MSU President Mark Keenum speaks at Starkville Rotary Club
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Record enrollment and a knack for building Mississippi’s professional ranks were a couple of the highlights from Doctor Mark Keenum’s State of the University Address today.
Keenum briefed members of the Starkville Rotary Club on Monday, November 3.
He said enrollment has hit another record and is up by more than 400 students from the Fall of last year.
And the university’s momentum doesn’t stop there, with more than $260 million raised, the endowment now stands at more than $1 billion, and there are also numerous building and renovation projects in progress and in the works.
But the number that really stands out for Keenum is 64. That’s the percentage of students who hail from the Magnolia State, and many of those put down roots after graduation.
“When they graduate, a majority of our graduates stay in Mississippi to work, and an overwhelming majority of our graduates who go to graduate school, medical school, or law school, well, they stay in Mississippi. So, we’re helping to address the ‘brain drain’ we see in many states. Mississippi State University, our graduates are either going to work here, or they’re studying here, and many of them will stay here in Mississippi and contribute back to our state and to our economy,” said Keenum.
Keenum said that MSU has a 25 to 1 return on investment. The University generates $25 in income for every dollar invested in it.
