49 minute read
AROUND THE QUAD
The Statesman’s Shelf Food Pantry Opens
The number of colleges and universities nationwide that confront student food insecurity continues to rise. More than 640 campuses across the nation operate food pantries to help nourish students who lack a sufficient quantity of nutritious food, according to the College and University Food Bank Alliance—from Columbia University to Indiana University to University of New Mexico to University of California, Berkeley.
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Delta State University joined that growing mindful list in January by opening The Statesman’s Shelf food pantry for current students in the Student Union behind the State Room. The site provides non-perishable food and beverages, along with disposable dinnerware, to any DSU student who wants to partake. Students do not have to qualify for need to participate. The sole requirement is a valid student ID. Transactions are confidential. Students shop for what they want by checking off boxes on a form and receive a bag of groceries determined by pounds, not items.
The food pantry remains open during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Students shouldn’t have to worry about where their next meal will come from,” said Dr. Vernell Bennett-Fairs, vice president for Student Affairs, which oversees The Statesman’s Shelf. “We want our students to take advantage of this resource. There is no shame in it.”
All sorts of statistics support this. The U.S. Government Accountability Office, in “Food Insecurity: Better Information Could Help Eligible College Students Access Federal Food Assistance Benefits,” a December 2018 report to congressional requesters, reviewed 31 studies that provided some information about food insecurity for college students. Estimates of food insecurity ranged from 9 percent to more than 50 percent. Twenty-two of the studies recorded rates of more than 30 percent.
Also, the College and University Food Bank Alliance, the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, the Student Government Resource Center, and the Student Public Interest Research Group sponsored “Hunger on Campus: The Challenge of Food Insecurity for College Students,” an October 2016 report. Of 3,765 students surveyed in 12 states, spanning eight community colleges and 26 four-year colleges and universities, 48 percent of respondents indicated food insecurity within the past 30 days. Twenty percent of respondents at four-year schools cited very low levels of food security (to be interpreted as hungry).
There are numerous reasons why Delta State students might experience food insecurity, Bennett-Fairs explained. Most apparent: limited funds. “Oftentimes, students choose to live off campus because they believe it saves them money, but it doesn’t,” she said. “The first place they cut their budget when it’s necessary is usually the grocery list.”
Delta State is collaborating with the Hattiesburg, Miss.-based Extra Table, a non-profit organization committed to ending food insecurity in Mississippi, on The Statesman’s Shelf. Extra Table’s executive director, Martha Allen, and her team raised $9,500 for Delta State to purchase bulk food. “Delta State greatly appreciates the generosity and advice from Extra Table,” said Bennett-Fairs. “Martha Allen is a wonderful partner.”
Delta State colleagues also chipped in. The Mu Gamma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the African American Student Council, and the Department of Social Work through Chair and Associate Professor Dr. Jana Donahoe amassed hundreds of food items for the opening—jars of peanut butter, cups of pudding, boxes of pasta, pouches of juice, bags of rice, cans of vegetables, soup, and tuna fish. Just about anything and everything except fresh things because there’s no equipment to store them and prevent spoilage. Facilities Management painted and carpeted the room from funds that Bennett-Fairs had allocated from her Student Affairs budget. “We welcome all DSU students who need food for whatever reason,” Bennett-Fairs said. “We also welcome community support. The donations we’re gathering for the opening won’t last forever.” Delta State President LaForge (center right); Dr. Vernell Bennett-Fairs, vice president for student affairs (in white suit on right); Department of Social Work Chair Dr. Jana Donahoe (in green on left); and other staff, officials, and students cut the ribbon to open The Statesman’s Shelf in January.
Delta State University received the 2020 Elbert R. Hilliard Oral History Award from the Mississippi Historical Society for an in-progress “DSU Sit-In Documentary” that examines a 1969 demonstration to advance race relations on campus.
“The story of the 1969 DSU sit-in is an important yet understudied moment in the modern black freedom struggle. The work on this project will enlighten not only the DSU community but scholars and the general public,” said Dr. Chuck Westmoreland, associate professor of history at DSU and president of the Mississippi Historical Society. “DSU faculty and students have collaborated to bring greater light to this important event.”
The documentary short, expected to run about 22 minutes, recalls the March 10, 1969, event when 52 black students staged a sit-in at the newly integrated institution to insist that administration address a list of previously submitted demands. Protestors urged the hiring of black professors and counselors, creating a black history course, establishing scholarships for black students, and including black representation in the Student Government Association. These catalysts for change staged the sit-in in the corridor of President James M. Ewing’s office, uniting under the name of the Black Student Organization, led by president Beverly Perkins ’70. The student activists were arrested and imprisoned for the night at Parchman State Penitentiary. The next day, they were returned to the Bolivar County Courthouse and released on $200 bonds.
“History is too often told from the perspective of a narrator who has ties, biases, and admiration for a certain character, institution, or belief. We have a surplus of these types of accounts in the world, and they are partial truths,” said documentary participant Sykina Butts, a junior English-philosophy major. “The aim of the project is to capture the fading voices of the ones who paved the way for black students here at Delta State, so that the narrator will have no other choice but to tell the complete truth.”
Participant Maggie Crawford Participant Mary Carter
DSU Documentary on Campus Sit-In Earns Award
The Department of Commercial Aviation debuted its Wall of Fame for recipients of FedEx Purple Runway Aviation Scholarships. FedEx officials joined students, faculty, and administrators at the unveiling last fall. Delta State is one of only a handful of schools nationwide to receive FedEx Express aviation scholarships—$100,000 annually for five successive years—to help fill anticipated employee shortages in the airline industry. Each year, 10 DSU students receive a $10,000 scholarship.
