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.

ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Nationally Renowned Alcorn State University Professional Teacher Education Unit Set for Upcoming Accreditation Review
The Professional Teacher Education unit at Alcorn State University will have its five-year accreditation review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) November 4-8, 2006. As a part of the accreditation process, input from alumni, students, administrators, P-12 school personnel, university faculty and staff, and community stakeholders is solicited in order to ascertain personal opinions from those who are or have been involved in some capacity with the unit’s operations. Learn more (follow link and scroll down).

Panicker Delivers Invited Lecture in Korea (Follow link and scroll down.)

Natchez ASU Alumni Chapter Presents Five Scholarships (Follow link and scroll down.)

Professor Elected Executive Board Member of the World Federation of Parasitologists (Follow link and scroll down.)

ASU Associate Professor Domatob Receives 2nd Place Faculty Research Paper Award (Follow link and scroll down.)

DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Delta Music Institute Opens One-of-a-Kind Digital Audio Lab
The Delta Music Institute (DMI), a recording and music industry center on the campus of Delta State University, held an open house on October 31, to celebrate the opening of its new digital audio recording lab. The state of the art lab is equipped with 15 stations, featuring Apple dual G5 computers and DigiDesign 002 factory audio interfaces with music production toolkits. "Having a digital lab of this caliber along with veteran music industry professionals as instructors will put Delta State University at the forefront of educating students about the entrepreneurial opportunities in today's music and recording industries," offered DMI Director, Tricia Walker. The DMI lab is the only one of its kind in the state of Mississippi and will offer interested students the opportunity to learn the art and science of recording, editing and mixing music in a digital environment as part of the DMI’s curriculum. Learn more about the Delta Music Institute. See picture: DSU Dean of Arts and Sciences Collier Parker (seated) looks over new MAC G5 Pro Tools Digital Audio Lab with DMI Director Tricia Walker (foreground) and Digital Audio Instructor Chad Washington.

JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Outstanding Research Contributions Recognized During Banquet
During the Fourth Annual Research and Sponsored Program Academe Award Banquet, more than 80 awards were given to Jackson State University (JSU) faculty members, staff, students and representatives of supporting agencies for their many contributions in research and sponsored programs. Abdul Mohamed, Dean Emeritus of the College of Science, Engineering, and Technology, and Ally Mack, Dean of the Division of International Studies, both received the $5 Million Grantsmanship Award. Daniel Sarpong, Director and Senior Biostatistician of the Jackson Heart Study Coordinating Center, and Elizabeth Matlack, Director of the National Center for Biodefense Communications, both received the $3 Million Grantsmanship Award. $2 and $1 Million Grantsmanship Awards were also distributed. Read more.
See picture: Ally Mack enjoys music during JSU’s Fourth Annual Research and Sponsored Program Academe Award and Banquet. Mack received the $5 Million Grantsmanship Award.
See picture: Shelton Swanier and Abdul Mohamed pose for photos during JSU’s Fourth Annual Research and Sponsored Program Academe Award and Banquet. Swanier, Director of Strategic Initiatives, received the Group Research Facilitation Award. Mohamed received the $5 Million Grantsmanship Award.

Jackson State’s Radio Station Tunes In To Digital Age

Jackson State University Receives National Recognition for Community Service

Jackson State Recognized for Being Energy Efficient

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
New MSU Supercomputer Performs 10 Trillion Calculations Per Second
A new supercomputer at Mississippi State University (MSU) can perform more than 10 trillion calculations per second at its peak and is expected to rank among the 100 most powerful computers in the world. MSU's High Performance Computing Collaboratory has installed a 2,048 processor computing cluster, named "Raptor," which is more than four times faster than the most powerful system currently housed at the site, an IBM model called "Maverick." "It is anticipated that this computer will be among the 100 most powerful computers in the world when the next Top 500 Supercomputer Sites list is released next month by the University of Tennessee and the University of Mannheim (Germany)," said Colin Scanes, MSU's vice president for research and economic development. "The system also likely will be among the 15 most powerful computers at any university in the country," he added. Read more.

MSU Researcher to Focus on American Indian, Alaska Native Children

Information Security Expert to Speak at MSU

MSU President Presents 'Dividend' Check to Faculty

MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY - AFV DIVISION NEWS
MSU Opens New Poultry Research, Teaching Lab
The opening of a new poultry processing laboratory expands the teaching and research capabilities in Mississippi State University’s Poultry Science Department. The facility is a scaled-back version of what students will find when they begin working in the poultry industry. According to coordinator Donnie Zumwalt, “The laboratory contains the same type of equipment that industry is using and some they will use in the future. It will give our students real-world experience while they are on campus.” The addition of the laboratory also expands the capabilities of MSU’s poultry science program. “Having a facility that mirrors an industry processing plant will allow us to generate accurate yield data to follow up our applied research,” Zumwalt said. “That type of data is valuable for the industry and hard to obtain without this type of facility.” The laboratory contains almost $2 million worth of the state-of-the-art poultry processing equipment. Read more.

MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN
MSAHPERD Conference to Cover a Range of Health and Wellness Topics
Mississippi University for Women (MUW) is hosting the Mississippi Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (MSAHPERD) annual convention, November 2-4. The convention, themed “Health and Wellness: Bring It On!,” will feature public sessions by Dr. Edward J. Hill, past president of the American Medical Association, and Emil and Karen Huff Pawlik, both National Senior Olympic track stars. About 300 participants are expected to attend and choose from approximately 50 sessions. According to Dr. Joyce Yates, 2006 MSAHPERD president and professor of health and kinesiology, “This is the first MSAHPERD convention in the North Mississippi area. Previously Jackson and the Mississippi Gulf Coast have been the conference locations. The MSAHPERD convention provides an excellent opportunity for this area to show its support for having the state conference in Columbus and at MUW.” Learn more about the conference.

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY NEWS
Journalist George Curry Is Visiting Professor at MVSU
Acclaimed journalist George E. Curry brings more than 35 years of journalism experience to his post as Distinguished Visiting Professor at Mississippi Valley State University. “He is recognized as an entrepreneur, a champion of the underdog, an outstanding public speaker, and a mentor for young people of all walks of life,” said MVSU President Lester C. Newman. Curry, a syndicated columnist, TV and radio commentator, and editor-in-chief of the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service, which provides news coverage to more than 200 African-American newspapers, will teach two journalism classes and work with print and broadcast students in the Department of Mass Communications. In recent years, Curry has turned down full-time faculty offers from the University of Missouri, which has the nation’s oldest School of Journalism, and Northwestern University, recognized as one of the top five journalism schools in the nation. “I am a product of a Black college – Knoxville College in Tennessee – and coming to the Valley is, in a way, returning to my roots,” said Curry. Learn more about Mr. Curry. See picture: Mass Communication student Maxine Bowen of Itta Bena, interviews George E. Curry, Distinguished Visiting Professor, for the MVSU television station, WVSD.

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI NEWS
UM, Auburn Fans Give $114,730 for Langley Children's Fund
Fans at the Ole Miss vs. Auburn football game Saturday, October 28, donated $114,730.69 to the Robert Langley Children's Fund. Langley, a University of Mississippi police officer, was killed in the line of duty Oct. 21 during an early morning traffic stop near campus. Ole Miss assisted the family in creating the Robert Langley Children's Fund for the educational needs and welfare of his four children. "We appreciate the generous support from both the Ole Miss and Auburn fans," said UM Associated Student Body president Roun McNeal. "There were hundreds of Auburn fans wearing their orange and blue who donated money, and they didn't even know Officer Langley or his family. We are extremely grateful for everyone's contributions." Contributions to the children's fund can be sent to Kristy Cohron at M&F Bank, 1111 Jackson Ave., Oxford, MS 38655. Donors also can call Cohron at 662-236-1111. Learn more.

UM Convenes Task Force to Study, Remedy Illegal Use, Misuse of Alcohol

Exchange Program Experiences Record Enrollment, Includes Two Fulbright Scholars

Study in Ghana Yields Dialogue on Musical, Religious Roots of African-Americans

Students Studying Communicative Disorders Selected for National Minority Leadership Program

UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER NEWS
Revolutionary "Robot" Enhances Pharmacy Efficiency, Improves Safety
In preparation for a class project, three students from Drew Hayslett’s fifth-grade gifted class at Johnson Elementary School visited the Jackson Medical Mall Thad Cochran Center to see and learn about a working robot. Unlike Star Wars’ C3P0, the six-foot tall stationary robot can’t move or talk, but it can fill 190 prescriptions in an hour, which is 40 to 90 more prescriptions an hour than an average pharmacist teamed with a pharmacy technician. The AutoMed Efficiency Pharmacy, nick-named "Turbo Taz," looks like a gigantic medicine cabinet with 199 compartments that can hold 500 to 1,000 pills, depending on the size of the pills. The robot fills about 60 percent of the pharmacy’s prescriptions, giving the pharmacists more time to perform quality control checks during order entry, prescription inspections and verifications and patient assistance or counseling, said Steven Dancer, who supervises the mall’s pharmacy. The robot also uses bar code technology, which makes it 100 percent accurate and increases safety. Read more.

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NEWS
Study Abroad Program Marks 30th Year at Southern Miss
The Southern Miss British Studies Program celebrates 30 years of impacting the lives of faculty and students. In three decades over 7,500 students have participated in the program, which is one of the largest study abroad programs of its kind operated by a United States university in London. In recent years, 150-200 students have taken part in the program annually, said Susan Steen, director of International Programs at Southern Miss. The program was the collaborative brainchild of former Southern Miss President Dr. Aubrey Lucas and retired criminal justice professor Dr. Bill Taylor. Learn more.

