MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN 
MUW Students 'Drawing Out Success' for Local High Schools West Lowndes High School now has a space dedicated to art thanks to the Drawing Out Success program created by students at Mississippi University for Women. According to Dr. Beverly Joyce, MUW assistant professor of art, part of Kappa Pi's mission is to enhance a deeper appreciation of the arts within the community, and their chapter decided to achieve this goal through the Drawing Out Success program. The international honorary art fraternity began the program last academic year and has partnered with area high schools to raise money for their art programs. "This year, we partnered with West Lowndes High School to help them convert a space into an art gallery for their students," she said. At the beginning of the year, the high school art teacher was asked to provide a "wish list," and then the MUW students raised the money through the annual Art in Autumn Auction.
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Offices Recognized by Secret Shopper Program at MUW
MUW Seniors Exhibit Artwork and Host Reception
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY Mississippi Valley State University Online
www.mvsu.edu UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI UM Student Accepted into Prestigious Joffrey Ballet Summer Program Alexander McAdams, a 21-year-old English major at the University of Mississippi, had a dream come true recently when she was accepted into Joffrey Ballet School's summer intensive. She heads to New York City in June for three weeks of training. To help finance her trip, McAdams is performing in a fundraiser at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 26 at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center in Oxford. "Celebration of the Spirit" showcases McAdams' choreography in five pieces, three in which she is dancing. "What I'm trying to drive home with this fundraiser is to let Oxford and the surrounding area know that ballet is not necessarily so prim and proper," McAdams said. "It can be emotional, it can be angry, it can be happy and pretty, which is the vision everybody gets with the woman in the tutu smiling on her toes. But most important is to know it's not just about smiling when you're having a bad day and you have blisters on your feet. It's about passion, about what gets us through the day." Besides being a full-time student, she takes five dance classes each week, teaches a private lesson, works the front desk at Oxford Ballet School and is a multimedia intern for the UM Office of Media and Public Relations. McAdams plans to visit other dance companies in New York, where - after she graduates in May 2010 - she hopes to pursue a graduate degree in English before heading to law school. But, she said she can't imagine life without dancing, especially during times of personal tragedy.
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Ole Miss Throws a Happy Earth Day Party
Engineering Dean to Receive Prestigious John Kraus Antenna Award
John Bentley Named APhA Fellow
Vince Gill, Alumni Raise More Than $95,000 for Two Ole Miss Scholarship Programs
UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CENTER Calculating Health: DigitalHuman Simulator Prepares for Blastoff With a few keystrokes in DigitalHuman, a computer program developed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, researchers can create an overweight and diabetic virtual patient, run him up a flight of stairs, give him a heart attack, then analyze thousands of moment-by-moment metrics to better understand the human body. Scientists at NASA using a version of the program are predicting health problems astronauts could encounter three years into a mission to Mars. Dr. Tom Coleman, professor emeritus of physiology and biophysics, estimates between 50-100 medical schools around the world use DigitalHuman for training. Training is one thing. But Coleman and two colleagues, Dr. Robert Hester and Dr. Richard Summers, are throwing open the doors even wider. They plan to release DigitalHuman in open-source code next month. Coleman, also senior biomedical systems analyst in the Department of Emergency Medicine, began building digital models of the human circulatory system in the late 1960s with the late Dr. Arthur Guyton. They used off-hours computing power rented on room-sized monstrosities belonging to a hospital billing department and an area bank. "Think about when I first started. The digital computer was just being invented," Coleman said. "The integrative model, now called DigitalHuman, was started in 1985. Before that, Dr. Guyton, myself and others were building smaller models - since the available technology at that time couldn't solve big models.
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The Kiwi Connection
Finding Art in Medicine
Stress: Stealthy Foe Takes Many Forms
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI Alumni Association Announces Peets Buffett Scholarship Winners The Southern Miss Alumni Association announced Thursday that Alex Gieger of Laurel and Devin Ladner of Diamondhead are the 2009 recipients of the Mary Loraine Peets Buffett Scholarship. Gieger, a student at West Jones High School, and Ladner, from Hancock High School, joined Peets' daughter, Lucy, and Southern Miss President Dr. Martha Saunders at the announcement at the Aubrey K. Lucas Administration Building on the university's Hattiesburg Campus. The scholarships, which are managed by the Alumni Association, are awarded to incoming full-time female freshmen from the state of Mississippi demonstrating financial need with a minimum high school grade point average of 3.0. The $5,000 is for one academic year and may be renewed annually for up to four years provided that all requirements, including full-time status, enrollment in the College of Arts and Letters, and the maintenance of a 3.0 grade point average, are met. Born in Crystal Springs, Miss., in 1921, Mary Loraine Peets Buffett was known simply as "Peets" to her family and friends. A 1940 graduate of Gulf Park College for Women (now the Southern Miss Gulf Park Campus) she was the mother of two daughters, Laurie and Lucy, and a son who is one of The University of Southern Mississippi's most prominent alumni, Jimmy Buffet. She is remembered for her infectious love of books, people and family.
