Haas, Sledge Taylor, Richard Rula and Barry Lipsky. Back row (L-R): Ron Black, national alumni president, Charles Nash, John Richards and Robert Filgo.

COLLEGES NAME Alumni of the Year For many alumni, the individual colleges in which they concentrated their studies hold strong connections for them. This year, an impressive slate of Bulldogs have been selected as Alumni of the Year honorees for MSU’s eight academic colleges.

William S. “Sledge” Taylor III of Como, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: A 1974 agricultural engineering technology and business graduate, Taylor is owner of Buckeye Farms and president of Como Consolidated Gin Company Inc. He serves as a member of the USDA’s Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade and as a leader on the National Cotton Council, where he most recently was chairman of the board.

Barry A. Lipsky of Bayport, New York, College of Architecture, Art and Design: Lipsky is president of Lipsky Enterprises Inc. and a 1976 industrial arts education graduate. He was an initial adviser for the university’s building construction science program and serves as chairman of the program’s industry advisory board. He is an academic adviser for both the School of Architecture at the New York State Institute of Technology and the High School Vocational Carpentry Programs of Long Island.

John H. Richards Jr. of Madison, College of Arts and Sciences: A 1956 petroleum geology graduate, Richards is a retired U.S. Army colonel who served four tours in the Pentagon, working in the areas of research, development and finance. He is also a retired senior logistical analyst specializing in safety and configuration management with JAYCOR Corp.

Toxey D. Haas III of West Point, College of Business: A 1982 business management graduate, Haas is founder and CEO of Haas Outdoors Inc. He steers the company as president of Mossy Oak, the leading outdoors and hunting brand in the industry. During the centennial anniversary of the College of Business in 2015, Haas was honored as one of the top 100 alumni in the academic unit’s history.

Charles R. Nash of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, College of Education: A 1974 educational administration doctoral graduate, Nash is vice chancellor for academic affairs and student affairs for the University of Alabama System.

Earlier in his career, Nash was associate executive director for the Commission on Colleges at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, dean of the School of Education at Armstrong State University and assistant vice chancellor for academic development for the University of Georgia System.

Richard A. Rula of Ridgeland, James Worth Bagley College of Engineering: A 1970 civil engineering graduate, Rula has been owner and president of Hemphill Construction Co. since 1984. He serves on the Bagley College advisory board and the MSU Foundation board of directors. He was also recognized as the Distinguished Engineering Fellow for the Bagley College in 2013.

Elizabeth “Liz” Rooks-Barber of Ridgeland, College of Forest Resources: Rooks-Barber is vice president and co-founder of Barber and Mann Inc. and a 1987 forestry and wildlife management graduate. She earlier was executive director of the Mississippi Wildlife Federation. A certified wildlife biologist, she is well known as a premier conservationist in the Southeast. She is an adviser for the MSU Bulldog Forest program.

Dr. Robert A. Filgo Jr. of Madison, College of Veterinary Medicine: A 1988 Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduate, Filgo is cofounder of All Creatures Animal Care Center, where he continues to practice. Filgo is past president of the Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association, and he is chairman of the legislative committee for that organization. Early in his career, his peers selected him as the Young Veterinarian of the Year in Mississippi.

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ASSOCIATION SALUTES SERVICE AWARD WINNERS The Alumni Association proudly honors several dedicated Bulldogs annually for their many accomplishments with Distinguished Service Awards on behalf of Mississippi State University. The 2016 service recipients are John H. “Johnny” Baker, Sonja Murphy Moseley and John M. Walley Jr. Baker resides in Columbus, where he owns Baker Insurance Services. For more than 25 years, he has also been a sideline photographer for MSU football. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Mississippi State in 1970 and 1971, respectively.

Baker has presided over three alumni chapters–Noxubee County, Coahoma County and Lowndes County. From 1998 to 2006, he served on the MSU National Board of Directors. He is currently a board member for the Lowndes County chapter, which named him the chapter’s Alumnus of the Year in 2002.

The second 2016 Distinguished Service honoree is Sonja Murphy Moseley of Alpharetta, Georgia, who works as a senior mortgage underwriter for Supreme Lending.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Mississippi State in 1995,

L-R: John H. “Johnny” Baker, John M. Walley Jr. and Sonja Murphy Moseley

and she has been volunteering for her alma mater ever since.

In Georgia, Moseley works to make the MSU presence strong. Within the Atlanta chapter, she served as community service chairperson from 2008 to 2012, vice president from 2012 to 2013, president from 2013 to 2015, and immediate past president from 2016 to 2017.

The third Distinguished Service recipient is John M. Walley Jr. of Round Rock, Texas.

He earned a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from Mississippi State in 1997, and he currently

manages the escalation engineering team at HotSchedules.

Since 2011, Walley has been president of the South Texas chapter, where he helps establish a strong MSU presence in the Lone Star State. He works to ensure Mississippi State is represented at all Austin-area SEC events, and he has been the MSU representative for the Austin SEC Club since 2009. He guides the Austin SEC golf tournament and faithfully hosts game-watch and student send-off parties, often traveling many miles to bring the MSU spirit to Texas.

MSU names Chandler outstanding young alum The MSU Alumni Association annually salutes the most outstanding young alumnus who excels in his or her personal and professional life, and who is committed to service for the university and in the local community. Grant G. Chandler of Madison, Alabama, joins this group as Outstanding Young Alumnus for 2016.

Chandler is known as a tireless young alumni leader, who is passionate about the success of his university. In his local area, he has served as HuntsvilleDecatur vice president in 2013 and 2014, and as president in 2015 and 2016. He enthusiastically leads scholarship initiatives and coordinates send-off parties annually for over 200 incoming students and parents. Additionally, one of his primary initiatives as president was to spearhead the chapter’s inaugural

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involvement with the Auburn and Alabama alumni associations in the Racing Rivals Triathlon, which built partnerships and raised the visibility of MSU in the state of Alabama.

Chandler graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State in 2007 with his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering and later earned his master’s in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama–Huntsville in 2012. He worked as an engineer for the United States Army in several capacities before becoming the systems engineering branch chief for the U.S. Army Aviation Systems Project Office. Chandler is a member of the Association of the U.S. Army, the International Council on Systems Engineering and the Army Acquisition Corporation.

Grant G. Chandler

Association salutes outstanding alumni chapters During banquet ceremonies, special recognition was presented to the MSU Alumni Association’s most outstanding chapters for their achievements and dedication to the university. The association includes 101 chapters and clubs worldwide, and 44 of them were recipients of awards throughout

Gold Chapter Winners

the evening. More than 650 association and chapter events were held on behalf of Mississippi State in 2016, and chapters played an integral role in this accomplishment. Gold, silver and bronze cowbells were given to representatives of the top chapters in each category.

