This week marks the start of something very special for our students and our larger academic community. I love the first day of class and the promise it brings as we start a new year together. I want to begin this month’s letter by thanking all of you who have offered prayers, encouraging words, and some delicious meals after my recent surgery. I’m well on my way to a full recovery, and I appreciate your support. With some required time away from the office, I’ve been grateful to have an exceptional team in place in the Division of Academic Affairs. It’s a team that’s seen a few changes over the summer, and I wanted to provide a brief update:

Tabor Mullen has moved from Associate Dean of Students in Student Affairs into Academic Affairs as Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships. Dr. Mullen will be overseeing the student-facing activities in Academic Affairs, including the Center for Advising, the Career Center, Civil Rights Compliance, and student grievances.

Eric Moyen has shifted responsibilities to take a leadership role in the new Center for Innovation in Teaching Excellence. We have brought together the personnel and activities of the Center for Teaching and Learning and those within the College of Professional and Continuing Studies into one combined effort, housed within the CPCS. Thomas Bourgeois has returned to full-time responsibilities as Dean of Students in Student Affairs. Dr. Bourgeois and Dr. Moyen did an exceptional job in re-imagining our efforts in student success. They’ve set the stage for the direction we are now taking to enhance student retention and graduation.

Gary Jackson recently announced his retirement. Dr. Jackson’s work in organizing outreach and engagement efforts across the university has brought widespread recognition to the role that these elements play at our institution. I appreciate everything he’s done for our university and our state throughout his highly successful tenure at MSU. Congratulations, Gary!

Joe Fratesi is assuming Dr. Jackson’s responsibilities, serving as the interim Executive Director for Outreach and Engagement. This position will continue to report jointly to me and Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine Keith Coble.

Associate Vice President Tracey Baham has assumed responsibility for chairing the Associate Deans Council, given some recent shifts in Executive Vice Provost Peter Ryan’s responsibilities.

I deeply appreciate each one of these people and the work they have done – and have committed to doing – as we work with you to make additional elements of the Transforming MSU Strategic Plan a reality and navigate the changing landscape of higher education.

MSU Foundation Sets New Fundraising, Endowment Records

As we address the many challenges we face at MSU and seek to take advantage of new opportunities, Vice President for Development and Alumni John Rush and the MSU Foundation team play essential roles. They recently concluded a highly successful fiscal year and set a new fundraising record of more than $260 million in FY 2025. They’ve also grown the university’s endowment beyond $1 billion. These funds support a growing number of student scholarships as well as endowed faculty positions and are critical to the work we do at MSU. These are significant achievements, and I hope you’ll join me in congratulating John and his team — and thanking them too. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8205 

Duff Center, Azalea Hall, Perry Food Hall Open for Fall Semester

You can see the impact of private giving in two major additions to campus. The Jim and Thomas Center was made possible by a significant gift from the Duff family. This incredible new academic building across the street from the Fresh Food Company is now home to the Department of Kinesiology and the Mississippi Institute on Disabilities, including the Autism and Development Disabilities Clinic.

Azalea Hall includes the Luckyday Day tower. The new living and learning community for our Luckyday Scholars was made possible by a generous gift from the Luckyday Foundation. Azalea Hall is our newest residence hall, and it’s an extraordinary new home for 412 of our students and features a terrific new campus dining facility for all to enjoy.

In addition to the new dining options at Azalea, Perry Food Hall is now open after a year-long renovation of this historic structure. It’s exciting to see the growth of our campus and these three buildings opening for the new academic year.

Congratulations to Vice President Regina Hyatt and the Division of Student Affairs, as well as Vice President Les Potts and the Division of Finance and Administration, for the successful opening of Azalea Hall and Perry Food Hall, as well as everyone who contributed to the Duff Center project. Kudos to all!

Faculty Encouraged to Attend Convocation August 26

Among the many welcome back activities on campus this month, we’ll host Convocation on August 26^th in Humphrey Coliseum at 6 p.m. Distinguished young alum Paromita Mitra will deliver the keynote address. A graduate of the Bagley College of Engineering’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, she currently serves as the Data Systems Lead for the Lunar Architecture Team at NASA Johnson Space Center, where she ensures computer architectures across NASA’s Artemis programs for the Moon and Mars. I know our new students will enjoy hearing what she has to say. I look forward to seeing many of our faculty in attendance for this “official” start to a new academic year. I would also ask you to please remind new students during classes about Convocation as first-time freshmen and transfers are required to attend. If you have any questions, please contact my office at provost@msstate.edu. 

First-Ever Class of Nursing Students at MSU Make History with Pinning and Graduation

Thanks to the MSU Television Center, I was able to watch history being made as our first School of Nursing graduates celebrated commencement earlier this month. While I wasn’t able to attend in person because of my surgery, I watched the graduation livestream with great pride in our students and appreciation for the work of Dean of Nursing Mary Stewart and our nursing faculty and staff. It was a major milestone in the growth of our health sciences initiative, and I applaud all who have supported this program and contributed to the success of the pinning and graduation ceremonies. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8206.                              

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 everyone who helped welcome our new students and their families to campus last week. It was an extraordinarily busy few days as thousands of new Bulldogs moved in, but thanks to an impressive team effort, I think it went very well. Thank you all!

*  Congratulations to Mahesh Gangishetty, an assistant professor with appointments in both the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, who has been awarded a five-year, $550,000 National Science Foundation CAREER award grant to support innovative research into new types of light-emitting diodes. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8189. 

* Kudos to Eric Stafne, an extension and research professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station scientist, and horticultural Extension specialist, who has been elected as a fellow of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8199.

* Congratulations to Mike Mulvaney, Hartwig Endowed Chair in Soybean Agronomy and associate professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, who has been elected to the American Society of Agronomy’s Board of Directors. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8188. 

Final Words

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Fall General Faculty Meeting, which is coming up September 3^rd at 2 p.m. in Bettersworth Auditorium. President Keenum will provide a university update, and I know he’ll have a lot of important information to share with us. A livestream of the meeting will also be available.

Thank you for reading this month’s Academic Matters. As always, I welcome your comments, questions, suggestions, and concerns at david.shaw@msstate.edu. 

Hail State!

David

Dr. David R. Shaw is Provost and Executive Vice President at Mississippi State University. His email address is david.shaw@msstate.edu.