Southern Miss Now

Southern Miss Students, Faculty to Attend Startup Weekend Jackson Feb. 10-12

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:54:00 +0000

Van Arnold

University of Southern Mississippi students will join members of the faculty and staff as part of the entrepreneurial venture known as Startup Weekend, set for Feb. 10-12 at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss.

The intense, 54-hour program is designed to assist budding entrepreneurs in creating and launching a startup business. Although geared primarily for student involvement, the event is open to all potential entrepreneurs.

“Attending the Startup Weekend is a great opportunity for students to get a quick introduction to the business startup process,” said Dr. Jennifer Sequeira, associate professor of management at Southern Miss. “Students will get an opportunity to see how an idea can go from conception to application in just a few days.”

The weekend starts with pitches on Friday night. Participants will vote on the top ideas at that time and form teams to execute those ideas. Teams will be paired with seasoned mentors to build their ideas into a viable business. The weekend concludes with teams presenting their finished prototypes before a panel of judges.

Among the mentors scheduled to participate is Sunny Webb, director of Southern Miss’ business incubator, The Accelerator.

Sequeira, who plans to attend the event as an observer, notes that the weekend could produce rewards for students beyond recognition for their business model.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to network with those who are interested in web-based businesses, investors, software developers and other that could potentially be of value as students pursue their own business ideas,” she said.

For more information about Startup Weekend Jackson, visit http://jackson.startupweekend.org/

Southern Miss Symphony Season Fills February with Eye-Catching Concerts

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:15:02 +0000

Matthis W. Piel III

The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra is no stranger to presenting top quality music with top quality talent.

This month, both will be featured in two concerts in one week. On Feb. 16, the symphony will be joined by the Southern Miss School of Music woodwind faculty and on Feb. 18, Mack Wilberg, famed conductor of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, joins the orchestra and a nearly 600-voice choir for a true sensory experience.

“These are two great opportunities to hear some of the finest musicians in our area perform with the orchestra one night and witness one of the largest performances we’ve ever done just two nights later,” said Jay Dean, director of orchestral activities at Southern Miss. “It says so much about the caliber and scope of our players and program to be able to perform two very different programs of this magnitude in one week.”

The Feb. 16 concert, “Virtuosic Winds,” features faculty members Danilo Mezzadri; flute, Euridice Alvarez, oboe; Jonathan Holden, clarinet; Lawrence Gwozdz, saxophone and Kim Woolly, bassoon playing notable concertos. The program includes works from Vivaldi to Zaninelli and a premiere by Southern Miss alumnus, Alan Theisen.

Two nights later, Main Street Baptist Church in Hattiesburg will be filled with the glorious sounds of music by composer/conductor Wilberg. He was appointed music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 2008 where he oversees all musical and creative aspects of the music program. Active as a composer, arranger, guest conductor and clinician throughout the United States and abroad, Wilberg’s compositions and arrangements are performed and recorded by choral organizations throughout the world.

In addition to the many compositions he has written for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Wilberg’s works have most recently been performed by such artists as Renee Fleming, Frederica von Stade, Bryn Terfel, the King’s Singers, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, and narrators Walter Cronkite, Edward Herrmann, Peter Graves, and Claire Bloom.

“This is a momentous occasion for Mississippi,” said Greg Fuller, director of choral activities at Southern Miss. “The scope of performers who are coming from across the South to perform is a testament on how music truly brings us all together.”

The opportunity to perform with the legendary conductor Wilberg has yielded an expectedly high turnout. Alongside the Southern Miss choirs are the Meistersingers, local church choirs of all denominations, church and university groups from across the region, individuals from across the south and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

“Virtuosic Winds” is set for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 16 in Bennett Auditorium. The Wilberg concert is set for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 18 at Main Street Baptist Church. Tickets for both events are available at the Southern Miss ticket office, 601.266.5418 or www.southernmisstickets.com.

Access to Hattiesburg Campus Limited Thursday Afternoon due to Mardi Gras Parade

w301717 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:05:16 +0000

Motorists that routinely travel onto the Southern Miss Hattiesburg campus are reminded that access will be temporarily limited in certain areas on the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 9 due to the city of Hattiesburg’s first Caerus Mardi Gras Parade.

The parade begins at 6 p.m., traveling south from the large parking lot next to Hillcrest Residence Hall and down Service Drive, then across West Fourth Street onto Championship Lane and then onto Hardy Street travelling west and ending at 38^thAvenue. A number of roads near these areas that lead into and out of campus will be blocked beginning at 4:30 p.m., including Hardy Street.

