Messages to Campus

Leadership Matters | August 2026

Happy New Year! While we are several months away from January, it’s a new academic year at Mississippi State University, and it is off to a busy and exciting start. We’ve welcomed thousands of new students and their families to campus this month, along with new faculty and staff, and they are all finding out how special it is to be a Bulldog.

August 28, 2026

Leadership Matters | July 2026

As the calendar moves through July, we are busy preparing for the start of the fall semester and new academic year. We are also celebrating the many impressive achievements of our outstanding students who haven’t slowed down this summer. That includes our Space Cowboys Rocketry Team. Competing in Midland, Texas, against more than 140 collegiate teams from 16 countries, they earned the 2026 International Rocket Engineering Competition’s highest honor in late June. This year’s team included more than 70 students representing 11 different majors and fields.

July 23, 2026

Leadership Matters | June 2026

While many students and faculty are away, summer classes, camps, Orientation, and special events continue to bring many people to our campus and local community. We were honored to host this year’s Appalachian Regional Commission annual conference at The Mill Conference Center this month. The conference brought together hundreds of federal, state and local leaders from across the 13-state Appalachian region to Starkville and MSU.

June 24, 2026

Leadership Matters | May 2026

It’s been a busy few weeks at Mississippi State University. We concluded another successful academic year with commencement celebrations this month. Thousands of new Bulldog graduates crossed the stage of Humphrey Coliseum and the MSU Riley Center, in addition to special events for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine graduates, doctoral graduates, and softball and baseball student-athletes.

May 20, 2026

Leadership Matters | April 2026

I am always reminded of how important our work is when I visit with our students. It might be a quick conversation on the Drill Field. A chance encounter walking through Lee Hall. A meeting with our student government leaders. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit with Evan Garrison. He’s an aerospace engineering and math major and member of our national championship-winning debate team.

May 1, 2026

Leadership Matters | March 2026

Amid the many changes shaping the world’s economy these days, it’s always nice to find a few things that don’t change — like the value of a Mississippi State University education! Our latest First Destination Survey has confirmed that Mississippi State graduates continue to find career success thanks to their Bulldog education.

March 26, 2026

Leadership Matters | February 2026

I enjoyed having the opportunity to share an update with our faculty during their spring general faculty meeting earlier this month. While the world of higher education continues to change rapidly, we are adapting and continuing to deliver an outstanding education and experience for our students and meeting the needs of the many people and communities we serve. We have great success stories to tell from academics to research and service to engagement.

February 25, 2026

Leadership Matters | January 2026

Another busy spring semester is underway, and we were very fortunate to escape the worst of the recent winter weather in Starkville and Meridian. However, many of our students, faculty, staff, and fellow Mississippians are dealing with significant issues.

January 28, 2026

Leadership Matters | December 2025

We saw the end of another successful fall semester last week with a series of special events celebrating our newest Bulldog graduates. Graduation is always such a special time for our students, their families, our faculty, and the entire university community.

December 16, 2025

Leadership Matters | November 2025

As we look forward to Thanksgiving later this week, I think you would agree we have much to be thankful for as Bulldogs—and much to be proud of as well. We’ve had a busy fall semester with major milestones and record-setting achievements, groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings, and special events and activities.

November 25, 2025

Leadership Matters | October 2025

Fall is such a special time of year on our campus as the landscape begins to change and we enjoy the traditions, events, and people that make Mississippi State University the remarkably special place it is. We are also celebrating major initiatives and new projects that will propel us to even greater success in the years to come.

October 29, 2025

Leadership Matters | September 2025

We see many visitors on campus this time of year for many different events and activities. From Bulldog Family Weekend to football gamedays to concerts, exhibitions, and lectures, there’s something for everyone. It’s also a great time to showcase our academic programs, research enterprise, and commitment to service and community engagement. United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins and United States Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith are among the many visitors we’ve welcomed to campus recently.

September 26, 2025