GOLD CHAPTERS:

SILVER CHAPTERS:

BRONZE CHAPTERS:

Atlanta, Georgia Central Mississippi George-Greene Panola County

Huntsville-Decatur, Alabama Lawrence-Jefferson Davis Oktibbeha County Tishomingo County

Claiborne-Jefferson Houston, Texas Lincoln County Mississippi Gulf Coast

Also recognized for achievements in 2016 were those earning the distinction as honor chapters:

Silver Chapter Winners

Bronze Chapter Winners

In-State Honor Chapters

Birmingham, Alabama Bolivar County Charlotte, North Carolina Chattanooga, Tennessee Chicago, Illinois Chickasaw County Dallas, Texas Denver, Colorado East Texas Fort Worth, Texas Grenada-Montgomery Lauderdale County Lee County Leflore-Carroll Lowndes County Memphis, Tennessee

Mobile, Alabama Montgomery, Alabama Nashville, Tennessee Northeast Florida Northwest Florida Orlando, Florida Pine Belt Saint Louis, Missouri Simpson County South Texas Southwest Mississippi Tippah County Union County Warren County Washington, D.C. Yazoo County

Out-of-State Honor Chapters

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2017 LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE Among the highlights of the February 4 leadership conference at The Mill included the annual business meeting and sessions on enrollment and student recruiting by John Dickerson, MSU assistant vice president for enrollment; and Naron Remillard, director of student recruitment. Other featured sessions were led by John Rush, vice president for development and alumni; David Shaw, vice president for research and economic development; and John Cohen, MSU athletic director. (Photos by Robert Lewis)

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Naron Remillard, director of student recruitment, speaking at the conference.

L-R: Robert Barnes of the Black Alumni Advisory Council and Brig. Gen. Sam Nichols of the National Board were among conference attendees.

L-R: Michelle Sherman, Mike Criswell, Blaire Wilson and Josh Gilbert attended on behalf of the Atlanta, Georgia, chapter.

L-R: Jimmy McPherson, Oktibbeha County chapter, and Bert Clark, Sharkey-Issaquena chapter, will be among incoming National Alumni Board members in July.

Anna Chrestman (far right), the association’s graduate assistant, managed the official class ring station, and orientated Patty Roberts of the Leake County chapter about the program.

SPRING 2017

Infinite IMPACT

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Bringing them up maroon & white Alumni Association cultivates youngest Bulldogs

“Since the Alumni Association began planning the Legacy Fostering the Bulldog spirit is the continued goal of the Program last fall, I’ve been really excited to get my grandchildren Mississippi State University Alumni Association, and with the enrolled,” said Roberson, a 1967 graduate who resides in Madison. launch of its newest program, this goal extends to even the youngest In regards to the impact of the program, he continued, “I love of Bulldogs. any opportunity to spread Maroon and White through the whole The Legacy Program, which began early this year, offers family, and this is a great way to make my grandkids feel even more Mississippi State alumni the chance to ignite a love for MSU in a part of the Bulldog community.” their children and grandchildren.

The children of 2007 communication alumnus George Dunn “From an early age, children who are a part of the Legacy join Roberson’s grandchildren as some of the earliest enrollees of Program will learn what makes Mississippi State University special, the program. just as their parents or grandparents did before them,” said Jeff When asked about the value he sees in the program, the New Davis, executive director for the Alumni Association.

Orleans native said, “I think the Legacy Program is a great tool The Legacy Program is available to MSU alumni who are to help bring your kids up as Bulldogs. My three are so excited to active members of the association. The program requires no cost receive their birthday gifts, beyond the gift needed to and since it’s no additional maintain a membership, “I love any opportunity to spread Maroon and cost to me as an active and there is no limit to member of the association, how many children and White through the whole family, and this is a great it’s a win-win. It’s an easy grandchildren the active and fun way to recruit members are eligible way to make my grandkids feel even more a part little Bulldogs.” to register. All enrolled of the Bulldog community.” ~ Tommy Roberson Casey McGee, the children will receive a Alumni Association’s yearly birthday card and a assistant coordinator for chapter and recruitment programs, has unique MSU birthday gift for every even birthday. high hopes for the future of program enrollees and the possibility “It is the spirit of giving and family which connects all Bulldogs that of Mississippi State becoming something more than a community we want to impart through the program,” Davis said. “Strengthening for them. that spirit will only strengthen the university itself, as well as the “As members of the Legacy Program reach 16 and begin appreciation our alumni and their families have for MSU.” contemplating their future, their enrollment ends. However, the The gifts begin at the age the child is first enrolled in the love for MSU that the children’s parents or grandparents have program, and all gifts bear official MSU insignias. Newborns receive fostered in them will hopefully continue,” McGee said. a baby bib, 2-year-olds are given an MSU cowbell, 4-year-olds get She continued, “As they transition into preparing for that an activity book for coloring and 6-year-olds receive a school kit future, the MSU Office of Admissions and Scholarships will be with a pencil bag and other school supplies. Sport packs are the available to help them explore Mississippi State as the place where gifts at age 8, sunglasses at age 10 and earbuds at age 12, while they can continue the legacy of an MSU education.”

14-year-olds receive a T-shirt and 16-year-olds receive an MSU car Along with connecting its enrollees to MSU as they grow older, decal and phone wallet. the Legacy Program brings together a nationwide family of young In February, the association began distributing gifts, which will Bulldogs connected by the love their grandparents and parents be received during the birth month of each child. Among early hold for MSU and wish to pass on. It’s yet another tool that the enrollees of the program are the grandchildren of Tommy Roberson, Alumni Association uses to make the growing network of living the immediate former national president for the MSU Alumni alumni—numbering over 137,000—feel even more unified. n Association board of directors.

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Registration for the Legacy Program may be completed online at the Alumni Association website, www.alumni.msstate.edu/legacyprogram. For specifics about the program, contact Casey McGee at 662.325.3349 or email cmcgee@alumni.msstate.edu.

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Infinite IMPACT

Challenge drives contributions for Compass Scholarships A growing scholarship program at Mississippi State University keeps dedicated, high performing students moving toward their academic pursuits.

Known as Compass, the program is getting an annual boost through an ongoing challenge with matching dollars as part of the university’s Infinite Impact campaign.

In recent years, Compass Scholarships have been assisting more students at Mississippi State because a challenge from university leadership is helping build momentum. Contributors can change the lives of these students who are excelling across the board and prepare them for successful and impactful futures through the scholarship program.

Mississippi State annually seeks at least $500,000 for Compass Scholarships to assist students university wide. Once the minimum goal of $500,000 is reached through private gifts, the university offers a Compass Scholars Challenge, providing an additional $500,000 to be awarded.

“We are proud to extend this special challenge to all alumni, friends and corporations who can contribute to the much-needed Compass Scholarships and help us place quality students on the best-laid path toward graduation,” MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. “By satisfying the challenge, the Compass program’s impact is extended for twice as many aspiring students.”

As students embark on their journeys toward successful futures, investments in the Compass Scholarship Program work to combat financial

The scholarships are awarded on a yearly basis, and recipients are required to meet certain academic criteria to retain their awards, which vary in amount depending on a student’s overall financial assistance.

Many recipients are enrolled at Mississippi State because of generous gifts for Compass Scholarships from alumni and friends. In the

“The Compass Scholarship is what really made my college experience possible, and I’m so grateful for that.” ~ David Failla current academic year, more than 370 students are receiving the scholarships.

Since the program’s inception in 2013, nearly 1,700 students have received Compass Scholarships, and these students represent all eight academic colleges at Mississippi State. Popular majors for recipients include biological sciences, business administration, civil engineering, educational psychology, elementary education, kinesiology, mechanical engineering and pre-accounting.

For Miss MSU 2017 Molly May, the Compass Scholarship has helped with maintaining a focus on education and success.

“My time at Mississippi State University has been blessed beyond compare, and I owe a lot of it to the Compass Scholarship Program,” said May, a senior communication major from

“I cannot express my gratitude enough to the Compass Scholarship Program for the contribution that is not only helping ease my financial burden, but also making possible my great MSU experience.” ~ Molly May obstacles, and in turn, allow recipients to fully engage in the world-class learning environment fostered at Mississippi State. Such support expands opportunity and transforms an education into a positive, lifechanging experience.

