Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The recently passed federal omnibus bill includes funding that will support significant research at Mississippi State University to benefit the state, said two university vice presidents Wednesday [March 18].
Kirk Schulz, vice president for research and economic development, and Melissa Mixon, interim vice president for agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine, said congressionally appropriated funds allow the state's universities to conduct ongoing research that advances Mississippi.
"We're very appreciative of the continued support of Sen. Thad Cochran and Sen. Roger Wicker in securing funds for Mississippi in areas ranging from alternative energy research to cyber crime detection and training," Schulz said.
The 2009 bill contains $3.1 million for construction of a poultry science research facility in support of one of the state's most significant industries, Mixon said.
"It will allow us to take the MSU-Agricultural Research Service partnership to the next level in a state-of-the-art facility," she explained. Both state and federal research projects will address issues important to the future of the industry, she said, adding that poultry production has a $6.5 billion annual impact on Mississippi's economy.
Involving five colleges at MSU, the collaborative Sustainable Energy Research Center, received $10.5 million to continue its work in developing alternative crops for energy production.
Mixon said identifying new energy sources "is a critical national need, and this center is pioneering research with the use of alternative crops for energy production."
Involving the engineering, forest resources, arts and sciences, veterinary medicine, and agriculture and life sciences colleges, the center focuses on research that includes use of native plants, as well as timber-industry waste products, for potential energy sources.
"This research could have a significant economic impact for Mississippi as well," Mixon added.
Schulz said the funding also is helping the university train more law enforcement officials through its Cyber Crime Initiative and the related National Consortium for Digital Forensics Training.
"Cybercrime is one of the fastest-growing areas of crime nationally, and MSU's center is at the forefront of research, detection and outreach," Schulz said. A $2.5 million appropriation will support continued training of state and local law officials, with more than 2,400 receiving MSU-led training to date.
MSU's cybercrime program also recently received competitive National Science Foundation funding in partnership with Walter Reed Army Medical Center to train wounded veterans in digital forensics.
In other energy-related research, MSU is receiving $3.8 million for its Institute for Clean Energy Technology, which is developing innovative solutions to some of today's most pressing problems involving energy, the environment, infrastructure, and industrial processes. It is one of the university's longest-running research programs.
Mississippi State received additional funding for, among other projects, wetlands research and management, research commercialization efforts, continued work on an integrated workforce performance system, enhancing K-12 science and math preparation, and expansion of a nearby research park.
"Congressional appropriations provide a significant boost to all of our state universities in building on strengths that have benefits for Mississippi," Schulz said.
"We are very thankful for our entire congressional delegation's commitment to research that will have many returns on the investment."
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional comments and information, contact Dr. Mixon at 662-325-3006 or mixon@dafvm.msstate.edu; Dr. Schulz, at 325-3570 or schulz@research.msstate.edu.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.