Tuesday, February 9, 2021   
 
University Florist celebrates 85 years of service, Valentine's Day
A Mississippi State landmark is marking more than eight decades of service to the land-grant university. The University Florist is celebrating 85 years this semester and welcoming business as February commemorates the "month of romance" through the exchange of chocolate, gifts and flowers. The florist is taking orders now for Valentine's Day, Sunday [Feb. 14] and is open today [Feb. 9], Thursday and Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and on Wednesday 9 a.m.-noon. Special weekend hours are Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Also, visit www.florist.msstate.edu or call 662-325-3585. Located at 100 Lee Blvd., the University Florist began serving MSU and the community in 1936 and has, over the years, maintained a loyal patronage through its commitment to detail and quality service. The University Florist and the floral management degree concentration are operated under the direction of the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
 
Congressman Steven Palazzo Praises Award for Aquaculture Research
Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-4), member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, today praised the $4.7 million investment by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program in twelve American aquaculture research initiatives throughout the United States, including funding for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. Specifically, about $1 million of the award will support Mississippi State University's Ganesh Karunakaran, an assistant research professor of aquaculture at the university, as he leads a team of researchers on the project "Economic status and contribution of U.S. aquaculture: Analyzing viability, economic impact, and management measures for future success." "The investments we make today in our trusted researchers and domestic aquaculture industry will prove to be beneficial for generations. I am pleased to see this funding by NOAA will expand our understanding of aquaculture, and I trust that it will provide valuable insight as the United States grows our hand in domestic seafood production," said Palazzo.
 
Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles: Mississippi 'a model' for how to utilize National Guard to fight pandemic
When Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles, adjutant general of the Mississippi National Guard, told Starkville Rotary Club Tuesday that the state's armed forces were hard at work administering COVID-19 vaccinations throughout Mississippi, they didn't have to take his word for it. They could clearly see him speaking from a vaccination site in DeSoto County in the background of his Zoom call. "What you see behind me is where we have medics actually putting needles in arms, similar to how we're doing in (the Mississippi Horse Park) in Starkville," he told the club at its weekly virtual meeting on Monday. "I've been out at both sites. I will tell you that this week, we are now putting about 67,000 shots in arms. ... That is an increase from doing 30,000 shots two weeks ago." Boyles, who joined the military through the Reserve Officers' Training Corp while studying at Mississippi State University in the 1980s, is commanding general of the roughly 12,500 men and women who serve with the Mississippi National Guard. That force -- made up of roughly 2,500 Air Force and 10,000 Army troops -- stays busy, attending annual training throughout the county and many of them being deployed overseas to places like Kuwait and Eastern Europe for months at a time. Roughly 2,000 of those troops were deployed last week, 500 overseas, 300 training and 1,200 "supporting the COVID mission."
 
Mississippi: 2% of COVID vaccines go to out-of-state people
About 2% of the COVID-19 vaccinations given so far in Mississippi have gone to people with out-of-state addresses, state health officials said Monday. Mississippi guidelines say the vaccination is available to anyone 65 or older or to those who are least 16 years old and have underlying health conditions that might make them more vulnerable to the virus. The state's top public health officials said Monday that the vaccination is supposed to be limited to Mississippi residents, or to people from other states who work in Mississippi. However, they said people giving the shots do not check identification or verify that out-of-state residents work in Mississippi. "We don't want to create barriers," the state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, said in response to questions during an online news conference. "To get a vaccine in Mississippi, you're supposed to be a resident or work here. If you get a vaccine here and you don't do either, when you fill out the application, you're being dishonest. Right? So, there is a step in the process where we have to depend upon people's ethical behavior. It's obviously unethical to be misleading and lie on your enrollment. But we don't want to have someone who's older and doesn't have a driver's license having an impediment to getting a vaccine because they don't have a driver's license, or they don't have ID," Dobbs said.
 
MSDH details Walmart vaccine rollout, addresses vaccinations of out-of-state residents
Mississippians can begin scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations at 31 Walmart locations across the state beginning Tuesday, the Mississippi State Department of Health announced during a press conference on Monday. Four Walmart locations in Northeast Mississippi will administer the vaccine: Corinth in Alcorn County at 2301 S Harper Road, Houston in Chickasaw County at 660 E Madison Street, Tupelo in Lee County at 3929 N Gloster Street, and New Albany in Union County at 202 Park Plaza Drive. The full list of locations throughout the state can be found on the MSDH website under the "Vaccination Against COVID-19" section. State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said each location is set to receive around 200 doses per week, but that number may increase depending on uptake. The doses for Walmart locations are federally allocated and will not come out of the state's weekly 45,000-dose allocation. More than 334,000 total COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Mississippi as of Feb. 8 -- 271,310 first doses and 62,690 second doses.
 