Compass Scholarships are awarded to incoming students from any academic area and are instrumental in attracting some of the brightest scholars to campus.

2014. Now cancer free and enjoying her time at MSU, May says, “To the donors…I will never be able to thank them enough.”

Along with May, many other hardworking students at Mississippi State benefit from scholarships that fund their immediate tuition needs, including fellow Compass recipient David Failla.

Houston. “I cannot express my gratitude enough to the Compass Scholarship Program for the contribution that is not only helping ease my financial burden, but also making possible my great MSU experience.”

With the help of the Compass Scholarship, May was able to attend Mississippi State after undergoing a successful double mastectomy in

Failla received the Compass Scholarship for the 2015-16 academic year. The senior mechanical engineering major from Picayune said his decision to attend Mississippi State was greatly influenced by the opportunity that the Compass Scholarship presented.

“The Compass Scholarship is what really made my college experience possible, and I’m so grateful for that,” Failla said.

By helping to reduce his financial burden, the Compass Scholarship has enabled Failla to devote more time to studies and extracurricular opportunities. In addition to maintaining a 4.0 GPA, he is an active member of the MSU chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, as well as the Human Powered Vehicle Challenge team.

He also serves as a student worker for the MSU Extension Center for Technology Outreach.

“We hope alumni and friends will continue to support us in our goal to optimize our efforts and double the funding for Compass Scholarships through the Compass Scholars Challenge,” said Ally Walker, MSU’s associate director of annual giving.

“Renewing gifts to Compass each year impacts students’ lives as they continue their educational journey and make satisfactory progress toward a degree, and we are grateful for each and every contribution on their behalf.”

Alumni and friends can help Mississippi State provide students with Compass Scholarships. Gifts can be made online through the MSU Foundation at www.msufoundation.com or by contacting Walker at 662.325.5977 or awalker@foundation.msstate.edu. n

LE T’ S MAKE A MATC H !

Once the Compass Scholarship goal of $500,000 is reached yearly, MSU will match the amount, doubling the impact of donor gifts. Make your gift now at www.msufoundation.com.

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Infinite IMPACT STUDENT THANK-YOU LETTER SPARKS PLANNED GIFT FROM ALUMNUS nation, and that high standard of Janet Hardin, were Mississippi A connection initiated by excellence is a testament to the natives who were a construction a student at Mississippi State quality accounting education and worker and homemaker, University inspired Robert C. opportunities provided for our respectively.

Hardin to make a greater impact students, made possible, in part, “As the youngest of four on his alma mater. After receiving with private gifts.” children, I was the first in my family a motivational letter from an MSU In the accounting school, to graduate from college, and my Foundation Ambassador, the the Robert C. Hardin Endowed parents always enjoyed coming to Tupelo resident began considering Professorship will provide a salary Mississippi State,” Hardin said. additional ways to support the supplement and support fund He continued, “I have a respect university he credits for his for the holder of the professional success. professorship. As with The letter, written by “I’ve achieved modest financial all endowed positions then MSU senior Abbey success throughout my career at Mississippi State, Bufkin of Cleveland, who the professorship will is now interning with that has enabled me to extend my draw the best faculty the Senate Republican appreciation to Mississippi State for possible and support Conference in what it has enabled me to achieve. ” their teaching, research Washington, D.C., was and service efforts. part of an effort to thank Robert C. Hardin ~ “My professors donors who have amassed always guided me and offered for what Mississippi State is doing to the most consecutive years of encouragement. Although I wasn’t educate today’s young people. Since support. Consecutive annual gifts always at the very top of my class, MSU provided a great education for from donors like Hardin provide professors like Joseph Curry, Dora me, I wanted to do what I could to solutions to the yearly challenges Herring, Billy Simmons and Scotty help with the university’s goals, and a Mississippi State faces as a stateWofford really challenged me to planned gift was a great mechanism supported institution. succeed, and I am eternally grateful for that.”

“I’ve achieved modest financial to them and the steadfast influence A bequest from Hardin success throughout my career of my parents,” Hardin said. benefiting several areas of that has enabled me to extend my Along with the professorship, Mississippi State is now in place. appreciation to Mississippi State for the Robert C. Hardin Memorial In structuring the bequest, Hardin what it has enabled me to achieve,” Endowed Scholarship will also selected the areas after touring the said Hardin, a 1973 accounting benefit the accounting school. campus and meeting with leaders. graduate, who has faithfully Established in honor of Hardin’s Once realized, proceeds from the supported MSU for 36 years and late parents, the scholarship will bequest will establish an endowed counting. “The positive experience provide support for full-time professorship and an endowed of connecting with students and accounting students, primarily scholarship, both in the College MSU leaders and staff made me from Calhoun and Lee counties, of Business’ Richard C. Adkerson consider other options for giving to who meet certain academic criteria School of Accountancy. the university.” and have demonstrated financial “Mississippi State gratefully Over his career, Hardin worked need. acknowledges Robert Hardin for with mid-size companies as a “It feels wonderful to have his many contributions to our controller or chief financial officer my family name and the names university and for his willingness in the Germantown and Memphis of my parents associated with to assist the Richard C. Adkerson areas of Tennessee before returning the scholarship,” said Hardin.

School of Accountancy with to Mississippi. He is currently “It is a perpetual impact that its endeavors,” said Sharon director of affiliate accounting for will continue as the scholarship Oswald, dean of the College of the Dufresne Spencer Group. makes possible a great academic Business. “The Adkerson School Hardin enrolled at Mississippi experience for students to come.” of Accountancy’s programs are State from the Big Creek area of The remaining area of the currently ranked among the top Calhoun County where he was bequest cements Hardin’s passion accounting programs in the raised. His parents, Melvin and

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ROBERT C. HARDIN

ABBEY BUFKIN

for MSU athletics. Hardin has been a devoted fan for decades, with much time spent at Bulldog sporting events as a season ticket holder for football, baseball and men’s basketball. His bequest will be used in the area of greatest need for the Bulldog Club. This creates a financial gift flexible to the needs of the university, its athletes, and athletic facilities.

For details on supporting MSU through planned gifts, contact Wes Gordon, director of planned giving for the MSU Foundation, at 662.325.3707 or wgordon@foundation.msstate. edu. Individuals may also request a copy of the university’s Wills Guide at msugiftplanning.org. n

RIDE WITH

PRIDE

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY CAR TAGS ARE AVAILABLE IN AL, DC, GA, MS, TN AND TX. There is no better way to show your loyalty and pride in Mississippi State than by owning an official university license plate.

Displaying an MSU tag will let everyone know, wherever you drive, that Mississippi State University is your institution of choice. For more information, visit ALUMNI.MSSTATE.EDU/CARTAG.

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

55

For additional information, please contact

Pat Lane at (662) 341-7920 or (662) 323-8700 | 550Russell@StarkvilleRealEstate.com

Visit www.550russell.com for additional disclaimers. Š August 2016, The Mill. All rights reserved.

STATE ments

For more current achievements of Mississippi State faculty, staff and students, visit www.msstate.edu.

AROUND CAMPUS

James E. Henderson was named head of the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center. He now oversees the daily operations of MSU Extension and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station in the southeastern region.

Josh Maples has joined the faculty of the Mississippi State University Department of Agricultural Economics as an assistant professor with Extension responsibilities in livestock marketing and agribusiness. A native of Alabama, he received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics from MSU and a doctorate from Oklahoma State University.

