Archives
June 2019
The best job on campus
As vice president for research and economic development, I often tell people that I have the best job on campus. I say that because almost every week I learn something new and exciting about what our students, faculty, and staff are doing in the classroom. Or in a lab, studio, or on stage. Or out in the community. It's extraordinary to consider all of the remarkable scholarship, discovery, exploration, teaching, and learning taking place every single day at Mississippi State University.
David Shaw currently serves as vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State. Starting July 1, he will begin a new role as the university's provost and executive vice president.
Looking forward, I believe I will continue to have the best job on campus when I begin serving as your provost and executive vice president in a few weeks. While my title and role are changing, the people of this outstanding institution remain the same. It's all of you -- the students, faculty, and staff -- who mean so much to Mississippi State University and who mean so much to me.
I thank all of you who have offered congratulations and encouragement the past few days. I also want to thank the good folks in the Office of Research and Economic Development for their hard work and for their dedication to MSU. It's been a great honor to lead this outstanding team of professionals the past nine years.
As always, thank you very much for taking the time to read this month's letter. I look forward to sharing many more with you, and I welcome your comments at drs4@msstate.edu.
May 2019
Thank you for your contributions to research and economic development
We have concluded another outstanding academic year here at Mississippi State, and I'd like to say "thank you" to all of you for your contributions to the university's research enterprise and economic development initiatives.
As many of you know, after nearly three decades of service at MSU, Sandy Williamson, our executive director of research fiscal affairs, is retiring in June. I can't say enough about the remarkable impact Sandy has had as our research programs have grown so significantly over the past decade -- a time period that has also seen an increasingly competitive funding environment. Throughout these uncertain and often challenging times, she has been a steady leader and a true friend. Sandy -- we thank you and wish you the best as you begin this exciting new chapter in your life.
We will also welcome a familiar face as our new executive director of research fiscal affairs. Brandy Akers, who currently serves as director of business operations for the High Performance Computing Collaboratory, will step into this position in the next few weeks. She brings a keen understanding of research funding and administration, and we look forward to her joining the Office of Research and Economic Development team.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
New Giles Distinguished Professors
Congratulations to our newest William L. Giles Distinguished Professors: Mohsen Razzaghi and Merrill Warkentin. Dr. Razzaghi is professor and head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and Dr. Warkentin is the James J. Rouse Endowed Professor of Information Systems in the College of Business. Both have outstanding records of research, teaching, and service, and are most deserving of this honor. Learn more about the Giles Distinguished Professors at https://www.giles.msstate.edu.
Applications sought for SEC visiting faculty travel grants
Let me encourage you to think about applying for the SEC Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program. We will be awarding 10 grants this year of $1,000 each for transportation, room, board, etc., to use for travel to another SEC campus. Assistant, associate and full professors are eligible. The application deadline is June 28, and you can find additional information about it at https://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/news.php?id=6225 or contact Assistant Vice President for Research Teresa Gammill at tgammill@research.msstate.edu with questions.
CDC seeks poliovirus information
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. National Authority for Containment of Poliovirus are asking research centers and institutes across the country to complete a survey in support of a national inventory of materials that potentially contain poliovirus. The Office of Research Compliance has reached out to principal investigators about completing this survey, and I'd encourage you to complete it by the June 3rd deadline. If you have any questions, please contact Trent Peacock, the university's biosafety officer, at tp1230@msstate.edu or (662) 325-0620. Additional information is available at https://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/news.php?id=6227.
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:
* Congratulations to Trey Breckenridge, the director of the High Performance Computing Collaboratory, who has been named a "Top in Tech" leader by the Mississippi Business Journal.
* Kudos to Adele Crudden, professor and interim head of the Department of Sociology, who has been named 2019 Social Worker of the Year by the Mississippi chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2019/04/msu-professor-named-mississippi-s-social-worker-year.
* Congratulations to the winners of the President's Commission on the Status of Women's annual awards: LaShan Simpson, Outstanding Faculty Award; Leah Beasley, Outstanding Staff Award; Morgan Green, Outstanding Graduate Student Award; Shelby Baldwin and Katelyn Jackson, Student Leadership Awards. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2019/04/msu-president-s-commission-status-women-holds-annual-awards-ceremony.
