While it certainly doesn’t feel like fall, I hope your fall semester is going well. I want to begin my letter this month by thanking everyone who attended the Fall General Faculty Meeting on Sept. 2 or who watched the livestream. President Keenum shared a timely update on a number of topics that are important to our faculty and larger university community. In case you missed it, you can read more about the meeting at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8231 or watch his presentation at https://vimeo.com/event/5644852?fl=so&fe=fs. Please let me take a few minutes of your time for a brief update from the Division of Academic Affairs.

Faculty Ranks and Titles Working Group Update

Last month, I mentioned the creation of a new, faculty-led working group to address faculty ranks and titles at the institution. Dr. Stacy Haynes chairs this committee, and they intend to hold a number of listening sessions around campus over the next two months. Be on the lookout for announcements about these sessions, and make sure your voice is heard. In addition, watch the Robert Holland Faculty Senate website for additional information as it becomes available.

MSU Named ‘Great College to Work For’ for 11th Consecutive Year

The Great Colleges to Work For program is one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in the country, and it was very gratifying to see Mississippi State achieve this honor for the 11th year in a row. It’s especially significant since the designation is based on employee feedback. I applaud Chief Human Resources Officer Jason Hernandez and his team for their work and all of you who are contributing to the exemplary workplace culture we have at MSU.

Apply Today: 2026 MSU Community Engagement Awards

I want to encourage faculty, staff, and students to apply for a 2026 Mississippi State University Excellence in Community Engagement Award. Applications are being accepted for projects in the following categories: Community-Engaged Service, Community-Engaged Research, and Community-Engaged Teaching & Learning. A $3,000 award will be given in each of those areas to recognize outstanding work and support its continuation. Please note the MSU CE Awards are for recognition of existing projects and not a grant proposal process. You can get started with an application by visiting https://www.ccel.msstate.edu/support/excellence/ to see previous winners and https://bit.ly/MSUCEAwards to access the application. Submissions are due October 15 at 11:59 p.m. Community Partner feedback forms are due by October 20 at 1 p.m. Please contact Michelle Garraway at michelle.garraway@msstate.edu with any questions you may have.

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 Lesley Strawderman, a professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, who is the university’s newest William L. Giles Distinguished Professor, and Iva Ballard, an instructor II in the Department of Marketing, Quantitative Analysis and Supply Chain Logistics; Peter Summerlin, an associate professor in the Department of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design; and Benjamin Tkach, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Administration, who are our newest Grisham Master Teachers. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8687.

* Congratulations to Steve Elder, Dominic Lippillo, Kelly Moser and Christian Wolf, who are serving as 2026-27 Southeastern Conference Academic Leadership Development Program Fellows. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8711.

* Kudos to Department of Poultry Science Associate Professor Li Zhang and Assistant Professor Timothy Boltz for their recent early career award recognition from the Poultry Science Association. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8713.

* Congratulations to John Ramirez-Avila, an associate professor in the Richard A. Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who has been recognized with the Conservation Professional of the Year Award and the Conservation Research Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Read more at https://www.memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8689.

* Kudos to Saeed Rokooei, an associate professor in the Department of Building Construction Science, who is the newly elected secretary of the American Council for Construction Education’s Board of Trustees. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8725.

* Congratulations to principal investigator Brian Smith and co-PIs Lesley Strawderman, John Carver Middleton and Emily Wall for winning National Science Foundation funding for Skillbuilding for Technicians and Engineering Through Experiential Learning Communities, or STEEL, a five-year collaboration with Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to create innovative approaches to undergraduate STEM education. Read more at https://memo.msstate.edu/story.php?id=8727.

* Kudos to Donna Clevinger, senior Shackouls Honors College faculty fellow and professor in the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre, who received an Ancient Worlds, Modern Communities grant from the Society for Classical Studies in support of the production of “Dyskolos,” a classical Roman play by Menander. Read more at https://www.msstate.edu/newsroom/article/2026/09/classical-week-returns-msu-sept-22-23-performances-dyskolos.

Final Words

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