| 
Board Names Search Committees for Chancellor and Commissioner
During its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, January 15, the IHL Board named Board Search Committees for the positions of Chancellor at the University of Mississippi and Commissioner of Higher Education. The University of Mississippi Chancellor position will become available following the retirement of University of Mississippi Chancellor Robert Khayat, effective June 30, 2009. The Board Search Committee for Chancellor includes Board President Amy Whitten of Oxford, Chair; Trustee Stacy Davidson of Cleveland; Trustee Bob Owens of Jackson; Trustee Aubrey Patterson of Tupelo; Trustee Alan Perry of Jackson; Trustee Christine Pickering of Biloxi; and Trustee Doug Rouse of Hattiesburg. The Board intends to name the new Chancellor prior to June 30. The Commissioner of Higher Education position became available upon the October 2008 retirement of Dr. Thomas C. Meredith. Trustee Ed Blakeslee of Gulfport will chair the Board Search Committee for Commissioner, with the Board operating as a committee of the whole. Both searches will begin immediately.
| | America Reads - Mississippi Named Youth Service Day Lead Agency
America Reads-Mississippi (ARM), the largest AmeriCorps Program in the state, has been named Mississippi Lead Agency for the fifth year in a row to coordinate service projects for Global Youth Service Day (GYSD). In support of this effort, State Farm Companies Foundation, the main sponsor of GYSD 2009, is making a significant pledge to the Lead Agency Program. Susan Lamey, public affairs specialist for State Farm Insurance, will make a $2,000 planning grant check presentation to America Reads-Mississippi on Monday, January 19, at 9:00 a.m. at Kyle's House, 19 Ridgeway, Natchez, MS. ARM will mobilize more than 5,000 young people throughout the state to participate in the 20th Annual Global Youth Service Day, April 24 - 26, 2009. ARM AmeriCorps members organize and conduct Junior Citizenship Corps Clubs (JCCC), comprised of 1,700 students who are engaged in service learning, initiate and conduct community-based emergency preparedness workshops, and coordinate volunteer recruitment activities. ARM GYSD statewide activities will involve approximately 3,000 additional youth across the state. Global Youth Service Day is the largest service event in the world that mobilizes young people to identify and address community needs through service. Visit www.americareadsms.org for additional information about the ARM AmeriCorps program or contact ARM Special Projects Coordinator Nikitna Barnes at 601-432-6110. | | Nursing Community Supports Legislative Event Jan. 20
The nursing community, led by nine professional nursing organizations, will support a nursing legislative event in the Capitol Rotunda on Tuesday, January 20, 2009 from 8:30 until 10:30 a.m. Breakfast will be provided in honor of the legislators and their support of nursing and nursing education. Faculty from two schools of nursing will be on hand to demonstrate nursing simulation scenarios. In addition, a summary report on the simulation feasibility study, which was funded by the 2008 Legislature, will be available. The Mississippi Legislature has been responsive to the needs of the nursing and nursing education communities. In addition to funding the nursing simulation study in 2008, in recent years, legislators have provided money for raises to nurse educators. They have also funded additional nursing faculty positions at the state's schools of nursing. This support of nursing education is extremely important for helping the state overcome the nursing shortage, explains Dr. Martha Catlette, director of nursing education for the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning. "Mississippi faces a shortage of nursing faculty, which is expected to worsen 30-40 percent over the next two years. A shortage of faculty creates a bottleneck in the nursing education pipeline. With fewer faculty, schools of nursing can educate fewer students, graduate fewer students, and produce fewer practicing nurses." The sponsoring organizations are the Mississippi Association of Student Nurses, Mississippi Board of Nursing, Mississippi Council of Deans and Directors of Schools of Nursing, Mississippi Health Care Association, Mississippi Hospital Association/Mississippi Organization of Nurse Executives, Mississippi Nurses Association, Mississippi Organization for Associate Degree Nursing, Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce, and the Mississippi Organization for Associate Degree Nursing Student Association. For more information, contact Dr. Martha Catlette. | |  Items included in the "University News" section of the System Review are submitted each week by the universities. The news items are listed in rotating alphabetical order by university.THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEWS
 Pulitzer Prize-Winning Playwright Kicks Off Visiting Writers Series
