“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’s College of Arts and Sciences invites the campus community to sample something new this month with its first “book tasting” event, a creative twist that pairs books, conversation and Mississippi State flavor.

“My personal interest in the sciences was cultivated by an early experience with Mississippi State University,” said Ralph Alewine, a 1970 MSU graduate and current supporter of the university.