Recent Faculty and Staff Honors
MSU alumnus and faculty member Louise E. Davis was appointed to the State Early Childhood Advisory Council, a newly established council that meets requirements in the federal Head Start Reauthorization Act of 2007. Davis is an extension professor in child and family development in the School of Human Sciences and the MSU Extension Service. 06-24-2008
Amy Tuck, special assistant to MSU Interim President Vance H. Watson, has been appointed by George W. Bush to the President's Commission on White House Fellowships. She joins 14 other new members from around the U.S. in the 32-member bi-partisan group that selects young leaders for the prestigious federal program. 06-24-2008
Brent Fountain, assistant professor in the food science, nutrition and health promotion department, has been named the 2008 president of the Mississippi Dietetic Association, a professional organization of about 600 members. Fountain also is a human nutrition specialist with the MSU Extension Service. Only about 3 percent of the dietetics profession is male, a number that has been relatively constant for about a decade. 06-24-2008
Cathy Grace, director of MSU's Early Childhood Institute, has been named by Gov. Haley Barbour to the newly formed State Early Childhood Advisory Council. The group will advance the development of a coordinated state early childhood system, in keeping with the requirements of the federal Head Start Reauthorization Act of 2007. 06-10-2008
Mark Binkley, director of Academic Outreach and Continuing Education, is among four new members elected to the leadership and management group of the University Continuing Education Association, a Washington, D.C.-based organization representing public and private institutions, as well as nonprofit organizations. 05-28-2008
A reaccreditation effort led by school psychology program coordinator Anthony Doggett earned renewed full accreditation from the American Psychological Association. The program in the counseling and educational psychology department also is accredited by the National Association of School Psychologists.05-26-2008
Kirk Schulz, MSU vice president for research and economic development, is a new Fellow Member of the American Society for Engineering Education. Schulz also is a member of the ABET Inc.'s Engineering Accreditation Commission and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. 05-26-2008
Edward T. "Ted" Dobson, professor of mathematics and statistics, is receiving a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach and conduct research this fall in the Republic of Slovenia. A mathematician who came to MSU in 1998, Dobson will be focusing on algebraic graph theory studies while at the University of Primorska, located in the port city of Koper. 05-12-2008
Bethany Stich, public administration assistant professor, is now on the executive board of the Mississippi Heritage Trust. The organization seeks to preserve state prehistoric and historic cultural resources. With a membership of nearly 600, the trust works with the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and Mississippi Main Street Association to provide continuity for and awareness of local preservation efforts, among other responsibilities. 05-09-2008
Mary Alexander, who holds a doctorate in school administration, is now the permanent head of the university's Office of Diversity and Equity Programs. A career Air Force officer before entering higher education, she has more than 20 years' experience in personnel management and administration. In 2007, she was named the Black History Month Educator of the Year by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. 05-09-2008
David Boles, associate athletic director and director of MSU's student support and retention, is a new member of the Falilat Ogunkoya Sports Foundation's Board of Studies. He and colleagues from Africa, Europe and the United States will be working to promote the development of international track athletes. Now a resident of Albuquerque, N.M., Ogunkoya is a Nigerian native who attended MSU 1987-92, when she became the first female in school history to win an Olympic medal. 05-09-2008
The paintings of art professor Brent Funderburk will be featured in a May 2-31 one-person exhibition at the L. Ross Gallery in Memphis, Tenn. The works are among some of the largest the artist says he's attempted and represent subjects from his backyard, dreams, and "variations" of the works of influential artists and architects. 05-01-2008
Adrienne R. Minerick of chemical engineering was honored by the American Society for Engineering Education-Southeastern Section for her research and impact on students. The professional organization presented her its New Faculty Research Award. Minerick directs MSU's Medical Micro-Device Engineering Research Laboratory. 05-01-2008
Emplaincourt, Miller, Singleton, Moore
Faculty members Chris
Emplaincourt of mechanical engineering, Patrick Miller of art and Robert Moore of marketing, quantitative analysis and business law were recognized during recent ceremonies sponsored by the Alumni Association and the Provost's Office. Emplaincourt received the Jefcoat faculty Advising Excellence Award; Miller, the Undergraduate Teaching Award; and Moore, the John Grisham Master Teacher Award. Also recognized was staff member Rachel Singleton of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, the Jefcoat Staff Advising Excellence Award. 04-25-2008
Brenda Edgerton-Webster, assistant professor of communication, received a National Endowment for the Humanities award for summer studies at Harvard University. She will attend the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and American Research to further her research related to women who participated in Freedom Summer, a 1964 effort to register more blacks to vote. 04-25-2008
Dr. Masoud Rais-Rohani, professor of aerospace engineering, was named a Welliver Faculty Fellow by the Boeing Co. of Seattle, Washington. He is among 10 international researchers asked to review projects being planned by the company, the world's largest aerospace and defense corporation. He also will be given an opportunity to lead a project related to his research interests and Boeing's needs. Dr. Rais-Rohani's research focuses on composite structures, structural reliability and computational design. 04-10-2008
Dr. Ann Bailey, director of Housing and Residence Life, is one of 15 professionals who will serve on a national student gaming task force sponsored by the Harvard Medical School. The committee is charged with developing guidelines and recommendations to help combat problems associated with student gambling. Dr. Bailey's research in the area has been published in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators Journal and the College Student Affairs Journal. 04-10-2008
Psychology professor Thomas Carskadon and art instructor William Andrews are among winners in the first Best of MSU campus survey. Carskadon's general psychology course was chosen "best to take in the freshman year"; Andrews' art appreciation, "best to take during the senior year." The online poll of students, faculty and staff members was conducted by Student Affairs. 04-04-2008
A Mississippi State computer science and engineering professor will serve as an evaluator for a European research group. Ioana Banicescu is beginning a five-year term on the European Research Council's advanced research grant evaluation panel. She is a faculty member in the computer science and engineering department and a researcher at the university's Center for Computational Sciences. Since joining the MSU faculty in 1996, she has received a number of awards, including the National Science Foundation's Early Career and Information Technology Research awards. 04-04-2008
Lynne S. Arnault, a specialist in early childhood special education, recently received the Association of Teacher Educators' 2008 Distinguished Clinician of the Year Award at the organization's national meeting in New Orleans. The award recognizes education professionals with demonstrated histories of service to current teachers, pre-service teachers and others working with students in the kindergarten-12th grades. 04-04-2008
Stephen Middleton was elected to a five-year term on the National Association of African-American Studies and Affiliates' board of directors. A history professor and author, Middleton heads the university's academic program in African-American studies. 04-04-2008