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and actress Beth Henley will be the featured artist at a Jan. 22 reading hosted by The University of Southern Mississippi's Center for Writers and the university's Department of Theatre and Dance. The reading is the fifth of the center's 2008-09 Visiting Writers Series and will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Martha R. Tatum Theatre in the Theatre and Dance Building on the university's Hattiesburg campus. Henley also will take part in a question-and-answer session immediately following the reading with Dawson Moore, playwright-in-residence for the theater department's 2009 Blaine Quarnstrom Playwright's series. A native of Jackson, Henley was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and Dramatist Critics Circle Award, as well as Tony and Academy Award nominations, for her play "Crimes of the Heart." She adapted her play, "The Miss Firecracker Contest," into a film starring Holly Hunter. Other works include "The Wake of Jamey Foster," "The Debutante Ball," "Abundance," "Impossible Marriage" and "Ridiculous Fraud." Her work has been produced internationally and translated into more than 10 languages. She lives in California. The Visiting Writers Series is one of the cornerstones of the Center for Writers and has brought more than 150 nationally regarded writers of literary fiction and nonfiction poetry to campus for the community's benefit. Learn more. Southern Miss History Professor Awarded Guggenheim Grant Southern Miss Announces Wesley Medical Center Nursing Scholarship Recipient Southern Miss Students Recognized by National Residence Hall Honorary Award Winners to Showcase Talents with Southern Miss Symphony THE UNIVERSITY of SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST CAMPUS NEWS
Southern Miss Gulf Coast to Host Repertory Dance Company Concert
Join the Southern Miss Repertory Dance Company as they present a dance concert Saturday, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. in the Advanced Education Center auditorium on the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. The concert, which is free and open to the public, is part of the Discoveries: Gulf Coast Performance Series and will feature faculty and student works that showcase modern dance and ballet. The performances will take the audience through a range of feelings including wonder, fear, urgency, calm, and exploration. Assistant professor of dance Erin Leigh will open the concert with her piece, "I Place Eternal Before Me." The work, inspired by the music of Steve Reich, is about the journey one goes through in contemplating the wonder of our existence. "Movement phrases were designed to meet the exuberance of the ever-shifting percussive score with moments intended to convey community, questioning, humility, and reverence," said Leigh. Learn more. Southern Miss Gulf Coast Faculty Presentations Broadcast by C-SPAN Financial Aid Info Night set for Jan. 29 83-Year-Old Student Graduates from Southern Miss Scholastic Book Club Paperbacks on Display at Southern Miss Gulf Coast Library ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Alcorn Faculty Dr. Cassandra Vaughn Selected Veterinary Alumnus of the Year
Cassandra Vaughn, DVM, has been selected as the 2009 Veterinary Alumnus of the Year by Mississippi State University. The College of Veterinary Medicine Alumnus of the Year Program recognizes alumni who have made a significant contribution to human or institutional progress in which a situation, institution, or movement has been materially changed for the better because of their participation. This award recognizes the achievements of outstanding alumni whose personal lives, professional accomplishments, and community service best exemplify the mission of the College of Veterinary Medicine. Since her arrival at Alcorn, Dr. Vaughn has seen four of her students successfully matriculate through veterinary medical school and become thriving veterinary colleagues. Learn more. Dr. Barry L. Bequette Named Dean of the School of AREAS at Alcorn State DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Delta State's Robinson Helps Produce Community Development Textbook
Delta State University's Distinguished Professor of Rural Sociology Emeritus, Dr. Jerry W. Robinson, Jr., and Gary Green, director, Center for Community and Economic Development, University of Wisconsin in Madison, have a signed a contract with Sage Press, Thousand Oaks, Calif., to edit a new community development text. Community Development: Theory, Practice, and Service Learning will target upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students in sociology, community development, social work and other fields. Each chapter of the book will be written by two professors from different universities. Delta State Professors Alan Barton, John Green Paulette Meikle, and Albert Nylander III will co-author book chapters. On-line learning activities for students and a PowerPoint CD for instructors also will be provided by Sage Press. The book is scheduled to be released in August 2009. Learn more. Delta State's Delta Rural Poll Scheduled for Jan./Feb. 2009 Delta State Offers College Credit for High School Students Former Statesmen Jeremy Richardson helps NBA's Magic Break Record JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
JSU Orchestra to Perform for President-elect Barack Obama in Washington, D.C.
