A Publication of Mississippi Valley State University for Faculty, Staff, Alumni and Friends | January 2019 Vol.16 Edition 1 MVSU HONORS KING WITH LEGACY WALK Following in the footsteps of the Civil Rights leaders before them, hundreds of people lined the streets of Itta Bena to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Monday, Jan. 21. Mississippi Valley State University students, faculty, staff and community members joined forces and marched together during the 2019 MLK Legacy Walk. The walk started at the Dorothy Street Park and concluded at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church where a brief program was held. MVSU President Dr. Jerryl Briggs Sr. served as the keynote speaker. Briggs used the opportunity to highlight the importance of honoring Dr. King and continuing his work. “When we think about where we are today, who do we credit for that? Who made a difference in our lives? Who ultimately sacrificed everything for us to be sitting here today? One of those See “Walk” page 7 REDMOND NAMED MVSU’S NEW CHIEF OF POLICE Some people work their entire lives but never criminal justice students as a mentor. realize the opportunity to work their dream job. “How fitting is it to come back where it all Xavier Redmond isn’t one of them. started?” he said. “I’m excited about the chance Last month, Redmond was named the new chief to speak with criminal justice majors to help and director of university police for Mississippi give insight on what to expect if they are going Valley State. When he walked into his office for into law enforcement.” the first time, he immediately understood that Dr. Jacqueline Gibson-Preastly, vice-president his dream had come true. for student affairs, said that she’s excited to have “I told my staff that if there ever was a Redmond join the team. dream job, then this is it,” said Redmond. “It “Mr. Redmond brings excellent experience to is gratifying to come back to a place you are the department in this role. He is a State of familiar with and where you first started your Mississippi certified officer and has served in career journey as a Criminal Justice major. This the field of law enforcement for 22 years,” she is a dream come true.” said. The Greenville native was a student-athlete at “He has worked his way up the ranks as police MVSU where he played football while majoring officer, investigator, police sergeant, and as police in Criminal Justice. His time as a student- lieutenant, gaining an array of administrative, athlete made a huge impact on Redmond—so budgetary, and supervisory skills that will prove much so that now, in his new position as police extremely helpful to MVSU. Ultimately, Mr. director, Redmond wants to interact with See “Chief” page 9 BALDWIN NAMED MVSU’S 2018 HUMANITIES TEACHER OF THE YEAR Professor Dr. Jo A. Baldwin has been selected Baldwin intends to Baldwin holds a bachelor’s degree in English by Mississippi Valley State University’s Office connect with students from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee of Academic Affairs as the 2018 Humanities on the first day of class (UWM), a master’s degree in Creative Writing Teacher of the Year. with her introduction from UWM, a master’s in Speech/Theatre from list. Her lecture, entitled Marquette in Milwaukee, a Master of Divinity Each year, the Mississippi Humanities Council “My Social Trinity”, from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, recognizes October’s designation of Arts and is designed to inspire Ohio, and a Ph.D. in English from UWM. She Humanities Month by bestowing Humanities students to “become was the first black American to earn a Ph.D. in Teacher Awards to outstanding faculty in persons” rather than English from UWM. traditional humanities fields at colleges and just exist as human universities across the state. Baldwin is the author of a homiletics text BALDWIN beings. She believes entitled “Seven Signature Sermons by a Tuning Affectionately known by the campus community personhood comes Woman Preacher of the Gospel”. Published as “Dr. Jo”, Baldwin is an English professor and from practicing the “Golden Rule” and in by the Edwin Mellen Press, the book explores director of the writing center at MVSU, where willing service to others. “tuning,” as a form of preaching in the black she teaches composition, literature, and creative In addition to her position at Valley, Baldwin tradition. writing and serves as Associate Editor of Fiction is an ordained itinerant elder in the African She also authored an award-winning theology for “Valley Voices: A Literary Review.” She is Methodist Episcopal Church (AMEC) and is book entitled “Bible Verses Given to Me: A a published writer of mainly short stories and the pastor of Baldwin Chapel AMEC (named Memoir”, published by the AMEC Sunday book reviews. in her honor), located at 312 Tipton St. in Kosciusko. School Union in Nashville. “When