It is estimated it will take approximately 4-5 hours to access Hardy Street next to campus, which includes the time of the parade and cleaning of the street. By the time night classes end, these roads should be clear.

For more information, contact University Police at 601.266.4986 or the city of Hattiesburg Action Line at 601.545.4500.

Mississippi Home of Your Own Workshop Set for February 22 in Nathcez

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:58:11 +0000

Alma Ellis

Mississippi Home of Your Own (HOYO) will sponsor a free, one-day homebuyer education workshop on Wednesday, Feb. 22 for residents with and without disabilities in Adams and surrounding counties.

The workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the assembly hall of the USDA Rural Development office at 110 Northgate Road in Natchez.

In its 15^th year of service to Mississippians with disabilities and their families, HOYO is an award-winning program of The University of Southern Mississippi Institute for Disability Studies. HOYO was created to empower people with disabilities to reach their individual dreams of owning and maintaining their own homes. Since 1997, HOYO has assisted 454 people with disabilities and their families in 60 Mississippi counties in becoming homeowners.

Forgivable deferred loans of up to $15,000 are currently available to eligible borrowers with disabilities in designated areas through HOYO. More information about these loans will be available at the workshop.

HOYO focuses on creating a support system that identifies potential homebuyers, analyzes their housing needs and financial capacity and prepares them for homeownership. Applicants of the HOYO program must attend homebuyer education seminars to be considered for financial assistance in purchasing a home.

For more information or to pre-register for the free homebuyer education seminar, call Melissa Bennett at the Hattiesburg office of the Institute for Disability Studies toll free at 1.888.671.0051.

Black History Month Essay Contest Entry Deadline Feb. 17

w301717 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:35:27 +0000

The University of Southern Mississippi chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is sponsoring a student essay contest in conjunction with Black History Month. Entry deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 17

Essays from undergraduate and graduate students at Southern Miss will be accepted, and winners will receive recognition at the Eagles Awards ceremony and a scholarship in the amount of $100.

Categories and essay topics include:

· Undergraduate: What is the impact of popular culture (music, reality television, social media and fashion) on the African American community?

· Graduate: What is the impact of the black family in the African-American community?

Submissions should be between 500 and 750 words. All quotations and uncommon facts should be appropriately cited. Entries must be original, unpublished work written by the contestant. Only one essay per student is allowed.

Send entries to Valencia Walls at valencia.walls@.usm.edu by 11.59 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17. For entries to be considered, they must be pasted into the body of the e-mail and attached as a PDF. Name, phone number, e-mail address and a scanned copy of student identification or other proof of enrollment should be included. Submissions sent by regular mail will not be accepted.

Professor’s Research on East Pearl River’s Post-Katrina Water Quality Published

w301717 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:54:03 +0000

An article in a recent issue of the Journal of Hydrology details how a team of scientists headed by researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi found that Hurricane Katrina had minimal long term impact on the water quality of the East Pearl River in southwest Mississippi.

Led by Alan Shiller, professor of marine science and director of the Center for Trace Analysis at The University of Southern Mississippi, the team had wondered whether the severe impact of Hurricane Katrina on trees in southwestern Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana affected local stream water quality.

Because trees retain water, stabilize soils and generate organic matter, Shiller said there was some concern this destruction of vegetation could indeed affect the East Pearl River.

“Fortuitously, we had been studying the water quality of the East Pearl for a couple of years before Katrina,” said Shiller. “We thus saw an interesting opportunity to continue these studies after Katrina to see how sensitive the system might be to a major environmental impact.”

Comparing the pre-Katrina and post-Katrina water quality data was challenging, Shiller said, as rivers quite naturally have a lot of variability in flow and composition. “However, we had enough pre-Katrina data to establish patterns of variability of important water quality characteristics such as pH, dissolved organic carbon, suspended particles and dissolved iron,” he said.

When examining the post-Katrina data in the context of this natural variability, little if any significant post-storm change in water quality was found, which Shiller attributes to the natural resilience of the system as well as the slow rate at which organic materials degrade and are transported through the watershed.

“Understanding how resilient our natural systems are is especially important here along the northern Gulf Coast, where we are subject not only to hurricanes but other natural and human stresses such as the recent Deepwater Horizon blowout.”

