SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State faculty and staff members are being honored for their hard work and dedication in ensuring the successful educational development of university students.

Kevin M. Hunt and Janet S. “Jan” Odom are 2010 winners of recognitions given by the National Academic Advising Association. He is receiving an Outstanding Academic Advising Award/Faculty Category, while she is a selection for an Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit/Primary Role Category.

Hunt is an associate professor in the department of wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture; Odom, a member of the University Academic Advising Center professional staff.

DAVID MILLER

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State will introduce Scott Stricklin as its 16th director of athletics at 2 p.m. today, capping the university’s month-and-a-half long search to replace Greg Byrne.

First reported Thursday night by the Clarion-Ledger, Stricklin will be promoted from associate athletic director for external operations at MSU, a position he’s held since 2008 after leaving his post as associate athletic director for media relations at Kentucky.

An MSU alum, Stricklin has numerous ties to the university. His wife, Anne, is the daughter of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member and MSU great Bailey Howell.

Stricklin has a strong relationship with Byrne, who left last week to take over as athletic director at Arizona.

The pair worked together at Kentucky from 2003-05 when Byrne was associate AD for development and fundraising. When Byrne was named athletic director at MSU, he hired Stricklin to his staff.

Parker Executive Search Firm, hired to assist in finding Byrne’s replacement, and university president Dr. Mark Keenum cap the search near the deadline the latter tentatively set when Byrne announced his decision to head to Arizona.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

TIM PRATT

STARKVILLE – Mississippi State University police seek more information about a weekend robbery reported on Monday.

An MSU student reported that Friday night at about 10 p.m., two black males accosted him on East Lee Boulevard near Cobb Institute of Archaeology.

After saying one of them had a knife, the assailants walked the student to their vehicle near Critz residence hall. After forcing the student inside their vehicle, the men robbed him and then dropped him off near apartments on Locksley Way.

The assailants are described as two black men, one with a large build and the other with a small build. No additional information was released.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

TIM PRATT

A gathering of some of Starkville’s most environmentally conscious minds took place Thursday at Mississippi State University as the 40th anniversary of Earth Day was celebrated around campus.

A percussion ensemble played on the edge of the drill field while a group of Mississippi State students played Frisbee nearby. On Old Main Plaza, between the Colvard Student Union and State Fountain Bakery, children climbed in a tree as their parents sat in the shade, and more than a dozen organizations set up information tables on the edge of the walkway.

The Mississippi Forestry Association and Mississippi State’s Landscape Architecture Department handed out free saplings, while Green Starkville, the Sierra Club and Starkville In Motion gave out information and encouraged students to join. Representatives from BluBox, a division of Triangle Maintenance Service, allowed people to sign up for curbside recycling pickup while about a dozen other organizations talked to passersby.

“Today we are taking a moment to recognize the importance of our environment, energy conservation and the challenges we face as citizens,” MSU President Mark Keenum said during an address to the dozens of students, staff and city officials who gathered around the plaza.

It was part of a weeklong series of events on campus and around town celebrating Earth Day and the sustainability movement as a whole.

City, county and MSU officials on Monday held a groundbreaking at the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum, where students from the university’s Landscape Architecture Department are building a series of self-sustaining gardens using storm runoff to water the plants.

On Tuesday, the Tennessee Valley Authority held a demonstration on thermal energy and energy efficiency.

Mississippi State students on Wednesday planted about 1,000 trees on the north side of campus as part of a reforestation effort.

As part of the Earth Day celebration Thursday, Dumas announced a new initiative, dubbed ECO POW, which will offer a framework and guidelines for MSU departments looking to join in the sustainability effort.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

SPECIAL TO THE DISPATCH

Exhibits, information, speakers, music and more are on the agenda for Mississippi State University’s ECO Week and Earth Day celebration April 19-23.

All of the events on the Starkville campus are free and open to the local community.

“We are looking forward to an outstanding lineup of great speakers and activities throughout the week,” said Jeremiah Dumas, the director of the MSU Environmental Collaborative Office. “We also plan on making several exciting announcements about the university’s sustainability efforts during the Earth Day Fair April 22.”

The Earth Day Fair on Old Main Plaza between Colvard Student Union and Perry Cafeteria will feature a wide range of exhibitors, including student organizations, local nonprofits and businesses, sharing information about their environmental programs, responsible stewardship of natural resources and emerging “green” trends.

Read complete article at Commercial Dispatch.

MSU program invites your town reps to ‘Your Town’ training

The Bleacher Report, a sports website, just released their ranking of best pre/post game college towns. Starkville made the cut (along with Oxford). They really, really liked the Starkville Community Market.