Kun Wang, an assistant professor with joint Mississippi State University appointments in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Chemistry, recently became one of 51 university-employed scientists nationwide to receive $750,000 in funding from the United States Department of Energy Office of Science Early Career Research Program as part of DOE's early career awards.

The early career awards are part of a DOE effort to support critical research at the nation’s universities and national labs, grow a skilled STEM workforce and cement America as a global leader in science and innovation, a release from MSU says. The program supports scientists as they begin formative work in the agency’s priority research areas.

DOE will fund Wang’s project, “Probing and Understanding the Spatial and Energy Distributions of Plasmonic Hot Carriers via Single-Molecule Quantum Transport,” over the course of five years. Wang's focus is on nanoscience and technology and its potential uses in enhancing future technologies for smart devices and solar cells, making them more functional and energy efficient.

Wang is a native of China and completed his postdoctoral research fellowship in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan before joining MSU’s faculty in 2020. He received his bachelor’s degree in physics and microelectronics from Shandong University in Jinan, China and his doctorate in physics from the University of Georgia.

JSU Development Foundation Board Member Building Youth Golf Course

Jackson State University Development Foundation board member Howard D. Catchings recently announced that he is opening a new golf driving range and putting green that will cater specifically to youth in the Mississippi Delta town of Lambert, in partnership with its twin city Marks.

Catchings, an insurance magnate and JSU alum, is sponsoring a launch event for the course on Saturday, June 19, at 11 a.m., in honor of Juneteenth, which is also his birthday. The town of Lambert will be the proprietor of the Howard D. Catchings Golf Driving Range and Putting Green, and Catchings is the benefactor.

Residents of Lambert and Marks are currently working on developing the driving range and putting green for the facility and plan to develop a full 18-hole golf course, a release from JSU says. Schoolchildren will have free, controlled access to the golf facilities, while others will have to pay.

USM Launches Eagle Direct Textbooks Program

The University of Southern Mississippi recently launched a new program called "Eagle Direct Textbooks," which will allow undergraduate students at USM to rent textbooks for a flat fee of $20 per credit hour starting in the fall 2021 semester.

USM partnered with Barnes & Noble College to implement Eagle Direct Textbooks. The program includes both digital and hard copy rental textbooks and other required materials for all undergraduate courses and should reduce the cost of traditional course materials by an average of 40 to 50 percent, a release from USM says.

The university will make all materials available to students in time for the first day of class. If students choose not to participate, they can opt out of the program and continue to purchase individual course materials on their own.

For more information on Eagle Direct Textbooks, visit https://www.usm.edu/procurement-contract-services/eagle-direct-textbooks.php.