Tuesday, September 11, 2018   
 
Drones in the supply chain: the evolving drone landscape and ecosystem
According to Goldman Sachs, the drone market is projected to be a $100 billion opportunity between 2016 and 2020. Key markets include military ($70 billion), consumer ($17 billion), and commercial/civil ($13 billion) with the latter being the fastest growth opportunity. In recent years, there's been no shortage of media attention on both the positive and negative aspects of drone deployments. Just as the IoT industry has seen different geographical hotbeds of innovation than typical Silicon Valley-based startups, the drone industry is seeing several growth areas across the U.S. The FAA, for example, operates 12 centers of excellence throughout the U.S., including the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE) which comprises twenty-three of the world's leading research institutions and more than a hundred leading industry/government partners and is managed by Mississippi State University.
 
Potentially 'catastrophic' Hurricane Florence is approaching the East Coast
Mid-September is typically the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, and people are talking about major storms that may surface. At the moment, all eyes are on Hurricane Florence -- a potentially "catastrophic" storm that could wreak havoc all along the East Coast. With predictions like these, an important question inevitably comes up: What should you actually do to prepare when a hurricane is in your forecast? If you're in the path of a hurricane and you've been advised to leave by officials: Do it. If you're not under an evacuation order, there are a few important things you can do. As the storm gets closer, "Make sure you have nonperishable food that hasn't expired to feed all people and pets for at least three days," Kimberly Wood, an assistant professor in the department of geosciences at Mississippi State University, tells Yahoo.
 
Trump cancels Mississippi rally due to hurricane
President Trump is canceling a rally in Mississippi in anticipation of Hurricane Florence. "Regrettably, we must cancel the planned Make America Great Again rally in Jackson, Miss., this Friday, Michael Glassner, chief operating officer of Donald J. Trump for President Inc., said in a statement. "With Hurricane Florence on its way, we determined that this is the safest decision." The president had planned a rally to support Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) in their reelection bids this November. Trump has endorsed both Hyde-Smith and Wicker. "Cindy is honored to have President Trump's endorsement and support in this year's election," Hyde-Smith's campaign wrote in a statement Monday. "However, as our neighbors on the East Coast prepare for Hurricane Florence's landfall, we agree with the decision to cancel this Friday's rally. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people in the path of the storm."
 
Trump campaign cancels Mississippi rally because of Hurricane Florence
President Donald Trump's campaign called off a rally scheduled for this Friday in Mississippi, citing safety concerns from Hurricane Florence. "Regrettably, we must cancel the planned Make America Great Again rally in Jackson, Mississippi this Friday," said Michael Glassner, the chief operating officer of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. Later on Monday, Trump issued his own warning about the storm. "The Storms in the Atlantic are very dangerous. We encourage anyone in the path of these storms to prepare themselves and to heed the warnings of State and Local officials," Trump tweeted. "The Federal Government is closely monitoring and ready to assist. We are with you!" The proactive move to cancel the rally and Trump's tweet came after the administration was heavily criticized for its response to Hurricane Maria, which decimated Puerto Rico nearly a year ago.
 
Hurricane Florence: Watches posted as 'extremely dangerous' Florence churns toward Carolinas
Florence continued its path toward the East Coast overnight Monday, maintaining its monstrous Category 4 storm status. Its top winds decreased to 130 mph early Tuesday, but the storm is expected to regain strength later on Tuesday. The National Hurricane Center is calling the storm "extremely dangerous," and predicts its peak winds could still reach 150 mph, which is just 7 mph from Category 5. The center issued hurricane and storm surge watches for the East Coast from Edisto Beach, S.C., northward to the North Carolina-Virginia border, including the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds. Like Hurricane Harvey, which stalled over Texas in 2017, Florence could linger over the Southeast for several days after landfall.
 
Commission puts 2 US Senate races atop Mississippi ballot
Mississippi's two U.S. Senate races will appear at the top of the November ballot. In their role as state election commissioners, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant, Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood and Republican Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann unanimously approved a sample ballot Monday. It lists the regular Senate race first, then a special Senate race. After that, the ballot lists a U.S. House race in each of the four districts, then judicial races. The last time Mississippi had two Senate races in 2008, the special race was initially put at the bottom of the ballot but was moved to near the top after a court fight.
 
