| Monday, June 1, 2015 |
| Mississippi State President Mark Keenum elected vice president of SEC | |
 | Mississippi State President Mark Keenum was elected vice president of the Southeastern Conference by the league's presidents and chancellors on Friday in Destin, Florida. Keenum will serve a one year term, succeeding Arkansas Chancellor G. David Gearhart. Gearhart is retiring in July. Keenum's election places him in line for the lead to be president in 2016. "I look forward to helping tell the story of the academic successes of so many of our students, the talents of our faculty, and the outstanding research under way at the universities in our great conference," Keenum said. |
| Mississippi State's Keenum elected vice president of the Southeastern Conference | |
 | Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum has been elected vice president of the Southeastern Conference by his fellow presidents/chancellors. In his capacity as vice president, Keenum will serve as liaison to SEC-U, the conference's academic arm, where he will work to promote the academic achievements of students, faculty and staff members throughout the 14-member conference. Keenum, who since 2009 has served as MSU's 19th president, will continue to serve on the SEC's seven-member executive committee. Keenum also will remain on the SEC's Content Committee. |
| Mississippi State's Keenum elected vice president of SEC | |
 | Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum was elected vice president of the Southeastern Conference by his fellow presidents/chancellors Friday at the league's summer meetings in Destin, Fla. Election to the office puts Keenum in the line of succession to lead the SEC as president in 2016. The last MSU chief executive to serve as the SEC's president was the late MSU President Donald Zacharias in 1989. |
| Mississippi State's Keenum elected VP of Southeastern Conference | |
 | Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum has been elected vice president of the Southeastern Conference by his fellow presidents/chancellors. The action was taken Friday at the SEC's summer meeting in Destin, Fla. "I am honored to be chosen to serve in a leadership position and to help direct policy in the most prestigious athletic conference in the nation," said Keenum. "I appreciate the support of my colleagues in the conference during this exciting time in the history of the SEC." Earlier this year, Keenum was appointed as the SEC's representative to the College Football Playoff's (CFP) Board of Managers. The CFP Board of Managers is the governing board of CFP Administration, LLC, the company that manages the administrative operations of the College Football Playoff system. |
| Interim Keith taking over as Mississippi State engineering school's dean | |
 | Jason Keith, Mississippi State University Bagley College of Engineering interim dean, will lead his department on a full-time basis beginning June 1, the university announced Friday. After assuming the interim role in March 2014, he was the top applicant yielded by a national search process. The state College Board is expected to approve his selection next month. "I am confident that Dr. Keith will be an outstanding leader for the Bagley College of Engineering," said Jerome Gilbert, MSU provost and executive vice president, in a release. "He has proven skills and a well-articulated vision to lead the college into the future." |
| Engineering educator Keith officially named dean of Mississippi State's Bagley College | |
| A nationally recognized leader in engineering education, research and service will lead the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. Jason M. Keith, who has served as interim leader and Earnest W. and Mary Ann Deavenport Jr. chair since March 2014, will assume the duties of dean June 1. Keith was chosen after an extensive national search and interview process. The selection will be officially approved in the June meeting of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees. During the interview process, Keith outlined a vision for the college that would attract top students, faculty and staff, and increase external visibility while providing a supportive working and learning environment. |
| Keith Lands Permanent Dean Post At Mississippi State's Bagley College Of Engineering | |
 | A nationally recognized leader in engineering education, research and service will lead the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. Jason M. Keith, who has served as interim leader and Earnest W. and Mary Ann Deavenport Jr. chair since March 2014, will assume the duties of dean June 1. Keith said one of the keys to success is to further increase interdisciplinary cooperation, both between engineering departments and research centers and other colleges at Mississippi State University. He would also like to increase external support for undergraduate scholarships, graduate assistantships, faculty and supplemental programs in the college. "We have some of the best alumni in the nation," Keith explained. |
| Keith named dean at Mississippi State's College of Engineering | |
 | Jason M. Keith has been named as the new leader of the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. Keith was chosen after a national search and interview process. The selection awaits official approval at the June meeting of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees. |
| Boeing selects Mississippi State for new research center | |