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Southern Miss Celebrates Earth Day; SGA President Signs Climate Commitment
Southern Miss Student Violinist Selected for World Orchestra
Southern Miss 2009 British Studies Program Offers New Courses
Society of Physics Students Receives National Honors Two Years in a Row
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST Southern Miss Distinguished Professor of e-Learning Award Winners Named The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Associate Provost Distinguished Professor of e-Learning Awards were announced at a luncheon held Wednesday, April 8 at Al Fresco Italian Bistro in Biloxi. The awards, made possible through funds given by the Butch Oustalet family and Dell, recognized faculty members for their dedication and commitment to technology-rich learning and teaching. Southern Miss Gulf Coast Associate Provost Pat Joachim, along with Oustalet and Kathy Thomas of Dell, awarded the four winning faculty members during the luncheon. Award winners were selected by a panel of judges from various departments within the university. "This is a time to recognize faculty who have excelled in the area of instructional delivery using technology to support the transfer of knowledge," said Joachim. "The core mission of Southern Miss is to provide higher education opportunities, and the faculty members honored today have made a significant contribution in this area." Receiving the top award of $1,000, the title of 2009 Distinguished Professor of e-Learning, a Dell Laptop Inspiron 13 and a Dell all-in-one printer was Dr. Cyndi Gaudet. As director and professor for the Jack and Patti Phillips Workplace Learning and Performance Center, Gaudet has been a pioneer in maximizing learning through teaching with technology, offering online courses beginning as early as the 1990s.
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Artist Marlin Miller Recognized for Golden Eagle Carving at Southern Miss Gulf Park
Southern Miss Students Learn about Ecotourism during Visit to Pascagoula River
Issues + Answers to Feature EBONY and JET Magazine VP, Editorial Director
Gulf Coast Marketing and Public Relations Earns Four Awards from State Competition
ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY Alcorn's School of Education/Psychology Hosts Education Redesign Conference Addressing the theme, "Improving Student Learning Through Teacher Education Redesign," the School of Education and Psychology, under the auspices of Interim Dean, Dr. Doris C. Gary, conducted a one-day conference to inform students, faculty, P-12 personnel, and other community stakeholders of its efforts, and plans at the state and national levels to improve the teaching and learning process for preparing teachers and school personnel. Mrs. Brenda Square, Executive Assistant to the President/Chief of Staff informed the audience of Alcorn's commitment for completing all actions necessary to ensure an enhanced teacher education program; the comments set the tone of the conference. Dr. Boyce Williams, NCATE's Vice President for Institutional Relations and National Project Director for Reading First Teacher Education Network (RFTEN) and Dr. Susan Lee, IHL's Director of P-16 Initiatives were guest speakers. Dr. Williams noted challenges of our changing world including the poor performance of P-12 students in academic subjects and increased stringent standards used to measure teacher performance. Through student interaction in sharing their concentration areas and future plans, Dr. Williams addressed the charge for providing teachers in the workforce to successfully meet accountability challenges. Dr. Lee addressed how institutions in Mississippi are planning to address challenges.
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Alcorn Student Wins First Place and Cash Award at 1890 (ARD) Symposium
ASU Representatives Participate in the National Library Week Celebration in Port Gibson, MS
Alcorn State Sports 2nd Annual Football Golf Outing
ASU 2009 Annual Fund Campaign Launched
DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY Delta State to Host Naturalization Proceedings Delta State University has the privilege of hosting an event that symbolizes all that is good about the United States. On Friday, May 1, at 10:30 a.m., a naturalization ceremony will be conducted on the Delta State Quadrangle. Approximately 110 new citizens from 38 countries will take the oath of citizenship, with 300-350 family and friends expected in attendance. Judges from the Northern District U. S. Court will participate in the ceremony. The Delta State Chorale will be singing the "National Anthem" and "America the Beautiful." This is Delta State's first time to host the event which was traditionally held in a U. S. courthouse but was recently moved to college campus venues to make the life-changing experience available to the public. David Crews of the United States District Court said the naturalization proceedings are a great civics lesson for area schools. "It is a wonderful and heartwarming ceremony that is an important highlight in the lives of these new citizens, many of whom have great stories about their journey to become citizens of the United States," said Crews.
