Bulldog athletes join Sept. 24 launch of ��Ƶ humanities series on mind-body connection

STARKVILLE, Miss.––The ��Ƶ Institute for the Humanities kicks off its 2025-2026 lecture series with “The Great Balancing Act: Student-Athletes at Mississippi State,” a roundtable discussion scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Duff Center Auditorium.

Free and open to the public, the event will feature ��Ƶ Athletic Director Zac Selmon, several Bulldog student-athletes and Institute Director Morgan Robinson as they explore how academic and athletic commitments shape one another.

The theme of this year’s lecture series is “The Mind-Body Connection: How Movement Makes Us Human,” and Robinson, associate professor of history, said it will “highlight movement as a central part of the human experience, from the philosophy of thinking while we walk and the cognitive effects of physical activity to the role of sports in society.”

The role of collegiate athletes has received national attention in recent years as the NCAA navigates issues surrounding student-athlete compensation, Robinson said, but the rhythms of their daily lives—balancing class, practice, dining, studying and resting—remain much the same.

“Last semester, Mississippi State athletes set another school record with a departmental GPA of 3.37, demonstrating the continued integration of sport and study,” Robinson said.

Part of ��Ƶ’s College of Arts and Sciences, the Institute for the Humanities promotes research, scholarship and creative performances in the humanistic disciplines while raising their visibility within the university and the wider community. For more information visit and .

��Ƶ is taking care of what matters. Learn more at .

��Ƶ