Ole Miss Alumni Review - Summer 2018 by Ole Miss Alumni Association

OLE MISS ALUMNI REVIEW

SUMMER 2018

ALUMNI REVIEW

SUMMER 2018

Croft Alumni Take on the World VOL. 67 NO. 3

SIX GRADUATES REFLECT ON THEIR EXPERIENCE

Ole Miss Hall of Famer credited with ‘altering the face of medicine’

Alumna Susan Dio serves as chairman and president of BP America

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Features ALUMNI REVIEW

Go Forth and Prosper: 18 Croft Alumni Take on the World

Six graduates reflect on their experience

BY SHEA STEWART

24 American Success Story

Alumna Susan Dio serves as chairman and president of BP America BY BRIAN HUDGINS

28 Renowned Immunologist Wins Japan Prize Ole Miss Hall of Famer credited with ‘altering the face of medicine’ BY TINA H. HAHN

34 Difference Maker BY ANNIE RHOADES

Contents

From technology success to movies, alumnus Stephen Johnston produces

VOL. 67 NO. 3

Departments

SUMMER 2018

ON THE COVER

2 Chancellor’s Letter 4 President’s Letter 6 From the Circle

16 Calendar

40 Ole Miss Sports

Warner Alford picked for NACDA Hall of Fame Janeah Stewart wins NCAA hammer title

46 Just Published

48 Rebel Traveler

52 Alumni News

The Croft Institute for International Studies, which boasts 520 alumni, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Photo by Kevin Bain

O le M iss A lumni R ev iew Publisher Kirk Purdom (93) Editor Jim Urbanek II (97) jim@olemiss.edu Associate Editor and Advertising Director Annie Rhoades (07, 09) annie@olemiss.edu Editorial Assistant Bethany Fitts Contributing Editor Benita Whitehorn Art Director Amy Howell Contributors Andrew M. Abernathy (08, 10), Kevin Bain (98), Karen Bascom, Stella Connell, Sydney Slotkin DuPriest, Jay Ferchaud, Thomas Graning, Tina Hahn, Anna Herd (16), Brian Hudgins, Robert Jordan (83, 90), Joshua McCoy, Michael Newsom (05), Annie Oeth, Edwin Smith (80, 93), Christina Steube (11, 16), Shea Stewart (00), Jordan Thomas (09) Officers of the University of Mississippi Alumni Association Bobby Bailess (73, 76) president Augustus L. “Leon” Collins (82) president-elect Matt Lusco (79) vice president Andy Kilpatrick (74) athletics committee member Deano Orr (93) athletics committee member Alumni Affairs Staff, Oxford Kirk Purdom (93), executive director Joseph Baumbaugh, systems analyst III Allie Bush, graphic web designer Clay Cavett (86), associate director, campaigns and special projects Anne Cofer (07, 08), accountant Martha Dollarhide, systems programmer II Sunny Eicholtz (09, 11), coordinator of student engagement 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. 19387

ALUMNI REVIEW

C hancellor from the

Dear Alumni and Friends,

After 38 years in higher education, I continue to be amazed by the vibrant activity and achievements across our campuses during the summer months. Sharon and I have relished visiting with enthusiastic alumni at events such as the Honors College alumni brunch in New York City, the Rebel Road Trip stops across the U.S. and the Journey through Europe tour with OMAA. If I had to choose one word to capture the current atmosphere at the University of Mississippi, it would be “transformational.” Across all of our campuses and in all of our endeavors, we’re committed to move our flagship ever forward and realize our mission to transform lives, communities and the world. Our road map is our new strategic plan, appropriately named Flagship Forward. It illustrates how it’s in our Ole Miss DNA to inspire, discover and transform. The plan is based upon four foundational pillars and includes exciting universitywide initiatives such as M Partner, Flagship Constellations and plans for a major new capital campaign. Read more about it at FlagshipForward.OleMiss.edu. We are literally building for the future: Our biggest-ever project on the Oxford campus — a new $140 million, 207,000-square-foot Science Innovation Institute — will transform STEM education. Crews are making steady progress on the $32 million, 121,000-squarefoot South Campus Recreation Facility and Transportation Hub, which will house the William Magee Center for Wellness Education, fitness activity space, basketball courts, climbing wall, elevated track, indoor ropes course and much more. We will transform health care for our youngest Mississippians with a $180 million expansion of our renowned Batson Children’s Hospital, the only children’s hospital in the state. It will add private neonatal intensive care rooms, a pediatric intensive care unit, operating rooms and imaging devices designed especially for children. In this issue of the Alumni Review, you’ll read about the transformative power of higher education upon people’s lives. Consider for example, the extraordinary paths pursued by alumni of our Croft Institute for International Studies, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Or how alumnus Max Cooper, an internationally renowned immunologist and medical pioneer, recently won the Japan Prize. And be sure to read the impressive profiles on alumna and new BP America CEO Susan Dio and alumnus, entrepreneur and movie producer Stephen Johnston. Among other notable achievements, Ole Miss was named a “Great College to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education — for the 10th consecutive year. In the NCAA annual scorecard of academic achievement, our Athletics Department notched the highest APR score in program history with an average score of 989 out of a possible 1,000. And in a new ranking, we’re top in the SEC with job placement rates for our graduates over the last decade. We owe so much to the strong support of our alumni and friends, who enable us to provide stellar opportunities. I’m excited to share that, as of this past June 30, we’ve raised over $100 million for the seventh year in a row! Thank you for all you do for our flagship university! On a final note, I’m delighted to welcome two key members to our leadership team: alumna Erica McKinley (JD 98) as general counsel, bringing nearly 20 years of global legal experience in the private and public sectors; and Jim Zook as chief communications/marketing strategist, building upon a distinguished career in corporate communications, consulting and media. Sincerely,

Jeffrey S. Vitter Chancellor

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President from the

Dear Alumni and Friends,

As I reflect on my year as your president, I am amazed at the positive things that have occurred — not due to anything attributable to me — but nevertheless, things that deserve mentioning. At the risk of leaving out some things that should be mentioned, here goes: • The nation’s best athletics director, Ross Bjork, has managed to secure the services of three outstanding head coaches of three major sports. • The women’s golf team competed in the NCAA tournament. • The Rebel baseball team won the SEC West title and the SEC Tournament. • The Egg Bowl trophy is back where it belongs.

When You

• Our university is ranked No. 73 among the “Top Public Schools,” and 14 of our graduate school programs are ranked in the top 100 public institutions by U.S. News and World Report. • Our university was named to The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For” for the 10th consecutive year. • The University of Mississippi Museum was named to College Rank’s 50 Most Amazing College Museums in the country.

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• The number of life memberships in the Alumni Association passed 10,000 for the first time ever and is at an all-time high of more than 10,300. • The Sustaining Life membership program has grown to more than 600 donors with a record $108,000 given to support Alumni Association programs and activities. • Overall, active membership in our Alumni Association sits at a very strong 26,000 members, a number we can keep growing with your continued support. These things don’t just happen. They are the result of the love and dedication of so many supporters who often anonymously and always unselfishly give of their time, talent and treasure to Ole Miss, to promote and improve our flagship university, the most beautiful campus in America. It is my hope that you will continue to actively promote and support our Alumni Association. My good friend, Leon Collins, will be taking over the reins at Homecoming. Leon and I have served together before. His heart is all in. He and his wife, Debra, are the kind of people that you want to lead this Association. Support Leon and Debra as they serve you. Good things are happening at Ole Miss! Hotty Toddy!

