As a faculty member in MSU’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Jacob Tschume savors the moments his students begin understanding daunting formulas and abstract concepts. “Helping students—being able to see their light bulb click—is what I love most,” he said.

Mississippi State faculty member Joseph Thompson continues to earn widespread recognition for his groundbreaking work on the intersection of music and military history, earning an international award for his acclaimed book “Cold War Country: How Nashville’s Music Row and the Pentagon Created the Sound of American Patriotism.”

Saturday [July 19] marks a pivotal moment in Mississippi State history—the 60th anniversary of Dr. Richard E. Holmes becoming the university’s first African American student.