Hebron Christian School selected Wess Kennedy, of Starkville, as its STAR student.

The Mississippi Economic Council and M.B. Swayze Foundation established the Student-Teacher Achievement Recognition Program to emphasize scholastic excellence, encourage greater scholastic effort among students and recognize teachers.

STAR students must have an ACT score of at least 25, be in the senior class and have an academic average over four years of 93 or higher.

Each STAR student picks a STAR teacher who they feel has influenced them the most. Kennedy picked Kim Vaughn, a Caledonia Elementary School teacher. He attended the school through fifth grade, when his family moved to Starkville.

Kennedy and Vaughn have been invited to travel to Pearl and attend an awards ceremony in April along with other STAR students from across the state and the teachers they chose.

Kennedy plans to attend East Mississippi Community College and then Mississippi State University to major in mechanical engineering.

MSU’s Sutton receives scholarly award

STARKVILLE — A Mississippi State sociology faculty member is a selection for the New Scholar Award from the American Society of Criminology’s Division on Women and Crime.

Tara E. Sutton is being recognized for her comprehensive career in the field of criminology and her research into trauma as a predictor of crime. An assistant professor of sociology, she also is an affiliated faculty member in the Gender Studies program. Sutton’s award honors the achievements of scholars who show outstanding merit early in their careers.

ASC is the national organization for criminologists in the U.S. but also includes international members. Organized in 1941, it fosters the exchange of scholarly information among criminology scholars. The ASC’s largest unit, established in 1984, the Division on Women and Crime facilitates and promotes research and theory development, pedagogical strategies, and curricular enhancement that strengthen the links between gender, crime and justice.

Sutton received her Ph.D. in sociology in 2018, master’s degree in human and family science in 2012, and bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2010, all from the University of Georgia.

She is the principal investigator of a current project funded by MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences’ strategic research initiative, “Early Adverse Experiences and Sexual and Relational Violence Among College Students in Mississippi.”

Bullard joins CFR/FWRC

STARKVILLE — Steve Bullard is Mississippi State’s new associate dean of the College of Forest Resources and associate director of the Forest and Wildlife Research Center.

Beginning March 1, Bullard — a two-time CFR alumnus and longtime professor — steps out of retirement for this role.

“Dr. Bullard is well respected among our stakeholders, and we are fortunate to have him rejoin our faculty and fill this vital position in our college administration,” said Wes Burger, CFR/FWRC dean and director.

A forest economist, Bullard held numerous positions in the CFR/FWRC including rising through the professorial ranks, serving as director of the Institute of Furniture Manufacturing and Management, and as interim head in the departments of Forestry and Sustainable Bioproducts. Upon his retirement from MSU, he joined the Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky as chair for nearly five years. He then served six years as dean of the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University before being promoted to provost and vice president of Academic Affairs, where he served an additional six years.

Bullard obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forestry from Mississippi State and his doctoral degree from Virginia Tech. He has authored over 90 refereed publications. He has also authored software packages, including FORVAL, a timberland investment calculator.

MAMA offers scholarships

The Mississippi Automotive Manufacturers Association (MAMA) has scholarships available for the 2022-2023 academic year for both community college and university students and the application process is open.

The scholarship is available to technical and engineering-related majors as well as nontraditional majors that could be applied in the automotive industry. The MAMA Scholarship Program Guidelines and the Scholarship Application Form on the MAMA website at mamaonline.net/scholarships provide a comprehensive overview of the process.    

A total of 15 scholarships were awarded for the MAMA 2021-2022 academic year to community college and university students interested in pursuing a career in the automotive manufacturing industry.  Since 2006, MAMA has supported the growth of a strong workforce essential to the health of all industries in the state by awarding more than $280,000 in scholarships.