The Jackson State University Chamber Orchestra has been invited to participate in two events celebrating the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama in Washington, D.C. The group, which will include 16 students, will first perform for the United Negro College Fund's 26th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration at 8:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19. Later that day, at 2 p.m., the orchestra will perform for the president-elect and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation during a religious service honoring Obama and King. "This is the biggest thing we've ever done," said orchestra director Robert Blaine. "The orchestra has never played for an elected president. This is a huge honor." Blaine has completed a special arrangement of "Lift Every Voice and Sing," - often called the "Negro National Anthem" - which he said is designed to move the audience. Learn more. Retired JSU Chemistry Professor Donates $20,000 for Scholarships JSU Engineering Graduate Profiled in National Magazine Jackson to Collaborate With Malaysian Faculty in Rehabilitation Research Jackson State Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Papers of President Grant Find New Home at Mississippi State
Correspondence, photographs, books, memorabilia, and other documents related to the military career and presidency of Ulysses S. Grant now are being housed at Mississippi State. Through an agreement signed recently with the Ulysses S. Grant Association, the university's Mitchell Memorial Library has become the official host of the Grant papers. Civil War scholar John F. Marszalek, an MSU Giles Distinguished Professor Emeritus of History, is assuming the duties of executive director and managing editor of the association. He continues a 46-year-old project begun by the late John Y. Simon, another nationally renowned scholar who died earlier this year in Illinois. Marszalek said MSU now becomes one of only a few U.S. institutions to house a collection of presidential papers. Over the next five years, he will be leading an effort to produce a supplementary volume, as well as a scholarly edition of Memoirs, the Union Army general-in-chief and 18th president's autobiography. He also will be working to develop a digitized version of the entire series, a cumulative index and a paperback edition, all of which will precede a formal opening of the collection to visiting scholars. "Mississippi State will be the premier source of materials for research about a seminal figure in the nation's history," the veteran historian observed. "This is a remarkable accomplishment for our institution." Learn more. MSU Wildlife Biologist Receives Top Honor of World Body MSU Campus Bike Fleet Hits University Campus MSU Center, Harvard Students Help Plot New Delta 'Directions' Three MSU Faculty Members Assume New Campus Roles MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND VETERINARY MEDICINE NEWS
Students Feel Sweet Success from Helping Those in Need
The experience of bagging sweet potatoes and boxing jelly for food pantries last fall has taught Mississippi State University students who focus on food and health issues that helping others is a sweet gift, too. Students in MSU's Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion organized the Committee of 19, a leadership group devoted to raising awareness of the state's food insecurity issues. Others are members of the MSU Food Science Club, an organization that seeks real-life experience in preparation, processing, and distribution of food products. "I want to encourage people not to give up hope, and that is why I help," said V.J. Radhakrishnan, a graduate student from India working on his doctorate in food science. Some students like Radhakrishnan bagged potatoes and made jelly because faculty members Chiquita Briley and Juan Silva set good examples. Both professors use service projects to illustrate the societal relationship between food and well-being. "I worked the first potato drop we had in 2007, and I did so because of Dr. Briley's enthusiasm," Radhakrishnan said. "She's the reason I helped with this year's. Then Dr. Silva followed her lead with the jelly and approached our food science club about donating the products to food pantries. "Briley, who is an assistant Extension professor in the department, helped the Committee of 19 stage the sweet potato drops with the Mississippi Food Network and the Society of St. Andrew during late fall. Learn more. MSU Analysis Shows 2008 Crop Values Increase as Profits Remain Variable MSU Extension's Early Childhood Programs Lauded MSU Doctoral Grad Honored for Research MSU Forest Products Head Accepted for National Food Systems Leadership Institute MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN NEWS