| One of the world's leading aerospace companies has selected Mississippi State University to host its Stitched Resin Infused Composite Research Center. The Boeing Company plans to relocate its stitched resin infused technology efforts to MSU's Raspet Flight Research Laboratory. The center will facilitate and promote research in the field of aerospace composite structures leveraging resin infusion and stitching technology. On Thursday, U.S. Sens. Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker and Gov. Phil Bryant jointly announced Boeing's decision. "Once again, I could not be more proud of the outstanding researchers we have at Mississippi State," said President Mark E. Keenum. The Federal Aviation Administration earlier this month selected MSU to lead a new National Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. |
| More than war: Drones can help predict paths of hurricanes | |
 | The word drone conjures up different images than it used to: Now we envision small, silent planes swarming a Middle Eastern desert, bringing deadly precision to war. But that's far from their only use. Drones have been used to stop elephant poaching in Mali, find earthquake victims in Nepal and China, and locate people trapped in Houston floodwaters. Most significantly for South Mississippi, though, drones are now being used to gather data inside hurricanes to help better predict their path and formation. The drones aren't replacing the Hurricane Hunters, but rather acting as more as an extension, said Robert Moorhead, director of the Geosystems Research Institute at Mississippi State University and the Stennis Space Center-based Northern Gulf Institute. |
| State's 'Big 4' row crops post record yields in 2014 | |
| Mother Nature may deserve most of the credit, but management decisions by some "boots on the ground" also contributed to Mississippi's record yields in cotton, soybeans, corn and rice in 2014. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released the official cotton yield averages, placing Mississippi fields at an all-time high of 1,232 pounds per acre. Cotton joins other 2014 crops with records, including soybeans at 52 bushels per acre, corn at 185 bushels per acre and rice at 7,420 pounds per acre. Brian Williams, assistant professor of agricultural economics for the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the state's farmers have enjoyed near-perfect growing conditions the last several years. The results have been consecutive record or near-record yields. |
| Rain puts farmers behind: Flooding delays planting for some, forces others to replant | |
 | Crops were flooded again after a rainy week across Northeast Mississippi, setting planting back for area farmers yet again and forcing some to replant when the rain clears. The wet spring and start to summer, Plantersville farmer Jim Long said, have delayed him from planting crops and working in the fields as expected. As June approaches, the possibility of losing crop yields grows for Long, who said yields start to decrease on soybeans around mid-June, if not earlier. Charlie Stokes, MSU Extension agronomy agent, said the most problematic crop for farmers with the rain this year will be soybeans. "Soybeans can't take a lot of cool, wet weather," he said. "It's safe to say a few thousand acres will need to be replanted." |
| Mississippi to open first early college program | |
| Mississippi will offer its own early college program for the first time in August when the Golden Triangle Early College High School opens on the campus of East Mississippi Community College with 62 students. Nearby Mississippi State University will partner with the school to contribute research to the program. Modeled after the North Carolina schools, Golden Triangle in Mayhew will serve students in four counties. The school will be funded through the same law that funds all public schools in the state, the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. Students who attend early colleges are more likely to finish high school, according to a study by the American Institutes for Research. Students are also more likely to graduate with at least some college credit. |
| TVA seeks input on transmission project in Oktibbeha County | |
| The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking the public for input about upgrades to its transmission system in Oktibbeha County. TVA is proposing construction of seven miles of transmission line from its Starkville-Sturgis 161-kilovolt transmission line to 4-County Electric Power Association's new Bluefield substation southwest of Starkville. The line would be built on steel pole structures on a 100-foot right of way. Several alternate line routes are under consideration. Public input is encouraged, beginning with an open house from 3-7 p.m. on June 11 at the TVA Customer Service Center Auditorium at 310 Research Blvd. in Starkville. |
| CAFB looks to reverse perception of base as 'bottom-tier' | |
| Col. John Nichols, Commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing of the Columbus Air Force Base, spoke to the Exchange Club Thursday about changing the perception of the base as a "bottom-tier" base, among other things. This perception stemmed from an article published in the Air Force Times in July 2014, that ranked the air force bases in order of best to worst for airmen. CAFB was tied for second to last out of 68 bases on the list. Nichols pointed out that nine of the 12 criteria used to determine these ratings were unrelated to the base itself. Of the three metrics that were base-specific (commissary size, base exchange size, and size of on-base health care facilities), Nichols assured the Exchange Club that the base was on target for its size and capacity. |
| B.B. King comes home | |
| B.B. King first left the Delta looking for a better life than the one that was provided as a sharecropper making $2.50 a month. He was laid to rest Saturday as King of the Blues. His hearse slowly traveled down a road bearing his name Saturday morning, ending at Bell Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Indianola where his friend of more than 70 years, David Mathews. preached for 64 years. The small sanctuary in King's adopted hometown of was filled to the brim as hundreds of family, friends and state dignitaries showed up to pay their final respects to the man whose left hand forever changed blues music. "Hands that once picked cotton would someday pick guitar strings on a national and international stage. Amazing," the Rev. Herron Wilson said. |
