For Mississippi State University graduate Alijah Jones, the road to a Fulbright Scholarship began in the stillness of the pandemic. Feeling a lack of connection, Jones said he “indulged” in internet browsing, happening upon a YouTube video––“Dinner with my Italian Host Family.” Stepping outside the loneliness of isolation, he found not just a glimpse into another culture, but a spark that would one day take him across the world.

Mississippi State University’s newly renamed Department of Communication, Media and Theatre is now nationally accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications for its undergraduate programs in broadcast and digital journalism, public relations and print and digital journalism.

Mississippi State is recognizing 12 staff members for their exceptional dedication to service and contributions with this year’s Donald W. Zacharias Distinguished Staff Awards.