Mississippi State University’s Air Force ROTC detachment received the national 2016 Team Excellence Award for AFROTC, topping 145 U.S. units for the honor. The national award comes shortly after Detachment 425 earned the Air Force ROTC Team Excellence Award for the Air Force ROTC Southwest Region.

The detachment is under the command of Lt. Col. Joseph Cassidy, a professor of aerospace studies in MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Jane Parish now oversees the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center.

She earned a doctorate in animal and dairy science from the University of Georgia in 2001, a master’s from Texas Tech University in 1998 and a bachelor’s from Texas A&M University in 1997. Additionally, she recently received her master of business administration from MSU.

An award-winning Mississippi State College of Education faculty member authored a new guide for all involved in the kindergar ten-high school learning process. Assistant professor Angela S. Farmer’s “School Days 101” provides practical information on a range of 21st century classroom and related issues.

The 2017 U.S. News & World Report rankings of best online programs lists MSU’s Distance MBA program at No. 18 nationally in the latest rankings, up from No. 22 in last year’s rankings. MSU’s Distance Master of Science in Information Systems (non-MBA) program is ranked No. 43. The online graduate program in the Bagley College of Engineering was once again ranked in the top 25 nationally, coming in at No. 24, and the College of Education’s distance graduate program came in at No. 84.

Senior biochemistry major Lucas J. Ferguson of Batesville, a 2016 Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College Outstanding Research Award recipient, became Mississippi State University’s first finalist for the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship.

L-R: Morocco’s Université Internationale de Rabat President Noureddine Mouaddib and Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum shake hands to commemorate the institutions’ partnership which received the 2017 Andrew Heiskell Award for International Partnerships from the Institute of International Education. With the recognition as America’s top international university partnership, the dual-degree program was featured as a “best practice” in international education by the Institute of International Education.

Hal Schramm recently was designated a Fellow of the American Fisheries Society in tribute to his four decades of service.

Specifically, he was cited for excellence in leadership, research, mentoring, resource management and public outreach. In addition to leading U.S. Geological Survey’s Mississippi Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, he is adjunct fisheries professor.

Alexandra “Alix” Hui, an associate professor of history, will spend three summers in Germany after receiving a Humbodt Research Fellowship for Experienced Scholars, one of the most prestigious academic awards in Germany.

The awards are designed to foster international exchange and networking among scientists and scholars.

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STATE ments Instructor Frances O. McDavid was named 2016 Outstanding Faculty Adviser by the National Academic Advising Association based on “significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising.” She previously was recognized with a NACADA regional student advising award.

In 2015, McDavid received MSU’s Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence in Advising Faculty Award, which led to nomination for the NACADA regional competition.

Mississippi State University agribusiness student A.J. Bland, a native of Tunica, is among 21 U.S. students to receive a National Black Farmers Association scholarship.

Habitat for Humanity and university officials held a dedication ceremony to welcome Lena and LaShay Evans into their new home. This marking the completion of the eighth MSU Maroon Edition Home built by volunteers, including MSU students, faculty, staff and retirees.

Student members of the Society of American Foresters at Mississippi State again are tops among their U.S. peers based on accomplishments throughout the academic year, with an emphasis on campus and community service and outreach programs. Professional engagement and organizational management also are considered.

Embark on an ADVENTURE with the

MSU Alumni Association

The MSU Alumni Association annually sponsors trips across the globe through the Traveling Bulldogs program. Itineraries are booked through 2018. Our program also includes fan travel, featuring trips for select away football games in 2017! Explore the Alumni Association website for more information at alumni.msstate.edu/travel or contact Libba Andrews at 662.325.3479.

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SPRING 2017 AA-Travel_Alumnus-Win2017_Half.indd

1

1/13/17 4:22 PM

Follow the university and its many units and programs on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

José Santos Portugal III, a doctoral student, was awarded a $500 research grant by the Entomological Society of America’s medical, urban and veterinary entomology section.

A Euless, Texas, native, he is an entomology major in MSU’s Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology in the university’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Mississippi State is receiving a nearly $900,000 National Science Foundation grant to help public schools enhance critical middle-school teaching and learning skills.

Awarded to associate professor Dana Franz in the College of Education’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education, the funding supports a three-year interdisciplinary partnership with university colleagues in the Bagley College of Engineering, Department of Biological Sciences, Office of Research and Economic Development and Research and Curriculum Unit. The project is titled “Opportunities to Learn: Creative Science Through Inquiry, a Middle Grades Teaming Framework.”

At the Southern Public Relations Federation’s annual conference in Sandestin, Florida, Mississippi State earned 23 awards for its communications work. The campus units recognized include the Office of Public Affairs and Office of Agricultural Communication, the Agriculture and Natural Resources marketing team and High Performance Computing Collaboratory publications group.

Mississippi State University is again listed among the best colleges for military veterans, coming in at No. 31 in the Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges 2017 rankings. MSU is listed in the four-year college category of the rankings and moved up 13 spots from its place at No. 44 in the 2016 rankings.

MSU was the only school in Mississippi and one of two Southeastern Conference institutions to be selected by the Corporation for National and Community Service and the U.S. Department of Education for recognition on the President’s Higher Education and Community Service Honor Roll in the Interfaith Service category. Nationwide, MSU was one of 86 institutions recognized as leaders in interfaith service.

Regina Young Hyatt, MSU vice president for Student Affairs, will serve a three-year term on the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities’ Council on Student Affairs Executive Committee, an APLU operational council.

James W. “Jimmy” Hardin and Kate McClellan, who are, respectively, associate and assistant professors in the university’s Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, received a nearly $80,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program.

AROUND CAMPUS

Courtney Thompson, an assistant professor who specializes in the history of U.S. women, science and medicine, has been named a 2017 recipient of the New York Academy of Medicine’s Audrey and William H. Helfand Fellowship in the History of Medicine and Public Health.

Lori Mann Bruce, Mississippi State’s Graduate School dean, was named a distinguished lecturer by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). She has been designated as an expert in the areas of remote sensing, image processing, unmanned aerial vehicles and precision agriculture.

Senior Omkar H. Prabhu is the third architecture major at Mississippi State to earn the recently established Method Studio Undergraduate Research Fellowship. His research with the Utah-based architectural design firm, will be supervised by Jacob Gines, an assistant professor in MSU’s School of Architecture who also is Method Studio’s research and design vice president.

Daniel Punday is the new head of Mississippi State’s English department. Prior to assuming his new role, he led the English and philosophy department at Purdue University, Calumet. He also was a faculty member at the Northwest Indiana institution for nearly two decades.

Adam D. Skarke, an assistant professor of geology, was among 10 recipients of the prestigious Early Career Research Fellowship awarded by the Washington, D.C.-based National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

James E. “Ed” Davis of Starkville is the Rural Community College Alliance’s selection for the 2016 George Autry Lifetime Achievement Award.

Associate professor Stamatis Agiovlasitis is the new president-elect of the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity. A member of the university’s Department of Kinesiology, he will be among the organization’s top leaders for the next six years. After two years as president-elect, he then serves periods as president and past-president.

Jeremy Baham, who has served MSU as associate dean of students since 2011, was named assistant vice president for Student Affairs, a role focusing on student support and wellbeing.

Missy Hopper, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education, was recently elected to serve as president-elect of Phi Kappa Phi’s national board of directors.

Her election represents a six-year commitment that will include terms as president-elect, president and past-president.

