Volume 59
Issue 2
MSTA Newsletter Mississippi Science Teaching Association
Welcome, Dr. Murray, MSTA General Session Speaker Nathan E. Murray, Ph.D. Director, National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA) Director, Mississippi NASA Space Grant Consortium Senior Research Scientist, Aeroacoustics Lead, NCPA Associate Professor of Chemical Eng. The University of Mississippi 145 Hill Drive | P.O. Box 1848 University, MS 38677-1848 +1-662-915-3190 nmurray@olemiss.edu olemiss.edu/depts/aeroacoustics/ olemiss.edu/ncpa/ Dr. Nathan Murray is currently serving as the Director for the National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA) where he is also the lead for the High-Speed Aeroacoustics Research Group conducting research in supersonic jet flows, supersonic/hypersonic flows over open cavities, dynamics of separation events, turbulence in rocket plumes and launch environments, and aero-optics applications in high-speed vehicles. At the NCPA he oversees a team of 30+ research faculty and staff working across a diverse range of physical acoustics fields including aerospace, maritime, atmospheric, medical, geophysics, modeling and simulation, and embedded sensor systems.
Dr. Murray has 20+ years of experience in the measurement and analysis of turbulence and acoustics in complex flows. He joined the NCPA in 2007 and has been active in developing government and industry partnerships connecting the research enterprise with economic development and national needs. Dr. Murray serves as the Graduate Program Coordinator for engineering graduate degrees with emphasis in aeroacoustics and is active in teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level in the fluid-thermal sciences as Associate Professor in Chemical Engineering. Dr. Murray is also the Director of the NASA-funded Mississippi Space Grant Consortium, a scholarship and fellowship program supporting students and research in NASA relevant fields throughout the state of Mississippi. Dr. Murray serves on the American Institution for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aeroacoustics Technical Committee and leads the university’s corporate engagement with the AIAA. Dr. Murray’s international collaborations have included contribution to the NATO Science & Technology Organization Advanced Vehicle Technology panels. Dr. Murray’s technical expertise includes the design, construction, and execution of aeroacoustic research experiments with focus on measurements including particle image velocimetry, schlieren imaging, microphone measurements, and spectroscopic and thermal imaging. His expertise in data analysis includes time series and spectral analysis, proper orthogonal decomposition, stochastic estimation, and an image processing technique known as acoustic velocimetry imaging. Dr. Murray’s current research efforts include particle dynamics in high-shear flows, neutralization of chemical and biological weapons compounds, rocket plume dynamics, dynamic loads and propulsion integration in hypersonics, and wildland fire acoustics.
If you aren’t registered, why are you waiting????? Click here to access the MSTA conference registration page:
To pay for registration, click here:
Flying Money with solid fill
Did you know?????
Jimmie Rodgers, Meridian native, is considered the father of country music. He was known as the Singing Brakeman. To learn more, visit the Jimmie Rodgers Museum in Meridian (1200 22nd Avenue). Hours: Tuesday – Friday 11 am – 4 pm, Saturday 11 am – 2 pm.
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Tentative MSTA Schedule for October 18-20, 2026 MSTA Board Meeting October 18, 2026 at 11:00 AM (Board Members) Members MUST have Nametags visible in order to enter the Riley Center and all MSTA sessions. Members MUST stay for the entirety of the session in order to receive CEU Credit. Sessions will take place at the Riley Center. Additional Special Events on Sunday and Monday will take place at Riley Center, Bonita Lakes and The MAX. Sunday, October 18, 2026 12:00 – 7:00 pm
Registration and Check In at Riley Center Lobby
2:00 – 3:00 pm
Concurrent Sessions I* (CEU opportunity) Riley Center
3:15 – 4:15 pm
Concurrent Sessions II* (CEU opportunity) Riley Center
4:20 – 5:20 pm
Concurrent Sessions III* (CEU opportunity) Riley Center
Special Event: 5:30 – 7:30 pm
STEM Fest (additional 0.2 CEU opportunity) Riley Center
Monday, October 19, 2026 8:00 – 4:00 pm
Registration and Check In at Riley Center Lobby
8:00 – 4:00 pm
Silent Auction at Riley Center (ongoing all day)
8:00 – 4:00 pm
Exhibits and Vendors in Riley Center
8:30 – 9:30 am
Concurrent Sessions IV* (CEU opportunity) Riley Center
9:45– 10:45 am
Concurrent Sessions V* (CEU opportunity) Riley Center
10:50 – 11:50 pm
General Assembly and Awards Presentation (CEU Opportunity) Riley Center Historic Theater (NO Food or Drinks Allowed)
11:55 – 12:50 pm
District Meeting Luncheon (Box Lunch Pick Up and Meeting According to Districts (CEU Opportunity) Riley Center
1:00- 2:00 pm
Concurrent Sessions VI*(CEU opportunity) Riley Center
2:15– 3:15 pm
Concurrent Sessions VII*(CEU opportunity) Riley Center
3:25 – 4:25 pm
Concurrent Sessions VIII*(CEU opportunity) Riley Center
Special Event: 4:30 – 5:50 pm
Concurrent Sessions IX* (CEU opportunity) ThE MAX (Explore and Trivia for CEUs) Heavy Hors d’oeuvres served
Special Event: 6:00- 8:00 pm
Trivia Fest at The MAX “ (CEU opportunity)
Tuesday, October 20, 2026 8:00 – 10:00 am
Registration and Check In at Riley Center Lobby
8:00 – 10:00 am
Last T-Shirt Pickup in Registration for Early Bird Registration
8:00 – 11:00 am
Silent Auction Item Pickup in Riley Center
8:00 – 11:00 am
Exhibits and Vendors in Riley Center
8:00 – 9:00 am
Concurrent Sessions X* (CEU opportunity)
9:15– 10:15 am
Concurrent Sessions Xi* (CEU opportunity)
10:25 – 11:25am
Concurrent Sessions XiI* (CEU opportunity)
11:35 – 12:35 pm
Concurrent Sessions XIII* (CEU opportunity)
End of Conference - See You Next Year!
CEU Paperwork, Evaluation, and Door Prizes
* A minimum of 0.5 CEUs and a maximum of 2.0 CEUs will be available for $12.00 credit card only through Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC) . Attendance paperwork will be completed at each session and submitted at the conference.
While you are in Meridian…. Check out the Soule Steam Museum at 1808 4 th Street, Meridian. It’s 3 blocks from the Riley Center.
Hours: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Closed. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Closed.
From MSTA President, Dr. Carl Dewitt When I was in elementary school, I remember taking a placement test to see how I was doing in school. My friend and I conspired together to see who could get the lowest score on the test without getting a zero. I remember saying: “Anyone can get a zero and anyone can just guess at answers, but it takes skill to get a 1.” Do you know how hard it is to purposefully get only one question right on a test?! It is much more difficult than just guessing at the questions. You have to know each correct answer and make an active decision to not pick any correct answer except one. In short, I ended up in a remediation class and was placed in the reading group with other students with similar scores. My reading group was the “Turkeys” and we did different assignments than the “Eagles”. I am pretty sure some of the kids were embarrassed about being labeled a Turkey. But not me, I was proud! I tell you this story as a precursor to a weird question: Can vegetarians eat mushrooms? Mushrooms are not vegetables or any type of vegetation. They are something completely different. People often group fungi in with plants, maybe because they don’t move and they grow from the ground. But genetically, fungi are more closely related to animals than to plants. For my fellow nerds, here is how fungi fit into the tree of life: All eukaryotes (things with a nucleus) share a common ancestor.
That ancestor eventually split into several major lineages, including plants, and separately, a lineage called Opisthokonta — which contains both animals and fungi. Within Opisthokonta, animals and fungi diverged from each other later, but they still share more recent common ancestry with each other than either does with plants. So the tree looks roughly like:
Some fun facts: Fungi actually store energy in the form of glycogen like you and me whereas plants store energy in the form of starch. The cell walls for fungi are made from chitin, the same material as crickets and crawfish, rather than the cellulose you find in plant cells. Fungi are heterotrophs, meaning they cannot use photosynthesis to generate continued
Fungi are heterotrophs, meaning they cannot use photosynthesis to generate food, but must consume food from their environment. When you eat mushrooms, you are actually eating the fruiting body portion of the fungus. Most of the organism exists underground in a large connected mycelial network. There is so much going on underground beyond the mushroom. That mycelial network can share nutrients and send warning signals across large distances. So, can vegetarians eat mushrooms? I have no idea! And to me, that is beautiful. Mushrooms are way too complex to fit the silly societal labels of vegetarians. Your students are a lot like mushrooms. There is so much going on in their brains that a quiz or class assignment may not ever bring to light. That is okay. Please, do not label your students because of a quiz. I am not a Turkey. Mushrooms are not plants. There are so many labels that society tries to stick on kids: Gifted, Goth, Quiet, Troublemaker… No human should be constrained by inappropriate labels. Your students are so much more than the labels that people try to place on them. Humans are more than just the parts that show up in school. There is a hymn that says: “In the quiet heart is hidden, sorrow that the eye can’t see.” I like to think that for educators, there should be a hymn: “In the quiet mind is hidden, learning that the quiz did not test”. Humans are complicated and that complication is beautiful. Be beautiful.
Cheerfully, Carl
Dr. Carl Dewitt MSTA President Self-labeled-Nerd
Silent Auction --- Evolution This year the Silent Auction for scholarship money will be run by Cindy Alsworth Jones. And with the change of personnel comes a change in the bidding process. You will purchase auction tickets from MSTA conference committee members, write your name on one half of the ticket and keep the half that states "Keep This Coupon". Separate the ticket and place the half with your name on it in the designated bag for the auction item. You may put one ticket or 100 tickets.
Ticket prices are: $1 - 1 ticket $10 = 12 tickets $20 = 25 tickets Ticket sales will begin Monday morning in the silent auction room at 8 am. The auction will close at 5 pm on Monday.
Who wins each item? Cindy will have 3 tickets pulled from the bag. The first ticket will be the 1st winner of the item. If that person does not claim their item by 10 am on Tuesday, then the 2nd ticket pulled will be the winner of the item. IF THAT PERSON doesn't claim the item by 11 am, then the 3rd ticket pulled will be the winner of the item. YOU MUST BE PRESENT to claim the item. A friend or work colleague cannot claim the item in your name. As in the past, there will be a variety of items. Here is an example. The Sullivan Sisters made a Tshirt quilt from past MSTA conference shirts that will be up for auction.
The most elaborate auction item is a trip to New Orleans sponsored by 1280 Forward, LLC Consulting Firm.
There will be something for everyone! All monies raised support the MSTA Scholarship Fund!
Miami University’s Project Dragonfly is accepting applications for 2027 Earth Expeditions graduate courses that offer extraordinary experiences at global field sites in 15 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. https://EarthExpeditions.MiamiOH.edu Earth Expeditions can build toward the Global Field Program (GFP), a master's degree that combines summer field courses worldwide with web learning communities so that students can complete the GFP master's part-time from anywhere in the United States or abroad. Applications are now being accepted until January 15. Courses begin in May 2027. https://GFP.MiamiOH.edu Project Dragonfly also offers the Advanced Inquiry Program (AIP) master's degree that combines web instruction from Miami University with face-to-face experiential learning and field study through several AIP sites in the U.S. Applications for Miami's 2027 cohorts are now being accepted until February 15, with place-based experiences provided at zoos and botanical gardens in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Jacksonville, New York, San Diego, and St. Louis. https://AIP.MiamiOH.edu
New for 2027: Earth Expeditions field courses can count toward a certificate in Applied Marine Conservation or Global Conservation and Conservation: https://programs.miamioh.edu/programs/applied-marine-conservation/ https://programs.miamioh.edu/programs/global-culture-and-conservation/
In addition to our master's degree and certificate programs, Project Dragonfly's core online and AIP web+ graduate courses may be taken on a stand-alone basis for professional development, including toward College Credit Plus credentialing: https://miamioh.edu/cas/graduate-studies/project-dragonfly/professionaldevelopment-courses/index.html
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At Alcorn State, AI isn’t the enemy. Students misusing it is. “A classroom assignment at Alcorn State University, a Mississippi HBCU, has sparked a national conversation about artificial intelligence after a history professor revealed that dozens of students unknowingly exposed their reliance on AIgenerated work.” Click the link above to read the entire article. It is very interesting and thought provoking.
Greetings I am with The National Energy Education Development Project, and we have partnered with ClearLoop to provide a free one-day workshop for educators in the Marks, MS area. Attending teachers will receive free classroom kits to keep and use with their students. Registration Link - https://needorg.my.salesforce-sites.com/event/home/cl101926ms Date and Location October 19, 2026 Quitman County School District Y.O.U. Multi-Purpose Room 1362 Martin L. King Drive Marks, MS 38646 For The Attendees: • Hands-on kits and curriculum materials • A great day of hands-on learning and professional networking • Breakfast and lunch • Stipend/Substitute Reimbursement Questions Contact Wendi Moss at wmoss@need.org or call 1-800-875-5029
Agenda 9:00 a.m. Registration Pick up NEED materials and conference supplies. Complete your pre-workshop knowledge assessment. Continental breakfast. 9:20 a.m. Welcome, Renewable Energy Bingo Review goals and objectives for the workshop and begin planning ways to use the NEED materials and training in your school. Play Renewable Energy Bingo for prizes! 9:40 a.m. Science of Energy These hands-on forms of energy lessons help explain the forms of energy and energy transformations. Understanding the forms of energy guides students to deeper knowledge of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and how we use the energy harnessed from each. 10:45 a.m. Candy Collector Candy Collector is a fun activity to introduce the terms “renewable” and “nonrenewable”. Participants will get a closer look at how long energy sources will last when using only nonrenewable sources and when incorporating renewable sources of energy. 11:00 a.m. Solar Energy 101 11:15 a.m. Exploring Solar Energy Explore radiant energy transformations and the production of electricity from solar energy. These lessons provide activities to engage students in learning about renewable energy. 12:00 a.m. Lunch 12:45 p.m. Exploring Solar Energy Continued 2:15 p.m. Careers in Solar Energy Learn about careers in energy and solar. What skills do students need to work in renewable energy? 2:45 p.m. The Paperwork! Evaluation, Selection of Kits, and Wrap-up 3:00 p.m. Adjourn
2026 NABT Professional Development Conference October 29 - November 1 Hyatt Regency Dallas - Reunion Tower Dallas, TX
The NABT Conference is more than sessions; it's the place where a vibrant and welcoming community of life science educators learn from and celebrate each other! The conference is NOW beginning on Thursday morning! Check out the website for the revised schedule and plan ahead! Highlights of the 2026 NABT Conference:
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Engaging Workshops and Sessions: The conference features over 100 interactive workshops and sessions led by experienced educators and researchers. These sessions cover innovative teaching strategies, curriculum development, and the latest advancements in biology education. Build your own personalized schedule now by adding sessions to your calendar!
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Join HHMI Tangled Bank Studios as they present "The Battle to Breathe." Grab a drink, some heavy appetizers and sit back and relax while we watch the movie and have a Q&A with Chad Cohen, an executive producer on the film, as well as Dr. Jennifer L. Taylor, a pulmonary medicine professor at National Jewish Health, the largest adult center for cystic fibrosis in America, who is featured in the film!
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Keynote Speakers: Attendees can look forward to speakers who share valuable insights about life science research, education research, and science communication.
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Networking Opportunities: With so many educators from various educational levels, the NABT conference facilitates meaningful connections, where colleagues become forever friends.
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Exhibit Hall: The conference's exhibit hall showcases the latest educational resources, technologies, and services from our partners.
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Special Events: In addition to the sessions, the conference includes special events such as special meetings, film screenings, and receptions.
Special Announcement The Bess Moffatt Conference Award For more than 50 years, Bess Moffatt was a member of MSTA. She was the first Presidential Awardee for Science (Mississippi) in 1983. She served on the MSTA board of directors for over 40 years and as our Executive Officer for over 30 years. Though Bess is no longer an active member of MSTA, we are honoring her with the creation of a new award for teachers, the Bess Moffatt Conference Award. The purpose of this stipend award is to support professional growth and active engagement within the Mississippi Science Teaching Association (MSTA) by funding teacher registration for the MSTA State Conference. This stipend is intended to increase conference participation while fostering future presenters who contribute to the ongoing success of the conference.
The scholarship stipend will cover the full cost of the current year’s MSTA State Conference PreRegistration Fee. The stipend amount will be equal to the official pre-registration rate established for that conference year. Note: This stipend does NOT cover hotel, travel, or food. How does one receive this scholarship stipend? Be an active MSTA member, complete and submit the application by August 30, and agree to present a session at the conference during the same year that you receive the stipend. Once you are notified that you have been selected as a recipient for the scholarship stipend, you MUST pre-register as soon as possible. The application is found at this link:
Bess Moffatt Conference Award Scholarship
Bess Moffatt, We thank you for all your work in forwarding science education in Mississippi. The MSTA Board of Directors
Thank you to our 2025 MSTA Sponsors!
MSTA Board of Directors
Executive Board President: President-elect: Immediate Past President: Treasurer: Executive Director: Assistant Executive Officer: Secretary: Parliamentarian:
Carl Dewitt, PhD Adrine Williams, EdD Cindy Alsworth-Jones Melinda Miller (also Website, Scholarships) Ann Huber Betsy Sullivan, PhD (also Newsletter Editor) Tiffany Fisher Johnny Mattox, PhD (also Historian)
District Directors District A: District B: District C: District D: District E: District F: District Directors Coordinator:
James Brownlow Adrine Williams, EdD & Bobby Robinson, NBCT Elizabeth Prewitt & Kelle Sumrall Chantelle Herchenhahn, NBCT (also Legislative Liasson) Megan Brooks Lillie Akin-Knighton
Area Representatives College/University: Community College: High School: Middle School: Elementary School: Independent Schools: Industry: Informal Education: Pre-service Teachers: MDE Liaison: Professional Liaison: DEI: Publicity & Social Media:
Michelle Baragona, PhD Heather Thornton, NBCT Bobby Robinson, NBCT Lori Matzek Jake Kealhofer, MPB Lacey Fitts, PhD Kevin Gaylor, EdD Joe Sumrall, PhD (also Student Competitions) Alicia Conerly, EdD (also Program Coordinator) Christy Sheffield, NBCT (also Exhibits Coordinator)
About the Board of Directors: The MSTA Board of Directors are volunteers who believe in science education within Mississippi. We receive no payment nor discounted rates for our service.