Department Head's Remarks - [ Departmental Newsletter :: Fall 2009 ]

Dr. Ray Vaughn
Department Head

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On July 1, 2009, I became the new CSE Department Head. Our former Department Head, Dr. Julia Hodges, continues to serve the department as a full time faculty member. We are deeply appreciative of her service in leading the department during the past twelve years and grateful that she continues to contribute through her teaching, service, and research.

We are excited that the 2009-10 academic year promises to be another productive year and one filled with challenges for us. As the State of Mississippi implements budget reductions – we will also face severe financial constraints within the department. We expect fiscal challenges to continue for us through at least 2012. We also intend to continue our growth and research productivity while managing the financial impact.

Dr. Nan Niu

This year, we welcome our newest faculty member, Dr. Nan Niu, who joins our Software Engineering research focus group after having completed his doctoral work at the University of Toronto. Nan and his family made the move from Canada to Mississippi in mid-August.

I want to invite all alumni who happen to be visiting MSU to drop by and see the department. I would be pleased to meet with you and to let you know what activities we are engaged in and discuss our plans for the future. Additionally, I want to invite any high school student interested in our program to contact me for a tour of our facilities and to discuss our degree programs. We are always available to meet with prospective students and their families.

“Welcome Back” picnic

Tailgating

We hosted a “Welcome Back” picnic at the beginning of the Fall Semester for all students and faculty. This involved grilling hamburgers and hot dogs in front of Butler Hall and was well attended. We have been continuing our social activities by “tailgating” in front of Butler Hall for most home football games and will continue to do so. Please check the department web page for information concerning CSE tailgates prior to home football games.

Dean Sarah Rajala and I encourage all alumni of this department to e-mail me pictures of you and your family as well as news about what you’ve been doing since graduation so that I can share this with your former professors and classmates. Please send your information to vaughn@cse.msstate.edu. We’d love to hear about your current employment, any interesting projects you’ve been working on, unusual hobbies or interests you’ve developed, etc. Include pictures if you can!

If you are a graduate of one of our programs, and you suspect that the information we have about you (addresses, phone numbers, job titles) is out of date, please be sure to provide us with your current information. Instructions for this can be found by clicking on Alumni Information Update.

Lastly, if you would like to support the Department of Computer Science and Engineering through a financial donation, please do so through the MSU Foundation. Information on how to do this can be found by clicking on Gifts. This is your opportunity to have a positive impact on the educational experience of our students and the continued success of our department.