IHL Board Votes to Protect Constitutional Authority
During its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday in Greenville, the IHL Board discussed the opinion and judgment issued earlier this month by the Lowndes County Chancery Court in the case between the Mississippi University for Women Alumnae Association and the Mississippi University for Women and the Board of Trustees. While hopeful a settlement can still be reached, the Board voted to authorize its attorney to take any and all action necessary to protect the constitutional governing authority of the Board, including an appeal of the opinion to the State Supreme Court. However, the Board intends to continue negotiations with the Alumnae Association in a good faith effort to resolve the matter. "Unfortunately, the opinion violates the constitutional structure set in place by Mississippi voters to protect the state's public universities from this kind of outside interference and control," said Trustee Amy Whitten, chair of the Board's Legal Committee. "The Board does not take its decision to appeal lightly, but realizes it has no choice as it has an obligation to uphold the responsibilities bestowed upon it by the Mississippi Constitution. We are hopeful, however, that a resolution can be reached through a thoughtful dialogue between the involved parties." The Board's next regular monthly meeting will take place on November 14, 2007, in the IHL Board room. For more information, visit www.mississippi.edu.
| | IHL Board Holds Annual Retreat
Following its monthly meeting, the IHL Board held its annual retreat on Wednesday and Thursday in Greenwood. The annual retreat provides the Board an opportunity to discuss items of interest for the upcoming year. Among other topics, the Board unanimously endorsed a proposed strategic planning concept and embraced the goal of increasing the number and quality of Mississippi's baccalaureate graduates. Only 21 percent of Mississippi's adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, compared with 28 percent of the nation's adults. Because a college education is becoming a necessity in the global marketplace, Mississippi must raise the level of educational attainment of her citizens in order to be competitive. Among other topics, the Board also discussed the upcoming legislative session as well as other major objectives for 2008. Learn more about the IHL Board of Trustees.
| | Immigration Issues Topic of CUPAM Chapter Meeting
At the College and University Professionals Association of Mississippi (CUPAM) chapter meeting last Thursday, October 11, attorney David A. M. Ware of David Ware and Associates provided an update on recent federal rulings applicable to immigration issues, with particular emphasis on issues relating to employment visas. An understanding of the nation's dynamic immigration law is critically important to the human resources departments at postsecondary institutions. As an author and speaker on immigration topics and a professor of immigration law at Southern University School of Law, Mr. Ware is uniquely qualified to address the topic. Following Mr. Ware's presentation, a business meeting was held to seek nominations for the organization's 2008 officers. Mr. Russ Willis, director of human resources at the University of Southern Mississippi, was named President, and Ms. Monique Sneed, director of human resources at Mississippi Valley State University, was named Secretary/Treasurer. Mr. Willis and Ms. Sneed will assume their new roles effective January 1, 2008. To learn more about the meeting, contact Russ Williss at (601) 266-4050.
| | #9 - Children of University Graduates More Prepared for School, Active in Activities
(Top 15 Ways Universities Benefit Mississippi)
Mississippi benefits from the state's public universities because children of parents with university degrees are, on average, better prepared for school and more involved in extracurricular activities than children of parents with less education. A study conducted in 2005 revealed that 37 percent of children, aged 3-5, whose mothers had a bachelor's degree, could recognize all letters, compared to only 19 percent of children of mothers with a high school diploma. More than half (54 percent) of the children whose mothers had a bachelor's degree were more prepared for school because they had at least three of the following skills: they could recognize all letters, count to 20, read or pretend to read books, or write their name. Only 33 percent of the children of high school graduates had three or more of these skills. Among elementary and middle school children, 59 percent of those with at least one parent with a bachelor's degree participated in after-school activities, compared to 27 percent of children of high school graduates. In addition, children of college graduates were more than three times as likely as the children of high school graduates to participate in scouting and in arts-related after-school activities. For more statistical data on the impact of higher education on children and society, read the study Education Pays: The Benefits of Higher Education to Individuals and Society.
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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.