Commercial Aviation and FedEx Debut Wall of Fame
The “DSU Sit-in Documentary” is being filmed at Delta State’s new Digital Media Art Center, a 6,000 square-foot collaborative space between the Art Department and the Delta Music Institute, with a state-of-the-art Mac lab, enhanced video production facilities, a green screen area, and a voiceover booth. Additional contributors include Arlene Sanders, political science instructor and chair of DSU’s Diversity Advisory Committee; Ted Fisher, assistant professor of art (video); Michael Stanley, chair of the Art Department; Michelle Johansen, coordinator of DSU’S A World Class Experience; Emily Jones, university archivist; Professor Emerita of English Georgene Clark; Antonia Cannon, who graduated from DSU with a degree in digital media arts, video concentration, last December; Tyler Wells, a senior social sciences major; Briana P. Henderson, a junior digital media arts major, video concentration; and Keenen Davis, a junior digital media arts major, video concentration.
The annual Elbert R. Hilliard Oral History Award salutes the most outstanding oral history project in the state and comes with a $300 cash prize. The award honors Hilliard ’58, who retired in 2004 after serving as director of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History for 31 years. He also was secretary-treasurer of the Mississippi Historical Society, which held its annual meeting March 5-6 on the Delta State campus and recognized DSU at an awards luncheon.
The project is funded by a grant from the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, whose mission is to foster preservation, perpetuation, and celebration of the Mississippi Delta’s heritage through collaboration and sustainable economic development.
Delta State University’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
On March 12, 2020, Delta State University President William N. LaForge announced the first of numerous proactive measures that DSU would take to protect students, faculty, staff, and community members in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Monitoring conditions as they changed and as the outbreak grew across the world and around the country, DSU expanded, fine-tuned, and modified efforts in time-sensitive ways to keep all constituents safe while still safeguarding the academic experience.
Delta State has worked closely with the Bolivar Medical Center, the Mississippi Department of Health, and the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, among other entities, and has followed protocols established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in these precautions to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
DSU’s periodic campus updates, first sent via email and then immediately posted to the Delta State website and proliferated across Delta State social media, proved a mainstay of the administration’s communication with the campus community, the Mississippi Delta region, and the wider world.
Key steps are included below and remain in effect until further notice:
• Spring break extended for second week • All classes switched to online for remainder of spring semester (faculty and students receiving training and tools as necessary through the Office of Information Technology and the Student
Success Center, plus other units) • Spring commencement exercises postponed (eligible seniors still graduating) • All campus events, including athletics and alumni, cancelled from mid-March onward • Bologna Performing Arts Center events for spring canceled or rescheduled • Residence halls closed (accommodations made for students with extenuating circumstances regarding housing and meals) • Summer school courses to be offered online only • Social distancing enforced • Initially, employees divided into a small contingent of essential staff who could work remotely or at the office, and the majority of non-essential staff who worked from home and were on-call • Quarantine procedures established that follow state and federal guidelines • Those who had traveled internationally recently required to notify DSU and self-quarantine for 14 days to see if symptoms arose; those who had traveled domestically recently required to notify DSU and self-quarantine for 3-5 days • Resident students who tested for the coronavirus relocated to quarantine areas until the results came in and then moved to appropriate quarters depending on the results • Employees in high-risk medical categories as defined by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to work from home exclusively • In mid- to late March, most employees working remotely to reinforce social distancing and healthful ways • Enforcement of the shelter-in-place executive order for all from the Mississippi governor from 5 PM April 3 until 8 AM April 27 • Hand-sanitizing stations installed around campus and hospital-grade cleaning products used • Most offices and buildings on campus closed to public • The Counseling Center open, initially on campus, and then ultimately remotely • The Roberts-LaForge Library providing services electronically • New Student Orientation sessions (five) to be held virtually • Switched to a four-day workweek, 10 hours per day Mon.-
Thurs., earlier than usual (normally for the summer), effective
March 23 through Aug. 7 • Posted informative videos and hyperlinks related to COVID-19
The Elementary Education Program in the Division of Teacher Education, Leadership, and Research at Delta State University is one of only 15 undergraduate elementary programs out of more than 1,000 graded nationwide to earn an A+ in reading instruction for teacher candidates, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ ).
“We are happy to recognize the strong preparation in reading instruction that your undergraduate program provides,” NCTQ President Kate Walsh wrote in an email. The 15 programs like Delta State’s demonstrate “exemplary coursework” and “serve as models of excellence for others,” NCTQ materials point out.
“The teaching of reading is a very deliberate and complex experience; without attention to its science, it is diminished. Kudos to our faculty who recognize this and uphold the tradition,” said Dr. Merideth Van Namen ’04, ’06, ’08, ’13, chair and associate professor of teacher education at DSU. “We’re thrilled but not surprised to be recognized,” she added. “Delta State has been at the vanguard of teacher education since being founded as Delta State Teachers College in 1924.”
Findings appear in NCTQ’s “2020 Teacher Prep Review: Program Performance in Early Reading Instruction.” Assessment criteria include explicit and repeated instruction on each of the five scientifically based components of reading instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension), “support for instruction with high-quality textbooks that accurately detail established principles of scientifically based reading practices,” and “opportunities for teacher candidates to demonstrate mastery through in-class assignments, tests, and instructional practice,” per the report.
“Good results like these are typically the result of dedication and attention to what is truly important,” said Dr. Leslie Griffin ’86, ’91, dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at Delta State. “Essentially, faculty are being recognized for continuing a long tradition of high quality reading/literacy instruction at this institution by honing their craft through professional development, by building into their responsibilities the study of research, and by taking this accumulated knowledge to the next levels of classroom instruction and clinical practice with their candidates.”
Delta State University Department of Social Work’s 15 th annual Margaret Tullos Field Symposium focused on the theme of “Child Advocacy Studies.”
“With this theme we brought awareness to the importance of child advocacy, highlighted the need for trauma-informed practice, and offered updated information on various subjects related to child welfare,” said Taylor Skelton, an instructor and the director of field education in social work at Delta State. “The work being done across the state of Mississippi is indicative of the increased commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our youngest citizens.”
