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TUESDAY APRIL 18, 2017
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Reflector
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131st YEAR ISSUE 47
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1884
MSU researchers work to eliminate food insecurity in Ghana by Kristina Norman Staff Writer
Security for Ghana
Jenn McFadden The Reflector
Although Africa may seem a world away from Starkville, researchers at Mississippi State University’s Soybean Innovation Lab are working to improve the lives of millions of people in Ghana by eliminating food insecurity. The United Nations defines food insecurity as “a situation that exists when people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of
safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life.” Ghana’s partnership with MSU’s Soybean Innovation Lab works to address global food insecurity and hunger, while the Soybean Management with Appropriate Research and Technology (SMART) seeks to give small-scale farmers a share in the growing soybean global market by increasing their productivity and yields. Begun in 2014, the Ghana SMART farms help give individuals and organizations
technical guidance on soybean farming. Dan Reynolds, MSU professor, holds the Edgar E. and Winifred B. Hartwig endowed chair in soybean agronomy. Reynolds said he did not have much experience in international agriculture when he went into the project. He said was tasked with figuring out Ghana’s needs without ever setting foot in the country, which was overwhelming. Reynolds said God blessed him by sending George Awuni, a Ghanaian expert on food security issues.
Awuni spent two decades in Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture before receiving the 2013 Norman E. Borlaug International Agricultural Science and Technology Fellowship, which allowed him to come research at MSU. One of the farming methods Awuni recommended was planting crops on ridges, to prevent them from washing away during the rainy seasons. Ridge planting also reduces the need for excess soil preparation and enhances crop productivity. FOOD SECURITY, 2
Master of science program approved for 2018 by Lindsay Pace Contributing Writer
Mississippi State University will introduce a master of science program in Cyber Security and Operations in the fall semester of 2018. The program has been under development since 2015. David Dampier, a computer science professor at MSU, said the idea for the program became tangible after he was approached by naval officers from Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. The officers sought to earn a cyber security degree in-state. “The skeleton of the program began here,” said Dampier, “but we needed more resources.” Dampier said these resources followed quickly after the officers’ request. By April 2016, a grant was awarded for a cyber security program proposal, and by March 2017, the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees approved the degree program. Jason Keith, Dean of Bagley College of Engineering, said he expects the program to add exponential value to the university’s already remarkable reputation in cyber security. “Mississippi State University is at the forefront of cyber security research and education,” said Keith. “This degree underscores the commitment of the university to this highly important field.” Students from six different undergraduate disciplines may apply, including computer science, computer engineering and electrical engineering. MASTERʼS PROGRAM, 2
Weather
Reflections
Daniel Tripp, Campus Connect Forecaster
Roadrunners: running with a purpose by Josh Beck Contributing Writer
A
small group stands out among the Mississippi State University students scurrying to their next classes without pausing to appreciate the sights on a campus they have seen hundreds of times. This group absorbs every sight and sound of a typical day at MSU. They feel the slight breeze gently waving the magnificent American Flag at the center of the Drill Field. They eavesdrop on student’s conversations and slowly begin to imagine themselves on this campus in the future. At the front of the group is a MSU student, in a maroon polo, a Roadrunner. The Roadrunner walks the group of prospective students and their parents through the Drill Field explaining MSU’s history as an all-male university with strong military ties. The Roadrunner effortlessly answers questions from timid high school students and their inquisitive parents. The maroon clad tour guide is one of the first people a prospective student will meet at MSU, one who usually leaves a lasting memory. The Roadrunner organization was founded in 1979 and has been an integral part of the MSU recruitment process ever since. Their name originates from the many “road” trips student workers would take to nearby high schools to start the recruitment process for the next class of Bulldogs. Many students have crossed the Drill Field since the early days of recruitment, but the Roadrunners and Office of Admissions are still hard at work recruiting students from around the nation. The Roadrunners are the only non-paid student recruitment workers in the South Eastern Conference. They handwrite hundreds of
Rachel Bowman | The Reflector
Aalaap Desai, senior biological engineering student, leads a group of prospective students and their parents around Mississippi State Universityʼs campus on a sunny day.
postcards, in addition to their campus tours and road trips to the surrounding cities. Mackenzie Smith, a Roadrunner and junior from Tupelo, said she finds her reward for the job in sharing her passion for MSU to prospective students. “The most rewarding thing is giving tours and watching people fall in love with Mississippi State just as much as you do, and know that they want to come
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POP:60%
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here,” Smith said. Smith also gave recruitment credit to organizations such as the Student Association and MSU athletics, which provide many unique opportunities for prospective students. Smith said Bulldog Bash was a prime example of organizations providing prospective students with a inside look on college life, because it allowed them to tour the campus, experience
FORECAST: Expecting scattered showers midweek and much warmer temperatures. Reaching up into the mid 80s and dewpoints will be in the 60s making it feel muggy over the next few days.
a game at Davis Wade, and listen to some local bands downtown all in one weekend. Roadrunners pride themselves in not only providing informative tours around campus, but also in creating a family-like atmosphere for high school students. Roadrunners can provide insight about life at MSU that parents and school counselors cannot. Eric Wegener,
Roadrunner and junior chemical engineering major from Ridgeland, Mississippi, said he believes the Roadrunners are able to highlight the friendly atmosphere of MSU because Roadrunners are very close in the organization. “We are a family within a family,” Wegener said. “The greatest part is that there are people I would have never met had I not been a part of Roadrunners.” ROADRUNNER, 2
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