I was told that I had received the Mindful of the separation of church and As a preacher of the gospel, Baldwin said she was Humanities Teacher of the Year Award, I smiled told by a prophet that her anointing is reflected and have been smiling ever since,” Baldwin said. state, Baldwin said she is aware of the history of HBCUs and the power of the gospel to in her hair and her hands and that every time As part of the nomination, Baldwin will give meet suffering and adversity head on with she moves to a higher level spiritually her gray a presentation at 11 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, in the determination to manage and eventually hair will grow. the Cliff E. Williams Auditorium of MVSU’s overcome all kinds of hardships. For more information about MVSU’s Business Education Building. Humanities Teacher of the Year Award, contact “At the risk of telling my age,” she said, “I the Office of Academic Affairs at (662) 254- The topic of Baldwin’s presentation will be attended college 25 years ago and earned a 3875. “Student Introductions and My Social Trinity.” bachelor’s, three master’s and a Ph.D.” MVSU PROFESSOR PUBLISHES NEW BOOKS, POETRY COLLECTION A Mississippi Valley State University English Red Moon Press in the and creative writing professor recently published summer of 2018. several new works. Zheng has been teaching Dr. John Zheng, chair of MVSU’s Department at Valley since 1996 and of English and Foreign Languages, has released has helped faculty and a collection of poetry, entitled “Enforced students publish more than Rustication in the Chinese Cultural Revolution,” 150 pieces of their critical from Texas Review Press. ZHENG articles, reviews, interviews, creative work, photographs The book is a poetic presentation of Zheng’s farm and paintings. life as a “zhiqing” (educated youth) in the 1970s during the Chinese Cultural Revolution when Zheng earned a Ph.D. in English from the zhiqing or the lost generation were dispatched University of Southern Mississippi and has to the countryside to receive reeducation from published nine books including African peasants, as decreed by Chairman Mao Zedong. American Haiku, Sonia Sanchez’s Poetic Spirit through Haiku, and The Landscape of Mind. He also published a co-edited the book “Conversations with Gish Jen” from the He is the author of more than 100 articles University Press of Mississippi in November and more than one thousand poems, stories, 2018 and Delta Sun, an e-book of haiku and photographs, and translations of African photographs about the Mississippi Delta, from American poetry and modernists. 2 MVSU RECEIVES $200K TO CONDUCT STEM RESEARCH Two Mississippi Valley State University of the Minority Science and Engineering Also, STEM student researchers will have an departments were recently awarded an additional Improvement Program (MSEIP) using opportunity to work closely with the faculty $200,000 from the United States Department Capacity Competitiveness Enhancement researchers to incorporate their theoretical of Education in an effort to help strengthen the Model (CCEM). classroom knowledge into practical hands-on institution’s research capacity. research experience. According to MVSU MCIS Department MVSU’s Mathematics, Computer and Chair Dr. Latonya Garner, the funding will “This is an excellent opportunity for our STEM Information Sciences (MCIS) and Natural assist professors in fortifying their research faculty to increase the number of funded Sciences and Environmental Health capabilities by visiting and partnering with some departments were awarded the funds as part of the major research laboratories in the country. See “STEM” page 6 MVSU ALUMNA NAMED PRESIDENT OF GREENVILLE KIWANIS CLUB A Mississippi Valley State University alumna Since taking on the role in Oct. 2018, Hardwick and staff member now leads a local organization said one of her main priorities has been dedicated to improving the community. stabilizing the club’s membership. Shearra Hardwick, a 2017 graduate of MVSU’s “My goals for this year are to increase and Master of Business Administration program, retain membership, bring awareness to the club was recently appointed as president of the through branding and recruiting students that Greenville Kiwanis Club. receive scholarships from the club to attend MVSU,” she explained. Hardwick currently serves as an enrollment specialist and assistant to the executive director The Kiwanis International Club is a global of MVSU’s Greenville Higher Education organization of volunteers dedicated to Center site. “improving the lives of children one community at a time.” A Tennessee native, Hardwick is excited about her journey as president of the club and is The club raises funds for scholarships by way looking forward to working closely with the of their annual pancake breakfast. This year’s Greenville community. breakfast is slated for February 3, 2019.