Annual Research Awards BanquetM O N D A Y, A P R I L 1 6 , 2 0 1 8H U N T E R H E N RY C E N T E R

Hosted by the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and the Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine

M I S S I S S I P P I S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y

Research Awards Banquet 2018

Thank you for joining us for this year’s Annual Research Awards Banquet at Mississippi State University. As our state’s leading university, Mississippi State-led research is an unrivaled success story, and each of you plays a role in that success.

We look forward to celebrating the talented and hard working people who have contributed to our research enterprise, and honoring many of you for your special achievements. Today, we say thank you and congratulations for a job well done.

David Shaw Greg BohachVice President for Vice President for Agriculture,Research and Economic Development Forestry and Veterinary Medicine

________________________________________________________________

Program

Welcome ~ Dr. Greg Bohach

opening remarks ~ PresiDent mark e. keenum

Prayer ~ Dr. DaviD shaW

Lunch

Presentation of aWarDs

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and MAFESDr. George hoPperFaculty: Raja Reddy Research Support: Thomas HorganGraduate Student: Cathurika WijewardanaUndergraduate Student: Hunt Walne

College of Forest Resources and Forest and Wildlife Research CenterDr. George hoPperFaculty: Heather AlexanderResearch Support: Billy “Landis” HerrinGraduate Student: Carolina BaruzziUndergraduate Student: Steven Wood

College of Veterinary MedicineDr. kent hobLetFaculty: Barbara Kaplan Research Support: Leslie A. Shack Graduate Student: Adef KordonUndergraduate Student: Ethan T. Woodyard

College of Architecture, Art and DesignDean Jim WestFaculty: Jamie Burwell Mixon Research Support: Jacob “Scott” HudspethUndergraduate Student: Carly Melton

College of Arts & SciencesDr. rick travisFaculty: Adam Skarke Research Support: Elizabeth MillerGraduate Student: William David HarrisUndergraduate Student: Nic Ezzell

College of BusinessDr. sharon osWalDFaculty: Frank AdamsResearch Support: Schanna Beckham Graduate Student: Christian Barney

College of EducationDr. richarD Blackbourn Faculty: Daniel L. Gadke Research Support: Latara Arterberry Graduate Student: Kasia GalloUndergraduate Student: Allison Moore

Bagley College of Engineering Dr. Jason keithFaculty: Yucheng Liu Research Support: Sandra L. Ortega-AchuryGraduate Student: Zhiyong GongUndergraduate Student: Dennison Iacomini

Meridian CampusDr. terry DaLe cruseFaculty: Mark Fincher Graduate Student: Chris Kelly

University Centers and Institutes Dr. teresa GammilLFaculty: Joby CzarneckiResearch Support: Louis WassonGraduate Student: Chris ZarzarUndergraduate Student: Cary McCraine

Office of Research and Economic Development Dr. teresa GammilLResearch Support: Stephanie HycheGraduate Student: Erin Walker Dillard

________________________________________________________________Ralph E. Powe Research Excellence AwardDr. DaviD shaW anD Dr. Greg BohachWes Schilling

________________________________________________________________MSU Intellectual Property Inventors, FY 2017Jeremy cLay

________________________________________________________________Patent Information

colLeGe of aGricuLture anD Life sciences-mafesShien Lu, jointly with James Smith, Ganyu Gu and Akshaya Ravichandran“Engineering the Production of a Conformational Variant of Occidiofungin that has Enhanced Inhibitory Activity Against Fungal Species”(Patent No. 9,624,270 – Issued 4/18/17)This invention relates to antifungal compounds and their therapeutic use in the prevention or treatment of fungal infections and diseases. Particularly, various aspects of the invention provide compositions enriched for occidiofungin diastereomers/conformers that have higher activity against fungal infections or diseases (in mammals and plants).

colLeGe of aGricuLture anD Life sciences-mafes Ali Borazjani, Jun Liao and Benjamin Weed“Insertable Probe”(Patent No. 9,510,766 – Issued 12/6/16)The field of this invention is the diagnostics and measuring of properties of interior spaces such as lumens of bodies, for example, in the gynecological and intestinal systems.

colLeGe of Forest resourcesJilei Zhang, jointly with Zhiyong Cai“Methods of Synthesizing Graphene from a Lignin Source”(Patent No. 9,540,244 – Issued 1/10/17)This subject matter relates to methods for synthesizing carbon nanomaterials from wood by-products. In particular, the invention uses lignin from pulping operations for synthesizing carbon-based nanomaterials, such as graphene nanosheets.

oreD anD DaFvm energy instituteJoint With the colLeGe of arts & sciencesMark White and William Henry (to be received by Jackie Edwards-Henry), jointly with Samantha Ranaweera“Catalysts and Process for Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuel Production”(Patent No. 9,404,048– Issued 8/2/16)This is a novel process and system in which a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen synthesis gas, or syngas, is converted into hydrocarbon mixtures composed of high quality distillates, gasoline components, and lower molecular weight gaseous olefins in one reactor or step. The invention utilizes a novel supported bimetallic ion complex catalyst for the conversion.________________________________________________________________2017-2018 Dean Wallace Colvard Faculty Leadership ProgramDr. teresa GammilLShrinidhi Ambinakudige, GeosciencesBrian Baldwin, Plant & Soil SciencesCindy Bethel, Computer Science & EngineeringGuihong Bi, Plant & Soil SciencesStephen Brain, HistoryJenny Du, Electrical & Computer EngineeringDavid Hoffman, Anthropology & Middle Eastern CulturesT.J. Jankun-Kelly, Computer Science & EngineeringBindu Nanduri, CVM Basic Science DepartmentMichael Seymour, Landscape ArchitectureLesley Strawderman, Industrial & Systems EngineeringJohn Wyatt, Instructional Systems & Workforce Development

