System Review
Volume 1, Issue 4
November 10, 2006
NEWS FROM THE SYSTEM
Board Search Committee Met with Southern Miss Constituency
Groups
The Board Search Committee for the next president of the University of Southern Mississippi as
well as Commissioner Meredith and executive search consultant Dr. Jan Greenwood met with
Southern Miss constituency groups yesterday to determine what qualities are needed in the
university’s next president. The feedback gathered from students, faculty, staff, athletics, alumni,
university leaders, and foundation and city leaders will be used to develop the profile and job
description for the university’s next president. Learn more about the University of Southern
Mississippi institutional executive officer search process, including a timeline of events.
http://www.ihl.state.ms.us/ieo_search/usm/usm_ieo_search.html
Board Search Committee meets with USM constituency groups.
Commissioner Presented IHL Today to Hattiesburg Leaders
Commissioner Meredith delivered a presentation, IHL Today: Partnering for the Future, to
Hattiesburg business and city leaders and legislators on Thursday, November 9. The
presentation followed lunch at the Hattiesburg Country Club, hosted and sponsored by Mr. Ted
Webb, president of the Hattiesburg Division of BancorpSouth, and organized by the University of
Southern Mississippi. In his presentation, Commissioner Meredith discussed the importance of
higher education to individuals and the state of Mississippi. He thanked legislators for past
support and urged them to increase appropriations in the upcoming fiscal year for faculty pay
increases and repair and renovation of aging buildings, among other things . The luncheon was the
ninth of twelve regional luncheons across the state. The next luncheon will be held November 28 in Tupelo.
Ted Webb, president of the Hattiesburg Division of Bancorp South hosted and sponsored the IHL Today
luncheon in Hattiesburg on Thursday, November 9.
Commissioner Participated in MSU Stennis Institute Capitol Press
Corps Luncheon
Commissioner Meredith participated in the monthly Mississippi State University’s John C. Stennis
Institute Capitol Press Corps Luncheon on Monday, November 6. In attendance were print and
broadcast media representatives, including the Clarion-Ledger, the Northeast Mississippi Daily
Journal, the Associated Press, and the Commercial Dispatch. Business leaders and lobbyists
also attended to hear the Commissioner discuss the Board’s search process for Alcorn State
University and the University of Southern Mississippi. The Commissioner took advantage of the
opportunity to share information about Mississippi’s higher education system, issues related to
higher education that will impact the upcoming legislative session, and national and statewide
higher education trends. The Commissioner also entertained a healthy round of questions from
the floor.
Commissioner Meredith spoke during the Mississippi State University John C. Stennis Capitol Press Corps
Luncheon.
UNIVERSITY NEWS
DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
NASA CFO to Return to Delta State Campus Saturday
Gwen Sykes, Chief Financial Officer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
(NASA), will return to Delta State University’s campus this weekend, her second appearance in
2006. Sykes has been invited to deliver the keynote address at the African-American Alumni
Luncheon and Scholarship Gala on Saturday, November 11 at noon in the State Room of the
H.L. Nowell Union on campus. All proceeds from the event will go toward the endowment of four
minority scholarships, two for incoming freshmen and two designated for transfer students. Sykes
last appeared on campus during Delta State’s 79th Spring Commencement service, during which
Hollywood icon Morgan Freeman was recognized with an honorary doctorate degree. For more
information on the luncheon, please contact the Delta State Alumni Office at (662) 846-4660.
Gwen Sykes
Delta State School of Nursing to Address State Nursing Shortage
http://www.deltastate.edu/pages/1073.asp?item=1828
Delta State Boasts Top Enrollment in School History, Ten Percent Growth Over Five Years
http://www.deltastate.edu/pages/1073.asp?item=1784
Lady Statesmen Basketball Down D-I Alabama, 66-59
http://www.gostatesmen.com/sports/wbasketball/index.html
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
JSU Chemistry Student Wins Poster Award
Jackson State University student Teri Lynn Robinson of Jackson recently won first place in the
Best Student Poster Award competition at the 15th Conference on Current Trends in
Computational Chemistry. The international event, sponsored by Jackson State’s Computational
Center for Molecular Structure and Interactions, was held Friday and Saturday in Jackson.
Robinson, a fourth-year graduate student, is pursuing a doctorate in chemistry.
