As a faculty member in MSU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Jacob Tschume savors the moments his students begin understanding daunting formulas and abstract concepts. “Helping students—being able to see their light bulb click—is what I love most,” he said.

The Mississippi State University Institute for the Humanities kicks off its 2025-2026 lecture series with “The Great Balancing Act: Student-Athletes at Mississippi State,” a roundtable discussion scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Duff Center Auditorium.

“I realized there are so many types of writing—you can write for a magazine, for essays, for news stories,” said Portia Agyapong, reflecting on her internship in Mississippi State’s College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office last summer. “Even though I initially struggled because I was stuck with an academic writing mindset, it was an amazing experience to learn different ways of writing during my internship. I really learned a lot from it.”