Archives
Summer kicks off with service recognition program
I hope you are having a productive summer, and also taking some time to relax and reset before the start of a new academic year. Like many of you, we are staying busy in the Office of Research and Economic Development, and I'd like to take a few minutes to give you an update.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
ORED hosts service recognition celebration
We were very pleased in mid-May to recognize 67 colleagues who have achieved significant milestones in their professional lives here at Mississippi State. Collectively, they represent 845 years of service to the university and to the state. It was a privilege to say "thank you" to them for all of their many contributions to our research success. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4639
An invitation to join 'The Conversation'
I hope you've seen the news that we're joining The Conversation, a leading national commentary and analysis program in which university researchers contribute articles and collaborate with journalists to produce timely content on topics grounded in academic expertise. We believe this will be an effective new way to highlight the impressive work so many of you are doing, and I invite you to discover more about The Conversation at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4636
Jordan to lead International Institute
We're very pleased that Julie Jordan will be leading the International Institute as executive director and associate vice president for international programs after a very successful stint as interim. Throughout her time at Mississippi State, Dr. Jordan has stepped up to serve in important leadership roles when called upon, and I appreciate her commitment to the growth of our international initiatives from academic partnerships to research collaborations. Learn more at http://www.international.msstate.edu
Reminder: applications sought for SEC Faculty Travel Grants
Let me encourage you to think about applying for the SEC Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program. We can award eight grants of $1,250 each for transportation, room, board, etc., to use for travel to another SEC campus or host faculty from other SEC institutions. Assistant, associate and full professors are eligible. The application deadline is June 29, and you can find additional information about it at http://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/news.php?id=5867 or contact Assistant Vice President for Research Teresa Gammill at tgammill@research.msstate.edu with questions.
NIH updates clinical trial definition
The National Institutes of Health recently updated the definition of a "clinical trial" to include health-related behavioral outcomes, and that could affect some of you with NIH funding. The revised definition and the requirements for NIH Good Clinical Practice training, which must be renewed every three years, are available on the MSU Office of Research Compliance website at http://orc.msstate.edu/humansubjects/training or you may contact Nicole Cobb at 662-325-5220 with any questions.
Symposium taking research abstracts from grads and undergrads
The Mississippi Academy of Sciences second-annual Summer Student Science Symposium will take place July 26 at Bost Conference Center. Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to submit an abstract and register to attend this special event. The symposium is designed to bring student researchers across all branches of science divisions to present their research findings and network with their peers and others in the state's scientific community. The deadline to submit an abstract is July 2. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4640
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 Mimmo Parisi, the executive director of the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC), who will be representing our state at the State-Federal STEM Summit in Washington later this month. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4595
* Congratulations to Andrew Lang, an assistant professor in the Department of History, who is the 2018 recipient of the prestigious $50,000 Tom Watson Brown Book Award. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4637
* Kudos to Social Science Research Center researchers Kathleen Ragsdale, Mary Read-Wahidi and Gina Rico Mendez, whose work is featured on USAID AgriLinks -- https://www.agrilinks.org/post/soybean-innovation-lab-land-tenure-research-shows-mens-role-household-impacts-womens-access
* Congratulations to Nick Fitzkee, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry, who has been awarded a highly-competitive $1.8-million, five-year National Institutes of Health R01 grant. Learn more about Dr. Fitzkee's research at http://fitzkee.chemistry.msstate.edu
* Kudos to all who worked with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank to convene a very successful workshop focused on improving aquaculture biosecurity and to also deliver a congressional briefing at the Capitol on the importance of biosecurity for aquaculture production in conjunction with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker. Learn more at http://www.fao.org/north-america/news/detail/en/c/1128052
Final words
Summer is a time of transition on a college campus as we say goodbye to graduates, prepare for the arrival of our next class of Bulldogs, and colleagues see promotions, retirements, or embark on new adventures -- including members of the ORED family. I'd like to wish Neil Lewis all the best as he begins a well-deserved retirement from the Office of Research Security. Please join me in welcoming Deana Card as the new director of Research Security. I'd also like to wish Donna Collier the very best as she retires from the Office of Technology Management. And while she hasn't gone far, Jessica Northcutt has made a short move from Lee Hall to join the OTM team in the Research Park. I appreciate her many contributions to our office, and congratulate Jess on this exciting new role. And next week, we will welcome Elizabeth Nicholson from the Department of Agricultural Economics to ORED as our newest administrative assistant.
