Contact: Phil Hearn
Student entrepreneurs honored
Student entrepreneurs at Mississippi State University were recently honored in the 2004 Business Plan Competition, a part of the Jack Hatcher Engineering Entrepreneurship Program and sponsored by the university's Bagley College of Engineering. The competition is judged by members of the college Dean's Development Council and local entrepreneurs.
Senior Dustin Bailey of Jackson earned a first-place award and $500. Bailey, an electrical engineering major, who plans to enter law school after completing a bachelor's degree, is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Bailey. Dustin is owner-operator of Aquascape Water Features in Jackson, a home-grown business, that earned Bailey his first-place award.
Senior William W. Jones of Calhoun City finished second. Jones, a computer science and engineering major and the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Jones, was honored for the planned development of a software company.
A five-person team of Mississippi State seniors finished third. The team included Kevin J. Tate of Blue Springs, a computer engineering major. [Parent information not available.]; Daniel L. Martin of Biloxi, an electrical engineering major and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Martin; Stephen Smith of Memphis, Tenn., an international business major and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Smith of Cordova; Jessica D. Jenkins of Muscle Shoals, Ala., a real estate and mortgage financing major and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Jenkins; Shannon N. Campbell of Florence, Ala., a chemical engineering major and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Campbell. Their plan involved an autonomous robotic technology project.
A three-person team of senior Mississippi State students from Alabama and Tennessee placed fourth. The team included mechanical engineering majors Landon Deakle of Mobile and Michael B. Ellett of Muscle Shoals, along with Gerald K. Emerson of Collierville. Their entry involved a home design plan. [Photo not available.]
Deakle is the son of Yanina Morris of Grand Bay, Ala., and Gary Deakle of Ridgeland [Miss.]; Ellett, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rickey Ellett; and Emerson, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Emerson.