Get to Know

WILL STAGGERS

Born in Starkville to a family of avid Bulldog fans, William “Will” Staggers has always been proud of his True Maroon roots. Will graduated from MSU in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and began his career as a teacher and coach at Quitman High School. He later returned home to Starkville and worked in commercial insurance before joining the MSU Department of Procurement and Contracts. In 2015, Will became assistant director of development for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), MSU Extension Service, and Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station and was promoted to director of development for the areas earlier this year. When he’s not on campus, Will enjoys spending time with his family and being an uncle to his niece and nephew.

What’s it like to secure support for your alma mater?

It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve had a chance to be a part of in my personal and professional life. Even before I was a student, MSU was a big part of my everyday life, and I’m grateful that is the same today.

Most memorable gift you’ve secured?

The Frank Dowsing Endowed Scholarship is my most memorable gift. Frank was an incredible individual who was among the first African Americans to play football at MSU in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. I had the privilege of meeting Frank’s family and former classmates and was blown away by his inspiring story.

Favorite spot on campus?

It’s hard to beat Davis Wade Stadium during a prime-time SEC night game.

What makes CALS interesting?

Advancements being made in the precision agriculture arena are pretty incredible. Also, CALS and MSU Extension are very much on the front lines of rural health and mental health issues within the agricultural community. The direct, positive role CALS plays in improving industry and well-being within our state is a true point of pride.

Legacy of love:

Scholarship memorializes engineering professor

Every great love story starts with a little bit of chemistry. This proved more than true for Hossein and the late Rebecca “Becky” Kay Toghiani, two chemical engineers whose remarkable love for one another and the study of chemical engineering spanned nearly three decades. Today, an endowed scholarship in Becky’s memory marks the couple’s shared passions and celebrates her life and career as a professor emerita at Mississippi State University.

Becky was a longtime faculty member in the James Worth Bagley College’s Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, where her husband, Hossein, continues his work as the Thomas B. Nusz Endowed Professor. The allure of a noteworthy named chemical engineering school brought the couple to Mississippi State. They both earned three degrees each in chemical engineering from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

For their accomplishments, the Toghianis were selected as fellow inaugural members of the Bagley College of Engineering Academy of Distinguished Teachers. Among the university’s most esteemed researchers, she was affectionately known to her students and colleagues as "Dr. R", and he continues to be known as "Dr. H."

“Becky truly loved teaching and the interaction with her students more than anything else in the world,” said Hossein, who established the scholarship in her honor. “She put her students first, challenged their minds, mentored them, and helped them rise to the great expectations she had for them.”

At MSU, Becky’s honors included the 2000-2001 Hearin Professor of Engineering Award, the 2001 Outstanding Faculty Woman Award by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, the 1996 John Grisham Master Teacher Award, and the Bagley College of Engineering Career Award.

Furthermore, Becky’s research grants while at MSU encompassed a range of chemical engineering subjects. These included the thermodynamics of mixtures, where she developed a state-of-the-art facility for vapor-liquid equilibria measurement. She expanded MSU’s collective expertise in solubilities in inorganic systems, including double salt chemistry, high ionic strength solution chemistry, computational chemistry, density functional theory, and legacy nuclear waste remediation.

“Becky served the department, the Bagley College, and the university with passion,” said Jason Keith, Bagley College dean and Earnest W. and Mary Ann Deavenport Chair. “The endowment ensures this passion will live through future recipients of the scholarship named in her honor.”

The Toghianis spent many hours passionately researching in the Swalm building.

The late Professor Rebecca K. "Becky" Toghiani

Professor Hossein Toghiani

The inaugural Rebecca K. Toghiani Memorial Endowed Scholarship award was presented to Vivian Mayora. A 2019 MSU chemical engineering graduate, she now works as a production engineer for Dow Chemical Company in Texas. Bradia Henfield, a senior chemical engineering major from Freeport, Grand Bahama, has been selected to receive the scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year.

The Toghianis were married for more than 27 years and have two daughters, Parisa, an MSU chemical engineering alumnus who is an engineer with Frito-Lay, and Parvaneh, a graphic design graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design who is a product designer at Uber.

When considering her accomplishments in life, it was no secret that Becky was most proud of her family and having the opportunity to educate young minds through her daily work at Mississippi State. Accordingly, the scholarship endowment will serve as a lasting tribute to her legacy and the investments she made at the university she called home.

“As complementing parts of a dual-career couple, it was important for Becky and me to have rewarding professions,” Hossein said. “Coming to MSU was a wonderful move for us and our family. Starkville was a great place to raise our girls, and the scholarship will now strengthen our family’s connection perpetually with the university.”