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Delta State University College of Education Students Win Research Competition
Revered Educator and Delta State Alumnus to be Honored May 2
Lady Statesmen Tennis Wrap up 2009 with GSC Honors
Statesmen Remain No. 10 in NCAA South Region Poll
JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY Jackson State University Announces Spring Commencement Speakers Jackson State University officials announced today that Randall Pinkston, a CBS national correspondent, and Johnny DuPree, the mayor of Hattiesburg, Miss., will be the speakers for the 2009 commencement exercises scheduled for Friday and Saturday, May 8-9, 2009. DuPree will be the speaker for the graduate ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, May 8, at the Lee E. Williams Athletic & Assembly Center on campus. Pinkston will speak during the undergraduate ceremony scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, May 9, at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be held at the Lee E. Williams Athletic & Assembly Center. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis with overflow in the Rose E. McCoy Auditorium and the Jackson State Student Center ballrooms and theater. More than 1,200 students are degree candidates at the 132-year-old historically black institution. Of those, more than 300 will receive advanced degrees. As a correspondent for CBS Evening News since 1994, Pinkston has covered many major stories of the past decade, including Baghdad on the post-war reconstruction of Iraq. He also reported on the war in Afghanistan from the front lines in Tora Bora and Jalalabad; the devastating earthquake in Turkey; the U.S. intervention in Haiti; the Susan Smith trial, during which he broke the story of her arrest and landed the first interview with her ex-husband, David Smith.
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Jackson State University Hosted Emergency Management Showcase
JSU Students Elected to the National Black Graduate Student Association Board
JSU Freshman Earns U.S. Congressional Award Gold Medal
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY Mississippi State Names CAVS Director A veteran Mississippi State academic administrator now is the permanent director of the university's Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems. Roger King, previously associate dean of research and graduate studies for MSU's Bagley College of Engineering, recently was appointed to the position he has held on an interim basis since July. Dean Sarah Rajala said King's contributions to the college have enabled MSU to be among the nation's leading research institutions. The land-grant institution now ranks in the top 10 percent among engineering research expenditures of more than 350 U.S. engineering schools. "During his time as associate dean for research in the Bagley College of Engineering, Roger facilitated a significant increase in research funding, worked with the departments to grow the graduate program and enhanced the extension and outreach activities," Rajala said. "I am confident that he will effectively apply his leadership skills to move CAVS and our college to new heights." MSU's automotive research program was established in 2001 as part of the state's successful bid to attract the Nissan Motor Co. manufacturing plant near Canton. CAVS formally came into being in late 2003 as an interdisciplinary center comprised of engineering, research, development, and technology transfer teams focused on enhancing human and payload mobility.
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MSU Honors Top Faculty
MSU Spring Commencement to Feature William Winter, Fred Carl
Mississippi State Researcher and Professor Honored for Toxicology Leadership
Mississippi State's College of Business, BankPlus Launch 'Economy Watch'
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURE, FORESTRY, & VETERINARY MEDICINE MSU Study Shows Machines Improve Greenhouse and Nursery Work A new Mississippi State University study shows that the right combination of machinery and human laborers can cultivate positive results for the state's growing horticulture industry. Many nursery and greenhouse industry jobs are labor-intensive and physically demanding. To improve production and prevent worker injuries, the industry is turning to mechanization and automation. Researchers with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and MSU's Extension Service conducted a study measuring the socioeconomic impact of automation and mechanization. They looked at sales, employment, workers' earnings, safety and worker retention in nurseries and greenhouses in the northern Gulf of Mexico region. Researchers collected data through personal interviews with 87 randomly selected nurseries and greenhouses in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. "There needs to be continuous improvements in the work force and processes for the industry to succeed," said Ben Posadas, MSU associate Extension and research professor and the study's lead investigator. "We aimed to develop a socioeconomic profile of horticulture workers and specifically look at how new technology affects nursery and greenhouse work force operations." Study results showed that adding new systems to increase efficiency did not displace any workers but instead improved workers' total earnings. Researchers also found that businesses taking advantage of mechanization and automation had higher sales.
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MSU Veterinarian Earns National Recognition
MSU Ant Study at Noxubee Refuge Suggests Healthy Ecosystem
MSU Extension Hosts Continuing Ed Classes for Logging Industry
4-H Adult Volunteers Lead through Example
April 24 - JSU's Fourth annual AFROTC Dining Out ceremony will feature Pentagon official Maj. Gen. Darren W. McDew at 6:30 p.m. in the new Student Center on the university's campus. Learn more.