The daylong event, open to social work practitioners and students interested in the profession, featured Taylor Cheeseman, interim commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services; Hollie Jeffery, director of training, and Amanda Adams, coordinator, of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Mississippi; Dr. Debra Nelson-Gardell, associate professor of social work at the University of Alabama; Devon Loggins, president and CEO of the Methodist Children’s Homes of Mississippi; and Shane Garrard, director of alcohol and drug services for Region One Mental Health Center in Clarksdale.
Elementary Education Ranks High in Reading Instruction
15 th Annual Tullos Field Symposium Stressed Child Advocacy
For the first time since NCTQ began publishing ratings in 2013, 51 percent of traditional elementary teacher preparation programs evaluated in the science of reading received an A or B, up from 35 percent seven years ago. This is important because more than one million public schoolchildren beginning fourth grade are added to the list of nonreaders in the U.S. each year, cites NCTQ. In addition to the 15 that made A+, another 32 scored A. Mississippi outperformed all other states.
NCTQ considers early reading the most important of the seven standards it applies to elementary programs. The other six are math, building knowledge, selection criteria, diverse recruitment, classroom management, and clinical practice. Results for those will be released in the spring and summer.
Dr. Jana Donahoe, associate professor of social work and department chair at Delta State, observed, “Our symposium this year was particularly important since DSU is developing a new Child Advocacy Studies Training (CAST) program, which is a direct result of the Child Safety Summit held at DSU in January of last year. It was exciting to come together for the betterment of children’s services using the CAST model of interdisciplinary community care.”
Previous symposium themes have included “Unearthing Empathy,” “Enhancing Social Justice through Rural Initiatives,” and “Youth and Family Advocacy.” Previous keynote speakers have included Kathryn Conley Wehrmann, president of the National Association of Social Workers; Kathryn Boles, president and CEO of Valley Area Agency on Aging; and William Bell, president and chief executive officer of Casey Family Programs serving foster care.
The field symposium began in 2005 and was renamed in 2009 after Professor Emeritus of Social Work Margaret Tullos, who taught at Delta State from 1989 to 2008 and was the director of field education in social work. Upon her retirement, the event was renamed in her honor.
Alumnus Joe Baker Gives $250,000 for Mathematics and Sciences
Alumnus Joe M. Baker Jr., owner of Gulf Coast Labs, a chemical development and sales company in Miramar Beach, Fla., so appreciates how his alma mater prepared him for the field through rigorous studies in biology and chemistry that he and his wife, Amanda, gave $250,000 to the Division of Mathematics and Sciences.
“I was always interested in science. I also was interested in a more general degree. Delta State positioned me to get an overview in several topics,” said Baker, who earned a B.S. in biology in 1975 and an M.S. in interdisciplinary science in 1977. “That’s helped me well over my career.”
Amanda and Joe Baker
Biology professors such as Dr. Jesse White, Dr. Johnny Ouzts, and Dr. James Steen and chemistry professors including Dr. Henry Outlaw “were really good at grounding students and building a foundation for them,” he continued. Paying things forward, therefore, felt like a matter of course, Baker said.
“Joe Baker was a great student at Delta State, and he has been a personal friend of mine since our college days here. Today, he is one of our most supportive and committed alumni,” said Delta State University President William N. LaForge. “For Joe and A.J. to support the sciences at Delta State in such a generous way is a terrific model for other alumni and friends who, like Joe, cherish the personal-touch education Delta State provided them, as well as the personal, lifelong relationships they made on campus as students.”
Baker, a native of Greenville, Miss., also attended Delta State for other reasons. He preferred to stay close to home after completing basic training in the National Guard. The “beautiful campus” impressed him, Baker said. “Most importantly, the curriculum I wanted to study was going to be very demanding, and the smaller class sizes than other universities I was looking at appealed to me,” he said.
More than 40 years later, Baker remains grateful for “engaged” and “accessible” professors, he said, also citing Dr. Rose Strahan from the Mathematics Department. “They were there to teach and to develop,” and they took these roles to heart. Faculty reinforced the “friendly, supportive atmosphere” that distinguished Delta State, he said.
When not taking 18 or 19 hours per semester, Baker participated in student government. He also joined the Zeta Beta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, which won awards for service. Baker remains friends with many fraternity brothers. These leadership and socialization opportunities also benefited him over the decades at work, he said.
Baker, who also earned an MBA from Millsaps College in 1985, has given to Delta State before. He, his wife, and their three grown daughters “believe strongly in education,” he said. “We also believe in the mission that Delta State undertakes. Delta State is very important to the region. Having grown up in the Delta, having attended Delta State, and having an understanding of today’s trend of moving away from state support for higher education, I thought it was important for us to help. It was the right thing to do,” he said. “And we hope to continue to make subsequent gifts for other areas of need in the future.”
“Joe and Amanda Baker’s generous gift is a testimony to the impact Delta State University has made in the lives of our students for generations,” said Rick Munroe, vice president for university advancement and external relations. “We are very grateful for their support.”
INVEST IN YOURSELF by applying to DSU!
DSU Receives $32,000 Grant from Phil Hardin Foundation for Spoken-Word Poetry Collaboration
Left to right: first (bottom) row, Lydia DuBois, programming coordinator, Rosedale Freedom Project (RFP), and Lynn Washington, director of operations, RFP; second row, Dr. Nerma Moore ‘19, director of development, Delta State University Foundation, and Jeremiah Smith, director of programming, RFP; third row, Lloyd Gray, executive director, the Phil Hardin Foundation, and Maia Wegmann, assistant professor of English at Delta State; fourth row, Michael Smith, associate professor of English at DSU; Don Mitchell, associate professor of English at DSU.
