Points of Pride
Teaching
The head of MSU's department of agricultural and biological engineering is a Fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. Dr. William Batchelor was among 15 inducted recently by the organization for accomplishments in teaching, research and administration. It is the group's highest honor.
Mississippi State's Professional Golf Management program, is the second oldest program sanctioned by the Professional Golfers' Association of America.
The Shackouls Honors College draws regional and national attention because of its size and structure. Although the college includes more than 1,000 students, honors classes typically are limited to no more than 20 students. Students receive individualized instruction from faculty members who challenge them to explore their potential.
Mississippi State has one of the largest cooperative education programs in the Southeast, with more than 500 students enrolled. The program is a charter member of the Accreditation Council for Cooperative Education. More than 10,000 students have participated in the program since the inception in 1955.
An award-winning classical guitarist and Mississippi State faculty member is a 2007-08 Fulbright Scholar. Michael Patilla, an assistant professor of music, taught guitar over a four-month period at the National Autonomous University in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, the capital city of the Central American republic. While there, he also reviewed submissions by native composers for a published edition of the music and a later compact disc recording.
Mississippi State University moves up four spots among the "100 Best Values in Public Colleges" in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine. The list recognizes institutions that are "noteworthy for their combination of top-flight academics and affordable costs." Now listed at 83rd, the 130-year-old, land-grant university is the only Mississippi institution included in a feature story in the personal finance magazine's December 2008 issue.
Dr. Lynne S. Arnault received the Association of Teacher Educators' 2008 Distinguished Clinician of the Year Award at the organization's national meeting in New Orleans. Arnault is a special education professor. 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.
Teri Brandenburg, an assistant professor in the department of instructional systems, leadership and workforce development, was selected for a statewide award. Brandenburg was the Mississippi Business Education Association's 2007 Outstanding Senior College/University Educator of the Year.
The Wood Magic Science Fair is an exciting and innovative program aimed specifically at elementary school students. Sponsored by the College of Forest Resources and the forest products department, Wood Magic illustrates the values and uses of one of the Magnolia State's most abundant natural resources. In 2008, the fair hosted more than 3,000 fourth-graders and their teachers.
Mississippi State's education programs have continuously received accreditation since 1961. Accreditation by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education ensures the university's programs meet the highest professional standards.
Mississippi State's undergraduate landscape architecture program is tied for second in the nation by deans and chairs in landscape architecture for 2009 in a national publication's annual survey of architecture and design schools. DesignIntelligence, a bi-monthly publication, ranked MSU 14th nationally, according to design firms, among 54 schools in its 2008 edition of "America's Best Architecture and Design Schools."The University Florist is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Mississippi State is among only a very few U.S. universities offering degrees in floristry retail management. While a full-service commercial enterprise, the florist primarily serves as a hands-on instructional laboratory for department of plant and soil sciences majors seeking the specialized training.