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEWS
 School of Nursing Continues 40th Anniversary Celebration at Homecoming
The University of Southern Mississippi School of Nursing participated in Homecoming activities in celebration of its 40th anniversary with a parade float and tailgating. “I am excited about the events associated with our 40th anniversary as they allow us to share our legacy of success with the community and will allow our alumni, past and present faculty, and past deans to celebrate this milestone,” said Dr. Katherine Nugent, School of Nursing director. Other 40th anniversary events still to come this academic year include the David J. Fine Distinguished Lecturer Series featuring guest speaker Dr. Beatrice Kalisch from the University of Michigan’s School of Nursing next March. The School of Nursing will sponsor a spring gala at the Hattiesburg Country Club in May. This year not only provides a time to reflect on the past, but also a time to celebrate the many accomplishments of the school as the state’s largest producer of baccalaureate- and master-level nurses. The School of Nursing has campuses in Hattiesburg, the Gulf Coast and Meridian. More than 5,500 students have graduated since the Southern Miss School of Nursing was established in 1967 by Elizabeth C. Harkins. Learn more. School of Social Work Student to Collect Prom Dresses for Foster Children Southern Miss Alumni Award Winners Honored at Brunch Southern Miss Make A Difference Day Scheduled at Hattiesburg Sites NASDAQ Executive Vice President to Speak at College of Business UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST NEWS
Katrina Research Center Hosts Conference on Coping and Recovery
Professionals from the mental health, nursing, religious, and other fields will discuss first-hand discoveries about the impact of and recovery from Hurricane Katrina during a half-day conference hosted by the Katrina Research Center at the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast. The conference, “Post-Katrina Coping and Recovery Two Years Later,” will begin at 1 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 25, at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport Auditorium. Dr. Ray Scurfield, director of the Katrina Research Center and professor of social work at Southern Miss, said he expects the conference to be especially helpful to professionals in the health, mental health, and service industries who deal with Katrina-related stress and after-effects. “This conference will address the impact of Katrina and recovery from the storm in several different populations, from displaced children to older nurses,” Scurfield said. “In addition to health and mental health, the conference will discuss spirituality and the role of volunteers in community-based services.” He added that the conference will feature a group of Southern Miss professionals from the areas of psychology, nursing, oral history, history, and educational leadership and research. Learn more. Winning Class of 'Name the Vessel' Contest Visits Stennis ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Biology Department Faculty and Students Participate in Research Symposium
On October 6, 2007, Department of Biology faculty members Drs. J. Ignacio Moreno and Marta Piva and students Rhonda Price, LaDonna Arrington, Shanta Hargrave and Jason Brewer presented two research papers at the Second Annual Mississippi Functional Genomics Network (MFGN)/ INBRE Research Symposium at Mississippi University for Women, in Columbus. The first paper, presented orally, was entitled "Phenotypical and Molecular Characterization of the YGR150C Gene Null Mutant." The second paper, presented as a poster, was entitled "Studies of Phenotype Complementation Using YGR150C Gene Product on Its Corresponding Mutant that Harbors Irreversible Mitochondrial Dysfunction." Learn more. Miss Mississippi 2007 Speaks at the Convocation DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Delta State Welcomes Pulitzer Prize Winner Trethewey to Campus
Delta State University welcomed Natasha Trethewey, the 2007 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Poetry, to campus today and announced its intent to honor the Mississippi native with an honorary degree at the University’s winter commencement ceremony, Saturday, Dec. 8. “Ms. Trethewey is an accomplished poet who has achieved international recognition. Her Mississippi heritage makes all of us proud. We’re pleased that she will accept an honorary doctoral degree from Delta State at our December commencement,” Delta State President Dr. John M. Hilpert offered in a press conference held earlier this morning on campus. “Her success is a wonderful story for our students and graduates to hear.” While on the Cleveland campus, Trethewey presented a reading from her collection of works. She also met with faculty, staff, and students and signed copies of her books. The visit marked her first appearance on an institution of higher learning’s campus in her native state since winning the Pulitzer Prize. Her most recent collection of poems, Native Guard , (Houghton Mifflin 2006) earned her the prestigious Pulitzer, as well as the 2007 Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Book Prize. “Today has been a wonderful day – to be welcomed back as a native daughter, it is a dream come true,” Trethewey explained. Of the honorary degree she will receive in December from Delta State, she added, “It is an absolute honor, and I am so happy it is Delta State University that is doing this. I am very appreciative and look forward to returning to campus later this semester.” Learn more. 'Cleveland's Historic Neighborhoods: An Exhibit' Opens at Delta State's Capps Archives and Museum No. 5 Statesmen Look to Take Roar out of No. 2 Lions; Game to be Televised Lady Statesmen Basketball Open Season Ranked 7th in Country JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
