Multi-state Access to Success Initiative Announced In a telephone news conference on Wednesday, the National Association of System Heads (NASH), in partnership with The Education Trust, announced the Access to Success initiative, a collaborative effort of public university systems to halve the gaps in both college-going and degree completion rates that separate low-income and minority students from others by 2015. Mississippi Commissioner of Higher Education and NASH President Dr. Thomas C. Meredith announced the initiative, which currently involves the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning and 18 other university systems throughout the country. Overall, college-going rates are on the rise, but for both college access and college completion, the gaps between minority and non-minority and between high income and low income students are growing. African American students earn bachelors' degrees at half (18 percent) the rate of white students (34 percent), and while 75 percent of high-income students earn bachelors' degree by age 24, only 9 percent of low-income students do the same. Initiative participants believe that these gaps endanger America's economy, democracy, and position of leadership in the world. Participating systems will have latitude to set their own improvement targets and to employ unique strategies for success, but all participants have agreed on a common set of evaluation metrics. To ensure accountability, The Education Trust will release the evaluation data annually, some of which has never been publicly released. The initiative is supported in part by the Lumina Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Learn more about Access to Success. Dr. LaTonya Clay (left) has accepted a teaching position at Mississippi Valley State University for the fall of 2007. Pictured with her (left to right) are Elizabeth Udemgaba, a Doctoral Scholar pursuing a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Mississippi; Pearl Pennington; and Dr. Miriam Rivera-Hokanson, a Doctoral Scholar from Alabama. Pearl Pennington (right) poses with Kari Copeland, a first year Doctoral Scholar at the University of Mississippi, who is pursuing her doctorate in chemistry. Mississippi Minority Ph.D. Candidates Network at Compact A delegation of Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholars, university administrators, faculty mentors, and IHL's Director of Student Affairs Pearl Strickland Pennington attended the Compact for Faculty Diversity's 14th Annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring in Arlington, Virginia, October 25-28. The Compact seeks to address the minority faculty shortage by providing racial/ethnic minority students with support to pursue doctoral degrees and become college professors. The Institute brought together about 850 doctoral and post-doctoral scholars to share insights for success in graduate work, to network, and to enrich their research and teaching skills. Also in attendance were faculty recruiters from all over the country. At the conference, four Doctoral Scholars from Mississippi universities were recognized for successfully completing their doctoral degrees. The scholars were Dr. Ronica Arnold (counseling/education) and Dr. Barbara Patrick (public policy) from Mississippi State University (MSU), Dr. LaTonya Clay (mathematics) from the University of Mississippi (UM), and Dr. Victor Sutton (public policy) from Jackson State University (JSU). IHL provides financial support for Doctoral Scholars attending JSU, MSU, UM, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Each scholar receives a $15,000 award administered by the SREB. The participating universities provide tuition waivers and other financial support and match each scholar with a mentor. Mississippi's scholars were accompanied to the Institute by faculty mentors Dr. William Persons (MSU), Dr. Don Cole (UM), and Dr. Susan Siltanen (USM).  