Mississippi State University’s College of Arts and Sciences has honored four distinguished faculty members this semester with prestigious awards, recognizing their exceptional contributions to the university’s record of academic excellence.

Mississippi State Assistant Professor Candace Lukasik has published her first book “Martyrs and Migrants: Coptic Christians and the Persecution Politics of U.S. Empire” (NYU Press). The book examines how Coptic Christian migrants from Egypt navigate religious identity through the lens of American political and religious frameworks.

“More women now earn college degrees than men," said Rachel Allison. "While women still face barriers and challenges in the workforce, including their lower pay [compared] to men, women’s greater education may allow them to hold jobs that make homeownership more possible. There is also decreasing societal stigma to women’s singleness.”