Annual picnic helps faculty, staff beat ‘the Mondays’
May 3, 2010
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Employees of the Bagley College of Engineering found a surefire cure for “the Mondays” with food and fellowship at the May 3 Faculty and Staff Appreciation Picnic.
Soggy Drill Field conditions meant most of the annual event’s festivities were moved indoors but still, more than 75 people gathered in McCain Hall to celebrate the end of another successful academic year and honor those who earned this year’s BCoE faculty and staff awards.
As the crowd finished lunch and enjoyed MSU ice cream, Dean Sarah Rajala expressed her thanks for everyone’s continued dedication and hard work, especially considering the current financial strain on the university.
“There is opportunity in every crisis,” Rajala said. “We must deal with the short term problems, but never loose focus on our long term plans.”
According to recently released National Science Foundation statistics, the BCoE ranks 34th in engineering research and development expenditures, second only to the University of Florida (No. 20) among Southeastern Conference schools. The college also has moved-up to 81st in the U.S. News & World Report graduate rankings, a 15 spot upswing from 2008.
In 2009, the college posted a 7 percent increase in graduate enrollment over the previous year, and with 2,246 undergraduate students, a 21 percent increase in undergraduate enrollment since 2006. It is possible that the college will experience a 20 percent increase in new freshmen for fall 2010.
Rajala also thanked the college for its help and cooperation in developing the BCoE’s new strategic plan, which will be unveiled in the coming months. Plans were announced for new faculty awards funded by the new State Pride campaign and the Hearin Foundation.
She recognized the employees who have served the university for five, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years, as well as those who have received awards from various university organizations this year including Dr. Stanislaw Grzybowski who in April received the Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence Award. Rajala then announced the winners of the 2010 faculty and staff achievement awards. This year’s recipients include:
Faculty research award winner, James C. Newman, a professor of aerospace engineering;
James “Jim” Gafford, a research associate at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems (CAVS) and professional staff research award winner;
Graduate student research award winner, Ambarish M. Acharya, a graduate student in industrial and systems engineering;
Wilburn Ray Whittington, undergraduate student research award winner and a senior in mechanical engineering;
Service award recipient, Lucas Simmons, a field engineer for CAVS-Extension;
Sheryl Kinard, professional staff award winner and accountant for Raspet Flight Laboratory and the department of aerospace engineering;
Support staff award winner, Ardra Morgan, an electrical and computer engineering administrative assistant;
And career award winner Susan Bridges, a professor of computer science and engineering.
For more information about the BCoE visit, www.bagley.msstate.edu.