Bobby Bailess (BBA 73, JD 76)

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Circle from the

THE L ATES T ON OLE MISS S TUDENTS, FACULT Y, S TAFF AND FRIENDS

‘The Quiet Persuader’

UNIVERSITY HONORS THAD COCHRAN WITH HUMANITARIAN AWARD

ALUMNI REVIEW

international leader in natural products research. Cochran also has been a strong advocate for numerous other campus research programs, which address many national needs, especially in national defense and agriculture. Those programs helped UM become more competitive Photo by Kevin Bain

uring its 165th Commencement in May, the University of Mississippi honored former U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (BA 59, JD 65) with its Mississippi Humanitarian Award, which is presented only rarely to exceptional figures who have played a major role in shaping the state. Cochran was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1972, and in 1978, he began a nearly 40-year career in the U.S. Senate — many of those years serving as the longtime chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, a powerful and coveted post on Capitol Hill. Time magazine dubbed the Pontotoc native “The Quiet Persuader” for his polite manner and knack for consensus building. He retired April 1 as the 10th-longest-serving senator in American history. “The University of Mississippi is dear to me, and I am humbled by this award,” Cochran says. “It was an honor to serve Mississippi in Washington, and I am proud of our state’s progress to increase opportunities for its citizens. “I hope future generations will dedicate themselves to doing their part to make Mississippi the best place to live, work and enjoy life.” Chancellor Jeffrey S. Vitter says he is proud the university had an opportunity to recognize Cochran for his tireless support of its research efforts. “Honoring Sen. Cochran with the Mississippi Humanitarian Award is a tremendous opportunity to recognize his outstanding contributions to our university, our state and our nation,” Vitter says. “I’m grateful for the senator’s longstanding efforts to support and grow the university, especially our research enterprise.” This is the fourth time the Mississippi Humanitarian Award has been presented since it was created in 2001. That year, it honored Jim (BBA 65) and Sally McDonnell (BSC 65) Barksdale. In 2003, former Gov. William Winter (BA 43, LLB 49) and his wife, Elise (BA 48), were honored. The last winner of the award was Myrlie Evers-Williams in 2013. Vitter announced the award in the Grove, just steps from the Thad Cochran Research Center, home of the National Center for Natural Products Research. The senator played a central role in the late 1980s in securing federal funding for NCNPR, and his efforts helped strengthen the university as an

U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran

in securing research funding and have helped it earn its designation as a Carnegie R1 Highest Research Activity institution, the highest ranking a university can attain in the Carnegie classification. It was also announced that the former senator is donating his papers to the university’s Modern Political Archives. Ole Miss is “deeply honored” to receive such an important collection, Vitter says. “We can say without hesitation that he has been one of the key figures in moving Ole Miss from the small stage to the ‘big time’ in terms of our research enterprise and the educational offerings we can provide,” Vitter says.

from the Circle

New General Counsel Appointed ATTORNEY BRINGS 20 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE IN PRIVATE, PUBLIC SECTORS Office of the Attorney General, where she served as chief of general litigation. She was later appointed general counsel for the D.C. Department of Human Resources. Early in her career, McKinley practiced commercial litigation and white collar criminal defense with two D.C. firms, Arnold & Porter and Akin Gump. “I am honored to supp or t the University of Mississippi as it continues its unprecedented growth in higher education, research and health care,” McKinley says. “I’ve come home to Oxford with an immediate sense of pride, purpose and responsibility.” Originally from Jackson, McKinley graduated from the UM School of Law summa cum laude and salutatorian. After law school, she completed a clerkship with Judge E. Grady Jolly on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. McKinley also holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Tougaloo College. “We are extremely pleased to have an accomplished leader with such vast experience,” Vitter says. “Ms. McKinley

Photo by Kevin Bain

he University of Mississippi has appointed Erica McKinley (JD 98) as general counsel. McKinley, former chief operating officer for the National Basketball Players Association, is an attorney with nearly 20 years of global legal experience in the private and public sectors. As general counsel, McKinley will serve as the university’s chief legal officer. She will report to Chancellor Jeffrey S. Vitter and provide advice and counsel on a wide array of matters including governance, research, athletics, student affairs and finance. McKinley also will coordinate with the University of Mississippi Medical Center on legal matters, working closely with its general counsel. She will be a member of the chancellor’s senior leadership team. McKinley is a trusted adviser with outstanding judgment and a distinguished background, Vitter said. Before her work in professional basketball with the NBPA, she was associate general counsel for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Pre v i ou s l y, Mc K i n l e y w a s an assistant attorney general in the D.C.

Erica McKinley

is a highly respected attorney with exceptional legal experience in corporate, government and private practice. We are thrilled to welcome Erica back to Ole Miss.” McKinley assumed the role of general counsel on June 2.

IMC ONLINE GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM LAUNCHED

nterested professionals can earn a graduate degree in integrated marketing communications completely online through the Meek School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi starting in August. This program is designed to give mid-career professionals an opportunity to learn how to use communication to connect people and organizations, without having to uproot their lives to become full-time students on a college campus. It also is opening the school’s programs to students around the world. The master’s program in integrated

marketing communications allows online students to take the same courses as residential students, with the only differences being the flexibility of delivery and the sequence of the courses. “Demand is high for advanced study in how to integrate communication efforts to influence people’s behavior, but moving to Oxford to complete a graduate degree is quite difficult for people who are working full time and have other obligations,” says Robert Magee, program director and assistant professor of IMC. Students can complete the 36-credit-

hour degree program in two years by taking courses throughout the fall, spring and summer semesters. The curriculum combines theory, insight and real-world application in the areas of audience research, analytics, creative production and brand strategy. Graduates are prepared for leadership roles in advertising and public relations agencies, corporations, media, nonprofit organizations, health care, political communication and sports. To learn more about the journalism and IMC programs at Ole Miss, visit meek.olemiss.edu. S U M M E R 2 018

from the Circle

Writing on the Wall

ANCIENT GRAFFITI PROJECT OFFERS DOOR TO PAST FOR UM PROFESSOR

2,000 years ago,” DiBiasie-Sammons says. “One thing I’ve been struck by is that life 2,000 years ago was not so different than life today. We express some of the same sorts of thoughts and ideas and dislikes. “I believe we can learn a lot about ourselves by looking Submitted photo

enturies before Kilroy was here, “Hyacinthus was here,” lurking around the streets of ancient Herculaneum, carving his eternal presence into wall plaster with graffiti. Hyacinthus’ reminder is joined by other graffiti etched into the walls of the Italian town that was entombed under tons of volcanic pyroclastic flows from the erupting Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79. These inscriptions have been preserved for centuries by the weight of the exploding Vesuvius. Those graffiti and graffiti from the neighboring town of Pompeii, also buried by the blast of Vesuvius, are being documented and digitized by The Ancient Graffiti Project, a venture whose field director is University of Mississippi classics professor Jacqueline DiBiasie-Sammons.

Rebecca Benefiel, an associate professor of classics at Washington and Lee University and Ancient Graffiti Project director, uses an iPad to photograph graffiti in Herculaneum, Italy.