Dr. Cole expressed heartfelt words of pride for the students and the Institute: "Of the hundreds of colleges and universities represented there, to see Ph.D. candidates from Mississippi present themselves and their work on par and above many others, to hear those from Mississippi who have finished their degrees pay homage (on a national stage) to the state System that has nurtured them, to realize that Mississippi - and its contingency - stands among the leaders at such a significant event all add to the 'pride factor' we administrators feel at the Institute." For more information, contact Pearl Pennington at (601) 432-6482. (L to R) Mr. Donald Pendergrast, Director of the Mississippi Private School Association; Dr. Sue Jolly, Chair of Education at Mississippi University for Women; and Dr. Richard Blackbourn, Dean of Education at Mississippi State University, work on their action plan for Curricular Redesign. (L to R) Dr. Doris McGowan, Chair of Curriculum and Development at Alcorn State University; Ms. Beverly Johnston, Principal of Madison Station Elementary School; Dr. Jason Dean, Vice President of Economic Policy for the Mississippi Economic Council and Chief Operating Officer of Momentum Mississippi; Ms. Cheryl Beene, Mississippi Teacher of the Year; and Dr. Randy McCoy, Superintendent of the Tupelo Public School District, develop an action plan to address Induction and Retention. BRC for Teacher Prep Redesign Meets, Assigns Work Teams The Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) for the Redesign of Teacher Preparation met Tuesday to begin developing action plans for eight thematic areas of teacher education programs. The eight thematic areas include curricular design, field based learning, collaboration/partnerships, assessment/intervention, accountability, recruitment, induction and retention, and certification/licensure. Each BRC member was assigned to a work team that will develop an action plan for addressing the critical components of its assigned area. Over the next couple of months, the members of each work team, led by co-chairs, will collaborate via email, meetings, and conference calls. The work teams will present the action plans to the full committee when the BRC reconvenes in January. The BRC was assembled in November 2006 as a collaborative effort of the Mississippi Department of Education, the Institutions of Higher Learning, and the State Board for Community and Junior Colleges to increase the quality and quantity of teachers in Mississippi. For more information about the BRC, contact IHL Assistant Commissioner of Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Lynn House at (601)432-6501. Call to Participate in Course Redesign Initiative IHL invites all university faculty to attend an orientation workshop about a System-wide initiative to redesign large-enrollment, multi-section courses in order to improve learning outcomes and reduce instructional costs. IHL expects to award up to 15 grants of up to $50,000 in support of redesign projects. The orientation workshop will be held on November 15, 2007 from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm at The Old Capitol Inn (226 North State Street, Jackson, MS, 39201). Attendance at the workshop is required in order to be eligible to submit a grant proposal. To register, send an email to Menia Dykes with “Registration for Course Redesign Orientation” in the subject line. Include your name, title, academic unit, university, phone number, and email address in the body of the message. Multiple attendees from the same academic unit may register in a single email, but please include phone numbers and emails for each attendee. Registrants will receive a confirmation email with specific details about the location and logistics of the orientation session. For more information, contact Dr. Dennis Watts, IHL Director of Academic Affairs at (601) 432-6321. #6 - Higher Education Levels Correspond with Lower Crime Rates (Top 15 Ways Universities Benefit Mississippi) Mississippi's universities contribute to the state by producing graduates who are less likely to enter the corrections system. Approximately 75 percent of Mississippians sentenced to a prison term for the first time have never attended college; half never graduated from high school. Among statistics compiled by the Alliance of Excellent Education in 2003, a one-year increase in average education levels would reduce arrest rates by 11 percent. Education also impacts recidivism. A 1997 U.S. Department of Education study revealed that inmates who received education while in prison were 29 percent less likely to be re-incarcerated after their release than inmates who received no education. Education was also proven more effective than boot camps, shock incarceration, or vocational training. Reduced crime rates translate into savings for the state. After all, the state can pay for two people to go to a Mississippi university for a year for less than money than it costs to house one person in a Mississippi prison for a year.

