Ole Miss Alumni Review Sprin g 2013 Vol. 62 No. 2
Spring 2013
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International Gateway Croft Institute gives students competitive edge
UM, MSU place rivalry aside to develop joint teaching program
Memphis Mayor AC Wharton travels long, rewarding road
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Vol. 62 No. 2
features
28 In the Driver’s Seat Memphis Mayor AC Wharton travels long, rewarding road By Tom Speed
34 Education Allies UM, MSU place rivalry aside to develop joint teaching program By Andrew Mark Abernathy
40 Recipe
for Success Alumna works for Emeril in the Big Easy By Annie Rhoades
20 International Gateway
departments 6 From the Circle
The latest on Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and friends
16 Calendar 44 sports
Basketball team wins SEC title Bjork earns contract extension
46 arts and culture 48 Rebel Traveler 52 alumni news
on the cover
Croft Institute gives students competitive edge By Rebecca Lauck Cleary
On the cover: Kees Gispen, executive director of the Croft Institute for International Studies, sends students out into the world from the Croft Institute building porch. Photo by Nathan Latil
Ole Miss Alumni Review P ublisher TimothyL.L.Walsh Walsh(83, (83) Timothy 91) Editor Jim Urbanek II (97) jim@olemiss.edu ssociate E ditor and and A ssociate A Editor A A dvertising dvertising D Director irector Tom Speed (91) Annie Rhoades (07, 09) tom@olemiss.edu annie@olemiss.edu ontributing E Editor ditor C ontributing C Benita Benita Whitehorn Whitehorn
A ssistant Editorial A rt Director Brandon Irvine Amy Howell Designer C ontributors Eric Summers Andrew Mark Abernathy (08, 10), Kevin Bain (98), Rebecca Lauck Cleary (97), C orrespondents Mitchell Diggs(98), (82),Tobie Jay Ferchaud, Tina Kevin Bain Baker (96), Hahn, Robert Jordan (83),(97), Barbara (82), Rebecca Lauck Cleary LexiLago Combs, Nathan Jack Mazurak, Edwin MitchellLatil, Diggs (82), Jay Ferchaud, Smith Harrelson, (80, 93), Tom Speed (91, 03) Michael Robert Jordan (83), Nathan Latil, Jack Mazurak, Officers of The University Deborah Purnell (MA 02) of M ississippi A lumni A ssociation Edwin Smith (80), Matt Westerfield Larry Bryan (74) The University Officers of president of M ississippi A lumni A ssociation Jimmy Brown (70) Bill May (79), president-elect president Trentice Imbler (78) Richard Noble (68), vice president president-elect Kimsey O’Neal Cooper (94) Larry Bryan (74), athletics committee member vice president T. Michael Glenn (77) Mike Glenn (77), athletics committee member athletics committee member A lumni Sam A ffairs Staff Lane (76),, O xford Timothy L. Walsh (83, 91), athletics committee member executive director A ffairs Ssystems taff, Oanalyst xford III A lumni Joseph Baumbaugh, Timothly Walsh (83), executive director AllieL.Bush (12), Web developer Joseph systems analyst ClayBaumbaugh, Cavett (86), associate directorIII Clay Dollarhide, Cavett (86),systems associate director II Martha programmer Martha Dollarhide, systems programmer Sheila Dossett (75), senior associate director II Julian Gilner (04, 07), assistant director Sheila Dossett (75), senior associate Port Kaigler (06), alumni assistant director and senior club coordinator Julian Gilner (04), assistant director Annette Kelly (79), accountant Sarah Kathryn M. Hickman (03), Steve Mullen (92), assistant director assistant director for marketing for marketing Port Kaigler (06), alumni assistant and Annie Rhoades (07, 09), publications editor club coordinator Anna Smith (05), alumni assistant Annette Kelly (79), accountant and club coordinator Tom Speed (91), publications editor Scott Thompson (97, 08), assistant director Scott Thompson (97), assistant director Jim Urbanek (97), assistant director Jim Urbanek (97), assistant director for forcommunications communications Rusty Woods (01),assistant associatedirector directorfor Rusty Woods (01), forinformation informationservices services James Butler (53, 62), director emeritus James Butler (53), director emeritus (60, 66),director WarnerWarner Alford Alford (60), executive executiveemeritus director emeritus The The Ole Ole Miss Miss Alumni Alumni Review Review (USPS (USPS 561-870) 561-870) is published published quarterly quarterly by by The the University is University of of Mississippi Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Affairs. Alumni Association offices are located at Triplett Alumni Center, 651 Grove Loop, University, MS 38677. Telephone 662-915-7375. 109935 AA-10504
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Chancellor Dear Alumni and Friends,
Even as the excitement of the SEC Tournament and all of “March Madness” fades into memory, this is shaping up as one of the most extraordinary spring seasons ever for the University of Mississippi. Over the past few months, the Rebel hoopsters have given us plenty of thrills with several great wins and a stirring run through the conference tournament, but they’re not the only ones who have made their mark on this university and the state it represents. Early last month, more than a thousand of our students spent a Saturday raking leaves, shelving books, painting, clearing brush and working with youth as part of the Big Event, an annual day of service for the Oxford-Lafayette County community. This year’s Big Event included dozens of projects benefiting individuals and organizations, and it gave students and residents a chance to get to know one another. This yearly day of service has proven to be life-changing for both student volunteers and recipients of their efforts, and it has helped make our community a better place for all. Other students have taken the concept of service even further. Several students spent their spring break helping out in Mississippi Delta communities with AmeriCorps VISTA workers as part of an Alternative Spring Break project. Another group of students spent spring break cleaning buildings, raking leaves and performing other chores at homeless and women’s shelters on the Gulf Coast, a project organized by the university’s Department of Student Housing. And several Ole Miss football players spent their break in the Central American nation of Panama, where they helped feed the homeless and worked with children as part of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes-organized effort. It’s not just our students but also our faculty and staff who are making a dramatic difference in our state and world. Recently, we learned the amazing story of a Mississippi toddler born infected with HIV but who shows no sign of the infection two-and-a-half years later, thanks to the pioneering care of Dr. Hannah Gay. A pediatric HIV specialist at the UM Medical Center, Dr. Gay gave the baby a faster and stronger treatment than usual at birth, and medical experts say the swift action cured the child. Dr. Gay has been lauded for her work, but her focus was simply on providing the best possible care for her patient. In the process, her commitment and creativity may lead to an advance that helps untold numbers of patients around the world. Many more examples of outstanding service and dedication can be found across all our campuses, and there’s much more to come. Commencement is only days away, and a whole new class of graduates is preparing to go out into the world to make its mark. These graduates’ creativity, dedication and passion will make a lasting imprint both on Ole Miss and on the world. Please join me in applauding them. Sincerely,
Daniel W. Jones (MD 75) Chancellor
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President
Dear Alumni and Friends,
As the 2012-13 school year winds down, I believe most of you would agree that this has been an outstanding year for our university. Whether measured by independent rankings or by the overall vibe among Ole Miss people, we seem to be on a roll. With positive momentum on so many fronts, I believe that our best is still to come. I realized that serving as president of our Alumni Association would allow me to better understand the depth and breadth of all that goes on at Ole Miss, but I am somewhat overwhelmed after experiencing this role for six months. Except for a short time around winter break, numerous activities take place on our campus all the time. A recent highlight for me was the opportunity to meet with our club leaders from around the country, who came together to enhance what is happening in each of the 64 local clubs. Leaders came from all over Mississippi, as well as Boston, New York, Minnesota, San Antonio, Houston, Atlanta and many other cities and towns. Along those same lines, the Student Hall of Fame reunion in early March brought back a large number of outstanding alumni. In many conversations during those two weekends, the prevailing message was how much these alumni treasure their time spent at Ole Miss, and it was obvious that they still love their university. Another recent highlight for me was spending time with members of a freshman leadership group. This group was impressive, engaged and excited to be at Ole Miss, and I left this meeting feeling great about the future student leadership at Ole Miss. I have also been fortunate to get to know many of our upper-class student leaders, who are working hard to ensure that current students have the same positive experience that most of us enjoyed. These student leaders face many challenges with a larger and more diverse student body than ever before, and it is impressive to see their passion to do what is best for our university. In closing, I would like to thank the Class of 2013 for its many contributions to the growth and success of Ole Miss during its tenure. I especially applaud these students’ class gift: the Daniel W. Jones, M.D. Service Before Self Scholarship Fund. Chancellor Jones has worked diligently to make service a meaningful part of the Ole Miss DNA, and our graduating class’s recognition of the importance of service will provide additional momentum to his goal. I look forward to the 2013-14 school year being our best yet, and I trust all of us will do whatever we can to make this happen. Best regards,
Larry H. Bryan (BBA 74)
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“Professional Service... Proven Results”
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The latest on Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and friends
Selfless Gesture
CHANCELLOR HONORED FOR LIFETIME OF SERVICE LEADERSHIP
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incoming freshmen when the chancellor began his tenure, says class president Jon Daniel McKiever of Jonesboro, Ark., a public policy leadership major. McKiever delivered the news at an Ole Miss alumni luncheon hosted at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. “I will always remember Chancellor Jones as a man who continuously committed himself to serve the university that I love and inspire students to serve both within the university and their own com-
Photo by Jay Ferchaud
niversity of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones (MD 75) has made service to others an integral part of everything he does, starting as a medical missionary in South Korea and continuing through his tenure at the UM Medical Center. Since becoming chancellor in 2009, he has worked to make service part of the “Ole Miss DNA.” In honor of his efforts, representatives of the university’s Class of 2013 surprised Jones in Jackson in February
Jon Daniel McKiever (left), president of the UM Class of 2013, congratulates Chancellor Dan Jones on the establishment of a scholarship fund in his honor and is accompanied by David Horton, treasurer, and Tyler McBeth, vice president. The three class officers surprised Jones with the announcement at an alumni club meeting in Jackson.
with an announcement of a new scholarship fund paying tribute to his leadership in encouraging service activities. The Daniel W. Jones, M.D. Service Before Self Scholarship Fund will be the living legacy of students who were 6 Alumni Review
munities,” McKiever said at the luncheon. Jones says he was “overwhelmed, surprised and happy” when the students announced the gift to establish the fund. “Anything that further embeds the commitment to service for the university
moves us forward, and it makes me very happy that there will be a scholarship, not because it bears my name but because it is going to be a scholarship focused on service,” he says. A longstanding tradition is for the graduating class to leave a permanent gift to the university. “The senior class took a significant amount of time in deciding what gift we desired to present,” McKiever says. “While it is true we were the first freshmen under Chancellor Jones, what made him a perfect candidate for the naming of our scholarships is his great passion for serving both the students and the university.” The chancellor initiated the online service directory “Service DNA: Transformation is at our core” as part of his inauguration activities in 2010. At that time, Jones said, “At the University of Mississippi, we have the opportunity and responsibility to move beyond the transformation of individual lives. We must purposefully participate in transforming our community, state, nation and world.” Members of the Class of 2013 have been working on various projects to raise funds for the scholarship endowment. Individuals and organizations interested in contributing can mail contributions by check with the Daniel W. Jones, M.D. Service Before Self Scholarship Fund noted in the memo line to the University of Mississippi Foundation, P.O. Box 249, University, MS 38677 or online at www.umfoundation.com/makeagift. AR
Liver Transplant Program Revived ‘THEY’VE GIVEN ME MY LIFE BACK,’ PATIENT SAYS OF UMMC TEAM
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Network for Organ Sharing, the governing body for organ transplantation in the U.S., approved UMMC’s liver transplant program. Battle’s condition worsened throughout February to the point where she was admitted to UMMC’s Wallace Conerly Critical Care Hospital on Feb. 27 and was put on UMMC’s liver transplant list.
case, we had wanted a more simple case, but our team worked together just like we’d wanted,” Anderson says. Borg says the chances of Battle’s survival were very low if she had not received the organ. Battle says she’s incredibly grateful to the donor and the donor’s family. Though privacy laws keep recipient and Photo by Jay Ferchaud
n an operation in March that gave a Jackson mother a new chance at life, a team at the University of Mississippi Medical Center successfully completed the state’s first liver transplant in 22 years. The transplant recipient, Karen Battle, received her new liver on March 4 and headed back to her south Jackson home on the 15th, says Dr. Christopher Anderson, UMMC associate professor of transplant surgery and division chief of transplant and hepatobiliary surgery. “They’ve given me my life back,” Battle says of the university’s transplant team, the donor and donor’s family. “I’ve learned that you should celebrate every moment you have. If you’re holding back, waiting for something special, don’t. Live and enjoy it now.” Battle contracted autoimmune hepatitis in 2009, a condition that turned her immune system against her own liver, causing cirrhosis. Through the last four years, she fought the disease with the help of specialists from Nashville to New Orleans. Despite those efforts, her condition worsened, and it became clear that Battle, 36, would eventually need a new liver. More than a year ago, a specialist at Vanderbilt University put her in touch with Anderson, who had moved back to his native Mississippi from Washington University in St. Louis. On arrival at UMMC, Anderson had begun building the team of specialists and meeting the regulatory requirements to restart UMMC’s liver transplant program. “One person cannot do transplants. It takes a team of specialists — a hepatologist, surgeons, anesthesiologists — institutional support, commitment from administration, nursing and support staff to make a transplant program work,” he says. One of the physicians he hired is Dr. Brian Borg, associate professor of digestive diseases and the state’s only transplant hepatologist, who joined the team in August. Another is Dr. Mark Earl, assistant professor of transplant surgery. At the end of January, the United
The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s transplant team conducts the state’s first liver transplant in 22 years.
“She was in end-stage liver disease, and at that point many other organs are affected. Her kidneys had stopped producing urine. We recognized she was spiraling downward,” Anderson says. “She was, in my opinion, straddling the fence of being a good candidate to even go through the procedure versus, if she gets much sicker, we’re going to have to say transplant’s not going to help.” Only days after admitting and listing Battle, Anderson received a call saying a suitable liver was available, and Earl set off to procure it. At about 9:30 p.m. on March 4, transplant team members began prepping Battle to remove her severely damaged liver. Earl returned with the donated organ, and the transplant continued, ending in the early morning hours of March 5. “This was a complex case, and Karen’s condition was very fragile. For our first
donor families from directly exchanging names and contact information, third-party organizations such as the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency can arrange that exchange if both sides agree. The liver program marks the secondto-last step in building University Transplant’s complete abdominal transplant line. The team broke a UMMC record last year with 103 kidney transplants. Now, only pancreas transplantation remains, which Anderson says may come later this year. Anderson says he expects University Transplant will handle 10-15 liver transplants this year. “There are a lot of unsung heroes here,” he says. “Transplant floor nurses, intensive care unit nurses, administration, dialysis nurses, blood bank staff, liver transplant coordinators and nephrologists were all key in making Karen’s case a success.” AR Spring 2013 7
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Abdominal transplant team members include, front row from left, Ashley Seawright, nurse practitioner, Dr. Truman Earl, Dr. Fauzia Butt, Dr. Christopher Anderson, Dr. Iasmina Craici, Dr. Kenneth Kokko and Dr. Mehul Dixit, and back row from left, Dr. Brian Borg and Dr. Steven Wagner. Not pictured: Dr. Louis Juncos and Dr. Shirley Shlessinger.
