STARKVILLE, Miss.—Hossein Karimi, an assistant professor in Mississippi State’s Department of Psychology, is receiving more than half a million dollars from the National Science Foundation’s prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program—the first award of its kind for the department.

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Ryan A. Folk, assistant professor in Mississippi State’s Department of Biological Sciences, is the recipient of a prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award from the National Science Foundation.

“I come from a long line of learners and storytellers in my family who instilled in me a love of history,” said Leigh Soares an assistant professor of history at Mississippi State University and an affiliated faculty member with the African American Studies program. “Under less constrained circumstances, some of them might have become college professors too.”

Mississippi State is honoring eight outreach projects with the university’s sixth annual Excellence in Community Engagement Awards.

A Mississippi State University communication team recently garnered four top awards at the Southern Public Relations Federation conference in Huntsville for their efforts at increasing the message and visibility of MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences. Along with college staff, students in the Department of Communication took top SPRF awards for their hands-on projects in the classroom.

A Mississippi State University staff member is being recognized by a global society for her contributions to the advancement of research with a ‘Future of the Field’ award from the Society of Research Administrators International, or SRAI.

Kasondra Harris got into the field of education because she likes the sense of purpose that comes with helping others. “I like putting out fires and making people happy with effective solutions to problems,” said the academic coordinator for Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences. “I love the fact that each day brings something new and different.”

A veteran Mississippi State faculty member with a wealth of leadership experience in academic programs and faculty and student development is the College of Arts and Sciences’ new leader for academic affairs.

Two Mississippi State University students received awards from the university’s Gender Studies Program for their research and insights into gender studies issues as part of the Gender Studies Paper Award contest this spring.

Keeping track of numbers, accounts, policies and procedures is a major strength for Sheryl Kinard, but these valuable skills have become even more important to the university because she combines her knowledge with a helpful and collegial attitude.

For the second year, Mississippi State is offering a highly interactive summer experience for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder, possibly the only camp of its kind in the U.S.

Twelve Mississippi State employees are being honored for their dedication to service with this year’s Donald W. Zacharias Distinguished Staff Awards.