Shiller’s research on the topic involved collaboration with colleagues at Texas A&M University and also the dissertation work of recent Southern Miss Ph.D. graduate Dr. Moo-Joon Shim. The article appears in the Jan. 11 issue of the journal, which can be viewed online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022169411007839. Funding for the research was provided by the National Science Foundation and the Northern Gulf Institute.

For more information about Shiller’s research, online visithttp://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w305860/; for information about the Southern Miss Department of Marine Science, online visit http://www.usm.edu/marine/; for information about the Center for Trace Analysis, visit http://www.usm.edu/marine/ceta.php.

Southern Miss Gulf Coast Library to Host African-American Genealogy Workshop

w301717 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:34:13 +0000

Charmaine Williams Schmermund

The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast will host the African-American Genealogy Workshop, taught by Anne Anderson and Joyce Griffith of the Ocean Springs Genealogical Society, Saturday, Feb. 25 from 10 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. in room 204 of the library on the university’s Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.

The workshop, in conjunction with the Historical Society of Gulfport, will begin with instruction on how to conduct basic genealogical research. Additional instruction will provide information on specific research tools related to free people of color and slave ancestors’ genealogy.

Seating is limited, but anyone interested in learning about how to research family history is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be provided and lunch is on your own.

For more information or to make reservations to attend the workshop, contact the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Library at 228.214.3451 or e-mail krc@usm.edu.

Local Artists, Vendors Invited to Join Southern Miss Jazz and Blues Festival April 7

w301717 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:14:31 +0000

Charmaine Williams Schmermund

Local artists and crafts vendors are invited to be part of the Southern Miss Jazz and Blues Festival on Saturday, April 7 at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.

The university is featuring a juried show for the festival. Vendors with a registration form postmarked by March 15 will pay a $35 booth fee plus $15 jury fee for the 10’ x 10’ space. Registration forms postmarked after March 15 will pay a $60 booth fee plus $15 jury fee.

The festival will include jazz and blues artists, local cuisine, arts and crafts vendors and an Easter egg hunt. Scheduled from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the event is free and open to the public. For additional information on the Southern Miss Jazz and Blues Festival, visit www.usm.edu/gc/jazz-n-blues/or contact Jack Covarrubias at 228.214.3260.

Professor Co-Authors Book Focusing on Girls and Young Women in Athletics

w301717 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:13:38 +0000

Dr. Frances Karnes, distiguished university professor of curriculum, instruction and special education and director of the Frances Karnes Center for Gifted Studies at The University of Southern Mississippi; and Dr. Kristen Stephens, assistant professor of education and licensure officer at Duke University, have co-authored another book on girls titled Sports and Athletics: A Girls and Young Women's Guide for Success.

The purpose of the book is to provide information on girls and young women who have triumphed in athletics. It includes a history of successful female athletes, a variety of journaling exercises, and a listing of informational organizations, books and websites. Royal Fireworks Press is the publisher.

“Girls and young women are becoming more involved in all forms of athletics and sports,” Karnes said. “Young females who have not had female role models need to have positive examples in all dimensions of sports and athletics, and we’re proud to feature them in this book.”

For information about the Center for Gifted Studies, online visit www.usm.edu/gifted; for information about the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education, online visit www.usm.edu/cise.

Upcoming LEC Conference to Offer Celebration of Teaching Collaboration

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:05:08 +0000

Amy Thornton

Exploring innovative teaching strategies will be the primary focus of the 2^nd Annual Learning Enhancement Center (LEC) Connects conference set for Tuesday, Feb. 21, at the Thad Cochran Center on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus.

The free conference, scheduled for 8 a.m.-5 p.m., will feature resources to connect faculty to innovative reaching strategies by allowing faculty members to experience, communicate and collaborate with others while exploring effective teaching and learning strategies. Breakout sessions will focus on topics such as distance education teaching strategies, YouTube in the classroom and cross-disciplinary teaching and learning in the 21^st Century.

“I walked away from the LEC Connects 2011 conference with specific technology tools for teaching and learning and new cross-department relationships,” said Dr. John Bishop, assistant professor of Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education at Southern Miss.

Bishop will be presenting “Design Thinking: Cross-Disciplinary Teaching and Learning for the 21^st Century” at this year’s conference along with two of his colleagues.

