It certainly is a busy time of year on campus as we anticipate the start of the new academic year in a few short weeks. As our preparations for the fall semester accelerate, please let me take a few minutes of your time to provide a brief update from the Division of Academic Affairs.

Applications Open for Preparing Future Faculty Program

I want to encourage you to share information about the 2026-2027 Preparing Future Faculty program with any graduate students you may know who are thinking about careers in academia. Graduate students from across the university are welcome to apply, with preference given to doctoral students. The yearlong professional development program provides participants with focused sessions on teaching, research, and service. It’s a partnership between the Center for Innovation in Teaching Excellence and the Graduate School, and your students can find more at https://www.cite.msstate.edu/communities-practice/preparing-future-faculty.

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 Department of Biological Sciences Associate Professor Jean-François Gout and Assistant Professor Megan Smith, who have been awarded prestigious National Science Foundation CAREER Awards. As a department, Biological Sciences has produced seven NSF CAREER winners in the past five years. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8637.

* Kudos to Matthew Priddy, an associate professor in the Hall School of Mechanical Engineering, who has been selected as the 2026 Tau Beta Pi-McDonald Mentor and will be honored at the honor society’s annual convention in October.

* Congratulations to faculty members Peter Allen, Nicole Ashpole, Daniel Chesser, Courtney Crist, Whitney Crow, Drew Gholson, Gretchen Hardwick, Natraj Krishnan, Alison Lee, Carley Morrison, Heidi Renninger, and Jason Street, who completed the Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine’s inaugural leadership course during the spring semester. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2026/06/cultivating-dynamic-leadership-msu-pilot-program-helps-dafvm-faculty-build.

* Kudos to DAFVM Associate Vice President Ashli Brown, who has been elected as a Farm Foundation Round Table Fellow, an invitation-only forum of leaders from across the food and agriculture value chain. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8605.

* Congratulations to Laya Khademibami, an assistant research professor with the Department of Sustainable Bioproducts and the Forest and Wildlife Research Center, who has been honored with the Wood Engineering Achievement Award for Young Engineers from the Forest Products Society. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8638.

* Kudos to staff members in the College of Arts and Sciences recently honored with awards during the college’s annual luncheon: Tina Davis, Michelle Martin, Quintara Miller, Tracy Wilcox and Tonya Young. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8608.

* Congratulations to Karyn Brown, the assistant dean for communication and media in the College of Arts and Sciences, who has been named a Public Relations Society of America Fellow. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8625.

* Kudos to Senior Nurse Fellow Kim Welch Hoover, who has been recognized by the Mississippi Legislature for her many contributions to improving healthcare in our state. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8618.

* Congratulations to the latest class of graduates of the Office of Research Development’s Departmental Administrators Working Group (DAWG) program, which is a professional development initiative for staff working with research grants and contracts: Maggie Ballard, Hannah Bell, Mia Bridges, Caitlin Burton, Tonya Calmes, Elizabeth Carrithers, Margaret-Mary Coker, Patricia Coley, Kim Collins, Stacy Davis, Lisa Dye, Janice Greenslade, Emily Jenkins, Abby Kendricks, Ryan McClung, Emlis Mickens, Bryce Mitchell, Brittney Mosley, Mari Quinn, Todd Rosenzweig, Elizabeth Standley, Carrie Grace Stroud, Kelsey Trainer, Brandon Vineyard and Michia Williams. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8616. 

Final Words

Thank you for reading this month’s Academic Matters. Your comments, questions, suggestions, and concerns about these or other topics are welcome at david.shaw@msstate.edu. 

David

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