“The Ancient Graffiti Project is an archaeological project whose goal is to find, document and digitize ancient graffiti from the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum,” she says. “We search for graffiti on the walls of these ancient cities, document them using archaeological techniques and then digitize them in an online, free database so that anybody in the world can learn about ancient graffiti. “Ancient graffiti give us a sense of what it was like to live 8

ALUMNI REVIEW

to the past. This is one reason why the study of classics is important: by looking backward, we can learn a great deal about the present.” During fieldwork in previous summers, the project, which started in 2014, has digitized more than 500 ancient graffiti, about 300 from Herculaneum and another 200 from Pompeii. This summer, DiBiasie-Sammons and three Ole Miss students, along with other members of the project, returned to Herculaneum to document the graffiti. Next summer, DiBiasieSammons will spend her field season in Pompeii, which once had about 8,000 graffiti markings. “This material hasn’t been studied extensively so there’s opportunity for students to do completely original research that makes a significant contribution to the field,” she says. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to really make a difference in our understanding of the ancient Romans.”

from the Circle

UM GRADUATE PROGRAMS HIGHLY RANKED BY

he University of Mississippi offers 14 graduate programs ranked in the top 100 among public institutions. Seven programs joined the ranks of the top 100 in the 2019 edition of the Best Graduate Schools rankings, adding to seven other UM graduate programs that were previously ranked. UM graduate programs ranked in the top 100: • Pharmacy (No. 23) • History (tied for No. 38) • English (tied for No. 40) • Business (tied for No. 53) • Law (tied for No. 54)

• Political science (tied for No. 59) • Social work (tied for No. 62) • Clinical psychology (tied for No. 67) • Education (tied for No. 68) • Physics (tied for No. 83) • Mathematics (tied for No. 85) • Chemistry (tied for No. 99) Online graduate programs at UM ranked in the top 100: • MBA (No. 20) • Education (tied for No. 35) The business program performed exceptionally well in the 2019 edition of the rankings, finishing in a tie for No. 53 among public institutions. “We are excited for the recognition

of our MBA program, and this ranking is a testament to the quality of our faculty and the outstanding educational experience that we provide for our students,” says Ken Cyree, dean of the School of Business Administration. “We continue to create opportunities for student success and offer an excellent value in the marketplace for students aspiring to receive an MBA.” Earlier this year, named the university’s online Master of Business Administration as one of the best in the nation, ranking No. 20 nationally, and the Ole Miss online graduate education programs tied for No. 35 among public institutions.

Noteworthy Plan

TUTORING APP TAKES TOP PRIZE AT UM BUSINESS CONTEST Photo by Thomas Graning

n online, captive business concept that connects high school students w it h col lege students for homework took first place in the 14th annual Gillespie Business Plan Competition at the University of Mississippi. Shortwork LLC, conceived by Will Tribble and Sam Harres, is a tutoring app for high schoolers looking for solutions to homework questions. With this model, customers pay $3 to submit a photo of their homework problem, and Shortwork’s approved solvers claim the problems and respond with filmed explanations of the answers. “We’ve been working on this since we came up with the idea in January,” says Tribble, a junior engineering major from Charlottesville, Virginia. “We’ve already started talking with tutoring companies and even high schools about partnering with them to expand our reach and connect as many students as possible with a new tool to get ahead in their studies.”

Ken Cyree (left), dean of the UM School of Business Administration, and management professor Clay Dibrell (right) congratulate Will Tribble (second from left) and Sam Harres, founders of Shortwork LLC, on winning the annual Gillespie Business Plan Competition.

Shortwork won $10,000 and a year of free office space at the Innovation Hub at Insight Park, the university’s business incubator. “We are thrilled to have the Gillespie Business Plan Competition in the School of Business since it

provides not only an experiential learning opportunity for budding entrepreneurs, but also because it provides seed money to actually start the business they are pitching,” says Ken Cyree, dean of the School of Business Administration. S U M M E R 2 018

from the Circle

Top Teacher

EDUCATION PROFESSOR WINS ELSIE M. HOOD TEACHING AWARD

A Photo by Kevin Bain

nn Monroe, assistant dean and associate professor at the University of Mississippi School of Education, is the 2018 recipient of the Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, the highest honor a UM faculty member can receive for teaching.

Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter presents the 2018 Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award to Ann Monroe, assistant dean and associate professor of teacher education in the UM School of Education, during Honors Convocation ceremonies April 5 at the Ford Center.

Each year, the Hood award honors one Ole Miss faculty member who represents the highest standard of teaching

excellence and student engagement. Students and faculty submit letters of nomination, and many award winners are nominated multiple times over years before being selected for the honor. During the ceremony, Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter noted how Monroe’s professional accomplishments complement and inform her excellence in teaching. “In reading her nomination letters, perhaps most impressive is how, through her example, she has shown her students the value of ‘paying it forward’ as a teacher,” he said. “She helps them see the rewards of teaching for their own merits, from the joy of being in the classroom to the value of engaging with students.” An educator for more than 21 years, Monroe identifies herself as a third-grade teacher who is preparing future teachers for the classroom — a fact she is quick to point out to others. On the wall of her office in Guyton Hall, Monroe has framed photos of her third-grade classes from her first teaching job at Thrasher Elementary School in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, which she started in 1997. “When I left my third-grade classroom, it was a bittersweet moment, but I had to do it to come here,” Monroe says. “I still miss the opportunity to be in a third-grade classroom sometimes, but working at the university level, I don’t just impact 25 students at a time. I get the chance to impact future teachers who go on to inspire thousands. For me, that’s awesome.”

UM TO OFFER STATE’S ONLY GRADUATE DEGREE IN ETHNOMUSICOLOGY

ALUMNI REVIEW

Photo by Thomas Graning

he University of Mississippi Department of Music is expanding its graduate program offerings beginning this fall, adding a Master of Music with emphases in musicology, ethnomusicology and music theory. “The department is adding these new programs because we want to better serve the students of Mississippi and the region,” says Alan Spurgeon, professor of music and the department’s director of graduate studies. The addition of these degrees “will significantly expand and enrich our graduate program,” says Robert Riggs, chair of the music department. “Very few universities in this region offer graduate degrees in these important fields — we will be the only one in Mississippi where students can pursue ethnomusicology — and thus, we hope to attract many applicants,” Riggs says. John Latartara, associate professor of music, is heading up the music theory program; George Dor, professor of music and holder of the McDonnell-Barksdale Chair of Ethnomusicology, is in charge of the ethnomusicology program; and Thomas Peattie, associate professor of music, is leading the musicology program.

The Ole Miss African Drum and Dance Ensemble performs earlier this year during the 2018 Black History Month concert.

Expanding the music department’s program options “will make for a more diverse student body,” Spurgeon says. “These new degrees are all research degrees, and we’ll have people studying new topics that wouldn’t have been covered with our other degrees,” he says. “It further enhances our position as a research department and as a research university.”

from the Circle

Best in Class

TEN SENIORS NAMED UM HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

en University of Mississippi seniors were inducted into the university’s 2017-18 Hall of Fame in April, one of the highest honors afforded students at Ole Miss. The inductees were honored in a ceremony at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. A campus committee chooses Hall of Fame members in accordance with policy developed by the Associated Student Body. Selections are based on outstanding contributions in all aspects of campus life. This year’s Hall of Fame members are Allen Coon of Petal; Christopher Feazell of Mendenhall; Terrence Johnson of Shuqualak; Jiwon Lee of Oxford; Megan McLeod of Highlands Ranch, Colorado; Savannah Smith of Corinth; Austin Spindler of Savannah, Tennessee; Elizabeth Taylor of Whitesboro, Texas; Jacob Thrasher of Birmingham, Alabama; and Ingrid Valbuena of Maracaibo, Venezuela.

“Each of the students selected for Hall of Fame has a record of scholarship and service to the university community and has impacted the Ole Miss campus in a positive way,” says Mindy Sutton Noss, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students. “Hall of Fame is a fitting way to recognize the legacy that each of them leaves at the University of Mississippi.” The 10 students were among 200 UM seniors recognized for inclusion in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. “The Hall of Fame is a time-honored process that has identified students who have gone on to make a true difference in the world,” says Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “This year’s inductees have made a mark on our institution and have developed abilities that will serve them well in their careers.”