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's letter. Please feel free to contact me at dshaw@research.msstate.edu with any questions or concerns about Mississippi State's research and economic development activities.
Celebrating research as spring semester draws to a close
The end of the spring semester and another academic year is upon us, and I'd like to thank everyone who has been a part of our work in the Office of Research and Economic Development. It's been a great year for our overall research enterprise, and in mid-April we celebrated with many of you at the Annual Research Awards Banquet, which we co-host with the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine every spring.
This year, we honored Wes Schilling -- a professor in the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion -- with the Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award, the university's highest honor for research achievement. The Powe Award is a memorial to Dr. Powe, an MSU alumnus and longtime research vice president who passed away in 1996. It is selected at the university level from nominations received from the campus community.
We were pleased that President Mark Keenum and more than 200 honorees and guests could join us to celebrate the university's research success stories. Thanks very much to Carmen Kelly, Jessica Northcutt and Lynn Taylor for putting together a very special event. Read more about Dr. Schilling and all of our award winners at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/04/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.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
Applications sought for SEC faculty travel grants
Let me encourage you to think about applying for the SEC Visiting Faculty Travel Grant Program. We can award eight grants of $1,250 each for transportation, room, board, etc., to use for travel to another SEC campus or host faculty from other SEC institutions. Assistant, associate and full professors are eligible. The conference created the program to enhance faculty collaboration that stimulates scholarly initiatives between SEC universities. The application deadline is June 29. This is a great program, and you can find additional information about it at http://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/news.php?id=5867 or contact Assistant Vice President for Research Teresa Gammill at tgammill@research.msstate.edu with questions.
IRB webinar coming up May 17
The Office of Research Compliance will host a "Create Recruitment Materials that IRBs Love" webinar on May 17 at noon in the CAVS Seminar Room. This informative hour-long session will include tips for writing compliant recruiting materials that balance regulatory requirements with the need to achieve enrollment goals. It will also serve as IRB refresher training, which is good for five years. Registration for the webinar is available at http://www.orc.msstate.edu/training.
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 the past few weeks:
* Congratulations to Brent Funderburk, Giles Distinguished Professor of Art and the 2015 Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award winner, who is retiring after more than three decades of service at MSU. Read more http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4587.
* Kudos to Neeraj Rai, an assistant professor in the Swalm School of Chemical Engineering, who has been recognized by the National Science Foundation with a prestigious CAREER award. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4577.
* Congratulations to Jamie Dyer, a professor in the Department of Geosciences, who has been awarded a Fulbright Specialist Grant. Dr. Dyer will be traveling to the University of Maria Curie-Sklodowska in Lublin, Poland, this summer to perform research in the discipline of environmental science. He will be developing and extending research collaborations related to the assessment and prediction of climate extremes over Eastern Europe, analysis of extreme rainfall events, and surface-atmosphere interactions over agricultural areas.
* Kudos to Drew Hamilton and the Center for Cyber Innovation for winning Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I funding for a project titled "Naval Internet of Things (IoT) Effectiveness and Efficiency."
* Congratulations to Alex Finley, an assistant professor in the Department of History, who has been recognized by the Organization of American Historians with the 2018 Lerner-Scott Prize for the best doctoral dissertation on U.S. women's history. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4579.
* Kudos to Cory Gallo, an associate professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture, who has been recognized by the Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture with a 2018 CELA Faculty Award of Excellence in Service Learning. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4568.
* And going back to retirements (it is that time of year), congratulations Dr. Mike Mabry -- a good friend and excellent physician -- on his retirement after nearly 40 years of taking care of patients at the Longest Student Health Center. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4586.
