S P E C IA L D IGITAL ISSUE OLE MISS ALUMNI REVIEW
SPRING 2020
ALUMNI REVIEW
SPRING 2020
Rebel Family ALUMNI, FACULTY AND STAFF PITCH IN DURING CRISIS
VOL. 69 NO. 2
Alumnus named SEC’s deputy commissioner Alumnus earns a place on ‘The Tonight Show’ staff
Something for When we Get Moving Again! J
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Features ALUMNI REVIEW
22 It Just Means More
Alumnus Charlie Hussey named SEC’s deputy commissioner BY MICHAEL NEWSOM
26 Coming Home to NBC
Alumnus Mack Hubbell earns a place on ‘The Tonight Show’ staff BY ANNIE RHOADES
22 22
26 26
Contents VOL. 69 NO. 2
Departments
2 Chancellor’s Letter
SPRING 2020
ON THE COVER
3 President’s Letter 5 From the Circle
30 Ole Miss Sports
UM launches digital-only football ticketing Trachsel tapped as softball coach
37 Alumni News In this special digital issue, read about how the Ole Miss family has come together like never before during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cover photo by Robert Jordan
O le M iss A lumni R ev iew Publisher Kirk Purdom (93) Executive Editor Jim Urbanek II (97) jim@olemissalumni.com Associate Editor and Advertising Director Annie Rhoades (07, 09) annie@olemissalumni.com Contributing Editor Benita Whitehorn Art Director Amy Howell Contributors Kevin Bain (98), Karen Bascom, JB Clark (10), Stella Connell, Jay Ferchaud, Thomas Graning (17), Tina Hahn, Robert Jordan (83, 90), Joshua McCoy, Abigail Meisel, Michael Newsom (05), Sarah Sapp (04, 09), Jon Scott (82), Edwin Smith (80, 93), Shea Stewart (00), Peyton Warrington, Maria White Officers of the University of Mississippi Alumni Association Matt Lusco (79) president Lampkin Butts (73) president-elect Dr. Bob Warner (79, 83) vice president Johnny Maloney (78) athletics committee member Candie Simmons (02, 15) athletics committee member Alumni Affairs Staff, Oxford Kirk Purdom (93), executive director Joseph Baumbaugh, systems analyst III Sunny Brown (09, 11), assistant director Allie Bush (12), graphic web designer Clay Cavett (86), associate director, campaigns and special projects Martha Dollarhide, systems programmer II Annette Kelly (79), accountant Brian Maxcy (00), assistant director Steve Mullen (92), assistant director for marketing Annie Rhoades (07, 09), assistant director for communications Anna Smith (05), assistant director Scott Thompson (97, 08), associate director, engagement Jim Urbanek (97), associate director, communications and marketing Torie Marion White (07), assistant director Rusty Woods (01), associate director for information services Warner Alford (60, 66), executive director emeritus The Ole Miss Alumni Review (USPS 561-870) is published quarterly by the Ole Miss 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.
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ALUMNI REVIEW
C hancellor from the
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Our university just completed a semester unlike any other, marked by tremendous upheaval unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students, faculty and staff responded admirably to maintain academic progress and keep the university operating for the duration of the spring term. Now, we are planning for what’s next while remaining acutely aware of the personal toll this pandemic is taking. We are grateful for the strength and resolve demonstrated by the Ole Miss family — just the latest example of how we shine bright when the world turns dark. One bright spot emerged when so many in our university community jumped in to ask, “How can I help?” And help you did! Rebel Aid, our 48-hour crowdfunding campaign to help Ole Miss students hit hard by COVID-19-related circumstances, attracted a generous response from alumni, friends, student organizations and athletics leaders through 912 gifts totaling more than $186,000. Thank you for coming through in a time of such dire need to tackle an array of student needs. Another shining example of how we fulfilled our flagship responsibility is on full display with the leading role our Medical Center continues to play in the state’s response. UMMC is treating patients, designing and building ventilators, and spearheading efforts to stem the virus by offering free screening in many locations across Mississippi. We’re so grateful for our health care heroes on the front lines — they are selfless and remarkable! There is not one area of university operations unaffected by the pandemic, including how we recruit prospective students. Many of our strategies have changed to account for the fact that we cannot host families for campus visits or meet students at recruiting fairs and high schools. However, our Office of Admissions staff pivoted to develop or expand other strategies to contact prospective students and invite them to visit our campus virtually. If you know a prospective student, please visit the “Alumni VIP” page on the Office of Admissions website to let us know about them. While we are using other ways to identify potential future students, a side effect of the pandemic is that many students nationally are deferring their decision about where to go to college until very late in the process. For that reason, we continue to engage extensively with applicants for this fall, and we are making it clear to them and their families how much we want them to join us in Oxford. Right now, we should be in the season that is the culmination of our academic year — Commencement. The university remains committed to honoring our graduates in person when it is safe for us to come together. In the meantime, we hosted a livestreamed celebration of our graduates on Saturday, May 9. Also, be sure to visit our Journey to Commencement site, where you’ll find incredible stories of leadership, perseverance and service exhibited by our students in their journeys from Ole Miss student to Ole Miss graduate. Stay well and stay safe,
Glenn F. Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) Chancellor
President from the
Dear Alumni and Friends,
I hope this email finds you all safe and healthy. It’s hard to believe the level of change we all have endured since you received the last issue of the Ole Miss Alumni Review. This is an unprecedented time for our country, our university and for the Ole Miss Alumni Association. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, in just one week, the university converted from a fully functioning physical campus to a fully virtual academic environment. That transformation was extraordinary in and of itself, but what has been truly amazing is the level of engagement maintained by our chancellor, our faculty and our students. On Saturday, May 9, Ole Miss honored those completing their studies with its first online graduation celebration, and it was with real pride that I welcomed this resilient group into the ranks of our alumni. A special recognition was also made by the awarding of Life Memberships in the Ole Miss Alumni Association to 20 members of the extraordinary Class of 2020. Your Alumni Association has also been resolute during this pandemic. Working remotely, OMAA Executive Director Kirk Purdom (BA 93) and his team have been busy with tasks ranging from creating virtual alumni gatherings to overseeing the transformation of McCormick Café into McCormick’s — our new restaurant and bar located inside The Inn at Ole Miss. You may be surprised to know that March and April are historically the busiest times for the Alumni Association; that obviously has not been the case in 2020. Nonetheless, our board of directors assembled for an online meeting and can confidently report that our Association is fiscally sound and our team is ready to go back to work. We are all hopeful that classes can resume this fall, and with it football, Saturdays in the Grove, Rush, Homecoming and all the excitement that was put on hold in mid-March! But this crisis has proven once again the resilience of the Ole Miss spirit. While it doesn’t necessarily come naturally to Ole Miss Rebels, we have learned to create social distance for safety. However, the distances and differences within the Ole Miss family have never been narrower! When I referenced William Faulkner’s famous remarks in his Nobel Prize acceptance speech in my first president’s letter, I never imagined their applicability to this historic time. Indeed … we will not merely endure but will prevail! Stay safe and see you this fall! Forward Rebels!
Matt Lusco (BBA 79)
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3
T
he only thing we overlook...
... is the Grove.
A
t The Inn at Ole Miss, you’ll soon find staying footsteps from the Grove on America’s most beautiful college campus is more than an affordable luxury—It’s a tradition.
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Active members of the Alumni Association receive 10 percent off hotel rooms.
120120 Alumni Drive Alumni Drive • University, MS 38677 • Reservations: 662-234-2331 or TheInnAtOleMiss.com University, MS 38655
COVID-19
Circle from the
THE L ATES T ON OLE MISS S TUDENTS, FACULT Y, S TAFF AND FRIENDS
Celebrating Graduates
UM HOLDS LIVE, VIRTUAL GRADUATION EVENT ON MAY 9
A
s University of Mississippi leaders continue to evaluate plans to hold an in-person Commencement ceremony at a later date, the university honored its graduates in a live, virtual celebratory event on May 9 at noon CDT. “The university remains committed to doing all it can to honor our graduates in person when it is safe for us to come together as a university community,” Chancellor Glenn F. Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) says. “And while we aren’t able to gather in the Grove and at other beautiful venues on our campus right now for traditional pomp and circumstance, we could not let our originally scheduled Commencement day pass without recognizing the incredible achievements, character and spirit of this class of graduates.” As part of the virtual celebration, all graduates received an official cap and tassel from the university, mailed in a “grad pack” along with a few other celebratory items. Additionally, the university created a collection of virtual mementos to recognize the entire class. Stories, photos, personalized online announcements and a digital Commencement program were among the items that celebrated graduates.
“It is important to note that the May 9 event is not intended to replace an in-person ceremony and, in spite of the ongoing uncertainties facing us with the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to explore possible dates for an in-person Commencement ceremony,” Boyce says. “We commit to sharing more as we can identify a date that allows us to move forward while keeping the safety and health of our graduates and their guests as our top priority.”
UM ANNOUNCES REFUNDS FOR SELECT SPRING 2020 EXPENSES
T
he University of Mississippi is issuing prorated refunds to eligible students who paid for university-sponsored housing, meal plans and parking fees during the spring 2020 semester. “As our state and the nation grapple with the effects of COVID-19, the University of Mississippi is committed to doing everything in our power to support Ole Miss students and their families,” Chancellor
Glenn F. Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) says. “We understand that these are challenging times, and we hope these refunds will help our students and their families in this time of such critical need.” As a state agency and a recipient of federal support, the university made this announcement after the board of trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning voted to authorize the issuance
of credits or refunds for these student expenditures. All refunds will be prorated for the period from March 16, the day that classes were scheduled to resume after spring break, until May 10, two days after the end of final exams. Specific instructions for students to follow were emailed on April 10 and can be found on the university’s COVID-19 website. S P R I N G 2 020
5
from the Circle
Stories about Students
JOURNEY TO COMMENCEMENT SERIES HIGHLIGHTS CLASS OF 2020 n an effort to celebrate students in the Class of 2020, the University of Mississippi launched a special website for its Journey to Commencement series, which highlights students and their academic and personal journeys from Ole Miss student to Ole Miss graduate. The Journey to Commencement website showcases the stories of Ole Miss students and their determination, perseverance and success throughout their time at the university and is one of several ways UM is honoring graduates now while university leaders continue to evaluate plans to hold an inperson Commencement ceremony at a later date.
From Yazoo City native Carl Tart reflecting on being UM’s first-ever homecoming king to Stamps Scholars Sally Boswell and R.G. Pickering sharing how they capped their college careers by getting engaged, the Journey to Commencement series chronicles the time and memories students made during their time at the university. Ole Miss students are also encouraged to share their journeys by sending in a photo or using the hashtag #OleMissGrad20 on social media. Class of 2020 graduates were celebrated during a live, virtual event on May 9.
Carl Tart
The Crowned UM Career of Charismatic Carl Tart
Senior from Yazoo City reflects on being UM’s firstever homecoming king in ‘a spot that ever calls’
A
Stamps Scholars Sally Boswell and R.G. Pickering cap college careers together by getting engaged
W
hile many people spent the last days before quarantine preparing, stocking up and wondering, University of Mississippi senior R.G. Pickering had one more very important task to check off his list: propose to his college sweetheart, Sally Boswell. Pickering, a biochemistry and public policy leadership major from Laurel, proposed to Boswell, a mathematics and economics major, in her hometown of Ocean Springs just a few days before the university moved to online classes. They will graduate together in May, just as they began their college experience together, as part of the 2016-17 class of Stamps Scholars. For the full story, click here. 6
ALUMNI REVIEW
Submitted photo
Photo by Thomas Graning
Finding Love and Leadership
fter the 2019 election of the University of Mississippi’s first-ever homecoming king was announced following a three-hour delay of the results and a runoff election, Carl Tart’s waiting was finally over. Remarkably, the 6-foot-5-inch senior was hoisted into the air by his jubilant supporters. The win, and the life-defining moment, was somewhat unlikely. The popular, charismatic and outgoing Tart, though way more than qualified, had begun his campaign only 10 days before the election. For the full story, click here.
R.G. Pickering and Sally Boswell
from the Circle
Giving a Voice to the Voiceless UM senior broadcast journalism major is first-generation college graduate
DeAndria Turner
ntil age 14, DeAndria Turner was just another girl in a low-income family with seemingly few options and an uncertain future. Then her mother, a drug addict, was murdered. The homicide received little media coverage and to this day remains unsolved. Yet through her heartache, the teenage girl from Gautier found her purpose in life. “I know what it feels like not to have your voice heard,” said Turner, who will receive her bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast from the University of Mississippi in May. “My dad always told me to do something that I enjoy. “One day, I met a news reporter and it was almost like an epiphany. From that day I knew I wanted to do this. So here I am trying to use my platform to give a voice to the voiceless and tell everyone’s story.” For the full story, click here.