Delta State University received a $32,100 grant from the Phil Hardin Foundation to fund an initiative in which undergraduate students in a creative writing poetry class and their faculty member from the Division of Languages and Literature will serve as mentors to middle- and high-school students associated with the Rosedale (Miss.) Freedom Project. The affiliation, called The Spoken Word Freedom Project, will begin in fall 2020 and conclude in spring 2021.
“We are grateful for and excited about this opportunity to expand art programming to under-resourced Delta communities,” said Don Allan Mitchell, associate professor of English at Delta State and the campus point person for the alliance. “The Hardin Foundation’s commitment to improving educational opportunities for all Mississippians is vital to the enduring culture of the Delta and we’re honored to engage in this work. This project will allow our students and the Rosedale Freedom Project (RFP) fellows to collaborate in their artistic development and showcase a permanent record of that partnership. RFP Cofounder and Executive Director Jeremiah Smith, Program Coordinator Lydia DuBois, Director of Operations Lynn Washington, and the RFP fellows are doing important work, and I look forward to highlighting their efforts.”
The Spoken Word Freedom Project intends to teach both mentor- and mentee-students about the benefits of the history and use of spoken-word composition and performance. This exploration will take place in workshop settings at DSU and at the LEAD (Love, Action, Education, and Discipline) Center at the Rosedale Freedom Project. Those four principles guide RFP, whose mission is: “Supporting the Mississippi Delta’s young leaders in the development of critical consciousness and the practice of justice through community building, exploration, artistic creation, organizing, and the study of social history and grassroots democracy.”
Participants also will have the opportunity to study and create poetry that might relate to personal experiences or community issues. Their culminating activity will be a spoken-word performance at Delta State’s annual Winning the Race conference that addresses racial healing and equity and social justice. To prepare for that show, scheduled for spring 2021, RFP fellows and their DSU undergraduate counterparts will work with a professional performance artist.
The Phil Hardin Foundation, based in Meridian, Miss., underwrote this joint activity because the endeavor fits its longstanding goal to be “a catalyst for educational opportunity and community improvement in Mississippi,” as the website states. Since being created in 1964, the Hardin Foundation has invested more than $60 million toward strengthening the capacity of its community, region, and state to meet educational challenges.
“We are so thankful to Executive Director Lloyd Gray and the board of directors of the Phil Hardin Foundation for partnering with us on such an important project,” said Dr. Nerma Moore ’19, director of development at the DSU Foundation. “Self-expression is an essential part of life and overall growth. When young adults have a chance to express themselves in an environment where they feel safe and believe that their voices are heard, they are generally more active and more productive in society. The Phil Hardin Foundation has supported us for many years, and to be able to re-engage at this time for this new and noteworthy project is truly special.”
The College of Business and Aviation’s 15 th annual International Business Symposium in February revolved around the theme “Evolving in International Business.” Founder and notable alumnus David Abney ’76, ’15, CEO and chairman of the board of UPS, again delivered the keynote address.
He established the International Business Symposium in 2006 with his wife, Sherry, “to increase the global business acumen of students,” Abney explained. That’s one reason why he stressed three overlapping topics in his talk: the state of international business; challenges and opportunities moving forward across the global landscape; and implications for Mississippi and the Delta.
Working at UPS for almost 46 years, Abney began his career as a part-time package loader while a freshman at Delta State before rising to become the 11 th CEO in the 112-year history of the world’s largest package delivery company.
The other reason he created the symposium, Abney said, was Dr. David Abney
With the Mississippi general election as a backdrop, DSU’s fall 2019 Colloquia Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series featured former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (2004-12), a Republican, and Democratic strategist Jere Nash, campaign manager for former Mississippi Gov. Ray Mabus (1988-92). Barbour and Nash’s discussion was titled, “Across the Aisle: Post-Election Reflection and What’s Next.”
Delta State University President William N. LaForge called the event “a very timely look-back at, and analysis of, the statewide elections.”
Mississippi Politicos Headline Fall Colloquia
President LaForge raises a point with former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (center) and strategist Jere Nash (left).
“to bring different people to campus to tell their stories of success” and act as role models. Other speakers at the two-day event this year included Natalie Allen, anchor/reporter at CNN International; veteran marketer Melia Christensen, best known in the Mississippi Delta for serving as director of the Leland Chamber of Commerce for four years; and Abney’s longtime colleague, Cher Porties, president of UPS Mid-South District. Abney answers questions after his talk.
He established the Colloquia in 2013 upon his inauguration. The first speaker was former Mississippi Gov. William Winter. Others include former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey, former U.S. Comptroller General Charles Bowsher, NCAA President Mark Emmert, and, most recently, business publishing magnate Steve Forbes.
Children and the young at heart can again have stars in their eyes at the Wiley Planetarium.
Delta State University’s Wiley Planetarium reopened in January under a new director, Dr. Maria Weber. Her first curated show, “Violent Universe: Catastrophe of the Cosmos,” sold out, and a second screening of the 25-minute star-studded film was added.
“The Roy L. and Clara Belle Wiley Planetarium is such an incredible resource for science education,” said Weber, assistant professor of physics, who started at Delta State in fall 2019. “I feel so proud, and am beyond excited, to use this wonderful facility to share the wonders of our universe with students, our local community, and the Mississippi Delta region.”
Narrated by Sir Patrick Stewart, whose roles include Capt. Picard from the “Star Trek” franchise, “Violent Universe: Catastrophe of the Cosmos” features comets, asteroids, and meteors hurtling through space; stars collapsing under their own gravity; and galactic nuclear infernos releasing deadly radiation across the universe.
Delta State University’s Office of Communications and Marketing (CommMark) earned two 2020 awards in web design from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, District III/ Southeast.
CommMark won a silver award in the individual digital advertising category for Delta State’s $175 million economic impact web page and a bronze award in the total website design and organization category for a redesign of the International Conference on the Blues website.