Final words
I'm sure that many of you saw the great news about Dr. Keenum's recent appointment as chairman of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development. Throughout his career, he has been a strong advocate for food security for all and a leader in the global fight against hunger, and they're a very important part of our research priorities here at Mississippi State too. BIFAD plays a critical role in this effort, as well, and I'm very proud that Dr. Keenum is contributing his leadership and expertise to this very important work.
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's letter. Please feel free to contact me at dshaw@research.msstate.edu with any questions or concerns about Mississippi State's research and economic development activities.
Congratulations to all of our new graduates and Hail State!
Annual Research Awards Banquet coming up April 16
We've had a busy spring in the Office of Research and Economic Development, and like many of you, we are making a final push to the end of another successful semester at Mississippi State. Please let me take a few minutes to give you an update.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
Annual Research Awards Banquet coming up April 16
On April 16 at 11:30 a.m., we will co-host the Annual Research Awards Banquet with the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine at the Hunter Henry Center. This special event is a highlight of the academic year, and I'm looking forward to spending some time with our award-winning faculty, staff and student researchers and research support team members. Look for additional information about this year's honorees in next month's letter.
Grant to help fund new building for I2AT
In mid-March, the Economic Development Administration awarded the MSU Research and Technology Corporation a $1.8-million grant that we will use to build a new state-of-the-art building for the Institute for Imaging and Analytical Technologies in our Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. This new facility for I2AT will enhance our industry partnerships and enrich research experiences for faculty and students. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4541.
NSPARC data center opening April 20
And staying in the Research Park, the National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center will celebrate the opening of its new data center on April 20. The campus and local community are invited to join Executive Director Mimmo Parisi and the NSPARC team from 1:30-4:30 p.m. for an open house. The new center can store more than 400 terabytes of data, and is comprised of 40 racks holding 20 servers and 60 CPUs running 567 virtual servers. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4540.
Smith to lead Advanced Composites Institute
We were very pleased to announce last month that Dennis Smith, the head of the Department of Chemistry, has agreed to add a new role to his professional portfolio as director of the university's Marvin B. Dow Advanced Composites Institute. We believe that Dr. Smith's collaborative vision for ACI will position this cutting-edge research institute as a valuable partner for a range of industries and other stakeholders. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4530.
Kudos and congratulations
Every month, I look forward to sharing faculty and staff success stories with you, and here are a few that have come to my attention the past few weeks:
* Congratulations to my former Ph.D. student and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences colleague, Al Rankins, the current president of Alcorn State University, who will begin serving as Mississippi's new Commissioner of Higher Education in July. We look forward to working with Dr. Rankins in this new role. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4538.
* Kudos to Steve Demarais, the Dale H. Arner Professor of Wildlife Ecology and Management, who received the prestigious Deer Management Career Achievement Award during the 41st annual meeting of the Southeastern Deer Study Group. Dr. Demarais and our students swept the competition this year -- the first time in the conference's history that one school has achieved that remarkable feat. Well done! Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4552.
* Congratulations to James Fowler, a professor and graduate program director in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who was named MSU's winner of the 2018 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4553.
* Kudos to Jennifer Easley and Stephanie Hyche, both of whom are serving in leadership roles for the Society of Research Administrators International. Jennifer is president-elect of the Southern Section, and Stephanie is president-elect of the Alabama-Mississippi Chapter. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4531.
* Congratulations to Kimberly Wood, an assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences, who has been selected for the American Meteorological Society's Early Career Leadership Academy. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/04/msu-geosciences-faculty-member-receives-early-career-recognition.
* Kudos to Daniel Holt and Kincy Madison in the Department of Management and Information Systems -- the winners of the 2018 Family Business Review Best Article Award. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4558.
* Congratulations to Rachel Allison, an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology, who recently received an Early Career Gender Scholar Award from Sociologists for Women in Society-South. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4554.
* Kudos to Cindy Bethel, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, who has been named a Fulbright U.S. Senior Scholar. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4539.