Meatpackers Want Workers to Get Covid-19 Vaccines, but Some Aren't So Sure
Meatpacking workers are among the next wave of people eligible for Covid-19 vaccinations in some states. Their bosses want to make sure they get the shots. Many meatpacking-plant employees remain unsure of the vaccines' safety and effectiveness, according to company surveys, worker groups and some workers themselves. Some worry about having to provide proof of immigration status to get a shot, worker advocates said, while others who don't speak or read English might struggle to find out where to get one. At Sanderson Farms, the third-largest U.S. chicken company, Chief Executive Joe Sanderson received a Covid-19 vaccine in mid-January while a camera rolled. The Mississippi-based company will soon play the video, with doctors addressing common questions about the vaccine, in break rooms and training sessions. Last year, Sanderson analyzed employees' acceptance rates for the free flu vaccines the company has offered at plants in years past. The data showed that fewer than 10% of workers took them, prompting Sanderson to begin a campaign promoting the Covid-19 shots. "There were a lot of misconceptions," said Mr. Sanderson, 73 years old, referring to the flu shots on a December conference call. "We do not want that to happen with the Covid vaccine."
 
Should lottery revenue be spent on state roads? Senate bill would fund local governments.
Lottery revenue earmarked for maintenance on state highways would be diverted to local road and bridge needs under legislation pending in the Mississippi Senate. The legislation would undo one of the primary commitments made by the Legislature in a 2018 special session designed to address a deteriorating state transportation system. During that special session, lawmakers adopted the state lottery and decided the first $80 million in annual lottery revenue would be earmarked for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. At the time, a Mississippi Economic Council study concluded the Department of Transportation needed an additional $300 million annually for state highway maintenance, repairs and construction projects. The legislation would divert any lottery revenue in excess of $80 million to public education. Central District Transportation Commissioner Willie Simmons said the legislation pending in the Senate, if passed, "removes from MDOT $80 million in critically important funding and the first new, sustainable revenue source for our state-owned highways since 1987." "Without question, this would have a marked negative impact on our mission to deliver an efficient and reliable state transportation system," Simmons said.
 
Charles Schumer, Mitch McConnell reach deal on Trump impeachment trial
Senate leadership announced on Monday that they have reached a deal on the framework for former President Trump's impeachment trial, which will start on Tuesday. "For the information of the Senate, the Republican leader and I, in consultation with both the House managers and Former President Trump's lawyers, have agreed to a bipartisan resolution to govern the structure and timing of the impending trial," Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said from the Senate floor. "All parties have agreed to a structure that will ensure a fair and honest Senate impeachment trial of the former president," Schumer said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) confirmed on the Senate floor that they have reached a deal, noting that it "preserves due process and the rights of both sides." "I'm pleased that Leader Schumer and I were able to reach an agreement on a fair process and estimated timeline for the upcoming Senate trial," McConnell said. "It will give senators as jurors ample time to receive the case and the arguments."
 
Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby announces he will retire after 2022
Richard C. Shelby, Alabama's senior senator and the top Republican on the Appropriations Committee, announced Monday he would not seek reelection next year -- a decision that kick-starts the GOP primary in his home state and that will eventually lead to changes on the powerful spending panel. Shelby's departure will mark the end of a congressional career that began in 1979 when he joined the House as a Democrat. Over his more than four decades on Capitol Hill, Shelby has served on numerous committees, influenced countless pieces of legislation and chaired the Appropriations, Intelligence, Banking and Rules committees. His decision to retire caps off months of speculation about whether the 86-year-old would seek a seventh Senate term. Shelby's exit will set off a crowded Republican primary in deep-red Alabama, but the GOP isn't concerned a divisive primary could endanger the seat in the general election. Business Council of Alabama CEO Katie Boyd Britt, who was previously Shelby's chief of staff, could run for the open seat, and likely would have the senator's backing, multiple GOP strategists said.
 