Items included in the “University News” section of the System Review are submitted each week by the universities. The news items are listed in rotating alphabetical order by university.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Alcorn Student Attends Southern Region Water Quality Conference
Sean Howard a senior plant and soil science major, received an 1890 facilitation scholarship administered by Tennessee State University. This scholarship is provided to assist students in their professional development by enabling them to attend the Southern Region Water Quality Conference in Fayetteville, Ark., October 15 – 18. Howard, under the guidance of Drs. Alton Johnson and Maifan Silitonga presented a poster titled “Water Quality Assessment in the Homochitto Watershed.” Howard was the first Alcorn student to attend the conference.  He represented State University – Mississippi River Research Center. Learn more.

President-Elect Dr. George Ross Appoints Transition Team

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Delta State to Present Mississippi Delta Children's Art & Letters Festival
It’s a memory that will stay with you forever. You will always be able to recall your little fingers hurriedly turning the pages, as your imagination builds the magnificent storyline in your head. You will never forget that triumphant slam of back cover to front cover as you successfully read your first book – with no help, just you and a hardback. That book title will forever be part of your make-up. It is that “right of passage” memory that Delta State University, in cooperation with the Bolivar County Literacy Council, the Bright Beginnings Foundation, the Delta Center for Culture and Learning, First Book – Mississippi Delta Advisory Board, the Roberts-LaForge Library, and the Sunflower County Library System, is hoping to capitalize on in a three-day festival celebrating children’s books, authors, and illustrators, Nov. 8-10. “We want this to be a celebration of a memory that forever stays with you. Who can’t remember the first book they read,” questioned Kay Stricklin, Chair of the Mississippi Delta Children’s Arts and Letters Steering Committee. “Our committee has come together in an effort to plan an event that encourages a life-long love affair with reading, and we want to recognize those children’s authors and illustrators who have made contributions to this area.” Learn more.

Delta State Welcomes Distinguished Southern Historian to Campus

Delta State's 'Born to Read' Program Celebrates 'Make a Difference Day'

Eubanks Named Finalist for Draddy Award; Receives Coach Eddie Robinson National Scholar-Athlete Award

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
JSU Social Work Students Revitalizing Mt. Olive Cemetery
Some social work students at Jackson State University are doing more than learning how to improve the lives of individuals and families – they also are preserving the memories of the dead. Students in Julie Schroeder’s Introduction to Social Work class are researching and revitalizing the Mt. Olive Cemetery near the main campus. The cemetery is on John R. Lynch Street across from the College of Business building. “The way in which we care for our dead is reflective of how we care for our living,” said Schroeder, a visiting associate professor in her first year at Jackson State. As part of their class service learning project, Schroeder’s students are cleaning up the cemetery, conducting historical research, taking photographs and developing a website. The students also are recording oral histories with nearby retirement home residents to find out what they know about the cemetery and surrounding area. Once the website is developed, users will be able to click on names and pull up biographical information and pictures of headstones. The long-term goal of the project is to seek funding for restoration, Schroeder said. Student Toni R. Lewis, who is chairing the historical research committee, said she hopes the class project will motivate the community to clean up their neighborhoods. “If we give them the history behind the cemetery, it might encourage others to take more pride in where they live and their surroundings,” said the 27-year-old junior. Learn more.

Sax Man Andre Delano Gives Back to His Alma Mater

JSU Chemistry Professor, Students to Study Origins of Life

JSU Physics Professor Honored for Excellence in Teaching

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
MSU Begins Testing Two Emergency Siren Tones
Local city and emergency management officials are working with their Mississippi State counterparts to test distinct emergency siren tones that can immediately distinguish a drill from a potentially life-threatening weather emergency. For some time, local emergency officials have scheduled siren tests at noon on the first Tuesday of each month. That schedule will continue. Beginning Nov. 6, however, emergency management officials will broadcast a continuous tone that will be used in the future for drill situations only. Following a moment of silence, that tone will be followed by the test of a separate warbling tone that now will signal an emergency situation for which campus and Starkville community residents should take action. "During a recent severe weather incident on our campus, there was much confusion about whether we were in a drill or in an emergency situation," said Jim Jones, a coordinator of MSU's Crisis Action Team. "We hope distinct tones--a continuous tone for tests and a warbling tone for real-life emergencies--will go a long way toward resolving that issue for those on and off campus." Jones said that the Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency, which also participates in MSU's crisis action response team, regularly tests the emergency notification sirens and, along with the city of Starkville, is supporting the effort. "We want to provide a single tone that immediately signals 'take safety precautions,'" Jones said. Learn more.

