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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.

Alumna Leads Tupelo High School Team to World Robotics Competition

Posted on: May 15th, 2014 by erabadie

May 15, 2014 By Sharon Morris

Amanda Gamble Wood and her Tupelo High School students.

Though she didn’t know it at the time, before Amanda Gamble Wood graduated from the University of Mississippi in 2010, she was already being prepared to take the seat at the front of the classroom.

Wood, who earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and another bachelors’ in mathematics, set out with a career in the field of acoustics in mind. After meeting the man she would marry, she decided to change course and obtain her alternate route teacher’s license.

“My experiences at Ole Miss prepared me for my career in education, even before I knew I was going to have a career in education,” Wood said. “My physics professors were so helpful and truly passionate about their respective disciplines. I had always hoped that when I began my career, I would have that same passion, and I do.”

In just her second year of teaching robotics and engineering at Tupelo High School, Wood led a team of sophomores and juniors from her engineering class to the win the VEX Robotics State Competition in March.

That win catapulted the budding engineers all the way to the world competition, which was held recently in Anaheim, California. With no background in robotics, the students’ venture into the competition was a first for everyone involved.

“This was our first year to compete in any robotics competition. My students did not have a background in robotics, so we were elated to become state champions and then advance to the World Championship,” Wood said.

The competition was based on a game called “Toss Up,” which required students to build their robots and earn points by moving a variety of different size objects across a court. At both the state and world level, teams had to form alliances with other schools and work together to score the most points.

The World Championships featured 400 teams from across the United States and from China, Japan, New Zealand and France, among other countries. The teams were divided into four divisions of 100 teams, and the Tupelo team finished 80th in their division.

“It was exciting to see students from across the world engaged in robotics and STEM fields,” Wood said. “Most every student I spoke to was planning on entering a STEM-related field upon graduation from college.”

In addition to a lack of robotics experience, Wood’s team also got a late start building their robot. Where most teams spent the past year fine-tuning their machines, the Tupelo students began building their robot in January. Still, the alleged underdogs persevered.

“Through this journey, we learned a lot about each other and teamwork,” Wood said. “There were many ‘heated debates’ about how they should design and program their robot. I believe they also have a deeper understanding of accountability. Each student had their own specific role in the team and each one worked hard to accomplish their goals.

“I hope my students learned that hard work and dedication pay off. I hope this competition taught them that they can do what does not seem possible.”

Though it was not the path she first envisioned as a physics and mathematics major, Wood said her journey as a teacher has been full of rewarding moments.

“The experience of taking students to a world competition was very educational and a lot of fun,” she said. “From a teacher’s standpoint, to see how my students’ hard work (time spent after school and weekends) paid off and then to see them work with other teams from around the world was really amazing.”

Mathematician Christopher Schwanke Awarded for Excellence in Teaching

Posted on: May 8th, 2014 by erabadie

Chris Schwanke

Christopher Schwanke, a doctoral student in the University of Mississippi Department of Mathematics, is recipient of the 2014 Graduate Instructor Excellence in Teaching Award.

Mr. Schwanke has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in teaching, having taught eight sections of four different courses from Fall 2010 to the present.

His nomination letter states, “He is able to mix engaging everyday language with intriguing mathematical questions and students feel enthralled by his mathematical aura.”

He is currently teaching Precalculus (Math 125) and has also taught Unified Calculus & Analytic Geometry I (Math 261), Trigonometry I (Math 123), and College Algebra (Math 121).

The Golden Apple trophy and monetary award will be presented at the Doctoral Hooding ceremony on Friday, May 9, 2014. Please join us in congratulating Chris on this award.

The Graduate Instructor Excellence in Teaching Award is sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with support from the Office of the Provost, the Graduate School and Dr. Johnny Lott.

A Broom and a Mop, a Song and a Prayer: A Conversation with Shelia Lewis

Posted on: April 4th, 2014 by erabadie

BY LUCY SCHULTZE, Courtesy of The Oxford Eagle
April 3, 2014

Shelia Lewis | Photo by Bruce Newman, Courtesy of The Oxford Eagle

In the wee hours of the morning, the quiet halls and empty classrooms of Hume Hall are filled with the peaceful refrains of “Take Me to the King” and “He Will Make it All Right.”