Improving More Lives KIDNEY TRANSPLANTS HIT UMMC RECORD IN 2012
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eams at the University of Mississippi Medical Center transplanted a record 103 kidneys last year, a figure they could surpass in 2013 even while restarting liver transplantations following a 22-year hiatus. “This record stands as a benchmark as we work toward becoming a complete abdominal-organ transplant c e n t e r,” s a y s D r. Ja m e s K e e t o n , UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs. “Our talented faculty and 8 Alumni Review
staff members couldn’t have accomplished this without the support of our partners at the Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency.” The all-time high in kidney transplants allowed more patients to see dramatic quality-of-life improvements. As well, more patients could stay close to home for the major procedure than ever before, says Dr. Christopher Anderson, associate professor of surgery and division chief of transplant
and hepatobiliary surgery. “We’re extremely proud that we hit this mark. It means advanced care is more available for Mississippians and that our transplant program’s capabilities have achieved a new level,” he says. “We’re also pleased to see our success rate in these patients is on par with what you’d expect to see nationally.” UMMC is the only health care facility in Mississippi that transplants organs. AR
Medical Breakthrough RESEARCHERS DESCRIBE FIRST ‘FUNCTIONAL HIV CURE’ IN AN INFANT
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Photo by Jay Ferchaud
he storm of interview requests Gay kept the infant on therapy for She contacted her friend Dr. Kathfrom local, national and inter- 18 months; then the child was lost to erine Luzuriaga, an immunologist at national media hit in early follow-up care. For five months, the the University of Massachusetts Medical March after Dr. Hannah Gay (BA 76, child didn’t receive the medications. A School. The two then called on Johns MD 80) and her two collaborators dis- team of case managers at the Mississippi Hopkins Children’s Center virologist Dr. cussed their findings surrounding Gay’s State Department of Health worked Deborah Persaud. functional curing of an HIV-infected to track down the child, as with many Using ultrasensitive laborator y child during a major infectious diseases such cases. tests, the researchers verified Gay’s conference in Atlanta. When the child returned to her care, clinical results. “We’re extremely proud of Dr. Gay’s Gay says, she expected the viral loads In their case report describing the work and for all she’s done in her career to have spiked. Except they hadn’t. The world’s first case of a functional cure of to improve the lives of Missisan HIV infection in an infant, sippi’s children,” says Dr. James the three theorized that quick Keeton (BA 61, MD 65), UMMC administration of therapy kept vice chancellor for health affairs. the virus from establishing “She’s the kind of physician who itself in the child. takes a deep personal interest The three submitted their in her patients and in moving abstract for the 20th Conferforward HIV care in a careful, ence on Retroviruses and evidence-based way.” Opportunistic Infections in In late summer 2010, medics downtown Atlanta. Persaud transferred a newborn baby to presented it on March 4. the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Luzuriaga said complete Children from another Mississippi viral eradication is the big goal. facility. The mother found out “ B u t , f o r n o w, [ t h a t ] during labor that she was infected remains out of reach, and our with HIV. best chance may come from Gay, associate professor of aggressive, timely and precisely pediatrics and an HIV specialtargeted use of antiviral theraist, took over the infant’s care. pies in high-risk newborns as Experience told her the child a way to achieve functional stood a high risk for infection. cure,” Luzuriaga says. She decided to treat the infant, The physicians called for then just more than 30 hours old, research into early therapeutic with a three-drug antiretroviral treatment in high-risk babies. therapeutic prescription. “Our next step is to find Dr. Hannah Gay, a pediatric HIV specialist at the University of Currently, high-risk new- Mississippi Medical Center out if this is a highly unusual borns — those born to mothers response to very early antiwith poorly controlled infections or standard clinical blood test for HIV retroviral therapy or is something we whose mothers’ HIV status is discovered came back clean. can actually replicate in other high-risk around the time of delivery — receive a “My first thought was, ‘Oh no, newborns,” Persaud says. one-or-two-drug antiretroviral combi- I’ve been treating a child who wasn’t Gay says careful and thorough nation at prophylactic — or protective infected,’” she says. research would show whether that’s — doses for six weeks. Only if infection However, looking back over the possible and that studies are already is diagnosed do they begin therapeutic results from the baby’s first month of life, being designed. She emphasizes that not prescriptions. Gay saw no doubt, the child had been enough data exist to recommend changGay’s previous findings — and those infected. Gay ordered tests for HIV- ing the current practice. of others in the field — pointed to better specific antibodies, the standard clinical The child remains under Gay’s care viral control with earlier intervention. indicator of HIV infection, and for HIV and off antiretroviral medication. The Tests returned a few days following DNA, which detects the virus within mother and child have elected to remain birth confirmed an HIV infection. infected cells. Both came back negative. anonymous. AR Spring 2013 9
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oseph R. Gladden III was selected as the new director of the National Center for Physical Acoustics at the University of Mississippi. His appointment began Jan. 1, following approval from the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Gladden, an associate professor of physics, joined the UM faculty as an assistant professor in 2005 after earning his Ph.D. and working as a postdoctoral fellow at Pennsylvania State University. Before then, he worked three years as a physics instructor at the United World College in Montezuma, N.M. The United World College is an international school for gifted students representing about 70 countries with a network of 10 sister campuses around the globe. Alice Clark, UM vice chancellor of research and sponsored programs, says
Gladden
she is confident that NCPA will continue to flourish under Gladden’s leadership. “Dr. Gladden is a highly regarded
scholar, educator and leader in the field of physical acoustics,” Clark says. “NCPA will benefit from his national reputation, technical expertise, commitment to education and his proven leadership skills.” Gladden says his vision is for the center to expand NCPA’s more than 20-year history of partnering with both the federal government and private industry on research projects. “There are many responsibilities, but perhaps the most important is to act as the public face for the NCPA,” Gladden says. “The director is responsible for conveying the capabilities and achievements of the scientists and engineers at NCPA to all interested parties, which can range from other organizations on campus to the federal government to private industry.” AR
Minding the Facts STUDY CONNECTS GENE VARIANTS TO MIDDLE-AGE COGNITIVE DECLINE
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cientists analyzing a gene linked to obesity and diabetes found that people with certain variants experienced more cognitive decline in middle age. The findings, published Jan. 1 in the journal Neurology, add another element to an array that could someday chart risk profiles for each person’s likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia. Just as importantly, those gene variants could become targets for drug developers if further Mosley research shows a link between midlife cognitive decline and more serious late-life dementia. “Ultimately we’d like to know more about risk factors that affect cognition
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because the time to intervene is earlier rather than later,” says Dr. Thomas Mosley, professor of geriatric medicine and director of the Memory Impairment and Neurodegenerative Dementia (MIND) Research Center. Mosley and collaborators at other institutions studied 2,083 African-Americans from the Jackson metro area and 8,364 Caucasians from North Carolina, Maryland and Minnesota. The scientists knew from their earlier research that diabetes is related to cognitive decline, and other studies have linked obesity to cognitive decline. For those reasons, they focused on
an obesity- and diabetes-linked gene, FTO. In the last couple of years, the researchers looked at four variants of FTO. While everyone has the FTO gene, not everyone has all four of the variants. The scientists overlaid the cognitiontest results with each participant’s FTO analysis. They found white Americans with two of the four gene variants had more change in their cognition than participants without those variants. “We still don’t know whether that modest amount of cognitive change in midlife translates into increased risks for more clinically significant changes such as dementia in late life,” Mosley says. “We have an ongoing study to attempt to answer this question.” A f r i c a n - A m e r i c a n s s h owe d n o changes associated with the gene variants. As well, the results didn’t change when analyzed by other risk factors. AR
Best Crisis Communications PR STUDENTS WIN COMPETITION AT JOURNALISM CONFERENCE
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team of three public relations stu- time we finished, we felt very confident specializes in teaching PR, selected the students for the competition. dents from the Meek School of in the plan we created,” Brown says. Robin Street (BA 75, MA 85, MS “They have repeatedly proven in class Journalism and New Media won first place in an on-site competition in Feb- 97), UM lecturer in journalism who how bright and talented they are,” Street says. “I was confident the judges ruary at the Southeastern would discover that as well.” Journalism Conference. Other Ole Miss journalDuring the competition ism students also placed in at Union University in Jackthe competition. Second son, Tenn., seniors Frances place for copy editing went Allison of Birmingham, to Austin Miller, a senior Ala., Jane Lloyd Brown from Grayson, Ga. Third of Baton Rouge, La., and place in page design, news Alyssa Randolph of Knoxwriting and editorial writing ville, Tenn., were supplied went, respectively, to Emily details of a hypothetical Roland, a senior from Meridhostage situation. They had ian; Adam Ganucheau, a just 90 minutes to develop a junior from Hazelhurst; crisis communications plan and Phillip McCausland, a for the scenario. A team of University of Mississippi public relations students brought home the top prize senior from Carlisle, Pa., all “When we walked in, in a Southeastern student competition that required working on site. Pictured, left to members of the Daily Missiswe were a little intimidated right, are the students’ PR instructor, Robin Street, lecturer in journalism and public and nervous, but by the relations, and team members Jane Lloyd Brown, Frances Allison and Alyssa Randolph. sippian staff. AR
CRIME FICTION AUTHOR SELECTED AS GRISHAM WRITER-IN-RESIDENCE
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highly acclaimed mystery-crime fiction author has been selected as the 2013 John and Renée Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi. Megan Abbott is the Edgar-winning author of the novels Queenpin, The Song Is You, Die a Little and Bury Me Deep. Her newest novel, Dare Me, about the dark side of life for high school cheerleaders, was published in July and has been optioned for a feature film by Fox 2000 Pictures. “I feel very, very fortunate,” Abbott says of her selection. “When a writer pal of mine learned of my appointment, she said, ‘That’s my dream gig!’ And it’s mine too.” Born in the Detroit area, Abbott graduated from the University of Michigan and received her doctorate in English and American literature from New York University. She has taught at NYU, the
State University of New York and the New School University. This year, she is teaching at the Crime Fiction Academy at New York City’s Center for Fiction. Abbott has much to bring to campus as the first non-Southerner to be chosen, says Beth Ann Fennelly, director of the MFA program in creative writing and associate professor of English. “The committee reviewed dozens of recently published books, searching for a candidate who is emerging and dynamic, someone who has a lot to give our students and someone also who would benefit from a year of writing time,” Fennelly says. “Her oeuvre is interesting in that she was initially known as a mysterycrime writer, but has such skill and literary panache and background that she’s become more of a dual crossover writer.” Abbott will teach a graduate workshop in fall 2013 and an undergraduate workshop in spring 2014.
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Her 2011 novel, The End of Everything, a crime novel set in suburban Michigan, made the Best Books of the Year lists for publications including Publishers Weekly, The Boston Globe, Baltimore City Paper and the Washington Examiner. AR Spring 2013 11
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or hundreds of high school student body presidents, valedictorians and salutatorians; Eagle Scouts; and participants in Mississippi Boys State and Girls State, a University of Mississippi education just became a much better value. The university has increased the amounts for several of its “leadership scholarships” by 50 percent. A new scholarship also has been created for any entering freshman who participated in Mississippi Boys State or Girls State. The idea is to recognize high-achieving students and encourage them to continue to aim high, says Whitman Smith, Ole Miss director of enrollment services.
“It’s a deserved reward for students who have gone above and beyond,” Smith says. “They should be recognized for being leaders, and they should have an incentive to come to a school where they can continue to develop their leadership skills in an academic atmosphere that will challenge them and give them what they need to achieve their full potential.” Beginning this fall, entering freshmen who were student body presidents, valedictorians or salutatorians, Eagle Scouts or Girl Scouts of America Gold Award recipients qualify for $6,000 scholarships, up from $4,000, over four years ($1,500 per year). Mississippi Boys State and Girls State participants are eligible for awards
of $500 for their freshman year. The university’s financial aid officers have advocated increasing these scholarships because the level of achievement they honor is “a good predictor of persistence, vision and the ability to get things done,” says Laura Diven-Brown, the university’s director of financial aid. Two other scholarships — one for freshmen who were named as governor for their state’s Boys State or Girls State, or who were their state’s delegate to Boys Nation or Girls Nation, and another for freshmen who were selected among the top 20 AllStar Scholars by the Mississippi Economic Council — get awards of $4,000 over four years ($1,000 annually). AR
Beyond Words MUSEUM EXHIBIT CAPTURES FAULKNER’S MYTHICAL LANDSCAPE ON FILM
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Périgord region of France. After studies in journalism and sociology and stints as a reporter and art critic, he lived in North America for 19 years. From 1963 to 1965, he was an assistant professor at UM, where he read the works of Faulkner and fell in love with mythical Yoknapatawpha County. Inspired by Faulkner’s words, Desvergnes sought to photograph the county, documenting both its beauty and its sorrow, which was visually unknown in Europe. The University Museum is at the intersection of University Avenue and Fifth Street. Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. General admission to this special exhibition is $5, $4 for seniors and $3 for students ages 6-17. Admission is free for UM students, UM Museum members and children under 5. Special group rates are available. To book a tour, contact esdean@olemiss.edu. AR
Photo by Alain Desvergnes
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hotographs depicting William Faulkner’s fictional Yoknapatawpha County, shot in the 1960s by former University of Mississippi faculty member Alain Desvergnes, are on display at the University Museum. “ The University of Mississippi Museum is exceptionally pleased to present the Yoknapatawpha photographs of French photographer Alain Desvergnes, and to welcome this artist back to northern Mississippi more than 45 years after he captured these compelling images,” says Robert Saarnio, museum director. “Alain’s photographs convey a time and a place both distant and strikingly familiar to those of us who live here, and we eagerly anticipate the opportunity to hear from him about this fascinating project.” The exhibit will remain on display at the museum through Aug. 17. Desvergnes was born in 1931 in the
This photograph of a little girl is among Alain Desvergnes’ images included in ‘Portraits as Landscapes, Landscapes as Portraits: Yoknapatawpha County in the 1960s’ at the UM Museum.
Out-of-this-World Plants SCIENTIST’S EXPERIMENT DELIVERED TO SPACE STATION
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University of Mississippi scientist’s experiment to determine if edible plants may be grown on Mars and the moon has arrived at the International Space Station. John Z. Kiss, Graduate School dean and professor of biology at UM, is principal investigator on “Novel Explorations into the Interactions between Light and Gravity Sensing in Plants.” The seedling growth samples were onboard SpaceX-2 when it launched March 1 from Cape Canaveral. Part of NASA’s Fundamental Space Biology program, the project is designed to study light and gravity signaling in plants and their effects on cell growth and proliferation. It also may have relevance for improving crop species on Earth. The launch was the first phase of the four-part experiment. The next three launches are set for later in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The hypothesis of Kiss’ research is that positive red-light sensing, which was
known in older plant lineages, is masked by normal 1-g conditions in more recently evolved lineages. Through the experiment, the scientists aim to confirm and characterize the red-light-dependent phototropic response in flowering plants. The experiment will be conducted on the ISS with different genotypes of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana in experimental containers placed in the European Modular Cultivation System, a large incubator that provides control over the atmosphere, lighting and humidity of growth chambers to study plant growth. The experiment containers contain white, blue and red lights that can be controlled from the ground to expose the plants to different kinds of light. “By using the two centrifuges in the EMCS, it is possible to carry out the experiment in microgravity and fractional gravity, along with the 1-g control, within the same space environment,” Kiss says. “Following a six-day time
The experimental containers, loaded with seeds, are packed in suitcases, ready to be transported to the launch site at Cape Canaveral.
course in the EMCS, the samples will be either frozen or chemically fixed and returned to us. Additionally, images will be taken throughout the whole experiment and downloaded real time.” AR
UNIVERSITY ATTORNEY NAMED CHANCELLOR’S CHIEF OF STAFF
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ee Tyner, who has served as university attorney at the University of Mississippi since 2003, was named the new chief of staff for Chancellor Dan Jones in February. When he assumes the position July 1, Tyner will replace Andy Mullins, who retires June 30 after 19 years on the Ole Miss administrative staff. Tyner will retain his responsibilities as the university’s chief legal officer. “I am pleased that Lee has agreed to take on these new responsibilities as chief of staff,” Jones says. “He is a gifted attorney and serves us well as chief legal officer, but he has other skills and insights that are quite valuable. He has a keen ability to analyze problems and help develop solutions in a variety of situations.” The added responsibilities will provide new challenges and opportunities, Tyner says. “I am very thankful that the chancel-
lor has the trust and confidence in me that I can help others and help the university,” he says. “I really view myself as a utility player to help the chancellor, others on the leadership team and the university to be successful.” Tyner says he also looks forward to working more closely with Provost Morris Stocks and Larry Sparks, vice chancellor for administration and finance, in his new role. “There’s a great leadership team and a great chemistry here, a group of outstanding people who see serving the university as their greatest role,” he says. Among his other duties, Tyner has helped overhaul the university’s alcohol policies as part of the Alcohol Task Force in 2006-07, assisted the chancellor with transitions in the Department of Athletics last year and helped lead the University Communications division on an interim basis in 2011. As
Tyner
special assistant to the chancellor for external affairs, he has worked with Jones to align efforts of the university’s alumni, communications, government relations and development operations since 2011. AR Spring 2013 13
fromthe
Circle Enhancing the Ole Miss Experience NEWLY ESTABLISHED PARENTS COUNCIL ALREADY MAKING IMPACT
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sity of Mississippi through gifts totaling $25,000. Initiatives receiving contributions from the Parents Council were the Ole Miss Food Pantry; a military student
Photo by Robert Jordan
ince 24 families from eight states founded the Ole Miss Parents Council in 2012, the organization’s work and support has already enhanced several areas at the Univer-
Brandi Hephner LaBanc (left), UM vice chancellor for student affairs, Elizabeth Milhous, director of parent development, and Daniel Ross, UPD officer, get a look at a new motorcycle donated to UPD by the Parents Council. 14 Alumni Review
support specialist to support veterans enrolling at the university; the Southeastern Conference annual recruitment tour scheduled this spring in the Northeast; Student Affairs marketing materials; and a new motorcycle for the University Police Department. “We are very blessed to be a part of the Parents Council,” says Karen Goodall of Gallatin, Tenn. “It has been a wonderful first year for (my husband) Bob and me. As a group, we were able to give funds to many worthy causes, including a motorcycle for the University Police Department.” The purpose of the Parents Council is to encourage communication between the university and parents to improve the Ole Miss experience for students and their parents, says Elizabeth Milhous, director of parent development. Council members provide advice and guidance to the Division of Student Affairs and University Development on programs related to parents. They serve as liaisons as well as effective advocates for Ole Miss. “Though these families are paying for their children’s tuition, books, housing and other needs, they give an additional $1,000 annual gift to serve on the Ole Miss Parents Council,” Milhous says. “Council members have expressed confidence that their investments in Ole Miss will bring great returns, and within [the council’s] first year, they have. The university community is deeply grateful for this wonderful support, input and involvement.” To learn more information about the Ole Miss Parents Council or to receive a brochure, contact Elizabeth Milhous at milhous@olemiss.edu or 662-915-3181. AR
Calendar Photo by Robert Jordan
Softball: Ole Miss vs. Alcorn State May 1
MAY
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hrough Aug. 3 Ongoing exhibit: “Into the Flatland: Photographs by Kathleen Robbins.” Open to the public. UM Museum. Email museum@olemiss.edu.
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hrough Aug. 17 Ongoing exhibit: “Portraits as Landscapes, Landscapes as Portraits: Yoknapatawpha County in the 1960s.” Open to the public. UM Museum. Email museum@olemiss.edu.
1
Softball: Ole Miss vs. Alcorn State. Ole Miss Softball Complex, 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Visit www. olemisssports.com.
16 Alumni Review
1
Baseball: Ole Miss vs. St. Louis. Swayze Field, 6:30 p.m. Visit www. olemisssports.com.
3
Reception: School of Pharmacy reception at Magnolia State Pharmaceutical Society Convention in Biloxi, Beau Rivage, 6-8 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.
3
-4 50-year Reunion Weekend: Class of 1962, 1963, 1964. Oxford campus. Visit www.olemissalumni. com, or call 662-915-7375.
7
Reception: School of Law alumni reception at the offices of Copeland, Cook, Taylor & Bush, P.A.
in Ridgeland, 5:30 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.
7
Performance: “Menopause the Musical.” Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7 p.m. Call 662915-2787.
8
Club Season: Newtown County Ole Miss Club meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www.olemissalumni. com/events, or call 662915-7375.
8
Club Season: Marshall County Ole Miss Club meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www.olemissalumni. com/events, or call 662915-7375.
9
Club Season: South Mississippi Ole Miss Club meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www.olemissalumni. com/events, or call 662915-7375.
9
Club Season: River City Rebel Club meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www.olemissalumni.com/ events, or call 662-915-7375.
10
Baseball: Ole Miss vs. MSU. Swayze Field, 6:30 p.m. Visit www. olemisssports.com.
11
Baseball: Ole Miss vs. MSU. Swayze Field, 4 p.m. Visit www. olemisssports.com.
11
JUNE
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Commencement: Convocation with Myrlie Evers-Williams, 9 a.m., the Grove. For a full schedule of Commencement activities, visit www.olemiss. edu/commencement. Graduation Day Brunch: The Inn at Ole Miss, 11 a.m. Visit www. olemissalumni.com, or call 662-915-7375.
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Baseball: Ole Miss vs. MSU. Swayze Field, 1 p.m. Visit www. olemisssports.com.
2
Performance: “The Addams Family” national Broadway tour. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 8-10 p.m. Call 662-915-2787. Oxford Shakespeare Festival: Dining with the Stars Silent Auction. Bid on dining experiences with local celebrities ranging from chefs to authors to the mayor. Free admission. Powerhouse Community Arts Center, 7-9 p.m. Visit http://shakespeare. olemiss.edu.
Club Season: Ole Miss Club of New York annual summer meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www.olemissalumni.com/ events, or call 662-915-7375.
34th Annual Mississippi Picnic: New York. Central Park, noon-6 p.m. Visit www. olemissalumni.com, or call 662-915-7375.
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Club Season: Birmingham Rebel Club meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www. olemissalumni.com/events, or call 662-915-7375.
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, 15, 21, 28 Oxford Shakespeare Festival: “Love’s Labour’s Lost” by William Shakespeare, directed by Christopher Schager. Meek Hall Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Visit http:// shakespeare.olemiss.edu, or call 662-915-7411.
, 29 and July 7 Oxford Shakespeare Festival: “Love’s Labour’s Lost” by William Shakespeare, directed by Christopher Schager. Meek Hall Auditorium, 2 p.m. Call 662-915-7411.
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Annual Reception: Washington, D.C., Ole Miss Club. Location and time TBA. Visit www. olemissalumni.com, or call 662-915-7375.
22
23rd Annual Mississippi on the Mall: Washington, D.C., National Mall, time TBA. Visit www. olemissalumni.com, or call 662-915-7375.