Submitted photo
U
All in the ‘Phamily’ Brothers and pharmacy graduates follow in parents’ footsteps
T
Game, Set, Match
Rebel tennis player overcomes sports injuries, earns electrical engineering degree
T
hroughout her tenure at the University of Mississippi, Tereza Janatova has loved playing tennis. The game has often given her the thrill of victory, and two of those experiences are forever embedded in her memories. “Last spring, I clinched the match against Texas A&M on the senior day in front of the home stand,” said Janatova, a native of Nova Paka, Czech Republic, who will receive a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering with emphasis in biomedical engineering in May. For the full story, click here.
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
Submitted photo
Blake (left) and Austin Freeman with their parents, Tammy and Gary
here’s a saying at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy that everyone is “phamily.” Sometimes, though, they are true family members, as is the case with the Freemans. Brothers Austin and Blake will both earn degrees this spring. Austin will graduate with a Doctor of Pharmacy, while Blake earns his Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Their father, Gary, and mother, Tammy, received their pharmacy degrees from Ole Miss in 1987. For the full story, click here.
Tereza Janatova
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from the Circle
COVID-19
Using Available Resources
UMMC BUILDS VENTILATORS FOR COVID-19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE
T Photo courtesy of UMMC
he COVID-19 pandemic has left hospitals in short supply of personal protective equipment and medical supplies. As patients develop severe respiratory symptoms, there is another concern: if hospitals will have enough ventilators to support them all. Dr. Charles Robertson, an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, had built about 170 ventilators of his own design as of April 7 to use in the event of a shortage, doubling the Medical Center’s supply. “I was watching the coronavirus spread in China during January, then by the time February came and cases started
Dr. Charles Robertson, assistant professor of anesthesiology, has built ventilators to use at the Medical Center in case of a shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic.
increasing in South Korea, Italy and Iran, I knew it was coming to the United States, and that if enough people became sick, we may not have enough ventilators,” Robertson says. Physicians and engineers around the world have been coming up with ways to increase ventilator capacity, whether by putting multiple people on one unit or building mechanical hands to squeeze manual devices, Robertson says. His idea: to build the “absolute simplest, cheapest functioning ventilator from widely available parts.” The Robertson ventilator is made from garden hose sections, adapters, valves, a solenoid and a lamp timer, all of 8
ALUMNI REVIEW
which can be bought at a hardware store or online. The parts cost less than $100 per ventilator and can be assembled in less than an hour. The ventilator works when plugged into the standard oxygen line in a hospital room, meaning it can be used in more locations than a standard ventilator. Ventilators work by pushing air into the lungs, then stopping for an exhale, then repeating as needed. Robertson’s design controls air flow using an on-off valve similar to what you’d find in a landscape water feature or lawn sprinkler controlled by the timer and the solenoid. “We’ve been through a couple iterations of exact parts and assembly routines and have the process pretty streamlined,” Robertson says. “The goal was to create a ventilator with adequate operation and utmost simplicity in construction.” Robertson and a team of UMMC certified registered nurse anesthetists built the ventilators to augment the Medical Center’s existing supply of 150 hospital ventilators. “This device is for extreme-use situations during a pandemic,” Robertson says. “We would only be using these ventilators if every single hospital ventilator is in use and we have patients that are about to die because of that.” In these cases, it could be used as a “bridge therapy,” where a patient uses this ventilator for several hours while waiting on the hospital ventilator to become available. “These ventilators have passed rigorous testing in our research laboratories under broad physiologic conditions and lung pathologies,” says Dr. Richard Summers (MD 81), associate vice chancellor for research. “We have measured their ability to maintain clinical parameters such as oxygenation, carbon dioxide and tidal volume.” Summers is working to get the ventilators approved for use. Sometimes referred to as compassionate use, this designation would allow the Medical Center to use them as approved medical devices if necessary. “We have filed for an Emergency Use Authorization with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration who have indicated their interest in these ventilators,” Summers says. “I think this effort represents the independent ‘can do’ attitude and ingenuity of our physicians and scientists to confront this crisis in the service of the people of Mississippi.” The Robertson ventilator, although functional, lacks the more sophisticated features of a standard one. It lacks a bellows, which pushes air quickly into the lungs. In natural breathing, the inhale is faster than the exhale. Hospital ventilators mimic this action on their standard setting. However, Robertson says that people with depressed respiration, like those with severe COVID-19, sometimes need the opposite therapy: long inhale time, short exhale time. His design does that. The ventilator also doesn’t have any alarm systems for malfunctions, but he is looking at ways to address that.
COVID-19
from the Circle
Ole Miss Family Steps Up REBEL AID SECURES $176,000 FOR STUDENT NEEDS
R
ebel Aid — the 48-hour grassroots social media campaign to help University of Mississippi students who have been hit hard by COVID-19-related circumstances — generated a swift and generous response from alumni, friends, student organizations and athletics leaders who gave 855 gifts totaling $176,671. The campaign was extended by 14 hours due to donor requests, wrapping up with some areas, such as the Christopher C. Holman Fund for Student Emergencies and the Ole Miss Food Bank, exceeding their campaign goals by 788 percent and 695 percent, respectively. A campaign highlight was three student organizations giving a combined $20,500 to help fellow students. Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin donated $20,000 as part of a $52,500 gift. Other donors to that combined gift were Athletics Director Keith Carter (BBA 01, MBA 16), baseball coach Mike Bianco, men’s basketball coach Kermit Davis and women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. The university had already established a Rebel Relief Disaster Fund to help students with grants averaging $200 to $500 each to take care of pressing needs, including those related to food, housing and health care, says Chancellor Glenn Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96). Resources were available for only 40 more students before the Rebel Aid campaign was launched.
“The Ole Miss family has always responded well when asked to take care of our own, and Rebel Aid reflects that exceptional compassion and generosity,” Boyce says. “Our university community is special because it is defined by relationships and support for each other in both good times and in challenging times. “We are deeply grateful for this outpouring of resources to ease the burdens of our students and bolster campus units that serve students. Though this particular campaign has concluded, our university community will continue doing everything possible to serve our students during the COVID19 pandemic and beyond.” Hosted by the Office of the Chancellor, Office of the Provost, Division of Student Affairs and Department of Intercollegiate Athletics — and supported by the Office of Development and Marketing and Communications — Rebel Aid gave donors the opportunity to direct their gifts to seven areas: the Ole Miss Food Bank, Christopher Holman Student Emergency Fund, University Health Center, University Counseling Center, Academic Support Fund, Fins Up Fund and Rebel Relief Disaster Fund. Ole Miss students who need assistance should go to umatter.olemiss.edu or email Kate Forster, director of advocacy, at kforster@olemiss.edu.
Photo by Robert Jordan
Rebel Aid, a grassroots social media campaign launched by several University of Mississippi divisions, generated more than $176,000 to help students and student-athletes who are struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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from the Circle
COVID-19
Backing the Front Line
UM MAKING FACE SHIELD HEADBANDS FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS
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ALUMNI REVIEW
Smith, assistant professor of electrical engineering, have also been making headbands on the 3D printers in their respective homes. McAnally and McPhail have been available remotely to assist with technical issues. Christina Streeter, library manager who works with IDEAlab — a space that includes virtual reality, technology supplies and advanced printing capabilities — has been working to provide 3D prints that have been included in this effort. “The first delivery provided 70 headbands to the hospital on April 6, with some of those items being given to one of the local physicians to take along as she travels to New York to assist in giving medical care there,” Kilpatrick says. Photo by Kevin Bain
n an effort to support local health care workers responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, two University of Mississippi units are using 3D printers to produce personal protective gear that is in short supply. The Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence and the IDEAlab in the J.D. Williams Library are printing face shields that will be donated to Baptist Memorial HospitalNorth Mississippi in Oxford. CME staff is working directly with Dr. Will King (MD 09), a radiologist at Radiology Associates of Oxford who contracts with the hospital, says Scott Kilpatrick (BPA 97, PhD 19), the center’s associate director of academic programs. King, who has a 3D printer at home, has experimented with various designs for physical protection equipment, or PPE, that can be printed and used by health care workers during the outbreak. “Here on campus, we are fortunate to have resources in places like the CME and the IDEAlab that can provide support in some way,” Kilpatrick says. “Even individual UM faculty and staff are using their own personal 3D printers to contribute as best they can.” The face shields are important because they help conserve the much-needed N95 masks that are in short supply. The headbands are reusable with an interchangeable face shield, which greatly increases their utility versus a single-use disposable design. After consultation with other medical staff at the hospital, King settled on a design that was publicly posted on the National Institutes of Health website. This design provides an open-source model for headbands that can be used to support clear plastic face shields for medical staff. King’s group purchases inexpensive clear presentation covers and punches them with a three-hole punch. Using this method, the clear cover can be thrown away after use, and the headband can be used multiple times. “Our goal is to produce around 400 prints by the end of [April] at the latest,” Kilpatrick says. “After assessing our print process and capacity, it was determined that the CME would need to print around the clock in order to make sure that demand will be met.” CME technical staff members Andy Gossett, Mark McAnally and James McPhail examined the 3D model of the headband to select the best printers for producing the items. They printed prototypes and provided them to medical staff for assessment. Once King provided feedback and Ole Miss leadership approved, full production commenced April 2 at the CME. The CME printers are producing about three batches per day, totaling about 40 prints a day. Gossett agreed to do the changeovers on the printers so others wouldn’t have to get out and potentially be exposed to illness. He also volunteered to come to the center on a 24/7 basis to keep things running. Dave Puleo, dean of the School of Engineering, and Adam
Andy Gossett checks a batch of 3D-printed headbands at the Center for Manufacturing Excellence.
Typically, once the prints are completed, CME staff collects the batches, seals them in plastic bags and places them in a closed bin for protection. A staff member contacts King or Peyton Warrington, an assistant hospital administrator, and safely makes the exchange outside the hospital. Hospital workers are deeply appreciative for the university’s involvement and support at this time, Warrington says. “They have been so generous toward us in this time of crisis. This is certainly a challenging time for people around the world. Individuals are serving in so many inspiring ways.”
from the Circle
Photo by Adobe Stock
COVID-19
Self-care, such as eating healthy, getting enough sleep and regular exercise, is critical to helping manage the stress and isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Self-Care
MANAGING MENTAL HEALTH DURING THE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS ollowing social distancing protocol is critical to slowing the spread of coronavirus, but being isolated from colleagues, friends and family, especially over long periods of time, can profoundly affect emotional well-being and overall mental health. Brian Droubay, assistant professor of social work at the University of Mississippi, is an experienced psychotherapist in a range of settings, including prison systems, employee assistance programs and private practice. He offers insights on clinical symptoms that can develop in isolation and evidencedbased practice that can provide relief to those in need. Also, Amy Fisher and Susan Allen, fellow licensed clinical social workers and associate professors in the Department of Social Work, helped compile local, state and national resources for those feeling emotional distress in the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis.
When people are somewhat isolated, what are some of the clinical symptoms that might emerge?
Some of the most common symptoms people may experience are worry and anxiety. They may find themselves ruminating — or even overthinking — about the situation. Others may experience a down or depressed mood or irritability. People may experience appetite and sleep changes, psychosomatic symptoms such headaches or stomachaches, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Some may increase use of alcohol or other substances. For children and teens, this may manifest itself behaviorally; for example, acting out more.
Are there any groups that are disproportionately affected by isolation? People with less social support, who are at higher risk — including the elderly and persons who are immunocompromised — or who have previous mental health or substance
abuse histories may be disproportionately affected by isolation and related stressors. Also, social distancing and sheltering in place could potentially be a dangerous scenario for those at risk of domestic violence. There have been anecdotal reports of increased call volumes to domestic violence agencies since the COVID-19 outbreak began. Finally, being asked to leave campus and return home may be difficult for some LGBTQ+ students who have faced rejection by family.
