At the general faculty fall meeting on Sept. 17, Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum announced the proposal of a merger between the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. The merger would be conducive to both departments because of an overlap in the research being done by the two departments, Keenum said.
Later this month, the Institute of Higher Learning will vote on the proposed merger, and following the expected ratification, the merger will proceed. This will entail an integration of budgeting and curriculum and a sharing of staff and resources between the two departments.
Daltria Li, sophomore biochemistry major, said there are both positive and negative aspects to the suggested merger.
“It would be great not to be limited just to biochemistry and not just my area of science,” Li said. “I think it is a good idea because it combines so many aspects of science.”
As someone who is considering either pre-medicine or pre-dentistry with her biochemistry degree, she said she would be willing to embrace the merger and the increased research opportunities it may bring. She also said she can see how it is beneficial to group projects, which could be combined to be better funded.
Scott Willard, the department head of biochemistry and molecular biology and interim head of entomology and plant pathology, said he supports the merger and its benefits.
“I saw the potential from the start. I’m in favor of what these two departments can create,” Willard said. “We are bringing together two very strong research programs.”
The departments will look for ways to collaborate more while maintaining each discipline’s identity, Willard said. If the departments are combined as expected, they will still retain their names, creating a Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Entomology and Plant Pathology.
Willard also said students do not need to worry about any noticeable changes in the curriculum.
“The biochemistry undergraduate program will continue to be the biochemistry undergraduate program,” Willard said.
The most prominent difference will be in the increased availability of research opportunities, especially in plant pathology.
Willard said he is confident that the merger will be ratified later this month.
“We have pretty broad support from the Academic Affairs Committee,” Willard said. “I have high hopes that the merger will be approved.”
Angus Catchot, associate extension professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, said the merger, if approved, will be beneficial.
“There will be some really good synergy in the research collaboration,” Catchot said.
He said there will be more opportunities for group projects now, particularly in undergraduate research.
Catchot, like Willard, said from the student perspective, the change will be positive, with a lot of potential in the future.
There will be a change only from a neutral relationship between the two departments to a positive one and may be hardly noticeable, Catchot said.