Web designer Gregory Braggs Jr., ’15 BS interdisciplinary studies, ’16 BS entertainment industry studies, and ’19 MBA, led the efforts, with help from Holly Ray ’06, graphic designer, and Peter Szatmary, director.
“I’m glad to see that some of the work I’ve done stands with some of the other universities across the Southeast,” said Braggs, who began working at DSU in July 2017. “I’m proud of the way both projects turned out and that the work involved in them was recognized not only by the Delta State community but also by the larger academic world. There are a lot of things I really like about these projects, including their unique design, well-organized layout, and the topics they represent. I am thankful for my family who is always an encouragement to me as well as the CommMark Office for their involvement.”
CommMark Wins Two 2020 CASE Awards
Weber earned a Ph.D. in physics from Colorado State University in 2014. She spent three years as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Exeter (England), studying the magnetism of the sun and smaller stars called M-dwarfs. Before coming to Delta State, Weber was a National Science Foundation postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Chicago and the Adler Planetarium in Chicago.
The Wiley Planetarium—one of three planetariums in Mississippi, and the only one at a university in the state— reopened a year to the day after Delta State held a celebration of life for the preceding planetarium director, the late Dr. Adam Johanson. He died in a car crash on Jan. 3, 2019, at age 35, with his wife and high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Marshall Johanson, 35, and their 8-year-old daughter, Jane, while their three other children survived the fatal wreck. He taught at Delta State from summer 2016 until his passing. The Johansons were remembered at the reopening. Dr. Maria Weber
Szatmary added, “These efforts really raise the bar of our website, include cutting-edge components, and maximize surfer friendliness.” Gregory Braggs
Men’s swimmer Emanuel Fava notched DSU’s 10 th national championship and set a new school record in the 200-yard individual medley at the NCAA Championships in Geneva, Ohio, on March 11.
Fava, who qualified fourth for the final after his morning preliminary, shaved more than two seconds from his prelim time and set a new school record of 1:44.10.
The sophomore exercise science major and Turin, Italy, native became the second DSU swimming national champion. Justin Whitaker ’02 won the 100-yard backstroke at the 2002 NCAA Championships in Orlando, Fla.
Fava and the Statesmen posted 70 points on opening night to sit in second place before the remainder of the meet was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Emanuel Fava hoists his trophy after winning the NCAA National Championship in the 200 IM.
Women’s basketball players Quantesha Patterson and Zyaire Ewing continued DSU’s tradition of excellence on the hardwood by being named Honorable Mention All-Americans by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association on March 23.
Patterson, a Maben, Miss., native, averaged 17.4 points and 13.4 rebounds per game and helped the Lady Statesmen to a 23-7 record
Hoops All-American Honors
Zach Zediker Earns Palmer Nod
Quantesha Patterson (left) works in the paint against Valdosta State in a home game on Feb. 15. Zyaire Ewing eyes a shot against Valdosta State at Walter Sillers Coliseum on Feb. 15.
12 • Delta State Magazine • Winter/Spring 2020 and runner-up finish in the Gulf South Conference (GSC) tournament. The 6-foot senior forward and exercise science major also was named a finalist for the C-Spire Gillom Trophy, awarded to the best women’s collegiate basketball player in the state, and a thirdteam All-American by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association. She led the GSC in field goal percentage (65.4) and offensive rebounding (5.9 per game). Those marks also ranked third and second, respectively, in all of NCAA Division II.
Ewing, a 6-foot-1 junior forward and sports management major from Natchez, Miss., also averaged a double-double: 13.2 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. She posted third-best defensive rebounds (7.6) and second-best blocked shots (49) per game in the GSC.
The program has generated 53 All-American nods.
Zach Zediker follows his tee shot during the Hurricane Invitational in February. He defeated the nation’s top-ranked player for the win.
Zach Zediker’s stellar season on the links culminated with representing Delta State men’s golf on the United States team for the Arnold Palmer Cup, as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) in March. Zediker becomes the first Statesman to receive a Palmer Cup invite.
The senior sports management major earned the honor based on outstanding results in six events before the spring season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic: winning four individual tournaments, finishing runner-up in two, and rating No. 2 in the Golfstat and GCAA national rankings. The Panama City, Fla., native won the Derrall Foreman Invitational, the NCAA DII National Preview, the Matt Dyas Invitational, and the Hurricane Invitational.
One of his second-place finishes: being bested by three strokes by his brother, freshman Noah Zediker, who shot 17-under to capture his first individual title at the Mississippi College Choctaw Invitational in early March. The men’s team led wire-to-wire, posted 48-under, and set a new school record on day one with a 37-under. Junior business major Mitchell Fifer (-10) took home third place. Senior business major Zach Smith (-6) landed fifth, senior John-Crawford Counts (-4) tied for seventh, and redshirted freshman accounting major Wilson Baker (+3) tied for 15 th .
On the heels of their performances, the Zedikers swept the GSC Golfers of the Month awards. Noah took home Freshman of the Month and Zach Golfer of the Month for the second time in 2019-20.
205 undergraduate degrees
119 graduate degrees
1. The 205 undergraduate degrees: College of Arts and Sciences, 78; College of Business and Aviation, 48; College of Education and Human Sciences, 47; School of Nursing, 32. 2. The 119 graduate degrees: College of Education and Human Sciences, 55; College of Business and Aviation, 42; College of Arts and Sciences, 20; School of Nursing, 2. 3. The keynote speaker was Dr. Corlis Snow ‘99, ‘01, associate professor of teacher education and recipient last spring of the 2019 S. E. Kossman Teaching Award, the highest distinction a faculty member may be accorded at Delta State. An 18-year veteran in the Division of Teacher Education, Leadership, and Research, she is the 37 th recipient of the recognition. DSU tradition calls for the Kossman Award winner from the previous spring commencement to address graduates at the following fall commencement. Adopt a “growth mindset,” not a “fixed mindset,” in a constantly evolving world, she urged, to “maintain relevance in the professions you’ve chosen.” 4. Delta State President William N. LaForge, who led the commencement activities, congratulated the graduates for reaching a “milestone,” he said, “that, frankly, few people achieve.” It’s crucial “to view your college education as a trust,” he said, “that commits you to a lifetime of learning and service.”