What can people do to minimize those symptoms?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a number of good recommendations, including taking breaks from news about the pandemic and limiting time on social media. Of course, it’s important to stay informed, but it’s helpful to do so in doses. Self-care is obviously important. Things such as eating healthy, getting adequate sleep, exercising, journaling and meditating are all common sense, beneficial activities. It is important to carve out time for intentional self-care. Intentionality is key. When I worked in the prison system, with inmates who often had to spend copious amounts of time in their cells or housing units, we would also focus on maintaining a routine to establish some semblance of normalcy. When maintaining physical distance from others, it is easy to inadvertently become socially and emotionally isolated as well. Individuals will find benefit from being purposeful in communicating with important people in their lives. Communicate about concerns and seek to connect. In this case, media technology can be a positive in allowing people to stay connected even though they are physically distant. For the full story, visit news.olemiss.edu/managing-mentalhealth-public-health-crisis/ S P R I N G 2 020
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from the Circle
COVID-19
Facing a Crisis Together
UM DONATES SUPPLIES TO LAFAYETTE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
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ith surgical gowns for medical personnel in short supply, volunteers at the University of Mississippi have donated more than 1,300 ponchos to Lafayette County Emergency Management officials responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Steve Quarles, LCEM director, contacted Amanda Drew, UM emergency management coordinator, for help with personal protective equipment, specifically ponchos for the local health care facilities in town. The request was made because additional protective equipment is needed, and ponchos are a good alternative to gowns. “I contacted (the Department of Intercollegiate) Athletics and University and Public Events to help with this request,” Drew says. “I let them know what we needed, the quantity and where everything was going. University and Public Events later texted me to come pick everything up. “They even included hand sanitizers, which we didn’t request.” Keith Carter (BBA 01, MBA 16), vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics, says his department was eager to respond to the request. “As a nation, we are facing this crisis together, and our department will always seek out ways we can help our
community, particularly when challenges arise,” Carter says. “Once we became aware of the lack of medical gowns, and ponchos were suggested as an alternative, we contacted our official retail partner, Fanatics, to determine what could be done. “We appreciate Fanatics’ partnership and their generosity in this time of need. Oxford-Ole Miss is truly a family, and we are grateful to be an active member of the community.” Some of the supplies went to University Health Services and the University Police Department, with the remainder going to the county. “I am very grateful for these departments and their willingness to help fulfill this request,” Drew says. Quarles says the donations were right on time for the LOU community. “Many of the clinics that are conducting testing and the long-term-care facilities were running short or were out of PPE gowns,” he says. The donated items were distributed to NMRC, Urgent Care of Oxford, Phillips Pediatrics, Internal Medicine Associates, Children’s Clinic of Oxford, Oxford Urgent Care, Family Medicine Group of Oxford, RedMed Urgent Clinic, Lafayette Pediatric Clinic and Ole Town Med Clinic. Photo by Thomas Graning
Steve Quarles, Lafayette County Emergency Management director, shows off the ponchos donated by the Ole Miss athletics department to be used as physical protection equipment at local health facilities amid the COVID-19 crisis. 12
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from the Circle
Exploring Treatment UMMC BEGINS COVID-19 CLINICAL TRIALS
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Photo courtesy of UMMC
he University of Mississippi Medical Center has moved Chair of Allergy and Immunology, will be leading two studinto a new stage of COVID-19 response: conducting ies in critical-care patients. One trial will test a monoclonal clinical research and trials on how to treat the disease. antibody as a treatment for severe COVID-19. The trials are meant for people with COVID-19 who are ill “In COVID-19, we see the immune system attempt to fight enough to require hospitalization or intensive care, not those who off the virus and the system overreacts, which produces what’s are asymptomatic or able to recover from the disease at home. called a cytokine storm, and that can exacerbate the lung disUMMC’s COVID-19 response has been evolving into new ease that occurs with COVID-19,” Marshall says. If effective, stages as the disease affects more Mississippians, says Dr. Rich- the antibodies will block the cytokines and lessen the damage.” ard Summers (MD 81), associate vice chancellor for research. Marshall’s other trial will treat critically ill COVID-19 “We started preparing several weeks ago by making sure patients with antibodies from patients who have recovered we have the necessary PPE [personal protective equipment], from COVID-19 in order to neutralize the virus. then by developing our in-house COVID-19 testing, and [as Several other UMMC physicians are preparing clinical of mid-April] we are moving into the third phase, which is to trials related to COVID-19, including tests of both preventive offer more treatment options.” and treatment options. As the state’s sole academic medical center, Summers says UMMC is well positioned to provide the most advanced treatment options to Mississippians. UMMC will also be inviting other hospitals to refer COVID-19 patients for evaluation and potential inclusion in these trials. “This is what an academic medical center should do to lead the way in coronavirus response,” he says. No existing treatments are known to be effective against COVID-19, a novel coronavirus not previously observed in humans. The current standard of care for COVID-19 includes hospitalization and, if needed, supplemental oxygen or ventilation to manage severe disease. UMMC is one of 44 sites conducting a trial to study hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for inpatients with COVID-19. UMMC began screening patients for enrollment and enrolled its first participant April 14. Dr. Alan Jones (MD 99), professor and chair of the Depart- Dr. Alan Jones, professor and chair of the Department of Emergency ment of Emergency Medicine and clinical lead for COVID-19 Medicine, leads a clinical trial at UMMC testing hydroxychloroquine as response, is leading the UMMC study site. a COVID-19 treatment. The trial enrolled its first participant April 14. The study will enroll adult inpatients with confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 infection. Trial participants will Marshall, who also serves as executive director of the Misreceive either hydroxychloroquine or the current standard of sissippi Clinical Research and Trials Center, wants to make care, and then Jones and his team will compare efficacy and it clear that patients who participate in these trials and are safety outcomes for both groups. assigned to the placebo arm of a clinical trial — meaning they Hydroxychloroquine is a Food and Drug Administration- will not receive the test therapy — will still receive quality care. approved treatment for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. It is also “Being in a research study doesn’t mean treatment or no used to treat and prevent malaria in some regions of the world. treatment, it means receiving the current standard of care or “There are reports from uncontrolled trials that this receiving the standard of care and the test drug,” Marshall says. hydroxychloroquine might have a positive effect for patients He adds conducting these studies now will help UMMC with COVID-19, but we also know it can have negative side and other institutions prepare for a nearly inevitable return of effects,” Jones says. “Our goal is to build a body of scientific coronavirus. evidence that informs what we should do in the future.” “We know that this disease is likely to return in some form Jones is also working to activate another clinical trial, or another,” Marshall says. “The purpose of clinical trials is which will test if the hypertension drug losartan can limit the to help us prepare so that we can have more knowledge, treat coronavirus’s ability to bind to cells and cause disease. people more quickly, prevent severe disease and decrease the Meanwhile, Dr. Gailen Marshall, R. Faser Triplett Sr., M.D. number of deaths during a future outbreak.”
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Positivity during a Pandemic PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR OFFERS INSIGHTS AND TIPS
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ith alarming statistics and bad news about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic dominating network news, social media and even advertising, many people might struggle to maintain a positive outlook. But it is possible to cope and maintain a sense of hope, a University of Mississippi psychologist advises. Stefan Schulenberg, a professor in the UM Department of Psychology, is director of the university’s Clinical-Disaster Research Center, an integrated research, teaching and training center that focuses on mental health related to disaster preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery. He also directs the Ole Miss interdisciplinary minor in disaster sciences, a joint effort across the departments of Psychology, Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Sociology and Anthropology. Schulenberg has written and co-authored more than 80 articles in academic journals and has edited or co-edited five books, most recently Positive Psychological Approaches to Disasters: Meaning, Resilience, and Posttraumatic Growth. His research interests include clinical-disaster psychology, post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth, and he has conducted research on the effects of Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, among other events. To help people manage the stresses of riding out the pandemic, Schulenberg offers some insights and tips:
and how they affect people in the short and long term. We’ve seen their impact, in terms of resilience, post-traumatic stress and post-traumatic growth. And we’ve even come to understand what to expect from such events. We have not experienced the amplitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, so that makes it more difficult to process. A tornado is quick by comparison. What we’re experiencing now is insidious. It unfolds over a period of time. And it’s also different because this is an event that affects everyone, whether they objectively realize it or not. While there are some groups that appear to be more vulnerable than others — the elderly, those with underlying medical conditions — COVID-19 doesn’t care where you live, what your socioeconomic status is or what your political beliefs are. It’s a human issue.
Q: What can we do to make it easier to wrap our heads around what’s happening now? A: First, you have to be sure that you are getting
accurate information so that you are responding to data-driven science and not someone’s opinion. In times like these, misinformation is everywhere. We need to look to the experts at the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and other established research institutions for guidance. This is why we have scientists — folks who do this for a living — and we should be listening to them. Stefan Schulenberg The less accurate information people have Q: What are the greatest psychological about COVID-19, the higher the risk for individuals and challenges for people facing disaster? their loved ones. Misinformation also contributes to the anxiety they will A: Disasters threaten and, in many cases, violate our worldexperience. A proactive, positive response begins with good, view. We have an expectation of how the world works. Do accurate information. we live in a safe world? A predictable world? We expect to be able to go to a grocery store or a gas station without worrying about contracting a potentially life-threatening Q: What are some of the psychological qualities that condition. help people withstand disaster and come out OK on Disasters — COVID-19 being no exception — chalthe other end? lenge our assumptions, threaten them and, in some cases, shatter them. How we reconstruct our new reality goes a A: Evidence-based research has shown that people who have long way in terms of whether and how we adapt to our a strong sense of meaning are more likely to be resilient and experience the best outcomes. Meaning has to do with how circumstances. people understand and process a given event, whether and Q: How is experiencing a viral pandemic different from how they incorporate it into their worldview. Meaning also has to do with one’s sense of significance going through, for example, a tornado or a flood? in life, whether a person believes their contributions matA: No two disasters are alike. We as a culture have a common ter and whether their behaviors are purpose-driven and understanding of what a tornado or a flood is, how they look, consistent with their values. We have to understand why we 14
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from the Circle
Photo by iStock
COVID-19
get out of bed in the morning. We need to have a “why” to the “how.” In other words, we need to understand and appreciate why we are doing what we are doing. Meaning is essential to human health and well-being. There is nothing like a disaster to make us question what is significant about our lives and shake us to the core. We ask ourselves, “Am I living significantly?”
Q: What happens when our sense of meaning is challenged? A: It can be overwhelming to have that kind of doubt, but it’s helpful to ground yourself by knowing what is most important to you on a daily basis. If it’s family, for example, you can ask yourself, “What have I done today to reach out to family?” Just liking a post on Facebook is not a deep connection. You have to reach out personally. It’s also important to remind ourselves that regardless of circumstances or suffering, we have the ability to choose an attitudinal stance. There is a great book, an essential read, called Man’s Search for Meaning, published in 1946 by Viktor Frankl, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps. A central theme of the book focuses on how to find a purpose in life, no matter what you are going through — and how to feel positive, regardless of one’s circumstances. It’s a heavy read in terms of subject matter, but I could not mention a more important piece of literature, given what’s happening in the world today.
Q: How can people protect or increase their resilience during a continuously stressful time? A: There is psychological first aid that is analogous to medical
first aid. The most important thing is to access your social support systems such as friends, family and neighbors. People without support are very vulnerable during a traumatic experience. Fortunately, we can use technology to connect to each other even if we are practicing social distancing. It’s also important to keep up routines. That helps with stability. People are used to established routines, so it’s important to stick to a schedule of sleeping, eating and exercising. Even during this pandemic, we have to find ways to work, love and play every day. If you do something you really enjoy that makes you lose track of time, such as playing an instrument or baking, it’s especially helpful. Researchers call this a “flow” state. Resilience ebbs and flows. You may feel up to the challenge one day and oversaturated the next. That is normal.
Q: How can we best help other people? A: Not everyone will experience stressful things in the same way, so try to offer help that will be most supportive to a particular person. If someone is isolated, call them regularly. If someone literally cannot come out of their house, such as elderly people or people with underlying conditions, offer to pick up groceries or a prescription for them. The most important thing is to take care of yourself first so that you will have the energy to help others. S P R I N G 2 020
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UNIVERSITY’S MBA PROGRAM RANKS AMONG TOP 50 IN NATION
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he University of Mississippi’s Master of Business Administration program has been recognized as one of the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings, released March 17, place Ole Miss in a three-way tie for No. 50 among public universities and No. 92 overall. “We are excited for this recognition of our MBA program that reflects the outstanding education and value of the degree,” says Ken Cyree, dean of the UM School of Business Administration. “We have dedicated our efforts to create the best experience possible for our students who spend a year working hard to advance their business education. “This ranking also reflects the dedication of the faculty, staff and alumni who are devoted to providing an excellent
graduate education that creates competitive opportunities for our students.” MBA programs have a greater enrollment than any other type of graduate degree programs in the country, the U.S. News release notes. Prospective students often narrow their research exclusively to programs that award MBAs. Each year, U.S. News ranks professional school programs in business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing, including specialties in each area. The rankings in these areas are based on two types of data: expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students. The data for the rankings in all six
disciplines comes from statistical surveys of more than 2,081 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 24,603 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2019 and early 2020. For the 2021 edition, U.S. News ranked MBA programs using five categories: student engagement, expert opinion, faculty credentials and training, student excellence, and student services and technologies. “Our campus program includes a 36-hour comprehensive curriculum that allows students to gain important business concepts and knowledge,” says Ashley McGee, director of the MBA program. “Alongside this, we have a supportive MBA alumni board that emphasizes professional development.”
