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Moon Landing Scientist Speaks to Students

Posted on: April 29th, 2015 by erabadie

Josephine Howard offers problem-solving advice

APRIL 29, 2015 | BY DENNIS IRWIN

Jo Howard | Photo by Dennis Irwin

A veteran scientist who helped the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) achieve one of the crowning achievements of the 20th century visited the University of Mississippi recently to challenge students to face life’s problems by first checking their assumptions.

UM alumna Josephine Howard (BA mathematics ’64, MA mathematics and biology ’67), who helped put Apollo 11 on the moon in 1969, discussed relating mathematical studies to life applications during a lighthearted gathering April 21 in Hume Hall.

Howard recalled sitting behind James Meredith in one of her classes, then talked about one of her first jobs, which involved developing programs to guide a spaceship through the Earth and moon’s orbits for the first lunar landing. She also talked about some of her current projects, which include writing a novel.

Overall, her main goal was to inspire. She encouraged students to understand that problems, just as in mathematics, will always be present, but they should look past their assumptions when solving them. She challenged students to revisit their assumptions and evaluate choices from other angles.

“Whatever you do in life, whatever you think, your choices are based on your assumptions,” Howard said. “On all your choices, go back and check your assumptions; if your assumptions are wrong, you may discover you are way off base.”

Howard’s visit offered students a different perspective on subjects related to mathematics and suggested that students should branch out of their subjects and learn as much as possible for the value that knowledge will have in their long-term careers.

The lecture provided an incredible opportunity for students to speak with a veteran scientist, said James Reid, professor and interim chair of mathematics.

“Howard reminds me a lot of our students because she is very industrious,” Reid said. “This is one of the most exciting speakers our undergraduates will have an opportunity to hear.”

Howard has worn many hats throughout her career. She worked on design trajectory for the Apollo lunar missions, programmed data management programs for oil and gas companies, wrote control language for data management systems, and organized and implemented successful political campaigns for 18 years.

Howard has taught junior high and high school, operated her own real estate company in Sugar Land, Texas, and helped found Living Water International, an organization that helps provide clean water in 26 countries. She assisted with typhoon relief in countries affected by a 2013 typhoon.

THE DM: First Department Dedicated to Alumnus

Posted on: April 28th, 2015 by erabadie

April 28, 2015 | by Lana Ferguson
Courtesy of The Daily Mississippian

Chancellor Dan Jones and Martha Dowd Dalrymple, daughter of Arch Dalrymple III, unveils dedication plaque. | DM Photo by Logan Kirkland

The history department became the Arch Dalrymple III Department of History, the first on campus to be named after an individual, with a $5 million endowment in honor of a 1947 alumnus during a ceremony in front of the Lyceum yesterday.

Chancellor Dan Jones opened the ceremony by speaking of Arch Dalrymple III.

“Today we celebrate a distinguished alumnus who epitomized two phrases we hold in high regards: ‘lifelong learner’ and ‘servant leader,’” Jones said. “Arch Dalrymple was a very successful businessman and farmer. He invested an enormous amount of time and resources in his hometown and in the state of Mississippi.”

Dalrymple’s daughter, Martha Dowd Dalrymple, gave a $5 million gift to the history department five years after his death.

“One of his final wishes before his death in 2010 was an endowment for the Ole Miss history department,” Martha Dowd Dalrymple said. “Today, with the naming of the department in his honor, I have fulfilled his wish.”

Provost Morris Stocks introduced members in the audience that had close ties to Dalrymple. Many of Dalrymple’s family, close friends and others were in attendance.

Professor of History Emeritus David Sansing knew Dalrymple for about 50 years, and they became close friends during that time. He spoke highly of Dalrymple and recognized many of his accomplishments, including his endeavors as a businessman, farmer, public education activist and more.

“Arch Dalrymple III is, in the best and truest sense of the word, a southern gentleman,” Sansing said. “His roots ran deep, he was a member of the Society of Cincinnati and he loved history, but he was not bound by the past. He was a man of his time and a man ahead of his time.”

Sansing credits Dalrymple for helping save previous professor of history James Silver’s job. Silver would later publish a book entitled “Mississippi: The Closed Society.”