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Golf Tournament: Mississippi Society of Georgia Celebrity Golf Tournament. Wolf Creek Golf Club, Atlanta, 10 a.m. Visit www.olemissalumni.com, or call 662-915-7375.
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Mississippi Night at Turner Field: Atlanta, Ga., 5:30 p.m. Visit www.olemissalumni.com, or call 662-915-7375.
15 June 2
Reception: School of Pharmacy reception at the Mississippi Pharmacists Association Convention in Destin, Fla., at the Grand Sandestin, 6:30 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.
Fifth Annual Mississippi Picnic in the Park: Atlanta. Chastain Park, 10:30 a.m. Visit www. olemissalumni.com, or call 662-915-7375.
, 28 Oxford Shakespeare Festival: “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, directed by Joe Turner Cantú. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m. Call 662-915-7411. Oxford Shakespeare Festival: “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare, directed by Joe Turner Cantú. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 2 p.m. Call 662-915-7411.
25
Gertrude Ford Symposium: Khayat Law School Auditorium, 2 p.m. Call 662-915-7411.
Spring 2013 17
Calendar 23rd Annual Mississippi on the Mall June 22
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-30 Oxford Shakespeare Festival: “Hello, Dolly!” directed by René Pulliam. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Various times. Visit shakespeare. olemiss.edu. Call 662-9157411 for tickets.
JULY
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-13 Alumni Events: School of Law and Lamar Order events at the annual Mississippi Bar meeting in Destin, Fla. Includes presentation of the school’s Law Alumna/Alumnus of the Year award. Call 662-915-7375.
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Reunion: Central Mississippi Ole Miss Rebel Club. Trustmark Jackson Convention Center, Jackson, 5-8 p.m. Visit www. olemissalumni.com, or call 662-915-7375.
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Club Season: Rebel Club of Memphis meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www. olemissalumni.com/events, or call 662-915-7375.
23
Club Season: Meridian Ole Miss Club meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www. olemissalumni.com/events, or call 662-915-7375.
25
Club Season: DeSoto County Ole Miss Club meeting. Location and time TBA. Visit www. olemissalumni.com/events, or call 662-915-7375.
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Reception: School of Pharmacy reception at annual Mississippi Society of Health-System Pharmacists Convention in Jackson at historic King Edward Hotel, 6:30 p.m. Call 662915-7375.
Oxford Shakespeare Festival: “Hello, Dolly!” June 27-30
18 Alumni Review
Mary Haskell (BM 81) and her daughter, Mary Lane Haskell, will be starring as Dolly Levi and Irene Molloy in the Oxford Shakespeare summer musical ‘Hello, Dolly!’ June 27-30 at the Ford Center.
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International
20 Alumni Review
Gateway
By Rebecca Lauck Cleary
Croft Institute gives students competitive edge Spring 2013 21
“We are very proud of the Croft Institute. I keep a close eye on it and expect the best. I am happy and pleased with the end result,” Abdalla says. “I can’t say enough about the administration, the professors and students and all of their accomplishments.”
Magnet for High-achieving Students
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n its 15th year, the Croft Institute hosts approximately 180 students (60 freshmen) annually from more
Photo by Nathan Latil
C. Bancroft, is a nonprofit organization that supports charitable and educational programs. McComb native Gerald M. Abdalla (BBA 69, JD 73), CEO and president of Croft, LLC and a Bancroft Fund director, was instrumental in establishing the institute. Other directors are Robert M. Bird, retired senior partner with Price Waterhouse Coopers, Gerald M. Abdalla Jr. (BA 00, JD 03) and Tom A. Abdalla (BA 03). “The Croft Institute is the primary beneficiary of our charity, and we support the program to the fullest,” says Tom Abdalla, chairman of the Board of Trustees of the
than 22 states and 12 countries with ACT scores ranging from 28 to 36. The institute boasts 13 faculty members and 12 associate faculty members, all of whom help ensure students are prepared through a rigorous curriculum to earn the demanding, interdisciplinary undergraduate degree within the College of Liberal Arts. The Croft Institute focuses The front porch of the Croft Institute is a popular gathering place for faculty and students to study and socialize on the connections among while overlooking the Grove. politics, economics and (Above) Peter Frost, visiting professor of international studies, leads a class discussion in East Asian studies. culture at the international level, providing students both assure that generations of Ole Miss stu- Croft Institute. “The return on our invest- with an understanding of how the condents are better prepared to successfully ment is what the students accomplish temporary world works and the tools for participate in the global community. at the institute and their post-institute meaningful careers. The Joseph C. Bancroft Charitable careers. It is a great, thriving program.” Kees Gispen, a professor of European and Educational Fund, established by For Abdalla, the ability to help people history, has been the institute’s executive the estate of Croft Metals founder Joseph is a blessing. director since 2007, although he has 22 Alumni Review
Photo by Nathan Latil
hristine Day (BA 06), now a resident of Paris, recalls when an Israeli colleague saw a Facebook photo she posted of bright spring flowers on the Ole Miss campus. “He called me and said, ‘I can’t believe that is your university! You told me it was a beautiful place, but I didn’t realize until I saw the photos how beautiful. I want to go there.’” Day enjoys telling people about Oxford and the overall experience she received at the University of Mississippi’s Croft Institute for International Studies. Housed in a tastefully renovated 1853 antebellum building in the heart of campus, the Croft Institute for International Studies equips students like Day with global perspectives and gives them a competitive edge with peers around the world. It all started with a dedicated commitment from the Joseph C. Bancroft Charitable and Educational Fund, which has provided $36 million in funding since the program’s inception in the late 1990s and is ongoing. The Croft Institute, which opened its doors in 1998, was created to
taught there since 1998 and was associate the Chinese Flagship Program. In addi- to the program’s merits. Using her Croft director from 2005 to 2007. tion, all students select a global theme to foundation, she facilitates strategic “Along with the Sally McDonnell emphasize. opportunities for TRM Oncology’s Barksdale Honors College and other Forty Croft students receive scholar- international clients in multiple countries new programs, the Croft Institute has ships, plus a rising-sophomore and a around the world, but with an emphasis been a magnet that attracts substantial foreign-student scholarship are offered, on Europe. Previously, she was associated numbers of high-achieving students. We bringing the annual scholarship total to with the global communications agency have improved the quality of the students more than $350,000. TBWA and with marketing for the Global we accept, and in that regard we are Oncology team at Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, comparable to any Ivy League school,” Change Agent both also with international hubs in Paris. Gispen says. “The Croft Institute helped me hone for Academics Croft keeps the best and brightest and refine the skills that I use now on a he contributions of the Ban- daily basis in my global role,” Day says. students in Mississippi as well, which croft Fund to the University “Croft shaped my critical and strategic is important to the state and its higher of Mississippi’s academic envi- thinking and reasoning needed in my education system. “This breaks with a pattern that has ronment have reached a scale not likely day-to-day activities. Also, Croft added seen many of our best students go to realized by the general public,” says UM to and enhanced my understanding of the colleges and universities in other states,” Chancellor Dan Jones (MD 75). “This way the world works in terms of global Gispen says. “Croft has done much to tremendous support has played a signifi- history, economics and cultural nuances, reverse this trend, thereby improving cant role in transforming our image from all essential in any kind of global environthe state’s competitiveness and standing, that of a state university to a nationally ment or position. The CIA and State re c o g n i ze d a n d Department aren’t the only places that and, importantly, respected higher require these skills.” lowering the cost education instituof a first-rate colDay says that even if she decided to tion. Having such change professions, her solid knowledge lege education for a p r e e m i n e n t and skills would enable her to pursue an Mi s s i s s i p p i a n s . p r o g r a m a s t h e array of careers on the global level. Day Croft also pulls in C r o f t In s t i t u t e — who was born in St. Louis, Mo., but talented students not only improves grew up in Germantown, Tenn. — was from other states.” the offerings and also a member of the Sally McDonnell In addition to foreign-language emphasis (Croft students are required to have eight semesters of foreign language instead of t h e u s u a l f o u r Christine Day (BA 06) and must study abroad), the program calls for every student to write a senior thesis, a major test of one’s ability to investigate a problem independently, develop a coherent argument, organize complex material and demonstrate perseverance. Gispen believes this prepares students for success in their professional lives. “These are all qualities that are absolutely essential for leaders and people in positions of responsibility in today’s ever more complex world.” Students select East Asia, Europe or Christine Day travels throughout Europe for work, including a recent oncology conference in Latin America (Mississippi’s strongest St. Gallen, Switzerland. international trade partners) or, as of fall 2011, the Middle East (a focus of current image of Ole Miss but also those of the Barksdale Honors College like most Croft geostrategic concern), as areas of regional state of Mississippi. Programs of this students. She describes her preparation by the Croft faculty. concentration. Most of those who choose caliber propel our state forward.” From her Paris office, Day can speak “The classes, while extremely demandEast Asia enjoy a close association with Spring 2013 23
Ben Hammond (BA 06) traveled to Germany on a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship, an opportunity for accomplished young Americans to complete high-level professional development, for 2011-12.
ing, were thought provoking and delved deeply into the material. I sometimes had the feeling that I wasn’t really in a class but rather in high-level discussions or debates with experts in various fields. Also, it seemed the Croft professors were forever looking for a way to not teach in a traditional manner, which made the overall experience very enriching.”
The Road to Washington
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or Ben Hammond (BA 06), a native of Pearl and a Jackson Preparatory School graduate, Croft had a major impact by exposing him to foreign cultures. He had never traveled outside the United States before college, but the 28-year-old has now spent three years in four different countries. Now living in Washington, D.C., Hammond utilizes his Croft foundation as a Republican staffer on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has jurisdiction over the discretionary side of the federal budget. The committee evaluates federal agency budget requests, drafts annual appropriations bills and gets them 24 Alumni Review
enacted into law. “The job is a good mix of budget analysis and policy,” Hammond says. “You don’t do policy without the dollars to run the programs, and we, as staff, through our recommendations to the senators, help shape how agencies carry out their missions.” Following graduation, he interned with U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (BA 59, JD 65) and then accepted a one-year Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in South Africa. Hammond also took a year in Germany to pursue fellowshipsin-residence at the German Parliament’s Budget Committee in Berlin and in the business development office of the aircraft maker EADS in Munich on a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship. “It was Croft that got me interested in government and policy,” Hammond says. “I think it’s dumb luck more than anything that I ended up in Washington. Looking back, I don’t think I would have ever been interested in coming here if not for the different opportunities Croft made available to me.” The Croft Scholar is grateful for the financial assistance his academic honor
provided. Scholars receive $8,000 per year for four years if requirements are maintained. “The Croft Scholarship is one of the largest offered at Ole Miss. The ability to receive an education of Croft’s quality and to do so without having to go into debt is an opportunity the university should be very proud in offering.” “I always thought of Croft as a small liberal arts school that just happened to be on the campus of Ole Miss,” Hammond says. “Small class sizes, a talented student body, quality professors, a curriculum that sends you to faraway places around the world — and it’s all housed in an antebellum building that overlooks the Grove.”
Opening a Window to the World
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ammond remembers his Croft professors inspiring students to think outside the box. One example is Professor Peter Frost, who joined UM’s Croft Institute in 2001 after many years of teaching about China and Japan as the Frederick L. Schuman
Professor of International Studies at Williams College in Massachusetts. He is grateful to the Bancroft Fund principals for making it possible for Croft to build a quality honors program. “All too often,” he says, “students pay a lot of tuition to sit in large lecture classes. Thanks to the Bancroft Fund, we can combine some generous financial help with small classes in our own beautifully restored building. This makes it possible for us to attract very high quality students.” Starting off is often tough. “We have a
above all, the ability to understand and communicate with peoples and cultures that are often quite different from their own. We kind of hate to see them graduate, but we are confident that what they learn here will make them great leaders for our country.” The growing recognition and academic respect for the Croft Institute — along with other
perhaps most importantly, are doing their par t to internationalize and strengthen the university’s undergraduate curriculum as a whole.”
Jacob Patton (BA 03) heads his own Web consulting firm in Washington, D.C.
Appreciating Croft’s Influence
A Keon Dillon (BA 11) teaches a course on American and Iraqi societies at the University of Michigan while earning his Ph.D.
very demanding curriculum,” Frost says. “Students have to meet challenging standards and also spend at least a semester in the country of the language that they are studying. When I look at their first quiz, I know that the grades are not going to please the students. But by the second quiz, they usually are there. They come here and have to make a big jump. We help them, but they do it themselves. “Faculty love working here,” he continues, “because Croft students are so talented, hardworking, charming and decent to each other. We try to teach them independence, initiative, discipline and
major initiatives such as the Honors College, Chinese Flagship Program, Arabic program, public policy leadership major and the Center for Intelligence and Security Studies — have garnered national recognition for the university. “Collectively these programs all have played a crucial role in broadening views and lifting horizons at Ole Miss,” Gispen says. “They raise the level of discourse in the classroom and on campus in general. They bring nationally and internationally renowned speakers to the university. They increase awareness of the larger world and of global problems, and,
nother graduate making an impact in the nation’s capital is Jacob Patton (BA 03), the president of Trisignia, a Web consulting firm he founded in 2006. The Oxford native describes Croft as an innovative yet enduring institution that leaves its mark. “Croft classes were challenging, but in the flow of things, when you’re in the same fascinating classes with the same, super-talented cohort of students — folks a lot smarter than me — you get used to the pace, and the challenges are stimulating and inviting,” says Patton, also a Croft Scholar. “Classes became a series of interesting puzzles to tease out.” For recent graduate Keon Dillon (BA 11), a native of Shannon, Croft paved the way for his admission into the University of Michigan’s doctoral program in sociology. “The depth and rigor of the Croft curriculum made me think more critically about my identity in an international context,” says Dillon, who completed an internship in Ecuador with an organization that provides legal and psychological services to women suffering from domestic abuse. “These experiences raised my consciousness and motivated me to pursue critical cultural studies.” Spring 2013 25
Focus on Health Care, Mississippi
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26 Alumni Review
Mississippi Delta elementary students to campus to engage with international and American students. “Rebel Global Connections aims to alleviate the problem of cultural isolation for schoolchildren from high-needs districts by introducing them to cultures and languages from around the world through age-appropriate programming,” Mauffray says. As the Croft Institute prepares for its 13th commencement, it is clear that increasing numbers of Croft graduates are starting Photo by Robert Jordan
hile the Croft Institute remains the Bancroft Fund’s priority, the organization has extended its reach to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, providing $2.5 million to renovate and expand the pediatric intensive care unit at the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital as well as support other Medical Center initiatives. Suzan Thames, a UM Foundation board member, says the Bancroft Fund directors’ and the Abdallas’ outreach goes far beyond monetary contributions as they are people who genuinely want to see quality health care for Mississippians. “They are individuals who sincerely care about all aspects of the health care of children in Mississippi and who are personally involved,” Thames says. “The Croft Institute and all the other things they’ve established have done wonders to enhance the draw of people to our campus in Oxford. I know and respect the impact and importance of that, but they are also great friends of the University of Mississippi Medical Center.” As the impact of the Bancroft Fund’s contributions grows through both health care and academics, perhaps nowhere is it more valuable than when bright, disciplined Croft alumni choose to apply their talents in Mississippi. Ryan Parsons (BA 11) and Erin Mauffray (BA 12) are serving posts as AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteers in Service to America) on the Ole Miss campus. Parsons, a Hattiesburg native, became fluent in Mandarin Chinese while a Croft Scholar. After studying abroad in Qingdao, China, he returned to Croft as a senior and received the Gerald M. Abdalla Prize for highest grades at Croft, the Terasawa Prize for best thesis and a Taylor Medal, Ole Miss’ highest academic award. He was then named one of three 2011 Portz Scholars by the National Collegiate Honors Council and spent the summer following graduation in Beijing teaching American ROTC students Chinese language skills as part of an emerging military leaders program. Parsons completed a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge in development studies.
He then decided to bring his talents and experiences back to serve Mississippi. Gulfport native Erin Mauffray won best thesis among the Latin American concentration students, which inspired her application to AmeriCorps. “It was the capacity-building aspect of AmeriCorps that intrigued me most,” she says. “I wrote my undergraduate thesis on disaster communities based on my experience abroad in Valparaíso, Chile. I was there for the 2010 8.8 magnitude earthquake and observed how their soci-
Ryan Parsons (BA 11) and Erin Mauffray (BA 12) meet on the Croft Institute porch to plan an upcoming Rebel Global Connections event for elementary students.
ety started to rebuild in the months following. That, combined with my personal experience in 2005, when my family lost our home to Hurricane Katrina, made this position with AmeriCorps personal to me. I know how important it is for communities to have the tools to strengthen from within.” Mauffray and Parsons work on service-learning ventures including Rebel Global Connections, a collaborative project supported by the university’s McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement. The program brings
impressive careers in business, law, teaching, global technology and politics. Whether in the United States or at least temporarily abroad, their hard work, language skills and ability to understand different cultures are helping both Ole Miss and the state of Mississippi by following the best ideals of the Croft Institute. AR Rebecca Lauck Cleary (BA 97) is a communications specialist in University Communications. University Development and Foundation staff members also contributed to this article.
Window of Opportunity
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he Ole Miss Alumni Association’s Past Presidents’ Spouses Club has embarked on an exciting campaign to purchase a new stained glass transom for The Inn at Ole Miss. The new transom, depicting Barnard Observatory, will join depictions of the Grove, the Lyceum, Ventress Hall and Triplett Alumni Center, which now grace the Inn’s elegant lobby.
The club needs your help! $10,000 is needed to design, craft, and install the new window. Donations may be made to: Ole Miss Alumni Association Window Fund, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677. Donations are tax-deductible. Help us add to the beauty of our beloved Ole Miss! Hotty Toddy!
GOAL: 25,000 ACTIVE MEMBERS Only you can help your Alumni Association reach this important milestone!
Make your Alumni Association the strongest in the SEC and the nation by renewing your membership each year and encouraging classmates, neighbors, fans and Ole Miss supporters to also join and remain active. Even fans who didn’t graduate from Ole Miss can join as Associate Members.
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__$50 Annual Joint __$800 Life
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__$850 Life Payment Plan ($170 annually for 5 years)
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__$995 Joint Life
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__$1,050 Joint Life Payment Plan ($210 annually for 5 years)
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In the Driver’s Seat Memphis Mayor AC Wharton travels long, rewarding road By Tom Speed
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emphis Mayor AC Wharton (JD 71) has enjoyed a long law and political career, much of it forged in the halls of the University of Mississippi School of Law, where he was by all accounts a model student and an inspirational instructor. He served for more than a quarter of a century as adjunct professor, taking time from his burgeoning private law practice to drive down to Oxford at least once a week and inspire a new generation of lawyers and public servants. Those hours, weeks, months and years traversing the highway reveal a dedication that has come to be a hallmark of his public work. It may not be glamorous, but it helped mold him into the mayor he is today.