Former students, colleagues, and friends can help grow the Dr. Rebecca K. Toghiani Memorial Scholarship with gifts at www.msufoundation.com. For more information on supporting engineering scholarships at MSU, contact Paul Zimmerman, the college’s assistant director of development, at 662.325.0009.

STORY ADDIE MAYFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Making the grade:

Hearin and METP raise bar for excellence in teaching

It often takes a special teacher to cultivate the best academic performance in a student, and the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation has taken steps to ensure outstanding college graduates with this capability are placed in public schools across Mississippi. A gift from the Hearin Support Foundation initiated the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program (METP), bringing some of the best teaching graduates to Mississippi classrooms for the first five years of their careers.

Since the program’s inception, 68 METP scholars have graduated from Mississippi State University and are fulfilling their teaching commitments in school districts across the state. Because of the Hearin Support Foundation, more will follow as the collaborative teacher preparation program and its competitive scholarships attract students from both in state and out of state.

“There is a critical need for highly qualified teachers in Mississippi, and the METP scholarship enables MSU to help ensure the pipeline for teachers continues to grow, and the program’s long-term results with teachers who remain in Mississippi classrooms will help improve the academic achievement of students,” said Teresa Jayroe, MSU associate dean of education.

MSU METP Scholars for 2019-2020

The Jackson-based Hearin Support Foundation initially provided a five-year grant to fund METP scholarships, with equal amounts for the state’s largest universities — specifically the College of Education at MSU and the School of Education at the University of Mississippi (UM). In subsequent years, the Hearin Support Foundation expanded the program with further investments at both universities.

“The College of Education is extremely grateful to the Hearin Support Foundation for its generous support. This commitment will be of benefit to young people across the state for generations,” said Richard Blackbourn, MSU dean of education.

Designed to attract the best and brightest students from around the nation, each four-year METP scholarship is valued at $100,000 and enhances recruitment of applicants desiring to major in secondary English, secondary mathematics, secondary science, elementary education, and special education. Full tuition, with room, board and books, a $1,000 technology stipend, along with a fully funded national or study-abroad experience, rounds out the financial award. Opportunities to collaborate with faculty, staff, and fellow scholars from other campuses enhance the overall experience.

“The biggest benefit METP scholars gain is that they are immersed in the practices and policies of the teaching profession,” Jayroe said. “After graduation, their classrooms, and moreover their students, will be influenced by the depth of this honors-like experience as it better prepares them for 21st century coursework.”

The METP program accepted its first cohort at MSU in 2013. Since then, 182 students, including 30 new scholars for the 2020-21 academic year, have received the scholarship at MSU. METP graduates are part of a network of support throughout Mississippi as they currently fill 68 teaching positions in districts around the state, including schools in Chickasaw, Clarke, DeSoto, George, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Itawamba, Jackson, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lee, Madison, Marshall, Neshoba, Oktibbeha, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Rankin, Simpson, Stone, and Wayne counties.

Day-to-day METP activities are guided by Michelle Stubbs and Annice Jenkins, program managers. They provide scholars with academic advising and program support for their educational experiences and professional growth. Stubbs and Jenkins also mentor METP graduates for their first three years as teachers.

While attending classes and receiving guidance from program managers, METP scholars serve as campus volunteers at the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability and the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic. Scholars also participate in cross-campus visits with their UM peers. Beyond experiences at their respective campuses, the two groups study alongside each other every year. Their regular fall and spring visits rotate between Starkville and Oxford as they come together for a weekend of seminars to discuss education issues.

This year, MSU METP scholars are witnessing new learning techniques as they interact with the just-opened Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Partnership Middle School at MSU that educates sixth and seventh grade students in the district. The Partnership Middle School, built in part with private gifts, serves as an

MSU METP scholars study abroad at the University of Oxford in England and visit historical places like Windsor Castle.

innovative research site for the College of Education.

“METP scholars have an exciting opportunity to work hands-on with students and teachers of the Partnership Middle School and that association can continue in the years ahead, benefiting the program, the College of Education, and the school district,” said Stubbs, who also leads the World Class Teaching Program, a university-based initiative to recruit and mentor teachers seeking advanced certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

College of Education faculty work closely with METP scholars. In particular, advisers for the specific disciplines the scholars pursue help guide them. "The impact of METP scholars on the elementary education program is evident,” said Rebecca RobichauxDavis, a professor in the MSU Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education (CISE) who serves as one of the academic advisers for the METP elementary education majors.

“In their classrooms, METP scholars are energetic and inquisitive. They tend to naturally lead small group discussions and activities, pushing their classmates to think more critically about what they are learning. They are overtly eager and ready to positively impact their current practicum students and their future students," she said.