“Back in those days, in the 60s, there was a lot of anger in Mississippi and he was able to soothe some of that,” Sansing said. “I think by saving Silver’s job he enabled James Silver to live long enough to write that book, and Dalrymple in the process helped to change the course of history in Mississippi.”

Sansing said he believes Dalrymple’s influence was significant both in his local community and the state of Mississippi as a whole. “I think Mr. Dalrymple would be so pleased that his memorial is not in bricks and stones but are students and faculty, are research and teaching and learning, because Mr. Dalrymple knew it is what takes place inside these hallow halls that makes the difference.

Many spoke of Dalrymple’s great passion and love for history as well as the importance he believed it played in every student’s education.

“The study of history is crucial to liberal education,” said Rich Forgette, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts. “A great liberal arts university requires a great history department. The Arch Dalrymple III Endowment will have a lasting impact on liberal education at our university.”

Department chair and professor Joseph Ward spoke of his gratitude for Martha’s gift.

“The name of Arch Dalrymple III will be linked forever to the study of history at the University of Mississippi, and your benefaction will have a profoundly positive influence on the lives of students, faculty, researchers and staff far into the future,” Ward said.

Forgette emphasized the opportunities that the endowment will give the department and university.

“The Dalrymple endowment will transform an already strong history department and significantly increase opportunities for our students,” Forgette said. “We are thrilled by the prospects and feel very honored to have great alumnus like Arch Dalrymple.”

History Department Named for Arch Dalrymple III

Posted on: April 28th, 2015 by erabadie

$5 million gift pays tribute to the late leader and businessman

April 27, 2015 | By TINA HAHN

Photo by Robert Jordan/UM Communications

The Arch Dalrymple III Department of History plaque dedication ceremony. The dedication marks the first time that a UM department has been named in honor of an alumnus. | Photo by Robert Jordan/UM Communications

The late Arch Dalrymple III would likely have become a history professor, except that his father’s untimely death kept the young University of Mississippi (UM) graduate at home to run the family’s businesses and take care of his mother and younger sisters.

Dalrymple first came to the university in the early 1940s, left to serve as an officer in the U.S. Army during World War II and then returned to earn an undergraduate degree in history in 1947. While he was in the service, he earned college credit from Amherst College and Cornell University.

As the Amory, Miss., native developed into a highly successful businessman and widely respected civic leader, Dalrymple found avenues to pursue his love of history and contribute to his state’s historic preservation efforts, including 32 years as a trustee of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH). He also served as president of the Mississippi Historical Society in 1976-77.

Today, UM leaders announced the first named department on the Oxford campus: the Arch Dalrymple III Department of History. Martha Dowd Dalrymple, his daughter and business partner, joined the announcement to reveal her $5 million gift to undergird teaching, research and service efforts of the Arch Dalrymple III Department of History.

“Daddy was passionate about history. One of his final wishes before his death in 2010 was that an endowment be created at the University of Mississippi Department of History. He always felt our lives are shaped by the lessons we learn from history,” said Martha Dalrymple. “Daddy was a part of the ‘greatest generation’ that instilled in him the value of a strong work ethic and the importance of giving back to his country, state and community. Our family has had a long history with the University of Mississippi, and I am pleased to give back to honor his name.”

UM Chancellor Dan Jones and Martha Dalrymple unveiled a large bronze plaque to be installed in Bishop Hall, home to the history department.

“This is truly a great day in the life of the University of Mississippi,” the chancellor said. “We are extremely proud for our Department of History to bear the name of such a brilliant man, a dedicated scholar and influential leader. When students, faculty, visitors and others see the Arch Dalrymple name, we want them to be inspired by his deep commitment to history and historic preservation and by his tremendous commitment to service. Our state is stronger because of Arch Dalrymple, and now his alma mater is stronger because of this gift made in his memory.”

Previously, in 1986, Arch and his wife, Adine Lampton Wallace Dalrymple, had funded the Dalrymple Lecture Series in Mathematics at UM to bring distinguished speakers in mathematics to campus. “To Daddy, history and math were the two most important areas of study needed to strengthen our great nation. One of his favorite quotes was that of Winston Churchill – ‘The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see,’” Martha Dalrymple said.

Holmes Adams of Jackson, Miss., Arch Dalrymple’s attorney and friend for more than 25 years, spoke to the fitting nature of his name being permanently linked with the university and the study of history.