MUW Celebrates 125th Anniversary
Mississippi University for Women will kick off its 125th anniversary celebration on Jan. 21 and continue festivities through the end of the semester. A reception for the Eugenia Summer Art Exhibit is one of many special events planned to commemorate the observance themed "A Legacy of Light: MUW's Golden Past and Brilliant Future." The reception begins at 5 p.m. in the recently renovated gallery of the Art and Design Building on campus. On Friday, Jan. 30, there will be a reception and book-signing for "Golden Days: Reminiscences of Alumnae, Mississippi State College for Women," a collection of oral histories honoring alumnae. The event starts at 5 p.m. in Puckett House. Mary Margaret Roberts, MUW alumni relations executive director, said, "Throughout the 125th anniversary year, we will have many opportunities to celebrate the university's distinguished history and its longstanding commitment to teaching and learning while we also look forward to an even brighter future." The public is invited to share in the many activities planned including the 125th birthday bash sponsored by the MUW Alumni Association on Thursday, March 12 at 1 p.m. at the Bryan Green Gazebo. Learn more. MUW Continues Partnership with Local School District Four Inducted into Mississippi Hall of Master Teachers at MUW MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
MVSU Hosts Dr. Martin Luther King Convocation on Jan. 20
In observance of the late Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, Mississippi Valley State University will hold its annual convocation on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. in the H.G. Carpenter Auditorium. Featured speaker will be Itta Bena Mayor Thelma Collins. In addition, reflections will be given by three men who were a part of the Civil Rights Movement: former Mississippi Rep. Robert Clark, former MVSU dean and vice president Dr. Nathaniel Boclair, and Bolivar County Head Start Director Billy McCain. "It is a tremendous honor to have our own mayor speak on this historic occasion," said Dr. Donna H. Oliver, MVSU President. "We welcome Mr. McCain back to his alma mater as well as Dr. Boclair, one of our former vice presidents who served two terms as Valley's interim president. "And whenever our students have a chance to interact with Dr. Clark, we know they come away with knowledge that they have listened to a man of distinction and character," she said. "This is a wonderful opportunity for the public to join us in celebration of Dr. King's dream and recognition of our new President's inauguration," Oliver continued. Learn more. Valley's Venturini to Serve on Department of Human Services Panel MVSU Offers Language, Cultural Studies Course for Children Valley to Host Recording Industry Symposium MVSU Hosts Health Professionals Forum on Diabetes THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Wounded Iraq Veteran Receives UM Scholarship Named for WWII Veteran
From his waist up, Aaron Rice may not stand out among his classmates at the University of Mississippi School of Law; however, he wears a distinct "badge of honor" below his salvaged left knee that he is not ashamed to show. The Hattiesburg native with a prosthetic leg started law school in August and was selected for a scholarship named after an UM law alumnus who was not only a veteran but also suffered a nearly identical injury. Rice is one of three first-year students selected for the Mitchell Scholarship in Law, named for William P. "Pete" Mitchell, a 1937 law school graduate, and his wife, Mary Annis. After his freshman year of college and a stint as an intern on Haley Barbour's first gubernatorial campaign, Rice enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve and was deployed to Iraq in March 2005. On March 18, Rice was driving the third vehicle in his convoy when his Humvee's left wheel hit an anti-tank landmine just outside the city of Haditha. The crippled vehicle's dash pinned Rice, and the explosion mutilated his left leg below the knee. Rice has not allowed being an amputee to define his life. In October 2005, six months after his amputation and against his doctors' advice, he ran a 10-mile race for wounded veterans in Washington, D.C. He and his wife returned to Mississippi in 2006 and finished college. Rice still races, skis and cycles, and enjoys the outdoors. He isn't sure which area of law he wants to specialize in, but politics seem to have a special attraction for him. Learn more. Honors Students Receive Competitive Internship with Scottish Parliament Public Accounting Report Ranks UM's Doctoral and Graduate Programs in Nation's Top 15 UM Researcher Studies Whether Nintendo Wii Game Consoles Can Improve Family Fitness Physicist from Portugal Returns to UM as Fulbright Scholar THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER NEWS ONLINE