Trump's tariffs could 'devastate' them, but farmers and contractors still back Cindy Hyde-Smith
The 30 or so farmers listening to U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith speak at a local farm equipment store nodded and smiled as she ticked through her talking points, including having confidence in President Trump's trade policy. When she wrapped up her speech, delivered the afternoon of September 7, their applause seemed genuine. And as she made her way around the room afterwards, Hyde-Smith was greeted with grins and familiar hugs. If there was ever a crowd likely to be receptive to the former state agriculture commissioner, this group of Delta farmers was it. But as the senator moved away, several acknowledged that the president's foreign trade policy, which has Hyde-Smith's firm support, could financially devastate them. In July, the Chinese government levied $34 billion of tariffs on American products --- including row crops that form the backbone of Delta agriculture --- in response to a round of tariffs the Trump Administration imposed on Chinese goods.
 
'It's hurting us bad': New bridge weight limits worry industry leaders
A new state law further complicates the labyrinth large haul truck drivers must navigate while traveling rural Mississippi --- a move that key business leaders say harms commerce in the state. The law, which went into effect on July 1, changed how heavy trucks are weighed, forcing the Department of Transportation to "post" nearly 200 new bridges, limiting the weight allowed and forcing trucks with heavier loads to find alternate routes or risk fines and long-term damage to the bridges. The weight limits of the bridge postings vary by bridge, so some trucks along their routes could legally cross some posted bridges but not others. While hundreds of newer bridges remain open to all traffic, the new law means that 450 bridges are closed statewide and more than 2,000 state and county bridges are now posted. In a state where agriculture and forestry are among the top grossing industries, the new law and the ongoing bridge crisis is dipping into the pocketbooks of farmers and the companies they work for.
 
Credit rater takes brighter view of Mississippi finances
One of the nation's three main credit rating agencies is feeling a little more confident about Mississippi's financial picture. Standard & Poor's Financial Services on Friday removed its negative outlook on Mississippi's debt, instead raising the outlook to stable. Mississippi remains rated AA by Standard & Poor's. Credit ratings can influence how much the state has to pay in interest on its debt, but the financial advantages of a higher rating has been narrowing recently. Standard & Poor's cites improving state revenues, efforts to improve roads and bridges and changes aimed at reducing state employee pension underfunding as reasons for the upgrade.
 
Noxubee Chancery Clerk used taxpayers' money to pay tithes, state auditor says
The state auditor says Noxubee County Chancery Clerk Mary Shelton Washington used taxpayers' money to pay church tithes. "It should go without saying that you can't use taxpayers' money to pay your tithe to your church," State Auditor Shad White said. "Elected officials have to use common sense. If you or an organization you belong to is benefiting from your position in the government, and the taxpayers are paying for it, odds are you are doing something wrong." Washington donated nearly $20,000 in public funds that were intended for office expenses to multiple local churches, White said. Washington, Noxubee's longtime chancery clerk, couldn't be reached for comment.
 
Wicker, McCaskill seek answers on air ambulances
Sen. Roger Wicker has joined with Missouri's Sen. Claire McCaskill in a bipartisan request for answers about billing abuses and oversight of air ambulance services. The two senators sent a letter Friday to Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao outlining concerns over possible consumer abuses and urging effective oversight. The letter cites a report from the Government Accountability Office that found the median price charged by air ambulance providers went from about $15,000 to $30,000 between 2010 and 2014. "Anecdotally, it is clear that a greater share of this cost is being passed along directly to consumers through a practice known as balance billing, but GAO was unable to determine the prevalence of this practice because of a lack of data," the letter stated. "This is a good, practical first step," said Roy Mitchell, Mississippi Health Advocacy Program executive director. "It's great that Sen. Wicker is being responsive."
 
Marijuana-Research Applications Go Nowhere at Justice Department
Two years after the Drug Enforcement Administration began accepting requests to grow marijuana for federally approved research, none have been answered, leaving more than two dozen applicants in limbo, people familiar with the process said. The future of the initiative ultimately rests with the DEA's parent agency, the Justice Department, and officials under Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a longtime critic of marijuana use, aren't eager to advance the applications, these people said. Mr. Sessions has stated publicly he is open to research on the drug but has offered no timeline for processing the applications. Republican and Democratic lawmakers have voiced frustration at the delays, saying Mr. Sessions has repeatedly avoided questions about the status of the applications. The U.S. government for decades has considered a farm at the University of Mississippi, which grows pot under a contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the only legal source of marijuana for federal research. Researchers say they need to study a wider variety of the drug.
 