Learning to ‘sell some law’
Wharton grew up in Lebanon, Tenn., and studied political science at the historically black Tennessee State University in nearby Nashville. Upon graduation in 1966, he chose to attend law school at Ole Miss, in part, because of the commitment of a forward-thinking dean in the tumultuous times of the late 1960s. After all, the university had been integrated just four years prior. “Of the many reasons I chose Ole Miss,” says Wharton, “one was the late Dean Joshua Morse’s effort to bring more black lawyers to Mississippi and to the South in general. The key thing is that he made it clear that the focus was on getting you ready to practice law and not a whole lot of theory, and that’s what I wanted to do.” Wharton adds that the legal profession was a different world for African-American lawyers of the time, and he was particularly drawn to a school that would prepare him for the real world. “I often say that, so many times, when it comes to African-American attorneys, we don’t have the luxury of practicing law,” says Wharton. “That’s kind of elite. We have to get out there and sell some law and educate folks to their rights and the need to use lawyers. I said, ‘This is the place; I want to hit the ground running!’” John Bradley (LLB 62), one of Wharton’s professors, remembers him as a serious scholar who also got along well with his classmates. “I remember him as an engaging, interested and able student who was liked and respected by the faculty and by his fellow students,” Bradley says. “He was one who made race relations easy because he both gave and deserved respect without regard to race.” After graduating with honors in 1971, Wharton moved to Washington, D.C., where he went to work for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. But Ole Miss soon came calling.
First African-American law professor at Ole Miss
“The whole time I was at Ole Miss,” Wharton says, “the handful of black students in the law school kept urging the law school to hire a black professor. That did not come to pass. But after I graduated, I was working in Washington and got a call from the law school, and they said, ‘We do want to hire a black professor.’ They said, ‘We know who you are; we know your ability.’” 28 Alumni Review
Photo by Jody Herndon
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30 Alumni Review
Photo by Jody Herndon
Photo by TaJuan Stout-Mitchell
as my specialty and came back pretty soon after to teach, and that was my teaching specialty as well.” Bell was so inspired by Wharton that when she was selected to receive the prestigious Champions of Justice award from the Mississippi Center for Justice, she chose Wharton to introduce her. Photo by Isaac Singleton
At the time, Wharton was faced with paying for student loans, as was his wife, so he turned the job down. Besides, the work he was doing was important, and he enjoyed it. As it turned out, the work he did in Washington would help to define the rest of his career. By 1973, Wharton found himself working in Memphis for the nonprofit Memphis Area Legal Services, helping to deliver legal services to low-income people in need. Then, the call came again. The law school wanted him to teach a course in employment discrimination, but he said no again. A compromise was eventually reached, and Wharton became not only the first African-American law professor at Ole Miss, but also one of the first adjunct professors to teach part-time while maintaining a full schedule as a working practitioner. Wharton was asked by the university to teach one night a week, so each week he would trek down to Oxford in his Volkswagen after a hard day at the office. “The understanding was I was going to do that for one semester,” says Wharton, “which would have been the fall of ’74. I said I’d put up with it for one semester. I was much younger, gasoline was 50 cents a gallon, and the speed limit was 75 between here and Oxford. So it was no big deal. “I’d work all day up here and be on the Ole Miss campus in a little over an hour. I thought this one semester would be over soon. It didn’t turn out that way. They called and asked me to teach another (course), Legal Problems of the Elderly. I did that, and it just went on and on and on. That one semester turned into 25 years.” At Ole Miss, Wharton was beloved by his colleagues and
The mayor kicks off an Easter egg roll inside because of rain.
“You were supposed to ask someone really important to your career,” she says. “It’s nice to have somebody really influential. He was the person that I would pick as the most influential in sending me in the direction I went. I guess he did that for a lot of students who were interested in some sort of social-reform work.” Wharton was already a member of the faculty when Michael Hoffheimer came to Ole Miss. “When I met AC, he was a very experienced adjunct professor who had been teaching for years,” says Hoffheimer, professor of law and Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association Distinguished Lecturer. “I knew him by reputation and got to know him a little as a colleague on the faculty.” Today, the School of Law is placing an emphasis on using practitioners in the training and education of its students, but Wharton was the first. “We have been very fortunate over the years of having some extraordinary, competent practitioners with a great deal of experience, sometimes coming long distances to teach at the university,” Hoffheimer says. “Professor Wharton was the first that I knew.”
Civic involvement Wharton checks his Blackberry during a fire drill.
his students. Those same qualities that made him a beacon of race relations as a student were now endearing him to his new cohorts. It wasn’t long before he began to motivate his students. One of those students most influenced by Wharton was Deborah Bell (JD 79), who is now a professor of law at Ole Miss. “His class,” says Bell, “was what inspired me to do what I did as my specialty for about 20 years. I went to Atlanta and worked for a federal judge, then worked for the Legal Aid Society. It really caught my interest, so I left law school deciding to do housing work; then I went to legal services and did housing
While teaching courses at Ole Miss and guiding a generation of students, Wharton was continuing his “day job” as an attorney in Memphis. Though it was not his early intent to get involved in politics, his civic involvement eventually led him there. “When my wife and I both finished law school and came to Memphis, there wasn’t a community organization that we weren’t involved with,” Wharton says. “Never did a judicial election cycle come by that we didn’t get involved. We wanted to get folks elected to office who shared the same values and concerns. I believed in the law devoutly that if black folks in the South and in this nation as a whole were ever to get a fair shot, the law had to be the prime engine for that.” That involvement and passion for civil justice led to him being appointed as the public defender of Shelby County
Mayor Wharton does an interview during the ‘Elvis’ radio show in Memphis. Spring 2013 31
(Tenn.) in 1980. He worked for years in that capacity before being elected the first African-American mayor of Shelby County in 2002. After being credited with saving the county from the brink of bankruptcy, he was re-elected in 2006 with a resounding 77 percent of the vote. “I was not surprised,” says Hoffheimer of Wharton’s foray
lawyers, particularly those already in law school, is that we are the one profession that has a code of ethics that follows us wherever we go, whether we are practicing law or not practicing law.” As a politician, Wharton has focused on the same issues of equality that inspired him in his career as both an attorney and a professor. To that end, his latest effort is to improve Memphis public schools. Photo by Bobby White
The mayor chats with actor Tyrese in his office.
into life as an elected official. “I was very pleased when he went into politics. We need more people like him in politics. From what I can see, Memphis is very lucky to have him. He seems to be doing a wonderful job.” In 2009, a special election was held to fill the vacated seat of mayor of the city of Memphis. Wharton won handily in a field of 25 candidates. Since then, he has been heralded for improving conditions in the city by many metrics. He won re-election with 62 percent of the vote in 2011. Wharton credits his legal training for his success. “I think a law background is one of the best backgrounds for anyone who wants to get into public service for a number of reasons,” he says. “First of all, it’s well-rounded. You have to know something about every discipline. You have to understand that there are always opposing views on matters. And that’s what lawyers are trained to deal with — opposing views. The essence of a democracy is how to reconcile peacefully opposing views. “The other thing, and I always make this point to aspiring 32 Alumni Review
“If we pull the children together, they will develop a tolerance for diversity and differences that will follow them throughout their lives,” Wharton says. “We’re all tied together. We all pay for the failures of the educational system.” Though his teaching days are behind him, Wharton still stays involved with his alma mater when he can. “I still have a great affinity for Ole Miss,” he says. “I feel like I owe them a debt of gratitude, and I try to repay that by going down whenever possible, whether it’s to talk to the law school in general or to the black law students or anybody who invites me down. I’m always happy to go down and talk with them. I’m very proud of the university.” With the same zeal that drove him to break new ground as a law professor, public servant and elected official, AC Wharton continues to strive to better the world around him. “He’s never seemed to get jaded,” Bell says. “He’s still enthusiastic and engaged in what he’s doing. It’s just so wonderful to see.” AR
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Education
Allies
UM, MSU place rivalry aside to develop joint teaching program By Andrew Mark Abernathy omething nearly unheard of happened in Mississippi on Jan. 22. The University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University, ardent rivals in athletics and student recruitment, made a joint announcement. During a news conference at the Institutions of Higher Learning building in Jackson, UM Chancellor Dan Jones (MD 75) and MSU President Mark Keenum stood side by side to announce a plan for improving teacher preparation in their state — the Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program, or METP, a shared scholarship program funded with $12.95 million in private dollars from the Jackson-based Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation. With up to four years of full tuition, r o o m a n d b o a rd , s t u d y a b r o a d , professional development and a tablet computer, it’s the most valuable teaching scholarship ever offered in Mississippi. The announcement marked the first of what may be many steps educational leaders at UM and
elsewhere are taking to help change the perception of teaching and bring prestige to the profession. “This is a project that will move us forward,” said Jones at the event. “But, this by itself won’t solve all our problems. We’ll need lots of other people to get engaged in this, but we believe this is an important step of our two great universities: working together and saying through these full scholarships that teaching is important.” In a state where about 62 percent of students graduate from high school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and generational poverty has a direct effect on student achievement, increasing and retaining the number of quality teachers who enter Mississippi classrooms is a goal that could positively impact the state’s academic and economic future. With new Common Core standards being implemented into public education nationwide, more teachers with high proficiencies in English and Spring 2013 35
Photo by Robert Jordan
The METP is centered on a simple concept: Recruit the best students to produce the best teachers.
mathematics instruction also will be needed. With so much at stake, producing new, dynamic teachers for Mississippi is a cause that has turned rivals into partners in education.
The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program (METP) is a collaboration between Ole Miss and MSU to attract top-performing students to an innovative, new teacher education program using one of the most valuable scholarships ever offered in the state. “The first group will come in fall 2013,” says David Rock, dean of the UM School of Education and a key player in designing the program. “Each campus will take on 20 new fellows, 10 in mathematics education and 10 in English education. In five years, the goal is to produce 160 new teachers. Think of the difference that 160 great teachers could make in our children’s future. It could be huge. We’re working together because we must address this right now.” The METP is centered on a simple concept: Recruit the best students to produce the best teachers. Ideal recruits are graduating high school seniors with a 28 or above on the ACT and a GPA of 3.5 or above, students typically sought by honors colleges around the country. As the program grows and evolves, spots in the program will be made available to junior-level 36 Alumni Review
transfer students with equally impressive credentials. However, one other important criterion is considered for admission — a passion for improving education in Mississippi. The program offers a huge incentive in exchange for a significant commitment. All METP recruits sign a five-year agreement to teach in a Mississippi public school after graduation. Leaders at both schools hope to secure funding within the next few years to offer a $6,000 annual salary stipend to graduates who enter high-needs school districts. At orientation this fall, each recruit will be named a “fellow” of the program. Should a fellow change his or her major or leave Mississippi before meeting the service requirement, awarded scholarships will be converted into loans and paid back to the program to reinvest in future aspiring teachers. Graduates may choose to defer their commitment for up to two years to attend graduate school. “We believe that if these teachers stay five years in Mississippi, they’re more likely to stay here for their careers,” Jones says. “We believe that by supplying schools with very bright teachers, it will have a halo effect for the whole system and make our schools stronger and better.”
How it began
In June 2010, Rock, who previously served as a mathematics education professor at UM from 1998 to 2004, rejoined the faculty as dean of the School of Education. He brought with him a record of collaborating with other institutions to create new programs and impact working teachers. During his tenure as dean of education at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga., he successfully worked with education schools at Georgia
Southern University and Valdosta State University to merge teaching efforts, pool resources and offer online graduate degrees for working teachers. The graduate enrollment for the three education schools increased drastically. “The school system supported us,” Rock says. “Teachers were saying, ‘Finally, three institutions coming together to focus on doing what’s best for the state.’” During his first year back at UM, Rock continued this theme of collaboration in his discussions with colleague Richard Blackbourn, dean of the College of Education at Mississippi State University. “We talked many times in my first year back at Ole Miss about doing something together for the state of Mississippi, not just for our own institutions,” he says. “Our goal every time we spoke was to make an impact in the state. How can we work together and not apart?” In fall 2012, IHL Commissioner Hank Bounds approached Keenum, Jones, Rock and Blackbourn about the possibility of attracting more high-caliber students to teacherpreparation programs out of high school. Through much discussion, a vision for a collaborative program emerged. In a spring 2012 meeting hosted by the CREATE Foundation in Tupelo, a small committee of education faculty from UM and MSU emerged with a framework that would become the
METP. The big uncertainty was funding. The Hearin Foundation became an obvious source. The organization had previously awarded multimillion-dollar grants to both universities. As recently as October, the foundation gave more than $5.7 million to Ole Miss to enhance a variety of programs within the School of Education. The two deans took the proposal to Hearin board member Matt Holleman, who arranged a presentation to the entire board. “We suspected they would at least fund part of it,” Rock says. “We originally planned to have a year to plan and implement this, but they told us, ‘Don’t wait. Do it now.’ This is that important.”
Setting the stage
Split between the two institutions, the Hearin grant provides seed money for five years. The first cohort is expected to graduate in May 2017. Rock says the long-term goal is to secure funding from other organizations to expand the program in size and subject areas such as science education or early childhood education. Getting the program off the ground and running for the first cohort, however, required quick work between the two schools. One big step was locating the aspiring teachers who have credentials that education faculty at both universities believe will produce excellent teachers.
Photo by Robert Jordan
Many METP fellows are expected to enroll in the collaborating institutions’ honors colleges, which could open the door to more honors and education classes. Spring 2013 37
“This is an opportunity like we’ve never seen before,” says Ryan Niemeyer, co-director of the Mississippi Teacher Corps and the recently appointed program director for the UM chapter of METP. “We want these scholarships to make a difference in the lives of young people who can help our schools and become leaders in their communities.” Niemeyer (PhD 08) was selected to lead the program in early February. Field experience coordinator Lina Trullinger was selected to lead MSU’s chapter. Together they’ve worked to establish an administrative structure, a website and application process and, most importantly, recruit potential fellows. In the wake of the announcement, interest in the program has come from as far away as Chicago and Dartmouth, Mass. “We were confident that this would work from the begin-
Once a semester, both the UM School of Education and the MSU College of Education will host students from the other institution to expose all fellows to new faculty and discuss contemporary issues in education. During the summer, students will swap campuses for weeklong residencies and complete course work. The goal will be to create a culture of excellence within the program that spans across campuses and brings a deep understanding of educational issues at state, national and international levels. “We’d like to have our fellows gain exposure to top educators across the state, nation and even across the globe,” Rock says. “To do that, we’re probably going to find ways for students to visit the top schools in the nation and in other cultures, where teachers are highly regarded. That could mean a group trip to Europe and Photo by Robert Jordan
The design of METP requires collaboration between Ole Miss and MSU on multiple levels including recruitment, admissions and curriculum design.
ning,” says Niemeyer. “But, we had to get into our state’s schools to do it. For a lot of students in Mississippi, the choice between MSU or Ole Miss is pretty much predetermined, so we split up the map based on where we thought our students were. But when we’re in the field, we’re recruiting for the program as a whole. That means we’re sending some students to State, and they’re sending some our way too. Meanwhile, we also have to set up a whole administrative structure. It’s been kind of like riding two horses at once.” The design of METP requires collaboration between Ole Miss and MSU on multiple levels including recruitment, admissions and curriculum design — such as new honors college-style education courses with small class sizes and one-on-one time with professors. It’s expected that many METP fellows will also enroll in the institutions’ honors colleges, which could open the door to more honors education classes. 38 Alumni Review
not just visit one country or one school but multiple schools in multiple countries, so they can actually see some of the world’s best teachers in action.” On March 15, faculty at both campuses began reviewing applications for the program. Finalists are currently undergoing an interview process with faculty. New METP fellows will begin classes at both campuses this fall. “Everything we’ve done is strategic,” Jones says. “We believe that our two universities coming together will get the attention of policymakers and funders to show that we’re here to do something important for our state.” AR
For more information, visit metp.org.
taste tradition
Sunday Brunch is Back Reservations are now available for the following times: 10:00 a.m., 10:45 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m. & 1:00 p.m. Walk Ins Accepted on a First Come, First Serve Basis Deadline for reservations will be Thursdays at Noon
Adults- $16.95 plus tax per person Children- $9.95 plus tax per person Children 5 & under Eat Free!
Please call (662) 915-1237 for reservations.
The Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services Needs Your Help! Do you have children or grandchildren that you’d like to attend Ole Miss? If so, help us get them here!
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Visit http://olemiss.edu/admissions/ VIPLauncher.html, click the link that applies to your students, and complete the form. We’ll add them to our VIP mailing list, and they’ll create a personalized website tailored to their interests. Visit www.olemiss.edu/admissions or call us at 662-915-7226 or 1-800-OLEMISS (in Mississippi) to learn more about the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services.
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Jumbo Gulf shrimp courtbouillon with housemade chaurice sausage, crab boil mirliton, trinity and vinegar peppers from Emeril’s Delmonico.
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Alumna works for Emeril in the Big Easy
orking for a famous, world-class chef has its perks. In August 2012, Camille Breland (BBA 06) joined Emeril Lagasse’s team as public relations manager for Emeril’s Homebase, the celebrity chef ’s corporate office, handling communications for all of his 13 restaurants. With popular television shows, restaurants, books and more, Lagasse is one of the most well-known chefs in the country. “I love the vibe of the restaurant industry,” says Breland. “It’s such a fluid, fun and energetic environment.” Part of Breland’s initial training was a three-week stint in each of Lagasse’s three New Orleans restaurants, shadowing all facets of the business from the dishwashers in the back of the house to the servers in the front of the house. “It was the best thing they could have done because now I have so much more respect and understanding for what they do in the restaurants,” Breland says. “It was an invaluable learning experience about the restaurant industry that I use every day in my job. When I go in there they know me now, so they feel more comfortable helping me and sharing information. It was great for relationship building.” For her job, Breland focuses primarily on the restaurants, but occasionally she assists with television interviews, questions from community members as well as Lagasse’s recently launched television show, “Emeril’s Florida.” “Emeril was here during Super Bowl week, and I went with him to the ‘Good Morning America’ shoot and a shoot with ‘Inside Edition,’” says Breland. “I was handling all of the media requests for him surrounding the Super Bowl.” Chef Emeril Lagasse with Camille Breland, Emeril’s Homebase PR manager
Spring 2013 41
“New New Orleans” creations on the line at Emeril’s Restaurant in New Orleans.