Engaging Personality
ANTHONY SIRACUSA IS NEW UM DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
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ith a vision for an even more engaged campus, Anthony Siracusa has accepted the new position of director of community engagement at the University of Mississippi. “I was both elated and honored to have been offered this position,” says Siracusa, who joined the Ole Miss administration in March. “I’m aware of the important community engagement work already being done at the University of Mississippi. “Being the first person in this particular role, which allows me to co-create the vision for the future, is very special.” Formerly assistant director of the Collaborative for Community Engagement at Colorado College, the Memphis native has a track record of successful strategic planning and implementation of engagement programs at higher education institutions since the late 1990s. Siracusa’s responsibilities include 16
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building and leading a team of university employees and students in fulfilling the mission of the community engagement office, developing and administering programs and activities that increase the engagement capacity of the university, community partners, students, faculty and staff. He is also creating and administering community engagement tracking and systems that complement and build on existing university systems. He a l s o w i l l c o l l a b o r at e w i t h instructional faculty and staff to create, redesign or designate communityengaged learning courses. He will maintain a positive multidisciplinary environment while developing and sustaining relationships with other universities, scholars, practitioners and community partners while identifying and helping secure resources to support the office’s initiatives and growth.
Anthony Siracusa
Photo by Robert Jordan
from the Circle
Matthew Reysen, UM associate professor of psychology, was named the 2020 Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher of the Year.
Teacher of the Year
PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR RECEIVES ELSIE M. HOOD TEACHING AWARD
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dedicated University of Mississippi psychology professor lauded by his peers for instilling a passion in his students, Matthew Reysen (12) has been named winner of the 2020 Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award. A n a s s o c i at e prof e s s or i n t h e Department of Psychology, Reysen was awarded the highest honor a UM faculty member can receive for teaching, following high praise from students and fellow faculty citing his track record of exceptional teaching skills and commitment to serving as a mentor. The annual award is given to a professor who embodies teaching excellence and exceptional student engagement. Chancellor Glenn Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) calls Reysen, “a dedicated
professor who uses his exceptional teaching talents to train students in his field of cognitive psychology. “He not only provides a wealth of knowledge to his students, but also delivers it in an engaging and understandable way and has become known for instilling a passion in his students — not only for the subject, but for learning itself,” Boyce says. Nominations are submitted by students, alumni and faculty colleagues. The selection committee is composed primarily of previous recipients of the award. “I was completely surprised by the news, because I had no idea that I’d been nominated,” Reysen says. “It’s very gratifying for me to teach and work with students in the classroom. Receiving the
award means a lot to me because I have so much respect for the many amazing teachers on campus.” Reysen earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University in Fresno and a Ph.D. in psychology from Purdue University. In 2004, he joined the Ole Miss faculty. His research focuses on the effects of social influences on cognitive processes, human memory, reality construction and eyewitness testimony. The Outstanding Teacher Award has been a tradition at the university for more than 50 years. Since 1988, it’s been funded in perpetuity with a bequest from Warren and Elsie Hood, of Jackson. Additionally, the UM Foundation and Ole Miss Alumni Association contribute a generous honorarium to the winner. S P R I N G 2 020
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Student Veteran Advocates UM STUDENTS, STAFF LOBBY FOR STUDENT VETERANS IN D.C.
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hree University of Mississippi student veterans recently joined Andrew Newby, UM assistant director for veterans and military services, in Washington, D.C., to meet with the nation’s leaders and participate in a joint hearing before the House of Representatives’ and Senate’s Veterans Affairs committees. Newby was joined by student veterans Lauren Graham and Jamie King, and also by Winston Taylor, who was already in
advance of the March 3 hearing. Newby was invited because of his involvement in multiple 2020 policy initiatives he hopes to see enacted at a federal level, including updating the way the Department of Veterans Affairs classifies on-campus medical care providers and paying student veteran benefits during semester breaks. “We want campus providers to count as community providers so students don’t have to travel to the VA center in Jackson for every treatment,” Newby says. “And we want to see student veterans paid between the breaks and semesters. “If you’re not in class, you don’t get payment, but we don’t think that’s right because they still have to live in Oxford, LA, New York or whatever expensive college town.” Newby is also involved in promoting oncampus veteran treatment teams and telehealth. “The students got to interact with lawmakers and tell them why Ole Miss is succeeding, why they’re making impacts on campus and what they want to see for student veterans in the future,” Newby says. King, a junior geology major from Cleveland who served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, says the trip opened his eyes to the possibility that he could use his influence to help the people with whom he served. Sitting down with high-ranking elected officials and voicing his concerns about veterans’ benefits galvanized his passion to see other members of the 82nd Airborne succeed, he says. “I was able to see the accessibility of these people who were involved in shaping my dayto-day in Iraq,” he says. “The university allowed me to go to D.C. and knock on these doors, and these people actually listened to what I had to say.” Graham, a senior accounting major from Fischer, Texas, who served as a nuclear electricians mate in the Navy, says she hoped to share ways the UM Student Veterans Association has Andrew Newby (left), UM assistant director for veterans and military services, poses in seen success with the national organization. She front of the U.S. Capitol with student veterans Lauren Graham and Jamie King during a shared how SVAs can partner with other campus visit in March to lobby for better educational and medical benefits for veterans. organizations to raise funds and also build rapport. She even helped some chapters qualify as D.C. serving as an intern in the Senate Committee on Com- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. merce, Science and Transportation. “A lot of veterans organizations are reserved and not incorNewby, Graham and King flew to the nation’s capital, porated in the student lifestyles, so we wanted to show that it where they met up with Taylor, on March 1. They spent a few can be more,” Graham says. “We can integrate with the rest of days meeting with members of Congress and sightseeing in campus to show how diverse veterans are.”
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Hearing Tornadoes
UM RESEARCHERS WORKING TO DETECT, TRACK TORNADOES
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he cold whipping across an Alabama field on this winter morning slaps away the warmth, slowly forcing fingers and toes numb. Under a dull, overcast sky, University of Mississippi researchers trek across a damp pasture just north of Huntsville, braving the freeze and checking an array of 12 sensors that scientists at the UM National Center for Physical Acoustics are using in their research into tornado detection and tracking. Each sensor consists of a 12-volt marine battery, solar panel, domed windscreen, necessary cabling and a UMdesigned device that records infrasonic signals, or infrasound – acoustic signals at frequencies below what humans can hear. It has been known for some time that tornadoes generate these low-frequency sounds, although the exact mechanism for this production is not understood. But UM researchers are hoping that by “hearing” tornadoes through infrasound, they might develop technology to revolutionize the detection and tracking of tornadoes, and greatly improve tornado warning methods. “Radar does not detect tornadoes,” says Roger Waxler, a principal scientist at the National Center for Physical Acoustics, or NCPA, and research associate professor of physics and astronomy at UM. “The wavelengths are too long, and they are upward-looking. Tornadoes are currently detected by sight. The weather services use spotters (people). The radar shows the large-scale rotation in storms that can spawn tornadoes but don’t always do so. “These particular arrays are being deployed specifically for research into tornado detection and tracking. The geometry of the arrays is tuned to the signals emitted by tornadoes.” Even with the evolution in meteorological technology, detecting and tracking tornadoes is a nearly impossible task.
But while tornadoes unpredictably swoop from darkening clouds, the violent storms leave a distinct mark and lasting damage as they barrel across a landscape. Nationwide, more than 24,400 tornadoes have been reported since 2000, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. Those tornadoes have killed almost 1,500 people and resulted in billions of dollars in damage. On Easter Sunday (April 12) and into the early morning of Monday, a series of vicious tornadoes once again pummeled parts of the country, killing about 20 people in the South, including at least 11 in Mississippi, and destroying countless homes and buildings. Mississippi has been welted by more than 2,700 tornadoes since Jan. 1, 1950, according to the Storm Events Database, which is maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA. These tornadoes, an average of almost 39 a year, have resulted in about 500 fatalities, more than 6,750 injuries and some $2.8 billion in property damage. “The tornado infrasound research happening at NCPA has the potential for a significant impact in our region and across the nation,” says Josh Gladden, UM vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs. “Most importantly, it has the potential to augment and improve early warning systems in our communities, which could save lives. “A further significant impact, however, is the potential to obtain much more tracking data for tornadoes than scientists currently have. This should lead to an improved understanding of what conditions specifically trigger tornadoes and what paths they follow.” For the full story, visit news.olemiss.edu/um-researchersworking-detect-track-tornadoes/
Photo by Shea Stewart
Brian Carpenter (left) and Hank Buchanan, two research and development engineers at the University of Mississippi’s National Center for Physical Acoustics, work on an infrasound array sensor at Alabama A&M University’s Winifred Thomas Agricultural Research Station north of Huntsville.
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Stellar Scholars
UM STUDENTS WIN COVETED GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIPS
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wo juniors in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi have been awarded coveted Barry S. Goldwater Scholarships. Jax Dallas, a physical chemistry and math major from Caledonia, and William Meador, a chemistry major from Carbondale, Illinois, are the university’s 15th and 16th Goldwater Scholars. The Goldwater is one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in the United States. It identifies and supports exceptional sophomores and juniors who show promise of becoming this nation’s next generation of research leaders in these fields. “We are extremely proud to count Jax Dallas and William Meador as two of the top students in the country and happy the Goldwater Foundation recognizes the research excellence that occurs at the University of Mississippi,” says Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez, Honors College dean. “Both Jax and William have shown their commitment to research as well as to mentoring the next generation of science leaders.” Dallas expressed excitement over receiving his award notification.
“After such a wait, I was excited to have finality, and I am very grateful it came as good news.” Meador said the Goldwater honor is the most meaningful achievement he
imaging materials. Greg Tschumper, UM chair and professor of chemistry and biochemistry, says both students are most deserving of their recognitions.
Jax Dallas
William Meador
has received to date. “To be recognized for something that I love doing is really a great feeling since I have put so much time towards and feel so passionate about
“We are always excited when one of our outstanding chemistry majors receives a Goldwater S cholarship because it is so competitive,” Tschumper says. “As such, having two of them recognized by this award in the same year is a tremendous achievement and a great honor for the department, the college and the university. “It makes a strong statement about the quality of our undergraduate students, the high level of their research and the quality of the mentoring they receive in the laboratory from their faculty advisers.” Along with the recognition of being named a Goldwater Scholar, the students also receive $7,500. Some 1,343 applicants, representing 461 academic institutions, competed for the awards. From that pool, 396 students were selected as Goldwater Scholars.
“We are extremely proud to count Jax Dallas and William Meador as two of the top students in the country and happy the Goldwater Foundation recognizes the research excellence that occurs at the University of Mississippi.” —— DOUGLASS SULLIVAN-GONZALEZ “It has been almost a year since I was recommended to apply for the scholarship, and since then, it has constantly been on my mind,” says Dallas, who plans to continue his computational astrochemistry research at Ole Miss. 20
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the research I am able to do here at the university,” says Meador, whose research focuses on the design, synthesis and testing of the properties of dyes that absorb and emit low-energy light for potential use as biological
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Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey (left) and Deputy Commissioner Charlie Hussey, a 1999 University of Mississippi graduate, speak with Ole Miss football great Patrick Willis before the 2019 College Football Playoff championship game in Santa Clara, California.