JSU MURC to Conduct HIV/AIDS Prevention Skills-Building Institute
The Mississippi Urban Research Center at Jackson State University will conduct an HIV/AIDS Prevention Skills-Building Institute Nov. 26-30 in Tunica. The institute is free to community-based organization staff and health care professionals who provide HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment services in Bolivar, Coahoma, Carroll, Desoto, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Leflore, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Washington, Warren, and Yazoo counties. The registration deadline is Oct. 26. Participation is limited. The institute will focus on organizational infrastructure and will provide training on grant-writing, human resources and fiscal management, board development, and obtaining a 501 (c) (3) designation. Participants also will learn the basics of behavioral science, how to conduct a community assessment, and steps for developing a logic model and program evaluation plan. They also will be given an overview of behavioral interventions. To receive an application, or for more information, call Pamela McCoy toll-free at 1-866-JSU-MURC (578-6872) or visit www.murc.org and click on the Delta Health Initiative link. Learn more. JSU/NASA Educator Resource Center Fall 2007 Workshops Nine JSU Students Win Poster Awards at Environmental Health Symposium MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
MSU Research Team Praised for Efforts to Clear Idaho Lake
Work by a team of Mississippi State researchers and students is earning recognition by the state of Idaho and the personal appreciation of its top elected official. As non-native aquatic vegetation began to threaten resources, Gem State officials earlier this year began taking steps to manage the weed. In the spring, they requested the assistance of John Madsen of Mississippi State's GeoResources Institute. The institute regularly conducts and coordinates research and educational activities in environmental resource management, particularly in areas relating to agriculture, forestry, water resources, meteorology, and oceanography. To complete its work, GRI's interdisciplinary group employs high-technology resources of the land-grant institution's High-Performance Computing Collaboratory, of which the institute is a part. For the past six months, Madsen, research associate Ryan Wersal, and four others worked to determine the most effective means of managing Eurasian watermilfoil. Native to Europe and Asia, the plant, whose scientific name is Myriophyllum jspicatum, features feathery foliage and once was sold as a common aquarium decoration. Now found over most of the U.S., it can alter drastically a water body's ecology by forming very dense surface mats that interfere with boating and other related recreations. Learn more. MSU Operating Costs Are Large, but Spending Focuses on Core Functions Tuck to Become Special Assistant to MSU President Newest MSU Alumni Chapter Opens in Far East Joint Class Effort Offers Ideas for New MSU Green Space MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY AND VETERINARY MEDICINE NEWS
MSU Course Explores People-Plant Connection
The most commonly known people-plant connections are food and oxygen, but using plants to help individuals with mental illnesses goes back several hundred years. Two Mississippi State University employees team taught a graduate-level course this past summer exploring the people-plant connection as a therapy tool. The 10-week class was offered at MSU's Meridian campus through the counselor education curriculum. The subject matter attracts graduate students in both horticulture and guidance counseling. The instructors were Julia Porter, associate professor of counselor education at MSU-Meridian, and her husband, Wayne Porter, an area horticulture agent with the MSU Extension Service. "We divided the course into two parts," Julia Porter said. "The first part, which I teach, is devoted to counseling theories, design and techniques. Wayne teaches the second part, which includes the basics of botany, propagation, and plant maintenance. We help the students apply what they have learned in conducting special projects." In 10 hours of fieldwork, students deal with actual clients to fulfill special project requirements. They also are required to write reports on the project's progress. As a healing technique, horticulture therapy gained widespread acceptance by modern academics following World War II. Julia Porter said individuals condemned to the Nazi death camps or captured as prisoners of war experienced such horror that conventional forms of therapy were not adequate. Learn more. MSU-based Agrability Project Helps a Farmer Stay on Farm International Group Recognizes MSU Ag Communications Head Veterinary Primary Care Group Offers Unique Services Center for Governmental Training and Technology Leader Appointed to National Committee MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN NEWS
