As you may recall, we have had a number of task forces taking a look at issues, areas, and operations throughout the Division of Academic Affairs and the university since I started serving as provost in 2019. I appreciate the commitment of our task force chairs and members. Their work has led to changes and enhancements that have made us better. Most recently, the Faculty Development Task Force chaired by Wes Burger wrapped up its report, and I appreciate their focus on this important topic. I’d invite you to review their findings and recommendations at https://www.provost.msstate.edu/initiatives/task-forces.

Please Complete Campus Climate Survey

I want to thank everyone who has participated in the Campus Climate Survey that’s open to all students, faculty, and staff at https://www.msstate.edu/campusclimate. The survey is a valuable tool to help us better understand where we are as a university community, and it is essential that your voice is heard. The deadline to complete the survey is coming up on October 21, and if you haven’t already done so, I do hope you will consider taking part in this important endeavor.

Three Counseling Degree Programs Again Earn National Accreditation

I hope you’ve seen the great news from the College of Education about the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations. The master’s programs in clinical mental health counseling and school counseling, along with the doctoral program in counselor education and supervision, have again received national accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. I applaud Dean Terry Jayroe, Department Head Dan Gadke, and the faculty and staff who work so diligently to ensure outstanding instruction and student success in these programs. Well done! Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6813.

Cybersecurity Club Places Third in NSA Competition

I want to congratulate the MSU Cybersecurity Club members who recently competed in the Hack the Port 22: E.L.F. Edition competition sponsored by the NSA and held during the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity Executive Leadership Forum we co-hosted in July. Our students — Justin Pettiss, Zach Rayburn, Michael Shirah, Elwood Simpson, and David Wilson — came in third behind first-place Marquette and second-place Purdue. Congratulations to the team and faculty advisor Stephen Torri for this outstanding achievement! Read more at https://www.bagley.msstate.edu/news/mississippi-state-cybersecurity-club-places-third-in-national-security-agency-contest.

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:

* Kudos to Lori Ball, director of admissions and scholarships, who recently completed the U.S. Army Cadet Command’s 2022 Centers of Influence program. She was nominated “for her great influence in students’ lives” by MSU’s Army Reserve Officer Training Corps program. The national leadership and team training program concluded with a challenging 13,000-foot tandem skydive jump. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6816.

* Congratulations to Missy Hopper, a professor in the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education, who has been honored with a named dissertation fellowship for her years of service, devotion, and commitment to Phi Kappa Phi. The Missy Hopper Dissertation Fellowship is worth $10,000 and one of 15 awards the honor society gives annually to active members who are doctoral candidates completing their dissertations. Dr. Hopper currently serves on the society’s board of directors. Read more https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6826.

* Kudos to David Buys, MSU Extension state health specialist and an associate professor in the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion, and the PROMISE Initiative team, who were recently recognized with the National Innovative Programs and Projects Partnership Award from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6832

* Congratulations to Saddiq Dzukogi, an assistant professor in the Department of English, who is one of three nominees selected for a shortlist of finalists to receive the 2022 Nigeria Prize for Literature for his poetry — “Your Crib, My Qibla” (University of Nebraska Press, 2021) — written in tribute to his late daughter. The book has also been nominated for the Derek Walcott Poetry Prize, an award presented annually for a full-length book of poems published in the previous year by a living poet who is not a U.S. citizen. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6812.

* Kudos to Joe MacGown, the Mississippi Entomological Museum’s ant curator, whose artwork is featured on the cover of a recent issue of Science Advances, the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s open access multidisciplinary journal. He is part of a team creating a groundbreaking map of global ant biodiversity to better understand where and how ants live and function and where stronger conservation policies and programs may be needed to protect them. Read more about their work at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6805.

* Congratulations to Farshid Vahedifard, a professor in the Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who is the 2022 recipient of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Norman Medal for his technical paper, “Levee Fragility Behavior under Projected Future Flooding in a Warming Climate.” Established in 1872, the prestigious Norman Medal is the highest honor granted by the ASCE for a technical paper that makes a significant contribution to practical or research aspects of the engineering discipline. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6814.

* Kudos to Ted Dickel, as assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, who has been awarded an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) funding award to advance his research on the magnetic properties of iron and cobalt — two key elements utilized in modern technologies and steel production. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=6806.

Final Words

As always, I welcome your questions, suggestions, comments, and concerns 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.