Contact: Jim Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State's chief research officer was named to the Mississippi Gulf of Mexico Commission by Gov. Haley Barbour today [Aug.16].
David Shaw, the university's vice president for research and economic development, will serve on the broad-based, 34-member board of scientists and business leaders with representatives of state and local governments acting as ex officio members.
Since the Deepwater Horizon explosion in April, the land-grant institution has provided a multi-front response to the oil spill. In June, BP gave a $10 million grant to the Mississippi State-led Northern Gulf Institute to meet immediate research needs related to the incident.
"Mississippi State's research, service and outreach are making a difference now, and we will continue to provide long-term leadership," Shaw said. "I am honored to serve on the commission on behalf of the MSU faculty and staff working to restore the Gulf and minimize the spill's impact on the region's economy and environment."
According to the Governor's Office, the panel will report on the impact of the oil spill and aid in the development of an ongoing vision to enhance the Gulf of Mexico for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
"This commission will have a wide charge, from preliminarily determining the impact of the oil spill on Gulf ecosystems to addressing concerns about seafood safety to improving hurricane protection and habitat restoration," the governor said in a news release. "The Gulf of Mexico is the driving force of the Gulf Coast economy, so effective long-term planning and action to improve this asset will result in long-term economic growth for the Mississippi Gulf Coast."
The commission will work with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance and various state agencies to develop a plan to submit to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, the former Mississippi governor tapped by President Barack Obama to lead the restoration of the Gulf region.
The commission's first meeting is scheduled for Tuesday [Aug. 17] in Gulfport.
For additional information about Mississippi State's oil response, please visit http://msucares.com/disaster/oilspill/index.html or http://www.msstate.edu/web/experts/oilspill.php.