________________________________________________________________Closing RemarksDr. DaviD shaW

Thanks and RecognitioninstitutionaL revieW BoarD For the Protection of human subJects in researchKevin ArmstrongKari Babski-Reeves, ChairDavid Baggett, AlternateNicole CobbAshley ColemanAnastasia ElderPatricia FaverSteven Grice, Vice ChairAdam KnightAshley Massey, AlternateTom RitterCliff StoryKacey StricklandJohn Usher, AlternateBenjamin Wax

conFlict of interest revieW committeeBarry BarnettTim BarnettKathy DooleyJennifer EasleyMark LawrenceJoan LucasBart MoffattJordan RamseyToni RobersonJudy SpencerKacey StricklandDavid Van LandinghamKen Willeford, ChairLynn Wyman

institutionaL Biosafety committeeClarissa Balbalian, ChairJohn BrooksCarla HustonCurtis JerniganAttila KarsiChristina LucasAlicia OliverMichael ParsonsTrent PeacockTodd Pharr, Vice ChairJohn StokesKacey StricklandJustin Thornton

raDioLoGical, chemicaL anD Lab safety committeePeter AllenErin BrinkmanTodd FrenchJamie LarsonGiselle MunnPeter RyanKeun Seok SeoPaul Te-Ming TsengCharles WaggonerScott Willard

iacuc memBersChris AyersAlejandro BandaWes BurgerDavid ChristiansenElizabeth Ann HendersonJack ForbusAaron KiessNadine KirkRobert Ernest MeyerMark GuytonChuck MischkeTrent PeacockBrian RudeLucy SenterTrent SmithKacey StricklandBetsy SwansonJustin ThorntonAndrea Varela-StokesBridget Willeford

mississiPpi school For mathematics anD scienceresearch Program mentors - FalL 2017/sprinG 2018Brian CountermanXin CuiTed DobsonDipangkar DuttaSteven ElderKeith KoenigSantanu KunduTom LacyLing LiHyeona Lim

Yucheng LiuJunfeng MaTodd MlsnaLauren PriddyRam RamkumarRyan RangeHongjoo RheeColleen ScottLashan SimpsonTonya StoneMatt ThomasJustin ThorntonLakeisha WilliamsYang Zhao

Faculty LeaDership & seminar series Presenters - FalL 2017/sprinG 2018Stephanie AgnewKari Babski-ReevesBecky BassettChristy BischoffJudy BonnerAshli BrownReuben BurchAustin CheckJeremy ClayNicole CobbArt CosbyJeffrey DeanJennifer EasleyDarrell EasleyTyson ElbertKayleigh FewJessica FlowersMarty FullerShauncey HillClaudia HollandTina HoodStephanie HycheEdie IrvinJulie JordanPresident Mark E. KeenumSava KolevMary Ann LathamDeborah LeeNeil LewisRobert Moorhead

Michael ParsonsAllison PearsonDenise PeeplesSteve PruettBlair ReedRoy RubyDavid ShawTrina SmithJudy SpencerTeresa StewartJustin StidhamKacey StricklandJosh UsherSandy WilliamsonNatalie Young

ralPh e. PoWe research exceLlence aWarD Winners2017 — Henry Wan2016 — Wes Burger2015 — Brent Funderburk2014 — Nicholas Herrmann2013 — Daniel G. Peterson2012 — Kambham “Raja” Reddy2011 — James C. Newman Jr.2010 — Stanislaw Grzybowski2009 — Shane Burgess2008 — Mark Horstemeyer2007 — Louis D’Abramo2006 — Jung P. Shim2005 — H. Michael Barnes2005 — Janice Chambers2004 — Domenico Parisi2003 — Thomas E. Nebeker2002 — Douglas L. Marshall2001 — Roger L. King2000 — David R. Shaw1999 — Robert W. Rogers1998 — Charles U. Pittman Jr.1997 — Lewis R. Brown

Honoree ProfilesCOLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES AND MAFES

Raja Reddy | FacultyRaja Reddy is currently a Research Professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. He teaches graduate-level courses in environmental plant physiology and crop modeling. He is an internationally recognized authority in environmental plant physiology including climate impacts on agriculture and food security issues. He uses plant

growth chambers and crop models to unravel environmental cues on plant processes and develop modeling methodologies for a wide range management and policy arenas.

Dr. Reddy reaches stakeholders by publishing his research in several avenues. He has published over 200 articles — 138 refereed journal papers, 30 book chapters, 32 proceedings — during his 30-year career at MSU with more than 8,000 citations.

Dr. Reddy’s high research impact has been recognized several times by his peers including the Ralph Powe Research Excellence Award, the highest MSU research honor (2012); the MAFES Research Impact Award with most impact on Mississippi (2017), the CALS Science Award for Outstanding Scientific Publications (2014, 2012, 2002), the DAFVM Superior Faculty Award International Engagement (2016), the International Institute Research Scholar Award (2014) for notable contributions to the advancement global engagement at MSU; the Sera-National Excellence in Multistate Research Award – Sweetpotato Collaborative Team (2013) by the Experiment Station Committee on organization and policy of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges; the Outstanding Research Award in Cotton Physiology, National Cotton Council of America (2010); The Rosalind and Rodney Foil Teamwork awards (2012, 2013) for achievements in team research at MSU; the Award of Excellence for outstanding work in MAFES (2006); Fellow, the Crop Science Society of America (2006); and Fellow, the American Society of America (2005).

His passion for research and mentoring extends beyond borders. He’s trained 17 visiting and 35 postdoctoral scientists, eight Ph.D. eight M.S. and two undergraduate students. Currently, he advises seven Ph.D., two M.S., and one undergraduate students in his program. He mentors his students to reach their full potential, resulting in over 60 presentation awards at various professional meetings.

Reddy holds a B.Sc. degree in Biology, a M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Botany with applied plant physiology from Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati, India.

Thomas Horgan | Research SupportThomas Horgan started working for Mississippi State as a Research Technician in the newly formed Horticulture Unit at the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center in the spring of 1996. He was the first person promoted in the unit when he became a Research Assistant.