* Kudos to Just Cebrian, associate director of the Northern Gulf Institute, whose research is featured in the prestigious journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2019/04/nature-ecology-evolution-publishes-msu-study-marine-exotic-species.
* Welcome to Daniel Barnard, the new executive director of the MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2019/04/daniel-barnard-becomes-new-executive-director-msu-riley-center.
Final words
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's letter. Please feel free to contact me at dshaw@research.msstate.edu if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns.
Congratulations to all of our new graduates and Hail State!
April 2019
Celebrating faculty, staff, student research success
On March 29th, we joined together with the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine to celebrate Mississippi State's outstanding faculty, staff, and student researchers during the annual research awards banquet at the Hunter Henry Center. It is a highlight of the year for me, and one that I look forward to every spring. This year, we honored Steve Demarais with the Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award, the university's highest honor for research achievement. Dr. Demarais is most deserving of this recognition, which is a memorial to Dr. Powe, an MSU alumnus and longtime research vice president.
We were pleased that President Mark Keenum and more than 200 honorees and guests could join us for this special event. Thanks very much to Carmen Kelly, Elizabeth Nicholson, and Lynn Taylor for putting it all together. Read more about Dr. Demarais and all of our award winners at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2019/04/mississippi-state-celebrates-research-success-annual-banquet or take a look at the banquet program created by Heather Rowe in the Office of Public Affairs at http://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/awards.php.
Applications sought for Academic Leadership Program
The Office of Research and Economic Development and the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President will be leading a newly restructured Academic Leadership Program in the upcoming 2019-2020 academic year for faculty who aspire to be administrators. This program has been very successful in the past, and many of its graduates have gone on to become outstanding leaders on our campus. The changes we are making to the program will make it even better and more effective. For additional information, please see https://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/news.php?id=6197.
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:
* Congratulations to Raja Reddy, a research professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, who is Mississippi State's 2019 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award winner. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=5012.
* Kudos to all who have worked so hard to gain a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa at Mississippi State and to those students who were inducted into this prestigious academic honor society last week. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2019/04/phi-beta-kappa-society-installs-gamma-mississippi-chapter-msu.
* Congratulations to Darrin Dodds, the new head of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=5008.
* Kudos to Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt for being elected a regional leader of NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=5010.
* Congratulations to Yang Zhao, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, who has been awarded a $123,937 grant by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association Foundation for his research proposal, "Evaluation of Welfare, Behavior, and Health as Affected by Growth Rate of Broiler Chickens."
* Kudos to Catherine Pierce, an associate professor in the Department of English, who has been awarded a $25,000 Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4988.
* Congratulations to Rachel Allison, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, who has been awarded a $15,000 scholarship from the Federation Internationale de Football Association to study the atmosphere and community of women's soccer fans. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4989.
* Kudos to Kathy Sherman-Morris, an associate professor in the Department of Geosciences and director of Geoscience Distance Learning Programs, who has been recognized both regionally and nationally by the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. She received the 2019 UPCEA Excellence in Teaching Award in March and the 2018 UPCEA South Region Continuing Education Faculty Award (Credit) last fall. Read more at https://upcea.edu/upcea-announces-2019-association-award-recipients and http://conferences.upcea.edu/SUPER18/South-awardsrecipients.html.
* Congratulations to all of this year's Diversity Award winners: Elizabeth Englebreston, Tyler Daniel, Karina Zelaya, and the Society for African American Studies. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=5014.
Final words
Thank you very much for taking the time to read this month's letter. Please feel free to contact me at dshaw@research.msstate.edu if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns about any of our research and economic development activities or visit https://www.research.msstate.edu.
March 2019
National Science Foundation program officers visiting campus
I hope that each one of you is having a great Spring Break this week and a productive semester. Although many of you are away from campus for a few days, I'd still like to give you a brief update from the Office of Research and Economic Development.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
Are you part of The Conversation?
Last summer, Mississippi State joined The Conversation -- a terrific online platform where the nation's leading universities and scholars can share their research success stories and showcase faculty expertise on important issues of the day. Since July, we've had 18 articles published on The Conversation's website, and they've generated 1,040,544 reads and counting. Additionally, a number of the articles have been picked up by media outlets here in the state and around the country too, including PBS, CNBC, Newsweek, Marketwatch, Business Insider, Houston Chronicle, Science Alert, The Sun Herald, among others. If you haven't seen them, they're online at https://theconversation.com/institutions/mississippi-state-university and if you're interested in writing for The Conversation, I'd encourage you to contact Allison Matthews at amatthews@opa.msstate.edu or Harriet Laird at hlaird@opa.msstate.edu in the Office of Public Affairs for details.