MSU, Blue Mountain College Collaborate on Design Project

Astronaut hopeful, CSI Expert Among MSU 'Distant' Learners

MSU Researchers Using High Technology to Trace Ancient Pottery

MSU Honors Starkville Microbiology Major as 2007 Harned Scholar

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY & VETERINARY MEDICINE NEWS
MSU Student Team in Genetic Engineering Competition
Students at Mississippi State University are using genetic engineering to build “machines” once only dreamed about in science fiction. This year, MSU’s genetic engineering team returns to the International Genetically Engineered Machine, or iGEM, competition held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Nov. 3. The students in biochemistry and molecular biology and in biological engineering are studying the pathway of lipid production with the ultimate goal of designing machines that can cause plants to produce more or less oil. If successful, this technique could develop alternative plants for energy production. Last year, nine graduate and undergraduate students genetically engineered E.-coli bacteria to glow green in the presence of hydrogen, providing a safe way to measure the hydrogen available in hard to probe places like fuel cells. Victor Ho, a doctoral student in biochemistry, said the team is working to design a way to shorten the time needed to analyze whether a particular genetic process has occurred. “If we can label our protein with a fluorescent protein, then we can see it under ultraviolet light,” Ho said. “If we can make this new idea work, the analysis may take one or two days instead of two to three days.” Filip To is team advisor and an agricultural and biological engineer with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. He said the team’s work with synthetic biology makes them pioneers in this field. Learn more.

MSU Developing Sensor for Lumber Mill Emissions

MSU Agronomists Produce Cold-Tolerant Lawn Grass

MSU Scientists Study Wild Hog Management

Rearing Insects Has International Appeal at Mississippi State

MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN NEWS
Mini-Grant to Help Promote Cancer Awareness
Faculty, staff, and students from Mississippi University for Women, as well as individuals from WCBI TV-DT, Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden Triangle, and the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi are promoting cancer awareness in the Columbus community and surrounding counties thanks to a mini-grant in the amount of $9,100 from the Mississippi State Department of Health. “Cancer – Beat It!” is a health promotion/education program that will provide the Columbus community and surrounding counties with cancer awareness media messages and initiatives for cancer education and cancer screenings. The program has two primary goals. First, to increase awareness and preventive education of lung, breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer at MUW and the surrounding area, and second, to provide advocacy for cancer prevention, management, and survivor skills for MUW and the surrounding area. “Cancer – Beat It!” consists of 344 30-second television vignettes that provide cancer prevention information. WCBI TV-DT will air the spots initially, with them also showing at the MUW Health Fair and the Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden Triangle Cancer (BMHGT) Lunch and Learn sessions. Cancer information materials will be distributed at these initiatives to reinforce cancer awareness messages. For more information about “Cancer – Beat It!” contact Joyce Yates, co-principal investigator on the project, at (662) 329-7225. Learn more.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Motivational Speaker Willie Jolley Featured at MVSU on Nov. 15
It only takes a minute to change your life, right? That’s what Willie Jolley advocates in his best selling book by the same title. Jolley will be at Mississippi Valley State University to explain his theory on Thursday, Nov. 15 at 11 a.m. in the H.G. Carpenter Auditorium. It Only Takes A Minute to Change Your Life and A Setback Is A Setup For A Comeback are both international best selling books and have been translated into eight languages. “We’re bringing Willie Jolley in to talk to our First Year Experience students,” said interim Vice President for Student Affairs Jerald Jones-Woolfolk. “But after talking with Mr. Jolley, we decided that everyone on campus and in the community can benefit from hearing this outstanding speaker.” Jolley specializes in accelerating success, he says, and his address is not only for adults. Youth across the country have learned life skills and improved academics by reading his book, Go M.A.D. – Go Make A Difference. Jolley also has been featured in Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul II. A five-time Washington Area Music Association (WAMMIE) award-winning singer for Best Jazz Singer and Best Entertainer, Jolley’s new self-titled music is now the number one downloaded motivational music on the Apple i-Tunes site, according to his website, www.williejolley.com . Jolley is a graduate of The American University and Wesley Theological Seminary. For more information about the Nov. 15 event, call Student Affairs at (662) 254-3636. Learn more.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Center for Study of Southern Culture Celebrates 30 Years of Work
The Center for the Study of Southern Culture (CSSC) at the University of Mississippi marks 30 years of work with a series of events Nov. 8-11. Alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends are invited to come together to celebrate the center's achievements, reflect on its past, consider the present, and plan for the future. All events are free and open to the public. "We are encouraging people who've had various types of connections with the center to meet each other," said Ted Ownby, CSSC interim director and professor of history and Southern studies. "We have a lot of successful alumni now and we want current students to meet alumni who do interesting things." CSSC continues to build on its history in helping to chart ways into the South's future. Events at the center began in November 1977 with a symposium on the work of Eudora Welty, with Welty herself in attendance. Along with its undergraduate and graduate programs, the center supports and houses diverse projects, including Living Blues magazine, the Southern Foodways Alliance, the Oxford Conference for the Book, documentary studies, and the Future of the South initiative. "This anniversary raises the question of whether or not 30 is middle-aged or if at 30 we need new ideas of what to do and where to go," Ownby said. "Thirty is pretty successful as far as centers go, and ours is continuing to look for new things to do. We hope to have our friends together to help us think of what we should do now." Learn more.