Lagasse says Breland is a welcome addition to his Homebase operation. “She’s a real team player and has been put right into the thick of things during some of the busiest and best times surrounding Super Bowl and Mardi Gras,” he says. Written communication also is an important part of the job, and Breland, a Columbia native, says she’s always loved writing. “I’ve kept a journal since the first or second grade that serves as a dialogue, almost a narration of my life,” she says. “I love looking back and seeing how my thoughts on life in general have changed.” After graduating from Columbia High School in 2002, Breland set out for Ole Miss to pursue an education in journalism. While perusing numerous internships in media and public relations, she decided to alter her focus and attain a business degree in marketing communications. “At the time, the industry was changing,” says Breland. “I thought it would be more strategic and better for my career to change to the business school.” While studying at Ole Miss, Breland wrote for The Daily Mississippian and worked in public relations for the University Communications office. She quickly became fascinated by the power that news media have over the population. “It’s how people receive information,” Breland says. “The way news media say and convey information is how people learn about their community and their nation.” Juggling the demands of student life and writing for news outlets was a challenging task, but Breland managed to make 42 Alumni Review
it work. Between classes, she found time to hone her skills conducting interviews and writing stories. A member of Delta Delta Delta Fraternity, Breland also served as vice president of public relations and communications as well as intramural chairwoman. Breland briefly worked with Oxford-based Nautilus Publishing Co. after graduation as a writer and editor before accepting a job in Nashville in 2007 with iostudio, which provides integrated marketing and advertising services. Breland credits the wealth of experience she gained in social media, Web analytics and email marketing while at iostudio with helping to advance her career. “I started out just writing and editing for the publisher’s magazines, and then it blossomed into everything in media, which is how the world of media is today,” says Breland. “You can’t just write for print publications. You have to be versed in all of it, which really set the stage for how I got my job with Emeril’s Homebase.” After three years, Breland left iostudio to get a master’s degree in mass communication from Middle Tennessee State University, which she did in 2012 while serving as communications officer for Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority. Breland then looked to expand her horizons and soon found herself in New Orleans, conducting public relations for Lagasse’s 13 restaurants around the country. What Breland enjoys most about her job is the opportunity to promote a business and an industry that she is truly passionate about.
Emeril’s Delmonico, located on the famed St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, has a Creole tradition dating back to 1895. Below: The signature banana layer cake from NOLA Restaurant in the French Quarter.
“It’s easier for me to do my job because I care about the restaurants, and I love the food and Emeril,” Breland says. “It’s really fun to pitch stories and convey that. Who doesn’t love going out to eat?” Eric Linquest, president and chief operating officer for Emeril’s Homebase, says Breland is a self-motivated, diligent worker. “I especially appreciate the positive enthusiasm she brings to her position,” says Linquest. “Right from the start, during her training and since actually taking over her position, she has shown both enthusiasm and dedication in learning about our company and in executing her responsibilities.” Breland knows she wouldn’t have gotten where she is today without the help of a few influential people along the way. One professor in particular, Robin Street (BA 75, MA 85, MS 97), professor of journalism at Ole Miss, has been a key factor in Breland’s success. While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Breland was urged by Street to enter a contest for public relations professionals and students, which led to a PRism Award from the Public Relations Society of America.
“She was definitely a mentor,” Breland says. “She’s always truly interested in how I’m doing both personally and professionally, so I really look up to her.” While working for one of the busiest men in the industry can be hectic at times, Breland wouldn’t have it any other way. “He’s so energetic and truly passionate about his restaurants and cooking,” says Breland of Lagasse. “This is his life’s work. This is what he does and what he’s passionate about, so it’s great working for someone you can see that in and who truly does convey that love and passion. It makes me want to do a better job.” Breland is uncertain about what the future holds but foresees being part of the Emeril’s Homebase family for many years, hoping to help the restaurants grow and continuously gain more exposure in the media industry. “Emeril has so many people who have worked for him 20-plus years, and it’s because he’s such a good guy to work for,” she says. “Seeing that makes me realize that I could definitely stay here. It’s a good company, where they care about their employees and care about people.” AR Spring 2013 43
Sports SEC Champions OLE MISS REBEL BASKETBALL BRINGS HOME SEC TITLE
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he Ole Miss men’s basketball team claimed its first SEC Championship title since 1981, beating the Florida Gators 78-64 on March 16.
1981, when it defeated Georgia 66-62. This is the first time Ole Miss has advanced to the finals under head Coach Andy Kennedy. Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
The Rebels brought home the SEC Championship title in March.
The Rebels have an overall record of 28-49 in 51 SEC Tournament appearances and have reached four SEC Championship finals. The team took home the title of SEC West Division champions in 1997, 1998 and 2001. Its last SEC Tournament title came in
After advancing to the NCAA Tournament with its win over Florida, the Rebels went on to defeat Wisconsin 57-46 before falling to La Salle on March 24, ending its run to compete in the Sweet Sixteen. “They [La Salle] have a good basketball team,” Kennedy says. “They made
more plays. Heck of a game.” This year marked the Rebels’ seventh NCAA Tournament appearance in school history and the first since 2002. Kennedy, the coach with the most wins in school history, was named SEC Coach of the Year by NBCSports.com after guiding the Rebels to a 27-8 record, a 12-6 league mark and the SEC Tournament championship. The Rebels piled on additional postseason honors. Reginald Buckner, Marshall Henderson and Murphy Holloway all earned SEC postseason honors. Henderson was voted SEC Player of the Year by CBSSports.com, SEC Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press, first team All-SEC by Blue Ribbon College Basketball and NBCSports.com, second team all-conference by the AP and the league’s coaches, and received All-District honors from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Holloway also earned first team All-SEC honors from Blue Ribbon and second team accolades from the AP and the league’s coaches. Buckner was voted to the SEC All-Defensive squad by the league’s coaches for the third-straight year. The Ole Miss Rebels finished the season tied for the most wins in school history with 27. AR
CHEERLEADERS PLACE SECOND IN WORLD UNIVERSITY, FIFTH IN NATION
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he Ole Miss cheerleaders captured second place in the World University Championships and fifth in Division IA at the Universal Cheerleaders Association National Championships in January at the Walt Disney World Resort. The competition is considered the most prestigious cheerleading championship in the country. Ole Miss placed second in the World Uni-
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versity Championships among nine international and U.S. teams and fifth out of 13 finalists in the National Championships. The Rebels finished third among SEC schools in Division IA. Memphis won the event, followed by Kentucky,Alabama and University of Central Florida. The Rebelettes also competed at the University Dance Association nationals in Division IA Jazz and Hip Hop, advancing to the semifinals.
“I’m so proud of the spirit squads for how they represent the Ole Miss brand,” says Michael Thompson, senior associate athletics director for marketing and communications. “Being recognized as one of the very best in the world doesn’t happen without determination, sacrifice and hard work.” The cheerleaders are coached by Trey Griffin and assisted by Perren Young. The Rebelettes are coached by Emily Wood. AR
Vote of Confidence OLE MISS ANNOUNCES CONTRACT EXTENSION FOR BJORK Rebels reclaiming the Egg Bowl trophy. That impressive turnaround was followed by an SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament championship and the end to a 10-year NCAA Tournament drought. “Each and every day I am truly grateful and humble for the opportunity afforded our family here in Oxford and at the University of Mississippi,” Bjork says. “We cannot thank Chancellor Jones enough for his confidence in my leadership and his belief in our staff and coaches who are helping propel Ole Miss Athletics to new heights.” While inspiring Ole Miss fans, Bjork has restructured Freeze’s contract as well as the athletics department with new divisions for External Affairs and Health & Sports Performance. The Ole Miss Athletics Foundation, formerly UMAA, also underwent a rebrand, while the Forward Together
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
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n the one-year anniversary of his introduction in March, Ross Bjork’s contract as Ole Miss athletics director was extended to reach the state maximum of four years, while his base salary will increase from $400,000 to $460,000 annually. “It is hard to imagine an athletics director who has had a more successful first year,” says Chancellor Dan Jones. “Ross and his team have worked hard to bring Rebel Nation together. It is clear he has gained the confidence of the fan base, his colleagues in athletics administration, our coaches and athletes, and donors. And he certainly has my complete confidence.” Year one of the Bjork era in Oxford laid a foundation for success, including first-year head football Coach Hugh Freeze guiding the Rebels to a bowl game for the first time in three years and the
Bjork
campaign has risen from $62 million to more than $81 million in the past year. AR
Football Staff Strengthened JONES NAMED CO-DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND CORNERBACKS COACH
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Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
le Miss added a successful coach and recruiter to its football staff in co-defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach Jason
Jones
Jones, as announced in early March by Rebel head Coach Hugh Freeze. Jones comes to Oxford after five seasons at Oklahoma State, where his teams amassed a 49-16 record. In his nine seasons as a college coach, his teams have made a bowl game appearance every year. “Jason’s experience and energy make him a perfect fit for our staff, and we’re excited to get him on campus and ready for spring practice,” Freeze says. “He has been a winner at every stop throughout his career, and he has a proven track record as a recruiter. I look forward to coaching alongside him as our team continues its journey.” In his time in Stillwater, Jones coached three different Cowboy corners to first team All-Big 12 honors and a pair of Thorpe Award semifinalists in Perrish
Cox (2009) and Brodrick Brown (2011). Cox was a first team All-American in 2009 as well. Jones is a 2001 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in financial planning. He was a two-year starter at defensive back for the Crimson Tide and was part of three bowl teams, an SEC West championship in 1996 and SEC championship in 1999. He earned a master’s degree from Alabama in sports management in 2005. He and his wife, Kysha, have three children: Andrew, Jace and Jarah. Jones, who will have play-calling duties in the Rebels’ secondary, replaces previous co-defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff, who recently joined the New Orleans Saints’ coaching staff in the NFL. AR Spring 2013 45
arts &
Culture and culture magazines. She is author of six previous books, including A Cook’s Tour of Mississippi and The 5:30 Challenge Cookbook. Puckett lives in Atlanta.
Eat Drink Delta: A Hungr y Traveler’s Journey through the Soul of the South by Susan Puckett, 296 pages, $24.95 (Paperback), ISBN: 9780820344256 The Mississippi Delta is a complicated and fascinating place. Part travel guide, part cookbook and part photo essay, Eat Drink Delta, by veteran food journalist Susan Puckett (with photographs by Delta resident Langdon Clay), reveals a region shaped by slavery, civil rights, amazing wealth, abject deprivation, the Civil War, a flood of biblical proportions and — above all — an overarching urge to get down and party with a full table and an open bar. Puckett uncovers the stories behind convenience stores, where dill pickles marinate in Kool-Aid, and diners, where tabouli appears on plates with fried chicken. She celebrates the region’s hot tamale makers and introduces us to a new crop of Delta chefs who brine chicken in sweet tea and top stone-ground Mississippi grits with local pond-raised prawns and tomato confit. The guide also provides a taste of events such as Belzoni’s World Catfish Festival and offers dozens of tested recipes, including the Memphis barbecue pizza beloved by Elvis and a lemon ice-box pie inspired by Tennessee Williams. Susan Puckett (BA 77) is a native of Jackson. She was the food editor at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for 18 years and has written for many national food 46 Alumni Review
Called to the Fire b y Chet Bush, 224 pages, $21.99 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9781426753282 This is the true story of Charles Johnson, an African-American preacher who went to Mississippi in 1961 during the summer of the Freedom Rides. Un w i t t i n g l y thrust into the heart of a national tragedy, the murder of three civil rights activists, he overcame fear and adversity to become a leader in the civil rights movement. As a key African-American witness to take the stand in the trial famously dubbed the “ Mi s s i s s i p p i Bu r n i n g” case by the FBI, Johnson played a key role for the U.S. Department of Justice, offering clarity to the event that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965. This story of love, conviction, adversity and redemption climaxes with a shocking encounter between Johnson and one of the murderers. The reader will be riveted to the details of a gracious life in pursuit of the call of God from the pulpit to the streets and ultimately into the courtroom. Chet Bush is a pastor/writer in Oxford. He received a bachelor’s degree in religion from Trevecca Nazarene University and a Master of Divinity degree at Nazarene Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Allie (BA 12), are active members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association.
Shore Excursion by Marie Moore, 230 pages, $13.95 (Paperback), ISBN: 9781603818742 Travel agents may be a vanishing breed, but Sidney Marsh, a New York transplant from Mississippi, is holding her ground — at least on land. She is the tour leader on a cruise from Scandinavia to Russia for a group of eccentric senior citizens who call themselves the High Steppers. Sidney expects her days to be filled with long meals, shopping expeditions and visits to museums, churches and fjords. However, this cruise is anything but routine. A killer is on board, targeting the High Steppers and quite possibly Sidney. After the first suspicious death, the captain and his cre w are grimly determined to carry on as usual. Frustrated and dismayed by their inaction, Sidney decides to launch her own investigation. She enlists the halfhearted help of her friend and business partner, t h e f l a m b oy a n t a n d fun-loving Jay Wilson. Suspects abound, but the closer Sidney gets to the truth, the less she understands. How can a luxurious European cruise go so wrong? In 1985, Marie Moore (BAEd 70) left the newspaper business to open a retail travel agency, which she managed for the next 15 years. She and her husband live in Memphis and Holly Springs. Information presented in this section is compiled from material provided by the publisher and/or author and does not necessarily represent the view of the Alumni Review or the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To present a recently published book or CD for consideration, please mail a copy with any descriptions and publishing information to: Ole Miss Alumni Review, Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677. AR
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2013
rebel
raveler T
Venice, Italy
T
he Ole Miss Alumni Association is offering a number of spectacular trips for 2013. Alumni and friends obtain group rates and discounts. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy and subject to change until booking. Airfare is not included unless noted. For a brochure or more information, contact the Alumni office at 662-915-7375. The most current and complete listing of trips and prices is available on the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s website at www.olemissalumni.com/travel. ITALIAN INSPIRATION APRIL 27-MAY 5, 2013 Embark on an inspiring voyage, where history and legends come to life as you travel the Mediterranean along the shores
48 Alumni Review
of Italy, Greece and Croatia. Departing from Rome’s port, Civitavecchia, cruise south to Sorrento, a resort town nestled on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples. Explore its charming old town, stroll the fascinating ruins of Pompeii, or visit the captivating Isle of Capri. Wander medieval lanes in the fascinating Sicilian town of Taormina, and gaze at the legendary, towering Mount Etna. Next, sail to Greece, take in the magnificent scenery of Zakynthos and explore Corfu’s lovely old Venetian quarter. Before concluding your journey in the floating city of Venice, visit medieval Dubrovnik, the beautiful redtiled gem on the Dalmatian coast. Cruise to celebrated ports aboard the elegant Riviera, Oceania Cruises’ newest ship, which boasts some of the finest amenities at sea. — From $1,799
KENTUCKY OAKS AND DERBY MAY 2-5, 2013 The Kentucky Derby is run annually on the first Saturday in May. This oneand-a-quarter-mile race at the famed Churchill Downs is known as “the most exciting two minutes in sports” or the “Run for the Roses,” named for the blanket of roses draped over the winner. The attendance at the Kentucky Derby ranks first in North America and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races. Travel packages are available for the Kentucky Derby and can be paired with the Kentucky Oaks, scheduled for the day prior to give you access to both events. Room packages include three nights of hotel accommodations at the Hampton Inn, Country Inn & Suites or Holiday Inn Express; lounge access
and celebrity jockey meet and greet; food and bars provided from morning to sundown; as well as transportation to and from the track on Oaks and Derby days. — From $1,199 with room TRANSPACIFIC VOYAGE — LANDS AND ISLANDS OF MYSTERY MAY 5-20, 2013 Featuring the six-star, all ocean-view suite M.V. Silver Shadow, cruise from Tokyo to Japan’s Northern Islands, Russia’s Far East, the Bering Strait and Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Optional excursions include the highlights and landmarks of Tokyo; a scenic excursion revealing Russia’s culinary, cultural and religious influences on Alaska; and a full-day fishing excursion in Homer, the “Halibut capital of the world.” The trip includes free airfare from 43 gateway cities, free beverages throughout, all gratuities and port taxes, dedicated butler service and $1,000 per couple shipboard credit. — From $4,995 CELTIC LANDS MAY 9-18, 2013 Cruise for eight nights aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe M.S. Le Boréal from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Wales, Ireland and France. By special arrangement, Dwight David Eisenhower II, University of Pennsylvania professor and grandson of former Gen. and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Celia Sandys, historian and granddaughter of Great Britain’s former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, will join participants to provide exclusive lectures and personal insights. Enjoy guided excursions in each port of call, including the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and the UNESCO World
Caernarfon Castle, Wales
Heritage sites of the Neolithic Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae on the Orkney Islands and Caernarfon Castle near Holyhead, Wales. Edinburgh pre-cruise and Paris post-cruise options are offered. — From $5,395 TRADE ROUTES OF COASTAL IBERIA MAY 22-30, 2013 This seven-night cruise from Barcelona, Spain, to Lisbon, Portugal, on the M.V. Silver Cloud promises fun and luxury. Port calls include Valencia, Cartagena and Cadiz, Spain. The cruise includes gourmet meals with single, unassigned seatings, complimentary drinks and 24-hour room service. Also, onboard guest speakers will provide educational discussions on local history, nature and culture. Fitness classes and daily entertainment are also scheduled.