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Shauna Allen Nursing the Passion and Compassion of Alumna
By Elisabetta Zengaro
hauna Allen knew from a young age two interrelated things. That she wanted to be a nurse and that Delta State University would help her achieve this dream.
“I always had a heart to help people,” reflected Allen. And DSU’s Robert E. Smith School of Nursing, from which she earned a B.S. in 2013, “always goes above and beyond in preparing students at a clinical level,” she said. S
Family also guided her educational and career decisions. Her mother, Debra, earned an M.S.N. from Delta State in 1997 and has been a faculty member since 1995. Her father, Jim, class of 2002, receiving a B.B.A., founded the women’s and men’s soccer programs in 2003 and served as head coach until retirement in 2011. Plus, her brother, James, graduated with a B.B.A.in 2015 and an MBA in 2016.
In fact, she has always stayed close to home. Upon graduating and becoming a registered nurse, Allen worked at Bolivar Medical Center, first in the ICU until 2016 and ultimately in Infection Control and Employee Health until mid-2019. Since last October, she’s been director of nursing at Prime Care Nursing in Greenville, Miss., one of the largest nurse staffing agencies in the state.
Ann Barnes, president of Prime Care Nursing, commends Allen’s empathy and cheerfulness. “Her energy level has brought an additional dimension to Prime Care,” she added.
These are some reasons why Allen was chosen to speak at the nursing school’s pinning ceremony in 2017 and at its white coat ceremony in 2019.
Mom Debra Allen takes satisfaction “to hear faculty members talk about her ability to take care of patients, that they had to give her very little instruction because she already knew what to do, was always prepared and a self-starter.” The matriarch additionally admires her daughter’s “initiative,” citing an example of creating a newsletter about infection control when at Bolivar Medical Center.
Seeds
Some of this verve and dedication stem from the modeling of her parents. Allen calls her mother “my No. 1 inspiration.” Her father ranks a close second. Debra Allen couldn’t teach her offspring on the clinical side because of academic rules. Still, daughter learned from mother about nursing informally on a daily basis. Enrolling at Delta State in 2006, Allen lettered for two seasons as a fullback and midfielder on the soccer team and served as team manager for one year under her dad. He “taught me a great work ethic,” she recalled. “Being a student-athlete taught me I could achieve anything I set my mind to.”
Allen also credits Delta State’s small class sizes and the one-on-one interaction students have with instructors.
Other positive Delta State influences include Ronnie Mayers, B.S. ’74 (health, physical education, and recreation), M.E. ’75 (physical education), Ph.D. ’18 (honorary), athletic director emeritus and former head swim coach—he oversaw her CPR and lifeguarding certification. Dr. Ellen Green, associate professor of biology and chair of the Division of Mathematics and Sciences, “impacted my education in healthcare,” she said. And Dr. Tanya McKinney, associate professor of biology, “was the reason I took the job as the infection control nurse at Bolivar Medical due to her influential lessons in medical microbiology—I knew I would be great at that job because of her teachings.”
As a student, Allen participated in the Delta State Student Nurses Association. She carries forth advancing the industry today, including completing a program at the Mississippi Nurses Foundation’s Nurses Leadership Institute last year.
Dr. Vicki Bingham, B.S.N. ’88, dean of the School of Nursing and former department chair when Allen was enrolled, praised this commitment.
“Since Shauna graduated and became a registered nurse, I have observed her passion for the nursing profession grow,” Bingham said. “She eagerly accepted the role as president of the DSU Nursing Alumni, in which she was instrumental in helping us celebrate 40 years of nursing. For the past several years, she has served as a delegate for our Mississippi Nurses Association district. Shauna continues to be very supportive of the DSU nursing school and profession. And in her nursing career, Shauna has facilitated education and training opportunities for those wanting to become a nurse and those who are nurses.”
DSU pride and legacy: Shauna Allen and her mother, Debra Allen, pose at DSU’s School of Nursing in March.
Overall, she assesses her daughter this way: “Shauna blossomed into an awesome nurse and young lady. She is wellrespected across the state and that makes me very proud.”
Blossoms
The most rewarding part of the job, Shauna Allen said, is “just seeing somebody that you helped, whether it is going into a local business or seeing someone’s mom and dad that you helped take care of.” There’s nothing better than supporting the community by taking care of someone in need.
Some of that impetus comes from what she learned at Delta State, and Allen expresses gratitude for what her alma mater has done for her.
She likes that Delta State “cares a lot and is very engaged. They offer activities and events for the campus and region. There are many nursing scholarships. They also make sure we reach out to the community. I remember as an athlete we had to read to children—so also volunteer work.”
Her DSU loyalty extends to being on the Delta State Alumni Board.
Elisabetta Zengaro ’15 (B.A. journalism), M.S. ’18 (sport and human performance), is a Ph.D. student in communication and information sciences at the University of Alabama.
Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack
Dr. Tyrone Jackson
To Learn and to Lead: Perspective from Two Alumni Who Serve as College Presidents
Education bespeaks care. Delta State Magazine asked two notable DSU alumni who are college presidents to explain how so from their point of view. In the personal essays that follow, Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack ’99, ’00, president of Claflin University in Orangeburg, S.C., and Dr. Tyrone Jackson ’94, ’98, ’05, president of Mississippi Delta Community College (MDCC), convey in their own words what education means to them. They reflect on the grounding that academics provided them as students and share some of the ways that they lead their own campuses. A common denominator: appreciation of Delta State. —Editor Peter Szatmary
Claflin President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack: Holistic Development
Delta State University gave me so much. I transferred from
Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich., and earned a bachelor’s degree in education (1999) and a master’s degree in sociology (2000). DSU took a chance on a kid from Detroit who was the epitome of a first-generation college student from a low economic background. I didn’t have the best grades entering, but the faculty cared for and challenged me more than I had ever experienced.