School of Pharmacy Graduates Post 100 Percent Pass Rate on Licensure Exam

School of Engineering Students Start, Maintain Tutorial Program

Journalism Students and Faculty Produce New Magazine, MZINE

Business Professor Wins Award at International Convention

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER NEWS
CSF Discusses State of Mississippi's Heart Health
The American Heart Association president, the director of the Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, a popular television news co-anchor, and the current Miss Mississippi discussed a universal approach to heart health during the fall 2007 Community Science Forum Oct. 16 in the Norman C. Nelson Student Union. The “Heart of the Matter” presentations covered the entire spectrum of an individual’s cardiovascular health, from the advantages of proper diet and exercise to the intrinsic rewards of faith, hope, and love. The forum was sponsored by the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in partnership with the Base Pair/SOAR Program and the Jackson Public School System. The event’s format was revised slightly from previous forums. Instead of presentations by participants in the Base Pair/SOAR Program, the high school students from Murrah, Jim Hill, Forest Hill, Bailey Magnet, and Provine High Schools introduced the speakers, each of whom influence health care awareness throughout the state. Learn more.

Multicultural Affairs Helps Students STEP Up Science, Math, Computer Skills

Medical Center Physicians Prove Mettle in "Ironman" Triathlon

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Southern Miss Collaborates on Grant to Improve Services in Public Schools
The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education is collaborating with the Mississippi Department of Education on a grant designed to improve educational services to students in Mississippi’s public schools. The $3.75 million, five-year grant is titled “Realizing Excellence for All Children in Mississippi” (REACH-MS) and is awarded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs. It is designated for reform and improvement of educational services for students with disabilities by addressing the needs of all students in public schools. Through the grant project, REACH-MS will use research-based knowledge to support systems change and professional development activities to develop model sites around the state, which successfully implement research-based strategies literacy, positive behavior support, and family involvement for all K-12 students, including those with disabilities. Because the needs of students with disabilities are no longer just a special education issue, REACH-MS staff work within a school improvement process to improve the education for the entire community of learners, said Dr. Hollie Filce, project director for REACH-MS and an assistant professor and coordinator for special education programs at Southern Miss. Learn more.

National Science Foundation Grant to Provide Scholarships in Polymer Science and Chemistry

Student Counseling Services Program Creates Campus-wide Outreach to Students

Halbrook Awards Program Recognizes Southern Miss Athletes for Academic Achievement