Teri Lynn Robinson
Researcher Snags National Grant to Boost Health Literacy
http://www.jsums.edu/~announcements/11.07.06_NLMgrant.pdf
JSU Inducts 2006 Hall of Fame Class
http://www.jsutigers.com/sports/football/162
JSU Receives $50,000 from Corning Inc. for Physics Students
http://www.jsums.edu/~announcements/11.6.corning.pdf
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
MSU Study Targets Safer Vaccines for Often-Fatal Whooping Cough
A pair of Mississippi State biological scientists are conducting potentially life-saving research that
may result in the development of safer whooping cough vaccines, which sometimes lead to brain
damage and death. University professors Lakshmi Pulakat and Nara Gavini are heading a
research team that has discovered a unique mechanism in existing vaccines that may trigger
neurological damage among whooping cough patients. Read more.
http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3652
Four from MSU Named 'Dynamic' Women
http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3651
Financial Literacy Center at MSU Gets National Praise
http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3649
Noted Costume Designer Donates Collection to MSU
http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3650
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Valley Staff Member Recognized by Congressional Black Caucus
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) outreach counselor Yolanda Jones was recently
recognized by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) for her years of hard work
and dedicated service to the Student Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP), a program
she has been instrumental in implementing at MVSU. Established by the Congressional Black
Caucus Foundation in 2003, SHOP is designed to bridge the wealth and homeownership gap in
underserved communities. The Foundation provides member organizations with a $1,000
contribution toward the execution of the SHOP program. If a minimum of 10 percent of the
student population attends the workshop, CBCF will provide an additional $2,000 contribution to
be used at the institution’s discretion. In addition, the Foundation will provide attendees who
satisfy their requirements for graduation with a voucher of $1,000 to be used towards down
payment and closing costs on their first home. “It was an honor for me to accept the award for not
only Valley, but for all HBCUs,” Jones said. “I think it is important for colleges and universities to
encourage students to begin building wealth through ownership at an early age. It is also
important for youth to become involved in the political process, too.”
Yolanda Jones, center, outreach counselor for Comprehensive Counseling at MVSU, receives an award
from Dr. Elsie Scott, left, interim president and CEO of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, for her
efforts and dedication in working with the Student Homeownership Opportunity Program (SHOP) at
Mississippi Valley State University. Also pictured is Buford Jones of Greenwood, Jones’ father.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Lifelong Learners Program Offers Seniors Good Deal in Education
Maurice Crommie may be close to 80, but he is energetic and enthusiastic, talks fast and just
plain loves learning. He has been taking academic classes in some form since 1934. One of the
retiree's main attractions to Oxford was the Lifelong Learners program at the University of
Mississippi. Coordinated through the Division of Outreach, the program offers several options in
partnership with other campus departments. It enrolls individuals age 65 and older in any
academic class on a space-available basis at no cost. Twenty students are enrolled in Seekers
this semester. Requirements for the program include completion of an application for admission
10 days before the semester begins and registration through the Office of the Registrar on the
first day of class. Personal student IDs are also available. Transcripts are not required unless the
learner is seeking an academic degree. Other Lifelong Learning programs include Independent
Study and Ole Miss Online. Goals of Lifelong Learning are to energize the mind, challenge the
body, explore interesting topics and share wisdom with young people. Read more.
http://www.olemiss.edu/cgi-bin/news2000/display.pl?id=5652&mode=full
History Professor, Doctoral Students Attract National Attention with Oral History Project
http://www.olemiss.edu/cgi-bin/news2000/display.pl?id=5638&mode=full
Dean of Tupelo Advanced Education Center Edits Collection of Civil War Letters
http://www.olemiss.edu/cgi-bin/news2000/display.pl?id=5653&mode=full
Students Research Medieval Texts at Prestigious Library in France
http://www.olemiss.edu/cgi-bin/news2000/display.pl?id=5658&mode=full
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Southern Miss Dedicates Thad Cochran Center
More than 14 years of planning and three years of construction of the University of Southern
Mississippi’s Thad Cochran Center culminated Saturday when the facility was formally dedicated
with its namesake on hand for the ceremony. The $34 million project is a 237,000-square-foot
expansion of the university’s existing R.C. Cook Student Union and includes a new dining area
known as the Fresh Food Company, conference rooms, the new Barnes & Noble Bookstore and
a ballroom where Saturday’s ceremony was held. The Center officially opened this past summer.
U.S. Senator Thad Cochran, who has served Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since 1978,
expressed his appreciation for the dedication of the building in his name, and for the friendships
and associations he has made over the years through Southern Miss. More than 200 people
turned out for the event, including local and state public officials and university faculty, staff and
students and alumni. The ceremony also marked the formal completion of the Center’s mural,
titled “The University’s Bounty,” created by Southern Miss Professor of art William Baggett. See
photos and read more.
http://www.usm.edu/pr/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=233&Itemid=2
Southern Miss Hosted International Polymer Symposium
http://www.usm.edu/pr/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=228&Itemid=2 (Scroll
down.)
Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Reels in Research First with Spotted Seatrout
http://www.usm.edu/pr/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=248&Itemid=2
Southern Miss Center Helps Higher Ed Institutions Prepare for Natural Disasters, Terror
Attacks
http://www.usm.edu/pr/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=247&Itemid=2
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI – GULF COAST CAMPUS NEWS
Southern Miss Program Helps Meet Management Need for Coast Construction Industry
The University of Southern Mississippi is helping meet the exploding demand for quality
construction professionals on the Gulf Coast by placing its Construction Engineering Technology
program in the heart of the action. Before Hurricane Katrina hit, construction managers and
estimators were two of the top growing occupations nationally. Now, the demand on the coast
has become much higher for quality professionals in the industry. “When you’re looking at 40,000
- 50,000 houses destroyed that have to be rebuilt, there is just a huge, huge backload of work.
Regardless of what happens to the rest of the country, we’re going to have a boom here for the
next 10 years,” said David Marchman, associate director of the School of Construction. To
illustrate, Marchman points to projections from a national homebuilder who recruits Southern Miss
students, which indicates there will be enough openings to “hire every one of our graduates.”
Marchman adds that residential is but one construction category among others with openings on
the coast, including commercial, specialty and heavy/highway. Learn more about the new
Construction Engineering Technology program, http://www.usm.edu/gulfcoast/construction. Read
more, http://www.usm.edu/pr/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=253&Itemid=2.
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
“Mind-Brightening” Experience of Alcorn State Students and Faculty
During the first week of November, 13 Alcorn State University students and four faculty members
attended the National Association of African American Honors Programs (NAAAHP) conference
in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. Lee, Interim Dean, School of Graduate Studies; Dr. Jones,
Director, Honors Curriculum Program; Dr. Konecky, Assistant Director, Honors Curriculum
Program; and Dr. Igwebuike, Assistant Professor, School of Business, were the professors that
attended the meeting. The goal of the conference was for students to interact with other honor
students, to gain experience and acquire more skills in communication. Conference activities
included a debate, a quiz bowl booth, and a Model African Union. “The NAAAHP Conference is
the annual get-together of honor students and faculty and staff from members of HBCU around
America. Students should attend this annual event because it is such an eye-brightening and
mind-opening experience. It’ll bring friendships that’ll last for a lifetime and the skills and
knowledge that you will only learn at the conference,” says Hong Loan Nguyen, a sophomore
from Vietnam and biology/pre-med major. Learn more,
http://www.alcorn.edu/Bulletin/GoodNews.htm.
Lost In Translation
http://www.alcorn.edu/Bulletin/GoodNews.htm (Scroll down.)
COMING UP
Nov. 10-12 – JSU hosts first annual STEM Conference, “Advancing the Status of Diverse Women
in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” at the Mississippi E-Center. Learn
more. http://www.jsums.edu/~announcements/STEMrevision.pdf
Nov. 11 – DSU’s Office of Admissions and Recruiting is hosting a fall visit day for all prospective
high school seniors, community and senior college transfers, and parents, to begin at 10:00 a.m.
and conclude after the home football game.
Nov. 11 – MSU hosts high school robotics teams from Mississippi and Louisiana, who will test
their engineering and robotics skills in the 2006 Bulldog BEST competition at Mississippi State
University. The free, public event begins at 9:00 a.m. at Newell-Grissom gymnasium. The top two
teams will advance to the South's BEST regional competition at Auburn University in early
December. Learn more. http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3653
Nov. 11 – UM Music Department hosts the third Ole Miss Choral Festival for more than 2,000
middle, junior high and high school students from around the state, beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the
Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Learn more. http://www.olemiss.edu/cgibin/news2000/display.pl?id=5654&mode=full
Nov. 13 – MSU hosts New York-based Ailey II, a nationally acclaimed dance troupe, which will
present a signature program of works by contemporary choreographers at 7:30 p.m. in historic
Lee Hall auditorium as part of the university's 2006-07 Lyceum Series. Learn more.
http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=3631
Nov. 13 - UM professor emeritus of history and author Michael Landon plans to read a selection
of his new book on the history of the law school and sign copies at 5:00 p.m. at Off Square Books
in Oxford. He will also be reading and signing on December 12 at 5:00 p.m. at Lemuria
Bookstore in Jackson. Learn more. http://www.olemiss.edu/cgibin/news2000/display.pl?id=5649&mode=full
Nov. 13 – USM hosts Rachel’s Challenge, a program designed to bring positive change to school
environments, from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Thad Cochran Center’s Ballrooms 1 and 2. The
program honors Rachel Scott, a victim of the tragic 1999 Columbine High School massacre.
Learn more.
http://www.usm.edu/pr/cms/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=243&Itemid=2
Nov. 14 – UM hosts “An Evening with Ole Miss,” an open house for Jackson-area high school
juniors and seniors, as well as prospective transfer students, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum's Forestry Auditorium on Lakeland Drive. Learn
more. http://www.olemiss.edu/cgi-bin/news2000/display.pl?id=5656&mode=full
Look for the next issue November 17.