| Hurricane Hunters recall Katrina: 'This is a really big, powerful storm' | |
| Maj. Sean Cross flew the first mission through Hurricane Katrina, flying into its eye five times when it was still a Category 1 storm far from landfall. He spent the next two days telling disbelieving family, friends and neighbors that the storm would soon strengthen significantly. "I told [my girlfriend] 'Look, the Coast is about to change forever. This is a really big, powerful storm,'" he said. He was right. Cross and two other current and former members of the Hurricane Hunters -- officially, the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron -- recalled their experiences surrounding Hurricane Katrina during a Sunday presentation to several dozen attendees. |
| 10 Years Since Katrina: A Look Back At The Busiest Hurricane Season | |
 | Ten years ago, the U.S. experienced its busiest hurricane season ever recorded. The year saw 28 named storms -- 15 of them hurricanes -- including Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the Gulf Coast. Four major hurricanes hit the U.S. in 2005, beginning in July with Hurricane Dennis. Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, says "2005, no doubt about it, was off the charts, above average activity overall and unusual." He says warm water in the Atlantic and low wind shear were two of the factors that made it such an active season. For most Americans, the 2005 hurricane season is memorable for one storm in particular: Hurricane Katrina. Katrina slammed Louisiana and Mississippi when it came ashore on Aug. 29. |
| 1st District campaign enters home stretch | |
| Leadership. That's what Republican Trent Kelly said sets him apart in the race for Mississippi's First Congressional District representative, and that's what he said his constituency would see from him in Washington. Kelly said he believes his experience will help him navigate the politically divided ranks of Capitol Hill and adequately represent the best interests of north Mississippi citizens. "No. 1 is leadership. Not leadership from a book but actual leadership," Kelly said. "Both as a district attorney and as a colonel in the National Guard, with most of the decisions we face, 'No' is not an option. You have an objective, and then you figure out how to achieve that objective by using...the things you have available to you. I think that's a good skill to have." Kelly, 46, of Saltillo, placed second on May 12 in a 13-man, non-partisan special election to replace the late Congressman Alan Nunnelee, moving on to Tuesday's run-off with Walter Zinn, a Democrat. |
| Kelly works to keep backers from taking win for granted | |
| As Trent Kelly listened to the governor of Mississippi praise his professional and personal accomplishments, the Saltillo resident was humbled. Kelly won't hesitate to tell you the spotlight isn't where he likes to put himself, so having the leader of his home state tell a packed room of people that he's the right person to represent north Mississippi in Washington, D.C., was anything but ordinary. But those types of events -- and being in the spotlight -- have become more common for Kelly since he decided in late February to throw his hat in the ring for the 1st District congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. It took some adjusting at first, but as Kelly began traveling throughout the 22 counties in the 1st District, his decision to run was quickly reaffirmed. |
| Zinn, corps of volunteers hope to pull a major upset | |
| The dozen or so people at the Lafayette County Civic Center just west of town on Tommie Collie Jane Road are spread out at separate tables in the spacious but non-descript open room. The voices blend. One woman can be heard on her cellphone saying, "If he gets elected you will not be sorry. I know I won't." "He has a fighting chance," another says. Don Mason, an Iowa native, who retired in Oxford from the post of associate director of the National Center for Justice and the Rule of Law, part of the University of Mississippi Law School, asks "How many in your household do you think will vote?" Mason isn't just being nosy. |
| U.S. Senate taking a new approach to problem-solving, Wicker says at Delta Council | |
 | The wheels of government turn slowly it's been said, and they seem to have been turning even more slowly than usual in recent years. But that's beginning to change in at least one chamber of the Congress, one of its members says. "I hope people are beginning to notice there has been some important progress lately in the chamber where I serve," says Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, who became one of a long line of members of the U.S. Senate to address the annual meeting of the Delta Council in Cleveland, Miss., on Friday. "The Senate, I would submit to you, is different this year," he said. "We're taking more votes; we're moving more legislation; we're actually reaching across the aisle Congressman Bowen (a Democrat who represented north Mississippi in Congress for many years and was a platform guest at the Delta Council meeting). And we're getting things done." |
| Bryant lets suffrage bills stand without signature | |
| In his first term, Gov. Phil Bryant has allowed eight bills to become law without his signature. All have been suffrage bills. Mississippians convicted of certain felonies lose the right to vote. Those who lose their vote have to be pardoned by the governor or go to the Legislature, where it takes a two-thirds majority to restore a person's suffrage. The Mississippi Constitution lists 21 crimes that take away a convict's right to vote: arson, armed robbery, bigamy, bribery, embezzlement, extortion, felony bad check, felony shoplifting, forgery, larceny, murder, obtaining money or goods under false pretense, perjury, rape, receiving stolen property, robbery, theft, timber larceny, unlawful taking of a motor vehicle, statutory rape and carjacking. |
