Contact: Addie Mayfield

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University alumna Marilyn Crouther of Herndon, Virginia, has established the Desi Crouther Annual and Endowed Scholarships in honor of her husband, a fellow MSU graduate and Mississippi native for which the awards are named. The contribution also serves as a birthday gift to him. 

Desi Crouther earned bachelor’s degrees in geology and petroleum engineering from MSU in 1980 and 1983, respectively. He later received an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas and completed the Executive Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management. Owner and CEO of Magnolia Farm and Apiary LLC in Round Hill, Virginia, Crouther previously spent more than 20 years with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency before retiring in 2014 as director of Environmental Management’s Office of Human Capital.

As an MSU student, he was involved in Greek life through the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. The Carthage native has continued his dedication to the university as an alumnus, serving as a chapter officer for the Washington, D.C. Alumni Chapter, as well as a member of the Black Alumni Advisory Council and the Black Alumni Weekend Planning Committee.

Marilyn Crouther, a 1987 accounting graduate, was also involved with Greek life on the MSU campus as a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc.’s Lambda Eta chapter. She currently serves as senior vice president and general manager of the U.S. Public Sector for Herndon, Virginia-based DXC Technology, formerly Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Services.

A Mississippi native of Jackson, she has earned multiple recognitions from national organizations within the information technology industry throughout her career. In 2015, she also was recognized by MSU as one of six distinguished alumni during the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion’s Men and Women of Color Summit.

“Having been married to a wonderful and supportive man for nearly 30 years, one thing stands out—Desi’s strong and unwavering commitment to educating our youth that is fueled by his genuine desire to see others succeed,” Marilyn Crouther said. “This gift represents his convictions and will help others for years to come.”

The Desi Crouther Annual and Endowed Scholarships will benefit full-time Mississippi students from Hinds or Leake counties who have earned a minimum 2.75 grade-point average. Preference also will be given to African-American students.

The awards extend the Crouthers’ prior commitments at MSU, which include support for the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, athletics, student scholarships, the MSU Alumni Association and the Black Alumni Reunion Advancement Fund.

For more information about naming opportunities and creating annual and endowed scholarships at MSU, contact Casey McGee, assistant director of development for the Division of Student Affairs, at 662-325-9129 or cmcgee@foundation.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.