Mississippi State University is celebrating milestone anniversaries of the School of Architecture, Theatre MSU, and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) this year.
The School of Architecture is celebrating 50 years, Theatre MSU is celebrating 60 years and CALS is celebrating 120 years.
Karen Spence, director of the School of Architecture, said anniversary celebrations allow reflection and bring confidence toward the future.
“It is always important to look back and see where we have come from in order to understand where we are going and why,” Spence said. “This gives us our identity.”
Spence said current developments in the School of Architecture will fuel its students’ love of creating.
“We have so many developments currently underway that I’m not sure if I can see everything that this program can and will become yet,” Spence said. “We are introducing some new courses that will enable our students to do more of what they love—great drawing and thinking—and we are moving our courses forward to continue to push what students can do within these settings, such as addressing the big problems of Mississippi.”
Spence has been at MSU since July 2021 and has seen shifts in the School of Architecture. Spence said that such shifts have included introducing new discussions between professionals and students, holding workshops that prepare students for pursuing employment and hosting career fairs.
“In my time, we have moved toward teaching design that explores and reflects equity and resiliency issues, understanding the built environment as a way to address critical needs of today’s society,” Spence said.
The School of Architecture is celebrating with a series of events throughout the year, including an exhibition of alumni designs. For the full schedule and more details, visit the College of Architecture, Art and Design’s website.
Jesse Wade, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Communication, said Theatre MSU is the oldest student organization on campus which began as the Blackfriars Drama Society.
The 2023-2024 Theatre MSU season will include the performances “Pants on Fire,” “Puffs,” “The Wolves” and “Pippin.” Wade is looking forward to “Pippin,” the first full partnership between the MSU Department of Music and Theatre MSU.
“This is also the show that we opened McComas with when McComas theater was built, this was the first musical performance in that space. To celebrate the 60th anniversary, we’re going back to it,” Wade said. “It’s going to be probably the biggest show that we’ve – if not ever done – certainly up there.”
Wade said the Department of Communication has launched a new curriculum in the theatre concentration and has launched a new Entertainment Technology major where students can use technology like stage robotics to advance their artistic goals.
“We’ve just got all these really exciting changes coming and they’re making us feel really, really good about the future for the next 60 years,” Wade said.
For a schedule of performances and more information, visit the Department of Communication’s website.
CALS Dean Scott Willard said he is proud of CALS’s 120-year legacy of training leaders in agriculture, healthcare, design and education. CALS has a 120-year fund with the hope of raising $120,000 for student scholarship and development.
“Agriculture has changed significantly in the last 12 decades and continues to advance every day, moving into an era of autonomy, which will help our farmers feed, clothe, and fuel the world on less land, with less labor and fewer inputs,” Willard said. “The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences remains at the forefront, providing our students with the essential skills and experiences required to forge ahead in their careers while engaging in world-class research and community outreach that will continue our legacy well into the future.” 

Gallery • 2 Photos

Courtesy Photo | School of Architecture

The 1990-1991 architecture class toured a light manufacturer.