Mississippi State is honoring four community engagement projects with the university’s annual Excellence in Community Engagement Awards.

On Thursday [March 5] at 5:30 p.m., Mississippi State University faculty members will gather in McCool Hall’s Taylor Auditorium to model respectful, civil discussion through a structured debate on contemporary political issues. The “Political Ideology Debate” aims to demonstrate for attendees how to engage in constructive discourse and will highlight a range of political perspectives.

The Mississippi Theatre Association renamed two of its annual DramaFest awards in honor of longtime Mississippi State faculty members Wayne “Dur” Durst and Betty “Jo” Durst, recognizing their decades of service and lasting impact on theater education in Mississippi.

A local physician is the recipient of an inaugural award presented by Mississippi State’s Healthcare Pathways Resource Center, a support service for university students and alumni pursuing entrance to health professional schools.

Two Mississippi State University students in the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre have earned national placement in the Heart Journalism Awards program, one of the most prestigious competitions in collegiate journalism. The combined placements have secured a Top 10 spot for MSU in the national broadcast competition.

“My favorite memories at Mississippi State University all center on time spent with friends and fellow students. I have fond memories of those football games shared with friends! However, one academic moment stands out: achieving a breakthrough during my chemistry research in Professor Grimley’s laboratory,” said Wigley. “Though relatively modest, that discovery unexpectedly earned the respect of my fellow research students and advisor, and more importantly, it profoundly shaped my ambition to pursue a career in chemical research.”

Samyak Shertok, a Mississippi State assistant professor of English, is a finalist for the 2026 PEN Open Book Award for his debut poetry collection “No Rhododendron,” published in 2025 by the University of Pittsburgh Press.

Paul Everett Kinsey never expected Mississippi State University to become the place that defined his life and career. Raised with the assumption that he would attend Ole Miss, Kinsey’s path changed after visiting the Starkville campus and spending time with students and faculty. 

An article by Mississippi State Professor of Anthropology Molly Zuckerman and her graduate student Lydia Bailey has been published in “Science,” one of the foremost scientific journals in the world.

“I chose Mississippi State because it already felt like home,” Stevens said. “My dad, sister and nephew graduated from MSU, my great niece is going to MSU and so many of my childhood memories in Louisville are tied to Starkville.”

Astrophysicist and former Division I college football star Dakotah Tyler is headlining Mississippi State’s Black History Month program “From Gridirons to Galaxies” this month.

For Robert Lenard Barnes Jr., arriving at Mississippi State University was not the result of a carefully mapped plan. It was, as he describes it, a mix of faith, circumstance, and a single campus visit that changed everythin