Stephen Kachelman is the personification of the successful town-and-gown relationship between Mississippi State and Starkville—and how both the university and community give back to each other in many ways.

As Starkville’s associate city engineer, he is part of an award-winning team recognized for its pavement-management program. As an MSU graduate student studying civil engineering, he also leads an undergraduate class preparing up-and-coming Bulldogs with real-world examples and insight from his professional work.

“I remember being in their seats,” he said. “I think about what I would have wanted to know sitting there as an undergraduate and everything I’ve learned since then—that’s what I’m trying to show them.”

Kachelman’s love for MSU and Starkville was cemented early on. The people the Killen, Alabama native met touring campus and the community before deciding on college made him feel like he fit in, he said, but his first semester as an undergraduate truly made him fall in love with being a Bulldog.

“My first year was 2014—the year we were No. 1 in the country in football. I couldn’t have asked for a better freshman experience. I absolutely fell in love with this place and knew I wanted to stay here,” he said. “Coming to MSU was so important to my life. Not only did getting an MSU degree launch my career, but I also met my wife at State. When we got married and talked about what we wanted to do, there was just no other place we wanted to live.”

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 2018 and working with private firms, Kachelman joined the City of Starkville in 2022. This year, he was named associate city engineer as Starkville received the 2026 Award for Excellence in Pavement Preservation from the International Slurry Surfacing Association and the 2026 Past Presidents’ Award for Emulsion Excellence from the Asphalt Emulsion Manufacturers Association.

“Most communities take paving year by year, and they’re always trying to keep their heads above water. A few years ago, we took a step back and really put more effort into making long-term, data-driven decisions,” he said. “The return on investment is so much better, which is important to us being good stewards of taxpayer money. We’re getting more bang for our buck.

“This is the best job I’ve ever had. I get to work on streets, build sidewalks, improve lighting and plant trees. I can ride by developments and know I played a part in them getting off the ground. These decisions the city makes are important because they impact people by bettering our community,” Kachelman added. “My experience at MSU—from education and research to implementation—there’s no better in the country. I’m using all the lessons I learned in my job now, and I hope I can give back the same way to my own students.”