MUW ranked one of the best public regional universities in the South
The Mississippi University for Women continues its excellence as recent rankings find it to be a great value for students to attend. The U.S. News and World's Report ranks the "W" as the 11th best value among public Southern regional universities. The report also found the "W" 20th among best public regional universities in the South and number 40 for best colleges for veterans in the South.
 
Ole Miss Student Union on track for completion in spring 2019
The Ole Miss Student Union's almost four-year-long construction and renovation is set to be complete early in the 2019 spring semester. The project costs over $50 million and will include an additional expansion of 80,000 square feet to the already existing 98,000, according to a press release from University Communications. The union originally opened in 1977 to accommodate approximately 9,000 students, and there were nearly 21,000 students on campus in 2015, the year that the expansion project began. In July 2015, construction and expansion of the food court portion of the union began, and it opened in August 2017. The renovation portion of the union began in January 2017 and will be complete in early 2019, allowing nearly 178,000 square feet of food court, meeting space, lobby space and offices for students, faculty and staff to use.
 
Southern Miss' Veterans Center doubles number served
What began four years ago as a promising idea in the imagination of Maj. Gen. Jeff Hammond has developed into a prestigious Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families at the University of Southern Mississippi. Housed on the Hattiesburg campus, the Veterans Center provides a comprehensive, military-friendly, education support program that successfully attracts military veterans, service members, family members and survivors to pursue academic and professional development interests. Services offered include help with application, admission, matriculation, graduation and professional placement. When the center officially opened in October 2014, less than 600 military students were enrolled at the university. Last year, more than 1,200 vets were students, and the number is expected to go even higher when Fall 2018 numbers are finalized.
 
Fall enrollment increases at U. of West Alabama
The University of West Alabama saw an overall increase in enrollment for fall 2018 with growth in online students, but a slight decrease in the incoming class of traditional students. The overall enrollment, including online and traditional students, was 4,542 for the fall, up from 4,148 last year. This fall, the class of new freshmen and transfer students was 548 compared to 627 in 2017. The freshman class was 401, down from 453 last year. "Obviously, we anticipated higher freshman enrollment than we received," UWA President Ken Tucker said. The dip prompted questions from the board about how university staff felt about the contract with Royall & Co. to help recruit students. "We are happy and concerned," Vice President of Student Affairs Richard Hester said.
 
U. of Florida grads will walk a smaller stage, upsetting some
A new plan for commencement ceremonies at the University of Florida that will start with graduates in December has riled some students and touched off an online petition against the changes. No longer will each graduate walk across the stage in front of hundreds of others, video playing on the mammoth scoreboard hanging between cheering families and friends at the Stephen O'Connell Center. However, all the graduates will gather in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, stand with their respective colleges, and then have their individual moments in ceremonies with their individual colleges. While university officials aren't pointing to any specific reason for the change, it follows controversy from commencement in May when a faculty member serving as marshal physically hurried several students off stage as they performed strolls associated with African-American fraternities and sororities. Afterward, students and groups including the NAACP protested the use of force. UF President Kent Fuchs acknowledged, "We failed; the University of Florida and I failed."
 
More than just good scores: Here's how LSU's new 'holistic admission' policy works
As the person most involved in carrying out LSU's new admissions policy that discounts the importance of college board tests, like the ACT, Jose Aviles has been somewhat surprised at the clamor caused by shifting emphasis towards essays and recommendations. "I don't get it at all," Jose Aviles, LSU's vice president for enrollment, said of the intense criticism that relaxing the admissions requirement of a minimum ACT score could jeopardize the strides the university had made since the mid-1980s. "The result of that move," wrote former Senate Education Committee chairman Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, "will be a sea of potential candidates for matriculation into LSU. If this decision moves us toward open enrollment, the overall quality of the student population will decline, and the prestige of the university will suffer."
 