| Sun sets on some NSA surveillance powers as Rand Paul foils extension | |
 | The legal authority for several national security programs expired at midnight Sunday and will not be renewed for at least two days, after Senate Republicans leaders were unable to maneuver around Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a presidential candidate who followed through on a pledge to block an extension of the law. The Senate closed a rare Sunday session without approving the only legislation that would have averted a lapse in the authority -- a House-passed bill that would provide for an orderly transition away from the most controversial program authorized under the current law: the National Security Agency's bulk collection of call records from telephone companies. |
| U.S. Manufacturing Continues to Expand, PMI Report Says | |
 | The U.S. manufacturing expansion continued to roll along in May, according to a survey released Monday by the Institute for Supply Management. In a positive sign for Friday's employment report, the survey's hiring category returned to expansion. The ISM's manufacturing purchasing managers index increased to 52.8 last month after holding at 51.5 in March and April. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected the May PMI to edge up to 51.8. Any reading over 50 indicates expansion. Of the 18 industries in the ISM survey, 14 reported growth in May. However, the ISM survey also showed mixed results in its subcategories. |
| Louisiana isn't the only state debating its film tax credit program, according to Pew Trusts | |
 | The Louisiana Legislature is considering restrictions on its high-profile film tax credit program, but it wasn't the only state considering putting limitations in place this year, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts. The Alaska Legislature killed its film tax credit program last month. Massachusetts and Michigan also considering dumping their film tax credits, according to Pew. There was a push to get rid of them in Maryland as well. Film tax credits help lure high-profile motion picture, television and reality show productions to states like Louisiana, but several studies show (excluding those sponsored by the industry direction) the tax credits don't necessarily provide an large economic return on the investment. |
| U. of Tennessee's record $1B building plan transforming campus | |
 | Massive construction cranes and steel frames dot the University of Tennessee landscape as a record $1 billion makeover is transforming the look and feel of its campus. About one-fourth of the university's footprint is under construction as decades-old landmarks are demolished and others renovated to create new classrooms and research labs, a variety of residential and community spaces and parking areas. "It's unprecedented," says Dave Irvin, UT associate vice chancellor for facilities services. "UT has never had this much construction, and very few places are doing what the university is doing right now." Improved facilities and infrastructure are important facets of the university's goal to become a Top 25 public research institution --- a challenge given five years ago by then-Gov. Phil Bredesen and embraced by Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and the board of trustees. |
| 20K+ plan to use Tennessee Promise at community, tech colleges | |
 | More than 20,000 Tennessee Promise students plan to use the scholarship to attend a community or technical college in the fall, according to data released Friday. The data, which were pulled from the students' applications for federal financial aid, paint the clearest picture yet of the scholarship program's potential impact during its first year. More than 58,000 high school seniors initially applied for the last-dollar scholarship that covers tuition at Tennessee's community and technical colleges. More than 31,500 of those students have filed the Free Applications for Federal Student Aid and are still eligible for Tennessee Promise. Officials analyzed that FAFSA information and found more than 9,400 of the eligible students named a four-year university as their first choice for higher education, signaling that they were keeping Tennessee Promise as a Plan B. |
| U. of Kentucky's Gatton College renegotiates BB&T donation agreement, eliminates Ayn Rand requirement | |
 | The University of Kentucky's Gatton College of Business and Economics has wrapped up a 10-year, $2.5 million donation from BB&T that will result in a new program on capitalism and funding toward the college's $65 million renovation. But Gatton officials stepped back from the more controversial aspects of the original 2004 agreement, including a requirement for an Ayn Rand reading room, named for the novelist and free market philosopher. "I thought it (the original agreement) was slanted a bit too much toward Ayn Rand," said Gatton Dean David Blackwell, who negotiated a new deal with BB&T. "I'm a fan, but there are lots of other philosophers to study for the moral foundations of capitalism. She wasn't even a very good philosopher." |
| U. of Kentucky opens new feed mill in Woodford County | |
| A new feed mill, designed to produce high-quality feed in a user-friendly environment, has been opened at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's C. Oran Little Research Center in Woodford County. The former mill was destroyed by fire in May 2013. "This state-of-the-art feed center greatly enhances our feed-mixing capabilities and will improve our nutritional research efforts through more precise blending of diets to targeted nutrient levels," said Richard Coffey, chair of the UK Department of Animal and Food Sciences. |
