Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University Graduate School Student Hall of Fame Scholars were formally recognized during a Graduate Student Appreciation Week ceremony held recently on the Starkville campus.

Pictured are (left to right) Mohammad Mahtabi, Brigitte E. Martin, Alexander Tice, Mariela G. Gantchoff, Nathaniel L. Hammond and Kimberly Mason Peeples. Nominated by a department head and selected by the dean of their respective colleges, the scholars all have made significant contributions to the growth of MSU through their exemplary leadership abilities and research or teaching skills in their chosen fields of study.

Mahtabi is an Iran native pursuing a doctoral degree in engineering/mechanical engineering. Martin is a veterinary medicine science doctoral student from Picayune, who also graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry/pre-medicine from MSU. Tice is an Arkansas native pursuing a doctoral degree in biological sciences. An Argentinian native, Gantchoff is a forest resources/wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture doctoral student who earlier earned a master’s degree in wildlife, fisheries and aquaculture from MSU. Hammond is a business administration/management doctoral student from Martin, Tennessee. Peeples is a Jackson native pursuing a doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision. She also holds bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology, as well as a master’s in counselor education from MSU.