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Alumnus Charlie Hussey named SEC’s deputy commissioner By Michael Newsom
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fter spending the last few years overseeing the overwhelming success of the SEC’s television network, Charlie Hussey (BBA 99) was r e c e nt l y n a m e d t h e Southeastern Conference’s deputy commissioner. The Oxford native, who earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Ole Miss in 1999, went to work for the SEC the next year. Hussey credits Ole Miss with helping him prepare for his career. “It prepared me for this role in many different facets, mainly being able to interact with different people,” Hussey says. “The classes and the teachers I had there prepared me for the challenges I face now, whether it be in business, accounting or marketing, all of those skills I’ve had to apply to be successful in the job I am in now. I wouldn’t trade my time at Ole Miss for anything.” Hussey became the SEC’s chief Charlie Hussey operating officer in February 2017, which includes leading the day-to-day operations of the SEC’s conference headquarters. He will keep performing those duties in his new role as deputy commissioner. He previously was the SEC’s associate commissioner for network
relations since 2013, and was the SEC’s point person on the creation of the SEC Network, which launched in 2014. The channel, developed by ESPN, airs SEC content around the clock, including 45 SEC football games, 100 men’s basketball games, 60 women’s basketball games, 75 baseball games, 50 softball games and additional events from the SEC’s 21 annual sports each year. The last annual reporting of revenue from the SEC Network, which came in February 2019, was more than $600 million, which means an average of about $43 million for each SEC school. Another $23 million was retained by the schools to offset their travel and bowlrelated expenses, according to ESPN. Beyond the revenue created for each school, Hussey says he’s been impressed with the level of programming the network offers. “The SEC Network has exceeded expectations in terms of the programming and the high-quality content that we put on there each and every day,” Hussey says. In his new role, he will continue to be the SEC’s liaison with ESPN and the SEC Network for all television and sponsorship matters. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Hussey’s S P R I N G 2 020
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Charlie Hussey and his wife, Lindsay, enjoy the aftermath of an SEC football game with children Olivia, Charles and Maddie.
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promotion in December 2019, calling him a strong leader who spearheaded many successful conference initiatives. “He has developed strong relationships with campus leaders, media partners and many others throughout intercollegiate athletics,” Sankey says. “As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, our conference office staff is well prepared to meet new expectations and Charlie is poised to play a critical leadership role as we look to our future.” Hussey credits his boss for his strong leadership and vision for the conference, and praises the SEC’s staff for making magic happen every day. Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Tennessee and Vanderbilt were the charter members of the SEC when it was founded in 1933. Two different expansions, one in 1991, which added Arkansas and South Carolina, and the addition of Texas A&M and Missouri in 2012, made the league reach its current 14-team size. SEC fans have a reputation for being more passionate than most college sports fans. “I feel strongly the SEC fans are a little different in that the amount of passion they have for their teams is always the utmost,” Hussey says. “That’s what I think sets them apart. When we have teams playing against other conferences for championships, you’ll find our fans pulling for their SEC colleagues trying to bring home a championship. That’s obviously evident in the S-E-C chant that you see at stadiums. “You don’t see that with fans in the other conferences. I
He is the son of Charles L. Hussey (BS 71, PhD 74), UM’s associate dean for research and graduate education and distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry. The younger Hussey grew up in Oxford with his dad working on campus. He looks back fondly on his youth here, where he had his first taste of college athletics. “Oxford couldn’t have been a better place to grow up,” Hussey says. “After school I would go on campus and ride my bike to watch practices whether it be football, basketball or baseball. Being in and around college athletics at an early age obviously is what drew me to a career in college athletics.” UM Chancellor Emeritus Robert Khayat (BAEd 61, JD 66) remembers Hussey when he was still a young, reserved boy with a winning smile growing up around Ole Miss athletics. “I am not sure if he was shy, but he seemed to hang back a little before launching in with total commitment,” Khayat says. When he was finishing at Ole Miss, then-Chancellor Khayat and the Husseys were friends, so Khayat kept up with him. When he noted Hussey’s interest in college athletics, he decided to put in a good word for him with SEC’s soon-to-be commissioner at the time, Mike Slive. “I have followed his work at the conference office, and my level of respect for him has continued to increase through the years,” Khayat says. “Charlie is one of those young men who had a plan for his life, and he seems to be living the dream of fulfilling that plan.”
“As the landscape of college athletics continues to evolve, our conference office staff is well prepared to meet new expectations and Charlie is poised to play a critical leadership role as we look to our future.”
— GREG SANKEY think we have something pretty special here.” Hussey’s theory about why that is goes back to the makeup of the sports landscape of when the conference was created in the 1930s. “There was a tight group of SEC teams,” Hussey says. “As time evolves you see professional sports evolve, but there are just not that many of them inside our footprint. Our fans rallied around college teams. “In a lot of cases, the geography of the league being so closely tied, you had friends or family rooting for another team that was one state away, and so you built up this rivalry, the passion, this connection among people in the Southeast, and that’s really carried over.” Hussey and his wife, Lindsay, met in Birmingham and now live in Mountain Brook, Alabama. They have three children — Olivia, Charles and Maddie.
Hussey advises any student who wants to pursue a similar path to take as many communications and writing classes as possible, as well as find opportunities to get as much experience in athletics through internships or other jobs. “The demand for people to work in athletics is very, very high,” Hussey says. “You have to do things to set yourself apart. I think advanced degrees and experiences in those areas are critical.” Moving forward, he hopes to keep the momentum of the SEC going. He sees that as his primary career focus these days. “My goal is to continue to help this league maintain its preeminent position in college athletics,” Hussey says. “We do that through support for student-athletes, support for athletics and ensuring fans have the ability to see their teams through media agreements. It just means continuing to deliver at the highest level.” S P R I N G 2 020
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NBC Alumnus Mack Hubbell earns a place on ‘The Tonight Show’ staff
s the day comes to an end on a normally busy weekday in Brooklyn, New York, alumnus Mack Hubbell (BS 19), writer’s assistant for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” is in awe of the quiet that suddenly surrounds him. No more of the usual city sounds of honking horns and people talking on the streets that he’s grown accustomed to — now an eerie stillness. The COVID-19 pandemic hit his newly adopted hometown hard as the states of New York, California and Washington were considered the initial hotspots for the virus. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a stay-at-home order for the state on March 20 — that has yet to be lifted. “It’s been crazy,” Hubbell says. “I guess this is [now week seven] I’ve been in my apartment. I’ve been out some, but Brooklyn is like a ghost town. I’ve been up to Manhattan. I’ve ridden my bike over the bridge a few times since this started and, like everywhere, it’s just quiet, which is weird anywhere. But in New York City, it’s crazy.” Although his mom urged him to come home to Oswego, Oregon, Hubbell decided to stay in his Brooklyn apartment — alone. “I didn’t want to [risk potentially] getting other people sick, and I didn’t want to get sick traveling since Oregon is a long way to go,” Hubbell says. “My roommates have been gone for [over] a month now. “I used to ride the subway probably four times a day on weekdays. You’re used to walking all around in New York and being around literally thousands of people all the time and never really having peace and quiet. I was coming home to an apartment with two other roommates, so it’s weird to have this kind of isolation. You have to do stuff like work out and call people just to stay sane.” One of the main things that helps Hubbell stay sane is his continued work on “The Tonight Show.” Like many audience-based television programs, the show has adapted to the pandemic and come up with creative ways to keep going. “We’re doing a home edition of the show,” he says. “Jimmy is filming from home with his family, and people have really been liking it. It’s been fun. I started a little over a month ago and only had four days in the office before everything happened, so I’ve been working from home [for several weeks]. “I’ve been really impressed by how everyone at the show has made this happen and made a really awesome show from home. I feel so grateful to have a job and be healthy; those are the two main things. All things considered, I’ve been one of the lucky ones.” S P R I N G 2 020
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2019 School of Journalism and New Media Commencement. Hubbell is pictured with his parents, Ward and Polly (BA 86), as well as his older sister, Field (BBA 16), and younger brother, Henry.
A Spot That Ever Calls Hubbell’s journey from Oregon to New York via Oxford is a true Ole Miss story. A fourth-generation alumnus, Hubbell knew from a very young age that he would attend the university. “I always knew I wanted to go there, but not for a specific school or major,” he says. “I was always a die-hard fan because of my mom. It does confuse people, the path from Oregon to Mississippi to New York. That was probably the most common question I got at Ole Miss, ‘What are you doing here?’” As it turns out, Hubbell, who majored in integrated marketing communications, was doing a lot. A member of the Columns Society, Student Alumni Council, Kappa Alpha Order Fraternity and Freshman Council director during his junior year, Hubbell made the most of his Ole Miss experience. “Having my sister there my freshman year was really awesome,” he says. “My little brother is a freshman there now. I’m a big football fan and went to all of the away games. I had a lot of fantastic Beacon breakfasts. I loved quiet days in the Grove. I lived close to campus my junior and senior years, and I always rode my bike when the weather was nice. Man, I miss it.” According to friend and former boss Bryan Spillman, coowner of Cups espresso café in Oxford, it was obvious early on that Hubbell has what it takes to achieve his dreams. “I moved to Oxford to be the director of a local collegiate ministry called Young Life,” Spillman says. “It was obvious from the moment I met [Mack] that [he] was special. He’s funny, personable and magnetic. In a room full of people, you’re just sort of drawn to him. He’s driven, but it’s not invasive, and people aren’t put off by it. “People root for Mack — for his future and success. He’s witty, creative and adventurous, like moving to New York and trying to make it in the entertainment industry. That takes a 28
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Hubbell and his father skiing in Steamboat Springs, Colorado
special kind of person, and Mack has it.” During his sophomore year, Hubbell recalls his dad urging him to decide what he wanted to do during the upcoming summer — a summer before junior year when many students begin internships and job searching.
New York State of Mind “I had never been to New York, but I grew up dreaming of living there and sort of romanticizing that idea,” Hubbell says. “My cousin lives in [the city] and works in music, and he connected me with someone at NBC who then connected me with the person who was doing the interviewing for ‘Late Night with Seth Meyers.’” Hubbell applied and got accepted to begin his internship the summer before his junior year. “I met Mack at an Alumni [Association] event at the Harvard Club,” says alumna and comedian Kendall Ketchum (BA 07). “He immediately stood out to me. He was interning for Seth Meyers at the time, and I had been touring with Darrell Hammond. “He was incredibly engaging and inquisitive about the business side of comedy. I quickly realized that he was not the ‘normal’ 20-year-old in terms of what he wanted out of New York and where he was headed. He is incredibly driven and knows exactly where he wants to be in his career. In addition to being talented, he is charismatic and genuine, and that doesn’t go unrecognized in the comedy world.” Hubbell loved the time he spent interning for the network and knew he wanted to do it again the following summer. “I spent that time making contacts at NBC that I could reach out to the next summer to intern for ‘The Tonight Show,’” he says. And that’s exactly what he did. Hubbell applied for a
Hubbell’s day-to-day work is part research based and part fact checking. He helps find content, including stories, articles and news, for the writers at the show to write jokes. The latter part of the day involves fact checking and spell checking to make sure everything that airs on television is correct. “I actually saw Jimmy for the first time when I was interning,” Hubbell says. “Obviously, he’s someone I think is awesome, and I always have. Being in Rockefeller, working for the show, you see guests some, and you get to see the talent too. But to see someone like Jimmy Fallon, who I’ve watched on TV since I was little and now work on the same floor with him — that’s pretty cool.” For Hubbell, the most valuable things he gleaned from his time at Ole Miss were the connections he made and the lessons the university teaches outside of the classroom. “I think whether you go to Ole Miss or to Harvard, the education you receive is what you make of it and what you’re willing to get out of it,” he says. “I’ve had people who are very successful who went to Ole Miss that are willing to grab a
Performing at an open mic in New York City earlier this year
Hubbell and his friends hanging out in Brooklyn
Submitted photos
second internship with NBC and in summer 2018 returned to New York to intern for “The Tonight Show.” “During my senior year, I kind of put off figuring out what I wanted to do,” he says. “I knew I was going to move to New York, but I didn’t really know what I was going to do. I knew I wanted to work in entertainment television, but I thought I’ll just do [something else] until I get there.” After graduating in 2019, Hubbell moved to Brooklyn in July and began working in sales for a startup company. A selfdescribed “class clown” and comedy lover, Hubbell also began doing stand-up comedy in the city and writing sketches with friends on the side. “I was also trying to maintain the connections I had made the past couple of summers to sort of find my way back into entertainment,” he says. “I wasn’t even out of school for a full year yet, but I did start to get nervous. I thought I was on the right track, but then people would say, ‘Hey, are you still trying to do the comedy thing? Are you still trying to do the TV thing?’ I thought, yes, I’ve been here for six months — give me a break!”
