President Mark E. Keenum presents a cowbell to former head football coach Sylvester Croom during MSU’s Black Alumni Weekend 2024 earlier this month. Croom, the first African American head football coach in the Southeastern Conference and at MSU, was honored with the Johnie Cooks Legacy Award. Coaching the Bulldogs for five seasons, Croom was named the SEC Coach of the Year in 2007. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022. Black Alumni Weekend included four days of special events to bring multiple generations of Bulldogs back to campus. PHOTO: Grace Cockrell | Public Affairs
Office of Public Affairs’ Matthews gains Accreditation in Public Relations credential
Longtime Mississippi State Office of Public Affairs staff member Allison Matthews has gained a national credential recognizing her as a leader and mentor in the field of public relations. Matthews, who has worked as news editor for 13 years, successfully completed a rigorous process to earn the Accredited in Public Relations, or APR, credential. Earning the APR involves a two-part process designed to measure advanced knowledge, skills and abilities across a spectrum of competencies. The professional development program is administered by the Universal Accreditation Board and affiliated with the Public Relations Society of America. Matthews is a Starkville native and MSU alumna with a bachelor’s degree in communication/journalism.
Lyceum Series brings classical, hip-hop ballet group and TV stars to MSU Thursday
Mississippi State’s 76th season of the Lyceum Series continues with a performance from the Hiplet Ballerinas, a 2021 “America’s Got Talent” contestant fusing classical ballet pointe technique with various dance styles like hip-hop. Created by Homer Hans Bryant to make ballet accessible to all, the group performs these dance styles to music genres such as African, Latin, hip-hop and urban. The professional ballet company performs Thursday [Feb. 29] at 7 p.m. in Lee Hall’s historic Bettersworth Auditorium. The show is free for MSU students, and the general public can purchase tickets at www.union.msstate.edu/student-activities/lyceum/tickets. Individual tickets are $30 per person and $25 for MSU employees and senior citizens.
Partnership with Mississippi Museum of Art offers substantial benefits for students and faculty
Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Museum of Art are working together to advance innovation and education in the arts, investing in the future of students, the Magnolia State and its citizens. MSU leaders gathered with MMA Board of Trustees members recently to discuss an ongoing partnership, which includes expanded educational opportunities and programming innovations, along with free museum access for all the university’s students with a valid student ID.
Critz Campbell, professor and head of MSU’s Department of Art, said the collegiate partnership not only grants MSU students free admission but also empowers MSU faculty to expand learning and research beyond the classroom, providing them access to MMA archives and educational resources. Campbell also serves as an MMA trustee.
University joins attorney general's One Pill Can Kill initiative, educating students on dangers of fentanyl
Attorney General Lynn Fitch last week announced Mississippi State has joined the One Pill Can Kill initiative, her public awareness campaign to educate, support and empower Mississippians with information on the dangers of fentanyl, how to identify it, and what to do if a student or friend is overdosing. The One Pill Can Kill initiative is one half of a two-prong approach to fighting fentanyl. As part of the initiative, the Attorney General’s Office is distributing 22,000 Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kits to colleges and universities, law enforcement centers, community mental health centers, and other community groups. In addition, General Fitch established the AGO Fentanyl Strike Force, a concerted effort to train and organize law enforcement officers and prosecutors across the state to safely and effectively investigate and prosecute fentanyl cases.
Basu working to understand disease threatening pollinators, specialty crops
Tiny but mighty, the humble honeybee carries the weight of the world’s enormous agricultural system on its delicate wings. However, the bacterium Melissococcus plutonius, commonly known as the causative agent for the European foulbrood disease, or EFB, threatens the lives of these industrious insects and health of the crops they pollinate -- most notably blueberries. Priyadarshini “Priya” Chakrabarti Basu, assistant professor in Mississippi State’s Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, is investigating the causes of and proposing solutions to mitigate EFB’s spread and impacts.
