Five Mississippi State educators are the recipients of 2026 Inclusive Excellence Teaching Grants supporting innovative College of Arts and Sciences projects to enhance student learning through engagement, application, access and experiential opportunities.

Mississippi State Associate Professor Holli Seitz studies how health messages influence behavior, with research focused on campaigns promoting healthy eating, proper medication storage and vaccine-preventable diseases. A communication expert in MSU’s Department of Communication, Media and Theatre and a 2025 Grisham Master Teacher, Seitz collaborates widely across MSU as well as with researchers at institutions such as Oklahoma State University and Appalachian State University. Her work centers on health and science communication, message effects, and media effects—areas that have gained renewed attention in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing public health challenges.

David “Reeves” Manley grew up 8,000 miles from Starkville, but when the call came that he had earned one of Mississippi State’s most prestigious scholarships, the celebration rang from the other side of the world with a distinct MSU sound.