Leadership program taps 10 MSU faculty

Members of the 2016-17 Benjamin F. Hilbun Faculty Leadership Program at Mississippi State met recently to kick off this year’s program. Class members are (seated, left to right) Andy Perkins, Edwin Webster, Alexandra Hui, Amy Crumpton and Jeffrey Eells, and (standing, second from left to right) Melissa Moore, Deborah Eakin, Jeffrey Haupt, Yong Fu and Darrin Dodds. Joining them are Teresa Gammill (back left) and Lynn Taylor (back right) of the Office of Research and Economic Development, which leads the program in conjunction with the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President. (Photo by Megan Bean)

Contact: Jim Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Ten Mississippi State faculty members are new selections for the competitive 2016-17 Benjamin F. Hilbun Faculty Leadership Program.

Sponsored by the university’s offices of Research and Economic Development and of the Provost and Executive Vice President, the program works to develop the next generation of campus academic leaders, among other goals. It honors the memory of the land-grant institution’s 11th president (1953-60).

“Mississippi State has a long tradition of outstanding leaders on our campus, and we believe that this program not only contributes to that legacy, but also will enhance the work we will undertake in the years to come,” said David Shaw, the university’s vice president for research and economic development.

“We are committed to helping faculty further develop the skills needed to drive the state of Mississippi’s leading university forward in our three-part mission of teaching, research and service,” he said.

During the nine-month program, participants will be part of various presentations and roundtable discussions with top administrators. Session topics include leadership styles, organizational change, diversity, building winning research teams, and organizational evaluation and assessment.

This year’s participants are:

--Amy Crumpton, associate professor, interior design.

--Darrin Dodds, associate Extension/research professor, plant and soil sciences.

--Deborah Eakin, associate professor, psychology.

--Jeffrey Eells, associate professor, College of Veterinary Medicine Basic Science Department.

--Yong Fu, associate professor, electrical and computer engineering.

--Jeffrey Haupt, professor, art.

--Alexandra Hui, associate professor, history.

--Melissa Moore, professor and department head, marketing, quantitative analysis and business law.

--Andy Perkins, associate professor, computer science and engineering.

--Edwin Webster, professor, chemistry.

For more information about the program, contact Teresa Gammill, assistant vice president for research, at tgammill@research.msstate.edu or 662-325-3570.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.