Gospel melodies make the hours pass more pleasantly for custodian Sheila Lewis, who has been tending this building for more than a decade. While she refrains from singing strongly enough to really make those empty halls resonate, she shares her vocal encouragement with her co-worker and best friend, Sandra Phillips, as she works nearby.

The two women share the 3-11 a.m. shift at Hume Hall, home of the University of Mississippi Department of Mathematics. The building is entirely theirs for the first five hours or so. As students and faculty file in, Lewis enjoys greeting familiar faces and is never shy with a hug.

A native of Etta, Lewis graduated from West Union High School and moved to Abbeville when she married. She spent more than 25 years on the line at Emerson Electric Co., which shut down in 2002. She next worked at Whirlpool Corp. — but got ahead of layoffs before that plant’s closure and took a job on campus.

According to Lewis’ supervisor, Scott Steen, the university was lucky to snatch up good workers like Lewis and Phillips, who had also worked at Emerson.

Off hours, Lewis rests at home and makes the drive to her home church in Etta, Union Hill Missionary Baptist Church, her chief venue for sharing her talents in gospel music.

Lewis has three grown children: Michael Lewis of Oxford, who also works for the Physical Plant Department; Tanisha Lewis of Dallas and Dexter Lewis of Jacksonville, Fla. She has six grandchildren.

The Oxford EAGLE visited with Lewis, 54, and Phillips in the basement stairwell of Hume Hall as students and faculty stepped through on their way to class.

You must know every corner of this building.

“Pretty much. When I first started, I was in Conner, but I didn’t stay over there very long. I been here ever since. I plan to work as long as I can.”

Do y’all have a routine that you follow each day?

“We come in and get our supplies we gonna clean with. We do the same floor; I’m on the right, and she’s on the left. We do the classrooms, then all the offices and the kitchen area.

“She’s on that side of the hall, and I’m on this side of the hall. We meet up, and I’ll have a little more to do on my side, so we work together to get it all done. We don’t let one person do all the work. And singing, that get us through the day.”

In what way?

“Well, I don’t sing out loud, just kind of to myself. Like, we’ll come in and need to get motivated to do the things that we need to do. So I just sing and ask the Lord to let me make it through the day.”

What’s your relationship like with the people who work in this building?

“When they come in, we encourage them, and if they’re sick, we try to help them. I just love people, and I try to treat them well. I say, ‘If you need anything, just let us know.’ “The students, they on their phones. But some of them will speak to you and greet you. The faculty members, they talk to us every day. We try to encourage them — ‘It’s gonna be OK’ — if they’re having a bad day.”

What’s it like to share this job with someone you’ve worked with for so long?

“We’re best friends. She’s great.

“We try to come to work for each other. We try not to miss days. And even if we need to, we’ll come in and work for a little while. We try not to make our job harder for each other.”

It must have been a big change for you to come here after working in an industry setting. Do you miss it?

“Kinda. No, not really. I like this.”

“It was strange at first, I guess — being at a different place and being by yourself. ‘Cause at Emerson, you had people around all the time. Like when we started at 7 o’clock, there’s people all the time. At 3 in the morning, you don’t have anybody else around.”

Do you mind the hours?

“I like the hours. I usually try to take a nap during the day when I get home. I go to sleep about 6 or 7, depending on what I do in the evening.

“And the job, I mean, it’s just maintaining and we do what we need to do. We do the job.

“But I pray when I leave for work, and I pray when I get to work, and I pray when I get home. Just, ‘Help me get through the day.’ And I say, ‘Thank you for this day,’ when I get done with this job.”

I appreciate your visiting with me.

“To tell you the truth, I been trying to get out of this since Scott said y’all wanted to do this. I’m not a big person to talk about what I do.

“I think actions speak louder than words, I guess.”

Whose story would you like to hear? Suggest a subject for “A Conversation With…” by calling 234-4331 or sending an email to lucy.schultze@oxfordeagle.com.

Center for Writing & Rhetoric Awards First Faculty Seed Grants

Posted on: March 31st, 2014 by erabadie

BY BRIDGET QUINN
MARCH 31, 2014

The University of Mississippi Center for Writing and Rhetoric has awarded $26,750 to four faculty members to improve writing campus-wide.

These first-ever grants were awarded on a competitive basis to those who designed writing-intensive modifications to existing courses, and who plan to implement those changes beginning this academic year. The Faculty Seed Grant program is the final phase of the Quality Enhancement Plan that began in 2009.

Gerard Buskes

Recipients of the Faculty Seed Grants are Gerard Buskes, professor of mathematics; Joshua First, Croft assistant professor of history and international studies; Robert Mongue, associate professor of legal studies; and Kristen Alley Swain, assistant professor of journalism. Awardees have begun meeting weekly in a seminar format with Angela Green, the center’s writing-enriched curriculum instructor, to plan their courses and improve writing pedagogy.

“We have offered the Faculty Seed Grants in order to improve student writing across campus and in all disciplines, rather than just in the first- and second-year writing classes we teach in the CWR,” Green said.

Faculty members receive the $5,000 stipend to compensate them for the additional time spent developing and implementing writing-related activities. At the end of the grant period, results will be presented in a public forum.

Buskes will revise Math 261-Unified Calculus & Analytic Geometry I to fully integrate writing into the course. Students will be required to use writing to reflect on the mathematics they use in class and explain their understanding of key course concepts.

Joshua First

First will redevelop History 347-Topics on Film and History to allow students to gradually acquire advanced skills in preparation for their capstone experiences.

Mongue will rewrite one of the paralegal program’s required law courses, LA 308-Wills and Estate Administration, to focus on writing as a means of communicating students’ understanding of the substantive law for that class and to provide a template for the revision of most of the program’s legal courses.

Swain proposed creating an explanatory writing module, consisting of active-learning exercises and assignments, for use in three sequential core journalism courses. The courses are JOUR 102-Introduction to Multimedia Writing, JOUR 271-News Reporting and JOUR 377-Advanced Reporting.

“One of the things I’ve enjoyed about working here is the ability to take advantage of opportunities to work with experts in many different fields in order to improve my own teaching and writing,” Mongue said. “Writing is an essential part of the curriculum for legal professionals. For many legal professionals, their final product is a written document, whether it be a letter to a client, legal memoranda, pleadings, appellate briefs or documents such as deeds, wills or business documents. Each must be written clearly, concisely and with precision.

Angela Green

“The primary benefit we expect students in these classes will receive is a better understanding of how writing and research differs across disciplines,” Green said. “For example, students in history should learn the specific conventions that historians use in their writing, as well as the types of questions historians ask, what evidence they use and how they conduct research.”

The Center for Writing and Rhetoric will offer grants again for the 2014-2015 academic year. These will be selected on a competitive basis and require the endorsement of the faculty member’s department chair. Grants are open to all full-time faculty, both in and out of the tenure stream. Interested faculty members should contact Angela Green at akgreen2@olemiss.edu.

Physicist to Discuss Ultrasound

Posted on: March 4th, 2014 by erabadie

MARCH 1, 2014 BY EDWIN SMITH

Cecille Labuda

The research of sound is the focus of a monthly public science forum organized by the University of Mississippi Department of Physics and Astronomy.

The spring semester’s third meeting of the Oxford Science Café is set for 6 p.m. March 25 at Lusa Pastry Café, 2305 West Jackson Ave. in Oxford. Cecille Labuda, UM assistant professor of physics and astronomy, will discuss “Sound: It’s So Much More Than What We Hear.” Admission is free.

“Much like we can only see a small range of frequencies of light, we can only hear a small range of frequencies of sound,” Labuda said. “The generation and transmission of sound in the audible and inaudible range will be discussed.”

Labuda’s 30-minute presentation will focus on ultrasound transmission and applications of ultrasound in medicine and industry. The talk will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Labuda earned her master’s degree and doctorate in physics from UM. She also received dual bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from the university.

Her research interests are in the thermal effects of ultrasound using tissue-mimicking phantoms, the design and development of tissue-mimicking phantoms for ultrasound studies and interaction of ultrasound with microsphere structures.

New Scholarship Pays Tribute to Bill Trusty

Posted on: February 21st, 2014 by erabadie

Champions establish fund to help mathematics majors

By Tina Hahn, February 21, 2014

Glenn Hopkins, dean of the UM College of Liberal Arts, from left, visits with Sara and Elvis Champion, donors from Water Valley, Miss., and Denson Hollis, senior development officer for liberal arts. The Champions have funded a scholarship endowment in mathematics to pay tribute to her father, the late Bill Trusty.

William T. “Bill” Trusty of Water Valley, Miss., was a well-known, respected leader who managed three businesses and served the community he loved through the local school board and an array of other business and civic organizations. His vibrant legacy now will be expanded through a new scholarship fund in his name at the University of Mississippi.

Sara and Elvis Champion, also of Water Valley, have established the William T. Trusty Mathematics Scholarship Endowment to pay tribute to her father’s life through a $50,000 gift. Trusty earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1933 from UM, and Sara Trusty Champion earned an undergraduate degree in education and a master’s degree in mathematics.

“Daddy was very business oriented. From the time he was big enough to stand on a crate and see over the counter, he was involved in the family businesses. He really enjoyed business and interacting with customers; he had a very outgoing personality,” Champion said.

“Daddy also loved Ole Miss and wanted to give back through scholarships. He had made inquiries into the process of starting a scholarship. My husband and I are pleased we can provide this gift for something we know was important to him. We chose to direct the support for math majors because we know there is always a need for strong math teachers,” said Champion, who taught math and gifted education on the junior high and high school level for 28 years in Oxford, Water Valley, Oakland and Sardis.

Iwo Labuda, chair of UM’s Department of Mathematics expressed appreciation to the Champions and explained the impact of scholarships.

“In these times when education is so costly, scholarships take on special value. Mathematical education is crucial and yet remains underrated. We are very pleased that the family of Bill Trusty in their generosity made it possible for more students to pursue their dreams,” Labuda said.

Before Trusty evolved into the longtime successful manager of several businesses – the International Harvester Company dealership in Water Valley for more than 45 years, Trusty Hardware for 25 years and Hotel Trusty for 10 years – he was an UM student.

“He had a fine time at Ole Miss,” Sara Champion said, smiling. “Daddy completed his degree in three and a half years, which means he worked hard. However, he also played hard, enjoying school dances and his membership in the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He roomed next to Dr. (T.A.) Bickerstaff, who became an Ole Miss mathematics professor.”

Elvis Champion first met his future father-in-law through the Trusty family businesses. “He was the best friend I ever had,” he said, reflecting on their relationship. “My family would buy equipment from Mr. Trusty so I knew him before I met Sara. A mutual friend introduced Sara and me, and we dated three years before I asked him for her hand in marriage. It was always clear to everyone how much Mr. Trusty loved Ole Miss. He kept up with the Rebel football team and attended games as long as he could.”

College of Liberal Arts Dean Glenn Hopkins praised the Champions for seeing that Trusty’s longtime relationship with the university is recognized in perpetuity through an endowment.

“We deeply appreciate Sara and Elvis Champion completing Mr. Trusty’s dream of supporting scholarships by creating this endowment in his name. We are inspired that Mr. Trusty valued the University of Mississippi to the extent that he wanted to help future generations of students pursue their college degrees here. It’s obvious that the Champions also believe in the power of education, and we thank them for their generosity and for their thoughtful decision to support mathematics majors.”

Trusty lived a long life, passing away in 2011 at the age of 99; his wife, Rachel Burham Trusty, died in 1999. At the time of his death, Trusty was the oldest member of First Baptist Church of Water Valley and had been a Mason for 75 years. The business professional committed his time to serve two terms on the local school board and was a member of the Bank of Water Valley Board of Directors for 40 years and the vice president for 25 of those years. Trusty provided leadership as the president of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club and the Baptist Men’s Bible Class of 110 Members, as well as the treasurer of the Yalobusha Country Club.

Also driving the Champion’s decision to provide private support for scholarships are their own special associations with Ole Miss. In between some of her teaching engagements, Sara worked as a computer programmer with student records and admissions. Elvis, a pilot with the University-Oxford Airport, was involved with the ROTC flight training program and flew UM chancellors and coaches to official duties around the state and region.

The Trusty Scholarship is designated for Mississippi students, and recipients will be chosen by the UM Department of Mathematics Scholarship Selection Committee. Those granted the academic award have to maintain a minimum 3.0 grade-point average to continue receiving the assistance.

Individuals and organizations can make gifts to the William T. Trusty Mathematics Scholarship Endowment by mailing a check with the fund noted in the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation, P.O. Box 249, University, Miss. 38677; visiting 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.

VIDEO: Students’ Vercelli Book Restoration

Posted on: October 18th, 2013 by erabadie

Eleanor Anthony

When Eleanor Anthony visited Vercelli, Italy, last spring, she was smitten with damaged 10th century manuscripts that she and others from the University of Mississippi were there to help recover. Little did she know that six months later, she would be presenting a plan to make those documents legible at an international conference in London.

Anthony, a junior mathematics and philosophy major from Jackson, was the only undergraduate student presenter at the DigiPal Symposium in mid-September at King’s College London. The conference, hosted by the King’s College Department of Digital Humanities, attracted notable paleographers and scholars from around the globe.

“After Stewart Brookes and Peter Stokes, the conference organizers, notified me that I was accepted to speak at the symposium, I was thrilled,” said Anthony, who spoke for 20 minutes about a correlation and probabilistic-based approach to transcription methods of damaged manuscripts. “I knew it would be a fantastic opportunity to meet scholars working in the field of digital humanities and see their research.”

As part of the Lazarus Project, a UM program specializing in the multispectral imaging of cultural heritage pieces, Anthony visited the Museo del Tesoro del Duomo in Italy. It was there she first laid eyes on the Vercelli Book and discovered what has become one of her life’s passions.

“I have always found data and narrative to be fascinating,” Anthony said. “As humans, we participate in a conversation that extends through time and encompasses all human endeavor. It’s amazing to interact with manuscripts that record the contributions of previous generations.”

While studying the Vercelli Book and conducting spectral imaging on the book’s text, the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College student learned the importance of finding ways to successfully transcribe old data and manuscripts. Upon her return home, Anthony submitted a written summary of her own proposal for how transcription methods can be improved to the DigiPal Symposium. Her abstract was accepted.

“This 10th century Anglo-Saxon manuscript suffered physical damage due to the application of a chemical reagent during early transcription efforts, and as a result, large swathes of the text are completely illegible,” Anthony said. “After processing the spectral images, we are left with data that can be used in correlation-based approaches for text identification, and it is these methods, combined with contextual analysis, that should lead to a better understanding of the text.”

Eleanor Anthony and other Lazarus Project participants discuss the Vercelli Book
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Her presentation touched on the history of the Vercelli Book and the Archimedes Palimpsest, as well as the basic mathematics behind the system she hopes to extend and implement while addressing the current problems within the data being researched now by the Lazarus Project. Anthony’s work is being hailed as “groundbreaking” by her mentor and sponsors.

“It is incredibly rare for an undergraduate paper to be selected for an international conference. It speaks to the uniqueness and quality of Eleanor’s research,” said Gregory Heyworth, UM associate professor of English and director of the Lazarus Project. “The character-recognition techniques that she is developing for damaged manuscripts are cutting-edge work, something that is appropriate for Ph.D. candidates or professors.

“Add to that the fact that the manuscript she is working to recover, the Vercelli Book from the 10th century, is the oldest example of Anglo-Saxon literature in existence, and scholars are bound to take notice.”

Douglass Sullivan-González, dean of the Barksdale Honors College, agrees.

“Eleanor’s success represents what can happen when a high-performing student takes advantages of the doors of opportunity here at Ole Miss,” he said. “Eleanor’s intellectual curiosity, her philosophical drive combined with unparalleled support from Professor Heyworth, the SMB Honors College, Liberal Arts and the Provost Office produced an extraordinary moment for an undergraduate: presenting and defending a research topic at a graduate-level conference in the U.K. We are very proud of Eleanor’s stellar accomplishment.”

Vercelli Book

Anthony’s London presentation impressed those in attendance, but she was equally impressed by those she heard there.