In 1998, two co-workers were enrolled in classes on campus, and he commented that he wished he could take classes. His project leader informed him that MSU wants you to take classes — so he enrolled and started work on a master’s degree in Horticulture. He received that degree in 2004. A 1981 graduate of Ocean Springs High School, he was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps in 1988. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of Southern Mississippi.

He is proud that over the years, he and his colleagues have concentrated on research to help local and regional vegetable growers. They are now researching sustainable and organic practices in vegetable horticulture. He has authored and co-authored more than 30 publications with many being refereed journals. He has been happily married over 10 years to his best friend and lovely wife, Andrea, and they are both active members of Oak Valley Christian Church.

Chathurika Wijewardana | Graduate StudentChathurika Wijewardana is originally from Sri Lanka, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Kelaniya in 2011. She then moved to Mississippi State and enrolled to pursue her goal of earning a master’s degree in Agronomy under the guidance of Drs. Brien Henry and K. Raja Reddy.

Chathu is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences under the direction of Dr. Reddy. Her doctoral research focuses on studying the effects of drought on soybean vegetative and reproductive growth and post-harvest seed physiology and quality.

Chathu has received the 2017 Gerald O. Mott Award for Meritorious Graduate Students in Crop Science from the Crop Science Society of America and the Ph.D. Student Award of Merit Scholarship from Gamma Sigma Delta MSU Chapter. Also, she has been awarded the 2017 Outstanding Graduate Manuscript Award from the Mississippi Academy of Sciences.

Chathu is an author or co-author on 10 peer-reviewed publications and has over 40 abstracts at national and international meetings. She currently serves as the president of the Starkville-Multiculture-Lions Club. She is married to Rangana Wijayapala, a post-doctoral Research Associate in Chemical Engineering at MSU. She is also a faithful fan of American football and enjoys traveling.

Hunt Walne | Undergraduate StudentHunt Walne earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agronomy from Mississippi State in May 2017. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Agronomy under the advisement of Dr. K. Raja Reddy. His experience in research commenced his junior year through the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program, sponsored by the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station.

As an undergraduate researcher, Walne studied drought tolerance in Corn at the Soil-Plant-Atmosphere-Research (SPAR) laboratory located on the R.R. Foil Plant Science Research Farm

in Starkville. He continues to investigate the effects of abiotic stressors, such as drought and flooding, on corn growth and development in Mississippi through his graduate studies.

While an undergraduate, Walne became involved in student government, serving the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences as a student senator for three terms and as vice president of the MSU Student Association during the 2016-2017 school year.

Last fall, Walne was selected as the first Golden Opportunity Scholar from MSU by the American Society of Agronomy. These experiences, paired with two summer internships in our nation’s capital, have expanded his academic interests to include agricultural policy, its relationship to agricultural science, and the overall goal of feeding a growing, ever changing global population.

COLLEGE OF FOREST RESOURCES AND FOREST & WILDLIFE RESEARCH CENTER

Heather Alexander | FacultyHeather Alexander is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Forestry at Mississippi State. She received her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Kentucky in 2008, and was a National Science Foundation Post-Doctoral Fellow at the University of Florida from 2009 to 2012.

Dr. Alexander’s research aims to develop a mechanistic understanding of the ecological vulnerability and resilience of forest communities following disturbances, especially fire, and includes studies across a variety of ecosystems: boreal forests of Alaska and Siberia, temperate forests of the Southeastern U.S., and thornscrub forests of the semi-arid Southwest.

Over the last three years, her work has been published 17 times in a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including Ecosystems, Restoration Ecology, and Forest Ecology and Management. Members and associates of her lab have given 70 presentations at international, national, regional, and local conferences, including 50 led by graduate or undergraduate researchers.

Dr. Alexander has received approximately $1 million in funding, including about $800,000 from the National Science Foundation to conduct research on climate warming, wildfires and forest carbon dynamics in the Siberian Arctic. In 2017, she received both the Forest and Wildlife Research Center-College of Forest Resources Research and Early Career Achievement Awards.

Billy “Landis” Herrin | Research Support

Billy “Landis” Herrin is a Mississippi native and holds both a bachelor’s (2008) and master’s (2012) in Forestry from Mississippi State University. He began working as a Research Associate I with Dr. R.J. Rousseau in the Department of Forestry while also working on his master’s degree.

In 2014, Landis was promoted to Research Associate II. He is currently assisting in a variety

of genetic research efforts focused primarily on biomass production for renewable energy and biofuels, including Populus species and hybrids, black willow and eucalyptus. He has an expertise in Populus breeding and testing and has greatly aided in the success of an international grant. During the last eight years, his efforts led to the success of developing new black willow varietal planting stock for the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley.

Landis has developed the critical knowledge of how varietals field tests are designed for extraction of maximum information. In addition to his research efforts, he has also assisted in a variety of Extension efforts that includes numerous Forestry Field Days giving presentations to both landowners and students explaining ongoing research. He has also helped with collection of data for hardwood workshops and short courses.

Recently, he greatly aided in establishing several loblolly pine Demonstration/Research tests throughout the state to interested landowners. These tests provides to the landowner, as well as others, with a great visual effect of how different genetics plays an important role in pine yield and tree quality.

Carolina Baruzzi | Graduate Student

Carolina Baruzzi is from Bologna, Italy. She received a B.Sc. in South Asian Studies from Bologna University and studied ungulate ecosystem engineering for her M.Sc. at Bologna University.

She began her Ph.D. program in Dr. Marcus Lashley’s lab within the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Mississippi State in January 2017. Her dissertation research is focused on animal behavior-mediated indirect effects of resource pulses on ecosystem processes. During Carolina’s first year at MSU, she successfully published five peer-reviewed journal articles as lead author, one from her current research program and four from continuing international collaborations with four countries. Additionally, since being at MSU she has submitted another three manuscripts that are currently in review at international journals, authored two scientific presentations, and is helping to mentor three undergraduate researchers.

In alignment with her previous experience researching ecology and behavior of a variety of ungulates in several ecosystems and her current research program, her primary research interests include ungulate ecology and behavior, plant-herbivore interactions, and scaling animal behavior to ecosystem processes.

