I hope the summer is going well for all of you. While many students, faculty, and staff are away from campus, I still wanted to take a few minutes of your time to provide an update from the Division of Academic Affairs.

IHL Votes to Approve Doctor of Physical Therapy Program

Our health sciences initiative at MSU-Meridian took another important step forward this week when the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning voted to approve our new Doctor of Physical Therapy degree program. It took a lot of hard work and the dedication of many in Meridian and Starkville to accomplish this goal, and I appreciate all of you who have contributed to this effort. It’s a great example of what we can achieve by working together. Of course, now the real work begins! Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2025/06/hybrid-physical-therapy-doctoral-program-horizon-msu-meridian. 

Master of Science in Nursing Program Awarded Accreditation

Staying in Meridian — our first-of-its-kind in the state Master of Science in Nursing degree program at the Riley Campus reached a significant milestone in late May. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Board of Commissioners awarded the program accreditation for the next five years after finding we met the CCNE Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs. Kudos to Dean of Nursing Mary Stewart and our faculty, staff, and students on this outstanding achievement. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8113.

Department of Communication, Media and Theatre Earns National Accreditation

Kudos are also in order for the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre. It is now nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications for its undergraduate programs in broadcast and digital journalism, public relations and print and digital journalism. Congratulations to Professor and Head Terry Likes and the students, faculty, and staff in the department. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8098. 

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 Daniel Carruth, an associate director for the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, who has been named to the University of Michigan’s Automotive Research Center Executive Committee. As a committee member, he will serve as the school liaison and strengthen institutional collaborations across ARC. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2025/06/msus-carruth-named-national-automotive-research-center-executive-committee. 

* Kudos to Latara Arterberry, Asha Bolton, Casey Broom, Amy Burchfield, Emily Cain, Mai Dang, Connie Darden, Magan Green, Lisa Hearn, Michelle Martin, Vicki Vaughn and Sharon Vaughan, who are this year’s winners of the Donald W. Zacharias Distinguished Staff Awards. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8085. 

* Congratulations to College of Education faculty and staff Paul Binford, Hailey Ripple, Zaccheus Ahonle and Hunter Corhern, who were recently honored with annual awards for their outstanding contributions in teaching, research and service. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8092. 

* Kudos to Joseph Thompson, an assistant professor in the Department of History, whose new book – “Cold War Country: How Nashville’s Music Row and the Pentagon Created the Sound of American Patriotism” – recently won the 2025 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8110. 

* Congratulations to Anne Marshall, the executive director of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library and an associate professor in the Department of History, whose new book – “Cassius Marcellus Clay: The Life of an Antislavery Slaveholder and the Paradox of American Reform” – will be published by the University of North Carolina Press in September. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8100. 

* Kudos to Michael Nadorff, a professor in the Department of Psychology, whose new workbook with co-author Courtney Worley – “The Nightmare and Sleep Disorder Toolkit: A Workbook to Help You Get Some Rest Using Imagery Rehearsal Therapy and Other Evidence-Based Approaches” – will be published by New Harbinger Publications in October. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8101. 

* Congratulations to all the campus communicators who won awards and were recognized at the recent College Public Relations Association of Mississippi annual conference held at The Mill Conference Center. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8099. 

Final Words

Parking is a complicated challenge for major universities like ours, and as we’ve seen the past week or so, there are strongly held ideas and opinions about it. I want to thank all of you who reached out to me, President Keenum, Vice President Les Potts, and MSU Transportation Executive Director Jeremiah Dumas and provided input about the recent changes to the parking plan for the upcoming academic year.

Les and I had a very productive conversation with Faculty Senate leadership this week, and the changes you have seen are a result of your feedback plus that conversation. We want to find a way to address the critical parking needs we have – especially with a record enrollment projected for the fall – and, at the same time, reduce the amount of hunting for a parking place that everyone experiences. I hope that the changes implemented address most if not all of the major concerns. I can also tell you that Les and Jeremiah are committed to monitoring the situation as the fall semester begins, and if further adjustments are needed, they will be made.

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.