Westport Linen Services bringing 75 new jobs to Mississippi Delta
New jobs are coming to the Delta. Healthcare laundry company Westport Linen Services will create 75 new jobs by locating operations in Greenville. With a $5.8 million corporate investment, the move will also retain 75 existing jobs through the Baton Rouge headquartered company's purchase of Broadway Linen Services. "This year has gotten off to a great start in terms of job creation, and I am proud to announce even more jobs heading to our great state by way of Westport Linen," Governor Tate Reeves said. "The company's decision to retain 75 existing jobs in Greenville in addition to creating 75 new jobs is more great news as job retention also is critical to sustaining and building stronger communities. I thank the Westport Linen team for its investment in the Mississippi Delta and the region's workforce." MDA is providing assistance for workforce training. Westport Linen began operations in Greenville in December and plans to begin making improvements to the facility in the near future.
 
New boost for minority businesses in underserved communities
Small minority-owned businesses have often struggled to gain access to capital and other tools to grow, a challenge made more daunting by the economic upheaval of the coronavirus pandemic. But a new effort announced Tuesday aims to address those disparities in pockets of the nation long gripped by poverty. Hope Enterprise Corporation, which runs a Jackson, Mississippi-based credit union that specializes in lending and other financial services to underserved communities, is partnering with seven cities and nine historically Black colleges and universities to launch the "Deep South Economic Mobility Collaborative." Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative is providing up to $130 million to the endeavor, which will be available to clients in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Tennessee. Participating small business owners can access capital provided by Goldman and take online classes offered through Goldman's 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative. Other resources include small business development centers offered by some HBCUs, and procurement and contracting programs in certain cities.
 
UM administrators lay out vaccine process, will not require vaccinations of community
Provost Noel Wilkin said on Monday that "vaccinating our community is the fastest path back to normal" as he encouraged students to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but the university will not require the UM community to schedule appointments for vaccines. "We know that the path to normal is through vaccination," Wilkin said. "So if the vaccine is not gotten by the number of people who need to get it -- in order for us to have comfort and relax the protocols -- we'll just continue to modify operations with the protocols." Wilkin was accompanied at an information panel by Dr. Lauren Bloodworth, a clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice; Alex Langhart, the director of University Health Centers; and Dr. Hubert Spears, a staff physician at the Employee Health Center, to discuss the university's vaccine rollout plan. Wilkin clarified that the university currently does not have vaccines on campus for distribution, but administrators are ready to receive them and have the plans in place to administer them once they arrive. "Once vaccines became available to the public, our goal has been to be able to administer vaccines within hours of them arriving on campus," Wilkin said. "Our task force administration team has ensured that we will be able to meet that goal."
 
Student Survey to Improve Health and Well-Being at Ole Miss
University of Mississippi students have an opportunity to contribute to the university's future mental health strategic plan by responding to an anonymous survey this month. Roughly half the Ole Miss student population will receive an anonymous survey, the Healthy Minds Study, this week. The results of the study will provide data that will allow Student Affairs administrators to better understand student mental health, substance use and suicide prevention needs. The Healthy Minds Study is a part of a larger JED Campus program. The program and participating universities and colleges are committed to assessing and enhancing mental health, substance use and suicide prevention policies, programs and systems. "Surveys are an opportunity for individual voices to be heard, and this one is particularly important because of all the things happening in our world," said Monica Coleman, a doctoral student in counselor education and member of the JED Campus Committee. "We know mental health is more important than ever. And student voices are particularly important because we are the very people that make this institution possible."
 
USM spring forum starts February 9
Two acclaimed international performing artists and educators will help the University of Southern Mississippi kick off its online spring 2021 University Forum programming. Tanya Wideman-Davis and Thaddeus Davis, founders of Wideman Davis Dance, will present "Bodies Moving: Public Spaces, Architecture and Access" at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9. All spring 2021 University Forum programs will be presented online as part of the university's overall efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. In this opening University Forum presentation, Wideman-Davis and Davis will be joined by Historical Columbia's executive director Robin Waites to discuss how historic public spaces provide opportunities for artists "to broaden community accessibility and collective citizenship." This event is co-sponsored by the dance program in the School of Performing and Visual Arts. Through projects like "Migratuse Ataraxia," they have brought together research and performance to explore the connections between historical events and contemporary life as interpreted through an African American perspective.
 
