Helping students aim high: Hoffman takes on expanded mentorship role leading MSU’s external scholarship office

Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Evidence shows that direct mentorship and support help students flourish and achieve their full potential, and Mississippi State is expanding a key mentor’s role to fully invest in this aspect of his work.

David Hoffman, an advisor to MSU students since 2016 in a part-time capacity, is the new full-time interim director for MSU’s Office of Prestigious External Scholarships. As director, he guides students through the preparation and application processes of several competitive, high-profile national and international scholarships. A professor in the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, Hoffman is setting aside his classroom teaching responsibilities to extend his concentration on this individual student mentorship, with a new office located in Nunnelee Hall.

“Dr. Hoffman has successfully guided many students over the last several years who have attained excellent undergraduate awards, summer scholarships, international travel grants and prestigious graduate fellowships. These students attest that Dr. Hoffman’s help has been an instrumental factor in achieving their goals,” said MSU Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw.

Shaw noted that within the last year, MSU students have won national and international recognition as three Goldwater Scholars, three Astronaut Scholars, three Fulbright U.S. Student Scholars, two Critical Language Scholarship winners, a Boren Scholar, Udall Scholar and Marshall Scholar, among other honors.

“These award recipients bring honor to themselves and our entire university; however, additional students who go through the application process also reap a tremendous benefit through their work with Dr. Hoffman. The mentorship process itself produces growth and helps students lay a broad foundation to achieve many future successes,” Shaw said.

In 2023, Hoffman advised more than 150 students. Of these, 70 applications for scholarships were submitted.

Hoffman is now available to assist any MSU student, whether or not they are enrolled in the Shackouls Honors College, although many of his past advisees have been honors students. The expanded role facilitates his availability to advise a more diverse range of students, which includes graduate students interested in external scholarship opportunities. As the office continues to grow, he hopes to expand the office’s capacity to formally and systematically mentor applicants to programs like the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program and DOD SMART scholarship.

“I think the scope and impact of his mentorship will be magnified with his new position as full-time director of a growing office that serves every student,” said Shackouls Honors College Dean Tommy Anderson, who has worked closely with Hoffman as the university has elevated student success to new heights. “Now we have this really great resource to expand student horizons and shape their futures in a more robust way.”

Hoffman said the university’s growth in support for student pursuit of external scholarships has been possible because of encouragement from MSU President Mark E. Keenum, Shaw and Anderson.

“The new office and additional focus time enables us to reach more eligible students. I want to emphasize that this extends beyond the Shackouls Honors College to all eligible students,” Hoffman said.

“Over the past several years, we’ve seen tremendous growth in applications and awards, including a dozen Fulbright winners, our first Marshall and Churchill scholars, multiple Goldwater winners, and Truman and Rhodes finalists. However, we can now allow for expansion of formal and systematic promotion and advising for additional scholarships. It is the advising and application process that is the ‘bread and butter’ work of the office, which we know benefits students. It is my mission to shine a light on amazing students and the excellent faculty mentoring that occurs throughout Mississippi State,” he added.

Hoffman joined the university in 2008 and has since worked his way through the faculty ranks, worked as a graduate coordinator for six years, completed NSF and NOAA-funded research projects, and acquired honors such as a recent Fulbright International Education Administrators Award. He earned his Ph.D. and master’s degrees in cultural anthropology from the University of Colorado, Boulder. His bachelor’s degree in environmental studies/anthropology is from St. Lawrence University in New York.

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