Steven Wood | Undergraduate Student

Steven Wood is a senior majoring in Forestry from Red Bay, Alabama. He has worked in the Forest Soils and Hydrology Laboratory under Dr. Courtney Siegert for the past two years, where he participated in data collection from field sites as well as sample processing in the lab.

At the end of summer of 2017, Steven travelled with a team of researchers from Dr. Siegert and

Dr. John Riggins’ labs from MSU in conjunction with Dr. Juliet Tang from the U.S. Forest Service and Dr. Natalie Clay from Louisiana Tech University. The purpose of the trip was to establish a research plot for the study of pine beetle effects on western pine ecology in Arizona — a collaborative project with Northern Arizona University.

Steven has served as an officer for the Mississippi State Student Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, a College of Forest Resources Ambassador, and a member of the 2017 National Champion Forestry Quiz Bowl team. After graduation, he will be working for Molpus Timberlands Group as a Forest Manager in the firm’s Deridder, Louisiana, office.

COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE

Barbara Kaplan | Faculty

Barbara Kaplan received her B.S. from the University of California, Davis in Environmental Toxicology. She then earned a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in Pharmacology and Toxicology, followed by post-doctoral training in tumor immunology at the University of Chicago.

Following several years as a Research Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, Dr. Kaplan joined the faculty at the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2013. Since then, she has established a research program focused on the effects of drugs and chemicals on autoimmune disease. She became a junior investigator on the Center for Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE NIH P20) studying whether T regulatory cells induced by low levels of superantigens produced by S. aureus can be used as a cell-based treatment for autoimmune disease. She also received an NIH R15 grant studying whether environmental contaminants can induce B regulatory cells. Additionally, she has expertise in deciphering how marijuana compounds alter immunity.

Dr. Kaplan believes it is important for scientists to communicate their results effectively with various audiences, including the general public. Toward that end, she was among 32 scientists selected to attend the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science boot camp at Stony Brook University in June 2017 and has published in the PLOS Science Communication blog.

Leslie A. Shack | Research Support

Leslie “Allen” Shack is a research associate at the Department of Basic Sciences in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Mississippi State. He has been working in the field of infectious diseases for the last 16 years and has helped tenure track faculty members establish their labs and research programs. His contribution was critical to their academic

success as he enabled two faculty members including his current PI to go through the tenure process successfully.

Mr. Shack oversees all aspects of lab management, compliance, safety and SOPs. His specific

contribution is in the area of expression proteomics, analysis of gene expression by qRT-PCR and general molecular biology protocols. Participating in COBRE funded research in Dr. Bindu Nanduri’s lab, he has become well versed with the microbiological aspects of working with pneumococci. He works closely with all project personnel including postdocs, graduate students and undergraduate students and provides basic training in pneumococcal biology. He will oversee data collection, storage associated with the proposed work and will continue to maintain the integrity of pneumococcal strains available in the lab.

When his individual contribution is critical to a project, he has co-authored 15 manuscripts. He has a B.S. and M.S. in biological sciences, which he obtained from Mississippi State University. He is currently pursuing a B.S. in geographic information systems.

Adef Kordon | Graduate Student

Adef Kordon is a doctoral candidate in the veterinary medical sciences Ph.D. program in the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Department of Basic Sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Abant Izzet Baysal University in Turkey, and a master’s degree in biology from MSU.

Adef ’s research interests are in the area of infection diseases and immunology. Her doctoral research project is focused on innate and adaptive immune responses in channel catfish challenged with live attenuated and wild-type Edwardsiella ictaluri strains.

Adef is the first author on two manuscripts published in highly-cited peer-reviewed journals. Her review article on innate immune responses in fish was recently accepted for publication, and one more original manuscript is currently under review. She has also presented her work at regional, national and international conferences.

Ethan Woodyard | Undergraduate Student

Ethan Woodyard is a senior Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture major at Mississippi State University. He has worked in a parasitology lab, formerly led by Dr. Linda Pote and now led by Dr. Graham Rosser, at the College of Veterinary Medicine since July of 2012.

During his time in the lab, Ethan has helped with preparation for and demonstrations in the laboratory section of the college’s Veterinary Parasitology course, as well as provided assistance to Dr. Pote’s graduate students in their work to elucidate the life cycles of parasites affecting the catfish aquaculture industry in Mississippi.

In addition to carrying out these expected duties, he has also authored two publications and served as a coauthor on seven additional published papers. Ethan has also been awarded a grant under the IUCN-SSG Crocodile Specialist Group Student Research Support Scheme to support his ongoing collaboration between his academic advisor, Dr. Scott Rush of the College of Forest Resources’ Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture and Dr. Graham

Rosser of the CVM’s Department of Basic Sciences, to characterize parasites of American alligators in Mississippi.

Upon completion of his Bachelor of Science degree, Ethan intends to pursue graduate studies in parasitology.

COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, ART & DESIGN

Jamie Burwell Mixon | Faculty

Jamie Burwell Mixon is a professor of Graphic Design in the Department of Art. After graduating from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Art, she worked as a designer, illustrator and art director for 10 years before joining the faculty in 1991. At MSU, she is coordinator of the Graphic Design Concentration area, teaches

graphic design courses and continues to design for select clients.

Since 2004, her “creative activity” has focused on designing and illustrating concert posters, creating 7-10 per year. She has created posters for Katy Perry, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars, the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Dolly Parton, Mumford & Sons, Chris Stapleton, Pink, Tom Petty, George Strait, Blake Shelton, Cher, Guns ‘n Roses, Eric Clapton, Taylor Swift, AC/DC and James Taylor, among others.

Professor Mixon’s work has been featured in Communication Arts, Print, HOW, Creative Quarterly, Logo Lounge and various other international design publications. In the Los Angeles-based annual Pollstar LIVE! National Concert Industry Awards Poster Competition, her work has garnered six top awards, including Poster of the Year in 2009.

Mixon was named a MSU Grisham Master Teacher in 2004, and honored with a Grisham Teaching Excellence Award in 1996. She loves design — and she loves her design students!