UA Trustees vote to remove George Wallace's name from UAB building
For over 45 years, a red-brick building on the University of Alabama at Birmingham campus bore the name of former Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace. On Friday, the UA System's Board of Trustees unanimously voted to rename the facility the Physical Education Building. "This is simply the right thing to do," Trustee Judge John England Jr. -- who represents the Board of Trustees workgroup formed in June to review the names of UA System buildings that recommended the change -- said in a statement. Located on 6th Avenue South between 12th and 13th streets, the board named the physical education facility after Wallace on July 14, 1975, as a way to recognize his "substantial support, interest, and contributions to the University of Alabama in Birmingham." Wallace, Alabama's 45th governor, was famously shot and paralyzed from the waist down in 1972 in Maryland during a stop on his failed presidential campaign. He spent many days after the attempted assassination undergoing physical therapy at the UAB Health System's Spain Rehabilitation Center.
 
Auburn University resumes in-person teaching, with no problems reported
In-person classes resumed Monday on the Auburn University campus for most students and faculty, with no apparent problems regarding masking and social distancing. Some classes have been meeting in person since students returned in mid-January, with no problems to speak of. "I've been teaching face-to-face since Jan. 11. I've got a 70-person linear algebra class. They all mask up and distance fine," said Hal Schenck, professor and Rosemary Kopel Brown Eminent Scholars Chair in the math department. "I told them the first day, 'You don't do it, and we'll all end up back online.' They've been great." Students could be seen chatting on phones without their masks while walking across campus, but they appeared to put on their masks before entering campus buildings. One faculty member, who asked not to be identified, said staff and faculty members were diligent about masks inside and out. "I looked out at Langdon Hall earlier and saw a tight collection of students waiting to go in for their class. About half had masks on, though they seemed to be putting them on as they went up the stairs," the faculty member said. "It seems the students feel there are exceptions to mask requirements if they are talking on the phone or carrying food." Bobby Woodard, senior vice president for Student Affairs, said the masking and distancing rules are being enforced.
 
Amid LSU sexual assault investigation, law firm invites students to share experiences
An outside law firm probing LSU's handling of sexual assault and domestic violence cases has invited students to meet with them and to share their stories about how the university has dealt with their complaints. Interim LSU President Tom Galligan sent a message to students Monday inviting them to participate in the review from law firm Husch Blackwell. Students can sign up online; the law firm's review is expected to be complete by the end of this month or early next month and will be made public, Galligan said. The invitation follows news that the U.S. Department of Education has opened an expansive probe into public safety on LSU's campus. Galligan received a letter last week notifying him that inspectors were requesting dozens of records, including misconduct incident reports and complaints from 2016 through 2019 involving LSU Greek Life, student athletes and other student organizations. While Galligan and other LSU officials have pledged support for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence on LSU's campus, hundreds of students protested late last year over allegations that the school did not seriously investigate or respond to those sorts of crimes.
 
Students accuse U. of South Carolina of dragging its feet in renaming buildings named for racists
Two student leaders at the University of South Carolina accused school officials of being unnecessarily slow in pushing to rename buildings named for racists or people with ties to slavery. Student Body President Issy Rushton and Student Body Vice-President Hannah White called for USC's Presidential Commission on University History, the committee charged with examining building names, to speed up the process, they said in a letter sent Monday. "We are writing to you to express our deep frustration and disappointment in the lack of progress that has been exhibited by this commission and institution in regards to the renaming of buildings on our campus. Let us be clear: this flagship institution is currently falling on the wrong side of history," the letter said. Although USC has already recommended renaming one building, Rushton and White are frustrated no action has been taken on other buildings, including one named for the late U.S. Sen. Strom Thurmond. Also, USC has a women's dorm named for Wade Hampton. Wade Hampton III was a Confederate general and his father owned slaves, according to History.com. Hampton III also served as a top member in the Ku Klux Klan, according to the National Park Service.
 
Students and volunteers feel safe at UF COVID-19 testing sites
A hit pop track echoes in the distance. A lone plastic straw sits in the grass. Anxious students keep their heads down as they desperately search for an isolated corner to begin spitting into a vial. This isn't the aftermath of a wild house party or a successful gameday – it's a routine saliva COVID-19 testing site on UF's campus. UF implemented biweekly mandatory COVID-19 screenings and saliva tests for students living on campus, involved in Greek life or enrolled in face-to-face sections. With the increased test administration this Spring, UF said it is taking the necessary measures to ensure the testing site volunteers, employees and thousands of students getting tested every day feel safe. In a campus brief emailed to all faculty and staff Jan. 29, UF Health Screen, Test & Protect wrote that it "continues to perform more than 2,000 PCR saliva tests per day, with a capacity for up to 3,200 tests daily -- more than three times the maximum number of daily tests administered in the fall."
 
