MISSISSIPPI ACADEMY OF SCIENCES EIGHTY-FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING February 20-21, 2020 Mississippi Gulf Coast and Convention Center Biloxi, MS Sponsors (Annual Meeting Sponsor) Mississippi State University- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences College of Forest Resources James Worth Bagley College of Engieering Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences Volume 65 January 2020 Number 1 Contents 3 ACADEMY OFFICERS & DIVISION CHAIRS 2019-2020 Editor 4 GENERAL SCHEDULE Michelle Tucci University of Mississippi Medical Center 7 DIRECTIONS TO CONFERENCE CENTER Editorial Board 8 SUSTAINING MEMBERS 9 LIFE MEMBERS Maria Begonia Jackson State University 10 EXHIBITORS 11 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S COLUMN Ibrahim O. Farah 12 MAS AWARDS AND DODGEN LECTURE Jackson State University 16 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS Millsaps Undergraduate Student Awards and Mississippi INBRE Robin Rockhold Graduate Student Awards, LSMAMP University of Mississippi Medical Center Ham Benghuzzi 24 OVERVIEW OF DIVISIONAL PROGRAMS University of Mississippi Medical Center Biloxi Convention Center Floor Plans and Notes Program Editor ABSTRACTS Kenneth Butler 36 Agriculture and Plant Science University of Mississippi Medical Center 43 Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Biology 63 Chemistry and Chemical Engineering The Journal of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences (ISSN 0076-9436) is published in 88 Ecology and Evolutionary Biology January (annual meeting abstracts), April, 94 Geology and Geography July, and October, by the Mississippi Acad- emy of Sciences. Members of the Academy 101 Health Sciences receive the journal as part of their regular (nonstudent) membership. Inquiries 123 History and Philosophy of Science regarding subscriptions, availability of back 127 Marine and Atmospheric Sciences issues, and address changes should be addressed to The Mississippi Academy of 130 Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics Sciences, Post Office Box 55709, Jackson, 136 Physics and Engineering MS 39296-5709, telephone 601-977-0627, or email
[email protected].