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STATE ments

FORMER NATIONAL PRESIDENTS Former national presidents of the MSU Alumni Association gathered in the Hunter Henry Center’s Fisher Gardens as part of Former National Presidents Day on Nov. 17, 2016. The group is collectively recognized annually for their loyal service.

Those former national presidents in attendance included: TOP ROW L-R: A.D. Hunt, Charles Cascio, Gary Blair, Ron Black, Jerry Toney, Jeff Davis, the association’s executive director, Walter Becker Jr., David Jones and Clay McWilliams, MIDDLE ROW L-R: B.B. Hosch, Durr Boyles, Bill Long, Steve Taylor, Tommy Roberson, Karen Lawler, Allen Maxwell, Jackie Ford and Bob Montgomery, BOTTOM ROW L-R: Ronnie Walton, Betty Black, Lamer Conerly and Pap McElroy.

L-R: Tuition winner Ryan Pickle is congratulated by Will Basden, MSU Alumni Delegates president, and other delegates Ashley Vargason, Chris Morgan, Abby Sparks, Dipa Patel and Jake Thomas. (Photo by Beth Wynn)

Tuition Raffle Winner The Mississippi State University Alumni Association announced Ryan Pickle of Hamilton as the recipient of the fifth annual tuition drawing.

For the upcoming fall 2017 semester at Mississippi State, Pickle will be awarded 12 credit hours of ‘free’ tuition.

Pickle’s name was drawn from 330 submitted in April as part of the Tuition Drawing program sponsored by the MSU Alumni Delegates.

The program has become a proud tradition for the organization because it serves as a way for them to positively influence the college experience of fellow students.

Begun in 2013, the program is available each fall and spring semester to parents of Mississippi underclassmen who are enrolled full time.

Beyond the cost of tuition, the excess funds from the sale of tickets benefits a scholarship endowment.

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SPRING 2017

Forty-one students represent the 2017-2018 Alumni Delegates group, and 2017 officers are (L-R): secretary Ana K. Gonzalez of Ocean Springs; Elizabeth Shapley of Ridgeland, vice president of education; president William H. “Will” Basden of Hoover, Alabama; and Joanna P. Bauer of Huntsville, Alabama, vice president of public relations. (Photo by Russ Houston)

2017 Alumni Delegate Officers The Alumni Delegates program is an organization that serves as a liaison between Mississippi State University students and alumni.

Founded in 1980, their purpose is to improve the understanding of the role of the Alumni Association by educating and involving students in activities and events of the association. Student involvement will help foster lifelong relationships while continuing to maintain the Alumni Association’s mission.

GIVING BACK

CLASS RING CEREMONY Another commemorative class ring ceremony hosted by the MSU Alumni Association was held in the university’s historic Chapel of Memories in May. More than 40 students and two alumni received their MSU class rings.

With family and friends in attendance for The Ring at MSU, university President Mark E. Keenum proudly presented the recipients with their official class rings.

The MSU Alumni Association serves as caretaker of the ring program. The campus ceremony is conducted twice annually.

MISSISSIPPI STATE CLASS RING

TRUE MAROON

B part of th tradition!

ALUMNI.MSSTATE.EDU

ALUMNUS.MSSTATE.EDU

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STATE ments

GIVING BACK

FOUNDATION NAMES OFFICERS, INCOMING MEMBERS FOR 2017 As Infinite Impact: The Mississippi State University Campaign crosses the $730 million mark, the largest fundraising endeavor in school history continues to be driven toward a $1 billion goal by the MSU Foundation and its volunteer board of directors. In its 55th year, the MSU Foundation is being led

by Earnest W. “Earnie” Deavenport of Kiawah Island, South Carolina, who enters his second term in 2017 as board chair.

Deavenport is joined by returning officers D. Hines Brannan Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia, as vice chair, and William A. “Lex” Taylor III of Louisville as treasurer. The three alumni began new one-year terms in January.

Mississippi-native Deavenport earned a chemical engineering degree in 1960, and was awarded a 2011 honorary Doctor of Science in the fields of business and engineering, both from MSU. He is the retired chairman and CEO of Kingsport, Tennessee-based Eastman Chemical Company.

Brannan is a 1970 industrial engineering graduate, who earned an MBA the following year.

He is a retired managing director of Accenture.

Taylor is chairman and CEO of The Taylor Group Inc. and president of Taylor Machine Works Inc. He earned a general business administration degree from MSU in 1977.

Other leadership for the 47-member board includes John P. Rush, MSU vice president for development and alumni, who serves as president and CEO; David Easley, executive director of finance, who serves as chief financial officer; and Jack McCarty, executive director of development, who serves as secretary. All three are MSU graduates.

New board members who began three-year terms are Mississippi residents Robert P. “Bob” Bowen of Holly Springs, Thomas G. Hixon Sr. of Ridgeland and Gregory C. “Gregg” Rader of Columbus.

A 1963 history and political science graduate of Mississippi State, Bowen is a retired partner for mid-south audit practice with Arthur Andersen & Company. Hixon is chairman of Phoenix Development Company LLC and a 1967 accounting graduate, while Rader is CEO of Columbus Recycling Corporation and a 1984 petroleum engineering graduate.

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SPRING 2017

Board members may be reappointed after vacating the board for at least a year. Beginning new three-year terms, those incoming returning members include: John N. “Nutie” Dowdle of Columbus. A 1965 marketing graduate, Dowdle serves as chairman of the board for Dowdle Enterprises.

Jan L. Gwin of Memphis, Tennessee. A 1971 banking and finance graduate, he is managing director of Raymond James & Associates.

Herbert V. “Herb” Johnson of Houston, Texas.

Johnson received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering in 1978 and 1981, respectively, and he is president of HVJ Associates Inc. Linda F. Parker of Bolton. Parker is the retired secretary of Sunbelt Wholesale Supply and a longtime friend of the university.

Richard H. Puckett Sr. of Flowood. A 1977 general business administration graduate, Puckett is chairman and CEO of Puckett Machinery Company.

Richard A. Rula of Ridgeland. A 1970 civil engineering graduate, Rula is president of Hemphill Construction Company Inc. Michael W. “Mike” Sanders of Cleveland. A 1964 physical education graduate, Sanders is the retired president and CEO of Jimmy Sanders Inc. Also returning to the board, by virtue of position, are Ronald E. “Ron” Black of Meridian and Wilbert G. “Mickey” Holliman Jr. of Belden.

Black continues as MSU Alumni Association president, while Holliman is president of the university’s Bulldog Club for a second year.

Black holds a 1980 bachelor’s degree in marketing and is director of human resources for Southern Pipe & Supply Co. Inc. Holliman earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial management in 1960 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in May. He is retired chairman and CEO of Furniture Brands International.

Chartered in 1962, the MSU Foundation administers most of the campus-based fundraising activities and endowment funds. In fiscal year 2016, the organization marked its thirdconsecutive giving year of over $100 million recorded for Mississippi State.

For more information on the work of the MSU Foundation and access to the university’s Guide to Giving, visit www.msufoundation. com or follow the MSU Foundation on Twitter @MSU_Foundation. n

DEAVENPORT

BRANNAN

TAYLOR

BLACK

BOWEN

DOWDLE

GWIN

HIXON

HOLLIMAN

JOHNSON

PARKER

PUCKETT

RADER

RULA

SANDERS

Know an alum who has news or a recent promotion? Send an email to alumnus@msstate.edu.