Comedic Timing That break came soon, and in February 2020, Hubbell was contacted for an interview for his current position. “For me, it’s super cool to be able to walk into 30 Rock,” he says. “To work there is such a surreal thing for me still and just to be able to contribute to ‘The Tonight Show’ even in the capacity that I’m in. It’s really rare, and I feel lucky to not only love my job and the company I work for, but to also be a fan of the company I work for. That’s a great thing.”
beer with me, get dinner or just talk. “Everyone has this shared love for the school and Oxford, so I think what Ole Miss gave me more than anything in the long run is the people and the alumni base to connect with. At Ole Miss, you get an education outside of the classroom. It’s a very social place, and you learn how to get to know people. That would be my biggest piece of advice to people: Take advantage of the awesome network that is Ole Miss that reaches far and wide.” S P R I N G 2 020
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Sports OLE MISS
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
Lane Kiffin
Contact-Free Tickets
OLE MISS FOOTBALL IMPLEMENTING DIGITAL TICKETING or increased convenience and safety, Ole Miss is launching digital-only tickets for the 2020 football campaign. In addition, the season ticket renewal deadline has been extended to June 15 with seat and parking selection set to begin June 29. “Despite the challenges we are all facing, the excitement surrounding our football program remains sky-high under Coach Kiffin’s leadership,” says Keith Carter (BBA 01, MBA 16), vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics. “Game-day experience will always be a top priority and a point of pride for our department, and this is an opportunity to utilize the latest technology to ensure a safe and convenient process for ticket delivery and stadium entrance.” In addition to eliminating the physical touching concerns that are prevalent at this time, digital ticketing will reduce frequent issues related to paper tickets, including theft, shipping delays, tickets lost in transit and the need for an early 30
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confirmation of a shipping address. Other advantages feature the ability for ticket purchasers to transfer tickets via mobile phone, while customers will still be able to post and sell tickets via StubHub. Ticket distribution will begin via email in mid-August. Rebel fans that have already ordered their 2020 season tickets will maintain their orders and payment plans already in place. More information will be coming about parking and ticket delivery for premium, general and other season ticket holders as it is finalized. As previously announced, the purchasing period for Ole Miss students has been suspended until July. Once student tickets go on sale, an email will be sent to the @go.olemiss.edu email address associated with each student who is registered for the fall 2020 semester. For all ticket opportunities, contact Ole Miss Athletics at olemisstix.com, olemisstix@olemiss.edu or 888-732-TKTS.
OLE MISS Sports
Respected Mind in the Game JAMIE TRACHSEL TAPPED AS OLE MISS HEAD SOFTBALL COACH
has not only won at multiple levels but dominated conferences and taken a team to the brink of a national title. Along the way, she has proven to be an elite developer of talent, coaching countless award-winning players. “We are beyond excited to welcome Jamie to the Ole Miss family and see her determination and leadership impact our student-athletes for years to come.” With a 346-184-1 (.652) overall record as a head coach, including a .792 winning percentage against conference foes, Trachsel brings a tradition of winning in line with the lofty expecta-
tournament championships, developed 47 all-conference honorees and guided her teams to the NCAA Tournament in seven of nine complete seasons, including a trip to the 2019 WCWS with the Golden Gophers. “Ole Miss Softball is a championship program, and we were looking for a World Series-caliber coach that can lead this team to the top of sport,” says Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter (BBA 01, MBA 16). “We found that and more in Jamie Trachsel. Highly respected in the industry, Jamie
tions held at Ole Miss, which boasts four NCAA Regional berths, two Super Regionals and an SEC Tournament crown over the previous four seasons. “I am grateful for this opportunity to work for a great administration and great people who believe in me to lead their softball program,” Trachsel says. “I am looking forward to meeting the team and getting to know each of them individually. “Thank you to (search committee members) Keith, Shannon (Singletary) and Lynnette (Johnson) for believing in
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
aving reached unprecedented heights and built Minnesota into a Women’s College World Series team, Jamie Trachsel has been tabbed as the sixth head coach to lead the Ole Miss softball program. One of the most respected minds in the game, Trachsel’s 10-year head coaching career has been marked by high-level success every step along the way at North Dakota State, Iowa State and Minnesota. The 2019 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year has collected 11 conference regular-season and
me not only as a coach but as a person. I am looking forward to this journey at Ole Miss. Go Rebels!” In her three-year stint with the Golden Gophers, Trachsel took over a program on the rise and kept the ascent going to the upper echelon of the softball world. After finishing off her inaugural season in Minneapolis with 41 wins, a Big 10 Tournament title, an appearance in the NCAA Seattle Regional Final and four All-Big 10 and NFCA All-Region honorees, Trachsel helmed the Gophers to their most prolific season in history in 2019. Playing arguably the nation’s most challenging schedule, Minnesota racked up a 41-12 record during the regular season, setting the stage for a magical postseason run. The No. 8 national-seeded Gophers ripped through the Regional and Super Regional rounds of the NCAA Tournament with five straight wins, including two apiece over SEC foes in No. 14 Georgia and No. 10 LSU. Minnesota then set sail for Oklahoma City, making its first trip to the Women’s College World Series in the NCAA era. As a player, Trachsel competed for NCAA Division II program St. Cloud State in St. Cloud, Minnesota. She led the Huskies to three straight NCAA Division II tournament appearances and one conference title. Trachsel made the 1999 NCAA Division II All-Region Tournament Team and received All-Academic honors from the NFCA twice. SCSU won 127 games during her career. As a prep athlete, Trachsel earned 17 letters across four sports at Duluth Central High School in Minnesota. She is also a nine-time national champion in racquetball (1988-93 and 2003-05). S P R I N G 2 020
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OLE MISS Sports
Signing Day
SIX REBELS INK NFL UNDRAFTED FREE AGENT DEALS FOLLOWING DRAFT
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he Ole Miss football program saw six alumni sign undrafted free agent contracts following the 2020 NFL Draft. The undrafted free agent signees include defensive lineman Josiah Coatney (BGS 18), who signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while defensive back Myles Hartsfield inked a deal with the Carolina Panthers. Additionally, defensive lineman Benito Jones (BGS 19) signed with the Miami Dolphins, and defensive back Jalen Julius is headed to Kansas City to join the Chiefs. In addition, running back Scottie Phillips signed with the Houston Texans, and defensive end Austrian Robinson (BGS 19) signed with the Carolina Panthers.
JOSIAH COATNEY — Pittsburgh Steelers
Coatney, who recently wrapped up his senior campaign for the Rebels, started all 12 games in 2019. He led all Ole Miss defensive linemen with 46 total tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. The Douglasville, Georgia, native started in 35 of the 36 career games he played in during his three-year career as a Rebel. He finished his career with 174 total tackles and 15.5 tackles for loss.
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MYLES HARTSFIELD — Carolina Panthers
Hartsfield, who earned freshman All-America honors in 2016, appeared in 48 career games for the Rebels, tallying 167 total tackles in his four-year career. The Sayreville, New Jersey, native wrapped up his Ole Miss career with 41 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss, in 2019. He tallied his third career interception in the third game of the season versus Southeastern Louisiana.
BENITO JONES — Miami Dolphins
Jones appeared in all 12 games in 2019 for the Rebels his senior year, with 10 starts. He led the SEC and ranked fourth nationally with 30 defensive stops at the nose tackle position. The Waynesboro native is tied for No. 10 in the SEC in tackles for loss (10.0) and No. 12 in sacks (5.5). Jones was an anchor in the middle for an Ole Miss defensive unit that helped limit three straight opponents to under 70 yards rushing for the first time in 20 seasons. Jones wrapped up his Ole Miss campaign ninth alltime in tackles for loss (31.0) in 48 career games played.
HARTSFIELD
JONES Photos courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
OLE MISS Sports
JALEN JULIUS — Kansas City Chiefs
Julius, who was a mainstay in the Rebel secondary for four seasons, played in 45 career games for Ole Miss. The 2016 SEC All-Freshman selection registered 138 career tackles and 13 pass deflections. Julius set a career high in tackles last season with 68, 50 of which were solo tackles. The Winter Garden, Florida, native also tallied a career high with seven pass breakups.
SCOTTIE PHILLIPS — Houston Texans
Phillips, a two-year letterwinner who appeared in 21 career contests with 18 starts at running back for the Rebels, averaged 70 yards rushing per game in his two-year career. The Ellisville native ended his career ranked No. 11 in career rushing touchdowns (17) and No. 17 in rushing yards (1,470). In 2019, Phillips carried the ball 125 times for 542 yards and five touchdowns. He tallied back-to-back 100-yard rushing efforts last season against Arkansas and Southeastern Louisiana.
JULIUS
Phillips made a big splash in his first year in a Rebel uniform in 2018 after transferring from Jones College. He rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns vs. Texas Tech in his Ole Miss debut, the most yards ever by an Ole Miss running back making his debut. At the time, he became just the eighth Ole Miss running back in program history to surpass the 200-yard rushing mark in a single game. He finished the season ranked fifth in the SEC in total touchdowns (14), third in rushing TDs (12) and ninth in the SEC in rushing yards (927).
AUSTRIAN ROBINSON — Carolina Panthers
Robinson, the 2019 Chucky Mullins Courage Award winner, appeared in 38 career games on the Rebels’ defensive line. He finished his career with 81 total tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss. The New York native played in all 12 games last season, starting 10 games at defensive end. Robinson finished the season with a career-high 29 tackles and his first career interception.
PHILLIPS
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OLE MISS Sports
JOHNSON NAMED SECOND-TEAM ALL-AMERICAN
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le Miss women’s golf star Julia Johnson was named a second-team All-American, the Women’s Golf Coaches Association announced on April 21. Johnson becomes the second Rebel women’s golfer to be named to an All-American team, joining Dori Carter (BBA 09), who was named a Duramed Futures Tour honorable mention All-American by the National Golf Coaches Association in 2008. Johnson earned an invite to the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and was selected to represent the United States at the
Arnold Palmer Cup after a record-breaking junior season. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur invite will carry over to the 2021 playing of the event, while the Arnold Palmer Cup was postponed until December because of the coronavirus pandemic. The St. Gabriel, Louisiana, native led the SEC with a 70.72 stroke average, the lowest single-season stroke average in program history, while finishing inside the top 15 in every event this season. She ended the season No. 22 in Golfstat’s player rankings. Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
JOIN THE REBEL MUG CLUB $500 per member. Membership includes a commemorative beer mug for your home, 20-ounce draft beer for the price of a pint in McCormick’s and a tax-deductible donation to the University of Mississippi. The first 200 charter members will have their names placed on a plaque at McCormick’s.
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OLE MISS Sports
Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
Ice Rebels
OLE MISS HOCKEY WINS FIRST SECHC CHAMPIONSHIP
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he Ole Miss hockey club won the first Southeastern Conference Hockey Club (SECHC) Tournament title in program history in February. The Rebels entered the tournament in Nashville with a 10-5-0 overall record, earning the No. 6 seed in the eightteam tournament. The team started the weekend by giving No. 3 seed Florida Atlantic University its first conference loss with a 5-3 result in the opening round. This upset carried the momentum to inch past No. 7 Auburn in the semifinal. Finally, the Ice Rebels faced down the University of Arkansas, a perennial SECHC powerhouse, in the tournament’s final game. Ole Miss began the third period down 1-0. The first Rebel goal finally came after the period’s third minute when Nate Sullivan scored on a deflection. Next, Cal Lavery scored the go-ahead goal halfway through the third. He scored another goal with 22 seconds left in the game to put a bow on the team’s 3-1 victory over Arkansas.
“I remember seeing the seconds coming off the clock, and I was just smiling,” says Anthony Pellegrino, a senior center from Swansea, Illinois. “As a senior, we had finally won the first championship.” The team came close last year but couldn’t win the final — starting as a second seed and finishing the tournament in second place. “It was nice playing from behind this year because last year we were up 2-0 and Georgia scored four unanswered,” says Gray Erwin, a junior defender from Nashville. The players say they were excited not only to bring home the first championship but also to do it in front of so many Ole Miss fans. “A ton of alumni live in that area, and a bunch more traveled,” says Rebels assistant captain Kurt Lindhorst, a junior defender from St. Charles, Missouri. “They came out and supported, and it’s as awesome to see how much it meant to the former players and fans that we got the job done as it was to win.”