Federal program officers visiting campus
As the research funding environment becomes more competitive, relationships with federal agency program officers are essential. Faculty, as well as graduates students and post-docs, will have the opportunity to hear from two National Science Foundation program officers next week. Cesar Nufio, the program director for the Division of Environmental Biology in the Directorate for Biological Sciences, and Dena Smith, the program director for the Division of Earth Sciences in the Directorate of Geosciences, will provide an overview of funding opportunities on March 21 at 11 a.m. in Colvard Student Union's Fowlkes Auditorium. During their visit to campus, they also will be available for one-on-one sessions for faculty to pitch a proposal idea and receive immediate feedback. Please contact Lynn Taylor at ltaylor@research.msstate.edu or 662-325-3168 to schedule an appointment. They will also have a presentation for graduate students and post-docs at 2 p.m. in Room 329 in the Union. I invite you to learn more about the two seminars at https://www.research.msstate.edu/seminars.
Parisi taking leave of absence to lend expertise to Italian government
Congratulations to Mimmo Parisi, who is taking a year-long, unpaid leave of absence from the university to serve as director of an Italian government agency charged with improving unemployment in that country. Dr. Parisi and the NSPARC team have had great success developing the Mississippi Works app that connects people to available jobs in our state, and I'm sure his expertise will be a great asset to the Italian government. I'm also confident that NSPARC will continue its outstanding work under the leadership of Associate Vice President Allen Parrish during this interim period. Please feel free to reach out to Dr. Parrish at allen.parrish@msstate.edu or 662-325-3570. Read more at https://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/news.php?id=6173.
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 Matthew Brown, an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, whose research developed using an $832,000 NSF grant is gaining international attention in Current Biology, a leading scientific journal. Dr. Brown and his team focused on linking ancient fossils to modern living organisms using a new method, advanced in his lab, which bypasses genome sequencing. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4985.
* Congratulations to Laura Allen, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and director of the Language of Learning Lab, who has been honored by the Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences with an early career impact award. The award recognizes her research on cognitive processes that drive multiple text comprehension. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4967.
Final words
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's letter. Please feel free to contact me at dshaw@research.msstate.edu if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns about any of our research and economic development activities or visit https://www.research.msstate.edu.
February 2019
Productive discussion about research enterprise, strategic investment
Many of you were able to join me last month for a very productive discussion about the university's research enterprise and areas we are targeting for strategic investment. I appreciate all of your questions, comments, and suggestions. If you missed my presentation, it's available online at https://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/pdf/21stcentury.pdf and I welcome your feedback at dshaw@research.msstate.edu.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
Breaking ground: SEC universities all receive highest research designation
In a first, all 14 member universities of the Southeastern Conference have achieved Carnegie R1-Very High Research Activity classification. It's another reminder that in athletics, academics, and in research, "It Just Means More" rings true in the SEC. I invite you to read more about this achievement in The Chronicle of Higher Education at https://bit.ly/2MUFC1o.
MSU, UIR continue to grow successful partnerships
The university's partnerships with the Universite Internationale de Rabat in Morocco continue to grow. Our work with UIR is a great example of MSU's global engagement efforts. You can read more about the latest developments at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4921.
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:
* Congratulations to Chief Human Resources Officer Judy Spencer, who recently announced that she is retiring this spring. Judy, it has been an honor to work with you, and all of us in the Office of Research and Economic Development wish you the very best.
* Kudos to Michele McDonnall, the director of the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision, who has been honored by the American Foundation for the Blind with the 2019 Corinne Kirchner Research Award. Additionally, former director and long-time MSU faculty member and administrator Elton Moore has been honored by the AFB with a Migel Medal. Read more at https://prn.to/2I71XKy.
* Congratulations to Steve Demarais, Dale H. Arner Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, who as been named the Taylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction in the College of Forest Resources. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4918.
* Kudos to Gnaneswar Gude, an associate professor in the Bagley College of Engineering's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who has been elected as an American Society of Civil Engineers Fellow.