Jacob “Scott” Hudspeth | Research Support

Since being hired as the Building Services Coordinator and Fabrication Director for the School of Architecture at Mississippi State, one of Scott Hudspeth’s primary goals has been to work with students and faculty to improve the quality of models and other physical artifacts created for various class and research projects.

He has been able to achieve success of this goal through the improvement of teaching methods of modeling skills and through the acquisition of new equipment and tools used in these processes.

Scott received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Mississippi State in 2013, and is currently pursuing a Master of Accountancy degree in MSU’s College of Business and Adkerson School of Accountancy.

Carly Melton | Undergraduate Student

Senior Carly Melton has been the president of MSU Figure Drawing since fall 2015, and in that time, the group’s members have participated in a number of community service events, including Art in the Park and the Cotton District Arts Festival.

Carly has been a counselor in the Jackson Design Camp, working with members of the Boys and Girls Club of Jackson for the past two years, and she’s been invited back this summer.

With a seat on the Dean’s Council, she has spent time talking to prospective students about the art department and campus. As a representative for the organization and the art department as an extension of Mississippi State University, she strives to present herself as a benevolent force in the community.

In her thesis body of work, Carly is utilizing the formal elements of various eras of film photography and the inherent sentimentality, honesty and nostalgia of family snapshots, translating them into a series of acrylic paintings. The work explores a personal narrative of closeted queer identity.

She will graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in drawing in May.

COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES

Adam Skarke | Faculty

Adam Skarke is a geologist with broad research interests in the fields of marine geology and geophysics. His research is focused on quantifying oceanographic and geologic processes in seafloor environments that extend from shallow coastal waters to the deep sea. He has participated in 23 oceanographic research expeditions and utilized human occupied submersibles as well as robotic underwater vehicles to conduct seafloor exploration.

Dr. Skarke’s research in the northern Gulf of Mexico addresses pressing regional concerns including coastal response to sea level rise, coastal water quality, wetland loss and the sustainability of Mississippi’s commercial oyster fishery. His deep sea research addresses global scale phenomena, particularly seafloor methane release, which holds significant implications for pressing global scale concerns including ocean acidification, ocean deoxygenation and global carbon budgets.

Dr. Skarke has published his research in top peer-reviewed journals including Nature Geoscience and Geology and has been a PI on external research grants totaling more than $2.6 million. Recently, he was awarded the Early Career Research Fellowship by the National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program. He earned a B.A. (2003) in geology from Colgate University and a M.S. (2008) as well as Ph.D. (2013) in marine geology from the University of Delaware.

Elizabeth Miller | Research Support

Elizabeth Miller is currently the Business Manager in the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. She has held this position since August 2015. Prior to the Mathematics and Statistics department, she served Aerospace Engineering, beginning in January 2005.

Elizabeth received her bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University, as well as a certificate in Business Administration. She received recognition as the Staff Member of the Year in Aerospace Engineering in 2008, and the Support Staff Award, Bagley College of Engineering in 2011 and 2012.

She has been a member of both NCURA — the National Council of University Research Administration — and SRA International — the Society of Research Administrators, and enjoys working with faculty on both pre- and post-award activities.

She also believes that perspective is everything, citing a favorite quote: “Sometimes only a change of viewpoint is needed to convert a tiresome duty into an interesting opportunity.”

William Harris | Graduate Student

William Harris grew up in Lafayette County, where he developed an interest in history and the lifeways of people in the past. He was active in the Boy Scouts of America and became an Eagle Scout. His scoutmaster was a dendrologist who gave a continuing interest in the natural history of the forests of Mississippi. He originally attended

MSU to study dendrology, but left after realizing he was not meant for that career. Eventually, he made his way back to Mississippi State as a graduate student in the Applied Anthropology program in the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures.

Growing up in a musically-oriented family, he also developed a passion for ethnomusicology and traditional music, and often volunteered time at and donated items to the Blues Archive at the University of Mississippi, where he met many prominent folklorists and music collectors. He later became an anthropology major and found a love for archaeology and ethnography. It was also fortuitous that he and his major professor were interested in both paleobiogeography, prehistory and Darwinian evolutionary theory.

In recent years, he has won awards from the Mississippi Archaeological Association and Mississippi Department of Archives and History for hundreds of hours of volunteer work and for presented research.

Nic Ezzell | Undergraduate Student

Nic Ezzell is a junior physics and mathematics double major working towards a career as a professional computational physicist at a national lab or university. His personal research philosophy is that all things in life are inherently interesting, and you need only think about them long enough.

With that approach in mind, it may come as no surprise that his first research project involved computationally studying proteins in the Department of Chemistry with Dr. Nicholas Fitzkee, a few paces down the Drill Field from Hilbun Hall, the home to the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Mississippi. His efforts focused on elucidating the way that a special class of proteins function using Monte Carlo simulations. With a combination of hard work and luck, those efforts resulted in being an author for a publication accepted in the Biophysical Journal, a poster presentation at the 61st Biophysical Society meeting in New Orleans, and a couple of regional poster awards.

From this experience, he was able to land a job at Oak Ridge National Lab, where he worked on protein self-assembly simulations during the summer of 2017 with Dr. Miguel Fuentes-Cabrera. It is culminating into a first-author paper for ACS Nano, and a presentation at the 2018 American Physical Society Meeting.

These days, he finds himself back in Hilbun Hall, and working to find novel uses for D-wave’s adiabatic quantum computer with Dr. Mark Novotny’s group.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS

Frank Adams | Faculty

Frank Adams is the Mary Jo and Paul Carr Fellow, and an Assistant Marketing Professor at Mississippi State University’s College of Business, specializing in Supply Chain Management and Relational Governance Strategy.

His research has been published in Decision Sciences Journal, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Logistics, The International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, and Supply Chain Management, an International Journal.

Dr. Adams received both a Ph.D. (2012) and M.B.A. (2008) from the University of Alabama, and a B.A. (1997) from Mississippi State University. Prior to entering academia, he worked as an operations and logistics manager in the medical device industry.