Dr. Eric Clark, executive director of the Mississippi Community College Board, will deliver the morning keynote address. Clark previously served for 12 years as the Mississippi Secretary of State and 16 years as a member of the Mississippi Legislature. He currently serves on the boards for the Jobs for Mississippi Alliance, Mississippi Public Broadcasting and on the Advisory Council of Mississippi Economic Council’s Blueprint Mississippi 2011.

Dr. Lenny Scott-Webber, director for Educational Environments at Steelcase Solutions, will provide the keynote address during lunch. Her expertise is focused on environments for sharing knowledge – higher education and corporate learning centers.

Her philosophy incorporates the generation and integration of her research and others to inform design resolutions intentionally. As an environment behaviorist, her research centers on how the built environment impacts behavior, particularly educational scenarios.

The conference will include breakfast and lunch and those wishing to participate should register at http://www.usm.edu/lec-connects

Hattiesburg’s First Mardi Gras Parade to begin on Southern Miss Campus

w301717 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:04:21 +0000

The city of Hattiesburg’s first Caerus (“Spirit of Opportunity”) Mardi Gras Parade is set for Thursday, Feb. 9 beginning at 6 p.m. The parade, which will start at the north parking lot of The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hillcrest Residence Hall, will include several floats featuring local families, businesses and other organizations.

Sponsored by Keith Superstores and other Hattiesburg-area businesses, the parade will continue from Hillcrest down Service Drive, running south parallel to Highway 49, then onto Hardy Street travelling west to 38th Avenue where the parade will conclude.

Floats will be judged on several features and an overall winner will be selected. Parade tailgaters are welcome along the route any time after 1:30 p.m. where space is available, and pre- and post-parade specials will be offered by some area businesses along the way.

For more information on this event, contact parade coordinator Melissa Davis by e-mail at hburgmardigrasparade@yahoo.com or call 601.447.1463.

State Lawmakers Visit DuBard School

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:28:18 +0000

Nine south Mississippi lawmakers visited the DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi on Friday, Feb. 3. They legislators toured the school and learned about the services the school offers to children with severe communication disorders.

Eighty children, from approximately 20 school districts, are served in DuBard School's full-time enrollment program each year. The school, which opened in 1962, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Photo: Bottom row (left to right): Rep. Richard Bennett, Rep. Carolyn Crawford, Rep. Timmy Ladner and Rep. Henry "Hank" Zuber.

Top Row (left to right): James Trussell, school consultant; Rep. Greg Haney; Rep. Randall Patterson; Dr. Maureen Martin, school director; Rep. Jeffrey Guice; Senator Brice Wiggins; Rep. Scott DeLano; Kathleen Shaughnessy, AT&T; Wes Brooks, school development coordinator.

Kolin Publishes 10th Edition of Business/Technical Writing Textbook

w301717 — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:30:20 +0000

Dr. Philip C. Kolin, University Distinguished Professor of English in the College of Arts and Letters, recently had the 10^thedition of his widely used Successful Writing at Work published through Cengage/Wadsworth, a leading textbook publisher.

For more than three decades Kolin’s Successful Writing at Work has been one of the leading texts in the field. Keeping up with the latest research in business and technical communication has made Kolin’s book valuable for instructors and students alike. The book is praised by both teachers and students for its easy-to-read style, up-to-date guidelines and real-world examples.

“The 10^thedition was vetted by eight outside reviewers representing a cross-section of instructors who teach business and technical writing across the country,” Kolin said. “Add to them the four Cengage editors I worked with to make the 10^thedition current and relevant.”

Containing about 150 pages of new material, the current edition is the most heavily revised and expanded edition to date. “The first edition came in under 300 pages,” Kolin said. “The 10^thedition is nearly 800 pages.”

The 10^thedition offers new and expanded coverage of ethics and professional writing, collaborative writing and editing, designing print and web documents, writing for international readers, preparing proposals and reports and incorporating the latest communication technologies such as track editing and Skype.

“The new edition also offers students more case studies than ever before, helping them understand the rhetorical, ethical, and practical contexts in which a document is planned, drafted, written, revised and formatted,” Kolin said.

Every document in the 10^thedition - from emails to letters to blogs to employee activity reports to instructions to reports - is annotated to help students better understand how to research, organize, format, write, document and format information.

The new edition also contains many more case studies, tech notes, enhanced graphics and a new feature—boxed commentaries entitled “Advice from a Pro,” dealing with everything from e-communication and online collaboration to sharing resources to writing a technical proposal to designing company newsletters.