Fellow CISE professor Missy Hopper, an academic adviser for METP majors in secondary English education, also finds the experience rewarding.

“It is always a pleasure and a challenge to work with METP scholars – both in a class and on outside projects,” said Hopper. “Their enthusiasm for learning about all areas of education is contagious, and they are often looked up to by their peers because of their knowledge base and passion. They will undoubtably be our future leaders in Mississippi schools.”

Admission into the METP program has become increasingly competitive at MSU and UM.

“Because of the competitiveness of selection, statistics reflect the overall caliber of freshman education majors has increased at both universities,” said Stubbs. “There is no end to the initial impact METP scholars are having on public education in our state and that also becomes a long-term win for wherever they decide to teach past their five-year commitment—hopefully Mississippi.”

The impacts of the Hearin Support Foundation have been significant at MSU for a number of years. Along with METP, the foundation also extends transformational assistance to the university’s James Worth Bagley College of Engineering and the College of Architecture, Art and Design. Since 1995, the foundation has primarily supported the state’s universities and colleges and economic development through grants.

Meet METP Scholars among 111 undergraduates at MSU

Yolanda Cooper, Class of 2022

“I want to be a great and effective teacher in Mississippi, and MSU and METP have given me the opportunity to achieve that goal when I graduate.”

Yolanda Cooper of Noxapater is a first-generation college student and a secondary English education major in her junior year of study. Once she graduates, Cooper plans to satisfy her five-year METP commitment outside the school district where she grew up to impact another part of her home state. She is grateful for the great support system of MSU and METP. As an METP Scholar, her advice to fellow students is to achieve their goals but always be true to themselves. Cooper is currently a Supplemental Instruction (SI) Leader at the MSU Learning Center, leading free academic study sessions to help students succeed in historically difficult classes. At MSU, she is also part of the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and the Baptist Student Union.

Katie Watkins, Class of 2022

“When I was little, I wanted to be a teacher like my mom, aunt, and grandmother. As I grew older, I realized other teachers also made a big impact in my life. Now I aspire to make a positive difference in childrens’ lives, and METP will allow me to realize that goal.”

Katie Watkins, a junior majoring in elementary education from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the first person in her family to attend MSU. She is a member of the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and a College of Education student ambassador, and she has been an autism clinic volunteer at the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability. At MSU, Watkins is also a Baptist Student Union member and a Brickfire Project mentor, tutoring children from financiallychallenged families. She holds foster and impoverished children close to her heart, volunteering and influencing those, ages 3-11, in an annual summer program through Street Reach Ministries in the neighborhoods of Memphis, Tennessee.

Cameron Wells, Class of 2023

“I choose to live my passion through education and the METP program because I know education is one of the most effective ways to make a positive difference and shape the future of our world.”

Cameron Wells is an MSU sophomore secondary mathematics education major from Pascagoula. Math has always been his favorite subject, and he knew his career choice would revolve around it. After visiting many colleges, Wells knew the moment he drove past the welcome entrance that MSU was right for him. And METP reaffirms his belief in his chosen career path. Wells cites his mother as the biggest influence in his life because she went to impossible lengths to make sure he and his siblings were well. He admires her and hopes he will one day be as good a parent and “teach” his children and the children in his classrooms the value of that quality.

Meet METP graduates among 68 teaching in Mississippi schools

Olivia Byrd, 2019 Alumna

Olivia Byrd graduated with a Bachelor of Science in secondary education and a concentration in mathematics education. Byrd now teaches Algebra 1, primarily in nineth-grade, and Spanish (her minor field of study) in grades nine through 12 at Tremont Attendance Center in the Itawamba County School District in Mississippi. The district is near her hometown of Hamilton, Alabama. Byrd’s mom operates a preschool there, and both her parents earned associate degrees from community college; however, they are proud she graduated from MSU. “METP has been an incredible blessing for me and my family because it basically filled in where my other MSU scholarships ended," said Byrd. "I always wanted to be a teacher and chose math after I realized others struggled with it.” Byrd encourages those considering a teaching career to focus on their strengths.

Alana Cadman, 2017 Alumna

Alana Cadman of Hurley earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education with a concentration in mathematics education. Cadman was a community college transfer student who became the first in her immediate family to attend MSU. She heard about METP on a campus tour and realized her ACT score could make her a contender. As an METP scholar, Cadman fondly recalls studying 10 days in Canada, learning about that country’s public education system, and visiting schools in Alberta. With the scholarship, she graduated debt-free. By teaching in the state, Cadman proudly follows her mother and grandmother, both retired from the field of special education in Mississippi. She now makes her contribution, teaching seventh and eighth-graders at George County Middle School, where she is head of the math department.