Schanna Beckham | Research Support

Schanna Beckham joined the College of Business, Division of Business Research as the Contract & Grants Specialist in August 2017, and is excited about the possibilities of funding opportunities for the different departments.

Schanna began her career at Mississippi State in 2004, first working in the Travel/Accounts Payable Department. She later moved to the Early Childhood Institute as the Project Accounts Specialist where she managed all grants funded through the Mississippi Department of Human Services for eight years before moving to the College of Veterinary Medicine as the Business Manager for the $11-million biomedical research (COBRE) grant funded through the National Institutes of Health.

Schanna has been a member of Society for Research Administrators International (SRA) for two years and a member of National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) for three years. In November 2017, Schanna became certified as a Certified Research Administrator through the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC).

When not at work, Schanna and her husband, Charles, enjoy riding their motorcycles and spending time with their two canine boys, Ike and Quincy. Other interests include making jewelry and being surrounded by their four children and six grandchildren.

Christian Barney | Graduate Student

Christian Barney is a second-year Ph.D. student in Marketing at Mississippi State University. She has an MBA from the University of Montana, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

She has worked in online retailing and advertising and has had the opportunity to do work for top brands such as AT&T, Microsoft, Coca-Cola and more. Her research interests involve the sociological aspects of consumer behavior and include work on embarrassment, gifting, branding and disposition.

Her work has been published in the Journal of Retailing and the Harvard Business Review online.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION

Daniel Gadke | Faculty

Daniel Gadke earned his Ph.D. in School Psychology from Illinois State University and completed his pre-doctoral and post-doctoral work at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Currently, Dr. Gadke is an assistant professor of School Psychology at Mississippi State University where he started and runs the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic. Specializing in behavior difficulties and skill acquisition, he is a Licensed Psychologist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist.

Overall, Dr. Gadke’s research interests include academic and behavioral interventions from an applied behavioral analytic model using single subject design research methodology. He has 15 peer-reviewed publications, 12 book chapters and related publications, two test reviews, and 7 additional manuscripts currently under review. In addition to publishing, he has approximately 170 professional presentations at international, national, regional and state conferences.

He has also been awarded approximately $2.25 million in external funding as either principal investigator or co-PI. He serves on the editorial board for School Psychology’s Trainer’s Forum, and as an ad-hoc reviewer for 7 additional journals. Recently, he won the 2017 College of Education Herb Handley Research Award.

Latara Arterberry | Research Support

Latara Arterberry is a native of Weir. She is now a resident of Starkville. She attended college at Mississippi State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences.

After graduating from MSU, she worked as a scanning electron microscope (SEM) operator and thin films etcher at a research laboratory for manufacturing diodes and transistors. She returned to college to earn a second bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Mississippi University for Women. She also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Alcorn State University before returning to MSU to work.

Latara serves as the Administrative Assistant at the T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability in the College of Education. She was selected to participate in the Departmental Administrator Working Group (DAWG) program offered by the Office of Sponsored Projects, which she will be completing in May. She is a member of Delta Mu Delta, Sigma Chi Iota and Golden Key International Honour Society.

She and her husband, Reggie, have two children — Jeleelius and Leanna. When not at work, she enjoys taking cruises, watching home improvement shows, and spending time with family.

Kasia Gallo | Graduate Student

Kasia Gallo is a Ph.D. student, instructor and an undergraduate advisor in the Department of Counseling, Educational Psychology and Foundations. She has a background in architecture and landscape architecture (BArch and MLA) from Louisiana State University, and a master’s degree in educational psychology from Mississippi State University. She is mentored by Dr. David Morse, and is grateful for his perpetual encouragement, support, and quirky sense of humor.

Kasia researches creativity, problem-solving and writing as a cognitive process. To increase her effectiveness in using writing-to-learn strategies in the classroom, she completed the 2016 Maroon Institute for Writing Excellence. Since joining the program, she has presented or co-presented her research at regional, national, and international conferences. Her work was published in the Journal of Further and Higher Education, and in Psychologia Wychowawcza/Educational Psychology. She also authored a book chapter on writing in landscape architecture (in press). She is a co-PI with Dr. Anastasia Elder on an undergraduate research grant project funded by the College of Education.

Kasia has received a Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award, Mid-South Educational Research Association Foundation Research in Progress Award, International Convention of Psychological Science Travel Grant and Mississippi State Office of the Graduate School Travel Assistance Grant.

Allison Moore | Undergraduate Student

Allison Moore is a senior from Savannah, Tennessee. She studies Kinesiology with a concentration in Clinical Exercise Physiology with plans of attending medical school following graduation.

Allison is an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Department of Kinesiology with a special interest working in the Exercise Biochemistry Lab. She has been involved in multiple studies that involved analyzing blood for biomarkers of oxidative stress in firefighters.

While at MSU, Allison has maintained a 3.94 GPA and has been a President’s List scholar every semester. Outside of class, she is a Health Service Volunteer for MSU’s Department of Health Promotion & Wellness, an intern at OCH Cardiac Rehab, and a member of Exercise Science Honor Society, Physicians on the Rise and American Medical Women’s Association.

BAGLEY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Yucheng Liu | Faculty

Yucheng Liu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and he currently serves as Graduate Coordinator in that department. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Louisville in 2005, and a bachelor’s degree from the Hefei University of Technology in 1997, both in Mechanical Engineering.

Dr. Liu’s research has historically focused on the areas of multiscale material modeling and simulation, high strain rate performance of materials, vehicle systems design and analysis, and hydropower and wave energy technology. His current research interests and activities center on gaining a better understanding of the process-structure-property-performance relations of structural materials through advanced multiscale theoretical framework and integrated computational and experimental methods.

To date, Dr. Liu has published about 180 peer reviewed publications, including more than 90 journal articles. He has been the PI and co-PI for over 30 research projects funded by NSF, DOD, DOE, NASA, Louisiana Board of Regents, and industry with the total amount of $5.3 million.