Allen Coon

Christopher Feazell

Terrence Johnson

Jiwon Lee

Megan McLeod

Savannah Smith

Austin Spindler

Elizabeth Taylor

Jacob Thrasher

Ingrid Valbuena S U M M E R 2 018

from the Circle

UMMC PROFESSOR EARNS SEC FACULTY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

ane Reckelhoff, Billy S. Guyton Distinguished Professor and chair of cell and molecular biology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, is the 2018 Southeastern Conference Faculty Achievement Award winner for the university. To be eligible for the SEC Faculty Achievement Award, individuals must hold the rank of full professor at an SEC university. They must also have an extraordinary teaching record and be a nationally or internationally recognized scholar in their field. “Dr. Jane Reckelhoff helps define excellence at the University of Mississippi, and we are so pleased she is being recognized and honored as an SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner,” Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter says. “This recognition is a testament to her outstanding contributions as an award-winning researcher, respected academic leader, nationally recognized health advocate and an empowering mentor.”

Jane Reckelhoff

A graduate of the Medical College of Virginia with a Ph.D. in biochemistry, Reckelhoff joined the Medical Center in 1991 as an assistant professor of physiology and biophysics. She rose to the rank of

full professor before becoming chair of the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology in 2017. Reckelhoff researches sex- and genderbased differences in blood pressure control and kidney function, as well as the mechanisms responsible for postmenopausal hypertension. Her research has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 1998. She is co-principal investigator on a multi-institutional award to study hypertension in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. She also serves as principal investigator on a National Institute of General Medical Sciences grant to study perinatal health and disease. Reckelhoff is director of the Women’s Health Research Center and director of the Mississippi Center for Excellence in Perinatal Research at UMMC. She also served as president of the American Physiological Society in 2016.

Social Activist

JAZ BRISACK NAMED UM’S 15TH TRUMAN SCHOLAR

ALUMNI REVIEW

a winner in the Creative Nonfiction division of the Southern Literary Festival and receiving the UM Outstanding Freshman award. A National Merit Scholar finalist, she is also a member of the UM debate team and a recipient of the Honors College Extraordinary Research Funds and Penny Leeton Service Award. Brisack’s plans include earning a Master of Fine Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter with Jaz Brisack Arts in creative writing and later working with a small and “I want to help create a network of independent union or network of independent locals with self-determiunions to help empower workers to nation that retain nationwide leverage bring democratic processes to their while maintaining a decentralized workplaces. approach,” Brisack says.

Photo by Kevin Bain

az Brisack, a junior at the University of Mississippi, has been named the university’s 15th Harry S. Truman Scholar. Brisack was one of three UM finalists for the coveted scholarship. Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter surprised the Oxford native and Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College student on April 11 with the announcement in the Lyceum. “Jaz Brisack is upholding our strong and distinguished tradition of student excellence and public service,” Vitter says. “We are so pleased to offer programs and learning opportunities that prepare our students to be competitive on a national stage.” Brisack’s honors include having an article, “Organizing Unions as Social Policy,” published in the Global Encyclopedia of Public Policy, being

from the Circle Photo courtesy of UMMC

Among those reviewing a research poster are Drs. Abhay Bhatt (left), Yi Pang, Chirag Talati, Sumana Ramarao and Pradeep Alur.

Hope on Display

INAUGURAL PEDIATRIC RESEARCH DAY SPOTLIGHTS POTENTIAL ADVANCES IN CARE r. Sumana Ramarao helped pin up posters along the mural-covered hall leading to Children’s Hospital as part of the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s first Pediatric Research Day June 15. Each poster displayed the results of months, even years, of work that have the potential to one day change the care of children and babies. “Sumana, you’re the mother of good children!” Dr. Norma Ojeda, associate professor of neonatology, exclaimed over Ramarao’s participation in multiple research projects, including one that shows how a commonly used antibiotic, azithromycin, can reduce brain inflammation in low-weight newborns. That particular project involved 18 months of work during Ramarao’s three-year fellowship. She joined UMMC as a neonatologist in July. Held in an area of the Medical Center that’s a crossroads for medical professionals as well as patients and families, Pediatric Research Day is an effort to highlight research efforts to colleagues and the community, says organizer Lacy Malloch, research specialist in pediatrics and child development. “We wanted to show our research where families would 14

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be walking, so it will be seen by not only faculty and staff but also by the families we serve,” Malloch says. Showcasing research promotes UMMC and encourages its people, Ojeda says. “I don’t care if you are in kindergarten or are a full professor, you want to be recognized for what you are doing.” Displays included details of efforts to create a universitybased pediatric clinical trials network and find best practices for care of infants exposed in utero to opioids, Vitamin D supplementation in children with obesity-related asthma, hypoxic ischemic brain injuries in newborns, intrauterine growth restriction, ventilation after surgery and ways to increase availability of breast milk to babies in neonatal intensive care. Pediatric cardiology research projects included studies in managing acute renal failure following pediatric heart transplants and use of stents to treat vascular obstructions. That so many of the research projects focused on newborns was gratifying for Dr. Abhay Bhatt, professor and director of research in newborn medicine. “I’m very proud of the work being done by our fellows,” Bhatt says. “They’re finding innovative approaches to medical challenges, and their work shows that our fellowship programs match any in the U.S.”

Modern Design Meets Nature

Situated 15 minutes from Oxford, 26 lakeside dwellings blend seamlessly into nearly 650 acres of rolling pine forests, lakes, wetlands and trails. Hike, boat, fish, or just kick back and relax.

Visit Us 484 County Road 343, Taylor, MS 38673

Calendar Photo by Kevin Bain

Fall classes begin AUG. 20

AUGUST

Tippah County Ole Miss Club Scholarship Luncheon: Featuring Kermit Davis, Ole Miss men’s basketball coach. Ripley, Biscuit’s Steakhouse, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Call 662-915-7375 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

20 30

Fall classes begin.

Patterson School of Accountancy Luncheon: Memphis, Chickasaw Country Club, 11:30 a.m. Call 662-9157375 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

Symposium: Freedom of Information Road Show. A symposium on Mississippi’s Freedom of Information — or sunshine — laws. Featuring Tom Hood, executive director of the Mississippi Ethics Commission, and Leonard Van Slyke, attorney for the Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information. Hosted by the Meek School of Journalism and New Media and the Mississippi Press Association.

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Farley Hall, 2-3:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. Visit meek.olemiss.edu.

Performance: “Robert Frost: This Verse Business.” Starring Gordon Clapp of “NYPD Blue.” In Clapp’s acclaimed performance, the funny and flinty old icon shares his poems and his pointed “wild surmises” on religion, science, “liberals” and “conservatives.” Culled from actual recordings, interviews and letters. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

Reception: Ole Miss Alumni Association reception before the Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech game, Houston, Texas, Westin Galleria, 5-7 p.m. Free to attend. Call 662-915-7375.

SEPTEMBER

Football: AdvoCare Texas Kickoff, Ole Miss vs. Texas Tech. Houston, NRG Stadium, 11 a.m. Visit olemissfb.com.

Scholarship Reception: Ole Miss Alumni Association scholarship recipient reception. Triplett Alumni Center, 4 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.

Football: Ole Miss vs. Southern Illinois. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, 3 p.m. Visit olemissfb.com.

Performance: John Crist – Good Medicine Tour. With over 500 million video views and sold-out shows from coast to coast, comedian and viral video sensation John Crist is the next big thing in stand-up comedy. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

Performance: The Hot Sardines. Fueled by the belief that classic jazz feeds the heart and soul, the Hot Sardines are on a mission to make old sounds new again and prove that joyful music can bring people together in a disconnected world. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

Calendar

Banking and Finance Symposium: Oxford Conference Center, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 662-915-7375 or email kmikell@bus.olemiss.edu.

Football: Ole Miss vs. Alabama. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, 6 p.m. Visit olemissfb.com.