Events planned for Women's Health Awareness Week
Mississippi University for Women’s (MUW) Master of Science in Health Education Degree Program and Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden Triangle are sponsoring several luncheon presentations to correspond with Women’s Health Awareness Week. On Tuesday, Oct. 23, dermatologist Bethany Hairston will lead the seminar “Getting in Touch with Your Skin.” The first 64 tickets are free but must be reserved in advance. The next day, Wednesday, Oct. 24, motivational speaker Nancy Coey will present her nationally-recognized program “What Would Happen if I DID Remove the Mattress Tag?” According to Coey’s website (www.nancycoy.com ), the program is said to “help you remove self-limiting behaviors and show you the way to step into the jet stream which is waiting for you, only an inch away.” The program will begin at 12 p.m., with a book signing immediately following the presentation. The tickets for this event are $10 and must be purchased in advance. Then on Thursday, Oct. 25, gynecologist Pamela Lacy will present “Cancer – What Women Need to Know.” Like Tuesday’s presentation, the first 64 tickets are free, but must be reserved in advance. All of the presentations will be held in the Pope Banquet Room, upstairs in Hogarth on the MUW campus. For more information and to reserve tickets, call the Health and Kinesiology Department at (601) 329-7225. Learn more. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
MVSU Public Forum features Jena Six Attorneys On Nov. 1
Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU) will host a public forum featuring several of the Jena Six attorneys on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 3:00 p.m. in the H.G. Carpenter Auditorium. “The Continuing Saga of Racial Domination: The Jena Six,” will feature attorneys Louis Scott, Carol Powell-Lexing, and Bob Noel. Scott and Powell-Lexing are the attorneys for 17-year-old black Jena High School student Mychal Bell, who was charged as an adult in the beating crime of Justin Barker, a white Jena High School student. Former Mississippi Rep. Robert Clark, distinguished scholar at the MVSU Delta Research & Cultural Institute, will deliver an overview of racial domination. Following discussion by the Jena Six attorneys, a panel discussion will be held featuring Leflore County Judge and MVSU Adjunct Professor Solomon Osborne and Student Government Association President Timothy Lampkin. The public will have an opportunity to participate in a question and answer session. The event is sponsored by the MVSU Student Government Association, the MVSU Office of Academic Affairs, and the MVSU President’s Office. UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI NEWS
English Professor Receives Fulbright to Teach in Tokyo
University of Mississippi (UM) English professor David Galef has been awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant to teach in Japan. Galef plans to travel to Tokyo in April to spend four months, accompanied by his wife, Beth Weinhouse, and 12-year-old son, Daniel. He is scheduled to teach at Sophia University and Japan Women's University, lecturing on 20th-century science fiction and the modern American short story. "The Japanese are eager to learn everything they can about American culture, so I'm really looking forward to teaching over there," Galef said. Galef, who has been teaching at UM for 18 years, earned his bachelor's degree in English and creative writing from Princeton University in 1981. He then spent a year in Osaka, Japan, teaching English as a second language. In 1982, he returned to the U.S. and completed his doctorate in English at Columbia University in 1989. "I've always wanted to go back to Japan, but it's always been one thing or another," he said. "Now just seems like the right time." Galef said that he and his family look forward to learning about the country's culture. In preparation for the trip, they are taking lessons in Japanese. Galef has published 13 books, including two books of Japanese translations: Even Monkeys Fall from Trees, and Other Japanese Proverbs and Even a Stone Buddha Can Talk: More Wit and Wisdom of Japanese Proverbs . Learn more. Educators Use Play Therapy to Help Children Overcome Issues UM Teams with Holmes Community College to Offer Education Classes in Grenada Student Group Seeks Volunteers for Hurricane Katrina Relief Trip Ole Miss United Way Chapter Kicks Off 2007 Campaign UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER NEWS
 UMC Participates in Nation's Largest Child, Human Health Study
