MPRINT: A new chapter in campus living: Welcome to Azalea Hall

Mississippi State University opened Azalea Hall in August. It is a new residence hall whose design reflects the preferences and needs of today’s students.

Azalea Hall, located on the north side of campus, is a 159,000-square-foot facility that will house 412 students in a modern, pod-style layout.

Thanks to a gift from the Luckyday Foundation, the space is meant to both elevate the student living experience and support academic growth and community.

Its design prioritizes privacy without sacrificing community. Each pod features single rooms with shared common restrooms and social lounges.

Azalea also includes MSU’s newest dining experience. The first-floor dining hall brings fresh culinary options, including a hand-tossed pizza kitchen, Mediterranean-inspired entrées, a ghost kitchen with rotating menus, contactless pickup lockers, and the Maroon Market for grab-and-go convenience.

A ghost kitchen is a food preparation option that presents restaurant food for pickup without itself having much of a traditional brick-and-mortar location’s presence. The food is prepared, picked up and eaten in real life, of course, but all other elements of the ghost kitchen’s existence may be entirely online. There may be no signage, for example, or no counter and cash register. There might not be a person to speak to on the phone. Orders for a ghost kitchen may typically be selected and paid for online, choosing from an online menu. The food may be available for pickup at a window or locker, but otherwise in-person interaction may be minimal. “This project focuses on today’s college students’ needs and wants—to engage with one another, have more privacy and ignite their academic and social well-being,” said Dei Allard, executive director of MSU housing and residence life. “The design provides optimal opportunities for student engagement and collaboration with one another, as well as the MSU community.”

Azalea Hall also serves as the new home for MSU’s Luckyday Scholars, made possible by the Luckyday Foundation of Jackson. This gift continues the philanthropic legacy of Frank Rogers Day and establishes the Luckyday Tower within the residence hall. The tower features dedicated study spaces, a welcome lobby, state-of-the-art classrooms, staff offices for the Luckyday Scholars Program, and a student-only kitchenette, providing program participants with a space designed just for them.

John Rush, CEO of the MSU Foundation, said, “Donors like the Luckyday Foundation want to make a positive difference in the lives of Mississippians, especially students who are eager to be involved with and serve local communities. With this type of support, Mississippi State is more competitive and successful in its efforts to not just grow

scholarship of students, but also community, service and leadership—the Luckyday program’s fundamental principles.”

To celebrate the building’s completion, Azalea Hall hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Aug. 8, giving the Bulldog community a first look at the state-of-the-art facility. In early September, Azalea Hall will welcome staff, faculty, students and the MSU family to an open house showcasing the residence hall’s ground level and a model student room.

Thanks to the support of the Luckyday Foundation, Azalea Hall offers Mississippi State students a place to grow, connect and feel at home as the university continues to expand. For the students who now call Azalea Hall home, it is more than just a residence hall. It’s the beginning of a legacy.