Extra excursions can be arranged including tours of the historic Spanish port of Soller de Mallorca, Valencia, Cartagena and Granada. — From $4,399, including air from 43 gateway cities ANCIENT KINGDOMS OF CHINA JUNE 13-28, 2013 A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear Julie Nixon Eisenhower discuss China and her late father’s pivotal role in bringing Communist China out of isolation. This comprehensive, 15-day journey includes a seven-night, exclusively chartered grand cruise along the fabled Yangtze River, sailing all the way from Shanghai upstream to Chongqing. And, spend two nights in Shanghai, one night in Xi’an and three nights in Beijing in five-star hotels. Highlights include five UNESCO World Heritage sites;
The Great Wall, China Spring 2013 49
2013 rebel
Traveler the Three Gorges Dam; seldom-visited Nanjing, Huangshan and Wuhan; mystical Old and spectacular New Shanghai; Xi’an’s Terra Cotta Warriors; Beijing’s Forbidden City; and the Great Wall. Guilin/Hong Kong post-program option is available. — From $3,995 BALTIC TREASURES JUNE 24-JULY 5, 2013 Spend 10 nights aboard the cruise ship Marina, traveling to historic and scenic ports. With ports of call in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Poland and Germany, this cruise promises a variety in scenery and culture. Activities in port include visiting the Royal Palace in Stockholm, Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg, and a scenic drive to Berlin to see landmarks such as the Brandenburg Gate. The cruise program includes free round-trip airfare from select cities. — From $3,999
Stockholm, Sweden 50 Alumni Review
ALASKA’S GLACIERS AND THE INSIDE PASSAGE JUNE 27-JULY 4, 2013 Join this magnificent seven-night cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia, through the Inside Passage, to Seward, Alaska, aboard the six-star, all-suite M.V. Silver Shadow. Take advantage of early-booking savings of $3,000 per couple. A host of complimentary features aboard ship include all onboard gratuities and port taxes, personal butler service and beverages throughout the cruise. See untouched coastlines, watch for wildlife, and cruise up close to the Sawyer and Hubbard glaciers. Call at historic Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka. A Vancouver precruise option and Fairbanks/Denali National Park post-cruise option are offered. — From $4,299, including air from 43 gateway cities
ICELAND TO GREENLAND — TO THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IN THE WAKE OF THE VIKINGS AUG. 12-24, 2013 Join this once-in-a-lifetime, 13-day itinerary from Iceland to the beautiful, rugged west coast of Greenland and the rarely visited Arctic Circle. Cruise aboard the deluxe M.S. Le Boréal featuring all outside staterooms and suites including all excursions and meals. Call on ports inaccessible to larger vessels on this exclusive itinerary, and explore one of the world’s last great frontiers. Be among the few people in the world to ever cross into the Arctic Circle. Visit remote towns and settlements to learn more about the fascinating Inuit people. Zodiac excursions are led by expert naturalist guides. A pre-cruise option in Northern Iceland is offered. — From $7,595 TASTE OF EUROPE AUG. 26-SEPT. 6, 2013 This 10-night cruise aboard the Nautica promises a taste of Europe. Ports of call in four countries offer a variety of activities. Extra activities include seeing the medieval walled town of Concarneau in France, exploring the Old Quarter of Bilbao in Spain and visiting the ornate Belem Tower in Lisbon, Portugal. Round-trip airfare from select cities is included. — From $3,999 WATERWAYS OF RUSSIA AUG. 30-SEPT. 9, 2013 Join us for nine nights aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe M.S. Volga Dream, the premier ship cruising Russia’s waterways with a capacity of 109 passengers. This carefully crafted itinerary highlights Russia’s two great cultural capitals — St. Petersburg, Czar Peter the Great’s “window on the West,” featuring a guided tour of the State Hermitage Museum, and the fabled city of Moscow, political and commercial capital of the world’s largest country. Cruise to the legendary open-air museum of Kizhi Island, the 14th-century monastery of Goritsy,
New England
medieval Yaroslavl and 10th-century Uglich, rustic remnants of old Russia. A two-night Moscow post-cruise option is available. — From $3,995 VILLAGE LIFE IN THE ITALIAN LAKES SEPT. 14-22, 2013 Experience the true essence of life in northern Italy’s fabled Lake District for one full week, with a lake-view room in the charming Hotel Regina Olga in Cernobbio, a picturesque village overlooking Lake Como. Enjoy a private boat cruise on Lake Como and expert-guided excursions to Bellagio, Villa del Balbianello, the Borromean Islands and Stresa. Enriching lectures and the exclusive Village Forum™ with local residents bring you personal perspectives of the region’s modern life and cultural heritage. This comprehensive itinerary also features an optional excursion to stunning Lugano, Switzerland, and a two-night Milan preprogram option. — From $2,995 PARIS TO PROVENCE SEPT. 16-24, 2013 This quintessential French sojourn features a stay in Paris, travel on the famous TGV high-speed train from Paris to Lyon and a five-night Rhône River cruise through the countryside of Provence. Spend a full day in Lyon, France’s gastronomique gateway, before embarking the exclusively chartered
M.S. Amadeus Symphony. Experience the world-famous Côtes du Rhône wine region, the landscape that inspired the great Impressionists Paul Cézanne and Vincent Van Gogh, and visit the Roman city of Orange, the historic Papal Palace of Avignon and the wonderfully preserved Roman Amphitheater in Arles. The London pre-program option travels through the Chunnel to Paris; an Aix-enProvence post-program option is offered also. — From $3,495 Town and Country LIFE IN TUSCANY SEPT. 16-24, 2013 Experience la dolce vita di Toscana (Tuscany’s sweet life) for one full week in one of Italy’s most fabled and timeless provinces. Stay for four nights in the heart of Florence and for three nights in an ideally located deluxe hotel in medieval Siena, both UNESCO World Heritage sites. This delightful sojourn introduces you to the authentic traditions and culture of Tuscany, with specially arranged excursions and cultural enrichments featuring Florence; Siena; the ancient hill town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage site; Chianti, known for its world-famous wines; and the exclusive Village Forum™ with local residents. — From $3,245
ISLAND LIFE IN ANCIENT GREECE AND TURKEY SEPT. 24-OCT. 2, 2013 Join us for this exclusive nine-day odyssey to the windswept paradise of Greece’s ancient islands and Turkey’s fabled coast. Cruise from Athens to Istanbul aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe small ship M.S. L’Austral. Meet local residents during the specially arranged Village Forum™ for a personal perspective on the true character of the Aegean Sea’s maritime culture. Carefully designed, expert-led excursions are highlighted by the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the classical ruins of Delos, the Old Town of Rhodes, the Monastery of St. John on Pátmos and legendary Troy. Extend your voyage with the Athens precruise option and the Istanbul or Cappadocia post-cruise option. — From $3,595 CANADA AND NEW ENGLAND SEPT. 24-OCT. 6, 2013 Cruise on the ship Regatta from Quebec to New York City, and experience the Canadian and New England fall scenery like never before. Activities in the ports of call offer a variety of activities such as seeing the original manuscript of Anne of Green Gables in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; the Halifax Citadel on Nova Scotia; and touring the Vanderbilt Marble House in Newport, R.I. Free round-trip airfare from select cities is included. — From $4,299 Spring 2013 51
News alumni
Welcome Aboard
2013 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD MEMBERS ANNOUNCED
T
he new members of the Alumni Association board of directors are involved in a wide range of careers and community organizations. One-third of the board is appointed each year by the Ole Miss Alumni Association president and serves a three-year term. Carl Chaney (BBA 83, JD 86) is the
president and CEO of Hancock Holding Co., the parent company of Hancock Bank and Whitney Bank. He is past chairman of the Mississippi Bankers Association and serves on the boards of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, New Orleans branch, and Mississippi Power Co. Chaney also serves as chairman of the Compensation Committee and is a member of the Controls and Compliance Committee for Mississippi Power Co. He and his wife, Jinx, have three children: Morgan, Brent and Maxcy.
Retired Maj. Gen. Jim Donald (BS 87) is former chairman of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles and was elected by his colleagues to serve two consecutive terms in that position. He earned the Bronze Star for his bold leadership as a task force commander with the 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles” during Gulf War I. He is the 2010 recipient of the Mississippi Trailblazer Award, honoring his achievement in the military and government. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and serves as a member of several government and civic boards.
Scott Coopwood (BA 84) is a newspa-
Robert Gage (BBA 76, JD 78) is
per and magazine publisher, television host on the Mississippi Delta ABC affiliate, and owner of a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations firm, Coopwood Communications. While at Ole Miss, he was a member of Kappa Alpha Fraternity. He currently serves on the board of the Cleveland branch of Planters Bank & Trust Co., the advisory board of the University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media, and he continues to serve on other regional and statewide boards. He lives in Cleveland with his wife, Cindy, and their three children. Billy Crews (BA 78) serves as vice president for strategic partnerships for Teach for America in the MississippiArkansas region. He served as CEO and publisher of The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal for 20 years. He is former director of BancorpSouth, past chairman of the Community Development Foundation in Tupelo and past chairman of the Commission on the Future of Northeast Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, he served as ASB president in 1977-78. He and his wife, Catherine (BFA 79), live in Oxford. They have three children: Mary Catherine, Lowrey and Perrin (BA 13).
52 Alumni Review
CEO of RiverHills Bank in Port Gibson. He has been employed with the bank since 1979 and was elected CEO in 1983. He has been active in the Mississippi Bankers Association since the organization was started and is a member of the Mississippi State Bar Association. He and his wife, Jacquelyn (77), have two children, Virginia (BA 07) and Robert. Mandy Gagliardi (BAccy 94) is a part-
ner in the New Orleans office of Chaffe McCall, LLP. She practices in the areas of federal and state taxation, the Louisiana Motion Picture Incentive Program, and federal and state historic tax credits. While at Ole Miss, she was a member and treasurer of Phi Mu Fraternity as well as Panhellenic vice president. She previously served Ole Miss as president of the New Orleans Alumni Club. She resides in Mandeville, La., with her husband, Michael, and their two children, Matthew and Madison.
C. Fred Graves III (BBA 78) is presi-
dent and CEO of Graves Oil Co. in Batesville. He is active in the local community through numerous civic and charitable organizations. He and his wife, Charlie, are members of First United Methodist Church in Batesville. They have three children, Houston, Carlyle and Jordan, and two grandsons.
Sue T. Hale (BAE 72, MCD 75,
SpecCD 78) is director of clinical education and assistant professor in the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at Vanderbilt University. She was a member of the Ole Miss Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders faculty for 24 years. She is a fellow of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She served as a delegation leader for People to People Citizen Ambassador programs to China and Tibet in 2011 and South Africa in 2012. She and her husband, Lance (BBA 70), have two children, Kim and Scott. Ann B. Henson (BAE 75, MEd 76) is actively involved in early childhood education throughout Mississippi and serves as coordinator of Project PREPARE. An active member of Germantown United Methodist Church, she also serves as a volunteer tutor for Memphis City Schools. She is a life member of the Ju n i o r Au x i l i a r y a n d h a s b e e n active with numerous charitable organizations. She lives in Germantown, Tenn., with her husband, Gene (BAccy 76). They have two daughters, Staci (BAccy 03, MAccy 04) and Stephanie (BAccy 08, MAccy 09), and one grandchild, Henson.
Lawrence B. Johnson Jr. (BBA 79) is a
regional customer service manager/ governmental affairs for Entergy Mississippi Inc. in Jackson. He is a past advisory board member for Planters Bank and past board member for the Washington County Boys and Girls Club. He is an active board member of the American Association of Blacks in Energy and parish council member at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Jackson. He lives in Madison with his wife, Nancy (BA 80), and their two children, Lawrence III and Langston. Stephen D. Johnston (BBA 93) is vice
president of corporate development at Itron Inc. Johnston was the CEO of SmartSynch Inc., a smart-grid technology company headquartered in Jackson. He currently sits on a number of boards, including the University of Mississippi Research Foundation board, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the Jackson Academy Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Melissa (MS 93), live in Jackson with their four children. Marilyn H. Mulherin (BA 78) is an art-
ist known for her impressionist stilllife and landscape paintings. She lives in Dallas with her husband, Harbert Mulherin. The couple also enjoys being at their farm in Tennessee. She has renewed interest in Ole Miss since both children, Helen (06) and Harbert (BBA 08), attended.Â
Spring 2013 53
News alumni
Dan Quon (BA 72, DMD 79) leads a
dental practice in Jackson that he began in 1984. He also serves as clinical professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and serves on the staff of St. Dominic/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He has served as president of District IV of the Mississippi Dental Association and is a member of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the Pierre Fauchard Academy. He lives in Madison with his wife, Wanda. They have a son, Jason Daniel (BAccy 11). Otis Sanford (BA 75) is a full-time fac-
ulty member with the University of Memphis and conducts various lectures and workshops both on and off campus on journalism, politics and public policy. He also is co-host of “Informed Sources,” a weekly public affairs show on WREG-TV. He holds the Hardin Chair of Excellence in Journalism at the University of Memphis and is a weekly Viewpoint columnist for The Commercial Appeal. Before joining the University of Memphis faculty in 2011, he was editor for opinion and editorials at The Commercial Appeal and formerly served as the paper’s managing editor.
54 Alumni Review
Marci Sliman (BBA 92) is a commu-
nity activist and former campaign staff member with Gov. George W. Bush of Texas and gubernatorial staff member with William F. Weld of Massachusetts. While at Ole Miss, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta Fraternity, elected Miss Ole Miss and inducted into the Hall of Fame. She is currently involved with numerous civic and charitable organizations. She resides in Tupelo with her husband, Sam (BS 90), and their three children, Sam, Morrison and Miriam. She is a member of St. James Catholic Church. Cheryl Turner (BS 79, MPA 90) is director of special programs for the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Insurance. In that role she is a key member of the management team that administers the state’s health and life insurance programs, the Self-insured Workers’ Compensation Trust and the state employees’ wellness program. She is the Southern regional director of Delta Sigma Theta Fraternity, sitting on the national executive board. She is the first Mississippian to be elected to the position since its inception in 1926.
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Spring 2013 55
News alumni
T
Sustaining Life Membership Program
he Sustaining Life Membership program is a voluntary way for current Life Members to provide additional annual support to the Ole Miss Alumni Association at one of several tax-deductible levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Blue and Red. These contributions are used to support necessary programs to engage Ole Miss alumni and friends and to help create future alumni leaders through student involvement, scholarship and leadership programs.
Fiscal Year 2013 Members Platinum $1,000+ Dr. J. Steven Blake Mr. and Mrs. Rees T. Bowen III Mr. and Mrs. Louis K. Brandt Mr. and Mrs. David E. Brevard Mr. and Mrs. Christopher A. Callero Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Clark Dr. Fred G. Corley Jr. Ms. Karen Craig The Hon. and Mrs. Brad J. Dye Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Richard M. Hill Mr. Julius W. King Dr. and Mrs. A. Michael Koury Mr. and Mrs. David O. McCormick Dr. and Mrs. Edwin E. Meek Mr. and Mrs. H. Dixon Montague Dr. Paul H. Moore Sr. Dr. and Mrs. Don Newcomb Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Noble Mr. Christopher Phillips Mr. W. Ashton Randall III Dr. and Mrs. Lynn K. Whittington Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Wilson
Gold $500-$999 Mr. and Mrs. W. Hinton Andrews Mr. and Mrs. Larry H. Bryan Ms. Angela D. Carney Mr. and Mrs. James H. Creekmore Mr. William M. Dalehite Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Tristan Patrick DeBord Mr. and Mrs. Danny B. Dedmon Mrs. Georgia McKenzie Ellison Mr. and Mrs. S. Lawrence Farrington Mr. and Mrs. T. Michael Glenn Mr. and Mrs. William Walton Gresham III Dr. and Mrs. W. Briggs Hopson Jr. Mr. William H. Howard III Mr. Frank M. Lenior Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Maloney Mr. and Mrs. John A. McKinney Mr. Matthew A. Mills Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Nance III Mr. Jason A. Niles Mrs. Dusky H. Norsworthy Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Quon Dr. and Mrs. John C. Stitt Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. Venus Mr. and Mrs. H.L. Williams Jr.
Silver $250-$499 Mr. Hirschel T. Abbott Jr. Dr. and Mrs. George L. Arrington Jr. Ms. Kathryn B. Black Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin E. Box Mr. and Mrs. William A. Brown Ms. Pamela J. Cox
56 Alumni Review
Dr. James W. Davis Mr. William Jason Derrick Dr. and Mrs. David N. Duddleston Mr. and Mrs. John H. Geary Dr. and Mrs. Walter M. Gorton Mrs. Laura L. Gradolf Dr. and Mrs. George J. Heard Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Hardy M. Hill Mr. R. Huston Hollister Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Imbler Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Charles V. Imbler Mr. and Mrs. Donald D. Jones Dr. Russell F. Kearney Jr. Dr. William F. Keeton Mr. Carroll A. Kemp Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Noah B. Kimball Mr. Peter J. Magielnicki Mr. and Mrs. William T. May Mr. and Mrs. William T. Mays Jr. Mrs. Beverly Y. Milam Mr. and Mrs. G. Terrell Morgan Mr. and Mrs. William T. Moroney Dr. and Mrs. Lee D. Morris Mr. Lacy G. Newman Mr. and Mrs. Douglas C. Noble Mr. and Mrs. Glen Oglesby and Mr. and Mrs. Mike Overstreet Mr. Brad Pittman Dr. and Mrs. Mark A. Ray Col. and Mrs. James W. Rice Jr. Dr. Newell B. Robinson Mr. and Mrs. Larry Rocconi Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Seibels III Mr. and Mrs. W. Marion Smith Mr. and Mrs. William H. Street Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Jon C. Turner The Hon. and Mrs. Roger F. Wicker Mrs. Jennifer Ingram Wilkinson
Blue $100-$249 Mr. and Mrs. Samuel F. Alexander Mr. and Mrs. John Warner Alford Jr. Ms. Carol T. Barnes Mr. Cornelius H. Block Mr. Edward S. Bopp Dr. John W. Bowlin Mr. and Mrs. David M. Brown Mr. and Mrs. Kirk A. Brown Mr. and Mrs. James N. Butler Ms. Inez O. Cameron Dr. David K. Carter Mr. and Mrs. John S. Case Mr. and Mrs. Mark J. Chaney Sr. Mrs. Karel K. Cole Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Cook Mr. and Mrs. Mark Jackson Cowart Dr. Art J. Cox III Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Crone Mrs. Ann R. Dennis
Dr. A. Percy Durfey Jr. Mrs. Tyler McCutchen Easterling Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Edwards II The Hon. and Mrs. Robert W. Elliott Sr. Dr. Charles Farris Jr. Dr. and Mrs. James V. Ferguson Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Brooke Ferris Lt. Col. and Mrs. Robert B. Gann, USMC (Ret.) Dr. Randel C. Gibson Mr. Karl D. Gottschalk Mr. William F. Hagan Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Hancock Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Van E. Hedges Mr. and Mrs. Mike Henry Mr. Joseph M. Hinshaw III Mr. Robert H. Hodges Mr. and Mrs. Paul B. Howell Mr. Carson M. Hughes Dr. Calvin T. Hull Mr. and Mrs. William M. James Mr. Marcus C. Jennings III Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Jones Mr. Walker W. Jones III Mr. Henry A. Lakes and Mr. and Mrs. John B. Laney Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Preston H. Lee Jr. Mrs. Barbera H. Liddon Mr. and Mrs. C. Matthew Lusco Mr. Michael K. Mason Dr. Fred Mitchell Massey Mrs. Ashley Anderson Mattei Dr. Thomas J. McDonald Sr. Mrs. Freddie Sandidge McEwan Dr. and Mrs. Fred L. McMillan Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Moore Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Markeeva A. Morgan Ms. Deanne M. Mosley Mrs. Leah S. Narro Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Norwood Mr. and Mrs. Wayne C. Oglesby Mrs. Sue M. Pearson Mr. James A. Peden Jr. Mr. and Mrs. George L. Price Mr. Floyd E. Pruden Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Ramsay Mr. Dennis N. Ray Mr. and Mrs. Julius M. Ridgway Dr. Robert E. Ringer Mr. Fred A. Ross III Mr. John R. Schwalje Mr. Tilden M. Shanahan Dr. Thomas R. Singley Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Strouse Dr. Beverly A. Stubblefield Cmdr. and Mrs. Douglas R. Thompson Dr. and Mrs. Ancel C. Tipton Jr.