| Collegiate Ag Programs Take Modern Turn | |
 | "Sent from my iPhone while driving a tractor." That was the signature line on Isaac Davis' email. Davis is a freshman plant and soil science major at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. The 19-year-old Honors College student is minoring in crop consulting, one of ASU's newer agriculture degree programs. When he is not in school, he farms outside of Oil Trough. He's one of the coming generation of young people studying new and evolving technologies as they relate to agriculture. Among his elective courses are those in Agricultural Spatial Technologies (GIS and GPS). The degree Davis earns won't be his grandfather's college sheepskin. |
| Law To Boost Pilot Programs for Ag Schools in Arkansas | |
| Specialized agriculture education in Arkansas will soon not be solely the purview of higher education. A measure approved in this year's legislative session will create a pilot program for "agriculture schools" in the state. State senator and farmer Gary Stubblefield, of Branch, sponsored the legislation. It calls for schools K-12 to "promote college and career readiness for a wide variety of careers in agriculture." Though few details of how the schools will operate have been developed, the law calls for a seven-member board of directors, appointed by the governor, to oversee the pilot program. Each school will feature a seven-member advisory board that includes representatives of the local agriculture community, higher education and the state departments of Agriculture, Career Education and Education. |
| U. of Florida engineers best hundreds of teams in bridge-building contest | |
 | A team of Gators have added yet another national title to the University of Florida's trophy haul. The school is now the home of the best steel bridge builders in the country, maybe even the world. The group of civil engineering students who make up the UF steel bridge team took first place in the National Student Steel Bridge Competition against 208 teams from the United States, Canada, Mexico and China. Team leader Justin Rayl, 22, said UF was the only university to win two of the six categories. It won in lightness and efficiency, which is factored into the overall score. |
| Business school's economics program phasing out at U. of Florida | |
 | After years of negotiating between administrators at the University of Florida, it looks the economics department at the Warrington College of Business Administration is finally being phased out. The Department of Economics has moved to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. A plan was presented Thursday to a committee of the Board of Trustees that would terminate its undergraduate degree program in economics still offered by the business college, merging it with the similar one offered by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "This will improve the student experience by homogenizing students' degree requirements and should lead to more transparency and higher quality academic advising at the department level," according to a report presented to the committee. |
| Texas A&M police report offers little insight into Aggie's public suicide by cyanide ingestion | |
 | In his final waking moments, Christian Taylor frantically waved down a fellow Aggie and asked her to call for help. The 20-year-old Texas A&M biochemistry senior with a passion for poetry told the stranger that he had just swallowed cyanide. He then collapsed near Ruddder Fountain as two other students rushed to his aide. "He poisoned himself with cyanide he said," the woman told the 911 operator as male voices in the background encouraged Taylor to "breathe, come on!" A five-month police investigation into Taylor's death, which St. Joseph hospital doctors classified as suicide by cyanide ingestion, followed. Obtained by The Eagle through a Texas Freedom of Information request, the 59-page Texas A&M University police report does not reach a conclusion about what caused Taylor to publicly take his life. |
| Wisconsin Lawmakers Take Aim at Tenure and Shared Governance | |
 | Faculty members at the University of Wisconsin were disheartened on Friday after a state legislative committee approved proposals that would limit the faculty's role in shared governance and eliminate laws protecting tenure. The proposed changes, which some see as an attack on academic freedom, came from the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, which is working to finalize the state budget. Both chambers will still have to approve the budget before it goes to the governor, who could alter the document further with his line-item veto power. The university system's president and Board of Regents have promised to adopt new tenure protections in the university's policies. But some faculty members have lost trust in the system's leaders, whom they blame for leading a misguided attempt to free the system from many state regulations as a "public authority." |
| New college graduates: How well prepared to be global problem-solvers? | |
 | Kevin Lyman has a shiny new degree in computer and systems engineering. But instead of tossing a cap during Saturday's commencement ceremony at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, N.Y., he was busy relocating a company that he started with fellow students to Mountain View, Calif. The business, Resumazing, uses artificial intelligence to knock down a hurdle for job seekers: Often the skills for doing a job well aren't the same as the skills needed for landing a job. This tool will a help great engineer or a talented artist tailor her resume for particular jobs she's pursuing. While higher education has long sought to boost study abroad and promote cross-cultural understanding, an "emerging trend is a focus less on knowledge acquisition and more on applied and integrative skill development ...in real-world settings," says Debra Humphreys, vice president for policy and public engagement at the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AAC&U) in Washington. |