STATE ments

CLASS NOTES

_________________________________________

1960s

Harold Gary (B.A., agriculture and extension

education, ’60) was elected president of the National Rural Rehabilitation Corporation, which lends money to allow farmers and ranchers to acquire additional land to increase the rural-American standard of living.

He also serves as vice president of the Mississippi Rural Rehabilitation Corporation.

Tom Bryant (B.S., civil engineering, ’68) earned

the 2016 Teddy Roosevelt Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies. He is principal emeritus for Mississippi business development for Pickering Firm, a full service engineering and architecture firm headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. _________________________________________

1970s

Richard Carson (B.A., foreign

language, ’77) was named a Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A professor of economics in the University of California, San Diego, Division of Social Sciences, he has developed widely used methods for assessing the benefits and costs of environmental policies and the economic impacts of environmental disasters.

After

nearly

40

years,

Dr.

Arthur Wade Parker (B.S. biochemistry, ’77) finally got to add a Mississippi State University degree to his wall. In 1977, he left the university just nine credithours short of graduating to begin work towards a medical degree. At the time, bachelor’s degrees were not a prerequisite for medical school admission, however, many undergraduate institutions did present the degrees to their alumni after the successful completion of the first year in a medical program. Working with MSU administrators, Parker’s family secured his longawaited diploma and presented it in December. He practices internal medicine in Bend, Oregon.

With more than 30 years of experience in global agribusiness development, John Rabby (B.S., M.S. entomology, ’77, ’79) has been elected chairman of the North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s board of directors. He leads RE LLC, a global agribusiness consulting form and is commercial lead for AgBiome Innovations LLC. _________________________________________

1980s

Janet Marie Smith (BARC,

’81) has been named one of SportsBusiness Journal’s Champions: Pioneers and Innovators in Sports Business for 2017. She is senior vice president of planning and development for the Los Angeles Dodgers and has been involved in ballpark projects including the original design of Camden Yards in Baltimore, converting Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium to Turner Field and renovating Boston’s Fenway Park and L.A.’s Dodger Stadium.

Jim Jeffords Jr. (B.S. civil engineering, ‘88) is now chief of the Engineering, Construction and Operations Division for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—Alaska District. A 27-year veteran of the corps, he oversees the organization’s engineering, construction and operations activities across Alaska and the Pacific Rim. He also serves on the district’s corporate board and is a member of the Pacific Ocean Division Regional Management Board.

Francis C. “Franc” Lee (B.B.A. banking and finance, ’89) was sworn in as chairman of the American Financial Services Association. He has been president and chief executive officer of Tower Loan since 1999, growing the company to more than 200 locations. He is founding president of the National Installment Leaders Association and past president of the Mississippi Consumer Finance Association.

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STATE ments ____________________________________________

1990s Stacey

R. Corley (B.A. professional accountancy, ’90; MBA, ’91) was named vice president for advancement by the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, following a national search. Before joining Ringling College in 2012, she served as associate director for development for the Florida State University Foundation and the John Mable Ringling Museum of Art. She is a board member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

James A. Williams III (B.S.

civil engineering, ’91) has been named deputy executive director and chief engineer for the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

He is responsible for oversight of the Office of Highways, which oversees all MDOT projects, including planning, design, construction and maintenance.

Andy Cantrell (B.S. social studies education, ’93) has

been named assistant superintendent of the Tupelo Public School District. He previously served the district as director of operations overseeing major construction projects and renovations funded by a $44 million bond issue.

Michael Farris Smith (B.A.,

communication, ’94) released his latest novel, “Desperation Road,” in February. It’s been named an Amazon Best Book of the Month, an Indie Next Pick, and a Barnes and Noble Discover Pick. This and his other works, including the widely acclaimed “Rivers,” are available online and in stores.

Jeff

G. Curtis (B.S. civil engineering, ’95) was named state materials engineer for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. A 20-year veteran of the agency, he will now oversee the central lab in Jackson where research, sampling and testing of materials is performed. He is a licensed engineer and surveyor, and previously served as assistant local public agency engineer.

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SPRING 2017

Lance Davis (BARC, ’95), a sustainability architect with the U.S. General Services Administration, was named a LEED Fellow by Green Business Certification Inc. He was one of 24 selected for the honor nationwide in 2016 for exemplifying a diverse array of achievements and contributions in the green-building community.

Louisville-based Taylor Machine Works promoted Matt Hillyer (B.S. mechanical engineering, ’95) to director of engineering. He is now responsible for overseeing product design and development, engineering support to production, and in-service product support.

George County head football coach Matt Caldwell (B.S. teaching and coaching, ’96) was selected as one of the assistant coaches for the prestigious AlabamaMississippi All-Star Football Classic.

Cynthia W. “Cindy” Simpson

(B.S. interior design, ’96) was recently named one of the most powerful and influential business leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, for DCEO Magazine’s Dallas 500 issue. She is principal and managing director at Gensler.

Jerry Toney (B.B.A. real estate

and mortgage finance, ’96) was named one of the Top Bank Advisors for 2016 by industry-magazine Bank Investment Consultant. Toney ranked 31st, placing him among the top 50 for the second consecutive year. He is senior wealth advisor for Cadence Investment Services and Mississippi president for Cadence Bank.

Scott McCarver (B.S. industrial engineering, ’98) is now chief operating officer for the Vanderbilt University Adult Hospital. Before coming to Vanderbilt, he was employed by Duke Regional Hospital, most recently serving as vice president of operations.

Billy Owen (B.S. civil engineering,

’98) was promoted to assistant chief engineer of operations from his position as contract administration division director. An 18-year veteran of the agency, he will oversee contract administration, materials, research and local public agency divisions.

Know an alum who has news or a recent promotion? Send an email to alumnus@msstate.edu.

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

2000s

2010s

Joe

Jeremy Winborne (B.B.A. real estate finance, ’10; B.B.A. banking and finance, ’11) joined First Bank as vice president of commercial lending at its new downtown location in Brookhaven.

Cowart

(B.S., M.S., industrial technology, ’00, ’02) was promoted to director of industrial engineering and quality at Louisville-based Taylor Machine Works. He now oversees the development and efficiency of manufacturing processes to maintain proper product functionality and efficiency.

C. Meade Hartfield (B.A., economics and foreign

language, ’01) has been named partner at Birmingham, Alabama-based Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP. As an attorney, she has represented clients in a variety of industries and her financial services practice includes representing financial institutions and mortgage companies throughout the country.

Seth Barnes (B.S. chemical

engineering, ’03) competed in the 2017 Iditarod, a world-famous, 1,000-mile sled-dog race through the rough, frozen terrain of Alaska.

Ingenuity in the classroom has earned Jason Wiles (M.S. geoscience, ’07) two national awards. An associate professor of biology at Syracuse University, he earned the Evolution Education Award from the National Association of Biology Teachers and the Teaching Excellence Award from the Association of College and University Biology Educators.

BankFirst Financial Services promoted Josh Oller (B.S., business administration, ’08; MBA, ’09) to vice president and credit analyst manager. A five-year veteran of the financial services industry, he previously served as a consumer loan officer, credit analyst and assistant vice president-credit analysts.

CLASS NOTES

Corey Deer (B.S., elementary education, ’14) has been named the Herb Handley Outstanding New Teacher by the Mississippi Science Teacher’s Association.

He teaches at Hawkins Middle School in Forest.

Former Bulldog quarterback Dak Prescott (B.S. interdisciplinary studies, ’14; M.S., workforce education leadership, ’15) earned NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and a Pro Bowl bid following a standout season with the Dallas Cowboys that broke several records for first-year quarterbacks.