Mrs. Margaret J. Varshock Dr. and Mrs. D. Winn Walcott Ms. Mary Virginia Watson Mrs. Marsha D. Williams Mr. Robert W. Witty Ms. Earline Woods Mr. Michael W. Wright and Ms. Vickie M. Cook Mr. and Mrs. David A. Ziegenhorn
Red $1-$99 Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Brewer Mr. and Mrs. Jason V. Calvasina Dr. Christopher Haley Carlton Mrs. Patricia T. Conner Mr. and Mrs. R. Steven Cox Mr. Roy Eugene Cox Jr. Ms. Kinnie Divine Dr. and Mrs. Ralph M. Fortenberry Dr. and Mrs. William P. Garth Jr. Mr. Joseph W. Gex II Mr. Joseph A. Haley III Mr. William E. Harlan Mr. William Patrick Henry Dr. Stacey S. Hollingsworth Mr. W. Dennis Ingram Dr. Charles D. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Augustus R. Jones Mr. John T. Keeton Jr. Mr. and Mrs. William D. Kidd Mrs. Frances P. Madison Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Martin Mr. George O. Merrill Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Glen Andrew Murphy Mr. Oliver M. Oates Jr. Mr. Aubrey Patterson Mr. Mickey J. Perry The Hon. Charles W. Pickering Dr. and Mrs. Dave A. Russell Mr. and Mrs. Pat H. Scanlon Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Hal Binford Southward Jr. Capt. Jack F. Speed Jr. Ms. Jennifer M. Studebaker Mr. and Mrs. Russell D. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Jay A. Travis III Mr. Eugene S. Van Cleve Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Walter J. White Dr. and Mrs. Louis J. Wise Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Travis W. Yates
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Spring 2013 57
News alumni
Class Notes ’40s ’50s
WILLIAM WINTER (BA 43, LLB 49) of Jackson received the 2012 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award. HARRY R. ALLEN (BBA 55, LLB 59), of Currie, Johnson, Griffin, Gaines & Myers PA in Biloxi, was selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2013. GEORGE COSSAR JR. (BPA 57, LLB 60) of Charleston was honored with the dedication of a new speaker’s podium at the Charleston Art Center (C.A.R.E. Center) for use in the Grand Hall. LOUANNE PEPPER COSSAR (BAEd 59) of Charleston was honored with the dedication of a new speaker’s podium at the Charleston Art Center (C.A.R.E. Center) for use in the Grand Hall. JACK F. DUNBAR (LLB 57), of Holcomb, Dunbar, Watts, Best, Masters & Golmon PA, was named Tupelo Area Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Tupelo Personal Injury LitigationDefendants) by Best Lawyers. CHARLIE KEMP (BBA 59, MBA 62) was awarded the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award by the Federal Aviation Administration Board in appreciation for dedicated service, technical expertise, professionalism and many outstanding contributions to further the cause of aviation safety.
’60s
GUTHRIE ABBOTT SR. (BA 64, JD 67), University of Mississippi School of Law professor emeritus, was featured in an article in Leadership in Law, recognizing his achievements and contributions to the legal profession.
BILL DALEHITE JR. (BA 65, JD 97), of Steen, Dalehite & Pace LLC in Jackson, was named Lawyer of the Year at the 2012 Mississippi Business Journal Leadership in Law awards banquet. RICHARD G. NOBLE (BBA 68, JD 73), of Crosthwait, Terney & Noble PLLC in Indianola, was selected as a 2012 Leadership in Law honoree by the Mississippi Business Journal. He is immediate past president of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. 58 Alumni Review
JAMES W. O’MARA (BA 62, JD 67), of Phelps Dunbar LLP in Jackson, was selected as a 2012 Leadership in Law honoree by the Mississippi Business Journal. EDWARD P. “ED” PEACOCK III (BBA 69, JD 72) of Clarksdale was selected as Coahoma County’s Citizen of the Year at the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet. He is serving his fifth term as chancery clerk. ALAN W. PERRY (BBA 69), of Forman, Perry, Watkins, Krutz & Tardy LLP in Jackson, was named Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Bet-theCompany Litigation) by Best Lawyers.
’70s
DEBORAH H. BELL (JD 79), professor of law at the University of Mississippi, was selected as a 2012 Leadership in Law honoree, presented by the Mississippi Business Journal.
FRED KRUTZ (BA 72, JD 77), of Forman, Perry, Watkins, Krutz & Tardy LLP in Jackson, was named Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Defendants) by Best Lawyers. LAWRENCE L. LITTLE (BA 73), of Larry L. Little & Associates in Oxford, was elected to the board of commissioners of the Mississippi Bar. GREGORY D. MARKOW (BBA 75, MBA 76) of Jackson joined GrahamPoole as a partner. He is a certified public accountant. SHELBY MCKEY (BBA 71), of Fort Collins, Colo., recently authored the novel Flood Brothers. DENNIS W. MILLER (BBA 78), of Jones Walker LLP in Jackson, was named Jackson Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Government Relations Practice) by Best Lawyers.
RALPH CHAPMAN (JD 74), of Chapman, Lewis & Swan in Clarksdale, was named Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Memphis Personal Injury Litigation-Plaintiffs) by Best Lawyers.
DAVID W. MOCKBEE (JD 74), of Mockbee, Hall & Drake PA in Jackson, was named Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Construction Law) by Best Lawyers.
BILL ELLISON (BA 77) of Jackson celebrated 20 years as the host of “Grassroots” on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. The show received a Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2010.
CECIL S. MOORE (BM 79) opened an Allstate insurance agency in Stone Mountain, Ga.
GARY F. GEISLER (JD 76), of Geisler, Waks & Geisler in Decatur, Ill., was selected by Superior Lawyers as outstanding in the field of personal injury plaintiff work and one of the Top 100 Downstate Lawyers in the state of Illinois. GENE HARLOW (BBA 79, JD 82), of Hortman, Harlow, Bassi, Robinson & McDaniel PLLC in Laurel, was elected 2013 presidentelect of the Mississippi Bar Association. NORMAN GENE HORTMAN JR. (BA 75, JD 81), of Hortman, Harlow, Bassi, Robinson & McDaniel PLLC in Laurel, was selected as a 2012 Leadership in Law honoree, presented by the Mississippi Business Journal. JAMIE G. HOUSTON III (BBA 74, JD 76), of Watkins & Eager PLLC in Jackson, was named Jackson Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Litigation-Trust & Estates) by Best Lawyers.
’80s
FRANCES S. CHANDLER (BSPH 85) of Jackson, Tenn., was selected to represent the United States in tennis at the 33rd ITF Seniors World Team Championships. JENNIFER GILLOM (BAR 87) joined the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun as an assistant coach. JOHN HAWKINS (BBA 84), of Management Performance International and Pathfinder Consulting, was named president of the board for the RC Durr YMCA in Northern Kentucky and joined the board of advisers for the Chamber of Commerce. JIM HERZOG (MA 80, PhD 85) of Jackson was named vice chairman of the Mississippi Board of Mental Health. ERIC LINDSTROM (BAccy 86, JD 90) of Laurel was named CEO and president of V3 Systems Inc., an international software company that develops and promotes desktop cloud computing solutions.
WILLIAM F. RAY (BA 83, JD 86), of Watkins & Eager PLLC in Jackson, was named Jackson Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Litigation-Banking & Finance) by Best Lawyers. JAMES THREADGILL (BSPH 82) became corporate pharmacy director for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee in Chattanooga. THAD W. VARNER (BAccy 88, JD 92), of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada PLLC in Ridgeland, was named Jackson Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Public Finance Law) by Best Lawyers.
’90s
TED CONNELL (BA 94, JD 97), o f Me rk e l & C o c k e PA i n Clarksdale, was selected as a 2012 Leadership in Law honoree by the Mississippi Business Journal. AMY HERRING (BS 95), professor and associate chair of biostatistics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, received the Mortimer Spiegelman Award from the American Public Health Association.
J. SCOTT MARTINEZ (BA 97) of Shreveport was named president of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership. DOUGLAS C. NOBLE (BBA 93, JD 96), of McCraney, Montagnet, Quin & Noble PLLC in Ridgeland, was named Jackson Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Litigation-Bankruptcy) by Best Lawyers. He was recognized in Best Lawyers in America for 2013 in the practice areas of bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights law. ALBERT NYLANDER (BAEd 92, MA 94) of Taylor was named director of the University of Mississippi’s McLean Institute. J.F. (TREY) PEELER III (BBA 92) joined Tupelo-based B&B Concrete Co. Inc. with key responsibilities in operations and customer relations with the Oxford division. BILLY QUIN II (BBA 94), of McCraney, Montagnet, Quin & Noble PLLC in Ridgeland, was named Lawyer of the Year 2013 (Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions-Plaintiffs) by Best Lawyers.
LT. COL. KAREN W. RIDDLE (JD 99), member of the U.S. Army JAG Corps in Colorado Springs, Colo., was selected as a 2012 Leadership in Law honoree by the Mississippi Business Journal. HUEY L. TOWNSEND JR. (BBA 98) of Belzoni was named executive vice president, credit, by the board of directors of Guaranty Bank and Trust Co. L. KENTON WATT JR. (BA 98) was hired as director of regional development in the Office of University Advancement at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas.
’00s
KELLY ENGLISH (BSFCS 02) of Memphis earned the Thomas A. Crowe Outstanding Alumnus Award from the University of Mississippi’s School of Applied Sciences. DIANNE OWEN GRAHAM (BBA 01) relocated to Wichita, Kan., where she will continue running her political fundraising program firm, Graham Advisors, LLC.
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MS-SW120940 OleMissAlumniRev.indd 1
Spring 2013 59
11/9/12 4:07 PM
News alumni
DENSON HOLLIS (BA 01) of Oxford was promoted to development officer IV, senior director of development with the University of Mississippi’s College of Liberal Arts. KATIE KALSI (04) of Memphis designed and launched a line of handbags in 2003 that is currently carried by Belk. ROBERT DAVID KING JR. (BAccy 08), CPA/ABV, CVA, CFE, of Hattiesburg, successfully passed the examination and met the requirements to be classified as Accredited in Business Valuation (ABV) by the American Institute of CPAs. ANDREW LAWS (BBA 00) of Oxford was promoted to managing director with Huron Consulting Group. ERIC L. PATTERSON (JD 07), a shareholder with Blair & Bondurant PA in Jackson, was elected a director of the Young Lawyers Division within the Mississippi Bar. JORDAN THOMAS (BA 09) of Grenada joined the Delta State University Alumni Association as assistant director of alumni affairs. DREW TOMINELLO (BA 09, JD 12) is associated with Campbell DeLong PLLC in Greenville.
Weddings Dorothy Alexis Cagle and Eric Cline Lind (08), Dec. 8, 2012. Carla Compton Cambron (BA 11) and John T. Cassidy Jr. (BA 10), July 7, 2012. Melinda Faye Carter and Benjamin Yarbrough (BA 75, MD 80), Dec. 24, 2012. Leslie Macon Dukes (BA 96) and Andrew Gregory O’Bryan, Jan. 26, 2013. Alexa R. Golliher and L. Kenton Watt Jr. (BA 98), Dec. 15, 2012. Kristen Joyce Jernigan (BAEd 08, MEd 09) and Logan H. Power (BA 09, MA 11), Oct. 27, 2012. Mary Frances Jones and Zachary Anders Atwood, Aug. 4, 2012. Jennifer Elaine Lawrence (BA 09, MA 11) and James Gerald Bordelon (BSChE 09), Dec. 30, 2012. Melissa Caroline Murphree (BAccy 06, MAccy 07) and Jason Adam Roberson, Dec. 15, 2012. Alyson Rebecca Saxton and Jordan Matthew Smith (BAccy 08), Dec. 15, 2012. Sarah Anne Servati (BA 12) and Ralph Sumner Abraham IV (BA 12), Dec. 29, 2012. Jaime Marie Weaver (BBA 09, MBA 12) and Patrick Alexander Ochs (BBA 08), Jan. 5, 2013.
RICHARD WOOD (BBA 09) accepted the position of assistant guest relations manager for Meyer Vacation Services, a division of SH Enterprises Inc., in Gulf Shores, Ala.
HERE’S YOUR LICENSE TO BRAG! Now you can sport the official University of Mississippi license plate! For an additional $50 a year — $32.50 of which returns to Ole Miss for educational enhancement — you can purchase this “license to brag” about your alma mater. When it’s time to renew your license plate, simply tell your local tax collector you want the Ole Miss affinity license plate. It’s an easy way to help your University. This particular tag is available to Mississippi drivers only. Some other states, however, offer an Ole Miss affinity license plate. Check with your local tax collector for availability. 60 Alumni Review
Births Cecilia Rose, daughter of Meg Milam Arnold (BA 01) and Jason Arnold, Nov. 15, 2012. Charlie Emerson, daughter of Jill Emerson Bell (BAEd 06) and William Joel Bell (BE 98), Dec. 21, 2012. Keller Elizabeth, daughter of Kimberly Catherine Collins and Kenneth Howard Collins (MOT 10), Nov. 26, 2012.
Edgar Douglas Kenna II (42) of North Palm Beach, Fla., Jan. 28, 2013 Joe Kowalski (45) of Gloucester City, N.J., Jan. 17, 2013 T.A. Liles Jr. (BBA 47) of Oxford, Oct. 8, 2012 Harold J. Louis (MedCert 46) of Rochester, N.Y., Feb. 7, 2013 Marjorie Wingo Murray (BBA 49) of Brandon, Dec. 5, 2012 Andrew Willer Orkin (BA 41) of Houston, Texas, Dec. 24, 2012
Ruby Rey, daughter of Rachel Reynolds Dellucci and David Michael Dellucci (95), Feb. 13, 2013.
Lela Booth Patton (BS 47) of Marion, Jan. 21, 2013
Elle Rawlings, daughter of Kelly R. Edwards (BAEd 08) and Andrew Bentley Edwards (BBA 08), Sept. 10, 2012.
Shirley Harkins Porter (42) of Huntsville, Ala., Jan. 22, 2013
Rowan Keen, son of Mary Ann Ford (BSPh 02, PharmD 04) and Nathan G. Ford (BA 01, MA 02), Jan. 14, 2013.
Roselle Turner Rogers (BA 40) of Meridian, Jan. 5, 2013
Jane Harold, daughter of Jill M. Holland (BA 03) and Robert H. Holland Jr. (BBA 02), Aug. 15, 2012.
William Whittington Perkins Sr. (47) of Brookhaven, Nov. 28, 2012 Louise Simpson Reavis (BA 48) of Janesville, Wis., Oct. 29, 2012 William Luther Sims Jr. (LLB 49) of Rayville, La., Feb. 6, 2013 Norman Straitt Thompson (BSPh 49) of Germantown, Tenn., Jan. 24, 2013
Lila Elise, daughter of Melissa Holmes Jones (BA 01, JD 04) and Thomas Dale Jones, July 16, 2012.
Charlton Rule Vincent (MedCert 49, BS 49) of Laurel, Jan. 9, 2013
Edward Wilson II, son of Gina Rounsaville Matthews (BA 05) and Edward Wilson Matthews (BBA 03), Feb. 12, 2013.
James Woodward Welsh Jr. (BBA 48) of Jackson, Dec. 11, 2012
Caroline Grace, daughter of Grace Fullilove Moore (BAccy 05, MAccy 06) and Alan Derek Moore, Feb. 12, 2013. Henry Avent, son of Mary Kempton Moore (BBA 02) and Paul H. Moore III (BS 01, MD 05), Nov. 9, 2012.
Luke Waites (MedCert 45, BS 45) of Dallas, Texas, Jan. 11, 2013 Ann Wright Williamson (BA 49) of Meridian, Dec. 13, 2012 1950s Nell Hobgood Armstrong (BSC 52) of Madison, Dec. 28, 2012 George Robert Barnes (BBA 54) of Dearborn, Mich., Dec. 3, 2012
Laylah Elise, daughter of Kimberly Walker Northcutt (BBA 00, MBA 03) and Kellen Jamil Northcutt (BSES 03, MA 04), Oct. 29, 2012.
Lynn B. Bigham (BSPh 50) of Millington, Tenn., Dec. 13, 2012
Elizabeth Avery, daughter of Ali Pierce Pilcher and Chad Alan Pilcher (BA 04), Sept. 24, 2012.
Maybin Matthew Bordelon (MEd 58) of Camarillo, Calif., Nov. 16, 2012
Thomas Walker, son of Marie Thomas Sanderson and Brian Walker Sanderson (BBA 95, JD 98), Jan. 17, 2013. Gibson Cole, son of Anna Gibson Smith (BA 05) and Nathan Cole Smith (BBA 06), Oct. 18, 2012.
Linda Black (BS 57) of Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 19, 2012 Sue Goolsby Bowie (BAEd 50) of Lafayette, La., Jan. 4, 2013 William Newell Brabston (BSCvE 59) of Vicksburg, Feb. 12, 2013 Mary Edwards Brister (BBA 56, MBA 57) of Yazoo City, Nov. 28, 2012 Ralph McDill Caldwell (BAEd 55, MEd 71) of Jackson, Nov. 26, 2012
John Kothman Jr., son of Brooke Stegall Weedon (BA 04) and John K. Weedon, July 26, 2012.
Emmett Everett Caradine Jr. (BBA 57) of Oxford, Nov. 23, 2012
Rowan Hild, daughter of Heather Russell Wilson (BA 02) and Roger Neil Wilson, Dec. 12, 2012.