School of Pharmacy Tailgate: Front lawn of Faser Hall. Sponsored by Cardinal Health/QS1, 3-5 p.m. Call 662-915-1878.

School of Law Tailgate: Front lawn of Triplett Alumni Center. Sponsored by SBA, 3-5 p.m. Call 662915-1878.

Performance: Ferri-CornejoLevingston: An Evening of Dance and Music. Internationally acclaimed ballet stars Alessandra Ferri and Herman Cornejo join piano virtuoso and the UM Chancellor’s Honors College Artist-in-Residence Bruce Levingston in an unforgettable evening of dance and music. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Fall Convocation: Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7-8:30 p.m. Visit honors.olemiss.edu.

M-Club Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony: The Inn at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner. Call 662-915-2377.

Football: Ole Miss vs. Kent State. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

Patterson School of Accountancy Luncheon: Jackson, River Hills Club, 11:30 a.m. Call 662915-7375 or visit olemissalumni.com/ events.

OCTOBER

Alumni Hall of Fame Awards Gala: The Inn at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner. Ticket required. Call 662-915-1871.

Ole Miss Alumni Association Annual Meeting: The Inn at Ole Miss. Time TBA. Call 662-915-7375 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

Football: Ole Miss vs. ULM, Homecoming. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

RMI Career Fair: The Inn at Ole Miss, 1-4 p.m. Call 662801-6695 or visit olemissalumni.com/ events.

Performance: St. Lawrence String Quartet. The SLSQ is renowned for the intensity of its performances, its breadth of repertoire and its commitment to concert experiences that are at once intellectually exciting and emotionally alive. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

Harvest Supper: Friends of the Museum will host Harvest Supper 2018 on the historic grounds of Rowan Oak to support the UM Museum, 6-10 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-7073.

Bridging the Gap: A studentalumni networking forum. The Inn at Ole Miss Ballroom, 3 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.

Football: Ole Miss vs. Auburn. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

Student Alumni Council and Young Alumni Tailgate: Lawn of the Triplett Alumni Center. Three hours prior to kickoff. Call 662-915-7375.

School of Pharmacy Tailgate: Front lawn of Faser Hall. Sponsored by CVS. Three hours prior to kickoff. Call 662-915-1878.

Performance: “The Wizard of Oz” – National Tour. This production is a spectacular celebration of the classic 1939 MGM film. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

Patterson School of Accountancy Luncheon: Houston, Texas. Location TBA, 11:30 a.m. Call 662-9157375 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

NOVEMBER

Football: Ole Miss vs. South Carolina. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

Performance: “Jersey Boys” – National Tour. Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning true-life musical phenomenon. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

Performance: Warren Wolf Quartet. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music, Wolf has taken the jazz world by storm. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org. For a complete and latest listing of Ole Miss sports schedules, visit olemisssports.com.

For more Oxford events, news and information, go to visitoxfordms.com or call 662-232-2477.

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GO FORTH AND PROSPER: Croft Alumni Take on the World Six graduates reflect on their experience

By Shea Stewart

Photo by iStock ALUMNI REVIEW

Elizabeth Romary (BA 17)

Pho to b y

Tho mas Gra nin g

English teacher with Peace Corps in Namibia

Oliver Dinius Croft executive director and associate professor of history

n May 2000, Lauren Gent Ross (BA 00, MA 02) became the first graduate of the Croft Institute for International Studies at the University of Mississippi. A Gulfport native, Ross entered Ole Miss in 1996. The international studies and Spanish double major joined the Croft Institute when it opened in August 1998 and graduated four semesters later. Two decades later as the Croft Institute celebrates the 20th anniversary of its opening, the program boasts 520 alumni, including 33 who graduated this year. Those graduates have carried the message of the Croft Institute — and the University of Mississippi — far and wide. Croft was established in 1997 by a generous gift and is funded annually by the Joseph C. Bancroft Charitable and Educational Fund. Each class has fulfilled Croft’s mission of broadening the international horizon, with students and alumni traveling around the world, from the Siberian pine forests of Russia to the shining metropolis of Accra, Ghana, to the towering skyscrapers in the financial heart of Hong Kong. It is not easy to describe “typical” Croft alumni, but the institute’s selective admission, exceptional academic program, small classes and first-rate facilities — along with the requirement that Croft students study abroad for at least one semester — attract motivated and intelligent students who leave the institute prepared to succeed on the global stage. “From the inception of Croft, the overarching goal of its curriculum for the international studies major was to educate students who knew how to navigate an increasingly interconnected world,” says Oliver Dinius, Croft executive director and associate professor of history. “The pillars of the curriculum are learning a foreign language, studying one world region in depth and gaining a broad understanding of global dynamics.” Dinius says the foreign language is a tool for communication, but its study also provides an understanding of the cultural context. Taking courses in history, social science and economics about a region trains the ability to analyze problems from multiple perspectives, which he says is an essential skill in today’s global market. “The signature elements of our curriculum — the mandatory semester of study abroad and the writing of a senior thesis — reinforce the commitment to the foreign language and to research-based analysis, and they also serve as the proof that our students are ready to go out into the world as global citizens,” Dinius says. According to Croft, 55 percent of its graduates are employed in the private sector, with other alumni working in the public sector, nonprofits or education. Those in the private sector hold jobs in banking, finance, insurance, accounting, law, media, marketing and public relations and other fields such as business and manufacturing, consulting and lobbying and technology. Public-sector occupations include serving in the military, working for the U.S. Department of State or Congress, and being employed in various federal, state and local government agencies. Croft graduates working for nonprofits run the gamut, from the arts and education to international development and human rights. About half of Croft alumni in the education field are professors, teachers and researchers, while the other half are administrators. It’s safe to say no two Croft alumni stories are alike.

Chris Lamont (BA 02) ‘ … every member of the Croft faculty encouraged me to embrace research interests that would remain with me throughout my career.’ — Chris Lamont 20

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Associate professor of international relations at Tokyo International University Originally from Houston, Texas, Lamont attended the Croft Institute because of a strong interest in international affairs. “Given the program’s focus on languages and study abroad, I thought it was a perfect fit,” he says. What he found at Croft was a strong interdisciplinary foundation in international studies, rigorous research training and the opportunity to study abroad, which he did in Croatia. That study abroad experience led to a Fulbright Program scholarship that allowed him to spend a year in Zagreb, Croatia, researching post-conflict justice processes in the former Yugoslavia, which ultimately led him to continue working on the topic for years to come. “Pretty much every member of the Croft faculty encouraged me to embrace

research interests that would remain with me throughout my career,” Lamont says. “The interdisciplinary focus of the major helped give me a broader foundation in international relations that went far beyond the narrow, discipline-specific training that is offered elsewhere. “Also, Croft provided me with an opportunity to begin to gain early experience conducting fieldwork and to carry out my own research that would later allow me to get a head start on my Ph.D. dissertation research.”

Daniel Booth (BA 05)

Worldwide account manager at FedEx in Memphis Booth, a native of Amory, does not hold back when talking about how Croft affected his life and career. “Every class, professor and teacher had a positive impact on my life,” he says. “I truly believe the Croft Institute is one of the best undergraduate programs in the international studies field. Dr. Michael Metcalf, Dr. Peter Frost, Dr. Kees Gispen and Dr. Holly Reynolds all come to mind as being extremely impactful on my education and development.” Also a licensed customs broker, Booth works for a global company that serves more than 220 countries and territories with more than 500,000 team members, moving more than 12 million packages a day. Having a Croft degree positioned Booth for working on the international stage. “For much of my life, I had a passion for all things international and different cultures,” he says. “I work with individuals inside of FedEx and customers all over the globe each and every day, and I have been afforded amazing travel opportunities. I believe my international studies education and study abroad experience through Croft created a great foundation for me to be successful in my career.”

