16 MSU Professors Tapped

STARKVILLE, Miss.–Sixteen Mississippi State faculty members are new selections for the competitive 2013-2014 Hugh Critz Faculty Leadership Program.

Sponsored by the university’s Office of Research and Economic Development and Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, the program works to develop the next generation of campus academic leaders, among other goals. It honors the memory of the land-grant institution’s eighth president (1930-34), a Starkville native and an MSU alumnus.

“Mississippi State has a tradition of strong and effective leadership on our campus and in the communities we serve,” said David Shaw, the university’s vice president for research and economic development.

“The Faculty Leadership Program builds on that foundation and helps outstanding faculty members further develop the skills needed to lead the university forward in its mission of teaching, research and service in the future,” he explained.

During the 10-month program set to begin in September, participants will be part of various presentations and roundtable discussions with top administrators. Session topics include leadership styles, organizational change, diversity, building winning research teams, and organizational evaluation and assessment.

This year’s participants include:

–Tom Allen, Extension/research professor, Delta Research and Extension Center;

–Kari Babski-Reeves, associate professor of industrial and systems engineering;

–Ron Cossman, research professor, Social Science Research Center;

–Michael Cox, professor of plant and soil sciences;

–Jeremiah Davis, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering;

–Dipangkar Dutta, associate professor of physics and astronomy;

–Hans Herrmann, assistant professor of architecture;

–Mark Hersey, associate professor of history;

–Brenda Kirkland, associate professor of geosciences;

–Yaroslav Koshka, professor of electrical and computer engineering;

–Rebecca Long, associate professor of management;

–Michele McDonnall, research professor, National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision;

–Zhaohua Peng; professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology and plant pathology;

–Rani Sullivan, associate professor of aerospace engineering;

–Kenneth Willeford, professor of biochemistry, molecular biology, entomology and plant pathology; and,

–Kevin Williams, associate professor of communication.