It’s been another busy summer here on campus with classes, camps, countless Orientation sessions, and a number of major construction projects continuing through the heat and humidity. All of these activities are setting the stage for the start of a new academic year in just about four weeks, and I am looking forward to the first day of class on August 21^st – and some cooler weather too! Here is an update from the Division of Academic Affairs.

Search Committee for Bagley College Dean in Place

We announced the members of our search committee for the next dean of the Bagley College of Engineering last week [July 15]. I appreciate the members for their willingness to serve, as well as College of Business dean Scott Grawe for his leadership as search committee chair. Our 17 members are Randy Cleveland, BCoE Dean’s Advisory Council; Leslie Corey, Human Resources Management (ex officio, non-voting); Bennett Evans, MSU Foundation; Julie Jessop, Swalm School of Chemical Engineering; Tonya McCall, CAVS Extension; Mike McDaniel, BCoE Dean’s Advisory Council; Jean Mohammadi-Aragh, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Robert Moorhead, Geosystems Research Institute; Shreyas Narsipur, Department of Aerospace Engineering; Andy Perkins, Department of Computer Science and Engineering; Lauren Priddy, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Matthew Priddy, Hall School of Mechanical Engineering; Rani Sullivan, Department of Aerospace Engineering; Annamarie Thompson, BCoE Student Ambassadors; Wenmeng Tian, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; and Jun Wang, Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I look forward to sharing more information with you as this very important search moves forward in the coming days. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2024/07/search-committee-place-msu-bagley-college-engineering-dean.

Interprofessional Simulation Program Granted Provisional Accreditation

Momentum continues to build with our health sciences initiative, and it was great to see the Society for Simulation in Healthcare Accreditation Council grant provisional accreditation to MSU-Meridian’s Interprofessional Simulation Program. It will be put to use this fall by our Master of Physician Assistant Studies and Master of Science in Nursing students. It features six clinical exam rooms, six medical surgical rooms, computer learning stations, a proctor area for facilitator observation and five prebriefing and debriefing rooms with recording and reviewing capabilities. We are the only university in the state to offer an accredited simulation program, and we are on track for full accreditation in Spring 2026. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2024/07/interprofessional-simulation-program-granted-provisional-accreditation-set.

Phi Theta Kappa’s Transfer Honor Roll Honors MSU – Again!

We want our campus to be a warm and welcoming place for all kinds of students, and that certainly includes transfers. It was very gratifying to see Phi Theta Kappa recognize us once again with its Transfer Honor Roll designation. I applaud Associate Vice President for Enrollment John Dickerson and our Office of Admissions and Scholarships team for their efforts to ensure the transfer process is as smooth as possible for our students. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7647.

Digital Admissions Portal Wins Global Slate Icon Award

I also want to congratulate the Admissions & Scholarships marketing and recruiting team, along with Information Technology Services, for creating a new and now an award-winning student portal. It provides a central stop where students can find everything once they have been admitted — admission letters, scholarship letters, financial aid notifications, and more. Their work was recognized with a Slate Icon Award for Best External (Student/Alumni) Portal at the Slate Summit in June. Well done! Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7674.

New Faculty Teaching Academy a Great Opportunity

I hope any of you with new faculty joining us this fall will encourage them to participate in our New Faculty Teaching Academy. This asynchronous online training opportunity will run from July 22-Aug. 12 and is tailored for faculty members with zero to three years of teaching experience. The course is divided into three weekly modules, each focusing on crucial aspects of effective teaching in higher education. Upon successful completion of all assignments, participants will be awarded the New Faculty Teaching Academy badge, recognizing dedication to continual improvement of teaching skills. Additionally, these achievements will be recognized at the annual Teacher Appreciation Luncheon in May. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/events/2024/05/new-faculty-teaching-academy-online.

Kudos and Congratulations

Every month, I look forward to sharing faculty and staff success stories with you, and here are a few that have crossed my desk recently:

* Congratulations to Kayla Carr, professor and director of the accelerated Master of Science in Nursing program at MSU-Meridian, who has been named a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7649.

* Kudos to Alex Thomasson, professor and head of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, who has been named a fellow of the International Academy of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7652.

* Congratulations to Cory Gallo, a professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture as well as assistant dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and assistant director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, who has been to the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Council of Fellows. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7628.

* Kudos to Ed Swan, a professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, who has been inducted into the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Visualization and Graphics Technical Committee’s Virtual Reality Academy. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7630.

* Congratulations to Renee Matich, an instructor in the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion and dietetic program coordinator, who has been honored with the 2024 Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Outstanding Dietetics Educator of the Year-Dietetic Internship Award. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7631.

* Kudos to Angelle Tanner, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, who is serving as science-PI on the $19.5 million Landolt NASA Space Mission that will put an artificial star in orbit around the Earth. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7629.

* Congratulations to Stephen Cunetto on the occasion of his retirement as MSU Libraries associate dean. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2024/07/student-worker-associate-dean-cunettos-career-msu-libraries-spans-more.

* Kudos to Cory Bailey, director of enrollment, retention and outreach for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, who has been appointed as the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling’s chair for the organization’s 2026 annual conference, with a term starting officially in April 2025.

* And welcome to their new roles as department heads: Lara Dodds in English and Jeff Winger in Physics and Astronomy. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7645 and https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7654.

Final Words

Thank you for reading this month’s letter. As always, your thoughts, suggestions, questions, and concerns are welcome at david.shaw@msstate.edu.

Hail State!

David

Dr. David R. Shaw is Provost and Executive Vice President at Mississippi State University. His email address is david.shaw@msstate.edu.