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Soccer Signs JUCO Standout REBELS ADD TWO-TIME JUNIOR COLLEGE ALL-AMERICAN CENTERBACK
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le Miss inked one of the premier junior college players in the country in April, with Tyler Junior College’s Marta Estupinan signing with the Rebels. “We are thrilled to add Marta to our team,” says head coach Matt Mott. “She is a proven, big-time centerback who has the ability to step in right away and help us compete in the SEC.” Estupinan starred for TJC for the past two seasons, earning back-to-back NJCAA All-American nods in addition to All-Region laurels. In addition to providing lockdown defense on the back line, the Canaries, Spain, native contributed to the Apache attack with five goals and a pair of assists, posting a .278 shooting percentage. As a freshman, Estupinan helped lead the Apaches to a 23-2-1 record, finishing as national runner-up after falling to
Monroe College in the National Championship game. TJC avenged that loss in 2019, capping a 22-1 season with a win over Monroe to capture the NJCAA National Championship. Estupinan scored the final goal of the season for TJC in the 4-1 victory over the Mustangs, garnering Defensive Player of the Tournament honors. Prior to making the move to the U.S., Estupinan donned the colors of her home nation, competing for Spain at the U17 level. Estupinan also played for Spanish club CD Femarguin, helping the club capture a league championship. Estupinan joins the Rebels’ 2020 signing class, which includes top high school prospects Ramsey Davis, Lucy Green, Sydney Ham, Price Loposer and Abbie Rushwin. Davis and Loposer enrolled early this spring, participating in spring practice. Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics
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News ALUMNI
Class Notes
’50s
SHERMAN MUTHS (BBA 54, LLB
60), retired attorney in Gulfport, was inducted into the University of Mississippi School of Law Alumni Hall of Fame.
’60s
ANN J. ABADIE (MA 62, PhD
73) of Oxford, professor emerita at the University of Mississippi and founding member of the Southern Foodways Alliance, was honored with the Thad Cochran Award for Achievement in the Humanities as part of the Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration in February.
JACK REED JR. (JD 78) of Tupelo was
recently presented the 2020 Outstanding Citizen Award at the Junior Auxiliary’s 57th Annual Charity Ball. The award is presented annually to the one person whose lifestyle of service is consistent with the organization’s mission.
DAVID SWENSON (BA 74, JD 77) of Alex-
andria, Virginia, global leader of the Tax Controversy and Dispute Resolution Network at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Washington, D.C., was inducted into the University of Mississippi School of Law Alumni Hall of Fame.
JIM BARKSDALE (BBA 65) and his wife,
Donna, of Jackson were honored in January at the University of Mississippi Medical Center with the Inspiration Award for contributions benefiting diverse and underrepresented communities.
’70s
RICK BARRY (BPA 76, JD 79),
managing partner at Barry, Thaggard, May and Bailey LLP in Meridian, was elected chairman of the University of Mississippi School of Law’s Lamar Order. BOB BIGGS (BA 72, JD 76), partner at Biggs,
Ingram & Solop PLLC in Jackson, was appointed to serve on the School of Law’s Alumni Chapter board of directors. LARRY CALVERT (BSPh 71), consultant phar-
macist and staff pharmacist at St. Vincent de Paul Community Pharmacy in Biloxi, was selected as the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy’s 2020 Distinguished Alumnus. RANDY NOEL (BPA 75, JD 78), attorney at
Butler Snow in Memphis, was appointed to serve on the School of Law’s Alumni Chapter board of directors.
A
s the world faces COVID-19, we want to share uplifting stories from our alumni who are adapting to new challenges, overcoming obstacles and helping those in need. Has your business changed its services or products to battle the pandemic? Have you found a unique way to provide services or help others? Are you a parent creatively and successfully balancing being a teleworking employee, a parent and teacher each day? Has the pandemic changed your wedding plans, anniversary celebration or child’s birthday party, yet you still found a way to make the best of the situation? Visit olemissalumni.com/share/ to share your story.
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ALUMNI News
’80s
LEE GIBSON (BAccy 86) was pro-
moted to chief operating officer of Diversified Trust, an independent wealth management firm with offices throughout the Southeast, as well as managing principal of the firm’s Memphis office. DIANE TRIPLETT HOLLOWAY (BS 85) of Nash-
ville was named in January as one of five new members of the board of directors for the Nashville Zoo. SHEPARD SMITH (87) of New York, New
York, is the recipient of the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media’s Silver Em award. Smith, who grew up in Holly Springs, spent more than 20 years anchoring Fox News before leaving the network in 2019.
’90s
NICK BRUNO (PhD 94), presi-
dent of the University of Louisiana Monroe, was presented the prestigious Rambin-Silverstein Memorial Civic Award in February at the 99th annual meeting and banquet of the Monroe Chamber of Commerce.
MARIE HOLDER (BA 98) of Little Rock was
appointed by Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to serve a 10-year term on the Arkansas Highway Commission. CHARLIE HUSSEY (BBA 99) of Mountain
Brook, Alabama, was appointed deputy commissioner of the Southeastern Conference in December 2019. Hussey, who spent the last few years overseeing the success of the SEC’s television network, has worked for the SEC since 2000. JONATHAN MCCOY (BBA 97) of Saltillo was
promoted from vice president to first vice president of BNA Bank. He has 23 years of banking experience and 10 years of service with BNA Bank. STEVE SETTLEMIRES (BPA 95, JD 99), partner
at Settlemires & Graham PLLC in Philadelphia, was elected as a commissioner of the Mississippi Bar.
’00s
Cleveland, was elected president-elect of the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar. ROBERT CHAPMAN (BA 07) of Clinton was
named public information officer of the Clinton Public School District. MIRIAM KNIGHT HOBSON (BBA 07) of
Oxford was promoted to vice president of operations at FNB Oxford Bank. EMILY RAWLINGS SUBER (BA 05), director of
sales for 662 Marketing Co. in Oxford, was named as one of the 50 Leading Business Women in February by Mississippi Business Journal.
’10s
JESS WALTMAN (BAcc y 13,
JD 16), attorney at Davis & Crump in Gulfport, was elected a director of the Young Lawyers Division of the Mississippi Bar.
JULIANNE BAILEY (BA 07, JD
10), attorney with the Mississippi Department of Human Services in
Innoducing THE 2020
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ALUMNI REVIEW
ALUMNI News BIRTHS Rachel Sherman, daughter of Miriam Knight Hobson (BBA 07) and John R. Hobson, July 31, 2019. Georgia Yancy, daughter of Kelly Blackstone Love and Samuel
Mary Holmes Cosby (BA 51) of Mobile, Ala., March 12, 2020 Jane Alexander Denton (51) of Tupelo, March 9, 2020 Albert Henry Dickens Jr. (LLB 52) of Huntersville, N.C., May 23, 2019 Jasper Marshall Dye II (BBA 53, MBA 55) of Greenville, S.C., March
Hammond Love (BA 07, MD 12), Dec. 20, 2019.
10, 2020
WEDDINGS
James Edward Hall (BBA 59) of Rome, Ga., Jan. 30, 2020
Megan Denise Stidd (BSCJ 16) and Joseph Michael Roan, Feb. 29, 2020. Jennifer Marie Studebaker (JD 96) and Steve McDonald, Dec. 14, 2019.
IN MEMORIAM
Dudley Earl Freeman Jr. (BSME 58) of Oxford, Feb. 19, 2020 William Nelson Hall (BBA 52) of Meridian, March 27, 2020 Lida Bateman Holden (BAEd 59) of Umatilla, Fla., March 19, 2020 Arthur Scott Hume Sr. (BSPh 58, MS 60, PhD 64) of Madison, Feb. 10, 2020 John Fenwick Jackson (BA 50) of Jackson, March 21, 2020 Kathryn Ready Johnson (BA 52) of Jackson, March 11, 2020
1930s
William Vernon Johnston Jr. (BBA 58) of Wentzville, Mo., March 26,
Dorothy Sparks Catlette (38) of Inverness, Feb. 22, 2020
Robert Allen Lowrey (BA 58, MA 63) of Maryville, Tenn., Feb. 4, 2020
Thomas Carnes Buford (39) of Glendora, Feb. 23, 2020
2020
Jewell Chandler Lynch (36) of Grimesland, N.C., March 4, 2020
George Irving Melichar (BBA 51) of Laurel, March 7, 2020
1940s
Samuel Virden Morse (BA 57, LLB 59) of Madison, April 3, 2020
Henry Clyde Brevard Jr. (BSCvE 43) of Tupelo, Feb. 24, 2020
Judith Toler Mullen (BAEd 57) of Madison, March 17, 2020
Mary Pressgrove Chennault (BA 41) of Gainesville, Ga., March 22, 2020
Sandra Seward Neeld (BSC 58) of Ridgeland, Feb. 25, 2020
Georgie Williams Clark (BA 46) of Victoria, Texas, March 15, 2020
Carolyn Taylor Peacock (BA 56) of Water Valley, March 22, 2020
Carmen Johnston Clayton (BA 47) of Shreveport, La., March 28, 2020
John Leslie Prichard (LLB 58) of Meridian, April 6, 2020
Kathryn Davant Dodson (48) of Clarksdale, March 1, 2020
Halbert Thompson Rogers Jr. (BBA 50) of Amory, March 10, 2020
Jacob Moses Fried Jr. (BSC 42, MBA 46) of Metairie, La., Feb. 18, 2020
Charles Edward Rowan (BSC 50) of Madison, March 19, 2020
John McQueen Gardner (BA 41) of Flowood, April 4, 2020
Eustace Semmes (BBA 51) of Memphis, Tenn., Feb. 29, 2020
Elizabeth Shipley Heberer (43) of Greensboro, N.C., March 31, 2020
Joseph Francis Small (BA 59) of Spring Hill, Fla., March 24, 2020
Billye Pritchett Herndon (BSS 47) of Lepanto, Ark., Feb. 26, 2020
Charles Rodney Smith (BS 50, MedCert 51) of New Orleans, La., March
James Lyman McDowell Jr. (BAEd 49) of Ridgeland, March 5, 2020
18, 2020
John Milton Mothershed (BBA 48) of Batesville, March 18, 2020 Miriam Horne Northrop (BA 46) of Memphis, Tenn., March 22, 2020
Troye Lloyd Mims Sr. (BA 53) of Grenada, Feb. 19, 2020
Sam Santo Spitale Jr. (53) of Morgan City, La., March 23, 2020 James Tyson Steele (BSPh 51) of Jackson, March 19, 2020
Mary Andrews Wilkinson (BAEd 47) of Lubbock, Texas, Feb. 17, 2020
Ray Harwood Stieffel Jr. (BA 53) of Bay St. Louis, Feb. 27, 2020
1950s
Mary Frances Lee Wilkie (MA 59) of Rock Hill, S.C., March 22, 2020
Helen McPherson Boyd (BA 58, MA 59) of Huntsville, Ala., Feb. 19,
1960s
Wayne Allen Blake (BBA 58) of Stuart, Fla., March 15, 2020 2020
Jimmy Talmadge Whiteside (58) of Alpharetta, Ga., Feb. 28, 2020
Vernon Spillman Bishop (PhD 64) of San Antonio, Texas, Feb. 19, 2020
Albert Dale Buckley (MBEd 59) of Eads, Tenn., Feb. 3, 2020
Anne Marlow Coggin (BAEd 65) of Memphis, Tenn., March 3, 2020
Ann McLemore Carothers (59) of Greenwood, Feb. 5, 2020
Carolyn Aldridge Delorio (BS 65) of Biloxi, Feb. 8, 2020
Howard David Clark (MedCert 53) of Morton, Feb. 10, 2020
Michael Roberson Dennis (BA 62) of Little Rock, Ark., March 21, 2020
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ALUMNI News Joe Barry McCaskill (BSPh 65) of Oxford, Feb. 23, 2020 Martin Hillard McMullan (MD 66) of Flowood, Feb. 23, 2020 Edward West Mullen (JD 62) of Florence, Ala., March 28, 2020 Margie Gresham Norwood (MEd 62) of Eads, Tenn., March 22, 2020 Robert Lee Oakman III (BA 63) of Columbia, S.C., Feb. 10, 2020 Kenneth Samuel Pace Jr. (BBA 69) of Pearl, Feb. 13, 2020 John Henry Roberts II (BSPh 67) of Magnolia, Jan. 28, 2020 Durwood Ruegger (JD 67) of Purvis, April 6, 2020 Hugh Isaac Stahlman III (BBA 63) of Natchez, Feb. 25, 2020 Robert Scott Tomlinson (BA 66) of Eau Claire, Wis., March 28, 2020 Oliver Beaman Triplett III (LLB 63) of Forest, Feb. 17, 2020 Michael Warren Twibell (BPA 69) of Macon, Ga., Feb. 1, 2020 Betty York Vance (BAEd 64) of Jackson, Tenn., March 26, 2020 Ronald Stewart Vaughan (BBA 65) of Tupelo, Feb. 4, 2020
T