The University of Mississippi Medical Center Online
www.umc.edu/ 
Jan. 16-March 22 - Mississippi State University's Colvard Student Union presents "Katrina: MS Women Remember," a photography exhibition of Melody Golding's images. The free art exhibit is located on the second floor of the Union and available for public viewing. For more info, call (662) 325-2930. Learn more. Jan. 17 - Join the Southern Miss Repertory Dance Company as they present a free dance concert at 7 p.m. in the Advanced Education Center auditorium on the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Learn more. Jan. 20 - The first public exhibition by Birmingham-based professional photographer Steve Gates opens at the UM Museum. "Characters, Crossroads and Other Observations" is a collection of 31 photographs Gates took between 1966 and 1972 in his hometown of Oxford. The show runs through March 8. Learn more. Jan. 21 - Mississippi State University's East Mississippi Chapter of NWA/AMS presents "A Day in the Life of a Hurricane Hunter," at 5 p.m. at Hilbun Hall 216. Hurricane hunter and MSU graduate Kaitlyn McLaughlin will discuss her job flying into the worst Mother Nature can dish out. Learn more. Jan. 21 and 22 - The 35th annual Delta Ag Expo, coordinated by the Mississippi State Extension Service, will be at Cleveland's Bolivar County Expo Center. Contact Don Respess at (662) 624-3070, or drespess@ext.msstate.edu. Learn more. Jan. 22 - Mississippi State University's Alumni Association and University Libraries presents a 7 p.m. public program in Lee Hall auditorium to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the night Old Main Dormitory was destroyed in a massive fire. About 150 residents of Old Main are expected to attend. Learn more. Jan. 26 - "DRUMLine Live" opens the spring season at the UM Ford Center for the Performing Arts. The 8 p.m. show brings the marching band tradition to the theatrical stage with trumpets, explosive choreography, and feats of athleticism from steppers and dancers. Tickets are $25 for general admission. Learn more. Jan. 29 - Mississippi Valley State University will host a Health Professional Forum on Diabetes from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in the MVSU Business Education Auditorium. Among featured speakers will be Dr. Griffin Rodgers of the National Institute of Health. For more information, call (601) 667-7298 or (662) 254-3577. Learn more . Jan. 29 - The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast will host a financial aid information session at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29, in the Advanced Education Center Auditorium on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Learn more. Jan. 30 - Southern Miss will host a conference to address issues concerning the older adult population. Learn more. Feb. 9 - Delta State University will present "Mad Science: CSI Live," a matinee in the Delta & Pine Land Theatre of the Bologna Performing Arts Center at 9.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. For ticket information, please call the Arts Education office at (662) 846-4844. Learn more. Feb. 10 - A General Pest Management Workshop at MSU's Central Mississippi Research & Extension Center is designed for crop consultants wishing to recertify their crop consulting license. Continuing education and in-service credits also are available. Contact David Ingram at (601) 857-2284 or davidi@ext.msstate. Learn more. Feb. 17-19 - The Mississippi Crop College co-sponsored by the MSU Extension Service and the Mississippi Agricultural Industry Council provides pest, soil, and water management updates. Sessions will be in the Bost Extension Center on MSU's campus. Contact Larry Oldham at (662) 325-2760 or loldham@pss.msstate.edu. Learn more. Feb. 18 - Mississippi Valley State University will hold its annual Black History Convocation at 10 a.m. in the H.G. Carpenter Auditorium. The public is invited to attend the free event. The MVSU Concert Choir will be the featured entertainment. Learn more. Feb. 19 - Delta State University will present "Hairspray" in the Delta & Pine Land Theatre of the Bologna Performing Arts Center at 7.30 p.m. For ticket information, please call the Box Office at (662) 846-4626. Learn more. Through March 8 - An exhibition by painter-photographer Randy Hayes titled "Ruins of Mississippi and Other Places" is on display at UM Museum. The series of diptychs (pronounced DIP-ticks) compares landscapes in Katrina-marred Pass Christian, Waveland and Long Beach with the architectural remnants of ancient cultures. Learn more. |