The University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMC) has been selected as one of 22 study centers nationwide by the National Children’s Study (NCS), the largest study of child and human health ever conducted in the United States, to assess the effects of environmental and genetic factors on child and human health in the country. Funding for the new study centers and the study’s initial phase is a result of a $69 million appropriation from Congress in FY 2007. Dr. Anthony Mawson, UMC professor of preventive medicine, is principal investigator for the study at the Medical Center. “This is excellent news for the research community in Mississippi,” said Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi. “Our state continues to expand its capacity for medical and scientific research, and I am pleased that the University of Mississippi Medical Center has been recognized and chosen as a site for the National Children’s Study. “As one of the premier research hospitals in the region, UMC is perfectly suited to conduct this important study.” Learn more. Coffey Receives NIAAA Recognition for AD-PTSD Study Anatomy Professor's Book Becomes World's Most Popular "Brain Atlas" 
Oct. 18-20 - Mississippi University for Women presents the Nineteenth Annual Eudora Welty Writers' Symposium. Twelve authors and one visual artist will be on hand to present and discuss their works. Learn more. Oct. 19 - Jackson State University’s WJSU-88.5FM will sponsor the “Battle of the Saxes” at 7 p.m. in the Rose Embly McCoy Auditorium. Featured saxophonists include Kyle Turner (Houston, Texas), Kelley O'Neal, (Atlanta, Ga.), and Donald Harrison (New Orleans, La.). Learn more. Oct. 19 - The Count Basie Orchestra brings its unique style to the Ford Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Mississippi. The 8 p.m. concert kicks off the popular Ford Series. Tickets are $35, $32, and $29 for various seating and available by calling the UM Box Office at (662) 915-7411. Learn more. Oct. 20 - Mississippi State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences presents a potato drop from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Palmeiro Center. The event allows the university community to donate sweet potatoes to local needy families. For more information, call (662) 325-0240. Learn more. Oct. 21 - Mississippi State University's Lyceum Faculty Chamber Series presents percussionist Robert Damm in concert at McComas Hall theater at 3 p.m. MSU students with a university I.D. can enter for free, while general admission is $5. For more information, call (662) 325-3070. Learn more. Oct. 21-27 - Jackson State University will celebrate Homecoming 2007 Tiger Pride: JSU Style. Events include a Greek show, comedy show, and street jam. Learn more. Oct. 22; Oct. 24 - “Let’s Go Walkin’ ASU”, two walks for a healthier ASU, will begin at 5:30 p.m. both days on the ASU track field. Learn more. Oct. 23 - Mississippi State University's Career Center presents Graduate/ Professional School Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Bost Extension Center's auditorium. Students interested can meet with more than 25 different graduate and professional schools from throughout the Southeast. Learn more. Oct. 23 - Three choral groups at the University of Mississippi present a concert at North Oxford Baptist Church. The 7:30 p.m. program by the choral music division is the first of two annual fall concerts, with the second scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 6, at the same time and place. Both are free to the public. Learn more. Oct. 24 - Jackson State University’s National Alumni Association will celebrate the Seventh Biennial Alumni Conference on the main campus. Events include the alumni meeting, a class reunion luncheon and chapter awards, and alumni recognition luncheon. Learn more. Oct. 25 - The Katrina Research Center at The University of Southern Mississippi will present the conference "Post Katrina Coping and Recovery Two Years Later" on Thursday, beginning at 1 p.m. in the Memorial Hospital of Gulfport Auditorium. The conference is free and open to the public. Learn more. Oct. 25 - The Sun Herald and The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast College of Health present the free lecture "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome: From Vietnam to Iraq to Katrina" , beginning at 7 p.m. at the Memorial Hospital at Gulfport Auditorium on 44th Avenue in Gulfport. Learn more. Oct. 28 - Mississippi Valley State University Concert Choir will feature the Boys Choir of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas at 7:30 p.m. in the H.G. Carpenter Auditorium. Admission is free.
Oct. 30-31 - For the 18th year, the University of Mississippi Park and Recreation Management students are hosting their annual Haunted Trail at Oxford's Avent Park, scheduled from 6 to 10 p.m. The event has been called "a horrific success," drawing as many as 1,200 visitors in previous years. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for children. Learn more. Nov. 1 - Mississippi State University’s Natural Resource Enterprises Program will focus on outdoor businesses in a one-day workshop near Benndale in George County. For more information about the workshop or to register, call (662) 325-3133 or visit http://www.wildlifeworkshop.msstate.edu . Learn more. Nov. 15 - The Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station’s 25th Annual Production Sale will feature registered Angus, Hereford, and Charolais bulls and bred heifers from the MSU research herds. Contact Dr. Jane Parish at (662) 325-7466 or jparish@ads.msstate.edu . Learn more. Jan. 15-16 - The Mississippi State University Extension Service coordinates the Delta Ag Expo, Mississippi’s oldest regional farm show, in the Bolivar County Expo Center in Cleveland. Contact Ben Spinks at (662) 843-8361 or bspinks@ext.msstate.edu . Learn more. |