Campus Services launches Bulldog First Impressions contest
Campus Services at Mississippi State has launched the first Bulldog First Impressions contest, which seeks ideas for campus improvement projects. Current MSU students, faculty and staff members may draft written proposals or create short videos outlining campus refresh, redesign or remodeling projects for public spaces and common areas. Entries will be reviewed by Campus Services and judged on their overall impact to the MSU community. The winning submitter will receive up to $25,000 to complete their project. Proposals are due April 1.
Race in America lecture tackles inequities in women’s sports in March
Mississippi State University’s interdisciplinary lecture series -- Race in America -- this spring spotlights the expectations and inequities women face in the field of sports. Michelle J. Manno, a former collegiate athlete and current interim chief diversity officer at Northwestern University, will discuss their new book, “Denied: Women, Sports, and the Contradiction of Identity,” a 2023 NYU Press publication. “Dr. Manno’s talk will explore the behind-the-scenes realities faced by women athletes and how these athletes navigate expectations placed on them that often contradict their own ability to be successful at their sport. This talk will appeal to a wide audience given how central sports is in our society,” said event chair Maggie Hagerman, an MSU associate professor of sociology and affiliated faculty member in MSU’s African American Studies program.
MSU, Jackson State to host inaugural Mississippi High Performance Computing Conference
Mississippi is one of the leading states in the country when it comes to high performance computing resources and for the first time, a statewide meeting will bring together the researchers, faculty and students that lead the state forward in supercomputing. Registration is now open for the inaugural Mississippi High Performance Computing Conference, hosted by Mississippi State University and Jackson State University, taking place March 26 and 27 in Jackson. Mississippi boasts seven supercomputing systems that rank among the top 500 most powerful in the world, with two housed at MSU.
University commemorates Black History Month with numerous special events
Mississippi State is celebrating Black History Month throughout February. A number of activities and events, sponsored by the university’s Holmes Cultural Diversity Center, Division of Access, Opportunity and Success, and other campus units, feature music, art, history, virtual reality experiences and more.
MSU Athlete Engineering Summit returns April 16-17 with focus on building a human performance culture
Mississippi State’s annual Athlete Engineering Summit returns this April to discuss human performance issues in sports, industry, military and medical applications through interactive learning sessions, networking and more. The summit, themed “Building a Human Performance Culture,” will be held April 16 and 17 at The Mill at MSU Conference Center. Reuben Burch, associate vice president for research and head of MSU’s multidisciplinary Athlete Engineering research group, said equipping practitioners with the tools for problem solving and culture building is important.
Breakfast Club in MSU Research Park expands hours, begins serving breakfast buffet
The Breakfast Club, located in Mississippi State University’s Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, is expanding its hours of operation and adding a breakfast buffet. The restaurant’s new hours for breakfast and lunch, as of Feb. 12, are: Monday-Friday: Breakfast served from 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m., and lunch served from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday: Breakfast only, served from 8 a.m.-11 a.m. Sunday: Breakfast served from 8 a.m.-1 p.m., lunch from 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The Breakfast Club is housed in the café space within the Business Incubator building, located at 60 Technology Boulevard.
Reminder: University policy addresses employee political activity
With qualifying and campaigning for elected offices underway this year, Mississippi State's Office of General Counsel offers the following reminder of the university’s policy on political activities. There are several basic guidelines that university employees should keep in mind when engaging in any form of political activity. MSU employees are encouraged to review OP 01.14: Political Activities in its entirety and to understand their rights and responsibilities.
Smoke-free policy enhances healthy environment
Mississippi State University is a smoke-free campus. Official policy prohibits the use of any combustible or vapor products anywhere on campus property including university buildings, university grounds, university vehicles, parking areas and sidewalks. The smoke-free campus policy is part of the university's commitment to creating a healthy environment for all members of the campus community. Use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, pipes, hookah or other similar devices are prohibited by this policy. The complete policy is available at www.policies.msstate.edu/policy/91301.
The Office of Public Affairs provides Maroon MEMO as a general information
resource for Mississippi State University employees.
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