“It is appropriate to name the Department of History for Arch Dalrymple because he was a true amateur historian in the classic sense of the word ‘amateur,’ that is, one who engages in a study, sport or activity for pleasure, not for financial benefit or professional reasons. If my memory is correct, the word ‘amateur’ derives from the Latin verb ‘amo,’ or ‘I love.’ Arch loved the study of history – of his home community, his state, his country and the world.”

That love and dedication can be seen through his work with MDAH, the comprehensive historical agency that collects, preserves and provides access to the archival resources of the state; administers museums and historic sites; and oversees statewide programs for historic preservation, government records management and publications, said Elbert Hilliard, MDAH director emeritus, who worked with Arch Dalrymple for three decades.

“Arch Dalrymple was a man of great courage and integrity. He stood with the MDAH staff and provided invaluable support for the department’s administration and implementation of the State Antiquities Act that was enacted by the Mississippi legislature to help preserve our state’s historic sites and buildings for future generations,” Hilliard said. “Mr. Dalrymple had a great love of history and was a MDAH trustee whom you could count on to stay abreast of issues related to the department’s mission.”

Joseph Ward, chair of history, expressed appreciation for the naming of the department and the infusion of new resources, which will be held in a permanent endowment.

“Martha Dalrymple’s decision to honor her father in this way will be a lasting benefit to the Department of History’s faculty and students. It will enhance research and teaching in every area of historical scholarship we offer. The confidence that Ms. Dalrymple has shown in our faculty and students through her incredible generosity will provide great encouragement to our work both now and far into the future.”

The endowment at the state’s flagship university now stands at approximately $600 million, and endowed gifts, such as Dalrymple’s, provide the margin of excellence in academics. “This magnificent gift provides a permanent tribute to the extraordinary life of Arch Dalrymple,” said Deborah Vaughn, senior executive director of development and chief development officer. “In addition, this significant investment will have a far-reaching impact on the lives of our history students and faculty, as they pursue meaningful study and research.”

Arch Dalrymple III and the Model T Ford he drove as a student.

Former Mississippi Gov. William Winter was a college classmate and longtime friend with the honoree. “This is a highly important and timely recognition of one of Ole Miss’ most distinguished alumni. Arch was a dedicated and highly informed historian, who developed much of his interest in history as a result of his study under the great history professors who were a part of the Ole Miss faculty when we were there together in the 1940s. The importance of the study and knowledge of history was passionately felt by Arch, and he did much to advance that cause in our state.”

Dalrymple’s business interests included farming, timber, cattle, commercial and residential real estate, and oil and gas. He was a passionate sportsman and conservationist, tireless advocate for public education, and a generous philanthropist. He created the Dalrymple Family Foundation to benefit the arts, culture, education, humanities and conservation in Northeast Mississippi. Martha Dalrymple serves as president of the foundation. Her husband is James L. Cummins, the executive director of Wildlife Mississippi.

Arch Dalrymple served on the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Officer Selection Board and on the Mississippi Economic Council and as the first chairman of the Amory City Planning Commission. He was a longtime trustee of the Amory School District, serving as president from 1968 to 1972, as well as a design advisor for construction of the Amory Middle and Elementary schools. He initiated the founding of the Mississippi Schools Board Association and was a member of the Mississippi Governor’s School Finance Study Group.

He served for many years as a director on the Trustmark National Bank board. He was also a member of the Society of the Cincinnati, an organization founded in 1783 consisting of direct descendants of the officer corps of Gen. George Washington’s Continental Army. At his alma mater, he provided guidance on the School of Engineering Advisory Board, as well as the Ole Miss Alumni Association Board.

Widely read in history, government, economics and foreign affairs, Dalrymple was admired as an amusing and knowledgeable storyteller.

He wrote six volumes of family history for his three daughters – Martha Dalrymple of Amory, Mary Cameron of Oxford and Jane Dalrymple-Hollo of Boulder, Co. – three grandchildren and his extended family. Mary Cameron, her husband, Alan, and their daughter Adine, all graduated from Ole Miss.