Dr. Liu is an ASME fellow and holds active membership in SAE, AAAS, and ASEE. He is also a Professional Engineer, registered in Ohio.

Sandra Ortega-Achury | Research Support

Sandra Ortega-Achury is a Research Associate II in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Mississippi State. She is from Colombia, where she obtained a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Surcolombiana University.

Despite leaving a big family in her beloved Colombia, Sandra moved

to Puerto Rico in 2002 to get a master’s degree in Soils Science at the University of Puerto Rico. After concluding her studies, she moved to Starkville, where she has been working at MSU for more than 10 years.

During this time, Sandra has been coordinating the environmental and instrumentation laboratories of the CEE Department and has participated in environmental and water resources related research projects. Her service and research accomplishments have been recognized in several forms, including the 2012 Outstanding Research Associate Award, honored by the Office of Regulatory Compliance and Safety, and being nominated to the 2013 Zacharias Distinguished Staff Award and the 2011 Outstanding Women Awards.

For Sandra, being part of the MSU family has been a blessing that gives her the opportunity to combine the two things she loves the most: to be a mother and to advance in her career. With the knowledge acquired through the years starting back home with her family — who she thinks are the rock of her life — and all her mentors and advisors, Sandra enjoys teaching and doing research.

Zhiyong Gong | Graduate Student

Zhiyong Gong is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Mississippi State University. His current research work focuses on optically trapping various types of single airborne particles, including atmospheric aerosols, mineral dusts, carbon nanotubes, pollens, etc., and monitoring their physical and chemical variations using advanced laser spectroscopic technologies.

During the past three and a half years’ research in Dr. Chuji Wang’s group, he has published six peer-reviewed journal articles, including two featured on the front cover of Applied Physics Letters and Chemical Physics Letters. He has delivered six conference presentations and received two conference travel awards from two international conferences.

Before his Ph.D. study at MSU, he graduated with honors and received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Biomedical Engineering from Tianjin Medical University and the Chinese Academy of Medical Science respectively. He is a member of AAAR and AGU. He plans to graduate in May 2019 and pursue a career in academia.

Dennison Iacomini | Undergraduate Student

Dennison Iacomini is a senior at Mississippi State University where he is majoring in Electrical Engineering. He currently works as an Undergraduate Research Assistant at the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems.

At CAVS, he collaborates on a research team comprised of undergraduate and graduate engineering students. The overall goal is to design, develop and integrate a Collision Avoidance System into an industrial cargo tractor, adding semi-autonomous functionality to the vehicle.

Dennison made significant contributions to the development and implementation of the system’s kinematic model that accurately depicts the real time location of the system.

When not working or studying, he enjoys activities such as working out, cooking and cheering on Mississippi State athletics. Dennison was born just outside of Dallas, Texas, and currently is a resident of Pensacola, Florida. Upon graduation in December, he plans to further his career by attending graduate school or becoming a full-time engineer.

MERIDIAN CAMPUS

Mark Fincher | Faculty

Mark Fincher joined the Mississippi State faculty in the fall of 2014, and is serving as the Coordinator for the Community College Education Program. He also advises Ph.D. students and teaches the university’s Community College Finance doctoral course.

In 2017, Dr. Fincher had three articles published in peer-reviewed journals — two as a solo author and one as the first author. He also presented four papers at peer-reviewed national conferences and served as the faculty adviser for a student project that was published in a scholarly journal. During this year, he served as the academic program chair for the upcoming 2018 conference of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, and was also the principal investigator and co-principal investigator for two grants.

His research record includes publications in the  Journal of Student Financial Aid, the Journal of Higher Education Policy & Management, Academic Leadership, Competitiveness Review, The Journal of Continuing Higher Education, Higher Education Policy, Journal of Research in Education and The Community College Journal of Research and Practice.

Chris Kelly | Graduate Student

Chris Kelly is a recent graduate of MSU-Meridian, completing a master’s degree in Community College Education at the age of 47. Over the course of the past several years, he served as the program director of the paramedic programs at two different community colleges.

At MSU-Meridian, Chris was involved in three research projects with a goal of presentation and publication. Two of these projects were accepted at peer-reviewed national conferences, including a paper titled, “The Mississippi Community College Story: From Humble Beginnings to Extraordinary Outcomes.” He was the lead researcher on this paper. It’s worth noting that this conference is the premier national venue for community college research. A third paper for which he was an author was given the best graduate student paper award at the 2017 Advancing Mississippi Conference. This paper was then published as the year’s Best Student Paper by the Mississippi Economic Review.

Chris and his youngest son, Samuel, moved to Alabama earlier this year so that Samuel could attend college with a full scholarship. Unfortunately, his son was involved in a serious accident

and they returned home to Mississippi. Currently, Chris is working for Lifecare EMS in Central Mississippi and caring for his son. He has considered the next steps in his career, and is “still trying to figure out where God wants to use me.” He is confident that the education he received at Mississippi State has prepared him to succeed wherever he ends up next.

UNIVERSITY CENTERS AND INSTITUTES

Joby Czarnecki | Faculty

Joby Czarnecki is an Assistant Research Professor at the Geosystems Research Institute with a faculty home in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

Dr. Czarnecki is a proud alumnus of Oklahoma State University, where she received her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Plant and Soil Science, before completing a Ph.D. at Mississippi State University. Currently, she is conducting research on the applications of unmanned aerial systems for precision agriculture and precision conservation. This work is funded by federal and state sources, including USDA and state commodity boards.

Her long-term research agenda is development of tools for precision placement of best management practices for soil and water conservation. Outside of work, she enjoys jogging slowly, reading mystery novels, and lazy Saturdays on the patio with her husband, Thierry.

Louis Wasson | Research Support

Louis Wasson takes a team approach to help his colleagues drive research forward.

A Senior Extension Associate at Mississippi State’s Geosystems Research Institute, Wasson is a team player who feels fortunate to be able to contribute to the success of the many researchers he has had the good fortune to work with during his years of service at the university.