Also new to this edition is Kolin’s emphasis on using social/professional networking sites, such as LinkedIn, to find a job and advance professionally. Unlike other technical writing textbooks, Kolin’s includes an actual LinkedIn profile along with guidelines on what to and what not to include on social/professional sites.

A chapter on searching for a job featuring resumes, portfolios, letters of application, interview strategies has been praised by instructors and students. Professor Leslie St. Martin, College of the Canyons, said this chapter “is any student’s one-stop job search shop.”

Visually, the 10^thedition features a four-color palette in every chapter making material easier to find, read, and refer to. This four color palette exemplifies the wide range of professional designs and layout choices that writers make in the world of work.

An international authority on the plays of Tennessee Williams and general editor of the Routledge Shakespeare Criticism series, Kolin was one of the first instructors to teach English 333 Technical Writing when the course was first offered at Southern Miss in 1975. He is the first Charles W. Moorman Distinguished Professor in the Humanities at Southern Miss (1991-93) and has been a member of the university’s faculty since 1974.

Southern Miss Gulf Coast Library Offering Free Community Workshops in February

w301717 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:35:23 +0000

Charmaine Williams Schmermund

The Gulf Coast Library at The University of Southern Mississippi will present free community workshops throughout the month of February for the library’s “60 Minutes to Success” initiative. The one-hour sessions will be held in room 213 of the library on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.

Workshops include “Basic Microsoft Access,” “Basic Microsoft Word,” “How to Preserve Family Memories,” “How to Take Care of Your Book Collection,” “How to Use Databases to Seek Grants,” “Twitter, Facebook, etc. for Beginners,” “How to Use Electronic Books,” and “Using the Learn-a-Test Program for GED, GRE, GMAT, etc.”

Visit www.usm.edu/gulfcoast/library-workshops.php to view dates and times of all February workshops, which are conducted by professional library staff. Registration is not required. For more information, call 228.214.3450 or email krc@usm.edu.

WLPI Case Study Receives First Place Award from ROI Institute

w301717 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:41:27 +0000

Charmaine Williams Schmermund

Representatives from The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Jack and Patti Phillips Workplace Learning and Performance Institute (WLPI) have been named the first place recipients of the ROI Institute’s 2011 award for Best Published Case Study for “A Learning Intervention for Work Engagement,” which was recently published in the book Measuring ROI in Learning and Development: Case Studies from Global Organizations.

Southern Miss Gulf Coast contributors are Dr. John Kmiec, research associate with WLPI, Dr. Cyndi Gaudet, professor and director of WLPI, Dr. Heather Annulis, associate professor and assistant director of WLPI, and Ph.D. candidate Susan Bush. Additional contributors include Dr. Sandra Dugas, professional coach and facilitator with Dynamic Adventures and Dr. Mary Nell McNeese, associate professor with Tift College of Education and Mercer University.

For more information on the Southern Miss Jack and Patti Phillips Workplace Learning and Performance Institute, call 228.214.3517.

Seashore Experience Scheduled for Feb. 10-11 to Focus on Marine Debris

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 21:07:08 +0000

Melissa Schneider

“Debris Free Seas: Small Steps, Huge Impact” will be the next family educational experience offered as part of the Explore a Seashore series through The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) and the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium.

The two-day trash adventure will take place Feb. 10-11. On Friday, Feb. 10, from 6-8 p.m., participants will learn about common marine debris found in local waters, learn the repercussions of land-to-water pollution and hear about simple solutions for a cleaner environment and how to go green.

On Saturday, participants will cruise aboard the Sea Explorer to Deer Island where they will remove debris and go hunting for shark teeth. They will bring debris back to the Gulf Coast Research Lab campus and sort, identify and weigh it. The data will help determine sources of pollution and help prevent further damage to the Coast.

Each participant will receive a field notebook, GCRL pen and a CD of photographs from the day. The program is open to adults and their children who are 12 and older. Lunch is provided.

Cost is $50 per person with a $25 deposit due at registration. To register, contact Martha Brown at martha.brown@usm.edu or 228-818-8833.

Southern Miss Ranked Among Nation’s Most Popular Universities

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:40:35 +0000

Van Arnold

The University of Southern Mississippi outranks all other state universities in popularity, according to a recent analysis conducted by U.S. News & World Report.

In the magazine’s ranking of more than 250 national universities, Southern Miss occupies the No. 43 spot, while Mississippi State comes in at No. 65 and Ole Miss resides at No. 127.

