I hope everyone enjoyed the break for the holidays and that your spring semester is off to a great start. We’ve had a busy few days since the first day of class last week and that includes many special events and programs for Dr. Martin Luther King Day this past Monday [Jan. 20]. Kudos to Vice President Ra’Sheda Forbes and the Access, Opportunity and Success team for their efforts to expand and broaden community involvement this year.

Join Us for the Spring General Faculty Meeting

This month’s letter will be brief because I’m planning a more detailed update from the Division of Academic Affairs at the spring general faculty meeting coming up Monday [Jan. 27] at 2 p.m. in Colvard Student Union’s Foster Ballroom U. I hope our faculty will be on hand for this opportunity to hear from President Mark Keenum, Vice President for Research and Economic Development Julie Jordan, and Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Keith Coble. Interested members of the campus community are also welcome to attend.

Ford to Lead Bagley College of Engineering as New Dean

As we returned from the winter holidays, we were very pleased and excited to announce a new dean for the Bagley College of Engineering. David Ford, who currently serves as dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Central Michigan University, will be joining us later this spring. We had outstanding candidates and finalists for this essential leadership role, and I’m confident Dr. Ford has the experience and vision needed to take Bagley to even greater heights. I appreciate College of Business Dean Scott Grawe for leading this successful search and the many contributions of the search committee. I also can’t say enough about the exemplary leadership Interim Dean Robert Green has provided — thank you, Robert!

Breazeale to Serve as University Ombuds

In addition to our Bagley news, we were pleased to officially announce last week that Mike Breazeale is taking on the role of university ombuds. Before joining academia, Dr. Breazeale had a successful career in the private sector, and he’s continued to build upon this success here at MSU in the College of Business. I believe Mike will be a trusted source of objective information for anyone who turns to him for assistance. My thanks to all who worked to reestablish the ombuds position and to those of you who provided ideas and suggestions during the process.

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 Amy Dapper, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, who is MSU’s first recipient of the prestigious Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the highest U.S. government award for early-career scientists and engineers. The PECASE honors individuals who show exceptional promise in leadership and research. Well done, Dr. Dapper! Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2025/01/dapper-makes-history-first-msu-faculty-member-receive-prestigious.

* Kudos to all involved in the highly successful Mississippi Cyber Initiative and the recent partnership celebration for the new Mississippi Cyber and Technology Center. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7932.

* Congratulations to Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt, who has been awarded the 2025 Founders Award by the National Association for Campus Activities, which is the organization’s highest honor. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7928.

* Kudos to Eric Moyen, assistant vice president for student success and a professor in the College of Education, whose new book – “College Sports: A History” – with co-author John Thelin is receiving great reviews. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2025/01/msu-professor-recounts-history-american-college-sports-latest-coauthored.

* Kudos to the Department of Communication’s Assistant Clinical Professor Jesse Wade, who recently received a Meritorious Achievement in Scenic Design award from the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, and to Assistant Professor Tonya Hays, who was honored with the Tom Behm Award from the Southeastern Theatre Conference this past fall. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=7931.

* Congratulations to Rebecca Robichaux-Davis, a professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Leadership and former two-term president of the Robert Holland Faculty Senate, who has been named assistant dean of the College of Education. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2025/01/msus-college-education-announces-robichaux-davis-assistant-dean.

Final Words

I look forward to seeing many of you at the spring general faculty meeting next week. As always, thank you for reading this month’s letter. Your comments, questions, suggestions, 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.