Office of Research and Economic Development - Mississippi State University

‼️Calling All Innovators and Dreamers! Are you a seasoned entrepreneur, aspiring founder, or simply passionate about innovation and startups? Are you ready to turn the next big idea into a million-dollar opportunity? Join us for the Mississippi Tech Startup Weekend! Over the course of one action-packed weekend, you’ll: -Choose cutting-edge technology aligned with your expertise or interests, -Team up with like-minded individuals, and -Develop a strategy to bring your vision to market! This unique event is powered by Mississippi’s leading research universities and entrepreneurial support organizations. Don’t miss this chance to collaborate, create, and compete in the ultimate startup experience! Your big idea is waiting—are you ready to make it happen?

Why should you attend the Mississippi Tech Startup Weekend? Register today at Www.techms.info. 📷: Maranda Joiner

What a nice way to end the week with a publication in Global Change Biology - the world's top journal in conservation - with authorship spanning the entire globe: Spain, USA/Romania, Italy, Bolivia/Chile, South Africa, Cote d'Ivoire/France, Iran, India, and Finland! The Science Behind the News on aridification including coverage in AP News, Guardian, New York Times, Economic Times, The Globe and Mail, Time Magazine etc. Cheers to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification Science Policy Interface group on aridification: Prof. Vicente-Serrano, Narcisa Pricope, Andrea Toreti, Enrique Tejeda, Jonathan Spinoni, Anahi Ocampo-Melgar, Emma Archer, Arona DIEDHIOU, Tayebeh Mesbahzadeh, NH Ravindranath, Roger Pulwarty and our early career fellow, Sara Alibakhshi! Here is a link to the paper: https://lnkd.in/g4FPCbGH. In this piece, as in the full UNCCD SPI report (https://lnkd.in/ePaXwJW9), we recommended that Parties include incremental approaches like sustainable land management and regreening to enhance vegetation and soil health, transformative initiatives such as the Great Green Wall (despite trade-offs) to support biodiversity and livelihoods, and agricultural adaptations like drought-resistant crops and agroecological practices to reduce vulnerability. We suggested that these efforts be complemented by integrated sectoral strategies aligned with land degradation neutrality and international collaboration to address aridity through coordinated global actions and stakeholder engagement. What's incredible is that we're already seeing some movement on these recommendations as set forth in the ICCD/COP(16)/CST/L.3 decision (https://lnkd.in/eFwJggHd). The decisions additionally emphasize the use of advanced technologies like AI, the development of technical guidelines for aridity adaptation, specific efforts to ensure inclusivity in knowledge integration, and inter-agency collaboration to reduce transaction costs and maximize synergies. This collaboration has been one of the most personally rewarding experiences of my career, and I’m excited to see this journey continue with the UNCCD SPI and beyond! #GlobalChangeBiology #Aridification #UNCCD #SustainableLandManagement #LandDegradationNeutrality #GlobalCollaboration #SciencePolicy #AIForGood #ResearchImpact #TeamScience #EarlyCareerResearchers #GlobalConservation #ClimateAction #MaroonResearch

In the 2024 fiscal year, MSU's Office of Technology Management helped researchers file 39 disclosures and 25 new patents, all while watching 14 previously filed patents come to fruition. We are proud to be helping our state's leading scientists patent their ideas and take them to market, all while protecting public investments in research. Learn more about our efforts: https://lnkd.in/eAi5nRqZ

Apply by January 1, 2025. https://bit.ly/4gkUMcH Join MSU for the Mississippi Tech Startup Weekend, a fun and educational experience where you will be guided through assessing the market potential of a technology. By Sunday, participants will have the opportunity to build and pitch a business idea based on a technology from our portfolio. The winners of the competition will receive support with tech licensing and grant writing opportunities. MSU @ MCITy