| Most Colleges Weigh Student Discipline Records in Admissions | |
 | In a little-known practice that could harm students' chances of getting into the college of their choice, the vast majority of colleges and universities use disciplinary records to help determine whether to accept or reject a student's application, according to a new study. The study, released on Friday, was conducted by the Center for Community Alternatives, a New York-based organization that advocates on behalf of students who've had prior court involvement. It found that roughly 3 out of 4 colleges and universities collect high school disciplinary information, and that 89 percent of those institutions use the information to make admission decisions. The study, titled "Education Suspended: The Use of High School Disciplinary Records in College Admissions," also found that half of all high schools disclose such information to colleges, even though they are not required to do so. |
| Survey examines higher education backgrounds of leaders worldwide | |
 | Politicians and plenty of parents throughout the world regularly urge students to think practically, and to focus on degrees in technology or business. And colleges and universities around the world are being pressured to focus on disciplines outside the liberal arts and sciences. But a survey being released today suggests that leaders of a range of organizations internationally (including the United States) are most likely to have a degree in the social sciences, with 44 percent of leaders holding such a credential. And with another 11 percent reporting that they studied the humanities, a solid majority of 55 percent have degrees in traditional liberal arts fields. (And that doesn't count smaller numbers who studied liberal arts majors in the physical and biological sciences.) The study was conducted by the British Council and is being released in London at Going Global, the council's annual international education meeting. |
| Beyond Publish or Perish, Academic Papers Look to Make a Splash | |
 | Each July, many of the top economists in the world gather in Cambridge, Mass., at a conference hosted by the National Bureau of Economic Research. While the work they present comes in all shapes and sizes, from the highly technical to the trendy and provocative, the coveted first day of a key weeklong session is given over to research that will make a media splash. "I choose the papers," said David Card, a prominent labor economist at the University of California, Berkeley. "I choose papers that are going to be written up" in the mainstream press. Professor Card explained that the elders of the field recognized the growing importance of media visibility, and he felt obliged to give it to them. "It's what the people want," he said. In the days since revelations first appeared that a Ph.D. candidate at U.C.L.A. may have misrepresented data in a study about gay-marriage advocacy many social scientists have observed that their disciplines, which once regarded the ability to attract attention with suspicion, increasingly reward it. |
| Carnegie Mellon Reels After Uber Lures Away Researchers | |
| Carnegie Mellon University is scrambling to recover after Uber Technologies Inc. poached 40 of its researchers and scientists earlier this year, a raid that left one of the world's top robotics research institutions in a crisis. In February, Carnegie Mellon and Uber trumpeted a strategic partnership in which the school would "work closely" with the ride-hailing service to develop driverless-car technology. Behind the scenes, the tie-up was more combative than collaborative. Uber envisions autonomous cars that could someday replace its tens of thousands of contract drivers. With virtually no in-house capability, the San Francisco company went to the one place with enough talent to build a team instantly: Carnegie Mellon's National Robotics Engineering Center, or NREC. Flush with cash after raising more than $5 billion from investors, Uber offered some scientists bonuses of hundreds of thousands of dollars and a doubling of salaries to staff the company's new tech center in Pittsburgh, according to one researcher at NREC. |
| MARTY WISEMAN (OPINION): The Pew survey on religion: the church and politics | |
 | Marty Wiseman, professor emeritus of political science and public administration and director emeritus of the the Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development at Mississippi State, writes: "Time was when it was rare that folks would dare engage in partisan political discussions within the confines of a Christian church. Certainly the advice offered by many a wise sage to avoid discussion of politics or religion with friends was especially observed in the Lord's house. The fact that the mythical wall that had long been erected between religious and secular society in the public sphere may have been breached in an ominous way as has become increasingly evident based on the findings of a recent study of the status of American religion by the Pew Research Center." |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): Politicians are right to question Oxford House | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Paul Molloy was a drunk working on Capitol Hill. He ended up in a psych ward, then a county-run halfway house. When the county closed the house, Molloy and fellow residents sought to keep it open. They agreed to share rent, require residents to be sober, and make decisions by majority vote. The model worked. Sober and back working on Capitol Hill, Molloy got the chance to tell President Ronald Reagan his story. That led to a federal law requiring states to establish revolving loan funds to help establish 'sober living homes.' Molloy's model -- now known as Oxford House -- has expanded to 45 states, including Mississippi. Things were going smoothly in Mississippi -- 13 houses opened since 2013 with support from the Mississippi Department of Mental Health -- until last month when an Oxford House opened on Northside Drive in Jackson. That's when concerned residents contacted Republican state Sen. Will Longwitz." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Delta Council sees 80 years of change, progress | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "The 80th Annual Meeting of the Delta Council on May 29 on the campus of Delta State University presented a tableau of modern Mississippi that will likely never make network television or the national newspapers. The scene at once evokes images of two Mississippis -- one from our past and another of our present and our future. For the uninitiated, Delta Council is an area economic development organization representing the eighteen Delta and part-Delta counties of Northwest Mississippi. Supported by dues paying members and by the counties it serves, Delta Council since 1935 has remained one of Mississippi's most influential organizations. Despite a growing interest in precision agriculture, emerging technologies, and other boons to the region's economic development, the organization's focus really hasn't changed much. At the annual meeting, all of the root issues of Delta Council remain at the top of the organization's list. For 80 years, the group has been true to the principles that brought its members together." |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs to share in record revenue from SEC | |
| How much does the SEC Network mean to Mississippi State and the other 13 schools in the Southeastern Conference? It paved the way for a record-setting year in revenue, one that will end with MSU and each member institution receiving a check for $31.2 million. That number represents a dramatic increase from 2013-14, when the league set the previous record by hauling in $22.1 million per school. Outgoing SEC commissioner Mike Slive announced Friday, the final day of the SEC meetings in Destin, Florida, that the league generated $455.8 million this year, money that will be divided among the 14 teams. That includes $436.8 million dispersed from the league office, and $19 million earned by the 11 SEC football teams that reached bowl games. |
| SEC schools to receive $31.2 million from record revenue | |
| The Southeastern Conference generated an NCAA-record in revenue in the 2014-15 fiscal year. That success will be passed on to Mississippi State, Ole Miss and the 12 other SEC schools. Commissioner Mike Slive announced Friday that approximately $455.8 million will be divided among the 14 institutions within the league. The total includes $436.8 million distributed from the conference office, as well as $19 million of revenue retained by institutions that participated in 2014-15 bowl games. It all equals to a payout of $31.2 million to each school. |
| Mississippi State's Price moves from small town to big stage | |
| Everything about Rhianwedd Price is calculated. Price, a sophomore distance runner for Mississippi State's track and field team, works out at the same time each day. She runs the same distance every time. She wears the same color socks for each race. She has a well-rehearsed plan of attack in each race, and knows when to be patient, when to attack, and when to make her move. So how did someone as collected and organized as Price make the most important decision of her life? Blindly, of course. As a senior in high school in Llandrindod Wells, a small town in central Wales in the United Kingdom, Price was a standout in club races. Her success led to an important phone call from MSU assistant coach and distance specialist Houston Franks. |
| State's SEC track teams living in fast lane | |
| Both Mississippi State and Ole Miss will take a record number of athletes to the NCAA outdoor track championships next week in Eugene, Ore. The state's SEC teams had huge weekends at the East Preliminary meet in Jacksonville, Fla. MSU qualified 15 athletes, with senior Erica Bougard headed to Eugene to compete in three events -- the heptathlon, 100-meter hurdles and high jump. Fellow senior Ebony Brinker, from Pontotoc, qualified in the triple jump with a school-record effort (41-11.5). Brandon McBride, defending national champion in the 800, also advanced. "The way we performed this weekend shows how far this program has come," MSU head coach Steve Dudley said. "Oregon was the goal and many athletes achieved it." |
| Mississippi State's search for 2016 football opponent down to one team | |
| Scott Stricklin has narrowed the search for a football opponent in 2016 to one school, the Mississippi State athletic director told the Clarion-Ledger on Saturday. Stricklin wouldn't provide specific details surrounding the opponent or the location, but he is optimistic a contract will be agreed upon. "We've got one that I feel pretty good about," Stricklin said. "We don't have the contract done yet. I don't want to say anything about it, but everything seems to be proceeding." Stricklin wouldn't comment on whether the negotiations included a series of games. The need for an opponent came about after Tulane canceled its matchup with MSU two weeks ago. The game was scheduled for Sept. 24, 2016 in Starkville. Mississippi State received $350,000 for Tulane backing out of the agreement. |
| Schaefer building on success at Mississippi State | |