I was an active member of the Student Government Association and served on the National Pan Hellenic Council as a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. We had some significant accomplishments that benefited the students and the university.
I’m proud of being a two-year starter at point guard on the basketball team. We finished 27-4 my junior year, won the Gulf South Conference (GSC) championship, and advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA DII South Regional. I’ll never forget cutting down the nets in DSU’s Walter Sillers Coliseum after winning the GSC championship. My senior year, I led the team in assists as we went 22-7, suffering a season-ending loss in the GSC Tournament final.
Athletics provided the foundation for my leadership philosophy. It’s based on the concept of TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More. The TEAM concept helps everyone focus on goals and brings out the best in everyone.
After earning my undergraduate degree, I planned to coach basketball at Finney High School, my alma mater, and eventually become athletic director. But God had other plans. Steve Rives, DSU head men’s basketball coach from 1986 to 2006, hired me as a graduate assistant. He also encouraged me to explore working in university administration. Dr. Wayne Blansett, B.S. ’73 (education), M.Ed. ’74 (counseling), Ed.D. ’88 (professional studies), then vice president of student affairs, hired me to work under Dr. Steve Watson, former dean of students. Dr. Blansett taught me the importance of a student-focused culture.
Dr. Jackson and his wife, Kashanta, and children, Tyler, 13, and Kennedi, 8. He enjoys serving on numerous boards in the community. Dr. Jackson welcomes Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson to MDCC’s main campus in Moorhead in late January. Dr. Warmack’s “Bow Ties with the Prez” (with student Donald Davis II) addresses fashion, leadership, academics, campus, and careers.
From left: Dr. Warmack, Miss Claflin Faith McKie (seated), first lady LaKisha Warmack, and the Warmacks’ daughter, Morgan.
I’m grateful to DSU administrators, faculty, and staff who poured into me their knowledge. They saw something in me that I did not see in myself. Dr. Tyrone Jackson, my fellow Statesman in this dual profile, was associate director of housing and residence life then—and the professional that the majority of minority students aspired to be like.
I earned a doctorate in educational leadership (concentration in higher education) from Union University and completed postdoctoral studies at Harvard University. I participated in Hampton University’s Executive Leadership Summit and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Millennium Leadership Initiative. I held leadership positions at Western Carolina University, Rhodes College, and BethuneCookman University over 15 years before serving as president of Harris Stowe State University in St. Louis, Mo., for five years. I began my tenure as Claflin’s ninth president last August.
DSU prepared me for these presidential opportunities. I learned so much from alumnus (1956) and President Emeritus Dr. Kent Wyatt (1975-99). I’m proud to have received the 2008 Kent Wyatt “Young Alumnus” Service Award. One lesson he taught me: create an environment that’s welcoming and caring. To achieve this, campuses must develop the whole student—academically, personally, socially, spiritually. Holistic development provides students with broader perspectives and prepares them for global leadership.
MDCC President Dr. Tyrone Jackson: Solid Foundation
Growing up in Rosedale, Miss., I planned to be a high school history teacher. I financed my college education at Delta State University through part-time jobs. A paper route in Rosedale definitely builds character! And I worked at the Delta State golf course.
After earning a B.S. in general studies/sociology in 1994, I found an opening in DSU’s recruiting office. I worked with Betsy Bobo Elliott ’73, director of recruiting at the time, and Dr. Wayne Blansett, then vice president of student affairs. At small schools, you wear plenty of hats. Mine were housing and Greek life. Then I worked for Paul Starkey, B.B.A. ’84, former dean of graduate and continuing studies. My last position was interim dean of the graduate school and continuing education. Overall, I worked at Delta State for 14 years. During that time, I received an M.Ed. in 1998 and an Ed.D. in 2005 from DSU.
Throughout that span, I also was an adjunct at Delta State, Mississippi Valley State University, MDCC, and Coahoma Community College. I taught everything from dual-enrollment courses to doctorate-level classes.
I left for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College for about five years, first as associate vice president of student services and enrollment management in Perkinston, then as dean of students in Gulfport. Hinds Community College then recruited me. I spent six years there, initially as dean of student services in Raymond, then as vice president of the Utica campus/district dean of students. In March 2019, I became the first AfricanAmerican president of MDCC.
A solid foundation prepared me for this position. I had strong teachers in high school, especially the late Carrie Ann Bell, my biology teacher who also taught me chemistry. A sharp person all about academic excellence, she inspired me to become a teacher. She didn’t use any notes and wrote on the chalkboard from the time class started until the bell rang. She challenged us up one side and down the other! You had to know the material and apply it in real-life scenarios.
I also graduated from the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy, Delta Institute’s Delta Emerging Leaders, Mississippi Economic Council’s Leadership Mississippi, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Gulf Coast.
As president, I am visiting high schools, meeting with the board of supervisors, and talking to communities to discover what the needs are. I want MDCC to be a college of choice in the Mississippi Delta.
We’re making strides. Enrollment increased 5.1 percent in 2019. Once we get students here, we need to retain them.
I’m also big on campus image: cutting grass low, weeding, edging. I tell my maintenance crew all the time that a coat of paint makes a world of difference.
We’re going to continue to assess needs and provide career and technical programs and workforce training to address them. I want us to rev on all eight cylinders.
As proud as I am of professional accomplishments, I’m proudest to be married to Kashanta and father to Tyler, 13, and Kennedi, 8.
Alumnus and Emeritus James Robinson’s Long Embrace of DSU
Delta State’s own Dr. James Robinson smiles for the camera in March in one of his favorite spots on campus: Jobe Hall.
