| Wednesday, May 13, 2026 |
| Cancer-detecting breakthrough earns Scott national 'American Innovator' recognition | |
 | Mississippi State University chemist Colleen Scott has been selected for the Bayh-Dole Coalition's 2026 American Innovator Award, one of the nation's most prestigious honors given annually to researchers whose federally funded work leads to real-world impact. Past honorees include developers of mRNA vaccine technology, once-a-day HIV treatments and vision-restoring glasses. Scott, an associate professor in MSU's Department of Chemistry, was nominated by U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith for her patented research developing a shortwave infrared (SWIR) dye for the visualization of cancer cells. Her award-winning technology enables safe, high-resolution deep tissue visualization by operating at lower energy levels than traditional imaging methods. Her technology is geared to selectively target cancer cells, allowing clinicians to more clearly identify tumor boundaries. Scott said, “This award is a tremendous honor and a validation of the hard work of my team and students. I hope it inspires the next generation of scientists and provides more opportunities to advance research that improves human health, technology and everyday life.” |
| Mississippi State chemist earns national honor for cancer research breakthrough | |
| Mississippi State University chemist Colleen Scott has been awarded with one of the nation's most prestigious honors given annually to researchers whose federally funded work leads to real-world impact. Scott, an associate professor in Mississippi State's Department of Chemistry, has been selected for the Bayh-Dole Coalition's 2026 American Innovator Award for her patented research developing a shortwave infrared dye for the visualization of cancer cells. She was nominated for the award by U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. "Dr. Scott's unwavering determination has driven her pioneering work in shortwave infrared dyes, opening new possibilities for surgeons to detect and remove cancer with greater precision," said Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. "Her story exemplifies exactly what Senators Bayh and Dole sought to create through the Bayh-Dole Act -- a system for federally funded discoveries from institutions like Mississippi State to be translated into real-world technologies that improve patient outcomes and save lives." |
| Mississippi State chemist earns national honor for cancer imaging breakthrough | |
 | Video: A Mississippi State University researcher, Colleen Scott, is receiving national recognition for groundbreaking work that could improve the way doctors detect and treat cancer. |
| Delta State launching new scholarship program for first responders, teachers | |
| Delta State University will soon launch a new scholarship for teachers and first responders. University officials announced the creation of the Delta Heroes scholarship on Tuesday. The new financial assistance program is designed to support graduate students from Mississippi who serve communities across the Delta region through careers in education, law enforcement, and emergency response. Eligible professions include law enforcement personnel and related staff members, K-12 teachers and school office staff, and first responders including firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Nursing professionals are not included in the eligibility criteria for this scholarship program. "Delta State University has long been committed to serving the people and communities of the Mississippi Delta," Delta State President Dr. Daniel J. Ennis said. "The Delta Heroes Scholarship recognizes the dedication of the individuals who protect, educate and serve our communities every day while helping make graduate education more accessible for those professionals." |
| There Is a Fire Sale on M.B.A.s | |
 | One of America's most expensive graduate degrees is going on sale. Business schools at Purdue University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of California, Irvine, among others, are giving steep discounts on tuition that can save students tens of thousands of dollars. For professionals who are considering whether to go back to school, it can offer a pathway to get a degree while staying debt free. But for the schools, many of which have struggled to attract applications, the discounts may not be sustainable as a business model. The price breaks tend to be for shorter, more specialized business degrees aimed at workers struggling to gain traction in a tough hiring market. Younger professionals in particular may be spooked that AI will disrupt their career plans, so business schools are pitching them that a graduate degree in business will give them an edge in AI expertise without having to step away from a highflying career for too long -- or at all. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's APR Success Illustrates Continued Academic Achievement | |
| nce again, Mississippi State student-athletes are winning off the field. The NCAA has released the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) data, and it's a testament to the sustained academic success being had in Starkville. Six Bulldog programs earned perfect multi-year APR scores of 1,000, and every MSU program exceeded the NCAA benchmark of 930. Men's golf, men's tennis, women's golf, women's tennis, soccer and volleyball all had scores of 1,000, while baseball, football, men's track, softball, cross country and women's track all had scores of 984 or better. APR data is released annually by the NCAA. It tracks academic progress, retention and eligibility. Mississippi State continues to be one of the Southeastern Conference's most consistent performers, maintaining high academic standards across all sports. The latest APR report contains multi-year rates based on the four years from 2021-22 through 2024-25. |
