“I was a bulldog from an early age. My dad graduated from Mississippi State University and my mom graduated from Mississippi University for Women, so I guess I had always known this was where I wanted to go to school,” said Walters, a 1988 MSU graduate. “The College of Arts and Sciences is a little longer story. I started off as a computer science major. I decided that I did not like programming, but I liked math and I liked German. I thought I wanted to teach, but a degree in mathematics provided me with additional opportunities if I chose not to teach. I am glad of the path I chose. It allowed me to go straight to a graduate degree program after graduation.”

Mississippi State University biologist Matthew W. Brown is part of an international research team whose latest findings, published this spring in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are reshaping scientific understanding of how parasitic organisms evolve and ultimately spread disease.

Mississippi State is celebrating the university’s newest Harry S. Truman Scholarship winner. Evan Garrison of Webb City, Missouri, is receiving up to $30,000 in graduate-study expenses as part of the highly coveted national award honoring the nation’s 33rd president.

“I felt deeply connected to the campus on my initial visit, so the choice to attend Mississippi State University was an easy one. I was charmed by our beautiful campus and cozy small town. I knew I wanted a large-campus experience, but I needed smaller classrooms and hands-on learning to truly succeed,” said Emily Stone, a 2019 MSU graduate. “I was eager to get involved, intern, work and gain a ton of experience. MSU and the College of Arts and Sciences gave that to me, and I credit my career growth to how much was invested in me as a student.”

Deep cracks in the ground tell the story of drought, where only about half the normal rainfall has fallen so far in 2026, making it the 10th driest in Mississippi history. Mike Brown, state climatologist with the Mississippi State University Department of Geosciences, said February was the driest on record for Mississippi and March was the third warmest and 11th driest.

As a teenager growing up in Toronto, Thalia Vrantsidis often sought out popular books on physics, relativity and quantum mechanics from her high-school library and spent her time poring over them in search of deeper perspectives. Reading about complex subjects such as the curvature of spacetime or the source of gravity gave her deeper insights into everyday life and shifted how she viewed daily goings-on and the world around her.

“One of my favorite memories during my time as a MSU student was the chance encounter in 1977 with Mr. Hunter Henry,” said Harvest Collier, a three-time Mississippi State graduate. Then a doctoral student finishing his degree, Collier had no idea that greeting Henry in a hallway in Hand Lab would change the trajectory of his life.

Long before he wore a white coat, Dr. A. Randle White’s fascination with medicine was clear. Even as a child, he carried a quiet determination to care for others, a drive that would shape his future as a physician.

Mississippi State University faculty and students earned multiple national honors at the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts this spring, one of the premier competitions for student and faculty media work, highlighting excellence in film, scriptwriting, audio and broadcast production.

Mississippi State University student journalists earned 28 awards at the 2026 Southeast Journalism Conference earlier this semester, securing high-ranking placements in more than two dozen categories and demonstrating excellence across student media platforms.

Mississippi State Poet and Professor Robert M. West will present a reading of his newest poetry collection, A Clear Eye, on April 20 at 4 p.m. in Old Main 1030, offering audiences an opportunity to experience the luminosity and precision that defines his latest work.

“Mississippi State University provided me the academic tools and experiences I needed to be accepted into and thrive in medical school,” said physician Fred Corley, a 1968 Mississippi State graduate and current San Antonio resident. “These included disciplines, time management, and lots of encouragement from my professors to have a stimulated and inquisitive mind.”