School of Mass Communication and Journalism Hosts Social Justice Symposium

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST NEWS
Southern Miss Gulf Coast Geography Department Invites Students to GIS Day
The Department of Geography at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast and the Mississippi Association of Spatial Technology are celebrating the third annual GIS Day on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Advanced Education Center of the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. High schools along the Gulf Coast are invited to learn all about geographic information systems (GIS) technology. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in a geography bowl. Five students from each class will compete against other high school teams to win awards. “We have made every effort to make GIS Day educational and entertaining,” said Jerry Coleman, instructor in the Department of Geography. “Our main purpose is to show students all of the really great things going on in geography and to spark a real interest in technology.” After GIS Day kicks off, students will have the opportunity to attend four sessions to learn more about the different applications of GIS. One session will offer a hands-on use of GIS that is used by NASA. Another session will show a demonstration of local use by the Gulfport Police Department and a GIS analyst. The geography bowl awards ceremony will conclude the day’s events. GIS Day, which is held on Wednesday during Geography Awareness Week, was started by the National Geographic Society in 1987 to promote geographic literacy in schools, communities, and organizations. Learn more.

Nov. 2-3 - Jackson State University will host the 16th Conference on Current Trends in Computational Chemistry at the Hilton Jackson Hotel. Learn more.

Nov. 2 and 4 - The University of Mississippi's Opera Theatre presents the fall concert "Love Is" at 8 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday in the newly renovated Meek Hall auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8.50 for seniors and children, and $7 for UM students through the UM Box Office. Call (662) 915-7411 for tickets. Learn more.

Nov. 5 - Diego Zancani, a world-renowned scholar in Italian studies visits the University of Mississippi to discuss Francesco Petrarca, a major figure in the Italian Renaissance. The free, public program at 6:30 p.m. in Bondurant Auditorium is UM's 47th annual Christopher Longest Lecture. Learn more.

Nov. 7 - MVSU Fall Convocation featuring Interim MVSU President Dr. Roy C. Hudson will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the H.G. Carpenter Auditorium.

Nov. 8 - Mississippi Valley State University's 2007 Humanities Teacher of the Year Bettye Farmer will present the lecture, “Richard Wright: Today in Mississippi” at 11 a.m. in the Business Education Building. A reception will follow.

Nov. 9 - The Southern Miss School of Mass Communication and Journalism will host a symposium, “Social Justice and the News" in Hattiesburg, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center on campus. Symposium panel discussions are free and open to the public. For more information, call (601) 266-4196.Learn more.

Nov. 9-11 - The University of Mississippi's William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation co-hosts the regional Alliance for Truth and Racial Reconciliation's Planning Conference. The public is invited to a panel session with former Gov. William Winter and Rita Bender at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Peabody Hall. Learn more.

Nov. 14 - Mississippi Valley State University's Delta Research & Cultural Institute and Social Science Department are hosting the Robert Clark Political Leadership Forum, “Revitalizing the Mississippi Delta,” from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Business Education Building auditorium.

Nov. 14-15 - JSU's College of Lifelong Learning will host the Spirit of Safety (S.O.S.) Conference, featuring television host Judge Greg Mathis at the Hilton Hotel and Convention Center. The conference's goal is to promote violence free educational environments. For more information, call (601) 432-6649. Learn more.

Nov. 15 - The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station’s 25th Annual Production Sale will feature registered Angus, Hereford, and Charolais bulls and bred heifers from the MSU research herds. Contact Dr. Jane Parish at (662) 325-7466 or jparish@ads.msstate.edu . Learn more.

Dec. 11-12 - MSU’s annual cotton short course features Extension specialists, researchers, and professionals from MSU and other institutions and agencies reviewing research-based practices in cotton fertility, disease, weed and insect management, pest management, production practices, and emerging technologies. Learn more.

 Now - Dec. 19 - A new exhibit entitled “Cleveland’s Historic Neighborhoods” is now on display at the Charlie W. Capps, Jr. Archives and Museum at Delta State. The exhibit features a collection of memories, photographs, and other memorabilia.

Jan. 15-16 - The Mississippi State University Extension Service coordinates the Delta Ag Expo, Mississippi’s oldest regional farm show, in the Bolivar County Expo Center in Cleveland. Contact Ben Spinks at (662) 843-8361 or bspinks@ext.msstate.edu . Learn more.