Student Experiential Learning Faculty/Research Testimonials — Mike Breazeale

Speaker: Mike Breazeale, Professor of Marketing / Director of MILO, Mississippi State University College of Business

Mike Breazeale: Hi, I'm Mike Breazeale, professor of Marketing in the College of Business and the Director of the Market Innovation Lab and Observatory or MILO. Uh One of my favorite things that I've done with the Division of Access, Opportunity and Success is to create the Diversity Dawgs or the Inclusion and Diversity Fellows Program here in the College of Business. Uh We've recently changed the name of it to Bulldogs for Belonging. Uh We created this organization so that students can prove to potential employers that they're more than what a lot of them might expect to see from a student from Mississippi. Uh I think we get a bum wrap sometimes in being uh backwards thinking just because of where we're from. And so we wanted our students to be able to prove to employers that they understand the value of belongingness in organizations. Uh And that includes uh being an inclusive environment for anybody who's situation is different than ours. Uh We view diversity in this organization as diversity of thought of experience, anything that, that makes you different from anyone else, uh which means we're all different and we're all diverse. Uh This organization gives students credit for participating in events or classes, uh even studies abroad, anything that's offered here on our campus as a way to kind of expand their horizons and see what the world has to offer. Um We believe that in doing this, they become better world citizens and they understand the value that diversity can bring to an organization and the importance of creating a sense of belonging for every member of that organization. Uh students participate in these events for four semesters. Then uh at the end of their time here at Mississippi State, hopefully they help develop a project that will leave kind of a lasting mark on the campus and on the community at large uh doing some kind of good work uh for belongingness, uh those students then receive special chords at graduation and a medallion to wear uh and uh something they can put on their resume that they are an inclusion and diversity fellow, something that we hope will help them to stand out when they're on the job market. Um The division of Student Affairs and the division of access opportunity, opportunity and success, do so much for our students and so much for us as faculty. Um It's a joy to work with them and I hope you'll all get the same opportunity that I've had and we'll be able to see uh the, the important things that it does for our students as well.