In one of the volumes Arch Dalrymple wrote about family trees: “Assembling charts and dates is really pretty dull stuff. More interesting and instructive is learning just who the people were – how they fit into the time stream of history and the fabric of the society in which they lived – in short, to put a name, an individual in historical context. Only then does the ‘tree’ come to life.”

Arch Dalrymple’s sisters, the late Jane Whitehead of Memphis, Tenn., and Martha Guffey of Dallas, Texas, are both Ole Miss alumna. Guffey said she believes under different family circumstances her brother would have become a history professor, making the naming of the history department very meaningful.

“Arch would have been very pleased,” she said of the announcement. “He had a good experience at Ole Miss, and history professor Jim Silver was a favorite of his, as well as others.”

A connoisseur of architecture and landscape design, Dalrymple also traveled extensively in Europe with his beloved wife, “Deanie,” and was particularly fond of visiting Scotland, where he cultivated many friendships. The Dalrymples were members of the First Presbyterian Church of Amory.

Mathematical Probability Theory Topic of Spring’s Final Science Cafe

Posted on: April 20th, 2015 by erabadie

Algebra professor uses dice to demonstrate unique factorization

April 17, 2015 | By EDWIN SMITH

Mathematics Professor Sandra Spiroff uses dice to demonstrate theories of probability.

The theory of unique factorization, with an application to mathematical probability, is the topic for a monthly public science forum organized by the University of Mississippi Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The spring semester’s third and last meeting of the Oxford Science Cafe is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday (April 21) at Lusa Pastry Cafe, 2305 West Jackson Ave. Sandra Spiroff, associate professor of mathematics, will discuss “Unique factorization and a roll of the dice.” Admission is free.

“Starting from the familiar factorization of integers into prime numbers, we extend the concept of unique factorization to polynomials and beyond,” Spiroff said. “In particular, we will discuss how unique factorization, or the lack of it, probably jeopardized early attempts to prove Fermat’s Last Theorem.”

Spiroff’s 30-minute presentation will also present an interesting application to the probabilities associated with rolling a pair of dice.

“If time permits, we will run some experiments and play the casino game of craps,” she said. “The mathematical difficulty of the majority of this talk is high school algebra, and many examples will be given.”

Spiroff earned her doctorate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a master’s degree from Saint Louis University and a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. Her research areas include commutative algebra, with specialization in the topics of divisor class groups and Chow groups.

Undergraduate courses she teaches are linear algebra and abstract algebra. Previously, Spiroff held the position of VIGRE postdoctoral assistant professor-lecturer at the University of Utah.

For more information about the Department of Physics and Astronomy, visit https://olemiss.edu/depts/physics_and_astronomy or call 662-915-5311.

American Mathematics Institute Director To Deliver UM Dalrymple Lecture April 9

Posted on: April 6th, 2015 by erabadie

April 6, 2015 | by EDWIN SMITH

Brian Conrey

A prime number is an integer greater than one whose only positive divisors are 1 and itself. In 1859, G. F. B. Riemann proposed a way to understand how the prime numbers are distributed among the natural numbers.

Riemann’s Hypothesis, still unproven after 156 years, is the focus of the 21st Dalrymple Lecture in Mathematics, set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday (April 9) at the University of Mississippi. Brian Conrey, executive director of the American Institute of Mathematics and professor of mathematics at the University of Bristol in England, is to deliver the address. The event in the Overby Center Auditorium is open to the public.

“For more than 150 years, primes and zeroes remain a million dollar mystery for mathematicians,” Conrey said. ” The stature of this problem has continued to rise so that today it is widely regarded as the most important unsolved problem in all of mathematics.”

An internationally renowned mathematician, Conrey was awarded the Levi L. Conant Prize from the American Mathematics Society for outstanding expository writing for an article he wrote on this problem in 2008.

“This year’s topic, the Riemann Hypothesis, is one of the seven $1Million Millennium Prize Problems stated by Clay Mathematics Institute in 2000,” said James Reid, UM professor of mathematics. “Professor Conrey plans to discuss some of the colorful history that surrounds this question.”

Established to bring distinguished speakers to campus to discuss mathematics and mathematics research, the Dalrymple Lecture series was endowed by Mr. and Mrs. Arch Dalrymple II of Amory. Arch Dalrymple attended Cornell University, Amherst College and UM, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1947.

An Ethical Proposition for UM

Posted on: March 16th, 2015 by erabadie

Alumni donate to strengthen curriculum in ethical reasoning

March 16, 2015

UM alumni Frances and Hume Bryant (right) and Bruce and Mary Betsy Bellande (left) of Oxford, Miss. enjoy a ten day cycling trip through the Provence region of France in 2014 while sporting their UM jerseys.

Hume Bryant and his wife, Frances, have established the Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hume Bryant Lectureship in Ethics Endowment through a recent pledge and gift of real estate. The new endowment will offer faculty support to enable additional ethics courses across disciplines, allowing more UM students to ponder ethical queries through academic instruction and carry strengthened reasoning skills into their post-academic life.

“Ethics courses help students learn to think and decipher all the grey areas between what we call ‘right and wrong,’” said Bryant. “If you don’t learn how to think critically, you probably shouldn’t be in a position to make important decisions. For instance, it came out recently that corporate managers knew about an automobile malfunction that killed people but were afraid to say anything. How does that happen? I think people sometimes make decisions without considering the ethical consequences.”

Chancellor Dan Jones (left) and Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Richard Forgette (right) thank Frances and Hume Bryant for their gift creating an endowment to support the teaching of ethics at the University of Mississippi.

Bryant, a 1964 engineering graduate, enjoyed his years at UM from youth through graduation. The son of a university professor and administrator, his childhood home was where Lamar Hall now stands, and he attended University High School, housed in what is now the music building. As an undergraduate he participated in the band playing the flute and piccolo.

The band is still my favorite part of the game day experience,” he said.

He met his first wife, Barbara Kalif, at UM. After graduation, Bryant was assigned to the Strategic Air Command in New England where he ended his active duty tour as a captain. After earning a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University, he embarked on a 25-year career with Southern Pacific railroad that moved the couple to San Francisco, where they raised two children, William and Michelle.

Barbara Bryant passed away while they were living in California. After moving to Chicago and Fort Worth, Hume Bryant retired to Oxford in 2000.

I loved the cities I lived in, but grew tired of the commotion,” he said. “I was very fortunate to come home to a place like Oxford.”

But as a young man, Bryant was eager to expand his horizons.

“We have a very complicated history,” Bryant said of the university and Oxford. “Growing up, there was often talk among my family about issues that were not necessarily popular, but were very important. I know now that these discussions were really about ethics.”

Bryant’s family played a major role in UM’s history. His mother, Willie Hume, was the niece of Alfred Hume, the first chancellor to possess an earned doctorate. Hume served UM for nearly 60 years as a professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics, dean of the College of Liberal Arts, two-term chancellor and three appointments as acting chancellor. He is credited for preventing Gov. Theodore Bilbo from moving the university to Jackson.

His father, W. Alton Bryant, was chair of the Department of English, provost and later vice chancellor. He is noted for encouraging fellow administrators during the tumultuous period of integration to “be concerned about how rules were implemented and the effects of carrying them out as much as their literal meaning.”

Bryant also noted another key influence, the Rev. Duncan Gray, Jr. While rector from 1957 to 1965 at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Oxford, Gray became a motivating figure during James Meredith’s admission. Gray was among a minority of outspoken Mississippians regarding the ethical dilemma of integration. During a Sunday morning sermon the day of the 1962 riot, Gray told his congregation, “No university in the world would defend this position rationally, and no Christian church would defend it morally.”

That evening, Gray moved throughout the angry mob, removing bricks from hands and encouraging people to go home before he was overtaken by a mob and beaten.

“I was in Carrier Hall as the riot started, then went to the Sigma Nu house,” Bryant remembered. “Some fraternity brothers and I tried to misdirect potential trouble makers coming to the campus. Thinking back over that time, I realize that while I still did not necessarily associate ‘ethics’ with the incident, I did know that Reverend Gray followed his beliefs at great risk to his person – and did what was right – regardless of the consequences. I was so impressed with his actions that the following spring, I went through confirmation classes with Reverend Gray and joined St. Peter’s.”

Today, Bryant serves Oxford by volunteering on the Oxford Tree Board. His tenure has helped acquire almost $200,000 in Mississippi Forestry Commission grants for the community. He enjoys gardening, nature, biking and lives near the downtown square in walking distance to his favorite places, including the UM campus and St. Peter’s Episcopal Church.

He is not alone on his walks and bike rides, however. Through mutual friends, Bryant met Frances Byars King and the two were married in 2013. Frances Bryant attended UM from 1976 to 1980 studying marketing. She has spent her career in sales and works for AirMedCare, the largest independent air medical network in the nation.

“We are two polar opposites,” said Frances Bryant. “I’m very spontaneous, while Hume is the consummate planner. But that works very well for us. I was so proud when he wanted to establish this lectureship. It’s a good fit, and captures an essence of him that I care for deeply.”

Steven Skultety, chair and associate professor of the Department of Philosophy and Religion, was pleased to hear UM alumni established the lectureship to highlight the importance of ethics in a liberal arts education.

“Many people believe ethics can teach us nothing because they assume values are subjective, unscientific and up to each person,” said Skultety. “It is incredibly important that our university helps students understand that constructing a persuasive ethical argument demands as much logical reasoning and unbiased attention as conducting a scientific experiment or creating a mathematical proof. After all, when they enter the work world, our graduates will inevitably face decisions and dilemmas that will call upon their critical skills and familiarity with ethical principles.”

UM offers environmental, biomedical, and general survey ethics courses to undergraduates and legal ethics within the School of Law. However, as yearly offerings average only one section per year, availability is limited.

Skultety believes the Bryant Endowment will help address that need.

“With guidance from the College of Liberal Arts and the Office of the Provost, we plan on using this gift to create a position for a full-time ethicist,” said Skultety. “Not only will this position lead to more classes being offered but also will promote greater coordination among faculty teaching ethics in some capacity. A full-time ethicist will increase visibility for ethics on our campus, and he or she will serve as the point-person for anyone studying ethics in a scholarly way. The prospect is very exciting.”

On a larger scale, this gift represents foundational beliefs about the importance of a liberal arts education that were shared by Hume Bryant’s predecessors.

“On behalf of our university community, we thank Hume and Frances Bryant for their generous support,” said Morris Stocks, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “This gift will strengthen our liberal arts faculty and help provide meaningful opportunities for our students to develop critical thinking skills and find moral purpose as they endeavor in their academic and career pursuits. The Bryant family has a long legacy of leadership at the University of Mississippi, and we are truly grateful for their commitment.”

Frances Bryant has a daughter, Cade King Clurman, living in Annapolis, Md. and a son, Trey King, in Inverness, Miss. The Oxford couple enjoys visits with their five grandchildren, planning their new home and traveling abroad with Mary Betsy Bellande, Hume Bryant’s sister, and her husband Bruce.

Individuals and organizations can make gifts to the Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Hume Bryant Lectureship in Ethics Endowment by mailing a check with the fund noted in the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, Miss., 38655; visiting http://www.umfoundation.com/makeagift; or contacting Denson Hollis, senior development officer for the College of Liberal Arts, at 662-915-5092 or dhollis@olemiss.edu.

Katie Morrison

Bruce Levingston: An Undivided Artist

Posted on: February 18th, 2015 by erabadie

Populi Magazine Interview with UM Chancellor’s Artist in Residence Bruce Levingston

February 3, 2015 | By Eleanor Anthony | ecanthon@go.olemiss.edu

Bruce Levingston

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Bruce Levingston, world-renowned pianist and native Mississippian who has contributed a great deal to the University of Mississippi with both his time and talent. He was kind enough to answer a few questions with regards to his life and work, his new role at the Honors College and Department of Music, as well as his performance and presentation at the Spring Honors Convocation on February 10th, 2015, and an Honors Conversations Course he is teaching in Spring 2015.

Two excerpts from the interview by Eleanor Anthony, a mathematics and philosophy major and an editor of Populi Magazine follow. Click here to read the full interview.

Can you tell me a bit about your start as a musician and what ultimately brought you to Ole Miss?

I grew up in a nearby town called Cleveland, located in the Mississippi Delta. I started playing when I was four, and then my mother gave me my first piano lessons. Eventually I went on to study with some fantastic teachers around the world; my career now is as a concert pianist, and I have lived most of my adult life in New York City. A few years ago, the Chancellor and other friends connected to Ole Miss reached out and asked me if I would come here to see the campus. I had not been to Oxford since I was a boy, and I was quite surprised by how much development had occurred and how much the university had grown. After a few visits and performances, the Chancellor asked me to come here as his adviser of the arts, and that led to my meeting Dean Douglass Sullivan-González; after we came to know one another, DSG asked me if I would become a fellow in the Honors College, and so I did that for a year, and enjoyed working with him very much, and that led to my being offered a Chair in the Honors College in the humanities that was recently established thanks to a generous gift by Ruff Fant, whose father taught here many years. I am officially titled the Chancellor’s SMB Honors College Artist in Residence and am also the Artist in Residence for the Department of Music. So this gives me the opportunity to work with some of the great musicians here on campus as well as some of the great students at the Honors College. And sometimes they are one and the same! So, that’s a lot of fun.

I know you are very active in terms of collaborating with other artists—could you tell me about some of the recent collaborations on which you’ve worked?

So one of the most important and thrilling things I’ve been able to do since I’ve been on campus is to work with some of the great artists that are here in different areas. I’ve already had a chance to work with some of the superb musicians in the music department, and we are going to collaborate further on a performance that I will be giving on March 27th at the Ford Center where the amazing singer Nancy Maria Balach will come on to the program with one of her superb students and perform with me as well as Jos Milton, the wonderful tenor, and Robert Riggs, chair of the music department and a terrific violinist. I had a chance also to work with the great percussionist Ricky Burkhead on Thacker Mountain Radio which was a marvelous collaboration. But I also think of the arts not divided into writing or music or painting but as just one thing. We really are a part of the same family. So when I first came, I had the opportunity to meet Beth Ann Fennelly, the acclaimed poet, and her husband, Tom Franklin, a brilliant novelist. We immediately set out to collaborate on some works about words and music. I even wrote a piece that was based on their novel called The Tilted World. And we gave a performance in New York City together; they will also come on the program with me in March and read, and I will play some things inspired by their words. I have also had the chance to work with the Southern Foodway Association and to collaborate with great artists like Kevin Young, the Pen Faulkner Award-winner, and Justin Hopkins, a superb opera singer from Philadelphia, on a wonderful project based on the words of Booker Wright, an important figure from the Civil Rights era from Greenwood, Mississippi. We recently performed that, and I think it was a very special collaboration. We will perform it next year in New York City at Carnegie Hall. To be able to engage with other artists really makes life fulfilling because it helps one feel a part of the whole artistic community.

Read more here.

Professors, Staff Receive Lift Every Voice Awards at UM Black History Month Kickoff

Posted on: February 9th, 2015 by erabadie

FEBRUARY 8, 2015 | BY EDWIN SMITH

Shawnboda Mead (center) congratulates 2015 Lift Every Voice Award honorees Brandi Hephner LaBanc (left) and Jennifer Stollman. | Photo by Mary Knight.

“Lift Every Voice” is traditionally known as the Negro national anthem, but the song title is also the name of an annual award presented at the University of Mississippi.

Four UM employees received this year’s “Lift Every Voice” award Feb. 3 during UM’s Black History Month kickoff celebration in the Ole Miss Student Union. Honored were Joseph Ward, professor and chair of history; Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs; Jennifer Stollman, academic director for the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation; and Kirk Johnson, associate professor of sociology and anthropology and African-American Studies.

Kirk Johnson

“The Black Faculty and Staff Organization of the University of Mississippi founded the ‘Lift Every Voice’ award to recognize an individual, group or entity that has contributed to the betterment of human relationships on our campus,” said Shawnboda Mead, director of UM’s Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement. “Particular emphasis is given to the areas of diversity, multiculturalism and inclusion. Recipients of this award have worked beyond their normal employment boundaries and performed the ‘extra mile’ of service to their fellow man for the university.”

