I want to begin by thanking everyone who attended or watched the spring general faculty meeting last week. I always appreciate this opportunity to share an update from the Division of Academic Affairs, and I enjoyed the university update from President Keenum, as well as updates from Dr. Jordan and Dr. Coble. It’s exciting and impressive to hear more about the incredible work our faculty, staff, and students are doing. We have so much to be proud of, and I know that I am extraordinarily proud to be a part of this great university. If you haven’t had a chance to watch the meeting, it’s available for viewing at https://vimeo.com/event/1739170/videos/667801810/

Black History Month Features Special Events

There are numerous events taking place on campus as our community observes Black History Month in February. Vice President Ra’Sheda Forbes, her Division of Access, Diversity and Inclusion team, and others around campus have created a meaningful lineup of lectures, discussions, and other activities. I’d encourage you to participate in this year’s special events. You can learn more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6489

Nominations Open for University Academic Advising Awards

Nominations for the 2022 University Academic Advising Awards — the Irvin Atly Jefcoat Excellence in Advising Awards, the Wes Ammon Outstanding New Staff Advisor Award, and the Foil-Wyatt Outstanding New Faculty Advisor Award — are now open. Nominations should be submitted to my office via email at nfultz@provost.msstate.edu by 5 p.m. on March 21. Guidelines, nomination forms, and criteria for each award are available at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2022/02/nominations-open-until-march-21-university-academic-advising-awards

Community-Engaged Learning Fellows Applications Available

Applications are now available for Mississippi State University's 2022-2023 Community-Engaged Learning (CEL) Fellows program. The CEL Fellows program supports instructional faculty and staff in integrating community-engaged learning into their formal or non-formal teaching. Sponsored by my office and the Center for Community-Engaged Learning, CEL Fellows learn community-engaged learning theory, course design, and pedagogy. Applications are due by February 25. Additional details and application information are online at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6482

Virtual Fulbright Information Session This Month

As a former participant in the U.S.-France International Education Administrators Program, I have seen first-hand the many benefits of the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. I would encourage anyone with an interest in pursuing a Fulbright opportunity to do so, and, in fact, you can learn more about Fulbright later this month. The Office of Prestigious External Scholarships invites the MSU community to an interactive group presentation on February 23 to learn about student opportunities for U.S. citizens to pursue graduate or professional study, conduct research, or teach English through the Fulbright program. Learn more and register at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6481

Center for Distance Education Hosting Community of Practice Sessions

COVID-19 has brought online teaching and learning into sharp focus for all of us. The Center for Distance Education is hosting three community of practice sessions this spring that will explore what it means to teach online and how to improve online teaching. New online faculty, established online faculty, and those who are thinking about teaching online are invited to participate. The first session takes place this Thursday [February 10] at 2 p.m. You can learn more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6491

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 Jan Chambers, William L. Giles Distinguished Professor and director of the Center for Environmental Health Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine, who has been named an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6473

* Kudos to Kathy Sherman-Morris, a professor in the Department of Geosciences, who is the new president of the National Weather Association. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6484

* Congratulations to Brandi Karisch, an associate Extension and research professor in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences and beef cattle specialist with the MSU Extension Service, who has been recognized by the Southern Section of the American Society of Animal Science for her service and research. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6488

* Kudos to Priya Basu, an assistant professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, who has been elected to serve as secretary and treasurer of the American Association of Professional Apiculturists. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6493

* Congratulations to Angela Robertson, a research professor and associate director at the Social Science Research Center, and Sheena Gardner, an assistant research professor, who have been awarded a $597,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice to examine the practices of the Mississippi juvenile justice system. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6474

* Kudos to Alex Bostic, as associate professor in the Department of Art, whose original art is being featured on a United States Postal Service stamp. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6463

* Congratulations to Angelle Tanner, an associate professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, who is part of a team of scientists landing a new telescope on the moon’s surface. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6464

* Kudos to Rubin Shmulsky, the Warren S. Thompson Professor of Wood Science and Technology and head of the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts, who has been named an International Academy of Wood Science Fellow. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6458

Final Words

The university’s COVID-19 Task Force continues to meet and monitor the current status of the pandemic. Fortunately, the case numbers continue to show signs of improvement. I’m hopeful that this encouraging trend will continue and that we will be able to take additional steps to return to more normal operations very soon. I appreciate everyone who is doing their part to keep our campus safe and healthy. Your questions and comments about COVID-19, or any other topic, 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.