* Congratulations to Trey Martindale, an associate professor and head of the Department of Instructional Systems and Workforce Development, who received the Best in Strand research award for his paper presentation at the 2017 Online Learning Consortium Conference. Read more at http://www.iswd.msstate.edu/connections/news/article.php?id=5774&year=2018&itk=99067b0177fbdae5d12c49f70896daff.
* Kudos to Office of Public Affairs photographer Russ Houston, who recently announced his retirement after serving the university for three decades. Russ has been a great friend to the Office of Research and Economic Development, and we wish him all the best as he begins this new chapter in life. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4532.
Final words
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's letter. As always, feel free to contact me at dshaw@research.msstate.edu with any questions or concerns about Mississippi State's research and economic development activities.
Busy spring: new associate VP, Japanese partnerships, College View -- and more
It's hard to believe that Spring Break is almost here. Before it starts, I'd like to give you an update from the Office of Research and Economic Development.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
New associate vice president for research
We were pleased to announce last month that Allen Parrish will be joining us as associate vice president for research in May. Dr. Parrish brings a national caliber research portfolio and extensive leadership experience from the University of Alabama, where he served as associate vice president of research and was the founding director of the Center for Advanced Public Safety, and from the United States Naval Academy, where he serves as professor and founding chair of the Department of Cyber Science. As I stated in the university's news release, I believe Allen will be a visionary leader who can help us achieve even greater levels of success. I hope you'll join me in welcoming him to campus. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/02/parrish-named-new-associate-vice-president-research-msu.
Exploring new opportunities, expanding partnerships in Japan
In late February, I visited Japan for meetings with colleagues at Nagoya University, one of Japan's leading academic and research institutions. While there, I signed an agreement to establish a new partnership between Nagoya and our Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems. We are also working to expand the partnership we have with Tokyo's Nihon University, including the possibility of new exchange programs. These collaborative relationships with Japanese institutions are very important as we continue to grow our work with Nissan, Toyota, Yokohama Tire and other Japanese companies. This work has a major research impact here at Mississippi State, and it also plays a significant role in the state's economic development initiatives as more global companies consider Mississippi to locate or expand operations.
Groundbreaking for College View P3 project
And speaking of economic development, work is underway on our new College View project -- a public-private partnership (P3) with Memphis-based EdR, one of the nation's leading collegiate housing management and development specialists. This start comes after about three years of work assessing our options, exploring possibilities, and extensive due diligence. I'm confident that College View will be a transformative addition to not only our campus, but to the larger Starkville-Oktibbeha-Golden Triangle community. It will be an asset to our students, faculty, staff, friends and alumni. Look for news about our official groundbreaking ceremony later this month, and you can read more about College View at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/02/groundbreaking-horizon-college-view-project-msu.
Kudos and congratulations
Every month, I look forward to sharing faculty and staff success stories with you, and here are a few that have come to my attention the past few weeks:
* Kudos to Sid Salter and his Office of Public Affairs team for their big communications and marketing wins. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, District III recently awarded MSU its top award for the "We Ring True" branding initiative, along with a Grand Award and two Awards of Excellence, during the organization's recent annual conference. Well done! Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2018/02/msu-communications-and-marketing-team-named-best-southeast-case-iii-awards.
* Congratulations to Katherine Flowers, an assistant professor in the Department of English, who has been honored by the Conference on College Composition and Communication with the James Berlin Memorial Outstanding Dissertation Award, a major research award in writing studies. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4451.
* Kudos to the Bagley College of Engineering's Jenny Du, who was recently named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and Lesley Strawderman, who is the university's first recipient of the International Paper Endowed Chair in Engineering. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4493 and http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4492.
Final words
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's letter. I hope each one of you has a great Spring Break and strong finish to the semester. And if you haven't had a chance, let me encourage you to pay a visit to the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and Williams Collection of Lincolniana. They are truly remarkable resources for researchers, as well as anyone with an interest in this pivotal time in our nation's history. I applaud my friend John Marszalek and his colleagues for their outstanding research, scholarship and outreach efforts. Learn more about the Grant Presidential Library at http://www.usgrantlibrary.org.
As always, feel free to contact me at dshaw@research.msstate.edu with any questions or concerns about Mississippi State's research and economic development activities.
