A holiday greeting from MSU President Mark E. Keenum
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Rhonda joins me in wishing Mississippi State University alumni and friends everywhere a very happy and joyous holiday season. We look forward to ringing in the New Year at the TaxSlayer.com Gator Bowl and hope many of you will join us in Jacksonville.
When we return to campus to begin the spring semester, I will be entering my fifth year as president. It continues to be an honor and a great privilege to serve my alma mater and to work with so many dedicated faculty and staff and with our outstanding students.
I also want to express appreciation to our many alumni and friends who have given generously to help Mississippi State University continue its mission of advancing higher education in our state. This year we continued to set records for private support and our StatePride initiative in support of scholarships and faculty development exceeded its $100 million goal well ahead of schedule.
Despite difficult economic times and a tight state budget picture, we have worked hard to ensure that the quality of instruction at Mississippi State remains second to none. We are also proud of the strength of our world-class research and the role our university is playing as a partner with state leaders and economic development professionals in helping bring jobs and greater opportunity to Mississippi.
Visitors to our campus will also see a lot of construction in progress in 2013 as we move to meet the demands of a growing student body. Renovation of historic Lee Hall is well underway, as is expansion of Davis Wade Stadium. The Leo W. Seal Jr. Football Complex is almost complete, and a new classroom building with built-in parking will get started in coming months. We recently dedicated the newly renovated Middleton Hall and our two newest residence halls opened at the start of the fall semester.
I look forward to 2013 with great optimism and to the opportunities that lie ahead for our beloved university. Thank you for your generous contributions, reassuring words of encouragement, and many expressions of support. Thank you for all you do for Mississippi State University.
Sincerely,
Mark E. Keenum
President