Southern Miss Receives Media Recognition for Embracing Technology

Deanna Favre at Southern Miss Walk For Life

Southern Miss Alumni, Supporters Honored During Homecoming

Vernon Asper Selected Chair-Elect of Oceanographic Group (Follow link and scroll down.)

Southern Miss Alumni Receives Prestigious Dissertation Award (Follow link and scroll down.)

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI – GULF PARK CAMPUS NEWS
Center Serves As Hurricane Katrina Information Clearing House
The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hurricane Katrina Research Center offers an unprecedented opportunity for educational growth in the storm’s aftermath. The center, an interdisciplinary, school-wide effort for the collection, research and evaluation of post-Katrina conditions in Mississippi and the affected areas of the Gulf South, will serve as an information clearinghouse. After collecting and analyzing information, the center will offer its results to the university and community through a Katrina exhibit to be housed and maintained on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. The Center’s stated vision is “to be a world-class interdisciplinary center” promoting historical preservation, research, education and “the dissemination of catastrophic-related knowledge.” The center will also focus on a variety of related issues, including the study of the historical and cultural context of Katrina, economic development issues, Katrina’s environmental impacts and disaster-related health and mental health issues. Learn more about the Katrina Research Center. Read more.

Nov. 2-4 – MSU hosts the 2006 Mississippi Theatre Association/Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival for the state. Learn more.

Nov. 4 – MVSU hosts Community College Day and Fall Open House. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. in the W.A. Butts Social Science Building. For more information, contact the Office of Admissions at 662-254-3347.

Nov. 4-8 – ASU’s Professional Teacher Education unit will have its five-year accreditation review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Nov. 5 – UM presents "Jesus Christ Superstar" in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Performances begin at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Learn more.

Nov. 6 – JSU’s College of Science, Engineering, and Technology presents a Seminar/Workshop Series, “A Field Guide to GenBank” and “NCBI Molecular Biology Resources.” Learn more.

Nov. 6 - Dec. 2 – MSU presents “Six Degrees,” an exhibition of the work of six senior fine arts majors. The works will be featured in the McComas Hall gallery. Learn more.

Nov. 7 – DSU’s popular vocal ensemble, Renaissance, will present its fall concert at 7:30 p.m. inside the Delta and Pine Land Theatre of the Bologna Performing Arts Center on the campus. For ticket information, call the BPAC box office at (662) 846-4626 from 1-5 p.m., Tuesday-Friday. For more information on Renaissance, call (662) 846-4610.

Nov. 7 – MSU hosts information security and computer hacking expert Lance Spitzner at 9:30 a.m. in Butler Hall Room 103. Learn more.

Nov. 7 – UM presents classical pianist Gila Goldstein in concert at 8:00 p.m. in Meek Hall Auditorium. For ticket information, call the UM Box Office at 662-915-7411 or purchase tickets online.

Nov. 7-9 – MVSU Communication Department presents "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf," a play by Ntozake Shange. Curtains open at 6:30 p.m. each night in the H.G. Carpenter Auditorium. For more information, contact instructor Barbara Baymon at 662.254.3645.

Nov. 9 – DSU’s Department of Music will present a euphonium and tuba ensemble concert at 7:30 p.m., inside the Recital Hall of Bologna Performing Arts Center on campus.

Nov. 9 – MSU’s Distinguished Lecture Series presents a lecture, “The Real Lewis and Clark Story,” by Dr. Thomas Slaughter of Notre Dame University. A reception will follow the 4:00 p.m. lecture in the Swalm Chemical Engineering Building. For more information, contact Dr. Gary Myers at 662-325-2646.

Nov. 9-10 – DSU presents Delta Issues Summit, “Delta WISE…Working to Influence a Spirit of Entente,” at the Gold Strike Resort in Robinsonville, Miss. For more information or to receive a registration brochure, visit MSDI, or contact Christy Montesi at (662) 846-4336.

Nov. 10 – UM presents innovative performer Claudia Stevens in ‘An Evening with Madame F' at the Ford Center at 7:00 p.m. Learn more.

Nov. 10 – USM presents the second Nau Memorial Lecture at 4:00 p.m. in the Liberal Arts Building, Room 103. Dr. Paul Gooch, president of Victoria University at the University of Toronto, will discuss “Food, Sex and Money: Plato on Human Appetities.” For more information, call the department of philosophy and religion at 601.266.4518.

Nov. 10 – UM welcomes Mark Franks for a public lecture to focus on Mississippi Blues and British Musical Groups at 2:00 p.m. in Leavell Hall, room 212.Learn more.

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.

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. 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.