UGA No. 13 ranking highest ever by U.S. News
The University of Georgia reached its highest score ever in the this year's U.S. News & World Report rankings -- a tie for no. 13 with the University of Illinois among public national universities. Georgia was No. 16 in the rankings for public universities last year, another record high ranking until this year. UGA was No. 46 in this year's 2019 overall rankings for universities, including both public and private schools. UGA also ranked high in the magazine's "best for veterans" -- No. 20 among all universities, No. 10 among public schools --- and "undergraduate teaching" at No. 34. With its new ranking, UGA edged closer to two rival schools: Georgia Tech at No. 8 (down from No. 7 a year ago), and the University of Florida, which tied Tech for the No. 8 spot. Georgia Tech was also ranked 15th-best for veterans among national universities. UGA has also dramatically increased its retention and graduation rates in recent years, and has seen applications for admission climb.
 
U. of Tennessee, falling six spots, ranked 52nd among public universities by U.S. News and World Report
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is ranked 52nd among public universities in the country and 115th nationally in the 2019 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings that were released on Monday. Since last year's rankings, UTK improved in several areas measured in the report, including six-year graduation rate, alumni giving percentage, faculty resources and reputation among high school counselors. The national universities category ranks schools that offer undergraduate, master's and doctorate programs, as well as research programs. "I'm proud that we've improved in so many of our strategic focus areas," UTK Interim Chancellor Wayne Davis said in a news release. "We are a strong public university and a great asset to the state of Tennessee, and we continue to improve on our journey to become an even better university." Despite improvements in some areas, UTK fell six spots from last year's rankings.
 
Vanderbilt keeps No. 14 best college rank, says US News & World Report
Vanderbilt University retained its ranking as the 14th best college in the nation on this year's U.S. News and World Report college rankings. Vanderbilt was ranked 14th in the same category last year, and the college was also ranked the No. 7 "best value school" in the nation. "Vanderbilt's commitment to making a world-class education available to the nation's most talented students regardless of economic need has never been stronger," Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos said in a news release. "Put together, these rankings recognize that academic excellence and affordability can -- and must -- go hand in hand." Vanderbilt tied with Brown University in the best national universities category.
 
What Happened When One University Moved a Confederate Statue to a Museum
The University of Texas at Austin is home to four vacant pedestals where statues of prominent Confederate leaders, including Jefferson Davis, once towered over the campus. Today the Davis statue is in a campus museum. Following a 2015 shooting spree in which a white gunman killed nine African-American worshipers in a church in Charleston, S.C., the university removed the bronze statue of Davis, the Confederacy's president. But as the eight-and-a-half-foot-tall statue was taken down, the university had a tough decision to make: Where should the controversial figure go? The same question now faces the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where protesters last month tore down a equally large statue of a Confederate soldier. At Austin, a task force of students, faculty, staff, and alumni determined the statue's fate, based in part on a survey of more than 3,100 community members, according to a 2015 report. Ultimately the statue was kept on the campus as a permanent exhibit at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History.
 
U. of Missouri to go on trial over Sunshine Law practices
The animal rights group suing the University of Missouri over an estimated $82,000 charge for researching and copying public records won a victory Friday when Circuit Judge Jeff Harris ruled the case would go to trial. Harris rejected the university's request that he enter a judgment in its favor and end the lawsuit by Animal Rescue Media Education, which also operates under the name the Beagle Freedom Project. The organization sued the university in 2016, charging that it had set the cost so high for its records that it effectively prevents the public from accessing public records. "It means that the defendants told the judge that they didn't think we had a case and the judge disagreed," said Daniel Kolde, the attorney representing Beagle Freedom Project said Monday. "The Missouri Sunshine Law provides for open records and the bill was so high that it became prohibitive. As we have pleaded in calculating that bill, they did various things to pad it." The evidence-gathering phase of the lawsuit is almost complete and the organization is ready for a trial, Kolde said. The timing of a trial will be decided after coordinating a schedule with Harris, potential witnesses and the university's attorney, he said
 
Mississippi Writers Trail builds on success of cultural markers and book festival, honors state's legacy
Malcolm White, the executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, writes for The Clarion-Ledger: If it weren't for a Mississippi Freedom Trail marker, you might not know that a section of Jackson's Capitol Street was once the scene of a significant civil rights protest, Woolworth's sit-in. If it weren't for a Mississippi Blues Trail marker, you might not know that Club Ebony in Indianola was once owned by B.B. King and showcased legendary acts such as Ray Charles, Little Milton and B.B. King himself. These trail markers help our state tell its story, adding depth and richness to places of note. It's only fitting that we now begin to honor our greatest storytellers through the Mississippi Writers Trail. Our state's newest trail will build upon the success of other cultural trails, drawing visitors from out-of-state and even out-of-country, serving as a source of civic pride.