“This recognition affirms our belief that if we can get a student to visit and really come to know Southern Miss, they will then feel excited and compelled to enroll,” said Dr. Joe Paul, vice president for Student Affairs at Southern Miss. “Southern miss is a dynamic place where great things are happening. Great students are discovering this and helping us recruit others.”

The report notes that of the best indicators of a school's popularity among students is the school's yield -- the percentage of applicants accepted by a college who end up enrolling at that institution in the fall. The figures represented in the rankings are from the fall 2010 entering class and show the students that were accepted, the students that enrolled, and the admit yield.

The fall 2010 figures show that Southern Miss had 3,279 students accepted with a first-year enrollment of 1,591 for a yield of 48.5 percent. Harvard University holds the No. 1 spot with 2,205 accepted; 1,664 enrolled for a 75.5 percent yield.

The study points out that in some cases a school’s yield has been impacted because it has either an early decision or early action plan where the yield typically approaches 100 percent for students admitted under those plans.

To see the complete rankings, visit: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/01/24/the-most-popular-national-universities

Southern Miss’ Beck Honored with Long Beach Historical Society Award

w301717 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:15:06 +0000

Charmaine Williams Schmermund

Allisa Beck, collection management librarian at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast Library, has been named recipient of the Mary Ellen Alexander Lifetime Achievement Award. She was presented the annual award by the Long Beach Historical Society at their Jan. 9 reception.

The award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions in increasing the awareness, preservation, and appreciation of history relating to Long Beach, the Mississippi Gulf Coast region and the state of Mississippi. It is named in honor of the late Mary Ellen Alexander, founder and first president of the society.

Live Oak Writing Project to Host Writing, Science Workshop for Teachers

w301717 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:19:24 +0000

Charmaine Williams Schmermund

The Southern Miss Gulf Coast Live Oak Writing Project will host the workshop “Connecting Writing to the Common Core State Standards in the Science Classroom”on Tuesday, Feb. 7 from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the university’s Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.

Designed for kindergarten through eighth grade teachers, the workshop will examine how to connect science, reading and writing in the classroom. An examination of the three components of the writing standards in Common Core State Standards and research-based strategies for writing and reading across the curriculum will be presented.

The workshop fee is $90 and continuing education units (CEUs) are pending approval. The deadline to register for the workshop is Friday, Feb. 3.

For more information, contact Catherine Tibbs at the Live Oak Writing Project at

catherine.tibbs@usm.edu or call 228.214.3373.

Annual Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo Scheduled for Feb. 17-18

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:58:00 +0000

David Tisdale

One of the Pine Belt’s most entertaining events is just around the corner, as the Southern Miss Coca Cola Rodeo returns to Forrest County’s James Lynn Cartlidge Multipurpose Center Feb. 17-18. The 27^th edition of the rodeo will be presented by The University of Southern Mississippi’s Department of Recreational Sports.

Russ Hendley, division vice-president of Hattiesburg Coca-Cola and a Southern Miss alum, will serve as the rodeo’s grand marshal. Referred to by some fans as the “Greatest Show on Dirt,” it serves as a fundraiser for Southern Miss scholarships.

“I’m honored and looking forward to serving as the rodeo’s grand marshal,” Hendley said. “I’ve enjoyed watching this event grow over the years, and as a Southern Miss graduate, it pleases me to know that it is supporting scholarships to help give students the same opportunity for a great education like the one I received.”
The rodeo will be in the Main Arena of the center, where it has been held since the facility opened in 1999. The event was first presented at the former Southern Miss Equestrian Center in 1986.

“We’ve got another great rodeo planned this year,” said Sid Gonsoulin, associate vice president of student affairs and director of recreational sports at Southern Miss. “It’s going to be a lot of fun for everyone involved, and it also helps students at the university pursue their academic and career goals. We’re grateful to the event’s fans and sponsors for their support.”

Contestants are awarded both points and cash prizes for competing and placing in the event’s various categories, with point totals helping in their pursuit of qualification for the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, Nev.

Some of the country’s top professional cowboys and cowgirls will compete in the local event’s categories of competition, including bareback riding; saddle bronc riding; steer wrestling; team roping; calf roping; women’s barrel racing and bull riding.