Spring semester racing ahead at Mississippi State
The spring semester is racing ahead in the Office of Research and Economic Development, and I'd like to take a moment to give you a quick update.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
Nominations for Powe and research awards wanted
As I mentioned last month, one of the highlights of my year is the annual research awards banquet in April when we join with the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine to honor faculty, staff, and students for their outstanding research achievements. I encourage you to make a nomination this year, and to do so, please see http://www.research.msstate.edu/rresources/news.php?id=5744.
FDP faculty workload survey underway
I also want to encourage all of our principal investigators and co-PIs with federal projects to participate in the Federal Demonstration Partnership's Faculty Workload Survey, which is a very important tool that's used to gauge the significant impact that administrative work has on research productivity. You will be receiving email notification about the survey this month. Results from past surveys have provided support for revisions and improvements, and it's a good way to make your voice heard on this critical subject. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Jennifer Easley at jeasley@osp.msstate.edu.
Funding opportunity: Mississippi NASA EPSCoR RID Seed Grants
Applications are now being accepted for the Mississippi NASA EPSCoR RID Seed Grants, and I think we can be very competitive due to the high level and quality of work of our faculty and researchers. The amount of Space Grant funding is $32,500 per award. There is a 1:1 cost share requirement. It is expected that MS NASA EPSCoR will award three projects, and the period of performance is June 1, 2018 to May 31, 2019. Please notify the Office of Sponsored Projects as soon as possible at http://osp.msstate.edu/servicerequestportal if you plan to submit a proposal. The deadline to send your proposal to Sponsored Projects for submission is Feb. 27, 2018. The solicitation can be found at http://msnasaepscor.org or downloaded directly from http://msnasaepscor.org/docs/RIDgrantsSolicitationY18A.pdf.
Kudos and congratulations
I always look forward to sharing success stories about our faculty and staff with you, and here are a few that have come across my desk recently:
* Congratulations to Angie Chrestman, who has been named director of the MSU Career Center. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4437.
* Kudos to Thomas R. Gregory III, a community planner in the Carl Small Town Center, who has been elected to serve a one-year term as president-elect of the American Planning Association's Mississippi Chapter. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4442.
* Congratulations to Dan Seale, who has been named the inaugural James R. Moreton Endowed Fellow in the College of Forest Resources. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4449.
* Kudos to Merrill Warkentin, the James J. Rouse Professor of Information Systems in the College of Business, who is ranked 20th in the world in the Association for Information Systems annual Scholar Rankings.
* And please join me in welcoming Riley McCormick to the Office of Research Compliance as our new compliance administrator. Starting next week, he'll be working full-time with the Institutional Review Board and Human Research Protection Program.
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 www.research.msstate.edu.
New programs, projects on horizon as spring semester starts
It's great to be back on campus and getting the spring semester underway. We have a number of programs and projects on the horizon in the Office of Research and Economic Development, and I'd like to take a moment to share a few of the details with you.
David Shaw is vice president for research and economic development at Mississippi State University.
Evolution of RTC and ARDC in a competitive funding environment
As Mississippi State's research portfolio has grown over the past decade, the resources and tools we utilize to support our faculty and staff have evolved. We strive to be as responsive as possible to funding opportunities as these opportunities become ever more competitive. Our most recent innovation was the launch of the ASSURE Research and Development Corporation (ARDC) to act as a new contracting agent to help us facilitate what, at times, can be very complex working relationships with external sponsors, especially with private and non-profit groups. The MSU Research and Technology Corporation (RTC) continues to provide complementary services, but with a sharper focus on developing the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, our assets at Stennis Space Center and on the Gulf Coast, and other infrastructure and physical resources. Both RTC and ARDC are focused on protecting university personnel, intellectual property, and other assets as we continue to support and grow MSU's overall research enterprise. Please contact the Office of Sponsored Projects at 662-325-7404 to learn more about how ARDC can work for you and your contracting needs.