SPORTS
 
No. 16 Mississippi State grinding up foes with ground game
Mississippi State's new coach Joe Moorhead had a vision for what he wanted his offense to look like this season. So far, it hasn't gone exactly as planned. The end results have been fine: Mississippi State earned an impressive 31-10 road win over Kansas State on Saturday, one week after rolling to a 63-6 victory against Stephen F. Austin in the season opener. But Moorhead acknowledged on Monday that the 16th-ranked Bulldogs have been a little more run-heavy than he anticipated. Mississippi State is completing just 42.6 percent of its passes through two games, a number that's well short of the 65 percent that Moorhead set as a goal before the season. It might not be ideal, but it's working.
 
Joe Moorhead wants increased efficiency from QBs
Joe Moorhead has started two different quarterbacks during his initial two games as head coach at 16th-ranked Mississippi State. Keytaon Thompson and Nick Fitzgerald both led the Bulldogs to victories and each eclipsed the century mark on the ground. But another aspect the two signal callers have in common is that their completion percentages are both under 42 percent. "There's been consistency from a productivity standpoint," Moorhead said. "The first week we had seven touchdowns from the quarterback position and this (past) week 159 yards rushing and threw for two (TDs). Certainly we need to increase our efficiency while maintaining our productivity."
 
Mississippi State's Kylin Hill, Montez Sweat earn SEC honors
Two Mississippi State Bulldogs earned Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honors Monday. Defensive end Montez Sweat and former Columbus High School standout Kylin Hill were recognized for their performances against Kansas State. Hill was the offensive player of the week after rushing for a career-high 211 yards on 17 carries. He ran for two touchdowns and also caught a touchdown pass. Sweat was the defensive lineman of the week after tallying three tackles, two for a loss, and a sack in the 31-10 win. He is tied for the league lead in sacks (three) and tackles for a loss (five-and-a-half). Hill also was one of the MSU coaching staff's players of the week. Linebackers Erroll Thompson and Alec Murphy joined him.
 
Kylin Hill, Monte Sweat selected as SEC Players of the Week
Mississippi State had a pair of players recognized by the Southeastern Conference for their performances in a 31-10 win at Kansas State over the weekend. Sophomore running back Kylin Hill was selected the league's Offensive Player of the Week after rushing 17 times for 211 yards and two touchdowns and also catching a 16-yard score. Senior defensive end Montez Sweat earned the SEC's Defensive Player of the Week by recording three solo tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a quarterback hurry.
 
Joe Moorhead aims to 'clean up' Mississippi State's penalty problems
Mississippi State head coach Joe Moorhead said Monday afternoon that the two biggest factors that determine the outcomes of football games are explosive plays and turnover margin. Through two weeks, his No. 16 Bulldogs (2-0) have done well in both categories. State has won the turnover battle by one in each of the first two games. MSU is also tied for third in the nation in plays from scrimmage that have gone for 20-plus yards. The Bulldogs' offense has 19 of those. The defense has surrendered only four. But two areas that Moorhead's team has yet to nail down are penalties and substitutions. "There's a certain amount of penalties that are going to occur throughout the course of a game... but to me, it's the ones that are manageable from a coaching standpoint or manageable from a player, simple execution standpoint (that hurt)," Moorhead said.
 
Mississippi State-Kentucky set for 6 p.m. kickoff in Lexington
Mississippi State's biennial trip to the Bluegrass State to play Kentucky is set for a 6 p.m. kickoff on Sept. 22. The game will appear on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU and will be announced after games are completed this weekend. The Bulldogs have won eight of the last nine games against the Wildcats and now lead the series 23-22 overall. UK still owns a 14-9 advantage in Lexingont. MSU won last year's contest 45-7 in Starkville with Nick Fitzgerald completing 69.2 percent of his passes, rushing for 115 yards and accounting for three touchdowns.
 