Wasson’s current research focus is on applied applications of Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) in agriculture and in weather — two areas of great significance to the state of Mississippi’s nearly $8-billion agriculture and forestry industry and with growing applications across a range of industries.

A proud Mississippi State alumnus, Wasson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography in 1985 and a Master of Science degree in Geosciences in 1995. Aurora Flight Sciences has recognized him during its outstanding employee program, and he has been honored as the Geosystems Research Institute’s Research Associate of the Year. He also received a Presidential Citation from the Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists for his contributions to rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — work credited with saving hundreds of lives.

Chris Zarzar | Graduate Student

A native of North Carolina, Chris Zarzar holds a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of North Carolina Asheville, an M.A. in Geography from East Carolina University, and a Ph.D. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from Mississippi State University.

During his dissertation research at MSU, Chris wore many hats while assisting with numerical weather modeling, remote sensing, water quality, and flood inundation visualization projects. He presented at eight conferences and published two papers, with three more in the pipeline. Chris won an award for best student presentation at the 2016 Annual AMS Conference, and he was selected as a research fellow at the National Water Center Summer Institute.

Chris’s passion for MSU continues today as he teaches Hydrometeorology for the MSU Geosciences Distance Education Program. He also teaches multiple courses at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and runs his own consulting business, Zarzar Earth Science Solutions. Chris’s desire to serve society through research, instruction and community engagement drives him to maintain an expansive work portfolio.

Chris was guided by three incredible mentors — Dr. Jamie Dyer, Dr. Padmanava Dash and Dr. Robert Moorhead — and his success would not have been possible without the support of such great mentors, friends and family.

Cary McCraine | Undergraduate Student

Cary McCraine is a senior in electrical engineering at Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering. He started undergraduate research at the Geosystems Research Institute in the summer of 2017. Primarily, he has been involved with extracting meaningful data from small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) imagery with the goal of

helping local resource managers and farmers better understand and make better use of their areas.

Some of his projects include mapping healthy and burned vegetation in the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GBNERR) in the wake of a wild fire, differentiating between various types of aquatic plant life in the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, and mapping the effects and amount of logging Loblolly Pine based on the left behind stumps.

In the future, he plans on continuing his research using sUAS imagery at the Geosystems Research Institute and pursuing his M.S. in electrical and computer engineering at Mississippi State.

OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Stephanie Hyche | Research Support

Associate Director for the Office of Sponsored Projects at Mississippi State University, Stephanie Hyche has more than 18 years of experience in sponsored programs management and administration, having worked as a project director, grant writer, and research administrator prior to joining MSU in 2014.

Stephanie holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English and higher education from the University of West Alabama, and is pursuing the Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration at MSU.

As the lead of MSU’s new Proposal Services Office, Stephanie’s responsibilities include coordination of professional development and grant-related training for MSU investigators and project stakeholders; development of collaborative and multi-disciplinary proposals among researchers and industrial, community, and education partners; identification of strategic funding opportunities; and facilitation of resources for assisting individual investigators with proposal development and project design.

Stephanie is a Certified Research Administrator and is a member of the National Council of University Research Administrators and the Society of Research Administrators International, for which she has often presented and served in various capacities, and is the President-elect for the Alabama-Mississippi Chapter. She is a graduate of MSU’s LEAP program and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi.

Erin Walker Dillard | Graduate Student

Erin Walker Dillard was born and raised in Tupelo. She attended Mississippi State University and received her Bachelor of Accountancy in 2017. She is now pursuing her Master of Professional Accountancy in the Adkerson School of Accountancy.

Throughout her five years at MSU, she has been a member of the Student Association, Relay for Life, Order of Omega, Accounting and Finance Women’s Alliance, Beta Alpha Psi, and Delta Gamma Fraternity, where she served as a Vice President.

During her undergraduate years, she also completed an internship with AutoZone Internal Audit Department in Memphis. She currently serves as the Graduate Research Assistant in the Office of Sponsored Programs, where she assists the Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator.

RALPH E. POWE RESEARCH EXCELLENCE AWARD

Wes Schilling

Wes Schilling is a professor of meat science, sensory science and food chemistry at Mississippi State University in the Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion where he served as the Undergraduate Advisor for Food Science from 2004 through 2017.

Dr. Schilling received an M.S. in Food Science under the direction of Jim Claus, a M.S. degree in Applied Statistics, and a Ph.D. in Food Science and Technology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University in 2002 under the direction of Norm Marriott.

Since coming to Mississippi State, he has developed five courses that focus on hands-on experiences and real world examples that he has experienced through interaction with food companies. Real world examples are related to topics taught through food chemistry, instrumental analysis, and sensory testing principles. His research focuses on sensory science, meat processing (poultry, beef, pork and catfish), meat quality, flavor chemistry, proteomics and statistical methods. His specific research program on sensory research, broiler meat quality, and relationships between sensory quality, flavor chemistry, and consumer science studies have earned him numerous university and national awards.

Dr. Schilling has secured over $2.8 million in funding for his laboratory, while working in conjunction with administrators and scientists in securing over $6 million. He has published greater than 125 peer reviewed journal papers since 2003, and more than 60 since 2012. Since 2008, he has also published 15 chapters in textbooks, including 8 in the 6th edition of Principles of Food Sanitation that will be released in Spring 2018. He has presented greater than 120 papers at professional meetings. He has written more than 50 invited articles for trade magazines such as Meatingplace and Carnetec and completed a sabbatical in 2012 at Johnsonville Sausage, which helped him learn to better design research projects to impact business decisions. He has served as the graduate student advisor for 34 students, with 28 graduate degrees conferred to these students to date.

Dr. Schilling has been awarded the Mississippi State University Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award, the Achievement Award by the American Meat Science Association, the MAFES Outstanding Research Award, the Rosalind and Rodney Foil Teamwork Award, the Gamma Sigma Delta Excellence in Research Award, the Recent Alumnus Award for CALS at Virginia Tech, and the MSU CALS/MAFES Outstanding Research Award.

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