Daniel Booth

Susan Lawrence Hedglin (BA 09) Consultant for oncology research and development, and finance with Eli Lilly and Co. in Indianapolis Growing up in Madison in the 1990s, Hedglin witnessed the daily headlines of a changing world, from the post-Soviet economic transitions in Russia to China’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001. She entered Croft because she was drawn to government and policy, had several friends who went through Croft and raved about it, and knew of the program’s sterling academic reputation. After graduation, Hedglin gravitated toward business instead of government, but her Croft education is always with her. Her consulting position includes quickly processing data from current events to policy changes to large amounts of internal company information. Croft’s rigorous academics prepared her for that. Plus, her studies gave her extra benefits. “I always love the look on people’s faces when I tell them I speak Mandarin Chinese,” she says. “They ask, ‘Where did you learn that?’ and the jaws drop when I say, ‘the University of Mississippi.’ “Even though I am based in the U.S., I work at a multinational company with business partners from around the world. Having knowledge of their background and culture helps me build effective relationships. Lots of people are curious about the world, but Croft helps students see it — and process it — in depth at a young age. It’s a valuable foundation to build a career on.”

‘Lots of people are curious about the world, but Croft helps students see it … ’ — Susan Lawrence Hedglin

Cooper Reves (BA 10)

Digital director for the office of U.S. Sen. John McCain in Washington, D.C. Reves’ introduction to international studies started in high school in Madison, where he took a course on Chinese history and Mandarin. “I learned a deep appreciation for cultures outside my own, and I wanted to continue exploring that curiosity into my college career,” he says. “Thankfully, Ole Miss offered an incredible program in international relations at the Croft Institute that I was able to take advantage of.”

Cooper Reves

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Reves’ education at Croft went beyond the borders of China; he learned history, economics and how to appreciate differences among cultures. “But most of all, the Croft Institute taught me analytical-reasoning skills that I have been able to adapt into my career in campaign politics and digital organizing,” he says. “No matter what you do after college, the skills you learn debating world issues with your fellow classmates in the Croft building will serve you in any capacity. “At the Croft Institute, I developed the intellectual self-confidence necessary to thrive in the political world. I also know that the historical perspective on current world events that Croft teaches has been directly applicable to my work. Though I work in American politics, the historical echoes of our current political environment are undeniable, and being well-versed in recent world history has proven to be indispensable.”

Deeneaus Polk (BA 11)

Director of the Mississippi Apprenticeship Program for the Mississippi Community College Board in Jackson

Deeneaus Polk

While at Pascagoula High School, Polk spent time in Germany and decided there that he wanted to become ambassador to that country. To reach that goal one day, Polk was drawn to Croft because he knew the strong interdisciplinary program would challenge him. Still working toward his dream, Polk will begin working on a master’s degree in public policy this fall at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government on a full scholarship. The Gulf Coast native says the Croft Institute is a large reason why. In 2015, Polk became the first Mississippian to land an exclusive German Chancellor Fellowship that took him to Germany for a year of study and research, during which he sought to contextualize the German Vocational Education System to fit within Mississippi. “There are two individuals who are no longer part of Croft that I would love to express gratitude towards,” he says. “I didn’t grow up with much and was the first in my family to go to college, but Dr. Michael Metcalf saw past all of that and urged me to apply to the Croft Institute while I was still in high school. “Similarly, Dr. Kees Gispen implored me to apply to Croft. He challenged me to dig deeper in expanding my academic capacity, because passion is only beneficial for others if it is refined and purposeful in its intent.”

Elizabeth Romary (BA 17)

English teacher with Peace Corps in Namibia

‘I loved the fact that we would be completely immersed in a language, get to broaden our global horizons on multiple levels and have the opportunity to study abroad in a different part of the world.’ — Elizabeth Romary 22

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Only a year removed from her Croft studies, Romary is roughly 7,500 miles from her home of Hillsborough, North Carolina, teaching English and natural science at a primary school to sixth- and seventh-graders at a village in the southern African nation of Namibia. Her teaching adventure in Namibia is partly because of Dinius. “Without Dr. Dinius’ guidance, I wouldn’t be here today,” she says. “So I am grateful for everything he taught me during my four years at Croft. I hope that I’m making him proud.” Romary’s interest in international studies is an equation that includes an interest in international events, politics, cultures and languages from an early age. “When I learned about the Croft Institute, I instantly knew that this was the program for me. I loved the fact that we would be completely immersed in a language, get to broaden our global horizons on multiple levels and have the opportunity to study abroad in a different part of the world.” Croft’s foreign language requirement came in handy when Romary was assigned by the Peace Corps to learn Khoekhoegowab, a local language that contains “clicking” sounds. “It was an incredibly difficult yet rewarding process, and I feel that the language practice I had in Croft helped me to prepare for the classes I took here,” she says. To read more about Croft alumni, visit croft.olemiss.edu/alumni.

Simplifying the Grove Tradition

SLICED PORK TENDERLOIN SLIDERS Sliced pork tenderloin on rosemary cheddar biscuits with a honey spiked creole mustard. SAUSAGE AND CHEESE PLATTER Smoked and Italian sausage with cheddar and spicy jack cheese dusted in BBQ rub and served with pepperoncini peppers. BOURBON MOLASSES GLAZED MEATBALLS Cocktail meatballs with a bourbon molasses glaze.

AMERICAN Alumna Susan Dio serves as chairman and president of BP America usan Dio (BSChE 83) recently received two titles. The first was occupational. The second cannot be found on any business cards or correspondence. Dio took the reins as chairman and president of BP America Inc. on May 1. It is a transition that comes on the heels of Dio having served as the chief executive of BP Shipping for the previous three years. “I started off in the field on the front line working on projects,” Dio says. “You ground yourself on how things work, and that is a critical foundation for engineers.” The foundation of Dio’s path as a chemical engineer has strong Texas ties. Although Dio and her two brothers were

Photos courtesy of BP PLC

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frequent movers growing up in a Navy family, they spent summers on the Gulf Coast with grandparents. Susan and her brother Stephen Wilson both have called Port Lavaca, Texas, home. Dio’s second title, the engineer of the family, comes courtesy of brother James Wilson, who is also a chemical engineer. His scholastic experiences may have contributed to her interests, but he stresses that she has very capably found her own path. “I think Susan was looking for something challenging academically,” he says. “She is exceptionally bright. We joke about her going into engineering because I did it. She holds multiple patents.”

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Forging a New Path Dio’s family does not have a long history in engineering. Her grandparents were cattle ranchers and cotton farmers in South Texas. Her dad served as a naval submarine captain. Her brother James always had a fascination with chemistry. The logical aspects of problem solving also appealed to him. Dio especially enjoyed math and science when she was moving toward her high school graduation in Millington, Tennessee. “I loved the certainty of math, science and physics,” Dio says. “I had a math teacher in high school who knew I needed to do something in the scientific realm, and I knew I needed to give that a try.”

(to re-enact our shared experience). Dr. Jim Clemmer (BS 69) would show up at our student get-togethers. Those were back in the days you had to punch computer cards.” Dio’s career with BP began in 1984 in Texas. She progressed from handling engineering and production roles to eventually becoming a production manager at BP’s Green Lake Chemical Plant. “I grew up moving around, but my dad was born and raised in Houston,” Dio says. Besides the influence of her parents at various points throughout Dio’s schooling and career, her grandmother, Lucille, was a key source of internal strength, brother James observes. She took over the family business after her husband, Fred, died. “Susan comes from a long line of strong women,” James Wilson says. “It was expected in the 1940s that Grandma would turn that business over to a man. Women didn’t sell tractors, combine harvesters and plows in the ’40s. But she always told my mom and Susan, ‘Don’t let other people tell you what you can and can’t do.’ “Susan went into a male-dominated business and has excelled. She never let other people tell her what she was capable of doing. In our family, Dad was deployed in submarines for months at a time. Mom had to take over and do everything. Susan grew up seeing that, and it is reflected in her attitude of not being afraid.”

