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News Briefs
SBA Funds Vicksburg Accelerator Work
Mississippi State has been awarded $150,000 by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to bolster the University’s work in Vicksburg, MS, which supports the launch, growth and scale of STEM/research-anddevelopment-focused small businesses.
The cash prize is from the SBA’s 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition, marking the second time this year MSU has been awarded funds in the contest. Winners were selected through a multi-tier review panel process by experts in entrepreneurship, business, innovation and strategic planning.
Partners in the award include MSU’s Office of Technology Management (OTM), Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach (E-Center) and Institute for Systems Engineering Research (ISER). External partners include Innovate Mississippi, the University of Southern Mississippi’s Office of Innovation Management, the Mississippi Small Business Development Center and the Thad Cochran Mississippi Center for Information and Technology.
Insurance Day Hosts “Lone Survivor”
The MSU Risk Management & Insurance Program hosted its 35th Annual Insurance Day program April 4-5, featuring keynote speaker Marcus Luttrell. Luttrell, shown at left with students, is a Purple Heart recipient and the best-selling author of Lone Survivor. Set during the War in Afghanistan, the book tells the true account of his Navy SEAL team, ambushed by the Taliban during Operation Redwing.
For more than 30 years, MSU Insurance Day has attracted hundreds of insurance professionals, offering continuing education hours on industry topics such as life, cyber, home, health, flood, property and employment practice insurance and ethics.
Retirement
Dr. Sharon L. Oswald led MSU’s College of Business as Dean beginning in 2011, steering it through an era of growth in academic programs and support for entrepreneurship. With a career spanning over 30 years as an educator and administrator, she has made an impact on countless students and faculty alike. Prior to joining the MSU faculty ranks, Oswald spent 24 years as a faculty member at Auburn University, including 12 years as the Management Department Head. Her primary research areas included entrepreneurship and international healthcare management.
Our College of Business family is thankful for her 12 years of leadership and her tireless effort in advancing Mississippi State’s College of Business on a national scale. Best wishes for a long and happy retirement!