'Moon tree' descendant planted at A&M to commemorate Apollo 14 mission
Around 15 people gathered at Texas A&M University's AgriLife Center on Monday to plant a "moon tree" descendant to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 14 moon mission. The tree is a clone of one of the original "moon trees" taken on Apollo 14 in 1971, which was obtained by the A&M Forest Service and grown at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Southern Research Station. It was planted at the Leach Teaching Gardens on A&M's campus. "The Gardens is all about learning about nature, it's about learning about agriculture and this tree really signifies both the important role of trees and nature of trees to the economy," said Patrick Stover, vice chancellor for Texas A&M AgriLife, dean of A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of A&M AgriLife Research, "but it also reflects technology and how that tree is a second-generation space tree and points to the future of how we're going to have to start thinking about agriculture, not only here on Earth, but in space as we go to the moon and Mars and colonize." The Apollo 14 mission was the third Apollo mission, landing on the moon Feb. 5, 1971. Astronauts Alan Shepard and Edgar Mitchell walked on moon, while Stuart Roosa orbited above in a command module.
 
Campus life at heart of community policing model for new U. of Missouri police chief
The University of Missouri campus police department has a new chief. Brian Weimer officially was announced as the new chief Monday. He had served as interim chief since July after then-Chief Doug Schwandt transitioned into retirement last summer. Weimer has nearly 30 years of experience with the department. The department is the university's primary law enforcement response agency, employing a community policing model. The department is accredited by both the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies and International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators. These are the organizations that ensure the department follows best-practice law enforcement policies. The MU Police Department is one of five in the Southeastern Conference to have dual accreditation with CALEA and IACLEA. "Our officers interact with members of our campus community every day, working hard to meet their needs and build relationships," Weimer said.
 
VMI resists letting investigators interview cadets, faculty without its lawyers present, report says
The law firm conducting the independent probe of allegations of racism at Virginia Military Institute reported Friday that the college has resisted allowing cadets or faculty to be interviewed without VMI representatives or lawyers present. The firm, Barnes & Thornburg, said agreeing to those terms would "undermine the independence and effectiveness" of its inquiry, discourage VMI cadets and teachers from speaking candidly, and put their confidentiality at risk. The dispute has delayed progress on the investigation, for which the state allocated $1 million. Now VMI is proposing that cadets or employees be "given the option" to have the school's lawyers with the firm Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott accompany them, according to the report. But the independent investigators are objecting to that proposal, too. The nation's oldest state-supported military college has been under intense scrutiny since October, when The Washington Post published an article describing Black cadets' accusations of racism on the Lexington campus. Two days later, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and other state officials ordered an independent probe of what they called the school's "clear and appalling culture of ongoing structural racism."
 
APLU Joins Other Higher Ed Groups in Project to Foster Equity in Transfer
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) on Monday announced it is joining with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in a new effort to increase transfer rates for African American, Hispanic, adult, and first-generation learners. The effort, called the Equity Transfer Initiative, is awarding up to $27,500 to support partnerships between community and four-year colleges to advance transfer pathways and align them to increase transfer and completion for underrepresented student populations. Each team must place at least 100 students on one of five identified transfer pathways by the end of the first year and 300 or more total by the end of the second year. ETI aims serve 6,000 students from the identified underrepresented groups over the two-year project period. The APLU institutions participating in the effort are: University of California, Davis; Cleveland State University; University of Colorado Denver; George Mason University; University of Massachusetts Lowell; Oklahoma State University; Texas State University; University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; and Wayne State University. Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, a member of the Coalition of Urban Serving Universities, is also participating.
 
65 Percent of Colleges Raised Less in 2020 Than 2019, Survey Finds
A quarter of college fundraisers said gift revenue dropped by more than 30 percent in the last half of 2020, compared with that period in 2019. Paltry giving by major donors was the main cause of this decline, according to findings from a new survey of 104 U.S. and Canadian colleges conducted by researchers with the higher-education consulting firm EAB. By the end of the 2020 calendar year, roughly 65 percent of colleges had raised less than they had the previous year. Many colleges struggled to bring in new donations during the last half of 2020. Revenue from new contributions and pledges declined by a median of roughly 9 percent, but the overall landscape of college giving was uneven. Nearly 50 percent of the colleges said fundraisers made fewer appeals for gifts of $25,000 or more during the last half of 2020. More than 41 percent of respondents said the number of those gifts increased from July 1 to December 31. Among public colleges, fundraising revenue grew by a median of 3 percent from July 1 to December 31, the survey found. However, the volume of major gifts public colleges received during that time slid 70 percent.
 