Tracy Mullins (M.S. geoscience, ’15) and Raymond Truesdell (M.S. geoscience, ’16) are finalists for the

Presidential Management Fellows Program. Only 417 finalists were selected from more than 6,370 applications.

Administered by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the program was created in 1977 to match outstanding graduate students with opportunities in the federal government.

Scott Snicoff (M.S., geoscience, ’16) is now morning meteorologist for KVRR, a Fox affiliate in Fargo, North Dakota. ___________________________________________

BIRTHS

Robert Gregory Moore III, Sept. 28, 2016 to Bob Moore (’05) and Haley Huggins of Corinth.

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65

Forever MAROON George Adebiyi (retired faculty) 69, Starkville – A native of Nigeria, he came to the U.S. in 1984 as a visiting professor to Rust College in Holly Springs. He later joined the mechanical engineering department at Mississippi State where he eventually rose to the position of professor. Named professor emeritus after his 2010 retirement, he was still involved in academic activities including teaching summer courses and serving as a visiting professor to Bowen University in Nigeria. He earned bachelor’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Manchester, England, and a diploma in further education from Huddersfield Polytechnic, England. He was the author or co-author of three books, and shortly before his death, he launched the Lawrence and George Adebiyi Solar Energy Institute at Oluponna, Osun State, Nigeria, to help individuals and communities in the area achieve sustainable energy independence. – Oct. 8, 2016 Michael B. Ballard (B.A., M.A., Ph.D. history; ’75, ’76, ’83; retired staff) 69, Ackerman – A published Civil War historian, he served as Mississippi State’s university archivist and director of the MSU Congressional and Political Collection.

He was a member, teacher and deacon at Ackerman Baptist Church. – Oct. 11, 2016

Howard Chambers (retired faculty) 76, Starkville – He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Texas A&M and a doctoral degree from the University of California, Berkley, where he met his wife and fellow MSU faculty member, Jan. He spent his entire 48year academic career serving the students of Mississippi State University as a professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, where he established a research program in insecticide toxicology. He is credited with synthesizing numerous chemicals, including potential antidotes that could save the lives and brain function of people attacked with chemical weapons. These patented antidotal chemicals will see continued development through his colleagues and students. – Dec. 3, 2016

’59) 83, Gulfport – A veteran of the Korean conflict, he worked as an electronics instructor and retired as a training specialist at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. – Aug. 20, 2016

Carl Cockrell (B.S. seed technology, ’59) 82, Shannon – He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean conflict before attending Mississippi State. He spent several years with Monsanto Co. in sales with the animal feed division, ultimately retiring as a systems analyst. He was an active member of St. Luke Methodist Church and its men’s club and coffee club. – Oct. 21, 2016

Thom Beasley (B.S. management, ’71) 67,

Taylor Graydon Flowers Jr. (B.S.

James E. Baughman (B.S. geoscience,

Jonesboro, Arkansas – He was the agency manager for Craighead County Farm Bureau, one of the largest in the company’s southern district. – Nov. 29, 2016

Tomzie Berkshire (B.S., English education, ’62) 76, Richmond, Virginia – A high school teacher for nearly 40 years, she spent most of her career at Marist School in Atlanta where she furthered her love of music and the performing arts by directing and assisting with dozens of theater productions. She was a founder and first president of Phi Mu sorority at Mississippi State, where she was

66

also a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Kappa Delta Pi honor societies. She was a basketball cheerleader, which allowed her to meet her future husband, Jack Berkshire. She was also involved in Key Club, AROTC, the Reflector and Bulldog Boosters. She was a Reveille Beauty her senior year. – Dec. 3, 2016

SPRING 2017

general agriculture, ’51) 87, Dublin – He was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity and a life member of the Mississippi State Alumni Association. He was also a member of the Delta Council and served many years on the boards of Hopson Bayou Drainage District and Oldham Drainage District. – July 18, 2016

Betty Jean Gunn (M.S. elementary education, ’88) 77, Ridgeland – She was a member of Cash Baptist Church where she served as church pianist for more than 25 years.

She taught at Sebastopol and Scott Central

public schools, and served as bookkeeper for C&C Water Association. – Sept. 22, 2016

Veronica Leigh Hill (B.S. chemical engineering, ’84) 53, Baton Rouge, Louisiana – She worked for Dow Chemical until 2015.

She was a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, the mechanical engineering advisory council at Mississippi State and a board member at Gardere Community Christian School. – Oct. 28, 2016

Calvin Travis Hull (B.S. pre-medicine, ’55) 83, Jackson – He played trumpet in the Famous Maroon Band, was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and served as president and treasurer of the MSU Student Body. He joined the Air Force following his graduation and served as a captain flying All Weather Interceptors. He earned a medical degree from the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and became a teaching instructor for OB-GYN department in 1967. He also served as an assistant professor and clinical assistant professor before joining a private practice specializing in women’s care. He held leadership roles with the Jackson Gynesic Society, the MS OB-GYN Society, UMC OB-GYN Association and Phi Chi Medical Fraternity, as well as having membership in the American Medical Association and the Mississippi State Medical Association. He was chief of staff for River Oaks Hospital and Women’s Hospital. – Dec. 8, 2016 Wallace J. McRoy (B.S. civil engineering, ’39) 101, Homewood, Alabama – A native of Meridian, he was a member of the track team and Lambda Chi Alpha while at Mississippi State. He also achieved membership in the engineering honor society Tau Beta Pi. During WWII, he worked as an engineer inspecting coal mines in Birmingham, Alabama, before forming is own consulting firm from which he retired in the 1980s. He was a Sunday school teacher, deacon and elder at First Presbyterian Church of Birmingham and was instrumental in the establishment of the Birmingham Track Club. – Oct. 8, 2016

Aubert Mike Pitts (B.S. mechanical engineering, ’58) 81, Lucedale – He was a

Know someone who should be recognized in Forever Maroon? Send an email to alumnus@msstate.edu.

member of the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. – Dec. 16, 2016

William Wallace “Bill” Robarts (B.S. physical education, ’67) 74, Lake Placid, Florida – He retired from the U.S. Air Force after 21 years. A faithful Methodist, he enjoyed photography and his family and friends. – Oct. 4, 2016 William L. “Bill” Sneed (B.S. business information systems, ’67) 71, Pontotoc – He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and received a law degree from the University of Mississippi.

He was a member of the local and state bar associations and practiced in Pontotoc for almost 50 years, in addition to serving as city attorney for many years. – Nov. 11, 2016

Albert Hunter Spinks (B.S. agriculture, ’52; B.S. electrical engineering, ’61) 86, Burlington, North Carolina – After receiving his first bachelor’s degree, he spent two years in the military, earning the rank of first lieutenant before beginning a five-year farming career in the delta. He then changed career paths and became a certified professional electrical engineer after earning a second bachelor’s from

MSU and a master’s from North Carolina State University. He spent 27 years with Lucent Technologies in several cities in New Jersey and North Carolina. – Nov. 12, 2016

Charles

Ray Stockfisch (B.S. civil engineering, ’61) 79, Maryville, Tennessee – Following his time at Mississippi State, he earned a master’s degree from West Virginia University. Before his retirement in 1994, he worked for the Federal Highway Administration as project manager for demonstration projects in the Office of Technology Transfer. In that role, he implemented the Underwater Bridge Inspection Program and a mobile classroom designed to share state-of-the-art computerized traffic-control technology, which were both used in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. – Sept. 9, 2016

Arthur R. Taylor Jr. (B.S. agribusiness and pre-law, ’43) 94, Senatobia – He was a member of SAE fraternity. During his college years, he volunteered with the Navy and was stationed in Pensacola, Florida. He specialized as a gunnery instructor and also served in the Marine Corps in that role. He was later sent to Colgate College for special navigation courses on plane identification.

