10/22/2021 - Jackson, Miss.

Mississippi Public Universities prepare students to enter the career field that will help build the state's economic future, but they also prepare students to be leaders in their chosen careers, their communities, and the state. The experiences students gain inside the classroom and beyond, along with the services at their disposal on campus, help them build and refine their leadership skills.

Jackson State University's Center for Academic and Professional Success in the College of Business offers mock interview services to business students. This service helps the students to develop interview strategies that they can use during an actual job interview.

Mississippi State University's Department of Educational Leadership in the College of Education is preparing leaders at all levels of education in Mississippi and beyond. The department offers programs in school administration, community college leadership, higher education leadership and teacher leadership. The department prepares highly effective professionals to become leaders, scholars, administrators, and teachers in global educational environments. It provides rigorous and responsive educational programs that focus on research, teaching and service.

MSU is on the cutting edge of research and integration into the nation's airspace, serving as the national lead university for the FAA's Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems and as the FAA's UAS Safety Research Facility. Home to a fleet of the largest and most capable unmanned aircraft in academic use, MSU's Raspet Flight Research Laboratory has secured more than $50 million in federal research and testing contracts since 2017 and remains a world leader in composite materials research.

As home of the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish funded by USAID, Mississippi State is leveraging its proven expertise to improve nutrition, food security and livelihoods in developing countries by supporting the sustainable development of aquaculture and fisheries. Additionally, MSU is playing a key role in developing a Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations program to improve aquaculture biosecurity in developing countries. Closer to home, MSU is conducting aquaculture research and extension in support of Mississippi producers.

The Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park, a 272-acre park that is home to more than 1,700 employees and tenants that include private businesses, government offices and robust research centers and institutes. The park represents over $100 million in infrastructure investments and $104 million in private capital investment. Research and innovation thrive in the park thanks in large part to MSU's High Performance Computing Collaboratory, the fifth-most powerful computing site in U.S. academia.

Students in Mississippi University for Women's Gordy Honors College can apply for Nancy Yates Fellowships that provide opportunities for high-impact experiences. Named for alumna Nancy Yates, the selective fellowship program provides funding for exciting opportunities in community engagement, research, and internships. Through this valuable hands-on experience, the Yates Fellows hone leadership skills that will serve them well long after graduation.

The Trent Lott Leadership Institute at the University of Mississippi identifies talented young people and prepares them for leadership positions in Mississippi and around the nation. The Institute offers a wide range of leadership and outreach programs that work to enrich the lives and enhance the abilities of high school and undergraduate students. The Lott Leadership Institute serves a range of students through programming such as the Lott Leadership Institute for Rising 12th Graders, the Lott Leadership Institute for Rising Ninth Graders, the Emerging Leaders Conference, and the Pathways for Leadership workshop. In close collaboration with the College of Liberal Arts and the Department of Public Policy Leadership, a Bachelor of Arts degree is available to Lott students from across the nation.

A total of 27 students from the University of Mississippi have won the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Ole Miss is tied with Vanderbilt University for the most Rhodes Scholars in the Southeastern Conference.

The University of Mississippi's Summer Undergraduate Research Group Grants program develops undergraduate students as future scholars through paid, mentored, summer research projects. Over 8-10 weeks, each student receives training and guidance from UM faculty, interacts with a student cohort and conducts an investigative or creative project. Projects often lead to student (co)authored scholarly products, such as academic conference presentations or manuscript submissions to peer reviewed journals. For their part, the faculty develop valuable experience in running a summer research training program whose primary purpose is to develop students as future researchers-experience these faculty can parley into externally funded grants to fund future student cohorts. Over 50 UM undergraduate students have completed summer research experiences since the program's inception in 2018.

The University of Southern Mississippi's (USM) School of Leadership, housed within the College of Business and Economic Development and based at the USM Gulf Park campus in Long Beach, focuses on the fields of business and professional studies. Undergraduate and graduate programs in the fields of accounting; business administration; management; marketing; applied technology; industrial engineering technology; logistics, trade and transportation; and human capital development are all housed within USM's School of Leadership.

Inspired by Alcorn State University's mission to "prepare well-rounded future leaders of high character," the Hiram Rhodes Revels Institute for Ethical Leadership is dedicated to developing ethical leadership for every sphere of influence. Based on our first President Hiram Revels's religious, political, and educational leadership, the Institute provides reflection, research, and recommendations for bringing spirituality, ethics, and leadership together to address critical issues confronting rural and urban communities throughout our state and region. The Revels Institute benefits students, faculty, and community partners by cultivating lifelong ethical learning and leadership, relevant interdisciplinary research and instruction, and institution-based social innovation.

Delta State University offers a variety of leadership development opportunities to students of all levels. The McNair Scholars Program at Delta State prepares qualified undergraduate students for entrance into a graduate program in all fields of study. Through research and other scholarly activities, the program seeks to increase the number of first-generation, low-income and/or underrepresented students in master's and doctoral programs.

In addition, Delta State's Division of Teacher Education, Leadership and Research (TELR) prepares leaders for educational administration and supervision in public or independent school settings. Specifically, the master's and education specialist in Educational Administration and Supervision programs produces graduates who are instructional leaders and change agents who act with integrity, focus on continuous improvement and engage the larger community.

The Teach for America Graduate Fellows Program at Delta State hand-selects cohorts of 8-12 scholars who are tasked with completing a social entrepreneurship project addressing Mississippi's most pressing issues while pursuing a graduate degree at Delta State. Since 2016, more than $1.1 million dollars have been raised towards these innovative projects.

McNair Scholars at Delta State University receive leadership development opportunities to help them prepare for graduate school.

Members of the Teach for America Graduate Fellows Program at Delta State University build their leadership skills through completion of social entrepreneurship projects that address Mississippi's most pressing issues.

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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.

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