he Ole Miss Class of 2020 experienced a final semester unlike any other. Join the Ole Miss Alumni Association in supporting these graduating seniors and graduate students by completing our 20 for ’20 form to share your best wishes for the newest Ole Miss alumni. Responses will be compiled and shared with the graduating class on our website. Select responses also will be shared on social media. Carl Eugene Drake (BBA 65, JD 67) of Vicksburg, Feb. 24, 2020 Patricia Lovorn Eaves (BSC 63) of Canton, March 20, 2020 Albert Jean Gamot Jr. (BBA 63, JD 70) of Okeechobee, Fla., Feb. 3, 2020 Ernest Levi Garner Jr. (67) of Batesville, Feb. 11, 2020
James Wylie Westbrook (MEd 64) of Royal Palm Beach, Fla., March 10, 2020
1970s
May Frances Barnett (BPA 74) of Baton Rouge, La., March 16, 2020 Donald Alvin Boyd (PhD 71) of Memphis, Tenn., March 10, 2020 Jane Patterson Boykin (BA 70) of Jackson, Feb. 11, 2020 Jerry Wayne Brawner (MEd 70, BSHPE 70) of Corinth, Feb. 20, 2020 Nanette Rachelle Christian (BA 72) of Flowood, Jan. 31, 2020 Charles W. Dayton (BPA 72, MCJ 78) of Pearl, Feb. 7, 2020 William Fred Edmonson (BAEd 72, EdD 73) of Fort Worth, Texas, Oct. 30, 2019
Robert George Gleason (BBA 60) of Inverness, Fla., March 2, 2020
George Timothy Gaston (BBA 72) of Fairhope, Ala., March 27, 2020
Yvonne Shelton Gresham (MEd 65) of New Albany, Feb. 19, 2020
Leslie Calvin Gates II (JD 75) of Meridian, March 25, 2020
William Boyd Haney Jr. (BBA 61) of Tupelo, March 31, 2020
Shannon McKinney Hanley (JD 75) of Ocala, Fla., Feb. 8, 2020
Marleah Kaufman Hobbs (MFA 65) of Oxford, April 5, 2020
William Edward Hathorn (BBA 71, JD 73) of Brookhaven, Feb. 10, 2020
Joseph Dee Hodge (BA 68) of Covington, La., Feb. 18, 2020
Thomas Abner Henderson (MEd 79) of Tupelo, March 23, 2020
Curtis Edwin Hodges (BSPh 61) of Canton, March 10, 2020
Michael Keith Henry (BA 76, JD 80) of Franklin, Tenn., June 25, 2019
Ralph Williams Hoffman (BA 69) of Franklin, N.C., March 24, 2020
Charles Roby Hicks Jr. (MD 71) of Dothan, Ala., Feb. 17, 2020
Charlie McIlwain Holcomb (MS 61) of Columbus, Feb. 15, 2020
Nellie Ruth Horton (MA 79) of Iuka, March 19, 2020
Buford Philip Howard (MCS 68, PhD 77) of Somerset, Ky., April 4, 2020
Ora Hollis Hudson (MEd 71) of Walnut, Feb. 5, 2020
Carl David James (MEd 68) of McDonough, Ga., Jan. 28, 2020
Rhes Vernon Low (BBA 71) of Laurel, March 9, 2020
Timothy Mathew Kersey (MCS 67) of The Villages, Fla., March 15, 2020
Randy Lee McClellan (BBA 79) of Madison, Feb. 9, 2020
Nancy Jane Kilpatrick (BBA 66) of Tupelo, March 9, 2020
Florence Brown Murff (SpecEd 75) of Tupelo, Feb. 16, 2020
Sandra Scarbrough Kramer (BA 64) of New Orleans, La., March 30, 2020
David Lyle Neville (BAEd 73, MEd 74) of Conyers, Ga., Feb. 16, 2020
Richard Reuben Laws Sr. (BSPh 60) of Columbus, Feb. 16, 2020
Gerald Claiborne Patch (JD 78) of Picayune, Feb. 29, 2020
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ALUMNI News
Thanking the Health Care Workers OMAA DONATES MEALS TO BAPTIST HOSPITAL EMPLOYEES
O
says OMAA Associate Director Scott Thompson (BA 97, MA 08). “This is just a small way for us to say thank you and show our support for those we need the most during this unprecedented time.” Baptist North Mississippi in Oxford is a 217-bed acute care facility serving the northern third of Mississippi. In 2017, Baptist opened a new hospital located at 1100 Belk Blvd., just minutes from the former facility.
Photos by Peyton Warrington
n April 15, the Ole Miss Alumni Association donated meals provided by Taylor Grocery Catering to over 700 employees at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi. Other sponsors included the Student Alumni Council, Young Alumni Council, Black Alumni Advisory Council and the M-Club Alumni Chapter. “We are so thankful for everything all of our front-line workers are doing to help those in need during the pandemic,”
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ALUMNI News
Association Offers Career Help 2020 GRADUATES PROVIDED FREE TICKETS TO ‘CAREERFESTIVAL’
A
little less than two months ago, Ole Miss graduating seniors were finishing up their academic requirements and starting to think about preparing their resumés. Some already had commitments from companies to hire them, but many more were feeling confident about landing a job in an employment market with only a 3.5% unemployment rate.
universities. The OMAA is giving away 5,000 free tickets to the Class of 2020 to participate in a four-day online Grad CareerFestival, June 24-26. The cost to participate in all 36 hours of live career presentations is $87. However, Class of 2020 graduates that register here will receive a free ticket. The massive four-day online career conference introduces graduates to the
And practically overnight, all of that changed with the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic. Graduating seniors soon learned that campus was closed for the rest of the school year, and the job market was going to be very different from what they had anticipated. With nearly two million students graduating from college in May and June in the United States, it’s not surprising that surveys show it takes the average graduate 7.4 months to find employment — even in a good job market. And with college campuses closed, seniors have less access to critical job search advice that career centers provide. Because of these issues, the Alumni Association partnered with TalentMarks, a higher education firm that has provided career and professional development programming and curricula to more than 1,000 colleges and
career philosophies and strategies of 72 of the world’s top career authors and coaches. Graduates will learn critically essential strategies to create an elevator pitch, build their online brand, use social media to land a job, as well as learn traditional networking, resumé, interviewing and job search techniques. Coaches will share the importance of exploring career options, creating a career plan, managing one’s career and staying current on soft skills and job search strategies. “For most grads, the need to focus on academics and participate in athletics, clubs and part-time jobs — not to mention social events — leaves little time to invest in career exploration, career management and learning fundamental job search skills,” says Kirk Purdom (BA 93), OMAA executive director. “In uncertain economic
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ALUMNI REVIEW
times, these skills are more important than ever. We expect grads will gain the confidence, knowledge and skills to not only find a job more quickly, but launch and lead successful careers.” Authors and coaches will share three tips in their individual TED Talk-length presentations. Graduates will walk away with hundreds of ideas and strategies that were not covered in their college academic curriculum. The career lectures are divided into four tracks: Career Management, Job Search, Soft Skills, Post-Graduation Life and offer an extensive collection of postgraduation career and professional development programming assembled just for graduates. “Research by Adecco Group that showed 81% of graduates wished they had done more while in college to prepare for their careers caught the attention of our partners who recognize there is a tremendous need to step in and offer grads help,” says Don Philabaum, CEO of TalentMarks and producer of the Grad CareerFestival. “Our authors, coaches, college recruiters, hiring managers and employment experts know the enormous impact career and life coaching can have on a person’s life. The Grad CareerFestival will change the trajectory of graduates’ careers.” Jennifer Doyle Vancil, president of Communicating Strengths and one of the participating coaches, shares why college career centers welcome this program. “C ol l e ge c are e r c e nte rs t r a d i tionally have limited staffing and financial resources to provide scalable postgraduation career suppor t to their students,” she says. “The Grad CareerFestival provides graduates with comprehensive career support not only when they need it — but when they are ready for it.” For more career resources, visit olemissalumni.com/career.
ALUMNI News Patricia Gorton Pressgrove (MEd 72) of Natchez, July 24, 2019 James Thomas Robertson (BBA 74) of Knoxville, Tenn., Jan. 30, 2020 George Rocco Sansone (MEd 74) of Punta Gorda, Fla., Nov. 10, 2019 Nicholas Alfred Sauchelli (BA 72) of Breinigsville, Pa., Jan. 23, 2020
1980s
Kris McAllister Allen (BSN 84) of Gulfport, April 4, 2020 Kenneth Wayne Craig (JD 80) of Pisgah Forest, N.C., Feb. 17, 2020 Peter Kevin Francis (BBA 81) of Marion, Ark., March 24, 2020 Jack Dennis Fudge (BBA 83) of Oxford, Feb. 2, 2020 Charles Thomas Haley (MD 87) of Grenada, April 5, 2020 Lydia Kathryn Hamby (BA 84) of Pearl, March 18, 2020 Richard Fintan Liberto (BBA 83) of Pensacola, Fla., Feb. 12, 2020 George Thomas Pharr III (BBA 81) of Tupelo, Jan. 30, 2020 Forrest Charles Phillips Jr. (BBA 82) of Hattiesburg, Feb. 4, 2020 Ingrid Fendrich Rea (BS 81) of Belden, March 21, 2020 Joe Thomas Renick (86) of Germantown, Tenn., Feb. 19, 2020 Angela Joy Summers (85) of Arlington, Texas, Feb. 21, 2020 Mark Burghardt Ulrich (BBA 81, MBA 95) of Monroe, La., March 14, 2020
1990s
Amy Anderson Allen (BAEd 98, MEd 99, SpecEd 08) of Easley, S.C., Nov. 28, 2019 Kimberly Coombs Conner (MS 97) of Madison, Ala., March 20, 2020 Joseph Benjamin David IV (BSES 93) of Lakeway, Texas, Feb. 5, 2020 Cynthia Sipp Davis (BS 91) of Jackson, March 26, 2020 Alton Joseph LeFebvre (JD 92) of Gulfport, Feb. 14, 2020 Malcom Andrew Loden (99) of Saltillo, March 19, 2020 Steve Maxcy (BA 91, MA 99) of Tupelo, March 23, 2020 Ralph Frederick Pitts III (BA 90) of Palm Bay, Fla., March 26, 2020 Melissa Turbeville Thomas (BSN 95) of Madison, March 16, 2020 Kimberly Mechelle Triplett (MEd 98, SpecEd 02) of Louisville, April 2, 2020
2000s
Lester Allen Barrios (07) of Water Valley, March 5, 2020 Christopher Lynn Cuchens (03) of Birmingham, Ala., Jan. 27, 2020 Barbara Camara Smith (BSW 00) of Oxford, Feb. 10, 2020
Dawn Bailey Weed (SpecEd 04, PhD 10) of Smithville, Feb. 19, 2020
2010s
James Scott Bell (13) of New Albany, Feb. 18, 2020 Robert Christopher Miller (BA 13, BA 13) of Gautier, Feb. 7, 2020
Faculty, Staff and Friends
Elizabeth Courtney Black of Oxford, Feb. 14, 2020 Billy D. Clark of Oxford, March 17, 2020 Roosevelt R. Collins of Sallis, Feb. 10, 2020 Dianne Grimes Daniels of Oxford, March 29, 2020 Candace Merritt Gambrell of Taylor, March 3, 2020 Amanda R. Hebner of Tupelo, March 12, 2020 Richard Glenn Hutchinson of Ridgeland, Jan. 27, 2020 Joy H. Kirkpatrick of Austin, Texas, Jan. 27, 2019 Thomas McCay Luster of Clarksdale, Feb. 5, 2020 Laudis Lorene Long McAlilly of Tupelo, March 13, 2020 Katherine Smith McCarthy of Hattiesburg, Feb. 5, 2020 Nattilie Wiggins Morgan of Flower Mound, Texas, March 30, 2020 Edward Gerrard Murphy of Carrollton, Ga., Feb. 16, 2020 John Randall Neff of Oxford, Jan. 30, 2020 Larry Grayson Newell of Flowood, Feb. 4, 2020 Harry Philpot Owens of Oxford, March 9, 2020 Trevian Pegues of Holly Springs, March 30, 2020 William Lamar Pickens of Oxford, April 6, 2020 Roland Burlson Robertson Jr. of Madison, March 30, 2020 David Daniel Taylor of Oxford, March 26, 2020 Melinda Tucker Tazelaar of Amory, April 2, 2020 Richard Merl Wells of Bentonville, Ark., Feb. 6, 2020
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 386771848. Class notes also may be submitted through the Association’s website at olemissalumni.com. The Association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni.
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Ole Miss Alumni Association P.O. Box 1848 University, MS 38677-1848 (662) 915-7375 olemissalumni.com
Photo by Thomas Graning