Joe Thomas Downard (BA 50, MD 58) of Selma, Ala., Jan. 26, 2013
Aaron S. Condon (LLB 52) of Oxford, Jan. 1, 2013 George W. Elliott (51) of Madison, Jan. 10, 2013 William Milton Fant (BSPh 50, MD 58) of Corpus Christi, Texas, May 24, 2012
In Memoriam 1930s Forrest Nall Burnett (38) of Memphis, Tenn., Jan. 3, 2013
Caesar B. Garavelli (MS 57) of Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 16, 2013 Dorothy Allen Halliday (BA 56) of Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 30, 2012 Louie Vardaman Harrison Jr. (56) of Winona, Feb. 17, 2013 Elsie Wilsford Heaton (BA 50) of Lyon, Jan. 29, 2013
1940s Dorothy Young Akin (BM 47) of Olympia, Wash., Nov. 14, 2012
Doris Sharron Major (BAEd 51) of Dothan, Ala., Jan. 11, 2013
Margaurite Laverne Wilson Anderson (BAEd 48) of Grenada, Feb. 8, 2013
Estelle Hawkins Maxwell (54) of Daphne, Ala., Jan. 4, 2013
Albert A. Cannella (BE 43) of Cookeville, Tenn., Dec. 9, 2012 Martha Wilkins Chandler (BSC 45) of Mount Pleasant, S.C., Jan. 26, 2013 Richard Lamar George (BA 41, BA 52) of Columbus AFB, Dec. 21, 2012 John Henry Harbour (MedCert 43) of Smyrna, Ga., Nov. 22, 2012 Earnest L. Hardin (BBA 49) of Bessemer, Ala., Nov. 30, 2012 David Aston Holley (BSPh 48) of Oxford, Dec. 5, 2012 Regina Moore Holley (BSC 46) of Oxford, Feb. 13, 2013 John T. Keeton Jr. (BA 47, LLB 54) of Grenada, Dec. 26, 2012
Joann Horne Malone (53) of Germantown, Tenn., Nov. 27, 2012 Purvis Edwin Nelson (BA 51) of Tyler, Texas, Feb. 16, 2013 Joe Ned Nester (BSGE 56) of Starkville, Jan. 29, 2013 James Adair Pigford (BBA 55) of Meridian, Feb. 4, 2013 James Calhoun Pittman Jr. (LLB 55) of Hattiesburg, Feb. 3, 2013 Mary Alice Robbins (BSHPE 58) of Sardis, Ga., Jan. 19, 2013 Joy Doolittle Ross (50) of Senatobia, Jan. 21, 2013 Guy Manning Rowland (LLB 50, BBA 50) of Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 24, 2012 Martha Henderson Ruble (BAEd 53) of Gulfport, Feb. 3, 2013 Spring 2013 61
News alumni
William Morris Stamps (BBA 50) of New Orleans, La., Nov. 28, 2012
Richard Alan Blount (BBA 74) of Germantown, Tenn., Nov. 21, 2012
Norbert Arthur Stirzaker (MEd 57, EdD 58) of Spartanburg, S.C., Jan. 30, 2013
James Henry Champion Jr. (BSJ 70) of Greenwood, Dec. 19, 2012
Martha Johnston Stock (BM 59) of Cary, N.C., Dec. 1, 2012
Larry Huggins Chapman (BSPh 70) of Pensacola, Fla., Jan. 27, 2013
William Burke Thompson (BS 55, MD 58) of Flora, Jan. 30, 2013
Julia Noland Chryst (MA 71) of McLean, Va., Jan. 25, 2013
Roudet Orvelle Turner (BS 53) of Tyler, Texas, Jan. 4, 2013
John Thomas Cotter (BA 74) of Lacombe, La., Jan. 21, 2013
Janet Van Haelen (MEd 59) of Kenner, La., Dec. 24, 2012
Randall S. Cowell (BAEd 75) of Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 5, 2012
Richard Weiss (56) of Clarksdale, Dec. 29, 2012
Larry Arthur Duty (BBA 74) of Tupelo, Feb. 17, 2013
Louise Zeller Wicker (BA 52) of Virginia Beach, Va., Nov. 26, 2012
Margery Brown Fulton (MA 77) of Preston, Feb. 12, 2013
William D. Windham Jr. (BBA 57) of Spring, Texas, Feb. 10, 2013
Joe C. Gardner (MEd 76) of Batesville, Feb. 4, 2013
1960s Frank E. Allen Jr. (BBA 61) of Canton, Dec. 17, 2012 Judith Norris Baker (60) of Lafayette, La., Dec. 23, 2012 Musa Baker Caffey (BAEd 65, MEd 69) of Batesville, Dec. 21, 2012 Molly Rose Childress (BM 63) of Little Rock, Ark., Nov. 8, 2012 Myra Judith Coursey Crowson (BS 66, MA 67, PhD 85) of Meridian, Jan. 5, 2013 Chuck Doyle (LLB 62) of Fort Worth, Texas, Feb. 1, 2013 Eva Vaughn Ellzey (BAEd 60) of Batesville, Jan. 3, 2013 Juanita Sugg Glisson (BSN 61) of Forest, Nov. 24, 2012 Thomas Ray Halcomb (MCS 66) of Tuscumbia, Ala., Nov. 20, 2012 Shirley Broadhead Hamilton (BS 61) of Oxford, Feb. 19, 2013 Eugene Prosser Hibbett (MCS 63, PhD 69) of Henderson, Tenn., Oct. 6, 2012 Glinda Jeanne Choat Hill (BAEd 69) of Matthews, N.C., Nov. 28, 2012 Robert Bruce Hinshaw Sr. (BSPh 61) of Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 8, 2013 Linda Fite Ingram (BSC 63) of Water Valley, Dec. 1, 2012 Luther G. Latham Sr. (BBA 60, JD 71) of Jackson, Nov. 18, 2012 James Robert Mayfield (MD 62) of Carthage, Dec. 23, 2012 Bobby Joe McCarley (BSHPE 62, MEd 68) of Nixa, Mo., Feb. 17, 2013 John Edward Mesknes (MEd 61) of Lakeland, Fla., Feb. 9, 2013 Jerry Lawrence Mize (60) of Washington, D.C., Nov. 23, 2012 William Harbin Myers (JD 69) of Ocean Springs, July 7, 2013 Mary Westmoreland Oliphant (BAEd 60) of Water Valley, Nov. 21, 2012 Gilbert Bruce Payne Jr. (BBA 65) of Olive Branch, Jan. 20, 2013
Freddie Wallis Green (BA 72) of New Orleans, La., Dec. 9, 2012 William Jackie Hammond (MS 72) of Fitzgerald, Ga., Nov. 23, 2012 Alice Fisk Herring (MLS 71) of Oxford, Jan. 18, 2013 Deborah Dennis Hill (BS 70) of Arlington, Texas, Dec. 2, 2012 Hilda Lackey Hill (MA 70) of Tupelo, Nov. 24, 2012 Billy Lynn Horton (BSHPE 74, MEd 05) of Tupelo, Nov. 30, 2012 Patricia Parrish Irby (BAEd 71, MLS 76) of Coldwater, Dec. 29, 2012 Louis Alexander Jackson Sr. (76) of Clarksdale, Dec. 11, 2012 Thomas Wood Jennings (BPA 77) of Wiggins, Feb. 16, 2013 Hugh Blair Kriever (MEd 71) of Clearwater, Fla., Jan. 30, 2013 George Davis Lyon Jr. (MD 78) of Starkville, Feb. 5, 2013 Pamela Ford Mackey (BAEd 76) of Plano, Texas, Dec. 25, 2012 Lorette Bagwell Overall (MLS 74) of Potts Camp, Dec. 23, 2012 Joseph Allen Spain (MCS 72) of Mandeville, La., Nov. 4, 2012 John M. Szabocsik (PhD 72) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Dec. 24, 2012 Bennie L. Turner (JD 74) of West Point, Nov. 27, 2012 Rodney Wayne Waldrop (BA 73) of Starkville, Jan. 27, 2013 Joseph Charles Webster (BA 70, JD 72) of Clarksdale, Jan. 16, 2013 Jon Hammond Whittington (MA 73) of Jackson, Jan. 12, 2013 Paul Douglas Wilkes Jr. (MBEd 74) of Bagdad, Fla., Dec. 21, 2012 James Webster Wilson (JD 72) of Ocean Springs, Jan. 5, 2013 Laura Hughes Wooley (BSN 77) of Collierville, Tenn., Dec. 1, 2012
Mary Fulmer Randle (BA 61, MLS 83) of Hernando, Nov. 29, 2012
1980s Rita Burns Carter (SpecEd 83) of Corinth, Jan. 7, 2013
Ernest George Reed (MEd 66) of Cuba, Mo., July 4, 2012
Nickey David Coggin (MEd 82) of Nettleton, Jan. 8, 2013
Fay Tullos Sanford (BA 68) of Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 18, 2012
Roy Lee Coleman Jr. (BA 80) of Jackson, Feb. 5, 2013
Bobbie Dean Shaw (MEd 68, AMEd 68) of Louisville, Dec. 27, 2012
Tracee Young Davidofsky (81) of Collierville, Tenn., Nov. 29, 2012
Willette McCracken Smith (BAEd 64) of Birmingham, Ala., Nov. 18, 2012
Carla Dee Evans (BSPh 85) of Tahlequah, Okla., Dec. 1, 2012
Elizabeth Mann Still (MEd 66, SpecEd 76) of Batesville, Jan. 1, 2013
William Joseph Gunn (BA 85) of Pacifica, Calif., Dec. 16, 2012
Lola Doane Tackett (PhD 69) of Lexington, Ky., Aug. 31, 2012
Rickey Jay Hemba (JD 81) of Ocean Springs, Jan. 25, 2013
Joe Lawrence Thompson (BSPh 68) of Bay Saint Louis, Nov. 30, 2012
Lori Williams Holland (BA 81, JD 83) of Ridgeland, Nov. 25, 2012
Edward Holland West (BSME 68) of Buhl, Ala., Jan. 22, 2013
Daniel Mark Jones (80) of Clinton, Feb. 15, 2013
William Albert Young Jr. (BSPh 62) of Long Beach, Dec. 22, 2012
James Darrell Mangrum (BSPh 89) of Man, W.Va., Jan. 18, 2013
1970s Sandra Cogburn Bedwell (BSN 74) of Alexander, Ark., Jan. 29, 2013 Richard Edward Bell (BBA 72) of Belden, Dec. 24, 2012 John Edward Bennett (BA 73, MA 75) of Sykesville, Md., Jan. 1, 2013 Tim David Blalock (JD 74) of Natchez, Jan. 17, 2013 62 Alumni Review
Nedra Nance Nabors (MEd 89, SpecEd 00) of Ripley, Feb. 11, 2013 Donald W. Strickland (MD 87) of Spring, Texas, Feb. 16, 2013 James M. Tutor (BA 87, JD 90) of Pontotoc, Feb. 13, 2013 Lewis Pierce White Jr. (81) of Birmingham, Ala., Feb. 5, 2013 Jerry Keith Young (BA 81, MD 85) of Pontotoc, Jan. 2, 2013
NEILSON’S ON THE OXFORD SQUARE SINCE 1839
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TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2010
INSIDE
Run-off solution sought E-Edition booming Erosion problems wash away county officials’ patience BY ALYSSA SCHNUGG Staff Writer
The Lafayette County Planning Commission has ordered the owners of Williams Equipment Co. to
POMERANZ HONORED Ole Miss left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz was named as the recipient of the 2010 Cellular South Ferriss Trophy given to the top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi. For more details on the honor, see Page 6.
BUSINESSMAN ARRESTED A local businessman who has been on the lam from the law was arrested last week. Get the details on Page 2.
EDUCATION NEWS Turn to Pages 6 and 7 of Education to find out what’s happening with local teachers and students.
UM GRADS Many of the students graduating from the University of Mississippi earlier this month were from the Oxford area. Turn to Pages 5 and 10 to read the names of the locals who picked up a diploma.
INDEX
Classifieds 12-13 Local 2-3 Comics 14 Obituaries 2 Editorial 4 Sports 8-9 Education 6-7 Weather 2
ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — Guinness World Records has recognized a Minnesota man as the tallest man in the United States. The Guinness World Record Association measured Rochester’s Igor Vovkovinskiy (voh-kov-IN’-ski) at 7 feet, 8.33 inches tall during NBC’s “The Dr. Oz Show” on Monday. He edged out Norfolk, Va., sheriff’s deputy George Bell by a third of an inch. The 27-year- old Vovkovinskiy is originally from Ukraine but moved to Minnesota with his mother when he was 7 years old for treatment at the Mayo Clinic for a pituitary disease that spurred his rapid growth. Vovkovinskiy now attends the Minnesota School of Business and is pursuing a degree in paralegal studies. Guinness says the world’s urkey’s Sultan tallest man is Turkey’s Kosen. He measures in at 8 feet, 1 inch tall.
produce a plan of action on how it intends to solve erosion issues once and for all at its construction site located across from the Cumberland subdivision. “I need a schedule of how this is going to progress with a time frame I can put my hands on by June 1,” County Engineer Larry Britt said at Monday’s Planning Commission meeting. Williams Equipment started con-
struction in the summer of 2008 on its new home for the commercial business on 4.3 acres of land located on Highway 6 West. Since construction began, neighbors have complained the runoff from the graded property has caused silt to run onto their lawns, destroying grass and bushes, as well as cause local flooding. A year ago, a cease and desist order was issued until erosion problems were handled.
“We have had some problems with erosion out there that we’ve been dealing with for a year and a half,” Britt said. When 3 inches of rain fell in Oxford within 30 minutes last week, the issue resurfaced when silt and water caused erosion on some of the adjoining landowners’ property. See SOLUTION on Page 2
Oxford schools set budget hearing
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Brittney Deonna Jeffries (from left), Wesley Lane Carroll and Kimberly Annette Wilson throw their caps at the Scott Center’s graduation ceremony on Monday afternoon. Also graduating were Laura Leeann Brower and Dillon Lee Hopkins.
Report: Oversite workers accepted gifts from oil companies
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also owned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The other three areas of focus for the investigation involve the cementing and casing of the wellhead, which was Halliburton Inc.’s responsibility.
COVINGTON, La. — Oil giant BP said its internal investigation of Assessing decisions the unchecked Gulf oil spill In BP’s release, Chief is largely focused on work Executive Tony Hayward done by other companies as stopped short of assigning a new government report responsibility. President today showed workers at the Barack Obama has blasted federal agency that oversees executives from the compaoffshore drilling accepted nies for blaming each other sports tickets, lunches and during Congressional hearother gifts from oil and gas ings this month. companies. “A number of companies BP PLC said in a release are involved, including BP, that an initial investigation and it is simfound mulply too early tiple control “...it is simply — and not mechanisms too early — and not up to us — should have to say who p r e v e n t e d up to us — to say who is at fault,” the accident is at fault.” Hayward that started said. with an oil — TONY HAYWARD G e n e rig explosion Chief Executive, BP Beck, a April 20 off petroleum the coast engineer of Louisiana that killed 11 at Texas A&M at College workers. Station who worked in the Seeking the cause drilling industry for two BP, the largest oil and decades, said the list of gas producer in the Gulf, Gulf problems BP is investigating listed seven areas of focus appears exhaustive. But he as it hunts for a cause. Four said the company also needs involve the blowout pre- to look at decisions made by venter, venter a massive piece of people on the rig. machinery that sits atop the “That needs to be inveswellhead and should have tigated: Why did they do acted as a safety device what they did?” Beck said. of last resort but did not. “They need to ask themThat was manufactured selves that very very, very serious by Cameron International question: ‘Why did we make Corp. and owned by these choices?”’ Transocean LTD, which
PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (center) speaks at a press conference in Galliano, La., Monday. Standing behind Salazar are Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Meanwhile, a new Interior Department report released today found that staffers in the Louisiana office of the Minerals Management Service violated a number of federal regulations and agency ethics rules, including accepting gifts from oil and gas companies and using government computers to view pornography. pornography The report by the department’s acting inspector general follows up on a 2007 investigation that revealed what then-Inspector General Earl Devaney called a “culture of ethical failure” and conflicts of interest at the minerals agency. agency
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BY MELANIE ADDINGTON
Members of the Oxford School Board set a public hearing for June 14 at 5 p.m. for the public to discuss the district’s 2010-2011 budget. Despite continued budget cuts from the state during the past several months, the Oxford School District has put together a budget for the coming school year that ensures no jobs will be cut. The school board has a proposed $29 million budget that, while not yet finalized, won’t cut jobs and won’t raise the tax rate. On Monday, Gov. Haley Barbour signed the FY 2011 education funding bills, House Bill 1622 and House Bill 1059, Mississippi Department of Education Superintendent Tom Burnham said. “HB 1622 is the primary funding bill that we recommend (districts) develop the FY 2011 budget around,” Burnham said. “HB 1059 is contingent upon the passage of federal legislation that would extend the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage provided for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the latest report “deeply disturbing” but stressed that it only covered a period from 2000 to 2008. He said he wants the investigation expanded to include agency actions since he took office in January 2009. BP filed its site-specific exploration plan for the Deepwater Horizon in February 2009. The Obama administration has come under increasing pressure as frustrations build, oil washes up in delicate Louisiana wetlands, and efforts to cap the well prove unsuccessful.
City school officials are basing their budget on the funding equation that provides Oxford the lowest amount of state funds. The board will not request any increase to the city’s tax rate, but the district still expects to experience an increase in revenue collections due to the additional taxes it projects to increase from new homes. Revenue is expected to be up about $420,000 from 2009-2010 for a total of $29.5 million. Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding is slightly down to $12.54 million from $12.56 million the year before. Ad valorem tax collections will go up from $14.1 million to $15.4 million. With athletic admission tickets expected to be down about $10,000, the district may have to dip deeper into its reserve funds. After the hearing, the board will vote on the budget. In other business, the school board: — Approved salary scales for employees, teacher assistants and administrators. — Approved a resolution in memory of the late Patricia P Aschoff SPED teacher at Aschoff, Oxford Learning Center. Marcia Cole accepted the plaque and resolution on family behalf of the family. —melanie@oxfordeagle.com —melanie@oxfor
www.oxfordeagle.com 662-234-2222 www.oxfordeagle.com
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1990s Frances Landreth Colvin (BAEd 98) of Water Valley, Jan. 30, 2013
Roberta K. Enochs of Ridgeland, Feb. 11, 2013
Rose Dorsey Flowers (PhD 93) of Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 8, 2012
Joseph Anthony Gerache of Vicksburg, Dec. 24, 2012
Bernard Jacob Machost Jr. (BSN 98) of Bogue Chitto, Sept. 3, 2012 Deanna Miller Merrill (BSPh 91) of Ridgeland, Feb. 16, 2013 Jimmie Lee Powell Jr. (Cert 96) of Pensacola, Fla., June 28, 2012 Jeya Kumar Suppiah (BSCvE 91, MS 93) of Oxford, Nov. 30, 2012 Patrick Walton Vaughan (BA 92) of Jackson, Feb. 8, 2013 Jennifer Kristin West Walker (BA 93, MA 95) of Collierville, Tenn., Nov. 19, 2012 Charlotte Carol Veronica Ward (BSW 99) of Coldwater, Dec. 11, 2012 2000s Rachel Anne Ables (BA 06, BA 06) of Vancleave, Jan. 5, 2013 Jermaine Terrell Jackson (BA 08, BA 08, MA 10) of Oxford, Jan. 18, 2013 Wesley Michael Johnson of Pascagoula, Jan. 8, 2013 Jessica Altom Jones (BA 07) of Shannon, Nov. 25, 2012 William Bradford Kent of Birmingham, Ala., Jan. 23, 2013 Harlow Broughton Land (BALM 01) of Lake City, Fla., Dec. 2, 2012 Jennifer Fowler Sample (BSPh 04, PharmD 06) of Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 21, 2012 William Joseph Seawright Jr. (BBA 02) of Oxford, Jan. 6, 2013 2010s David Louis Ott Jr. (13) of Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 15, 2013 Faculty and Friends E.W. Atkinson of Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 17, 2012 Richard Lee Barnes of Oxford, Jan. 22, 2013 Robert Grisham Bennett Sr. of Oxford, Dec. 29, 2012 Louis Duboise of Jackson, Feb. 8, 2013 Rosie Mae Dukes of Oxford, Dec. 7, 2012 Jerry F. Edwards Sr. of Jackson, Jan. 1, 2013
Donna Domergue Ferrell of Hattiesburg, Dec. 13, 2012 Thomas Stanford Hayes Jr. of Clarksdale, Feb. 10, 2013 Barbara Thedy Hester of Gulfport, Nov. 30, 2012 Bette Patterson House of Florence, Jan. 9, 2013 Morton Brandon King of Georgetown, Texas, Feb. 14, 2013 James N. Maclin of Clarksdale, Jan. 12, 2013 Susan Newton McDonald of Tupelo, Dec. 10, 2012 Elizabeth Thomas Mills of Greenville, Dec. 2, 2012 Mary Dixon Montague of Hattiesburg, Feb. 10, 2013 Melissa Markette Oakes of Belden, Jan. 2, 2013 William Pettis Sr. of Oxford, Feb. 1, 2013 Helen Estes Ramage of Tupelo, Dec. 24, 2012 Timothy Patton Russell of Oxford, Nov. 24, 2012 Gene Allen Saucier of Oxford, Jan. 28, 2013 David Hoover Vanderburg of Olive Branch, Dec. 17, 2012 Lemma Grantham Vernon of Madison, Feb. 15, 2013 Damon Wall of Meridian, Dec. 14, 2012 Carrol Major Wicker of Meridian, Jan. 21, 2013
Due to space limitations, class notes are only published in the Alumni Review from active, dues-paying members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To submit a class note, send it to records@olemiss.edu or Alumni Records Dept., Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848. Class notes also may be submitted through the Association’s website at www.olemissalumni.com. The Association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni. AR
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