| There is no question that the excitement level surrounding Mississippi State women's basketball is at an all-time high. Not only did the Bulldogs enjoy one of their most successful seasons, it also set new benchmarks for attendance as well. MSU finished the year with a school-best 67,598 fans during the season. The Bulldogs also set the school single-game attendance record with 7,326 fans in its home finale against Ole Miss -- the most fans to ever witness a women's basketball game in Mississippi. "I've been really proud of what we've been able to build," MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said during a recent appearance in Tupelo. "Not just the program and players with the quality of our basketball but also with the excitement of our fans. I think we have that many fans because they appreciate how our kids play." |
| Mississippi State's McDonald, Peng tabbed All-Americans | |
| Another year of success for the Mississippi State women's golf team has equated into more accolades for standouts Ally McDonald and Jessica Peng. Both were recognized Friday by the Women's Golf Coaches Association as McDonald was tabbed second-team All-American, while Peng received honorable mention honors. Earlier this month, they were named to the All-SEC teams. "Ally and Jessica have been great representatives for Mississippi State both on and off the course, and for them to be recognized as All-Americans is a testament to the hard work they have given the game of golf," said MSU coach Ginger Brown-Lemm, whose team finished 2014-15 ranked No. 16. |
| Ole Miss will be fined $250K next time fans storm the field | |
| The next time Ole Miss fans storm the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, it will cost the school a quarter of a million dollars. The Southeastern Conference announced new -- and much harsher -- field-storming rules on Friday at the league's annual spring meetings. Per the new policy, first-time field storming offenders will be slapped with a $50,000 fine. Schools will pay $100,000 for a second offense and $250,000 for third-time and any other subsequent offenses. Ole Miss had to write a $50,000 check to the SEC after its fans stormed the field after the Rebels beat then-No. 3 Alabama last October. Schools don't get a blank slate with the new rules, so the Rebels would have to fork over the full $250,000 if it happens again. |
| Texas A&M's Kyle Field renovations remain ahead of schedule despite rains | |
| Mother Nature might have to throw something a little stronger than one month of heavy rainfall at Texas A&M University's Kyle Field if she wants to slow down construction crews. Even though the flooding has caused more than $1 million in damage across the Brazos Valley and briefly shut down streets in College Station, the $485 million renovation project remains ahead of schedule and even made serious progress on the West side within the last week. A&M System Chancellor John Sharp chalks up the success to more than 800 Manhattan-Vaughn Construction workers who carried on through the rains. "Despite the weather challenges, because of our construction partners, we remain on schedule," Sharp said. |
| Alleva on NCAA moving LSU baseball's game to Monday: 'Frankly, it's a ridiculous decision' | |
 | They'll play Monday -- and LSU isn't happy about it. LSU's Baton Rouge regional title game against UNC-Wilmington will start at noon Monday and will be televised on the SEC Network. An if-necessary game will begin at 7 p.m. if the Tigers lose. The NCAA made the decision to postpone the championship game late Sunday night -- a ruling that had LSU athletic director Joe Alleva livid at the athletic association. The announcement came at about 9 p.m. as the elimination game between Tulane and UNC-Wilmington was winding down. "Frankly, it's a ridiculous decision," he said. "A terrible decision by the NCAA. Period." LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri declined comment Sunday night, and Alleva said, "He's not real happy." |
| Saban's daughter celebrates wedding at Bryant-Denny | |
 | If you thought a wedding cake depicting Nick Saban on an elephant while hoisting a Crystal football was as "Roll Tide" as a wedding could get, chances are you have not heard about the celebration that took place at Bryant-Denny Stadium over the weekend. After Saban's daughter, Kristen, married fellow Alabama graduate Adam Setas on Saturday night, the childhood sweethearts headed to Bryant-Denny Stadium for their reception. Even though the celebration did not include the real Saban climbing aboard an elephant with one of the three Crystal footballs the Tide have won under his watch, the night did feature the newlyweds going for a spin in a Rolls-Royce on the field at Bryant-Denny. And there were fireworks, too. |
| JOHN CLAY (OPINION): Five things we learned from SEC meetings | |
| The Lexington Herald-Leader's John Clay writes: "Five things we learned from last week's SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Fla., where the principals did more than surf and hang-glide. They actually made some news. ...1. The SEC is really the Big Bucks League. 2. With more power, comes more responsibility. 3. Basketball attendance numbers up. 4. If you make us do it, we'll do it. 5. Bye-bye Mike Slive." |
| CECIL HURT (OPINION): How far will SEC push transfer rule? | |
 | The Tuscaloosa News' Cecil Hurt writes: "The SEC, to general acclaim, closed its annual meeting in Destin, Fla., with a headline-grabbing move to legislate morality on Friday. Technically, the official close was the apportionment of a record amount of money, close to a half-billion dollars split among the 14 league members. That's so much money that the league may be asked to join FIFA in the future. But prior to that, the league presidents passed a rule that will attempt to impose a uniform set of rules on which players can transfer into its member institutions." |
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