Contact: Sammy McDavid
Some 35 university and college students from Mississippi and West Virginia are at Mississippi State through Saturday [July 14] for the first Appalachian Leadership Honors Symposium. "Building America's Next 'Greatest Generation'" is the overall theme.
Sponsored by MSU's G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Chapter of the Appalachian Leadership Honors Program, the program includes group sessions led by campus and area professionals and supporting field activities. (Schedule at http://www.msstate.edu/web/temp/slhsagenda07.php)
Featured speakers include:
--MSU head women's basketball coach Sharon Fanning, 8:15 a.m. Thursday [the 12th], Humphrey Coliseum;
--Management professor and John Grisham Master Teacher Allison Pearson, 9:45 a.m. Thursday, Memorial Hall;
--Head football coach Sylvester Croom, 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Swalm Chemical Engineering Building's fourth-floor suite;
--MSU President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong--who conceived the leadership program--8:45 a.m. Friday [the 13th], Griffis Hall Forum Room;
--Former West Point resident Will Gillard, now an executive with Triana Energy of Charleston, W.Va., 10 a.m. Friday, Griffis forum room;
--ALHP executive director Cade Smith, 10:30 a.m. Friday, Griffis forum room;
--Allegra Brigham, general manager and chief executive officer of 4-County Electric Power Association, noon Friday, Mitchell Memorial Library's John Grisham Room; and
--Glenn McCullough, the former Tupelo mayor and Tennessee Valley Authority chairman now in private consulting, 6 p.m. Friday, Hunter Henry Center.
Among the field activities are a series of MSU immersion experiences beginning at 2 p.m. Thursday. Dividing into three groups, the students will visit either the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Starkville's Bryan Field or the Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems in the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park. At Raspet, they will learn about the ongoing work there and take turns flying in the university-owned biplane. The two CAVS groups will focus either on the university's award-winning Challenge X research vehicle project or the robotics development program.
For additional information, contact ALHP program director Stephen Williams at 662-325-0257 or 617-0358.