April 24 - Jackson State University's annual outdoor concert, "Jazz On The Plaza," will feature New Orleans jazz saxophonist, Donald Harrison, at 6 p.m. on the main campus, 1400 John R. Lynch St., Jackson. Jazz on the Plaza is free and open to the public. For more information, call (601) 979-2141. Learn more.
April 24 - The 5 Browns, a quintet of classical pianists who happen to be brothers and sisters, perform at 8 p.m. in the UM Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets, priced at $20 and $28 for various seating, are available by calling (662) 915-7411 or by visiting the UM Box Office. Learn more.
April 24 and 26 - The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Civic Chorale will perform two free concerts. The first concert will be Friday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Biloxi. The encore performance will be Sunday, April 26, at 3 p.m., in the auditorium on the Gulf Park Campus. Learn more.
April 25 - JSU's College of Public Service "Celebrating the Giving Heart II" Scholarship Gala will feature the original Temptations singer at the Hilton Jackson Hotel in Jackson. Learn more.
April 26 - Mississippi State University's Riley Center in Meridian presents "Mammoth Follies" from 4 to 6 p.m. The fun, kid and adult entertaining show explores the wonders of evolution through original songs and witty jokes performed by giant dinosaur puppets. Learn more.
April 27 - The L-O-U Symphony performs Handel's Concerto Grosso in A minor, Johann Strauss's "Voices of Spring Waltz" and symphonic selections from Bernstein's "West Side Story" at 8 p.m. at the UM Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets are $10 at UM Box Office and at the door. Learn more.
April 28 - Mississippi State University's department of computer science and engineering presents "game design demonstration night" beginning at 6 p.m. Students enrolled in the "game design" class will demonstrate their computer video games on the National Science Foundation funded display wall. Learn more.
April 28 - Mississippi State University's Carl Small Town Center presents a celebration of 30 years of the center helping improve small towns and communities throughout the state at 5 p.m. in Giles Architecture Building room 140. A reception and unveiling of the CSTC's new Web site will take place. Learn more.
April 29 - Alcorn State ROTC "End of the year Battalion/Fun Run" will be held at 6:30 a.m. at the E.E. Simmons Gym. The group will start running no later than 6:45 a.m. The distance will be about one mile at a slow fun pace. Everyone is invited. Learn more.
April 29 - The eighth annual Caring for Aging Relatives Effectively Fair at the University of Mississippi features exhibits by more than 25 organizations and companies serving the aging. A companion workshop focuses on aging and caregiving issues. The free fair runs 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in the Student Union lobby. Learn more.
April 30 - The Sun Herald and Southern Miss Gulf Coast College of Arts and Letters present Bryan Monroe, vice president and editorial director of EBONY and JET magazines, at 7 p.m. at the Advanced Education Center auditorium on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Learn more.
April 30- May 2 - The Southern Miss Dance Program presents Studio 115 concert. Learn more.
May 2 - The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast will host the Southern Miss Jazz and Blues Festival from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. on the front lawn of the university's Gulf Park campus in Long Beach. Musical acts to perform include the Sauce Boss and Steve Warren Band. Learn more.
May 9 - MUW's graduation ceremonies will be held at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Whitfield Hall, Rent Auditorium. The time-honored Mag Chain ceremony will be held at 8 a.m. on Shattuck Lawn. For more information, contact (662) 329-7135. Learn more.
May 13 - MSU Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will have tours, workshops, educational sessions and awards recognition at the Bost Extension Conference Center on campus. Contact Lelia Kelly at (662) 566-2201 or leliak@ext.msstate.edu. Learn more.
May 16 - The 8th annual Catch the Vision benefit is at the Mississippi Horse Park to help fund outdoor adventures for children with life-threatening and terminal illnesses. Funds go directly to the Catch-A-Dream Foundation, housed at Mississippi State. Contact Marty Brunson at (662) 325-8149. Learn more.
May 18 - Mississippi Homemaker Volunteers hold their annual meeting at Griffis Hall on the Mississippi State campus. Contact Reba Bland at (662) 832-3554 or rbland@ext.msstate.edu. Learn more.
June 7-26 - Mississippi Governor's School is a residential honors program established in 1981 at MUW to provide academic, creative and leadership experiences for a select number of rising high school juniors and seniors who have demonstrated exceptional ability and achievement in their studies. Learn more.
June 14-16 - Freshman and transfer orientation sessions at MUW are designed to help newly enrolled students transition into college life. Learn more.
