Internationally-acclaimed Nigerian poet, playwright and author Chigozie Obioma will visit Mississippi State University as the Writer-in-Residence next month, bringing his in-depth wisdom of African literature—shaped by his Igbo heritage and Nigerian upbringing––to explore themes of fate, family and the clash between tradition and modernity with the MSU community.

Mississippi State’s Joseph M. Thompson, an assistant professor in the Department of History, has been named a finalist for the 45th annual Los Angeles Times book prize in the history category.

“Curiosity is the foundation for every scientist’s motivation to understand complex problems,” said Chandler Woo, a senior chemistry major at Mississippi State. “Exploring the uncharted and finding answers to a problem that has not been successfully solved is what excites me about research in general.”