Fans of the Southern Miss Coca-Cola Rodeo can also look forward to being entertained again by one of the event’s most popular celebrities, six-time ProRodeo Clown of the Year Lecile Harris. Harris has worked rodeos in various capacities for more than half a century, and gives nearly 125 performances a year at the world’s biggest rodeos. He got his start as a bullfighter in the 1950’s and ‘60s and was instrumental in transforming the sport from thrill show to a skillful art.

He has also appeared on various TV shows, including as a regular role on “HEE HAW” and on the big screen in “The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James” and “W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings” with Burt Reynolds, among other films.

Rodeo tickets are available at TJ’s Western Ware on U.S. Highway 49 in Hattiesburg. Tickets are $10 and all seats are reserved. Tickets will also be on sale beginning at 1 p.m. the day of the show at the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center.

College of Business Faculty Member Ernest King Dies

w301717 — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:13:27 +0000

David Tisdale

Dr. Ernest King, a professor of business ethics in The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Finance, Real Estate and Business Law, died Saturday, Jan. 28 at Wesley Medical Center in Hattiesburg. He was 52.

Services for King will be Tuesday, Jan. 31 at 1:30 p.m. at Temple Baptist Church in Hattiesburg, with burial to follow in Hattiesburg’s Highland Cemetery. Visitation is at Moore Funeral Home of Hattiesburg today from 5-9 p.m. and Tuesday from 12:30 p.m. until the time of the service.

“We’re deeply saddened at this loss,” said Dr Lance Nail, dean of the Southern Miss College of Business. “Ernie was a devoted educator and a tremendous asset to his department and to the college, as well as our community. But above all, he was a dedicated husband and father who put his faith and family first in his life."

King was a member of Temple Baptist Church, where he served as a coach of Upward Sports and as a Temple Media Ministry volunteer. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Esther King.

He served as a thesis advisor to Southern Miss senior business administration major Jasmine Allen of McComb, who said King’s background as an attorney further motivated her to pursue a career in corporate law.

“It was a blessing to have met him and have his guidance as a professor,” she said. “He was a great teacher who had a real talent for connecting with his students.”

Survivors include his wife, Kerri Ishee King of Hattiesburg; his daughter, Jessica Grace King of Hattiesburg; and his son, Ernest Wade King, Jr. of Hattiesburg.

Southern Miss Schedules Black History Month Events

w301717 — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:10:04 +0000

David Tisdale

Black History Month at The University of Southern Mississippi will be marked by several events and programs scheduled on the Hattiesburg campus through February. The national theme for Black History Month is “Black Women in American Culture and History," established by the Association of the Study of African American Life and History.

The schedule of events includes the following:

Feb. 1: Black History Month Essay Contest. The goal of this program is for students to address issues in the African American community. Contact Evingerlean Blakney at evingerlean.blakney@eagles.usm.edu for details.

Feb. 7: Soul Food lunch, Fresh Food Company in the Thad Cochran Center, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Feb. 9: Made in America: Famous Black Greeks in National Pan-Hellenic organizations. Information display will be held from 12-2 p.m., R.C. Cook Union lobby; program is set for 7-8 p.m., R.C. Cook Union Hall of Honors.

Feb. 15: Health Awareness program, Thad Cochran Center ballroom I, 5-7 p.m.

Feb. 27: Black history program Then and Now, “From the Cotton Field to the White House,” 5:30 p.m., Student Activities Hub open space, first floor. This event is sponsored by the Southern Miss College Democrats.

Feb. 27: Eagle Awards, Thad Cochran ballrooms II and III, 7-9 p.m. The highlight of this program is recognition of the achievements and contributions of African Americans in the university community and Hattiesburg area.

For more information about Black History Month events at Southern Miss, contact Evingerlean Blakney at evingerlean.blakney@eagles.usm.edu or Valencia Walls at valencia.walls@usm.edu.

DuBard School at Southern Miss Receives $6,000 AT&T Grant

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:27:42 +0000

Van Arnold

The DuBard School for Language Disorders at The University of Southern Mississippi recently received a $6,000 grant from The AT&T Foundation that will be used to update the school’s Rosetta Stone software.

“We use Rosetta Stone, in English, to reinforce the language and reading skills the students are learning in the classroom,” said school director Dr. Maureen Martin. “This grant will allow us to replace the outdated Rosetta Stone software we are currently using. We truly appreciate the AT&T Foundation for supporting the education of our students.”