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Previous recipients include Thomas Wallace, former vice chancellor for student affairs; Johnnie Williams, former vice chancellor for administration and finance; Leroy Wadlington, former pastor of Second Baptist Church in Oxford; Glenn Hopkins, dean emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and professor emeritus of mathematics; Gloria Kellum, vice chancellor emeritus for university relations; Maurice Eftink, dean emeritus of the Graduate School and professor of chemistry and biochemistry; Chancellor Emeritus Robert Khayat; Donald Cole, assistant to the chancellor for multicultural affairs and associate professor of mathematics; Warner Alford, alumni director emeritus and former athletics director; Kirsten Dellinger, professor and chair of sociology and anthropology; Jackie Certion, senior academic adviser; Patrick Perry, director of the LuckyDay Program; Curtis Wilke, associate professor of journalism; Aileen Ajootian, professor of classics; Susan Glisson, director of the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation; Jeff Jackson, associate professor of sociology; Charles Ross, associate professor of history and director of African-American studies program; Susan Grayzel, professor of history and director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies; Morris Stocks, provost and professor of accountancy; and Chancellor Dan Jones.

Alumnus Honored by Navy for Science and Technology Achievements

Posted on: November 20th, 2014 by erabadie

UM graduate Kerry Commander, (center), is presented with the National Defense Industrial Association Bronze Medal for achievements in Science and Technology. | Photo courtesy U.S. Navy.

NOVEMBER 19, 2014 | BY UM COMMUNICATIONS STAFF REPORT

A University of Mississippi graduate has earned the National Defense Industrial Association Bronze Medal for Achievements in Science and Technology.

Kerry Commander (BS physics and mathematics ’80, PhD physics ’85), a Clarksdale native who also earned a master’s degree in applied mathematics from the University of Arizona, was recently presented the award by Navy Rear Adm. Michael Jabley in Groton, Connecticut.

Commander, a research scientist and administrator in the Panama City division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, was selected for the award because of his “numerous technical achievements that have laid the foundation for several fleet programs.”

“My most significant technical accomplishment to date is leading the first successful demonstration of a synthetic aperture sonar on a fully autonomous underwater vehicle in CJTFEX04-2 by our science and technology team,” Commander said in a Navy news release. “This was a major milestone in the transition of this early S&T program to advanced development programs and the beginning of a new era in MCM (mine countermeasures).”

He has more than 29 years of distinguished service with the Navy, which began when he became a research physicist at the Naval Coastal Systems Center in Panama City, Florida. His early research led to important discoveries in nonlinear bubble dynamics, multi-phase flow and inverse scattering acoustics and had a direct application to a surface ship torpedo defense program.

But he says the award recognizes the teamwork, rather than an individual effort.

“The reward is really a group recognition award for our science and technology team that worked for years to develop advanced technology that could perform some parts of the MCM mission from an autonomous underwater vehicle, removing people and marine animals from a very dangerous job,” Commander said. “The team consisted of experts in sonar systems, signal and image processing, unmanned systems and autonomy, and of course, all the support personnel from the test and evaluation side of the lab.”

A Navy news release details his professional accomplishments.

(Commander) serves as Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division Science and Technology Department Head. Today, he is a senior leader for technical research and development initiatives of 180 scientists and engineers performing science and technology work in support of mine/undersea warfare and expeditionary warfare. Additionally, he serves as NSWC PCD’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) where he is known for demonstrating outstanding leadership in developing and implementing latest S&T trends to evolving naval requirement.

“This prestigious undersea warfare award is a tribute to Dr. Commander’s leadership and technical excellence,” said NSWC PCD Technical Director Ed Stewart, a member of the Senior Executive Service Corps. “Currently, as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at NSWC PCD and head of the Science and Technology Department, his contributions to the undersea community are many and profound.”

At NSWC PCD, Commander is personally involved with and responsible for the execution of science, technology, unmanned systems, strategic systems, and threat analysis programs supporting Navy and Marine Corps research, development, test and evaluation, homeland defense, and force protection. This also includes championing and obtaining funding for associated programs, developing sponsor relationships, and driving the technology transition and Fleet support processes.
He has published and presented his research in numerous papers and conferences, and is recognized internationally as a Subject Matter Expert in Acoustics. He was the U.S. Navy representative on the Technical Committee for the Institute of Acoustics’ International Conference on Synthetic Aperture Sonar and Synthetic Aperture Radar, held in 2010 in Lerici, Italy and again in 2014.

His professional standing within the technical community has been recognized through his election to the grade of Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America (ASA). Dr. Commander currently serves on the ASA’s Technical Committee on Physical Acoustics and is a technical reviewer for the ASA’s Journal. He also continues to serve as a reviewer for the classified Journal of Underwater Acoustics and the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering.