Drill Field

Announcements & News

  • FALL 2012 Graduate Teaching Assistant Preparation Program - Online Registration will become available May 21,2012 -
  • Application Fee Increase - Effective July 1, 2012 - IMPORTANT! PLEASE NOTE! The fee for the processing of applications of prospective domestic and international students will increase from $40 to $60 per application, effective July 1, 2012. All applications received on or after July 1 must be accompanied by a $60 non-refundable processing fee.
  • Graduate Housing - - Click HERE for contact information
  • Changing to "Standards for Preparing Theses and Dissertations: 6th edition" for preparation of theses and dissertations - Click HERE for more information.
  • Effective summer 2012 enrollment - the College of Business will not register any unclassified (non-degree) graduate students for any MBA classes. Students intending to apply for regular admission as a MBA or MBA-PM student should apply as soon as possible and not wait until GMAT scores have been received.
  • Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Sciences: - The program is not accepting applications.

Office of the Graduate School Spotlight

The Preparing Future Faculty Program (PFF)

The Preparing Future Faculty Program (PFF) is designed for graduate students who desire to become the future faculty at institutions of higher learning. The capstone course for the program is offered during Maymester and its content complements and enhances an array of professional development activities in which the students participated during the previous fall and spring semesters.

PFF program students on the move When Ph.D. students complete their graduate studies, they are commonly expected to rapidly assume the role of professional teacher and researcher. The PFF program provides a foundational understanding and knowledge of teaching, research, and service to develop and promote skills to meet the unique challenges that will confront these students as they assume leadership roles in their field. The course is specifically designed to help students secure faculty positions or take advantage of postdoctoral research opportunities. Guidance and instruction concerning some critical needs and challenges to achieve success in academia will be provided through a variety of presentations and corresponding discussions and exercises that constitute the course. Topics of presentation and discussion will include time management, elements of research publication and books, conference presentation, grants and contracts, responsible conduct in research, managing a research lab and the students who work there.

This year, 22 participants were selected and represent 5 colleges on campus. The Program is offered through the combined efforts of the Office of the Graduate School, the Teaching and Learning Center, and the Mitchell Memorial Library. Dr. Meghan Millea, College of Business, coordinates the Program, including the Maymester course.

The consensus of the group was, “The PFF course will establish a high level of confidence for graduate students pursuing a professional career at other universities”.

Spring 2012 Preparing Future Faculty Participants from Left to right:
Row 1 - Flavia Ferrari (Veterinary Medicine), Lavanya Challagundla (Biological Science), Sanza Salehi (Veterinary Medicine)
Row 2 - Kyle Briscoe (Agriculture & Life Science), Erick Vasquez (Engineering), Mark Begonia(Engineering), Saurabh Dayal (Engineering), Brandon Malone(Engineering), Shaheen Ahmed (Engineering)
Row 3 - Hector Sanchez (Agriculture & Life Science), Chris Ayers(Forest Resources), Michael Yanney (Chemistry), Manikanthan Bhavaraju (Chemistry), Justin Allison (Education), Yunchen Huang (Engineering)
Not Pictured - Pooja Adhikari (Engineering), Kelly Moser (Education), Nischal Dahal ( Engineering), Kevin Howe (Veterinary Medicine), Jingjun Lu (Veterinary Medicine), Gail Moraru (Veterinary Medicine), Jutima Simsiriwong (Engineering)

The 2012 Graduate Student Association Annual Awards Banquet

L-R Dr. Karen Coats, Associate Dean, Malik Kaya, Prashanti Manda, Lavanya Challagundla, Jamey Matte, Shanan Litchfield, Dr. Lou D'Abramo Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Natalie Nations, Terence Norwood and Leonel Mejia.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) Annual Awards Banquet was held April 24, 2012 in Memorial Hall – Coskery Auditorium. At this event the outstanding research and teaching efforts of MSU graduate students were recognized. Over 80 graduate students, graduate faculty, administration and staff were in attendance. Dr. Jerry Gilbert, Provost and Executive Vice President, was the keynote speaker and gave an informative, thought provoking, and inspiring talk, focusing on the personal value of a graduate education and importance of graduate education at the university, state, national and international levels.

The recipients of awards from the 2012 GSA Symposium were presented plaques of recognition by the Aaron Rollins, GSA President and Dr. Lou D’Abramo, Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. The recipients are:

  • Malika Kaya, PhD, Most Innovative Research -Department of Physics and Astronomy, Dr. Chuji Wang, Major Professor.
    Title: Monitoring Concrete Structure Cracking Using Fiber Loop Ringdown Technique
    Monitoring Water in Concrete and Grout Structure by Using Fiber Loop Ringdown Technique
  • Prashanti Manda, PhD, Best PhD Oral Presentation - Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Dr. Susan M. Bridges, Major Professor
    Title: Cross Ontology Data Mining in the Gene Ontology
  • Terence Norwood, MPPA, Best M.A. Oral Presentation – Department of Public Policy and Administration - Capstone Group, Jefferson Davis County – M.A. Research Award
    Title: Capacity Building through 4-H in Jefferson Davis County
  • Suresh Lokhande, PhD, Best Poster Presentation - Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Dr. K. Raja Reddy Major Professor
    Title:Temperature Effects on Cotton Growth and Reproductive Performance and Fiber Quality
  • Qi Li, PhD, Best Research - Department of Forest Products Dr. Philip H. Steele, Major Professor
    Title: Investigation on Catalytic Pyrolysis of Lignocellulosic Biomass Using Py-GC/MS

The Donald Zacharias GraduateTeaching Assistant (GTA) of the Year Award, named in honor of the former President of MSU (1985-1997), recognizes two outstanding GTAs (Master's and Doctoral) who contributed significantly to the academic advancement of students and the growth of MSU through their exemplary leadership abilities and outstanding classroom teaching techniques.

The recipients of the 2012 Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Shanna Litchfield, PhD - Business Administration with a concentration in Management, Dr. Allison Pearson, Major Professor Lavanya Challagundla, PhD - Biological Sciences, Dr. Lisa Wallace, Major Professor Natalie Nations, MA – English Department, Dr. Lara Dodds, Director of Graduate Studies

The Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) of the Year Award recognizes one outstanding who contributed significantly to the growth of MSU through their exemplary leadership abilities and outstanding research, GRA (Doctoral).

The recipient of the 2012 Graduate Research Assistant Award
Leonel Mejia, PhD – Agricultural Sciences with a concentration in Poultry Science
Dr. Chris McDaniel, Major Professor

The Graduate Service Assistant (GSA) of the Year Award recognizes one outstanding GSA who contributed significantly to the productivity and growth of MSU through Service. The recipient of the 2012 Graduate Service Assistant Award Jamey Matte, MPPA - Public Policy and Administration
Dr. Eddie French, Major Professor

Dr. Karen S. Coats selected as Associate Dean of the Office of the Graduate School

The Office of the Graduate School is excited to announce that Dr. Karen S. Coats has been selected to be the Associate Dean of the Graduate School, effective May 1, 2012. She assumed the role of Interim Associate Dean July 1, 2011.

Dr. Coats earned a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medical Sciences with an emphasis in virology from Louisiana State University in 1987, and completed a three-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Tulane Primate Research Center. She joined the MSU faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences in 1990 where she conducts research in the field of retrovirology and immunology, mentors graduate students, and teaches in the microbiology curriculum. She serves in a national-level leadership role in her discipline as a member of the Council Policy Committee of the American Society for Microbiology.

Dr. Coats, selected as a John Grisham Master Teacher in 1998, has received many awards and honors at Mississippi State University including:

  • the inaugural Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor Award sponsored by the Office of the Graduate School and the MSU Alumni Association (2011)
  • the MSU Alumni Association Faculty Recognition Award for UndergraduateTeaching (2005)

We asked Dr. Coats to describe her philosophy of the role of the Graduate School in the mission of Mississippi State University as she joins the staff as Associate Dean. She responded,

"Mississippi State University achieved the rating of "very high research activity university" by the Carnegie Foundation due in large part to the efforts of graduate faculty and graduate students. By requiring the highest level of ethical and programmatic standards in graduate education, by offering support to graduate faculty and graduate students, and by assisting in the recruitment of a talented and diverse graduate student population, the Office of the Graduate School plays a vital role in the success and reputation of this institution. OGS is staffed by an amazing group of dedicated professionals whose purpose is to serve and promote graduate education at our institution. I have enjoyed working with them this year. I am honored to have been selected as the Associate Dean, and I look forward to working with the faculty, staff, and students of Mississippi State to promote excellence in our graduate programs".

More Features...

Dates & Events

  • FALL 2012 Graduate Teaching Assistant Preparation Program - International Teaching Assistant Workshop August 6-10, 2012
  • Evaluation for English Certification (International Students) August 10, 2012 (9:30 - noon)
  • Graduate Teaching Assistant Orientation August 13-14, 2012
  • Evaluation for Classroom Certification August 15, 2012 (1:00 - 5:00 p.m.)
  • My Courses Workshop (optional/limited seating) - August 16, 2012
  • "Find Your Feet" - for New International Graduate Students (9:30 a.m.) Swalm Auditorium
  • New Graduate Student Orientation - Friday, August 17, 2012 (1:00 p.m.) Swalm Auditorium

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