Clinton “Dre” Davis IV, 2017 Alumnus

Clinton “Dre” Davis IV of Vancleave earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education with a concentration in English education. Davis was an inaugural METP scholar and recalls the highly competitive process. “I was an alternate and as May 2013 approached someone dropped from the group; I was floored I made the cut—it was perfect to get a chance to be among the best in the state for this new program. I felt I had run a marathon and won a much-needed, debt-free education.” Davis teaches eighth-grade English and language arts at Vancleave Middle School in the Jackson County School District, and he is an assistant seventh-grade football coach and Fellowship of Christian Athletes volunteer. Davis encourages MSU METP Scholars to follow him into a master’s program and work toward all certification possible, making the most of their future potential.

Abbey Ragan, 2020 Alumna

Abbey Ragan followed in the footsteps of her parents in attending MSU. With an METP scholarship, she earned a Bachelor of Science in elementary education with a concentration in middle school education. Ragan teaches first grade at Hope Sullivan Elementary School in the DeSoto County School District in Southaven, near her home in Germantown, Tennessee. As a deaf individual, she has had to overcome obstacles to become a teacher. “My deafness has profoundly impacted my teaching philosophy and has given me a quest to try to help the many children I’ll encounter in my future teaching career to overcome their own obstacles,” Ragan said. “The reason I chose elementary education was because of how important I know early intervention is in the development and learning of young children.” Studying and learning in the METP environment at MSU has given Ragan a great start in passionately shaping her students.

Jordan (Hutton) Savell, 2018 Alumna

Jordan (Hutton) Savell of Brandon comes from a family of educators—all four of her grandparents are retired from the classroom. A teaching degree was important to her, and METP was the deciding factor for her to attend MSU. Savell earned a Bachelor of Science in secondary education with a concentration in mathematics education. Since then, Savell has worked at Puckett High School in the Rankin County School District as an eighth-grade math teacher and Beta Club adviser. Because Savell gradated debt-free with METP, she and her husband, Tyler, have made a down payment on their first home. “METP is a great networking opportunity to meet future educators across the state, and our MSU cohort still chats, discusses ideas, and encourages one another,” Savell said. And she advises, “after you’ve honored the five-year commitment to teach in Mississippi, you only need three more years to become vested in the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS)."

For additional information about METP and how to apply at MSU, visit metp.msstate.edu or contact Michelle Stubbs or Annice Jenkins at 662.325.5543. More on the College of Education can be found at educ.msstate.edu and @CollegeofEd_MSU.

STORY AMY CAGLE PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS/SUBMITTED

Hurst leaves Bulldog legacy

Louis A. Hurst Jr. of Houston, Texas, will be remembered for his legacy of impact at Mississippi State University. Hurst enjoyed a steadfast connection with MSU as an alumnus, a true Bulldog fan, and a loyal contributor to academics and athletics who desired to make a positive difference in his home state. He died July 22, 2020, at age 95.

Born on May 15, 1925, in Poplarville, Mississippi, Hurst served in the military before college. He honored his country with service in the United States Navy from 1943 to 1946. After military service, Hurst proudly continued his family’s Bulldog tradition of education. He followed in the footsteps of his late father, Louis A. Hurst Sr., who earlier attended the land-grant institution.

In 1949, Hurst earned an MSU accounting degree and later graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University. He had an illustrious 32-year career as a bank examiner with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation before retiring in the early 1980s as an assistant regional director for the FDIC’s Memphis Region. His years in the banking industry taught him much more than the value of a dollar—his wise investments allowed him to contribute generously to MSU.

Hurst voluntarily served the MSU Foundation board of directors and the College of Business senior executive advisory board. He was honored as the MSU National Alumnus of the Year in 2007 and was the College of Business Alumnus of the Year in 2003. He was also saluted among the college’s top 100 graduates for its centennial.

The Louis A. Hurst Jr. Residence Hall at MSU stands as a named tribute honoring his legacy. A part of the Zacharias Village complex, the 82,000-square-foot residential facility was dedicated in 2006.

A strong belief in a quality education is reflected in the legacy left by Hurst at MSU. The L.A. Hurst Jr. Scholarship Endowment in the College of Business, established in 1999, emphasizes moral and ethical character as traits he desired in recipients. Hurst also established the L.A. Hurst Presidential Endowed Scholarship, a four-year award for MSU’s elite students in the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College.

At MSU, the Hurst legacy is perpetual. Proceeds from a planned gift from Hurst will continue his immeasurable impact through scholarships, helping generations of future Bulldog students fulfill the promise of a college education.

STORY AMY CAGLE PHOTOGRAPHY OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS