Archive for the ‘International Studies’ Category

UM Professors Collaborate with Counterparts Through SEC Grant

Posted on: December 18th, 2019 by erabadie

Faculty Travel Program encourages, supports conference partnerships

DECEMBER 17, 2019 BY SHEA STEWART

Thirteen University of Mississippi professors are taking part in this year’s SEC Faculty Travel Program, strengthening the university’s collaborations with fellow Southeastern Conference institutions and offering UM professors an opportunity to interact with their counterparts.

Established in 2012 by the SEC presidents and chancellors, the program provides financial assistance from the SEC office for participants to travel to other SEC universities to exchange ideas, develop grant proposals, conduct research and deliver lectures or performances.

Travel of the Ole Miss faculty is made possible partly through a $10,000 award from the SEC.

“Being a member of the SEC means more than being in the most competitive athletic conference in the country,” UM Provost Noel Wilkin said. “It also means we are part of a conference made up of excellent research universities that are creating cutting-edge knowledge, developing innovative technologies and providing outstanding educational experiences.

“These travel grants enable our faculty to develop inspiring collaborations across the conference that advance research and creative achievements that otherwise may not occur. As a result, they make our faculty better, make our university stronger and, ultimately, improve what we offer to our students.”

The program has supported the efforts of more than 700 faculty from across the conference since it started. Last year, 10 Ole Miss professors participated in the program.

“We are again excited that the SEC has provided funds that allow our faculty to visit other SEC universities to share their scholarship and collaborate on research and teaching initiatives,” said Donna Strum, UM associate provost.

The 13 UM travelers have visited or will visit a collective total of eight SEC institutions between August 2019 and July 2020. Areas of interest for this year’s Ole Miss class include disciplines from biology and biomedical engineering to science education and secondary education.

Participants from UM for the 2019-20 academic year are:

Joel Amidon, associate professor of secondary education, visiting Vanderbilt University to collaborate on best practices for preparing mathematics teachers
Rich Buchholz, associate professor of biology, visiting the University of Florida to continue a collaboration on explaining the role of sexual ornamentation in the mate selection of birds
Yunhee Chang, associate professor of nutrition and hospitality management, visiting the University of Georgia to conduct a graduate research seminar presentation, conduct a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey data analysis consultation and collaborate on a manuscript
Lainy Day, associate professor of biology, visiting Louisiana State University to access the LSU Museum of Natural Science’s ornithology collection and X-ray resources to measure endocranial and skeletal properties of avian specimens
Micah Everett, associate professor of music, visiting the University of Alabama to conduct a low brass recital with University of South Carolina trombone professor Michael Wilkinson
Toshikazu Ikuta, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, visiting the University of Alabama to collaborate on an analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data on language processing and an assessment of entropy processing in language
Samuel Lisi, assistant professor of mathematics, visiting the University of Georgia to explore establishing a new collaboration in homology
Jeremy Meuser, assistant professor of management, visiting the University of Alabama to collaborate on process personality and management models
Tamara Warhol, associate professor of modern languages, visiting the University of Kentucky to present her research on the sociolinguistics of writing to students and collaborate with UK linguistics professor Allison Burkette on a volume in Interdisciplinary Approaches to Language
Thomas Werfel, assistant professor of biomedical engineering, visiting the University of Florida to strengthen a collaboration in immunoengineering and develop a new collaboration in cancer immunotherapy
Brooke Whitworth, assistant professor of science education, visiting Auburn University to collaborate on a research idea involving the intersection of science education, engineering education, and the arts and crafts
Caroline Wigginton, associate professor of English, visiting the University of Tennessee to present on her in-process book at the UT Humanities Center’s Transatlantic Enlightenment seminar and give a talk on best writing practices
Yael Zeira, Croft Institute for International Studies assistant professor of political science and international studies, visiting Vanderbilt University to participate in the Vanderbilt-SEC Workshop on Development and Democracy, where she will present a working paper related to the comparative politics of developing countries

The SEC Faculty Travel Program is one of several academic endeavors designed to support the teaching, research, service and economic development focus of the SEC’s 14 member universities. Past program participants have been invited to present their research at conferences, been awarded competitive grants and secured publications in leading journals.

Ten Seniors Inducted into UM Hall of Fame

Posted on: April 8th, 2019 by erabadie

Recipients honored for service, achievement and potential for success

APRIL 6, 2019 BY EDWIN B. SMITH

The 2019 University of Mississippi Hall of Fame. Pictured are (front row, from left) Blair Wortsmith, of Little Rock, Arkansas; Makala McNeil, of Grenada; Mallie Imbler, of Tupelo; Jaz Brisack, of Oxford; Skylyn Irby, of Batesville; Randon Hill, of Oxford; (top row from left) UM Provost Noel Wilkin; UM Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Brandi Hephner LaBanc; Jarvis Benson, of Grenada; Levi Bevis, of Florence, Alabama; Elam Miller, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Jacob Ferguson, of Randolph; UM Interim Chancellor Larry Sparks and UM Assistant Vice Chancellor and Dean of Students Melinda Sutton Noss. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Digital Imaging Services.

Ten University of Mississippi seniors have been inducted into the university’s 2018-19 Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors afforded students at UM.

The inductees were honored Friday (April 5) in a ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Chosen by a committee in accordance with policy developed by the Associated Student Body, selections are based on outstanding contributions in all aspects of campus life.

This year’s Hall of Fame members are Jarvis Benson, of Grenada; Levi Bevis, of Florence, Alabama; Jaz Brisack, of Oxford; Jacob Ferguson, of Randolph; Randon Hill, of Oxford; Mallie Imbler, of Tupelo; Skylyn Irby, of Batesville; Makala McNeil, of Grenada; Elam Miller, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee; and Blair Wortsmith, of Little Rock, Arkansas.

“Hall of Fame is a fitting way to recognize the legacy that each of these students leaves at the University of Mississippi,” said Mindy Sutton Noss, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students. “Each of those selected for Hall of Fame has a record of scholarship and service to the university community and has had a positive impact while on the Ole Miss campus.”

The 10 students were among more than 200 Ole Miss seniors recognized for inclusion in Who’s Who Among Students at the University of Mississippi.

Jarvis Benson

Majoring in international studies and Spanish, Benson is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Croft Institute for International Studies. A former president of the Black Student Union, he was an Associated Student Body senator, mentor for the Mississippi Outreach for Scholastic Talent, or MOST, program and an orientation leader. Benson served as a community organizer for Mississippi Votes and oversaw the largest voter registration effort in the state since the Freedom Summer of 1964.

Levi Bevis

Bevis, pursuing a public policy major, is a member of the Honors College. He served in several roles over the course of his education, including president of the Columns Society and Forward Mississippi, an organization he helped found. A member of UM College Democrats, Bevis served as a legislative intern in Washington, D.C., last summer with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California. He has held several positions with the Associated Student Body and been involved with many bipartisan efforts on campus.

Jaz Brisack

A general studies major with minors in public policy leadership, journalism and English, Brisack was named a Truman Scholar and a Rhodes Scholar in 2018. She served as president of the College Democrats, competed on the UM Debate Team and co-taught an Honors College course on labor history. Brisack is also a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, a labor organizer who worked on the United Auto Workers’ campaign to unionize Nissan and a volunteer at the Pinkhouse, Mississippi’s only abortion clinic.

Jacob Ferguson

Ferguson is a double English and history major. An Honors College student and member of the Columns Society, he has served on the executive committee for the Honors College Student Ambassadors. Ferguson also was an orientation leader and served on the planning committee for the university’s TEDx event.

Randon Hill

An English and Spanish double major, Hill is particularly involved in campus fraternity and sorority life. She served as president of the Tau Eta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., as well as the National Pan-Hellenic Council at UM. Hill has led and participated in dozens of service projects, both on campus and in the community. She also has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

Mallie Imbler

Imbler is completing a double major in public policy leadership and political science. A member of the Honors College and a Trent Lott Leadership Institute scholar, she is a Taylor Medal recipient and Phi Beta Kappa inductee. Imbler also completed an internship in the Office of Presidential Personnel at the White House last summer. She helped start and facilitate the growth of the new Future Alumni Network, and ultimately served as its president. Imbler also served as an Ole Miss Ambassador and a member of the Undergraduate Council and held leadership roles with Kappa Delta Sorority.

Skylyn Irby

Irby is a mathematics major in the Honors College. She has served as vice president of the UM Gospel Choir, and held several leadership positions in the Black Student Union and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. A Ronald E. McNair Scholar, Irby has been involved in the Associated Student Body, MOST Program and Bridge STEM Program through the Louis Stokes Mississippi Alliance for Minority Participation.

Makala McNeil

A sociology and integrated marketing communications double major, McNeil served as an Associated Student Body senator. She also was an executive board member of Students Against Social Injustice and the campus chapter of the NAACP. McNeil has held several leadership positions in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., served as a mentor for the MOST Program and worked with the Office of Sustainability as an intern.

Elam Miller

Miller, a public policy leadership major, served as president of the Associated Student Body in his senior year and as vice president in his junior year, among other roles. An Honors College student, he has served on a number of university committees, including the Chancellor’s Standing Committee on Accessibility, the Strategic Planning Council and the Council of Academic Administrators.

Blair Wortsmith

Wortsmith is a managerial finance major and a member of the Honors College. She is also one of only eight women to be named both Most Beautiful and Miss University, and is the first out-of-state student to do so. Besides her pageant titles, Wortsmith has held leadership positions within Delta Delta Delta Sorority, Associated Student Body and MoneyThink. She is also a member of several honor societies.

Student Spotlight

Posted on: September 7th, 2017 by erabadie

A look at a few of the 5,327 scholars in the College of Liberal Arts

From left: Dylan Ritter, Miller Richmond, Rachel Anderson, Alex Martin, and Austin Powell.

Rachel Anderson, BA Spanish and BAJ Journalism ’17

The most defining of the rigorous challenges and invaluable opportunities of Rachel’s college experience — producing the Mississippi Department of Transportation’s first bilingual hurricane guide as a public affairs intern, blogging about her semester in Bilbao, Spain, for Study Abroad, interning in Florence, Italy—was competing as a member and leader of UM’s Speech and Debate Team.

“Debate enabled me to further pursue my passion for foreign language and culture. I’ve watched Spanish language competitions, trained in my second language, and introduced international exchange students to the activity. Debating for the university fused my studies, helping me practice my public speaking and poise for broadcast journalism while bolstering my Spanish fluency.”

Alex Martin, BA international studies and mathematics ’17

As managing editor of the University of Mississippi Undergraduate Research Journal — a yearly peer-reviewed publication founded by students for students with a mission to recognize excellent work, Alex recruited articles and was involved in outreach about what publishable research looks like and how undergraduates can get involved in research activities.

“I am interested in pursuing a career in economic research — particularly macroeconomics and international development. As a summer intern in the Office of Economic Policy in the Department of the Treasury in Washington, DC, I liked economic research and analysis in practice. This led me to seek a position at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, where I started work this fall as a research assistant in the Economic Research division.”

Austin Powell, BA philosophy and public policy leadership ’17

Teaching entrepreneurial and leadership development at the Marshall County Correctional Facility provided insight for Austin’s Honors thesis, “Entrepreneurial Correctional Education in the Criminal Justice System,” and will be useful as the Rhodes Scholar finalist pursues a master’s degree in criminology at the University of Oxford in England.

“My goal is to return and raise the quality of life for Mississippians by developing an in-depth understanding of criminology and the criminal justice system, how different entities can become community partners in Mississippi, and how the state can take partial ownership of the solution. My research will focus on the disconnects that lie between empowering offenders in the entrepreneurial class and the reality of low post release employment opportunities.”

Miller Richmond, BA international studies ’17

Miller completed the global health emphasis with a Croft/Honors thesis, “An Investigation of the Integration of Education and Mental Health Treatment into the Care of Diabetes in Syrian Refugee Women,” an expansion of his research abroad—interviews and surveys with refugees, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, Jordanian Ministry of Health officials, and doctors. He developed ethnographic research skills studying the health house model in Mississippi with Kate Centellas, Croft associate professor of anthropology and international studies.

“Returning from Jordan, I collaborated with Dr. Centellas; Dr. John Green, director of the Center for Population Studies and associate professor of sociology; and Emma Willoughby (BA liberal studies and sociology ’14) to form a Global Health research group that led to a working paper, ‘Epistemic Prejudice and Health Inequalities: The Case of Mississippi.’”

Dylan Ritter, BS chemistry ’17

One of UM’s six inaugural Stamps Scholars and the American Chemical Society Outstanding Inorganic Chemistry Student, Dylan conducted genetics research at Texas A&M University, in Ireland at a pharmaceutical lab where his performance earned him an opportunity for independent research with a multinational company, and in a lab associated with the University of California at Davis that integrated his earlier work from Texas.

“During those summers, I realized how much I enjoy research and found a new career path in the sciences. The experiences were so rewarding that my post-undergraduate plan shifted from medical school to graduate school for a PhD in biomedical science.”

Melanie Culhane, Jiwon Lee, Alicia Dixon, and Johnnay Holt.

From left: Melanie Culhane, Jiwon Lee, Elizabeth Taylor, Alicia Dixon, and Johnnay Holt.

Melanie Culhane, BM music – vocal performance ’17

A musician and performer active in UM’s choral programs, Opera Theatre, and Living Music Resource, Melanie received first place in the 2016 National Association of Teachers of Singing State Competition Senior Women Category for four musical selections — an Italian aria from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, the French song “Chanson d’amour” by Faure, a German piece by Schumann, and, in English, “I Hate Music” by Bernstein.

“Although I was nervous, I relied on my preparation and the knowledge I had obtained in all of my academic classes and practice sessions, and gave great performances for the judges.”

Alicia Dixon, BA classics and philosophy ’17

Establishing UM’s Archaeological Ethics Bowl team set Alicia’s career path: “Because of this experience, I want to practice Cultural Heritage law.”

“Classics Professor Hilary Becker’s Who Owns the Past? course opened my eyes to issues facing the preservation of antiquities and problems that arise when pieces of the past can be bought and sold. Since then, two fellow students and I have learned what the law says about historic preservation and the standards for ethical excavation, trade, and repatriation. We have debated complex cases to stretch our understanding of how antiquities — and the people they represent — should and should not be treated. A general Ethics Bowl team we started with Philosophy Professor Deborah Mower will continue to compete after we graduate.”

Johnnay Holt, BA political science ’17

“I’m interested in how politics affects our lives, and how it helps create our profound democracy. My political science studies and research have increased and broadened my intellectual capacities to analyze ethical issues, cultural diversity, and service to others through both knowledge based theory and hands on experience. Moreover, being a political science major has fostered and developed within me a firm foundation and greater understanding of the methodology and practices of public policy to guide me as a future law school student.

“My career goal is to one day run for public office and actively meet the needs of my community.”

Jiwon Lee, BM music ’17

The double major in violin and flute performance is principal flute in the University Wind Ensemble, a first violin member of the orchestra, a drum major for The Pride of the South marching band, a member of the basketball pep band, and a featured soloist playing the National Anthem at baseball, basketball, and softball games.

“I am grateful for the experiences I have had at Ole Miss. One could never have dreamed that a little girl from Daejeon, Korea, would be standing in front of thousands of people conducting a college band or playing solos with the University Wind Ensemble. Thank you, Ole Miss family!”

Elizabeth Taylor, BA sociology ’18

As a transfer student from Grayson County College and an international officer of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Elizabeth earned acceptance into the UM Honors College where she is the first person in its junior entry program to receive a Barksdale Award — $5,000 for a dream project of study, research, or humanitarian effort. “In Dublin, Ireland, I interviewed employees of a nonprofit that provides services to survivors of sex trafficking and prostitution. By creating an organizational ethnography of Ruhama, I want to figure out how to create similar nonjudgmental social, psychological, and infrastructure support in the US. I am extremely grateful for the encouragement I have received since transferring to Ole Miss. I would list names, but there are truly too many to count.”

Jessica Richardson, Cellas Hayes, Tiara Mabry, and Ebonee Carpenter.

From left: Jessica Richardson, Cellas Hayes, Thuy Le, Tiara Mabry, and Ebonee Carpenter.

Ebonee Carpenter, BA sociology ’17

Before she transferred from Hillsborough Community College, Ebonee was International President of Phi Theta Kappa honor society for community colleges. Her work at the international level continues at UM with trips to Mexico and Zambia. In Mexico, she helped install water purification units with H2OpenDoors, a project of the Peninsula Sunrise Rotary Foundation. In Zambia, she conducted research on food security, health, and nutrition in a summer field school with Anne Cafer, assistant professor of sociology. The UM Office of Global Engagement and a US State Department Gilman Scholarship supported Carpenter’s field school work.

“The program was a unique opportunity to immerse myself in African culture while conducting research on the impact of food security and education on the growth and social development of local communities.”

Cellas Hayes, BA biology and classics ’19

The summer after Cellas’ freshman year, he traveled to Rome to take Ancient Italy in Context, a month-long classics course. Cellas spent his sophomore summer with scientists at the Bialystok University of Technology in Poland conducting research on fungi in the Bialowieza Forest, one of Europe’s oldest forests and a hotspot of biodiversity. He was one of four UM students accepted for the internship to study in Poland offered by the National Science Foundation International Research Experience for Students program.

“I am ecstatic to compare research differences in the US and Europe and to enhance and expand my education in more ways than just attending class. This university is the university for opportunity and has taught me to be genuine, be relateable, and build my life on being different.”

Thuy Le, BA biochemistry ’17

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College transfer student conducted biomedical research with the UM Medical Center (UMMC) Cancer Institute as a summer scholar. Beyond the internship, Thuy studied drug therapies and their effects on triple negative breast cancer in the UM research laboratories of Yu-Dong Zhou, research associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and Dale Nagle, professor of bimolecular sciences.

“The Frate Fellowship in Bioethics and Medical Humanities offered by the UMMC, UM Department of Philosophy and Religion, and Honors College challenged me in ways I never imagined. We discussed food insecurities, social determinants of health, organ transplantation, and dialysis. The controversial topics pushed me out of my comfort zone, and the fellowship taught me the importance of difficult ethical discussions and the emphasis of the humanities in medicine.”

Tiara Mabry, BA psychology and nursing ’17

“My grandmothers work with the mentally handicapped, in a women’s hospital, and for a battered women and children’s shelter. The desire to help others runs deep in my family.”

To continue her family tradition of service and prepare for a career as a Certified Nurse Midwife and Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, Tiara took advantage of the resources offered through UM’s Grove Scholars, an intensive program encouraging and facilitating academic success and job placement among Mississippi resident STEM majors who are also Ole Miss Opportunity Scholars. She developed leadership skills and enhanced her interpersonal skills as Grove Scholars president, Green Grove ambassador, UM NAACP secretary, MOST mentor, and Sigma Gamma Rho sorority vice president.

“Make sure the things you are involved in are the things you are invested in.”

Jessica Richardson, BFA art, imaging arts ’17

The leader of the student-run Clicks Club offering lectures, museum trips, and group photo shoots also developed and led workshops providing technical information on cyanotypes and lighting.

“The Clicks workshop series teaches students of all areas and experience levels about the various aspects of photography. We emphasize hands-on experience while sharing information about other artists to study. My role as president allowed me to hone my networking and organizational skills through planning these workshops, which has helped prepare me for a career in the arts.”

Award-Winning Graduate Students

Each year College of Liberal Arts departments present Graduate Student Achievement Awards at Honors Day. These six represent scholars across the discipline areas housed in the College.

Anna Katherine Black

ANNA KATHERINE BLACK
PhD clinical psychology ’18

Doctoral winner of UM’s Three Minute Thesis Competition challenging graduate students to explain their research in three minutes and using only one slide, Anna Katherine’s dissertation is “An Experimental Manipulation of Fear of Pain in Migraine.”

Recipient of the Research Achievement Award in Psychology, she has four publications in peer-reviewed journals and a book chapter in press with Scientific American–Neurology. Black, UM’s Psychological Services Center Assessment Services Coordinator, plans a clinical work career delivering therapy to clients who struggle with mental health difficulties.

Katelyn Dreux

KATELYN DREUX
PhD chemistry ’17

Katelyn’s graduate research experience includes the application of sophisticated quantum mechanical methods to study small, noncovalently bound clusters and also the investigation of physical properties of moderately-sized molecules and clusters of unusual inter- or intra-molecular interactions using density functional theory. Her dissertation is “Probing Atypical Non-covalent Interactions Using Electronic Structure.”

She presented her research results at three regional and national meetings and published four papers during her time at UM.

Josh Green

JOSH GREEN
BA classics and history ’08
MA Southern Studies ’17

Josh’s undergraduate honors thesis on the end of prohibition in Mississippi was so good that The Mississippi Encyclopedia editors asked him to write the essay on the topic for the book.

Josh obtained a law degree from Tulane University and practiced law in New Orleans before returning to Oxford to pursue a master’s in Southern Studies, where he won the first-year paper prize for “Peace and the Unsealing of the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission Files.”

Justin “JP” Lawrence

JUSTIN “JP” LAWRENCE
PhD biology ’18

JP works in Biology Professor Brice Noonan’s lab exploring the evolution of warning coloration in poison frogs of the Neotropics. His most recent success securing research funding is an Australian Endeavour Fellowship to spend five months with a new collaborative group in Australia.

JP’s goal is to establish an independent research program focused on the ecology and evolution of aposematic species and the process of speciation.

John Lindbeck

JOHN LINDBECK
PhD history ’18

“Slavery’s Holy Profits: Religion and Capitalism in the Antebellum Lower Mississippi Valley” is John’s dissertation exploring the relationship between capitalist markets, religious faith, and the institution of slavery in the antebellum Southwest.

“I am especially interested in the economic foundations of proslavery evangelical denominations, as well as white Southerners’ faith that God’s Providence guided markets and commercial networks in the slave-based cotton kingdom.”

He presented “Missionary Cotton: Saving Souls in Mississippi’s Cotton Kingdom” at the 2017 Southern Historical Association annual meeting and wrote his master’s thesis on Anti-Mission Baptists, Religious Liberty, and Local Church Autonomy.

Feng Liu

FENG LIU
PhD economics ’18

Feng has developed a new test of predictive accuracy for macroeconomic applications and written elaborate programs to generate results for the new test—working as a full research partner with Economics Professor Walter Mayer and Mathematics Professor Xin Dang. Their paper interpreting the results has been accepted for publication by the International Journal of Forecasting.

As lead author on another paper, Feng simplified Economics Professor John Conlon’s asset-price bubble models—previously the simplest available. “My models have been cited in the Journal of Economic Theory—the top field journal on the subject, the Review of Economic Studies, and Econometrica,” Dr. Conlon said. “And I’m sure that her model will be significantly more influential than mine.”

Stamps Scholars Attend 2017 National Convention

Posted on: May 10th, 2017 by erabadie

Students learn to join peers in addressing great challenges for the common good

MAY 5, 2017 BY KATIE MORRISON

Among the 21 Stamps Scholars from UM who traveled to Atlanta for the 2017 Stamps Scholars National Convention are (front, from left) Madeleine Achgill, Sally Boswell, Kathryn James, Nikki Sullivan, Page Lagarde, Summer Jefferson and Eloise Tyner, and (back, from left) Ben Branson, Tom Fowlkes, Heath Wooten, Brendan Ryan, Kate Prendergast, Emily Tipton, Anna Daniels, Eveanne Eason, Michaela Watson, R.G. Pickering, Dylan Ritter and Ben Bradford. Submitted photo

Twenty-one Stamps Scholars from the University of Mississippi were in Atlanta recently for the fourth biennial Stamps Scholars National Convention, where they learned from one another and from some of the country’s most renowned leaders about facing challenges that affect society.

Sponsored by the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, the 2017 Stamps Scholars National Convention, dubbed SSNC17, was on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The convention benefits the Stamps Scholars Program, a prestigious merit scholarship program that helps exceptional students become leaders throughout society. Launched in 2006 by Georgia native Roe Stamps and his wife, Penny, the program has grown to include 42 partner schools throughout the country.

“Whenever I speak with our Stamps Scholars, they talk about the value of getting together with driven and talented peers and learning from them,” Roe Stamps said. “Seeing what these amazing young leaders are doing, and realizing what they will achieve later in life, is inspiring.”

Some 730 scholars from across the country attended SSNC17 and had opportunities to hear and talk with leaders including Elisa Villanueva-Beard, chief executive officer of Teach for America, and G. Wayne Clough, former Georgia Tech president and secretary emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution.

The convention also provides a platform for scholars to learn from one another through discussion of some of the great challenges facing the world. This year’s topics included “Mental Health in the 21st Century,” “Living in an Energy Crisis” and “The Future of Human Space Exploration.”

The event also featured a service challenge, “Consulting for Social Good.” The goal of the service challenge is to apply scholars’ knowledge to real-life obstacles often present in nonprofit organizations.

“SSNC17 did not disappoint,” said Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez, dean of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, who attended the conference with the UM students. “Our Stamps Scholars engaged with scholars from across the nation to address difficult challenges and questions together. From guest speakers to active problem-solving, our scholars joined others in common cause.”

The experience was rewarding for both upper- and underclassmen.

Roe Stamps (left), founder of the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, shares a laugh with Robert Grady Pickering, a freshman Ole Miss Stamps Scholar, at the 2017 Stamps Scholars National Convention. Submitted photo

Dylan Ritter, a senior biochemistry major from Somerset, New Jersey, appreciates the motivation that he derives from the convention.

“I went and met people doing science and research that blew me away – and they’re just kids going through undergrad with happiness and heartbreak and all the parts of a full college experience that I have,” Ritter said. “It really helps me realize that I am lucky to be in the company of such bright minds, but I am also fortunate because I can relate to them and learn how to do better with what I have.”

Sophomore Brendan Ryan, a Chinese language and mathematics double-major from Diamondhead, appreciates the community Stamps provides, both locally at Ole Miss and nationally.

“On this campus, I feel comfortable walking up to any of my fellow Stamps Scholars and striking up a conversation because I feel close to them,” Ryan said. “Most importantly, I am getting a better understanding of what being a Stamps Scholar means to my identity.

“I left the conference with a sense of national community; I felt a definite sense of camaraderie.”

The convention’s diversity and collective purpose made an impression on Sally Boswell, a freshman from Ocean Springs who is majoring in international studies.

“My biggest takeaway was how open-minded and determined all of the students were,” Boswell said. “Everyone listened to each other and diligently worked to solve the tasks with which we were presented.

“I had never been around so many high-achieving people from such a large range of places before, and it showed me that even though our nation and world have much division and chaos, there are scholars working hard in their disciplines to make the world a better place. I left SSNC17 with a very optimistic feeling.”

Stamps Scholarships are generous multiyear scholarships that include enrichment funding for study abroad, internship or research opportunities. The Stamps Foundation and its partners provide scholarship support to 930 scholars, with the projected goal of helping educate 5,000 scholars in total. Some 455 Stamps Scholar alumni around the world continue to benefit from various professional and social networking opportunities.

To learn more about the Stamps Foundation, visit http://www.stampsfoundation.org/.

Individuals and organizations interested in supporting academic scholarships at the University of Mississippi can contact Katie Morrison, director of corporate and foundation relations, at 662-915-2135 or email katie@olemiss.edu. Gifts also can be made by mailing a check to the UM Foundation, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655 with the purpose noted in the memo line, or by visiting https://www.umfoundation.com/makeagift/.

UM Seniors Inducted into Hall of Fame

Posted on: April 10th, 2017 by erabadie

Recipients honored for achievement, service and potential for success

APRIL 7, 2017 BY CHRISTINA STEUBE

The 2017 Hall of Fame inductees are front row ( L to R) Acacia Santos, Leah Gibson, Yujing Zhang, Alex Martin. Back Row (L to R) Austin Dean, Chase Moore, Austin Powell, Miller Richmond, John Brahan, James Roland Markos. Photo by Robert Jordan UM Communications

Ten University of Mississippi seniors have been inducted into the university’s 2016-17 Hall of Fame, one of the highest honors afforded students at UM.

The inductees were honored Friday (April 7) in a ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. A committee in accordance with policy developed by the Associated Student Body chooses Hall of Fame members. Selections are based on academic achievement, community involvement and potential success.

This year’s Hall of Fame members are John Brahan of Hattiesburg; Austin Dean of Hammond, Illinois; Leah Gibson of Starkville; James-Roland Markos of Jackson, Tennessee; Jane Martin of Madison; Chase Moore of Horn Lake; Austin Powell of Corinth; Miller Richmond of Madison; Acacia Santos of Southaven; and Yujing Zhang of Oxford.

“The students who are inducted into the Hall of Fame are leaders, scholars and community servants,” said Mindy Sutton Noss, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students. “Their combined list of accomplishments and contributions to the university community is impressive and inspiring.

“They each leave a legacy at Ole Miss, and I know they will all go on to make a difference in the world around them. I believe we will hear more about the achievements of these individuals throughout their lives.”

The 10 students were among 150 Ole Miss seniors recognized for inclusion in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. They are to be listed in the national publication’s 2017 edition.

Brahan, pursuing a double major in public policy leadership and theatre arts, is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and a Trent Lott Institute Scholar. He served in several roles over the course of his education, including ASB vice president; director of Greek affairs for RebelTHON, the Miracle Network dance marathon benefitting the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital; and vice president of standards for the Interfraternity Council. Brahan served the community as a Leap Frog tutor and mentor. He’s performed in theatrical productions of “Clybourne Park” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and plans to pursue a career in the entertainment industry upon graduation. His parents are Tammy Kolbo and John Brahan of Hattiesburg.

An integrated marketing communications major, Dean has served as vice president of the Columns Society, an organization of 24 of the top students who serve as official hosts for the university. He also served as vice chairman of the University Judicial Council in the Office of Conflict Resolution and on the board of the directors for The Big Event, the largest community service project at the university. Dean was awarded Excellence in Integrated Marketing Communications and the Christine Wallace Service Award. After graduation, he plans to move to Washington, D.C., to work for a firm focused on running campaigns for legislation and political candidates. His parents are James Dean and Christy Amey of Hammond, Illinois, and Katrina and Tyrone Wilkins of Atwood, Illinois.

Gibson, a journalism major, is a member of the Columns Society and a McLean Institute Innovation Scholar, a distinction awarded to students with interest in entrepreneurship and economic development in Mississippi’s rural communities. She is Miss University 2017. Gibson served as station manager of Rebel Radio at the Student Media Center and special events coordinator of the Black Student Union. After graduation, she will compete in the 60th anniversary Miss Mississippi pageant in June and plans to spend a year traveling abroad. Her ultimate goal is to work as a television host on her own network. Her parents are Kelvin and Tamara Gibson of Starkville.

Markos is completing a triple major in public policy leadership, biological sciences and biochemistry. He is a student director of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and a Trent Lott Institute Scholar. Markos is president of Sigma Nu fraternity and served as president of the UM Interfraternity Council in 2015. He is the editor-in-chief and co-founder of the UM Undergraduate Research Journal, a yearly, peer-reviewed publication of research articles written by UM undergraduate students. Markos was awarded a Taylor Medal, an award given to fewer than 1 percent of students each year for outstanding scholarship in their field. Upon graduation, Markos will attend the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota, to pursue M.D. and Master of Public Health degrees to prepare for a career as a clinical physician. His parents are George and Clare Markos of Jackson, Tennessee.

Martin is double-majoring in international studies and mathematics. She is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Croft Institute for International Studies. Martin has served as executive director of The Big Event, managing editor of the UM Undergraduate Research Journal and ASB director of academic affairs. She has been inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and was awarded a Taylor Medal. Martin plans to work as a research assistant at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and pursue a career in economics research. Her parents are Trey and Rebecca Martin and Traci Tigert of Madison.

A business management major and member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Moore founded and served as president of Student Affairs Leaders of Tomorrow. He served in the Ronald E. McNair Post-baccalaureate achievement program, designed to prepare students for graduate research. Moore also served as student assistant for the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, director of the UM Gospel Choir and an ASB senator. After graduation, Moore plans to attend Ohio State University to pursue a master’s degree in higher education and student affairs, with hopes of later earning a doctorate in management. His parents are Milton and Phyllis Moore and the late Nigela Patreece Moore of Horn Lake.

Powell, completing a double major in public policy leadership and philosophy, He served as ASB president during the 2016-17 academic year. He is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and a Trent Lott Institute Scholar, and he was a Rhodes Scholar finalist last spring. Powell also served as assistant director for The Big Event and is a member of the Columns Society. He has been accepted to graduate school at the University of Oxford in England and will pursue a master’s degree in criminology. His parents are Eric and Gwen Powell of Corinth.

Richmond is an international studies major and a member of both the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Croft Institute for International Studies. He served as executive co-director of The Big Event and chief of staff for the ASB. Richmond is also a member of the Columns Society and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. He also conducted research with Syrian refugees in Jordan while studying abroad during the 2015 fall semester. He plans to continue his work globally in the public health field and attend medical school in the future. His parents are Jim and Jennifer Richmond of Madison.

A mechanical engineering major, Santos is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence. During her time at Ole Miss, she has served has president of the Columns Society, community assistant for the Department of Student Housing and an orientation leader for incoming students. In 2016, Santos was elected Miss Ole Miss by the student body. She also served as committee chair for recruitment and retention for the Black Student Union. After graduation, Santos plans to go to Disney World, catch up on sleep and then attend graduate school at Boston University. Her parents are Paula Santos of Southaven and Francisco Santos Jr. of Bremerton, Washington.

Zhang is a pharmaceutical sciences major and is member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College. She is a member of the Columns Society, served as RebelTHON director of catering and was a member of the Honors College student senate. Zhang also was awarded a Taylor Medal and inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi honor society. Upon graduation, she plans to attend the UM School of Pharmacy to pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy. Her parents are Darryl Scott and Jinping Stevens of Oxford.

Sullivan Award Recipients Honored with Celebration of Service

Posted on: April 6th, 2017 by erabadie

Honorees have joined efforts to help people across the community

APRIL 6, 2017 BY CHRISTINA STEUBE

Donald Cole Photo by Robert Jordan/ Communications

University of Mississippi senior Miller Richmond, Oxford resident Jo Ann O’Quin and UM alumnus Donald Cole were honored Wednesday (April 5) with 2017 Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards in celebration of their volunteer work and service within the LOU community.

The awards are presented annually by the university’s McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement to students, alumni and community members who demonstrate selfless service to others. It is the university’s highest honor recognizing service.

“We are fortunate that the University of Mississippi community is home to so many of these humble servants,” Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter said. “In fact, we have so many examples of service in our midst that this year we created a new category for the Sullivan Award to honor an alumna or alumnus alongside the student and community member honorees.

“The vision of the University of Mississippi is to lead and excel by engaging minds, transforming lives and serving others. When these activities happen in concert, we can realize the promise of higher education to change lives, promote social and economic mobility, and enhance the greater good.”

Richmond, student recipient of the award, is a senior international studies major from Madison. He said he has always been interested in community service but really became engaged in helping others at Ole Miss.

“My work as co-director of The Big Event has been my main contribution to local service, but I also feel that my work with ASB, the Columns Society and other student organizations have allowed me to learn more about what service truly means,” Richmond said. “I believe that research that our faculty at the university complete is a form of service, and I have been honored to participate in research alongside some faculty as well as complete my own research abroad in Jordan.”

Miller Richmond Photo by Thomas Graning UM Communications

Richmond said he was surprised to learn that he received the Sullivan Award.

“I’m very thankful to my family and friends for being great examples of service,” he said. “I am glad to have served alongside many great students on this campus, and I could think of many deserving people for the Sullivan Award.”

O’Quin, the community member recipient, is a native of Little Rock, Arkansas, but has lived in Oxford for 40 years. A UM professor emerita of social work, O’Quin began attending Council on Aging meetings to get involved with the community and has led the monthly networking meetings for almost 20 years.

In 1985, she started a support group for Alzheimer’s and related disorders that continues to have monthly meetings. She created and organized the Caring for Aging Relatives, or CARE, Fair and Workshop in 2000, which ran for nine years and grew to more than 450 participants. As a result of that success, O’Quin began the CARE support group.

Additionally, she helped start the Memory Makers Respite Day program and the Caregiver Resource Center, which offers free resources and counseling for families dealing with memory issues.

“Looking back, my parents had great influences on me and my interest in service,” she said. “My dad was an advocate for the mentally ill and also racial reconciliation throughout his career and my mom had a heart for caregiving with older adults. My regret is that I lost both of them at early ages and I would like to thank them for making this recognition possible.

“The Sullivan Award is a tremendous honor and reinforces the importance of my dad’s motto to ‘serve your fellow man.’ In a way, it is hard to even accept an award for something that I just think is doing the right thing, when and where I can.”

Jo Ann O’Quin

Cole, recipient of the alumni award, is the university’s assistant provost and an associate professor of mathematics. Originally from Jackson, Cole is an advocate for education, particularly for minority students, and spends time developing projects that promote teaching and guidance of students, especially encouraging them to pursue advanced degrees.

He has always participated in community service, no matter where he has lived.

“I remember once when I volunteered so much time with youngsters having cerebral palsy,” Cole said “I would take my well-bodied son with me to help.

“It brought me to tears when he wanted a wheelchair for Christmas so he could be like those youngsters.”

In the LOU community, Cole has served as a board member for Habitat for Humanity. He’s also been instrumental in the Books and Bears program that provides Christmas gifts to UM Facilities Management workers, Kairos Prison Ministry and the LOFT Foundation.

Cole is an active member of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Oxford, serving as trustee, Sunday school superintendent and deacon.

“I believe that when anyone is bestowed with such an honor is first overwhelmed, feel so undeserving and then can think of many others that’s doing so much more,” he said. “No one ‘seeks out’ such awards, they happen naturally and because you’re doing something that you love and that is natural.

“Like the runner in a relay race, you’re proud to complete your leg of the race as you realize that any one individual provides just one small piece on the entire puzzle.”

Mississippi-Made Mandarin Recognized as World-Class

Posted on: June 28th, 2016 by erabadie

UM Flagship Chinese Program draws fevered students, yields fluent alumni

JUNE 10, 2016 | BY EDWIN SMITH

Professor Henrietta Yang teaches students in the Chinese Language Flagship Program. Photo by Nathan Latil/UM Communications

Offering the immersive experience of any Language Flagship Program is a tremendous plus for any university, but being the country’s best program is far better. And that’s exactly what faculty and students in the Chinese Language Flagship Program at the University of Mississippi have succeeded in doing.

The Language Flagship program began in 2002 and includes intensive programs in languages deemed critical for American government, business and military interests—including Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Russian—at several U.S. colleges and universities. UM was among the first institutions to launch a Chinese Language Flagship Program.

“The Language Flagship began as a small pilot project to challenge a few U.S. universities to build programs of advanced language education,” said Donald Dyer, UM chair and professor of modern languages. “Being one of The Language Flagship’s Chinese programs means this is a program designed to take students to the superior level of Chinese, a program on steroids.”

UM is among a dozen institutions offering the intensive program, and the university’s success in preparing its students for careers involving Chinese language and culture attracts students from across the country.

“Ole Miss has one of the most effective Chinese programs in the country, which is why I chose to come here in the first place,” said Liana Tai, a senior international studies and Chinese major from Arlington, Virginia.

Flagship programs are results-driven. One factor used to determine just how good a program is involves examining how many students it can send to the Flagship Capstone. To participate, students must fulfill all required courses, apply, pass all qualifying tests and be accepted by the Flagship Chinese Council.

From 2003 to 2013, UM sent only 12 students to Capstone. From 2014 to 2016, the university has sent 20 students to Capstone.

“For the past two years, the University of Mississippi has had the largest group among the 12 Chinese Flagship Capstone Programs,” said Henrietta Yang, Croft associate professor of Chinese and co-director of the program.

“During the selection process, all students were ranked based on their application packages, which included a personal statement, a Chinese writing sample, a Chinese speech sample, transcripts, three recommendation letters and a Chinese resume. Three of the top five selected and admitted were UM students, and eight of 13 were ranked above 30.”

The Ole Miss CLFP also is the only Chinese Flagship program that operates an intensive domestic summer program before the freshman year and a post-freshman summer program at Shanghai University in China. This program aims to raise students’ linguistic proficiency and cultural knowledge considerably within an eight-week period.

The university’s CLFP Shanghai Program is open to take students from the other 11 flagship programs.

“Establishing our Shanghai program, which is very well-respected and replete with high standards, is another huge success that is very rewarding to me,” Yang said.

Since taking over the program in 2013, Yang has redesigned the curriculum, which has high standards, thematic courses, domain mentoring and cultural preparation. Unlike some Chinese Flagship programs around the country, which offer only upper-level courses, the Ole Miss CLFP allows for entry at various skill levels.

The university also boasts one of the finest language teaching teams in the nation. Joining Yang are two assistant professors and three full-time instructors. Approximately 100 alumni of the program have gone on to successful careers in international business, public policy leadership, medicine and politics, to name a few fields.

Instruction extends far beyond the borders of the Oxford campus.

“We have seeded Chinese instruction at Oxford, Lafayette and Holly Springs high schools,” Dyer said. “More than 10 students from OHS have matriculated into our flagship program. Students come here from all over the country to study Chinese at a high level.”

Students enrolled in the program are singing their praises of the professors’ instruction and the valuable learning opportunities being received.

Prospective job opportunities in the international business arena are what drew Conner Clark, an international studies and Chinese major, to the UM Chinese Flagship program. The senior from Dallas also participated in the Capstone Year Program.

“During the first semester, we were direct-enrolled at Nanjing University,” Clark said. “For the second semester, we applied to whichever organizations that we were interested in and completed a full-time internship for a minimum of 16 consecutive weeks. This second semester was the most fulfilling for me.”

James DeMarshall, a junior Chinese and international studies double major with a minor in mathematics, said he knew that the UM program would make him proficient in the language.

“The culture of this program is infectious,” said the native of Glassboro, New Jersey. “Everyone is very supportive of each other, almost like a big family. When I visited campus and sat in on classes, I knew I wanted to be part of this special atmosphere the flagship program has cultivated here.”

Having studied consecutive summers in Shanghai and Harbin, DeMarshall recently learned he was awarded a U.S. Department of State’s Critical Language Scholarship to spend this upcoming summer studying in the city of Xi’an, in China’s Shaanxi province. He is also the incoming president for the UM chapter of a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization called Global China Connection, of which the Chinese Language Flagship Program has been very supportive.

“I recently had the opportunity to travel to New York City to participate in a conference for GCC, and I was one of maybe 10 or 15 non-Chinese people in attendance,” he said. “As the event went on, I realized how far my Chinese had come in such a really short period of time spent here at UM.

“I was able to comfortably function in Chinese, which made it easier for me to network and connect with all the other young professionals in attendance. In essence, there was no language barrier. I can entirely thank the UM Flagship Program for that capability.”

As a result of the Chinese program’s success, the department applied for an Arabic flagship program in 2015. Although the request was not granted, the university’s Arabic program is good enough to achieve flagship status, Dyer said.

“Our Arabic program is also exceptional, modeled after Chinese, and reaching the same level of productivity and success,” he said.

Meanwhile, Yang is anticipating even greater levels of success for the Chinese program.

“We are preparing for as many as 19 students for Capstone next year,” she said. “Ours has dominated among the 12 Chinese Flagship Programs in the past two years. I would have to agree that UM has the best Chinese Flagship program in the country.”

Seniors Awarded 2016 Hall of Fame Honors

Posted on: March 7th, 2016 by erabadie

Recipients chosen for academic achievement, community service and potential for success

MARCH 4, 2016 | BY SHELBY SANSONE

Hall of Fame 2016. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

Hall of Fame 2016. Photo by Thomas Graning/UM Communications

Ten University of Mississippi seniors have earned membership in the school’s 2015-2016 Hall of Fame, one of the university’s highest honors.

The Hall of Fame inductees were honored Friday (March 4) in a ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Recipients are chosen by a committee in accordance with ASB policy, with selections based on a student’s academic achievement, community service and potential for future success.

New Hall of Fame members are Brady Bramlett of Memphis, Rod Bridges of Madison, Jeremy Coleman of Jackson, Maia Cotelo of Oxford, Joe Curry of Stringer, Ann-Marie Herod of Abbeville, William Kneip of Mobile, Alabama, Justavian Tillman of Oxford, Debra Whitley of Natchez, and Elizabeth Wicks of Ocean Springs.

“We commend these outstanding students for their impressive accomplishments both in and out of the classroom,” said Morris Stocks, provost and executive vice chancellor. “We anticipate great successes for these young men and women, both professionally and academically. We also know that our Hall of Famers will contribute to the betterment of society.”

The 10 students, along with 150 other UM seniors, were also recognized for inclusion in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. They are to be listed in the national publication’s 2016 edition.

The following eight of the 10 Hall of Fame students have majors in the College of Liberal Arts:

Brady Bramlett. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

Brady Bramlett. Photo by Thomas Graning/UM Communications

Bramlett is a biological science major, a pitcher for the Ole Miss Rebels baseball team and a tenor in the UM Concert Singers and Men’s Glee groups. He is president of Ole Miss Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and vice chair of the NCAA Division I SAAC. He is a member of NCAA Division I Strategic Vision and Planning Committee and a council member of NCAA Minorities Opportunities and Interests Committee. He is an SEC representative for Autonomy Five legislation and in the National Collegiate Honor Society. He also was a member of the Ole Miss Concert Singers European tour that included performances in Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic. Bramlett is a seven-time Ole Miss Scholar Athlete and a three-time SEC academic honor roll recipient. After graduation, he plans to enroll in the university’s MBA program and then pursue a career in athletics administration. His parents are Bobby and Amy Bramlett of Bartlett, Tennessee.

Rod Bridges. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

Rod Bridges. Photo by Thomas Graning/UM Communications

Bridges, a public policy leadership major, is president of the Associated Student Body, a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and a Trent Lott Institute scholar. He is an officer for the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity and received the UM Outstanding Student Higher Education Award for 2016. Bridges is in Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies. He received the ASB Senator of the Year Award in 2014 and the UM Freshmen Leader of the Year Award in 2013. After graduation, he plans to attend Officer Candidacy School. His parents are Roddy Bridges of Madison and London and Thomas Wagner of Coos Bay, Oregon.

Jeremy Coleman. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

Jeremy Coleman. Photo by Thomas Graning/UM Communications

A biological science major, Coleman was chief of staff for the Black Student Union’s vice president and treasurer for the university’s Gospel Choir. He is an Ole Miss Ambassador, a member of the Columns Society, treasurer for Men of Excellence and has been a reporter for The Daily Mississippian student newspaper. Coleman was on the committee that opened the Ole Miss Food Bank. He received the Segal AmeriCorps Education award for serving more than 300 hours of community service at the food bank and the Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi. After graduation, he plans to attend veterinary school and wants to open a small animal clinic and, eventually, an animal rescue center to protect endangered species. His parents are LaShaundra Coleman and Boris Thomas of Jackson.

Maia Cotelo. Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Communications

Maia Cotelo. Photo by Kevin Bain/UM Communications

Cotelo has a triple major in international studies, economics and mathematics. She is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and a Trent Lott Leadership scholar. A founding member of the RebelTHON dance marathon, she was the event’s 2016 executive director. She received the World Cup Initiative Grant and was the Portuguese Outstanding Student of the year from 2013 to 2015. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies. She is also on Mortar Board and is recipient of a Taylor Medal, the university’s highest academic award. After graduation, Cotelo plans to take a year to travel and then pursue a career in the nonprofit sector. She is the daughter of Enrique and Irene Cotelo of Oxford.

Ann-Marie Herod. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

Ann-Marie Herod. Photo by Thomas Graning/UM Communications

A broadcast journalism and African-American Studies major, Herod has received the Gannett Freedom Forum Scholarship, the Robert Williams Minority Scholarship, the Daniel Phillips Memorial Scholarship and the D. Landrum & C T Hill Scholarship. Not only is she a College Corp member under AmeriCorps, but she is also a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award recipient. She has served as vice president and president of the university’s Association for Black Journalists, and as public relations and community service director for the Black Student Union. She has been a senator and co-director of inclusion for the Associated Student Body, an Ole Miss Ambassador, an Ole Miss Athletics Ambassador and a member of the Freshmen Council. Herod is a journalist and recording secretary for the Lambda Sigma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and vice president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. With the Wesley Foundation, she did missionary work in Honduras. She has worked with the Horizons Summer Enrichment Program as a mentor and teacher’s aide and was involved with the UM Association for Black Journalist Mentor Program with the Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi. After graduation, Herod plans to teach with Teach for America in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Her parents are Dr. James and Ann Herod of Abbeville.

William Kneip. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

William Kneip. Photo by Thomas Graning/UM Communications

Kneip is a public policy leadership major and member of the Trent Lott Leadership Institute. He was elected Mr. Ole Miss for the 2015-2016 school year. He is the president of Phi Delta Theta fraternity and holds the title of 2015 IFC President of the Year. He is the president of the Mississippi Columns Society and a member of Lambda Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa honor societies. Kneip was also co-director of finance and fundraising for the Big Event. After graduation, he plans to work at the UM Foundation. His parents are Edward and Tori Kneip of Mobile, Alabama.

Justavian Tillman. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

Justavian Tillman. Photo by Thomas Graning/UM Communications

Tillman is majoring in general studies with minors in education, English and journalism, and is on the Chancellor’s Honor Roll. He is president of the Black Student Union and the Men of Excellence, and was the university’s Gospel Choir president for 2014-2015. He is the UM Association of Black Journalist secretary, on the Associated Student Body Inclusion Committee, Vice Chancellor Advisory Council and Black History Month Planning Committee. He is also on the Office of the Dean of Students Leadership Development Committee and Insight Leadership Advisory Council. Tillman is an African-American Male Retaining, Enrolling and Graduating Ambassador, Fastrack Peer Mentor, and a student worker for the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement. He interned at Brown University for the Association of College and University Housing Officers – International. He has worked as a volunteer for the Big Event, More Than a Meal, Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi and LeapFrog. He is in Sigma Alpha Lambda honor society, is a UM Opportunity Scholar and is in the National Undergraduate Fellowship Program. After graduation, he plans to obtain a master’s degree in higher education/student personnel. He is the son of Sesame Hall and grandson of Nancy Hall of Bruce.

Elizabeth Wicks. Photo by Thomas Graning/Ole Miss Communications

Elizabeth Wicks. Photo by Thomas Graning/UM Communications

An international studies and French major, Wicks is a member of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, where she was a senator, and the Croft Institute, where she was a senator and vice chair for social activities. She co-founded the Honors College Student Union and was an Associated Student Body senator. She is an NSHSS Di Yerbury International Scholar, and a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Gamma Beta Phi and Phi Eta Sigma honor societies, Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-medical honor society, Alpha Lambda Delta freshman honor society and Pi Delta Phi French honor society. She served as community service chair for Omicron Delta Kappa and on Mortar Board. Wicks also worked with the Lazarus Project multispectral digital imaging team and was a Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine summer scholar and research intern in 2014 and 2015. She helped to organize TEDxUM and is in the Columns Society. Wicks is an Ole Miss Ambassador, Global Ambassador appropriations committee chair and a member of its rules committee. She has volunteered for numerous events and organizations in Oxford, including Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi, Big Event, RebelTHON, Green Grove Initiative and Operation Christmas Child. After graduation, she plans to attend medical school. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wicks of Ocean Springs.

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.

Students Spent Spring Break Digitally Mapping Vercelli Manuscript

Posted on: April 3rd, 2013 by erabadie

Group visited Italy as part of UM’s Lazarus Project

The Lazarus Project team in Vercelli, Italy. Photo by Mary Stanton

Four University of Mississippi students recently traded sunshine and relaxation for ancient manuscripts and the chance of a lifetime.

The three sophomores and one freshman, all students in the university’s Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, spent spring break in Vercelli, Italy, digitally mapping a 10th century text called the Vercelli manuscript as part of the Ole Miss Lazarus Project. The medieval text is one of four major works of Old English writings and includes sermons and poems such as “Dream of the Rood.” The text was damaged by a 19th century attempt to use chemicals to make the faded text more legible, and the imaging the students performed will help restore some of that lost writing.

The team of young researchers and scholars are using multispectral images and ultraviolet light to study ancient manuscripts such as the Vercelli manuscript (10th century) and the Globe Map of Vercelli (late 12th century). Led by Gregory Heyworth, UM associate professor of English, the team photographs the manuscripts with a 50-megapixel camera, specially designed multispectral lights and filters, and specialized imaging software to recover portions of the text invisible to the naked eye.

“Working with these documents, it’s unreal,” said Leigh Anne Zook, a sophomore international studies and intelligence and security studies major from Huntsville, Ala. “These are priceless artifacts, and thinking of how few people have seen these, and the ones who have are experts in their fields, and me as a sophomore being able to work with these manuscripts – it’s not even a trade-off, it’s an absolutely wonderful experience.”

Other sophomores were Eleanor Anthony, a mathematics and philosophy major from Jackson, and Elizabeth Wicks, a French and pharmacy major from Ocean Springs. Freshman Meredith Oliver, a pharmacy major from Collierville, Tenn., also participated.

While in Italy, the students also were able to assist in imaging a 12th century map of the world, or mappamundi, one of only 12 in existence.

Previously, the Lazarus Project took students to Washington, D.C., where they examined a possible William Shakespeare signature, and to Dresden, Germany, where their efforts revealed writing in another unique medieval manuscript, “Les Eschéz d’Amour” (The Chess of Love), a long 14th century Middle French poem thought until recently to have been too badly damaged during World War II to be recovered.

Since its inception, the Lazarus Project has used its portable multispectral lab to analyze several documents, including the Skipwith Revolutionary War Letters, which were donated to Ole Miss by Kate Skipwith and Mary Skipwith Buie, great-granddaughters of Gen. Nathanael Greene; and the Wynn Faulkner Poetry Collection, 48 pages of early poetry written by William Faulkner between 1917 and 1925 that were donated by Leila Clark Wynn and Douglas C. Wynn.

For more information, visit the Lazarus Project.