In 1966, James Elbert Robinson Jr. became the first Delta State University student to graduate with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. The undergraduate history major returned to Delta State in 1969 to teach the subject and until his retirement in 2009 never missed a day of work for illness.
Robinson committed himself to education and DSU in many other ways. He advised the Delta State chapter of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity for more than a decade and once led the Dedicated Statesmen Association of retired faculty, staff, and alumni who support the campus. In the community, Robinson earned Star Teacher designation three times at Bayou Academy primary/ secondary school and reigned as king of the 2016 Children’s Benefit Ball held by the Junior Auxiliary of Cleveland.
Delta State Magazine asked the Delta native, who graduated from Shaw High School, to reflect on giving back to his alma mater. He supplied captions for this scrapbook of examples. —Editor Peter Szatmary
Chapel
“When President LaForge begin his administration, he brought up the topic of Delta State billboards to me. I’m not rich, but I said I could buy one. We debuted it in this September 2013 photo. It’s on 61 North, heading to Merigold. I felt bad that bigger schools with more money had many billboards. I hated that he didn’t have all the tools he needed to help with enrollment. I wanted to help the president. I also thought I owed him because DSU is all about family. My brother went here first: Peter Robinson ’61, a history professor at Jacksonville State University in Alabama. President LaForge’s father, Dr. William F. LaForge, a professor of history and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences during his long tenure, got me a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree at Vanderbilt, which I earned in 1968 (before receiving a doctorate in 1974 from Mississippi State University). I took every course he taught. I worked for him, too, grading papers. I got paid approximately $300 per semester. Tuition cost roughly $100 per semester. I thought I was rich and bought a car. He hired me to teach in 1969. I’ve been here ever since. So I felt a debt of gratitude.”
“President William N. LaForge and I established the Dedicated Statesmen shortly after his arrival in 2013. The organization is made up of DSU retirees and anyone else who wants to participate in service, in helping Delta State. We were looking for a new project. President LaForge’s wife, Nancy, wanted the Lena Roberts Sillers Chapel to be renovated. It was established in 1979 in the former heating plant, the oldest structure on campus. This photo is from September 2019, when DSU marked the 94 th anniversary of students beginning their academic journey here. We honored MariAna Davis and Rebecca Austin for their dedication to town-gown efforts. Renovations remain ongoing. We installed new light fixtures in early 2020. And we hope to redo the pews and install new carpeting and doors by September.”
Billboard
“I’ve played at the opening faculty meeting and the faculty/staff retirement programs for about 30 years. I pick easy-to-listen-to songs as background music. I started lessons at age 9 and took them for six years until it became clear I didn’t have serious talent. I play for fun, like in this March photo in Jobe Hall. I also play at churches, nursing homes, charity balls, cotillions. I just love the sound. It’s like looking at beautiful colors to me.”
Employee of the Month
Piano
“I started underwriting Delta State’s Employee of the Month program in 2002. This photo is about five years old. I love the employees. They’re so nice and helpful. My contribution was to grow the existing program so that winners got more than a parking space for a month, a candy bar, and a balloon. My interest gave the Incentives & Recognition Committee a burst of energy and they distributed certificates, purchased plaques, and gave presents. There’s also an annual luncheon for the 12 winners at Pappa Roc’s Italian Grill, which opens for lunch just for us. Many winners never get any other recognition in their whole life. The sponsor comes to announce the winner at the work station, and it’s wonderful. They often tear up. I used to go to the surprise presentation, but I felt like it took the attention away from the winner. So now I attend the annual luncheon, which occurs around my birthday.”
Hall of Fame 2019 Alumni
“I was stunned to enter the DSU Alumni Hall of Fame in 2019. On my left is President LaForge and on my right is Patrick Davis ’96, National Alumni Association board president. I was surprised because other people accomplished a whole lot more, business leaders, presidents of places. I’m not any of those. I’m proud that the Alumni Association recognized some of my contributions like receiving the S.E. Kossman Outstanding Teacher Award, the highest honor for a faculty member, in 2001, for my desire to make classes interesting, tie curriculum to current world events, and be kind and fair to students. The award also meant so much to me because I am close with the Kossman family, and members of them were in attendance.”
“I wanted to make the Green Room in Jobe Auditorium look better because impressive speakers are hosted in Jobe. It was a dump, the worst motel imaginable. The place needed painting. The furniture was worn. I thought: this must be embarrassing to the president that CEOs and politicians gather here. Refurbishment of one part led to another since President LaForge took office: furniture, paint, carpet, TV, antiques, artifacts, artwork, pianos, and more.”
Crawfish Boil
“In April 2019, I was crowned the DSU Bolivar County Alumni Chapter Crawfish king. The queen was Eloise Stratton Walker ’50, wife of the late Hugh Ellis Walker, onetime director of the Alumni-Foundation and namesake of its building. I often go to the annual Crawfish Boil and other alumni events like Pig Pickin’. I help fundraise, organize, and play piano. Delta State has been so good to me, is why. I walked into this place with a little general store that my parents, James Elbert and Virginia Roncoli Robinson, ran but was failing in the Skene community. Look at what I got back. My brother and I were the first in our family to go to college. And when my house burned down in 1983, DSU raised money for me. I’m indebted to Delta State.”
Veterans’ Atrium
“DSU’s Golden Circle (whose members are made up of graduates of 50 years or more) and I worked on the Veterans’ Atrium in Jobe Hall to honor the U.S. military, especially those from DSU and the community. It’s for people who fought and lived and fought and died in any war. Unlike many of my peers, I didn’t serve in Vietnam because my draft number didn’t come up. I felt guilty: why them, not me? It opened in 2008. Veterans and their families are so thankful. There was such a need for this on campus and in the community. It’s an openair courtyard that has a metal tree sculpture with leaves that can be engraved. DSU students or teachers who are veterans are included for free. You can pay to add the names of relatives of friends.”