Five named to Mississippi State's Sports Hall of Fame class of 2018
Five outstanding contributors to Mississippi State athletics will be inducted into the MSU Sports Hall of Fame at halftime of the Bulldogs' Sept. 29 football game against Florida. The five-member Class of 2018 includes former football and baseball standout L.M. "Molly" Halbert (posthumously), standout Diamond Dawg pitcher Paul Maholm, women's basketball guard Alexis Rack, former Bulldog Director of Athletics Larry Templeton and former men's basketball guard Tony Watts. Prior to Saturday's induction, the annual MSU Sports Hall of Fame Gala will be held Friday, Sept. 28, at The Mill Conference Center beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at msumclub.org for $100 per person, with proceeds benefiting the MSU M-Club Alumni Association.
 
Watch former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze asked if NCAA is blackballing him
Hugh Freeze still doesn't have a coaching job. The former Ole Miss coach was a part of an NCAA investigations, and Freeze resigned in July of 2017 for personal conduct reasons, as school officials were made aware of calls to an escort service in Freeze's phone records. Earlier this week, Freeze was asked if he has been blackballed. "I think that, this past year, there were several schools that showed great interest in me," he said. "And for whatever reason, they all ended the same way. I think that's a question that's better asked of people that had discussions in regard to my employment. It's probably unfair for me to speculate on that. I think the climate in America this past year probably affects a lot of administrators' decision-making and they don't really take the time to hear what our story is. They probably come quick to make some kind of judgment -- maybe that happened and maybe it didn't." Ole Miss was charged with 21 violations -- 15 of them considered major, with some dating back to the Houston Nutt era (2008-11), but most related to Freeze's tenure.
 
Marshall will 'do whatever we need to do' to travel to South Carolina, play the Gamecocks
Marshall's first trip to South Carolina in 20 years is still on. The Thundering Herd just might be rolling into Columbia differently than originally planned. MU Athletic Director Mike Hamrick, speaking to The State on Monday afternoon, said his program "will make every effort possible, as long as it's safe, to get to Columbia to play that football game." As of Monday, the Herd is scheduled to fly charter out of Huntington, W.Va., at 3 p.m. Friday. This comes over 27 hours before Marshall kicks off with the Gamecocks on Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium. The threat of Hurricane Florence might alter MU's travel plans, however. "In case the weather is so bad that we can't fly," Hamrick said, "we'd probably get on buses Friday morning. "And I told Ray (Tanner), 'We will do whatever we need to do, as long as it's safe, to get there to play that football game.'"
 
300 revelers escaped arrests after Kentucky's win over Florida, but who overturned that car?
Lexington police are investigating who overturned a car on State Street during Saturday night's celebration after Kentucky football's 27-16 win at Florida, but no arrests had been reported as of Sunday morning. About 300 people gathered in Lexington's State Street area near the University of Kentucky campus, said police Sgt. Jeremy Brislin There were no arrests, no injuries and no other incidents reported. "The flipped car was the only damage," said Lexington Police Public Information Officer Brenna Angel. The Kentucky Kernel reported that the car belonged to Matt O'Hara of Independence, who was not a UK student and who was visiting friends in Lexington. "I love BBN and all, but there's a line people have to realize people between burning a couch and damaging a car," the newspaper quoted O'Hara as saying. A woman who identified herself as O'Hara's mother started a go fund me page to raise money to replace his car.
 
Hunter Yurachek starts first full year as 'Hogs Inc.' CEO
Since Hunter Yurachek was hired by the University of Arkansas in December as the new athletics director, the women's softball team earned the program's first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance, the women's golf team won the program's first SEC and NCAA Regional titles while breaking school records in nearly every category, and the baseball team made a historic run at the College World Series in Omaha, finishing as national runner-up. Clearly, Yurachek's impact on the UA athletics department is a harbinger of things to come. "Clearly," he said in a recent interview, tongue planted firmly in cheek. "I inherited a number of great coaches and great student-athletes who are building very successful programs. I just can't tell you how much I enjoy being around all of them."



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