“A particular highlight of the trip was speaking with Donald Scragg, a well-known authority on the Vercelli Book,” she said. “He has devoted most of his academic career to studying this manuscript, and I was excited to discuss my research with him. I found him to be enthusiastic about the project, especially in the sense that I will be recovering missing information that is not capable of being visually analyzed.”

She was also delighted to meet Brookes and Stokes and hear about their work on DigiPal, a digital resource and database of paleography and manuscripts.

“They seem to be doing really exciting work at the Digital Humanities Department at King’s College London,” Anthony said.

Listening to and interacting with both traditional paleographers and computer scientists discussing their research methods and text analysis proved very useful in Anthony’s own research.

“I learned much from the speakers on a wide variety of topics,” she said. “I was also happy to receive positive responses from the audience after giving my talk, with several useful recommendations for improvements I might consider. It is my intention to apply to present at conferences in the future as my research progresses.”

Anthony’s presentation will serve as the primary research leading to the design and implementation for her capstone project and honors college thesis entitled, “Archimedes’ Palimpsest to the Vercelli Book: Dual Correlation and Probabilistic Network Approaches to Paleography in Damaged Manuscripts.” Her ultimate goal is to create a computer program that will offer a transcription method for damaged text in manuscripts using word-level correlation approaches and sentence-level contextual analysis.

“On the whole, I think the experience will prove to be invaluable to be as I move forward with the project and in my study of digital humanities,” she said. “I am so appreciative of the opportunity to attend and present.”

The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, the College of Liberal Arts, the English department and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs sponsored Anthony’s travel to London.

Mathematics Student’s London Conference Presentation

Posted on: September 21st, 2013 by erabadie

Eleanor Anthony

by Caty Cambron, courtesy of the Daily Mississippian
September 20, 2013

In March, junior mathematics and philosophy major Eleanor Anthony traveled to Vercelli, Italy, and discovered what has become one of her life’s passions.

As part of the Lazarus Project, a group of people specializing in the multispectral imaging of cultural heritage pieces sponsored by the University of Mississippi, Anthony visited the Museo del Tesoro del Duomo.

It was here that Anthony first laid eyes on the Vercelli Book.

While studying the Vercelli Book and conducting spectral imaging on the book’s text, Anthony learned the importance of finding ways to successfully transcribe old data and manuscripts.

“For me, data and narrative has always been fascinating,” Anthony said. “As humans, we think in terms of narrative, and so much of what we do, as humans, is contributing a piece to a larger conversation.”

According to Anthony, going to Italy allowed her to see “a physical instantiation of that conversation that has existed since the 10th century.”

In July, Anthony submitted an abstract, a written summary of her own proposal for how transcription methods can be improved, to the DigiPal Symposium, hosted by the Department of Digital Humanities at King’s College London.

Her abstract was accepted, and she spent more than a month preparing before traveling to London to give her presentation.

“It serves as a testament that we’ve still got part of the conversation playing into what we’re talking about today,” Anthony said.

On Sept. 16 Anthony spoke for 20 minutes about a correlation and probabilistic-based approach to transcription methods of damaged manuscripts. Her presentation touched on the history of the Vercelli Book and the Archimedes Palimpsest, as well as the basic mathematics behind the system she hopes to extend and implement while addressing the current problems within the data being researched now by the Lazarus Project.

Anthony was the only undergraduate student speaker at the DigiPal Symposium while being among notable paleographers and scholars.

The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, the College of Liberal Arts, the English department and the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs sponsored Anthony to travel to London to present her abstract.

According to Anthony, her recent presentation serves as the primary research that will lead to the design and implementation for her capstone project and honors college thesis to be called “Archimedes’ Palimpsest to the Vercelli Book: Dual Correlation and Probabilistic Network Approaches to Paleography in Damaged Manuscripts.”

“If anything, I was given great advice about the improvements of my initial start that will be part of my final thesis,” Anthony said. “I’m really thankful for all the support I received.”

Anthony’s ultimate goal is to create a computer program that improves transcription methods through looking at the correlation of the word level and by looking at the cause and relationship of words at the sentence level.