MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Melissa Mixon is the new associate vice president of Mississippi State University's Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, pending approval by the board of trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning at their June meeting.

Her responsibilities will include initiating Division procedures for planning and resource development, goal setting and the execution of programming within the Division. Special emphasis is to be placed on multi-disciplinary collaboration across the university.

Melissa Mixon

Mixon was named to the position after a nationwide search and exhaustive interview process. Before assuming the position effective June 1, she served 13 years as Extension leader with MSU's School of Human Sciences.

"Dr. Mixon will be a part of the management team for MSU's Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine," said Vance Watson, vice president of the Division. "After the extensive interview process, the search committee was unanimous in its support of Dr. Mixon. I have great confidence in her ability to make significant contributions to the Division."

Mixon's position was reactivated after having been held by interim appointees over the past several years, pending consolidation of the roles of Division vice president, director of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Watson holds all three positions, and Mixon will assist him in his duties.

Mixon earned bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Alabama in food, nutrition and institution management, and foods and nutrition, respectively, and a doctorate from MSU in nutrition. She joined the faculty of MSU in 1983 as an assistant food and nutrition specialist.

Professional certifications include that of registered and licensed dietitian and certified home economist. She earned many awards and distinctions along the way.