Contact: Amy Cagle

STARKVILLE, Miss.—In ceremonies earlier today [March 1], Mississippi State University named the department head suite for the Department of Political Science and Public Administration in Bowen Hall in honor of Cynthia M. “Cindy” Stevens of Alexandria, Virginia, the 2019 College of Arts and Sciences Alumna of the Year. She will be formally recognized with the alumni honor during tonight’s annual MSU Alumni Association awards banquet.

“MSU has had a major impact in my life, and my hope is that the naming of the suite will inspire others to follow their dreams as I did,” said Stevens, a Louisville native and 1983 political science graduate who retired in 2018 as longtime managing principal of government relations for Deloitte LLP.

“I attribute my accomplishments and career to outstanding faculty, MSU mentors and friends, and I’m honored to be named the Arts and Sciences Alumna of the Year,” said Stevens. “I am very grateful to my MSU family, and I’m thankful that I can give back to my university, particularly the College of Arts and Sciences.”

The Cynthia M. Stevens Endowed Political Science and Public Administration Department Head Suite occupies a prominent space on the first floor of Bowen Hall, a Mississippi Landmark building built in 1929. An endowment created by Stevens will ensure the suite will be perpetually maintained to maximize the success of departmental operations.

“This very kind and generous gift from Cindy Stevens will greatly contribute to the overall success of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration through the additional resources that will be available to support our administrative functions,” said P. Edward French, professor and department head.

At MSU, earlier support from Stevens established the Cynthia M. Stevens Distinguished Faculty Award and the Cynthia M. Stevens Loyalty Scholarship.

Over her career, Stevens gained 30 years of experience in government relations. Her impeccable resume includes service as director at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and legislative director for the U.S. House of Representatives and director of government affairs for the Greater Washington Board of Trade, with selection as the first director of government relations to establish a new federal department within the board. In her position with Deloitte LLP, she was the primary contact with members of Congress and the Administration, executive branch agencies, and state legislative affairs.

At MSU, Stevens remains active through service with the boards of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government, MSU Foundation, and the university’s College of Arts and Sciences. In 2010, she was honored as the college’s Alumni Fellow.

More on the department is available at https://www.pspa.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.