Giving to colleges flattens without Bloomberg gift in 2020, ending decade of growth
Charitable giving to colleges and universities was essentially flat in the 2020 fiscal year despite the pandemic. For the first time in a decade, total giving to higher education institutions fell slightly, from $49.6 billion to $49.5 billion, according to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education's latest annual giving survey. Record-breaking totals last year were inflated by a $1.8 billion gift from Michael Bloomberg's charities and foundations to Johns Hopkins University. If that gift were removed from the fiscal 2019 results, giving in fiscal 2020 would have increased by 3.6 percent, the survey found. The Voluntary Support of Education Survey, released today, analyzes fundraising data from 873 colleges and universities for the 2020 fiscal year, which began July 1, 2019, and ended June 30, 2020. Surveyed institutions represent about a quarter of U.S. colleges and universities, but together they raised 78 percent of the estimated total voluntary support for U.S. higher education institutions in fiscal 2020. CASE estimates total support from nonrespondents using past data and nonrespondents' institutional characteristics.
 
Colleges Could Lose $183 Billion During Pandemic
U.S. colleges and universities stand to lose a collective $183 billion as a result of the pandemic, according to an analysis by Paul Friga, a public higher education consultant for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges and a clinical associate professor of strategy at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. Friga examined budget estimates for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 from 107 U.S. colleges and universities. Revenue losses for higher education institutions could reach $85 billion in fiscal 2021, driven by decreased enrollment, tuition discounting, declining international student enrollment and the suspension of athletic programs, according to Friga. College budgets could be further strained by an estimated $74 billion cut to states' higher education funding, as well as $24 billion in pandemic-related expenses. Institutions are working to minimize budget shortfalls through hiring freezes, layoffs, operating budget cuts and delayed capital projects, Friga said in a press release. The release describes the pandemic as having the potential to cause the "most devastating loss for higher education ever."
 
Colleges Vowed a Safer Spring. Then Students, and Variants, Arrived.
She is known on campus as Patient Zero, the unidentified student who returned to the University of Michigan after winter break carrying an unwanted stowaway from her trip to England -- a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus first detected in Britain. Quickly the case became a cluster, with at least 23 confirmations of the B.1.1.7 variant, concentrated in the Wolverines' athletic program. Late last month, the university instructed students to stay in their rooms as much as possible and paused campus sports, disrupting a winning basketball season and any hope that the spring semester might be less chaotic than the fall. With nearly a year of coronavirus experience behind them, leaders at Michigan and other U.S. universities ushered in the new term pledging not to repeat the errors of last year, when infection rates soared on campuses and in the surrounding communities. But although most schools have pledged to increase testing as a way of spotting outbreaks early, it is an expensive proposition at a time when many are struggling financially, and not all are testing students as often as recommended by public health experts. Other universities across the country have also encountered obstacles to a smooth spring.
 
U.S. scientists want Congress to look into complaints of racial profiling in China Initiative
Scientists and civil rights organizations are ramping up pressure on Congress and President Joe Biden's administration to examine whether the U.S. government has been unfairly targeting Chinese-American researchers in an effort to protect government-funded research from foreign influences. This week, they asked a prominent member of Congress to hold a hearing on a U.S. law enforcement initiative that has resulted in criminal or civil charges against prominent U.S. academic scientists engaged in work with Chinese institutions. They see the hearing -- which could occur as early as next month -- as a possible first step toward satisfying a second request, directed to Biden last month, to reform or dismantle the Department of Justice's (DOJ's) China Initiative, begun in 2018. The 1 February letter from a coalition of individuals and scientific organizations asks Representative Jamie Raskin (D–MD), who leads a civil rights oversight panel in the House of Representatives, to hold a hearing that addresses "the racial profiling and investigations of scientists and scholars of Chinese or Asian descent by the Department of Justice, the National Institutes of Health [NIH] and other science funding agencies based on misguided fears of economic espionage and intellectual property theft."
 