* And a welcome to Chris Jenkins, who will be joining the Office of Research Security as export control officer in mid-March.
Final words
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's letter. You can learn more about our research and economic development initiatives at https://www.research.msstate.edu or keep up with us on social media at http://www.facebook.com/MaroonResearch or http://www.twitter.com/MaroonResearch.
January 2019
R1 Carnegie Classification and your very high research activity
I hope your new year is off to a terrific start, and I also hope that you've seen the great news about the university's R1-Very High Research Activity classification by the Carnegie Foundation. This classification represents the highest level of research activity for doctorate-granting universities in the country, and it is a true testament to the remarkable work and contributions of so many of you. As you'll recall, we are also the highest ranked university in the state in the recently released National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development Survey for Fiscal Year 2017 with more almost $241 million in R&D expenditures. Read more about the R1 Carnegie Classification at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/12/mississippi-state-again-recognized-one-nation-s-top-research-universities.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
Join me for strategic research investments discussion
Our Spring Research Seminar Series is well underway, and on January 30th at 2 p.m., I'm looking forward to leading a discussion with many of you about how the university's targets for strategic research investment could affect your research. I look forward to seeing you there. You can learn more about the entire seminar series and pre-register for a session at https://www.research.msstate.edu/seminars.
Watching Washington
As you'd imagine, we are closely monitoring the ongoing federal government shutdown and any potential impacts to the university's research enterprise. If you have questions related to the funding of your work, please contact Kevin Enroth -- the director of our Office of Sponsored Projects -- at (662) 325-7404 or enroth@osp.msstate.edu.
Changes to human subjects research regulations
As a final reminder, the regulations governing human subjects research have been updated, and these changes are scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 21, 2019. This revision includes changes to the categories of research that are considered "exempt" as well as elimination of continuing review for "expedited" categories of research. As I've mentioned, the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) team will shift their efforts from continuing review to expand the post-approval monitoring (PAM) program.
And on a related note, the HRPP staff will have a skeleton crew with Nicole Cobb on maternity leave from January through mid-March and Riley McCormick on military leave from mid-January through mid-May. Please bear with us as the remaining staff do their best to keep things running as smoothly as possible. If you have questions or would like additional information, please feel free to contact the Office of Research Compliance at 662-325-3294 or irb@research.msstate.edu.
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 all of the newest graduates of the Leadership Excellence for Accomplished Professionals program, including Bailey Anderson, a senior accountant here in the Office of Research and Economic Development. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/12/msu-staff-graduate-leadership-excellence-accomplished-professionals-program.
* Congratulations to Steve Demarais, the Dale H. Arner Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, who has been named the Taylor Chair in Applied Big Game Research and Instruction in the College of Forest Resources. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2019/01/msu-wildlife-professor-named-taylor-chair-applied-big-game-research-and.
* Kudos to Shane Miller, an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, who was recently honored with the C.B. Moore Award at the Southeastern Archaeological Conference's 75th annual meeting. The award was established by members of the Lower Mississippi Survey in 1990. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/12/msu-educator-receives-regional-archaeology-honor.
* Congratulations to Robert Grala in the College of Forest Resources for being named the Department of Forestry's first James R. Moreton Endowed Fellow. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/12/msu-professor-named-james-r-moreton-fellow-forestry.
* Kudos to Mimmo Parisi and the NSPARC team for their recent recognition at the Starkville PRAM Chapter PRism Awards program. Among their honors: the Top Dawg Award -- the highest honor at the chapter level -- for the Data Summit 2018; a PRism Award for the Data Summit; and Awards of Excellence for the Fall 2018 issue of Nexus magazine, the 10 Years of Data Science in Action coffee table book, and their 10-year anniversary video. They will compete at the state level this spring.
Final words
By now, I'm sure that most of you are aware that Dr. Judy Bonner will be retiring this year after a most distinguished career in higher education. She has been an outstanding leader and colleague as our provost and executive vice president, and it has been an honor for me to work with her to move Mississippi State University forward. Judy, all of us wish you the very best as you begin this new chapter in your life.
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's letter. Please feel free to contact me at dshaw@research.msstate.edu if you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns about any of our research and economic development activities or visit https://www.research.msstate.edu.