MSMS Names Director of Academic Affairs

Brown

COLUMBUS, Miss. — The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Kessler Brown as the school’s newest Director of Academic Affairs.

Brown will replace Dr. Germain McConnell as the Director of Academic Affairs of the prestigious high school after McConnell’s appointment as MSMS Executive Director.

“The Director for Academic Affairs is similar to a principal in a traditional high school,” said Dr. McConnell of Brown. “We are ecstatic to have Ms. Brown onboard and believe her unique perspective as both a highly qualified educator and a parent of two MSMS alumni will bring great things to this historic institution. We expect great things of her.”

Brown most recently held the position of Curriculum Coordinator for the Lowndes County School District. During her 15 years as a resident of Lowndes County, she has also served as the Director of Programming and Ministry for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Columbus, taught mathematics at New Hope Middle School, worked as the Tutor Assessment Coordinator at New Hope Middle School and served as Assistant Principal of New Hope Middle School.

“The appointment as Director of Academic Affairs is the combination of several areas of interest for me,” said Brown. “As a parent of two MSMS graduates, I have great respect for the school. I am very excited to soon be working with gifted students from all over the state of Mississippi.”

In addition to continuing the tradition of academic excellence expected from MSMS, Brown also wants to promote the message of Mississippi to MSMS students.

“I want our most gifted and talented to stay in the state, and as Academic Director, I plan on encouraging these amazing students to do just that.”

Brown, a native of Salem, Va., earned her bachelor’s degree in Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. She also holds a Master’s of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forrest, N.C. and another Master’s degree in Gifted Education from the Mississippi University for Women.

Brown is married to Steve Brown, Director of Pastoral Care at Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden Triangle. The Browns’ two daughters, Kessler – a current senior at Mississippi State University majoring in Secondary Education – and Kennedy – an upcoming freshman at MSU who plans to major in Industrial Engineering – are both graduates of MSMS.

“I am grateful for the opportunities afforded to my daughters by MSMS and that they have chosen to continue their educations in the state of Mississippi,” said Brown.

Located in Columbus, Miss. on the campus of the Mississippi University for Women, MSMS is the state’s only public, residential high school specifically designed to meet the needs of Mississippi’s most academically gifted students. Students who attend the school spend their junior and senior years living on the school’s campus and engaging in college level classes in mathematics, science, the humanities and the arts.

The graduating class of 2013 alone was offered more than $13.6 million in scholarship dollars. Recently, Newsweek Magazine and The Daily Beast named MSMS as one of the best high schools in America for the second year in a row. Out of the 2,000 schools which made the list, MSMS was ranked 352 – the highest in the state of Mississippi.

Students interested in applying to MSMS must be current Mississippi high school sophomores with a record of outstanding academic achievement, especially in the areas of math and science. Students must also have an ACT score (a score of 20 or higher is recommended) and undergo a rigorous application process. During the application process students will be required to submit a resume, two essays, an original project of their devising and secure four recommendations from their teachers and counselors. Application into the Class of 2015 is now closed; however, students interested in becoming members of the Class of 2016 may begin the process in mid-summer 2013. For more information please visit www.themsms.org or call Admissions Counselor Wade Leonard at 1-800-553-6459.

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