A United Way agency, the DuBard School for Language Disorders was established in 1962 and is a clinical division of the Southern Miss Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. The school serves children with severe language/speech disorders and/or hearing impairments and provides guidance and counseling for parents and families of the children. The school is a practicum site for university students majoring in speech-language pathology, audiology, or deaf education.

For more information about the DuBard School, call 601.266.5223 or visit www.usm.edu/dubard

Renovated Marsh Hall Auditorium Welcomes Dutch Acapella Group

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:45:04 +0000

Matthis W. Piel III

When the School of Music at The University of Southern Mississippi opens its 2012 Connoisseur Series on Tuesday, Jan. 31, the audience will get its first experience in the newly renovated Marsh Auditorium (map). And fittingly so, world-renowned acapella vocal ensemble, Quink, will be the first to try out the new hall’s acoustics.

Part of the Connoisseur Series at the Southern Miss School of Music, the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Thanks to a generous grant from Partners for the Arts, admission is free. Seating is limited.

Built by architects Landry & Matthis, Marsh Hall, part of the original Academic/Fine Arts Building, was built in 1954. It was home to numerous musical productions of all kinds, including a popular annual performance of Handel’s Messiah.

In 1961, the hall was named in honor of Frank Earl Marsh, chairman of the Department of Music, 1930-1960. With the addition of the Mannoni Performing Arts Center in 1972, the hall became home to smaller performance including recitals by students and faculty.

Until now, the hall has undergone few changes over the years. Over the past year, a sound shell was added to add acoustical presence to the room and also shield light and distractions from the outer lobby during performances. Most notably, new, much more comfortable seating and ADA accessible accommodations were installed. Future plans include work on the stage proscenium, upgraded technology and aesthetic touches both in the hall and in the lobby.

The School of Music will continue to exhaust all resources in pursuit of providing students, faculty and patrons with the excellent teaching, learning and listening environments they richly deserve. The renovation of Marsh Auditorium is but one of an ongoing series of improvements to a learning environment that will create optimum conditions for the musical experiences of all constituents.

The improvements in Marsh Auditorium were made possible through support from the College of Arts and Letters and music course fees. Design concepts were created by Dr. Mike Lopinto.

Southern Miss Center Receives U.S. Department of Transportation Designation

w301717 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:35:45 +0000

The University of Southern Mississippi Center for Logistics, Trade, and Transportation (CLTT) has been named and funded as a U.S. Department of Transportation Research and Innovative Technology Administration University Transportation Center (UTC).

The CLTT is part of the Tier 1 National Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE) consortium led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and includes the University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University, the University of Alabama-Huntsville, University of Wisconsin-Superior, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, University of Toledo, University of Illinois-Chicago and Michigan Technological University.

A $3.5 million grant from the UTC to the consortium,including the CLTT, is directed toward research and education that will improve the nation’s freight transportation system in order to promote economic development and develop the next generation of transportation professionals. Of the 63 University Transportation Center applications received, 22 grants were awarded. Forty-six of the applicants competed to be one of the 10 Tier 1 Centers.

Dr. Tulio Sulbaran, associate professor and graduate program director for Southern Miss’ School of Construction, serves as director of the center. Department of Economic and Workforces Development assistant professor Dr. Chad Miller serves as assistant director of the CLTT and is a principal investigator of the UTC grant project for Southern Miss.

“Receiving funding as part of the CFIRE consortium will open up great opportunities for our students interested in transportation, and allow us to work with some of the best transportation research professionals in the world to promote freight-based economic development in Mississippi,” Miller said.

The CLTT is a joint effort of the university’s School of Construction and the Department of Economic and Workforce Development, and seeks to provide a competitive advantage to industry and government agencies through its multidisciplinary activities. It was developed to respond to Gulf Coast government and industry stakeholders’ need for the creation and dissemination of practical, cutting-edge, interdisciplinary knowledge and technologies to advance logistics, trade and transportation; foster economic development; and promote an integrated freight system within the Americas.

Some of the activities of the consortium will include efforts to make freight-centric communities more livable; evaluating the impact of the Panama Canal expansion on the nation’s freight system; improving the safety of transportation infrastructure; applying advance technology to improve the performance of inland waterways; estimating the effects of climate change on freight transportation; improving distribution of local and regional food; and enhancing rail connectivity to underserved rural communities.

For more information about the Southern Miss School of Construction, online visit http://www.usm.edu/construction. For more information about the university’s Department of Economic and Workforce Development, online visit http://www.usm.edu/dewd/