| Baseball: Reese, Valincius Named Ferriss Trophy Finalists | |
| Mississippi State's Ace Reese and Tomas Valincius have both been selected as finalists for the Ferriss Trophy, which is presented annually to the top collegiate baseball player in the state. Reese, who was also a finalist for the award last year, is batting .335 this season. The junior third baseman from Canton, Texas is leading the Southeastern Conference with 21 doubles and is third in total bases (143), fourth in RBIs (63), fifth in runs (61), sixth in home runs (18) and slugging (.704), eighth in OPS (1.134) and ninth in hits (68). In 13 starts, Valincius owns an 8-2 record and a 2.52 earned run average with 105 strikeouts and just 16 walks across 75 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .209 against him. The sophomore left-hander from Lockport, Illinois ranks second in the SEC in strikeouts and wins, third in innings and WHIP (0.99) and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.56). The Ferriss Trophy winner will be announced on May 18 at 11:30 a.m. at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson. An MSU player has won the Ferriss Trophy nine times during its 21 years of existence, the most of any program. |
| Women's Golf: State In Fifth Entering Final Round Of Chapel Hill Regional | |
| Mississippi State women's golf will enter the final round of the Chapel Hill Regional five strokes above the projected NCAA Championship cutline, as the Bulldogs sit in fifth place at 9-over par through the first two days. The junior duo of Avery Weed and Samantha Whateley both shot even par rounds during the second day of action. Weed collected a team-leading four birdies, while Whateley only carded two bogeys, the least of any Bulldog in the second round of action. Weed will sit in a tie for eighth entering round three at 1-under par. She is one of 11 golfers to be under par in the event. Back-to-back even par rounds for Whateley puts her right outside of the top 10, as she is tied for 12th. The top five teams in the leaderboard at the end of Wednesday's round will advance to the NCAA Championship later this month. At 9-over, the Bulldogs are five strokes over sixth place team Virginia. Kent State and Michigan State are in a tie for seventh at 18-over, nine strokes behind Mississippi State. |
| Egg Bowl Game Time Announced | |
| As part of the annual Disney Advertising Upfront presentation at New York's Javits Center, Disney and ESPN have announced multiple kickoff times for the 2026 season, including the Egg Bowl. Mississippi State and Ole Miss will meet in Oxford, Miss., on Friday, Nov. 27. Kickoff for the 123rd Egg Bowl is set for 11 a.m. on ABC. This will be the second consecutive, and seventh overall, meeting between the two schools on a Friday. This will also be the second straight season that the Egg Bowl has been played at 11 a.m. on Black Friday. Additional game times and TV networks will be announced at a later date. |
| Tennis Earns Multiple 2026 CSC Academic All-District Honors | |
| The Mississippi State men's and women's tennis programs were well represented on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District teams, the organization announced Tuesday. The 2026 Academic All-District team, as selected by the CSC, recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the tennis court and in the classroom. Representing the men on the academic all-district team are Mario Martinez Serrano, Petar Jovanovic, Benito Sanchez Martinez and Niccolo Baroni, while Chiara Di Genova represent the women's squad. Student-athletes who are at least a sophomore academically and athletically are eligible to be nominated when they have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA, and for graduate students, it must be 3.50 for both undergraduate and graduate. Additionally, all nominees must be in the lineup for at least 70% of the team's matches (regional competitions such as ITAs and non-team-scored events do not count). |
| Doug Hutton: 101 points in one day of basketball. That's just part of his amazing story | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Doug Hutton of Clinton and Mississippi State was surely one of the most gifted and versatile athletes in Mississippi history. What you need to know about that is this: You never would have learned about Hutton's remarkable athletic exploits from Doug, who died Saturday at the age of 84. He was as humble as he was versatile. Without question, Hutton enjoyed the greatest day in the history of the Mississippi High School Basketball Tournament with two performances that more than 66 years later still boggle the mind. This was before there was a Mississippi Coliseum, before there was a 3-point line, and, yes, before integration. It was also before ESPN and SportsCenter, which is a shame, because if it happened today, the whole sports world would know know about it. ... In the stands watching that afternoon and night was Babe McCarthy, the Mississippi State basketball coach. State was Hutton's dream school. |
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