He worked for Purina in the chicken, feed and seed business, and earned a law degree from the University of Memphis. He then formed a farm real estate business. He was a member of the Bulldog Club, president of the Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni Association in 1989, a patron of excellence and member of the board of directors of the Original Century Club-now known as the Bulldog Club-and a member of the MSU Ag 100 Club. – Oct. 6, 2016

Charles G. VanHorn (B.S. petroleum geology, ’59) 78, Tupelo – He was selfemployed in the furniture manufacturing industry for many years. He collected and catalogued more than 1,000 Native American artifacts in Calhoun County, which he donated to the Cobb Institute at Mississippi State. – Jan. 13, 2016 Christopher Lawrence Walker (B.S. chemical engineering, ’03) 37, Pearland, Texas – He was a member of the Eta Upsilon chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. He worked as a process control manager for Shell Oil Co., and was an active member of the extended site leadership team, as well as the Shell Black Networking Group. – Dec. 11, 2016

In Memory of James F. “Bud” Thompson Jr. James F. “Bud” Thompson Jr. (B.S. secondary education, ’62) 81, Meridian — A Yazoo City native, Thompson lived in Meridian, where he graduated from Meridian High School and attended Meridian Community College prior to joining the U.S. Marine Corps in 1954.

During his tour of duty, he served in the infantry and was selected as a member of the Presidential Guard to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Thompson was also selected as a member of the elite Marine Corps Silent Drill Team and traveled extensively throughout the United States. During his last year of service, he served as the Color Bearer of the USMC Battle Colors. He received an honorable discharge from the USMC followed by four years as a Marine Corps reservist while attending Mississippi State.

Following graduation from MSU, Thompson taught mathematics and coached

football in Vicksburg. After that, he became an insurance agent with Wise and Smylie in Meridian. He later operated his own firm, Insurance Solutions of Mississippi, and he was a partner with Thompson Limited Partnerships.

For 52 years, Thompson served the Boy Scouts of America, receiving the Silver Beaver Award. The Meridian Star saluted Thompson as Citizen of the Year in 2009, and he received the Hartley Peavey Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence in 2011. He was also president of the Choctaw Area Council.

In 2016, Thompson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Public Service from Mississippi State. He served the MSU Foundation board, MSU Athletic Council, MSU Alumni Association national board and was the MSU Bulldog Club president for two terms. Thompson also was a longtime member of the MSU-Meridian Deans and Directors Advisory Board. — Nov. 19, 2016.

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Back ST O R Y

WITH JOE DIER It doesn’t happen nearly as often as it once did a few years back when the Starkville-Mississippi State University community was a good bit smaller—or my hearing was better. But even with more than 22,000 students and a city population of 25,000-plus, I can still relax in my back yard a few miles from campus and, on nights when the air is calm, hear the carillon at Mississippi State’s Chapel of Memories. The chiming of the 10 o’clock hour is always followed by the MSU alma mater, “Maroon and White.”

The sounding of the chapel chimes triggers reflections on a winding trail that led a Baton Rouge-born Air Force brat to a dream job in sports publicity at the “People’s University.” That path took countless twists and turns and included navigational assistance from so many people along the way.

Uncle Sam first brought me to the Magnolia State in 1966 when my dad, an LSU grad, was stationed at Columbus Air Force Base. And indirectly, MSU President William Giles introduced me to Mississippi State. As base chaplain at CAFB, my dad at times would receive complimentary tickets to MSU football games from the president’s office, and on a sunny September Saturday in 1968, I got to accompany my dad to a game.

Though Coach Charley Shira’s Bulldogs would drop a 20-13 decision in their season-opener to Louisiana Tech in the collegiate debut of Tech quarterback and future NFL star Terry Bradshaw, the visit to Scott Field and the introduction to cowbells made a lasting impression.

Just in time for my senior year in high school, another Air Force move sent my family to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1970. By then, there was little doubt I’d return to Mississippi, and late summer of 1971 found me moving into Critz Hall, then one of four boomerang-shaped freshman dormitories on the 9,500-student MSU campus.

General liberal arts was the allencompassing listing of the day for the studies of students who had yet to decide on a specific academic major. I fit safely in that slot for a year until migrating toward the media field and a degree in communication.

Work in radio provided a nudge in

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that direction. A small studio atop Lee Hall became home for a student-run FM radio station, WMSB, for which I held the illustrious title of sports director.

That station would years later give way to Mississippi State radio station WMSV. The experience at the radio station provided an opportunity to meet, among others, Mississippi State sports publicist Bob Hartley, along with his assistant and eventual successor in the post, Bo Carter.

Their offices were tucked away on the south side of MSU basketball’s home, McCarthy Gymnasium. Both Hartley and Carter are members of the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame.

Writing assignments at The Reflector, MSU’s student newspaper, and numerous journalism classes taught by the late Henry Meyer also helped shape my career path. Meyer bled untold units of red ink on my class writing assignments before my graduation ceremonies in May 1975.

Following sportswriting stops at newspapers in Yazoo City and Starkville and eight years operating MSU’s privatelyowned sports publication Dawgs’ Bite, I returned to Mississippi State in 1986. This time around, I was a wide-eyed rookie sports information director in a one-person office, hired by rookie athletic director Charlie Carr and working with first-time NCAA head coaches in both football— Rockey Felker—and basketball—Richard Williams. Thankfully, the MSU sports information staff doubled at the end of my first year with the hiring of fellow Air Force brat David Rosinski.

The steady parade of improvements and achievements in MSU athletics go hand in hand with the tremendous growth and progress of the university over the years. And I count myself among the most blessed to have a front row, now back yard, seat for so much of it. n Joe Dier retired from Mississippi State in 2013 as assistant director of media relations.

A 1975 MSU communication graduate, he spent 12 years in sports journalism before returning to the university as part of the sports information staff, covering football and ultimately becoming the primary publicist for baseball and volleyball.

The first three generations of Mississippi State University sports information directors stand together in the football press box at Auburn University. From L-R: Joe Dier, Bo Carter and the late Bob Hartley.

RESPONSES | Back STORY

Alumnus Winter 2016 Johnny Baker: “I can’t tell you much about that photo, but I do have a little twist on the left field area…I might be considered the very first “left field lounger…”

Richard Ellington: “…We didn’t win many championships in those days, but…we were about to…”

Jim Jackson: “…On top of the yellow Volkswagen bus are Wilbur Abernathy, with his legs crossed. I’m the other guy…I think that picture was initially on the front page of the Starkville Daily News, which caused us a little problem as we had snuck out of the lab for the game…”

Content has been edited for length and style consistency. For full responses, visit www. alumnus.msstate.edu.

WMSB

Radio Station Pulled from the Office of Public Affairs Photography Archives, this picture from the 1970s shows two students working the turn table at the campus radio station. Share your memories of listening to or working for WMSV, once known as WMSB. Some responses may be published in print or online with the next issue. alumnus@msstate.edu

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MASTERS MAKES MAJOR LEAGUE CONTRIBUTIONS

He didn’t receive the call to the majors following his time as a Diamond Dawg, but after answering a Higher Calling, he’s found a place with World Series Champions. P. 38