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MISSISSIPPI STATE -- A passion for fashion led a Mississippi State University alumna back to campus to share her career path with students in the apparel, textiles and merchandising program.

Robin Cox, a 1998 MSU graduate and corporate merchandise planner for national retailer J.C. Penney Co., now known as jcpenney, spent a day talking with students and faculty as part of the Senior Showcase. This event celebrated 2012 graduates and the design work they completed while in MSU’s School of Human Sciences.

This spring, take time to clean your computer both inside and out. Last week, I explained how to clean the exterior. This week, I’ll tell you how to clean up your operating system and files.

Begin by removing unnecessary desktop icons. A cluttered desktop simply slows down the computer’s initial boot time, especially if you have saved documents or photos to the desktop. Move these files to the My Documents folder.

STONEVILLE – Farmers can learn more about controlling Palmer amaranth, universally hated and commonly known as pigweed, at an upcoming field day.

Mississippi State University’s Delta Research and Extension Center will host a Pigweed Field Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 14.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Some skeptics think agricultural production and natural resource conservation are incompatible, but a Mississippi State University scientist is committed to proving them wrong, one farm at a time.

Robbie Kroger, assistant professor of aquatic sciences in the MSU Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, is the co-founder and spokesperson for a new initiative called Research and Education to Advance Conservation and Habitat, or REACH.

STONEVILLE -- Two Mississippi State University scientists are taking on new leadership roles at the university’s Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville.

Jimmy Avery, who has served as the MSU Extension Service aquaculture specialist since 1999, has been named director of the Southern Regional Aquaculture Center.

The mission of the center is to support aquaculture research and education in the Southeast. Its goal is to enhance aquaculture production to benefit consumers, producers, service industries and the American economy.

If you’re looking for a little tropical flair for your home garden or landscape, consider bringing in some bougainvillea. This plant is especially gorgeous when displayed in a hanging basket that shows off its many flowers with almost iridescent colors.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Mississippi peanut producers should have a wonderful feeling about the 2012 crop as almost everything is going their way – including buyers from Oklahoma.

Mike Howell, state peanut specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said many of the factors favoring Mississippi’s crop this year, started last year.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Members of the inaugural team of 4-H shooting sports ambassadors hit the bull’s eye in their first year of service, said their Mississippi State University leader.

“We selected four experienced 4-H shooting sports competitors who are enthusiastic about the sport to represent Mississippi at local, state and national events, and this team has exemplified good sportsmanship, patience, respect and self-discipline,” said John Long, assistant Extension professor and state shooting sports coordinator.

NEWTON – Spending the day fishing, searching pond water for insects, and hiking nature trails might not be a traditional middle school field trip, but organizers of the first Youth Fishing Day hope the May 11 event sparked an appreciation for the outdoors in participating sixth graders.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Catfish and toads drew two British Broadcasting Corporation film crews and host to spend three days with Mississippi State University experts.

The crew was shooting an upcoming BBC documentary called Wonders of Life with host Brian Cox. It will follow Cox’s successful Wonders of the Solar System and Wonders of the Universe, viewed by millions of people in the United Kingdom and around the world last year.

The weather has warmed up, and many of us are cleaning out closets, digging up the yard, mowing grass and generally getting ready for summer. Normally, I take to the couch when these moods strike and let the moment pass. Unfortunately, neglecting to clean up your computer can result in an overgrown jungle of electronic mayhem.

Start your computer’s spring cleaning by taking a look at your hardware. Hardware includes your monitor, mouse, keyboard, and hard drive, or CPU (central processing unit).

The monitor…

HATTIESBURG -- Mississippi’s Extension agents are not being deployed to Afghanistan, but their agricultural and food preservation information is.

Mississippi State University Extension Director Gary Jackson said agricultural specialists recently trained an elite group of military personnel preparing to assist the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture. After they are deployed, these men and women will maintain their contact with MSU specialists for ongoing needs and questions as they assist Afghan agricultural agents with demonstration food plots and similar responsibilities.

PRAIRIE – An informational program and station tour of Mississippi State University’s Prairie Research Unit will focus on native grass and cattle production May 31.

The Native Grass and Cattle Field Day will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MSU research unit in Monroe County. Lunch is provided. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.

BRANDON – An organization that provides outdoor adventures to children facing life-threatening illnesses netted $65,000 at two recent fundraisers in Brandon.

The Catch-A-Dream Foundation is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization working in cooperation with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Each year, Catch-A-Dream fulfills the hunting- and fishing-related wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses, such as cancer and cystic fibrosis. The foundation holds two benefit events each year: the Bass Classic and the Shotgun Jamboree.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Two Mississippi State University scientists have been selected for a national leadership training program.

MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center professors Robert Kroger and David Jones will be in the Leadership for the 21st Century, or Lead21, class of 2012-2013.

Lead21’s purpose is to develop leaders within land-grant universities and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The year-long Lead21 course includes three sessions and an individual learning component.

MISSISSIPPI STATE – Robotics is a gateway to engineering careers and the focus of one track at the 2012 4-H Tech Camp in Starkville.

Mississippi high school students in 4-H can learn how to apply their technical skills to college success in the senior robotics track at Tech Camp. The residential program is offered through the Mississippi State University Extension Service 4-H youth program.

MISSISSIPPI STATE –4-H programs in Mississippi and Tennessee received a donation from North American energy infrastructure company TransCanada to fund training for community leaders.

The $30,000 contribution will be divided between the two states’ programs to finance a social media training program taught by trained 4-H members. 4-H’ers train county government officials, emergency responders and business leaders to use a variety of methods to communicate with constituents and community members.

Million Bells is one of my favorite flowering plants in the early summer. I think you’ll find this plant to be a good choice for the summer landscape in your Mississippi garden.

Million Bells are known botanically as Calibrachoa, and you may see them called by either name in garden centers. Regardless of what name they go by, you need to have some of these garden performers in your landscape.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Warm spring weather sent cotton farmers to the fields as early as the first week of April, and cotton stands are ahead of normal and looking good.

IAs of May 6, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Statistics Service estimated the state’s cotton was 68 percent planted and 45 percent emerged. The five-year average for this same date has the crop just 31 percent planted and only 12 percent emerged.