MSU FOUNDATION MSU THE IMPACT OF FACULTY OF THE IMPACT the impact of faculty ANNUAL REPORT 2017-2018 REPORT ANNUAL MSU Foundation • Post Office Box 6149 • Mississippi State, MS 39762 662.325.7000 • www.msufoundation.com MSU is an AA/EEO university. Mississippi State University Foundation 2017-2018 ANNUAL REPORT Our publication proudly features this watercolor of the Drill Field by Katie Erickson of Madison, an MSU senior art major in the College of Architecture, Art and Design. The Impact of FACULTY the impact of faculty Annual Report 2017-2018 : 1 The Impact of FACULTY 2 : Mississippi State University FOUNDATION The Impact of FACULTY Mississippi State University continues an amazing 140-year journey marked by exceptional education, groundbreaking research, and unparalleled service. At this juncture, the opportunities are endless for alumni and friends to embrace the future and help our university capitalize upon impact after impact, as gifts accelerate our strides. At Mississippi State, excellence in to better serve our state, our nation, and our building a career and starting a family, to serving higher education is our priority. world. Your loyalty, pride, and passion are evident our community and teaching others. However, we don’t stop there. in our success as you invest in social, political, and Mississippi State is able to maintain its stellar A Our quest is to join the best public economic impacts made possible through education reputation of recruiting outstanding students universities nationwide. And to realize this quest, we that will shape tomorrow’s world. and retaining exceptional faculty because of will strive to help our university flourish and serve a At present, more than 22,000 MSU students Infinite Impact contributions. Through faculty, diverse population who will pursue their education benefit from the teaching and mentoring endeavors the inspiration for creativity and the pursuit of here and leave their mark beyond campus. of some 1,400 faculty members who are integral knowledge begins at our university. It is the extra Mississippi State is gaining trajectory among parts of the university's campuses—and many other mile they take in the classrooms and laboratories, the nation’s most influential institutions—with personnel who touch the lives of pre-school and the positive influence they exude over their global, diverse, and top-tier strides. And, we are kindergarten children, elementary and high school students, and ultimately the impact they create accomplishing this with the endeavors of our students, college-age students, adult learners, from their actions that helps advance the stature of people—distinguished faculty, dedicated staff, and and others who benefit from distance education the university. talented and creative students. at various points in their lives. We provide lifelong It is often said that a university is only as good Infinite Impact: The Mississippi State University education at Mississippi State, and it all starts as its faculty. At Mississippi State, we are working Campaign allows our university to continue the through the lives we touch—day in and day out. to elevate our faculty base across the university longstanding tradition of honoring our strong Our supporters believe Mississippi State is and provide them with the state-of-the-art tools, heritage as a land-grant institution poised for one of the nation’s most important institutions technology, and facilities they need to create a further growth. Infinite Impact gifts inspire our and worthy of a long-term investment in its work. learning environment that is second to none. The students to learn more, motivate our faculty to Our university's drive to have an impact is evident expanding classrooms of the university’s professors teach with vigor, and challenge our entire institution in all aspects of life, from earning an education to are possible with gifts. And it is their vital research Annual Report 2017-2018 : 3 The Impact of FACULTY Stellar faculty mentors set extraordinary examples.O endeavors, which may only happen because of faculty, in particular those serving as prestigious that create immediate impact, and those gifts for generous donors who invest in the promising chairholders and professors, help bring external tomorrow that can create perpetual impact. With future, that our institution makes possible for all. funds to our university. In turn, these funds help both, anything is possible. In recent years, Mississippi State has placed us attract additional support from legislative and In this sixth publication of our Infinite an emphasis on growing the number of endowed corporate and foundation sources. Impact annual report campaign series, the MSU faculty positions through Infinite Impact. Gifts can Mississippi State's standard of excellence Foundation proudly features some of Mississippi establish endowments within specific colleges, has attracted the attention of many outstanding State’s premier faculty from the university’s eight schools, or departments that will provide a salary researchers and faculty members. However, as academic colleges. These faculty have allowed us supplement and support the activities of the national and international leaders in their fields, to share their successes in grateful appreciation of holder. By growing these endowed positions, our private support ensures not only the retention of the impact that private gifts have over the course students gain stellar faculty mentors who set these educators at our university, but also their of their Mississippi State careers. By conveying extraordinary examples for them to follow. Another ability to pioneer innovative opportunities that will special stories of exceptional faculty, the MSU benefit is the examples these endowed position have lasting impacts on society for generations Foundation hopes to translate the pride that holders exhibit for their peers and junior faculty to come. passes between our people and our contributors who follow their lead in their departments Thank you for igniting further impact in our who support their endeavors. Because of our and colleges. faculty. Their mission is shared by all at Mississippi collective efforts, success, discovery, outreach, These celebrated faculty positions cast the State, and their impact is ever evolving because globalization, and experience are all infinitely spotlight on our university as a whole. The work of of your belief in their work. It is your gifts today possible through Mississippi State. 4 : Mississippi State University FOUNDATION The Impact of FACULTY Annual Report 2017-2018 : 5 College of Agriculture and life sciences The impact of Brandi Karisch The Impact of FACULTY Mississippi has nearly 930,000 head of cattle across some 16,000 farms. With mild winters that enable year-round grazing, the Magnolia State is a haven for cattle producers. However, the summer heat and varying production and management systems often create challenges, causing producers throughout the Southeast to seek assistance. That’s where Brandi Karisch intervenes. Karisch, the Milton Sundbeck and Dairy Sciences. Milton Sundbeck, founder and Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree Endowed Professor in Southeastern owner of West Point-based Southern Ionics Inc., in animal science in 2005. She then headed west to Cattle Management in the College beef cattle producer, and owner of Town Creek continue her studies in beef cattle nutrition and K of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Farm, established the professorship in 2017 to cow-calf systems at Texas A&M University, where has a proven track record of excellence in research acknowledge meritorious faculty who excel in the she earned master’s and doctoral degrees in 2007 and problem-solving in forage-based beef cattle teaching and research of topics impacting beef and 2011, respectively. production. While her strong background and cattle in the Southeast. Karisch became familiarized with MSU as a extensive experience in the industry have branded Karisch, who has been at Mississippi State graduate student. She was hosting an exhibit at her as a beef expert, it is Karisch’s expertise in since 2011, is thankful for the opportunities the the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association when a people that has positioned her as a leader among professorship presents, particularly in empowering Mississippi cattle farmer from Macon approached Southeastern producers. the Extension Service’s efforts to address the her and began discussing job opportunities at “Getting to see the results of my research and needs of small producers and enhance profitability Mississippi State. Although she had not visited the figuring out the different ways I can help producers throughout the beef industry. MSU campus and knew little about the job, Karisch really drives my work,” said Karisch. “I love being “The Sundbeck Professorship provides decided to take a chance, and the rest is history. able to offer different solutions and see how they additional support to expand on producer-focused “He was very encouraging and made me feel are applied in the real world and how they work for research that is not necessarily tied to a specific comfortable about applying for the job,” said Karisch. producers on a day-to-day basis.” grant or focus, but is applicable to cattle producers “When I came to Mississippi State, it just felt right. As the inaugural Sundbeck professor, Karisch in our area,” said Karisch. There’s such a small town, community feeling here, is also the first faculty member