Nomination period for Powe and research awards set to open
One of the highlights of my year is the annual research awards banquet in April when we join with the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine to honor faculty, staff and students for their outstanding research achievements. In the next few days, we'll begin accepting nominations for the awards, and I encourage you to consider making a nomination this year. We'll have all the details posted at http://www.research.msstate.edu and on Maroon Research social media in the next week or so.
Interim final rule for human subjects regulations published in 11th hour
As most of you know, changes to the human subject protection regulations -- the Common Rule -- were set to kick in this Friday (January 19). However, late Wednesday (January 17), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced it will be releasing an interim final rule that delays the effective date to July 19, 2018. The delay will provide IRBs additional time to prepare for the revisions and will give federal departments time to issue helpful guidance regarding interpretation of the new regulations. As we learn more, the Office of Research Compliance will keep researchers informed through their website and with informational sessions. Please feel free to contact ORC with any questions you may have at 662-325-3294.
RCU growing computer science education in state's schools
It's great to see the Research and Curriculum Unit team continue to assist the Mississippi Department of Education implement and improve computer science offerings throughout the state's public schools. Almost 50 school districts are participating in the second year of the Computer Science for Mississippi -- CS4MS -- pilot program, while RCU-facilitated training initiatives for teachers continue to grow. The RCU recently received a three-year, $700,000 National Science Foundation grant to supplement professional development, and the organization was named a Code.org regional partner. The Code.org distinction allows the RCU access to more resources to aid training initiatives, network with other regional partners and share additional materials with schools. Well done!
Kudos and congratulations
I always look forward to sharing success stories about our faculty and staff with you, and here are a few that have come across my desk recently:
* Kudos to Todd French, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, who has served as faculty representative for the Federal Demonstration Partnership the past few years. We appreciate his service, and now welcome David May, a professor in the Department of Sociology, as the new FDP faculty representative, and Barbara Kaplan, an assistant professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine's Basic Science Department, as alternate. The Federal Demonstration Partnership is an association of federal agencies and academic research institutions with administrative, faculty and technical representation, and research policy organizations that work to streamline the administration of federally sponsored research.
* Congratulations to Nicole Cobb, who is our new Human Research Protection Program officer in the Office of Research Compliance.
* Kudos to Sam Winer, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology, who has been named a "Rising Star" by the Association for Psychological Science -- a very prestigious early career honor.
* Congratulations to the Office of Sponsored Project's Jennifer Easley -- a recent selection for the Leadership Mississippi program's class of 2018.
* Kudos to Michael Parsons, director of the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, who recently attained the Certified Dangerous Goods Professional (CDGP) designation from the Institute of Hazardous Materials Management. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4421.
* Congratulations to Kevin Enroth, a senior grants and contracts administrator in the Office of Sponsored Projects, and Schanna Beckham, a contract and grant specialist in the College of Business, for recently earning the Certified Research Administrator (CRA) designation from the Research Administrators Certification Council.
* Kudos to Renee Clary, as associate professor in the Department of Geosciences, who was recently honored with the Geological Society of America's History and Philosophy of Geology Division's Gerald and Sue Friedman Distinguished Service Award. Read more about this prestigious recognition at http://community.geosociety.org/histphildiv/awards/dsa.
* Congratulations to Bronson Strickland, who has been named the St. John Family Endowed Professor of Wildlife Management in the College of Forest Resources. Read more at http://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=4411.
Final words
News travels fast on a college campus, and by now I'm sure that many of you have heard that Jennifer Easley, the director of our Office of Sponsored Projects, will be joining the Bagley College of Engineering as Business Manager II in February. Jennifer has been instrumental in enhancing customer service, streamlining administration, and launching new initiatives, and we wish her all the best as she moves into a new position that allows her to more closely pursue her professional passions, including accounting and fiscal management. I know she'll be a true asset for Bagley as its research portfolio grows and diversifies. I'd also like to thank Associate Director Tina Hood for accepting the interim director's role with Sponsored Projects as we begin this transition. She is well qualified to lead Sponsored Projects with more than 17 years of service to our research community, and I appreciate her willingness to serve.
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 www.research.msstate.edu.