Azalea Hall opens at Mississippi State University

Date:2025-08-10 01:06:44 Category:US Views:2 Comment:0

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WJTV) – Mississippi State University (MSU) celebrated the opening of its newest and largest student residence hall. Azalea Hall will welcome its first occupants next week to launch the 2025-26 academic year.

Azalea Hall, which was a nearly $100 million project, is located at the corner of Barr Avenue and George Perry Street in Starkville.

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“This will be a wonderful new home to more than 400 students who will have an incredible environment to live, study and grow into successful young adults and future leaders. Azalea Hall stands as a reminder of what we can accomplish by working together with the generous support of our friends, and I am so grateful to all of you here today who contributed to the effort to build this beautiful, practical and highly functional residence hall and dining facility,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum.

Celebrating a ribbon cutting ceremony for Azalea Hall, Mississippi State’s newest and largest student residence hall, are from left, front row: Julia Bryant, Residence Hall Association president; Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt; Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life Dei Allard; MSU President Mark E. Keenum; Luckyday Foundation Chair Jamie Houston; back row: James Jankowski, resident district manager for MSU Dining Services; P.J. Pearson, HPM project manager; Ches Fedric, MSU director of Planning, Design and Construction Administration; Student Association President Cameron Cummings; Saunders Ramsey, executive director of MSU Campus Services; Jule Markle, Wier Boerner Allin Architecture principal and senior project architect; and Gwynn Zivic, Mackey Mitchell Architects lead designer. (Photo by Grace Cockrell via Mississippi State University)
Luckyday Foundation members of the board of managers celebrate Friday [Aug. 8] during Azalea Hall’s ribbon cutting. The student residence hall includes a living and learning community for MSU’s Luckyday Scholars program. Pictured, from left, front row: MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt; former Luckyday Foundation Chair Holmes Adams; Mary Preston Dubberly; Granville Tate; MSU President Mark E. Keenum; Luckyday Foundation Chair Jamie Houston; Luckyday Foundation Secretary Kristin Merrell; Luckyday Foundation Vice Chair Jerry Host; Luckyday Foundation Executive Director Patricia Smith; and MSU Executive Director of Housing and Residence Life Dei Allard; back row: MSU Executive Director of the Center for Academic Excellence Clay Armstrong; MSU Luckyday Scholars Program Coordinator Hadley Howell; MSU Luckyday Scholars Program Director Tiffany Key; and MSU Foundation Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Alex McIntosh. (Photo by Grace Cockrell via Mississippi State University)

He emphasized the generosity of the Luckyday Foundation, which gave $4 million for the creation of Luckyday Tower, a living and learning community within Azalea Hall for the university’s Luckyday Scholars Program. The building comprises five stories and 159,000 square feet, offers the most up-to-date amenities, with fully furnished rooms finished with full-sized, XL beds. The facility also contains a FEMA safe room.

Azalea Marketplace will offer dining options, and a 24-hour Maroon Market also is on site.

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