I want to begin this month’s letter by thanking everyone who contributed to the success of our spring graduation celebrations and commencement exercises. These special events require incredible planning, attention to countless details, coordination, cooperation, and hard work. I think you would agree it’s all well worth it as we recognize and honor our newest graduates in Starkville and Meridian.

New Faculty Success Team Supports Professional Growth and Success

As I have shared before, ensuring our faculty have the resources and support they need is a top priority for my office and for me personally. I’ll always remember how they were essential to my success earlier in my academic career as a member of the faculty. To that end, we launched the Faculty Success Team this spring in order to strategically invest in key areas to support MSU faculty wherever they are in their careers. Led by Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Dunne, I believe the Faculty Success Team will be a game-changer in how we develop and deploy faculty development resources and enhance professional growth and success. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2025/05/new-faculty-success-team-msu-supports-professional-growth-success.

Clack Named MSU-Meridian School of Health Professions Dean

I invite you to join me in welcoming Lesley Clack to MSU as our new dean of the School of Health Professions in Meridian, beginning in June. As I mentioned in an Office of Public Affairs news release, Dr. Clack brings an impressive combination of academic prowess and real-word experience to this important leadership role. I look forward to working with her as we help meet our state’s critical healthcare needs. My thanks to Vice Provost Brent Fountain for leading the search committee and to the members who served. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8080.

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 David Hoffman, director of the Office of Prestigious External Scholarships; Tommy Anderson, dean of the Shackouls Honors College; and the faculty and staff who have taught, mentored, and supported our students who have won highly competitive scholarships and fellowships recently, including two Goldwater Scholars, a Truman Scholar, a NOAA Hollings Scholar, a Udall Scholar, two State Department Critical Language Scholars, a Fulbright UK Summer Institute scholar, and two Astronaut Scholars. Well done to all!

* Congratulations to this year’s winners of the university’s teaching and advising awards: Associate Professor Liza Bondurant, Assistant Professor Mary Dozier, Assistant Professor Terri Hernandez, Instructor Abigail Good, Assistant Professor SaMin Han, Associate Clinical Professor Marc Seitz, Academic Coordinator Trina Pollan, Assistant Professor Jessica Benson, Academic Coordinator Taylor Watson and Assistant Teaching Professor Morgan Green. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8074.

* Kudos to Jason Walker, associate professor and undergraduate coordinator for the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, who has been named Outstanding Educator of the Year by the National Association of Landscape Professionals Foundation. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8068.

* Congratulations to the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre’s 2025 faculty award recipients: Khristi Edmonds, Meaghan Gordon, Keven Rudrow and Kevin Williams. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8073.

* Kudos to Shrinidhi Ambinakudige, a professor in the Department of Geosciences, who has been named a fellow of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8055.

* Congratulations to Mohammad Marufuzzaman, who has been named head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8079.

Final Words

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.