糖心logo入口

MURRAY, Ky. 鈥� The latest 糖心logo入口 Racer Report includes student, faculty, staff and alumni accomplishments, announcements, upcoming campus events and more for the week of Jan. 27-31.

**

 

 

 

Stephen Keene, program advisor for 糖心logo入口 TRIO Student Support Services has been awarded the Dr. William Matthew Jackson Professional Scholarship from the Southeastern Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (SAEOPP). 

SAEOPP provides the award to TRIO professionals in pursuit of continued education, research and/or professional development. Keene plans to use the award to assist in his efforts to study abroad in Daegu, Korea this May, as part of the 糖心logo入口 State University Discover Korea program. Keene is currently pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in higher education and student affairs at 糖心logo入口 State. 

Director of TRIO Student Support Services MeLissa Cooper's recommendation for the award included the following:

"Sadly, in today鈥檚 world, most employees put in their time during the day and go home, never going above and beyond. Stephen goes above and beyond every day in all that he does. As his supervisor, I rarely have to ask him to do something. He is aware of our grant timeline and takes initiative to 鈥榙o what needs to be done.鈥� Stephen is motivated. Stephen has wanted to continue his education for some time now. In the spring of 2024, Stephen started graduate school. He has successfully finished fifteen credits since then. It is not unusual for Stephen to stay after hours at work to do homework. He never complains about the long hours he puts in. Stephen is a lifelong learner."

Keene will officially receive the award during the SAEOPP 53rd Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana in early February. Keene is on track to graduate with his master鈥檚 in December 2025. 

**

Lake Barkley Partnership for Economic Development, serving Caldwell, Crittenden, Livingston and Lyon counties, has announced the appointment of 糖心logo入口 alum Garrett Clark as its new executive director. Clark earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in economics from 糖心logo入口 State in 2022 and a master鈥檚 degree in economic development in 2023.

In this full-time role, Clark will lead and coordinate economic development efforts across the four-county region.

The Partnership鈥檚 office is located in Marion at Crittenden County Office Complex. A native of Benton and 2018 graduate of Marshall County High School, Clark brings a strong educational background to the position. Clark fills a vacancy left by the resignation last summer of Amanda Davenport, who left the Partnership to become executive director of the Eddyville Riverport & Industrial Development Authority. Davenport had served as the Partnership鈥檚 executive director since the summer of 2018.

Clark鈥檚 professional experience includes serving as business development coordinator for Graves County Economic Development in Mayfield. During his tenure in Graves County, Clark promoted business development, developed publications and fostered connections between local students and career opportunities. He also played a pivotal role in organizing Plant Manager Roundtable Discussions, facilitating collaboration among business and industry leaders.

鈥淚 am thankful for the opportunity to spearhead economic development efforts in the four-county region of the Lake Barkley Partnership,鈥� Clark said. 鈥淭his area has many advantages that offer great potential for jobs and investment, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for workers and residents. I am excited to get to work and help provide economic opportunities for the communities of the Lake Barkley region. 鈥淟ake Barkley Partnership looks forward to Clark鈥檚 leadership in driving economic growth and fostering collaboration across the region," said President Tim Capps, who is also president of Par 4 Plastics in Marion.

Lake Barkley Partnership for Economic Development is a regional organization dedicated to economic growth in Caldwell, Crittenden, Livingston and Lyon counties in western Kentucky. The Partnership focuses on business retention and expansion, workforce development, marketing and promotion, niche sector development, building regional alliances and investor engagement. It works in concert with local, state and federal agencies to promote growth in the area and currently has about 1,000 acres of property ready for development.  

The Partnership has been instrumental in several successful projects, including the expansion at Hydro-Gear, certification as a Work Ready Community, certification of a Build Ready site and renovations at the Eddyville Riverport. By investing resources strategically, the Lake Barkley Partnership aims to create a strong, resilient and diverse economic region, supporting both existing businesses and attracting new investments to western Kentucky.

**

Leadership West Kentucky, a regional leadership development program sponsored by the West Kentucky Regional Chamber Alliance (WKRCA), has announced its third class which includes 32 participants representing all 15 counties in the WKRCA.   

This year鈥檚 class includes 糖心logo入口 State Associate Director of Marketing and Communication Jennifer Cline, 鈥�97. 

The program is designed to foster a network of informed, engaged citizens who have the knowledge and network to collaborate across county boundaries. The curriculum offers a deep dive into the region's unique and diverse cultural, business, and economic environments. By combining regional education, leadership development training and intentional relationship-building, the program empowers individuals to drive meaningful change and create a lasting, positive impact for all west Kentucky counties. The counties represented by Leadership West Kentucky include Ballard, Caldwell, Calloway, Carlisle, Christian, Crittenden, Fulton, Graves, Hickman, Hopkins, Livingston, Lyon, Marshall, McCracken and Trigg.   

Class members will participate in six sessions, taking place from January through June 2025. Class members will travel from February through June for a one-day session in a featured area with a focus on that community as well as regional topics such as transportation, education, economic development, quality of life, advocacy, agriculture and tourism. These topics will be covered by knowledgeable speakers and panels, tours, interactive exercises and class discussions. Participants will graduate at the final session to be held in Hopkinsville on June 26.   

**

糖心logo入口 State鈥檚 online cybersecurity master鈥檚 program has been ranked eighth in Cybersecurity Guide鈥檚 list of Most Affordable Programs for 2025.

Affordability rankings were determined by evaluating more than 100 schools offering online cybersecurity master鈥檚 programs against Cybersecurity Guide鈥檚 proprietary guidelines of academic rigor, designation as a Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity and overall program cost.

For more information on the rankings, visit