Four senators reintroduce legislation to support U.S. research community impacted by the pandemic
Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Friday introduced the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act to authorize nearly $25 billion in support to U.S. researchers who have been impacted by the pandemic. Although coronavirus-related research is a current federal government priority, most other research has been delayed due to closures of campuses and laboratories. The people who comprise the research workforce -- graduate students, postdocs, principal investigators and technical support staff -- face financial and other hardships from the disruption of their research activities. The RISE Act will provide necessary relief to preserve the current scientific workforce and ensure that the United States is prepared to continue our global scientific leadership once this crisis ends. "Over the course of this unprecedented pandemic, our medical researchers, scientists, research institutions and labs in North Carolina and across the country have worked tirelessly to battle COVID-19 and improve the health of the country," said Senator Tillis. "I am proud to co-introduce the RISE Act again in the 117th Congress to continue fighting for our economic growth, global competitiveness and ability to continue delivering innovative medical and scientific solutions. We must support our nation's research investments and workforce pipeline so that the medical and scientific research community can resume operations and restore progress to pre-pandemic levels."
 
New Purdue animal sciences head John Blanton
Karen Plaut, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of Purdue Agriculture, has announced that John Blanton has accepted the position of head of the Department of Animal Sciences. He assumed his position effective Monday (Feb. 1). "Dr. Blanton brings a breadth of experience and proven leadership excellence to the department," Plaut said. "He comes to us from Mississippi State University, where he has served as professor and department head since 2013. He has built strong relationships with industry and stakeholders throughout his career. He is a results-oriented, energetic leader who knows how to move things forward." Blanton, who has bachelor's and master's degrees from New Mexico State University, earned his doctoral degree from Purdue University. He praised the education and connections he made while at Purdue and shares his personal connection to the university. He said his background has prepared him to be a department head, first at Mississippi State University and now at his alma mater.


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State Announces Fan Attendance Guidelines For Softball
Mississippi State announced capacity restrictions and safety guidelines for the 2021 softball season on Tuesday (Feb. 9). The Bulldogs open the season on Saturday, Feb. 13 with a double-header against Miami (Ohio). State will host 31 home games and an additional 12 contests for visiting teams across two home tournaments. In accordance with all current State of Mississippi guidelines, policies, and regulations, MSU anticipates Nusz Park shall be limited to a maximum of 25 percent of available seating capacity to ensure a minimum of six feet of social distancing between persons not in the same household. Properly spaced and marked grandstand seating will be available in two- and four-seat pods. Also, a limited number of spaced and marked boxes on the outfield deck will be made available for up to four individuals from the same household. MSU softball games will continue to be free for all fans, and no tickets are needed for entry. However, entry will be allowed on a first-come, first-serve basis, and the maximum capacity cap will be strictly enforced. Guests should enter through the main gate at the Nusz Park and the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre.
 
Citadel grad Chris Lemonis will bring Mississippi State to Riley Park
The Citadel baseball coach Tony Skole keeps holding College World Series reunions at Riley Park. In 2018, Skole brought his old Bulldogs teammate, Dan McDonnell, and his national power Louisville team back to Riley Park for a game. Skole plans to do the same thing this season for another former teammate, Chris Lemonis, and his national power Mississippi State team. Skole, McDonnell and Lemonis were all members of The Citadel's 1990 College World Series team under legendary coach Chal Port. Mississippi State will play at The Citadel on May 5 as part of the military school's non-conference schedule, Skole announced Feb. 8. Louisville and Mississippi State both advanced to the CWS in 2019, with McDonnell's Cardinals beating Lemonis' team by 4-3 in the second round.
 
Can 102K fans, tailgating return for LSU football by September? 'It's very possible,' AD says
As LSU football looks toward its 2021 season, one big question looms: Exactly how many fans can expect to see the action at Tiger Stadium? If you ask Tigers Athletic Director Scott Woodward, the hopeful number is the maximum number possible -- plus tailgating, which was disallowed this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. "I'm very optimistic about that," Woodward said this week during an interview with WAFB-TV's Jacques Doucet. "I follow this COVID closely, and I like what I'm seeing from our state, from our local officials, from the federal government – all hands on deck. ... Everyone out there needs to get vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to some sense of normalcy. And I'm hoping in an optimistic way, we can get back to some of that, summer and definitely into the fall that we can have full stadiums." Tiger Stadium was capped at a capacity of 25,000 socially distanced fans for LSU's four home games this past season, with those on hands witnessing up-and-down performances culminating in a 5-5 overall record. Woodward said the baseball season is a bigger question, but he's hopeful for the possibility of a full house by the end of the season.



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