Maroon MEMO: Employee News (Mississippi State University)

Daffodils bloom on the Mississippi State University campus as a student walks in front of McCarthy Gymnasium. Comfortable temperatures and sunny skies are becoming part of the springtime campus landscape. PHOTO: Ariell Fain | Public Affairs

MSU Libraries to showcase power of poetry with National Poetry Month events
Mississippi State University Libraries is hosting various activities throughout April in celebration of National Poetry Month. Starting April 1, students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to visit https://guides.library.msstate.edu/nationalpoetrymonth and view a fun, 15-minute presentation on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem “The Odyssey.” Salvador Bartera, an associate professor in MSU’s Department of Classical and Modern Languages and Literatures, prepared the lecture using the latest technology at Mitchell Memorial Library’s MaxxSouth Digital Media Center. To view his lecture, visit the aforementioned website, hover over the “How to Celebrate Poetry at MSU” tab and click on “Celebrate Poetry by Learning about Homer and The Odyssey.” Associate Dean Stephen Cunetto said MSU Libraries is looking forward to hosting “Bully’s Bards,” a monthlong exhibit showcasing poetic contributions of MSU faculty and alumni.

Explore ‘History of the Humanities’ with MSU Institute for the Humanities spring event Tuesday
A virtual event next week led by researchers specializing in the humanities spotlights the origin of this complex academic discipline as part of the College of Arts and Sciences Institute for the Humanities continuing series, “What are the Humanities?” The event features Paul Babinski, a Ph.D. candidate at Princeton University currently working with the European Qur’an Project at the University of Copenhagen, and Christian Flow, a 2019 Ph.D. graduate from Princeton University and current post-doctoral fellow with the University of Southern California Society of Fellows in the Humanities. Julia Osman, institute director and MSU associate professor of history, said that by exploring history, the “rich, vibrant and ever-changing nature of the humanities” will be highlighted.

College of Education partners with Scott County School District to tutor English Learners
Teacher candidates at Mississippi State are gaining practical experience working with English Learner (EL) students, thanks to a partnership with the Scott County School District. “Oftentimes, first-year teachers don’t have a lot of experience in teaching EL students, and that can become a struggle for both the teacher and the students,” explained Missy Hopper, a professor in MSU’s Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education who works alongside MSU assistant professors Kristin Javorsky and Kellie Fondren to facilitate the tutoring sessions. Teresa Jayroe, dean of MSU’s College of Education, along with Donna Shea, director of the Office of Clinical/Field-based Instruction, Licensure and Outreach, and Starsha Jamerson, director of MSU’s Mississippi Migrant Education Service Center, collaborated with SCSD’s Elementary Curriculum Director Regina Biggers to develop and implement the partnership.

#SBW21: Super Bulldog Weekend set for April 16-18
A Mississippi State spring homecoming tradition returns April 16-18 with the annual Super Bulldog Weekend on the MSU campus. Coach Chris Lemonis' No. 2 nationally ranked Diamond Dawgs will take on in-state rival Ole Miss at Dudy Noble Field for a three-game SEC series with game times at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday. Head football coach Mike Leach's 2021 Bulldogs will host the Maroon and White Game on Saturday, April 17, in Davis Wade Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. and admission is free. Television information will be announced in the near future.

Looking for a way to help? Give to the MSU Student Relief Fund
The Mississippi State University community continually exhibits a great sense of responsibility and caring for enrolled students that make the land-grant institution such a special place. The MSU Student Relief Fund, built with private gifts, helps those members of the student body affected with day-to-day crises or like now, the impact to their daily lives posed by COVID-19. The Dean of Students' Office assesses needs and administers the fund for acute crises that may impact students’ ability to succeed academically. The MSU Foundation accepts gifts year-round for the MSU Student Relief Fund. Contributions for this effort can be made online or by contacting the Annual Giving office at (662) 325-2466.

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.

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College of Education names interim associate deans, department head
Mississippi State’s College of Education is announcing two prominent faculty members as interim associate deans and one long-term educator as an interim department head. Dean Teresa Jayroe has appointed Daniel Gadke as interim associate dean of research and Kimberly Hall as interim associate dean of academics. She also has named Janice Nicholson interim head of the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education. “All three of our interims have a proven track record for success,” Jayroe said. “Their backgrounds in leadership, academics and research will be a huge asset to the college as it continues to grow.”

Burger, McConnell launching MSU Precision Conservation Tool
Two Mississippi State researchers and pioneers in the growing field of economically targeted conservation are showing farmers that making money off their land can be feasible even when the land isn’t producing. Wes Burger and Mark McConnell, MSU researchers in the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, are launching the MSU Precision Conservation Tool, a decision-making software that identifies precise locations where conservation practices are most economically beneficial to farmers on specific pieces of their land. Both scholars also are part of the university’s Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

NSF awards Li EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 4 grant
Like Li, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering in Mississippi State’s Bagley College of Engineering and also affiliated with the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems at Mississippi State, will receive nearly $170,000 from the National Science Foundation to help study the thermochemical reactions that occur during solar thermal energy storage. The grant is one of just 35 awarded nationwide as part of the NSF’s EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track 4 program. The 2-year project is titled “RII Track-4: Understanding Reaction-Transport Coupling in High-Temperature Thermochemical Energy Storage Systems.” “We will focus on understanding the fundamental science of these reactions,” Li said.

Friday deadline for Zacharias Distinguished Staff Award nominations
Staff Council needs your help nominating outstanding Mississippi State University employees for the Zacharias Distinguished Staff Award. Twelve winners will be presented with a plaque of recognition and a check for $1,000. Awards will be presented in a private ceremony with President Mark E. Keenum on a date to be determined, and publicly announced during the Virtual Staff Appreciation Day event scheduled for May 7 from 10 a.m. to noon. To be eligible for the award the nominee must be classified as a professional or support staff employee, be in good standing, work at least half-time, have a minimum of three years of service, have never been a recipient of the award, and meet the nomination criteria. The nomination deadline is Friday [April 2].

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