2/6/2018 - Jackson, Miss.
Governor Phil Bryant will deliver the keynote address at the luncheon.
Higher Education Appreciation Day-Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE) was established by legislative resolution to honor individual academic achievement and the overall contribution of the state's public and private institutions of higher learning.
"We are so pleased that Governor Bryant will deliver the keynote address for the HEADWAE Luncheon this year," said Dr. Glenn Boyce, Commissioner of Higher Education. "He has been a stalwart supporter of this program for many years and his presence will mean a great deal to the student and faculty honorees."
The honorees will begin the day with a visit to the State Capitol where they will be recognized by the Senate and House of Representatives and given a tour of the Capitol. The awards luncheon will begin at 11:45 a.m. at the Marriott Hotel, 200 East Amite Street in Jackson.
Governor Bryant has led Mississippi in implementing transformational public education reforms, promoting economic development and building a competitive business climate that attracts major employers like Yokohama Tire Corporation and Continental Tire. Under Governor Bryant's administration, more than 60,000 jobs have been announced, and unemployment has reached record lows.
Corporate sponsors for the HEADWAE program include: Atmos Energy; AT&T Mississippi; BancorpSouth; Chevron Products Company; ERGON; Georgia Pacific (KOCH); Huntington-Ingalls Shipbuilding; Mississippi National Guard; Mississippi Power Company; Sanderson Farms; Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Mississippi, Inc.; Trustmark National Bank; and Valley Services, Inc.
| Institution | Student Honoree | Faculty Honoree |
|---|---|---|
| Alcorn State University | Kevin Westley Washington | Benedict Udemgba |
| Belhaven University | Tyler James Wolfe | Gary Reid Bishop |
| Blue Mountain College | Catherine Juliann Snyder | Jerri Lamar Bradley Kantack |
| Coahoma Community College | Miracle L. Hunter | Deborah Denise |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community College | Robert Tayler Case | Mandy Hart Case |
| Delta State University | Ashley Dominique Griffin | Emily Annette Newman |
| East Central Community College | Reagan Danielle Gorgas | Michelle Li Lee |
| East Mississippi Community College | William Caleb Younger | Tara Dawkins Hurt |
| Hinds Community College | Anna Kaylen Hite | Joy Heard Rhoads |
| Holmes Community College | Buck Slade Allgood | Xiaoying Wang |
| Itawamba Community College | Hunter Garrett Holley | Morgan Spencer Cutturini |
| Jackson State University | Harrison Rhodes Watson | Lin Li |
| Jones County Junior College | Katelynn McGowen | Jessica Bunch |
| Meridian Community College | Katherine Anna Loper | Holly Ann Hodges Crane |
| Millsaps College | Sarah Ruth Altman | Eric John Griffin |
| Mississippi College | Annsley Claire McRae | Cindy Magee Melton |
| Mississippi Delta Community College | Heather Louise Lee | Philip Lawes |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College | Nolan Phillip Stringfellow | Patricia Scott West |
| Mississippi State University | Tyler McMurray | Brent Jonathan Fountain |
| Mississippi University for Women | Lisa Shrestha | Erin M. Kempker |
| Mississippi Valley State University | Henry Tobechukwu Akaeze | Candace Carter Stevens |
| Northeast Mississippi Community College | Mallorie Rachael Waldon | Jeffrey Glen Melson |
| Northwest Mississippi Community College | Gavin Blaine Brown | Sarah Mattox Holt |
| Pearl River Community College | Jill Kennedy Martin | Lonnie Charles Burchell |
| Reformed Theological Seminary | Peyton Elizabeth Swanson | William J. Richardson |
| Rust College | William Deshun Robinson | Sharron Ruth Goodman-Hill |
| Southeastern Baptist College | James Edward McGhee, Jr. | Robert Dale Burch |
| Southwest Mississippi Community College | Trulee Magee Torres | Walter Michael Flowers |
| Tougaloo College | Danielle Maurie Irma Magee | Bidisha Sengupta |
| University of Mississippi | Dion Armstrong Kevin III | John M. Rimoldi |
| University of Mississippi Medical Center | James Robert Ware II | Mary McCaffery Moore |
| University of Southern Mississippi | Caroline Bradley | Kelly Ferris Lester |
| Wesley Biblical Seminary | Daniel Eugene Jackson | Matt T. Friedeman |
| William Carey University | Hannah Michelle Moak | Phyllis Howell Armstrong |
Click here for a list of 2017-18 HEADWAE honorees.
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The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.
John Sewell
Director of Communications
Telephone: 601.432.6333