Going Global

Dio in front of British Century, a nearly 900-foot crude oil tanker built in 2017

Both of Dio’s parents graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, while her brothers and numerous other family members graduated from Texas A&M. She is a one-woman Ole Miss cheering section when family members get together and keep tabs on Southeastern Conference battles between the Rebels and Aggies. Her affection for Ole Miss includes nights when she and her peers shared late work and study hours. “It was a very collaborative atmosphere,” Dio says. “I started in the engineering school in 1979, and we had a small group of students who were in chemical engineering. To this day, we stay in touch with each other. We used to joke that in 10 years, we would go walk to the computer center at 3 a.m. 26

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Following several years spent in Texas City, Texas, from 2003 to 2010, a new opportunity took Dio to Australia, where she became a business unit leader and refinery manager in Brisbane. That put her in charge of all aspects of a refinery with 350 employees and 300 contractors. She also served as a member of the BP Regional Fuel Valve Chain Executive Leadership Team. Nearly four years in Australia gave Dio a new long-range view of the business world. “Anytime we got on a plane, we knew it was 20 to 30 hours (round trip),” Dio says. “It is a global economy. You are navigating and negotiating complex business situations regardless of where you are. It is far away but also very connected.” She returned to Houston for a couple of years before she went in a new direction. The call came for her to tackle a new challenge: CEO of BP Shipping, which included being based in the United Kingdom. Those three-year processes in both Australia and the U.K. meant new experiences for both Dio and her family. “When you travel, you get some exposure to a culture,” Dio says. “But when you live in a place and get a multicultural experience, it does give you an edge and an ability to work with a wide variety of people.” Aside from the cultural enrichment, taking the CEO role for BP Shipping put Dio in practically a new arena: as a chemical engineer overseeing a worldwide shipping operation. That meant handling the operation and renewal of a fleet of more than 50 vessels. That assignment was additional proof of Dio’s

versatility as far as her brother is concerned. It is a long-term skill that became visible early. “One of Susan’s first jobs was being a lifeguard,” James Wilson says. “She taught swim lessons, and she was very good about it. It’s an ongoing theme on the people-skills side.” Those educational and work experiences at Ole Miss, in Texas, in Australia and in the United Kingdom provided Dio resources she has called upon in her current position since May. The variety of opportunities connected to business, technology and the production side of BP have all been part of Dio’s development. “Being the chairman and president … it’s about using all the capabilities you learn,” she says. “It’s over a much larger scale. We have 14,000 people across the U.S. It has been interesting to get to know the scope and scale of it. One of the things we are doing is transitioning to a lower-carbon economy. We want to provide energy at a lower-carbon output.” For recent Ole Miss graduates who are pursuing those same goals from a different position, Dio stresses the need to be able to see developments both down the street and thousands of miles away. “In general, you have to keep a local and global view simultaneously,” Dio says. “We have a highly integrated global economy. For a young engineer, understanding how local resources play a role in reducing global emissions is key.” As she makes daily decisions regarding the direction of BP America’s workforce, her career efforts throughout many states and multiple continents resonate with Ole Miss faculty

Dio visits BP operations on Alaska’s North Slope.

members who are helping build global education and career foundations for engineering students. “Susan’s career demonstrates many things,” says John O’Haver, professor and chair of chemical engineering. “She has to have excellent communication skills. She has to have the ability to understand a wide variety of people, cultures and situations. It demonstrates a strong ability to work well with people within corporate environments and across companies.”

Comforts of Home As Dio and her husband, Larry, prepared to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary, she says many of her favorite moments have not necessarily happened in exotic locations abroad. The couple spent the first 17 years of their marriage in a town roughly two-and-a-half hours south of Houston. Port Lavaca is home to just over 12,000 people, including Dio’s brother Stephen Wilson, a veterinarian who built and opened the Calhoun County Animal Hospital in 1982. Her fondness for Port Lavaca includes the easy access to some of her favorite activities. “I am an avid outdoorsman. I like being on the water, and I love to fish,” Dio says. “I like golf. At some point, I will work on my golf game.” All three siblings might soon be able to share family stories and discuss the Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M rivalry in person. James Wilson, who lived in nine states during his 36 years as an engineer, lives in Chicago. He and his family are in the process of building a house in Austin. “Hopefully, that is eventually where we will live,” he says. Until then, Dio has taken her place back in Texas as she enjoys the learning process and new challenges of the dual chairman and president role. “Texas is home,” she says. “To be able to come home and represent BP in the U.S. absolutely means a lot. My children were born here in Texas, and my husband is a Texan.” James Wilson jokes about Dio being an outlier because of her Texas roots and her embrace of all things Ole Miss. His pride in her skills as a problem solver is evident. “Susan has had to work through different situations, and her career at BP has often taken her to places where there were challenges or problems waiting for her,” he says. “But she finds a constructive solution to the challenges. In terms of her success in business, she did something right, and so did Ole Miss.” That partnership between Dio and Ole Miss that has continued since she set foot in the School of Engineering in 1979 has given both Dio and the current faculty reason to cheer as she tackles Texas-sized challenges 600 miles away from Oxford. The example could also help energize a new group of engineers. “There is always a sense of pride and a sense that we are doing the right things [when we see a graduate achieve success],” O’Haver says. “That is not to take anything away from the fact that Susan did the work. It is also helpful in recruiting top students, especially female students, as we can point to what an Ole Miss alumna has accomplished.” S U M M E R 2 018

Renowned Immunologist Wins Japan Prize Ole Miss Hall of Famer credited with ‘altering the face of medicine’

By Tina H. Hahn r. Max D. Cooper (MCert 55) of Emory University School of Medicine didn’t become a researcher to win awards. As a pediatrician, his concern for his patients led him to explore why inherited disorders disable the immune system, leaving children vulnerable to infection. Yet, numerous awards have recognized his pioneering discoveries, and now he is a laureate of the 2018 Japan Prize — one of the most prestigious scientific awards in the world — along with the famed Jacques Miller of Australia, for the discovery of the dual nature of adaptive immunity, which identified the cellular building blocks of the immune system as we understand the system today.

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Photo by Jack Kearse

ooper and Miller were honored recently at a Tokyo awards ceremony after a highly competitive process. The Japan Prize Foundation jury considered some 13,000 nominations of prominent scientists and researchers from around the world. The acclaimed awards applaud contributions to “the

Photo by Jack Kearse

advancement of science and technology that promote peace and prosperity for all mankind.” Cooper and Miller won in the category of “Medical Science and Medicinal Science”; the other Japan Prize award, in the category of “Resources, Energy, Environment and Social Infrastructure,” went to Akira Yoshino, inventor of the lithium-ion battery. Un ive rs it y of Mi s s i s s ippi Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter says he greatly admires Cooper for his commitment to excellence in research. “When we consider all the many challenges that humankind faces, we are filled with great pride knowing Dr. Cooper, a Mississippian and one of our own, has made such significant contributions toward solutions in the health care field. He is revered by other scientists and physicians for his world-class research. In addition, this gifted scientist and physician also has invested in the education and training of other scientists, making his far-reaching influence felt for generations.”

Cooper’s Legacy

Max Cooper displays a juvenile lamprey. He studies lampreys for their dual immune system, similar to that of humans. 30

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“(Dr. Cooper’s) accomplishments have forever altered the face of medicine, and he is continuing to contribute to advancements that will improve the health of individuals for decades to come,” says Dr. Vikas P. Sukhatme, dean of the Emory University School of Medicine, responding to the news of the international honor. In 2010, the Koch Foundation in Berlin, Germany, selected Cooper for the Robert Koch Prize — considered one of the steppingstones, along with other awards, to the eventual Nobel Prize. “Max Cooper is one of the groundbreaking scientists of our time, and he is extremely deserving of this international award,” says Rafi Ahmed, director of the Emory Vaccine Center, referring to the Koch Prize. “His visionary fundamental discoveries laid the groundwork for many of the most

significant advances in infectious diseases and vaccines.” Cooper is a professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in developmental immunology. He also is a member of the Emory Vaccine Center, the Emory Center for AIDS Research and the Winship Cancer Institute.

of starry night skies to ponder and an abundance of books to read. The treasure of books and the thirst to read them were gifts of my father, a mathematician and educator who loved learning, and my mother, who was also a dedicated teacher.” He was born in Hazlehurst and grew up in Bentonia, just north of Jackson. His home and the school where his father

‘One of the most remarkable things about a career in biomedical research is that one can start almost anywhere and end up in the most unforeseen places, being constantly amazed by what you are learning along the way.’ — Dr. Max Cooper Cooper’s research deciphers the two types of lymphocyte lineages involved in adaptive immunity, laying the conceptual groundwork for our understanding of nearly all fields touched by immunology. His discoveries have formed the underpinnings of medical advances ranging from bone marrow stem cell transplants to monoclonal antibodies and, in recent years, the development of new immunotherapy drugs to treat cancer and antibodies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Paul Kincade of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation — Cooper’s first graduate student, a fellow Mississippian and world-renowned immunologist — shares the impact of his mentor’s research in layman’s language. “It is easy to understand Max’s most important contributions. He showed that the immune system is composed of multiple types of cells that have discrete origins and functions. One major type is responsible for making antibodies, while another kills virus-infected cells and tumors. “This basic understanding changed everything, making it possible to better understand immunodeficiency, autoimmune diseases and cancer. Max has expanded and refined these concepts, suggesting new research questions for others to pursue.”

A Childhood in Mississippi If Cooper’s upbringing can be linked to his stellar career — and he says his parents had “everything to do with it” — the influential scientist makes a strong case for young people being encouraged to use their imaginations for entertainment. “My childhood was rich in unfettered time, space to roam freely, woods and streams to explore, an uncontaminated view

worked as superintendent were filled with books, sparking Cooper’s interest in the rest of the world. “Little did I imagine while growing up in rural Mississippi that I would eventually pursue a research career in immunology,” says the physician-scientist. “One of the most remarkable things about a career in biomedical research is that one can start almost anywhere and end up in the most unforeseen places, being constantly amazed by what you are learning along the way.” Tragically, Cooper lost his “wonderful and adventurous” older brother in a car accident, when Cooper was a high school senior. At that time, his grieving father took him aside to tell him that he must carry on with the plan for both brothers: in his case to become a physician.

Onward to Ole Miss Cooper’s college career began at Holmes Community College in Goodman, and with its football team, but he quickly surmised that he was a slow quarterback who was definitely not going to see fame or fortune on the gridiron. He transferred to the University of Mississippi, where after his studies he enjoyed such quintessential college-life activities as attending football games, going to dances in the Student Union and playing cards with his friends. Cooper earned his medical degree and completed his residency in pediatrics at Tulane University before more training at the Hospital for Sick Children in London, completing a fellowship in allergy and immunology at the University of California in San Francisco and making a second stop at Tulane University. He persuaded the famous Dr. Robert Good — a founder of modern immunology and a pioneer in bone marrow transplantation — to invite him to join his research program at the University of Minnesota Medical School. S U M M E R 2 018

Best Coach for Scientists Cooper chuckles when he explains that many of his graduate students have already retired, while his fascination with discoveries and his natural curiosity keep him involved in research activities, speaking engagements and international travel. And Kincade, that inaugural student, says he remains a scholar of Dr. Cooper’s some 50 years later. “Countless scientists consider themselves his pupil, and there are several reasons for this. Firstly, he is the son of educators and cares deeply about the transfer of knowledge. Max is the best communicator I have ever met and continues to be in great demand as a keynote speaker. He manages somehow to excite audiences with his important discoveries without bragging. It would be wonderful to know how many listeners and readers of his publications have changed direction under his influence.” The unique gift Cooper possesses? “Max Cooper is the best coach any scientist could ask for,” says Kincade, “believing and encouraging when things seem to lack promise.” In this regard, the researcher and physician also had his parents’ gift for teaching. He has advised and trained 30 doctoral students and 115 postdoctoral researchers in his laboratory. In recent years, Cooper, joined by his wife, Rosalie Lazzara Cooper, made a major contribution to Ole Miss that both celebrates his relationship with his alma mater and honors his parents through establishment of the Otis Noah and Lily Carpenter Cooper Education Fund. The scholarship endowment was created “to honor these educators’ lifelong 32

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devotion to the learning process, to recognize the vital contributions that all educators make to society and to provide income for scholarship assistance to deserving students at the University of Mississippi.” Those eligible for the scholarships are sons and daughters of educators. Ten Ole Miss students have already benefited from the financial academic awards. Cooper is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is a former president of the American Association of Immunologists, the Clinical Immunology Society and the Kunkel Society. In 2017, Cooper received the Emory 1% Award, which is reserved for faculty whose National Institutes of Health proposals have been ranked in the top 1 percent by NIH reviewers. In addition, he was bestowed the Legion of Honor Medal by the president of the French Republic and was elected to the Photo courtesy of Max Cooper

Arriving with only limited laboratory skills and an audacious desire to enter a highly competitive research field, Cooper was assigned about 3 feet of bench space and a drawer in the crowded laboratory. Fortunately, Cooper’s determination enabled him to persevere. “When difficulties arose over the years, I often recalled the pep talk of my early mentor, Bob Good: ‘What we know compared with what we don’t know is like a crumb in the corner of this room. As long as you start with a reasonable hypothesis and do the experiment right, you’re bound to find something new.’ This is likely still true, and I cannot imagine a field of research that is more exciting or one that offers a better opportunity to explore the balance of life on our planet. “Perhaps this view explains why I am hooked for life with immunobiology.” After four productive years in Minneapolis, Cooper embraced a 40-year career at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, during which time he was inducted into the Ole Miss Alumni Hall of Fame in 1992. He directed UAB’s Division of Developmental and Clinical Immunology for more than two decades, after leading the Cellular Immunobiology Unit at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center for 12 years. He joined Emory University in 2008.

Académie des Sciences, Institut de France and to the Royal Society of London. Before the Japan Prize and the Robert Koch Prize, his honors include the Founder’s Award of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine (1966), Sandoz Prize in Immunology (1990), American College of Physicians Science Award (1994), AAI Lifetime Achievement Award (2000), AAI-Dana Foundation Award in Human Immunology Research (2006) and the Avery-Landsteiner Prize (2008). Emory University News contributed to this article.

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Photos courtesy of Stephen Johnston ALUMNI REVIEW

From technology success to movies, alumnus Stephen Johnston produces

By Annie Rhoades s the camera comes into focus on the set of the faith-based movie “Same Kind of Different as Me,” alumnus Stephen Johnston (BBA 93), operating partner with Forté Ventures, steps into the role of Hollywood movie producer with an ease that came from months of prayerful consideration. “I truly believe that God wanted us involved, and He had a plan for the movie and that the movie would change lives and really make a difference in this world,” Johnston says. “We felt very blessed because doors were opening, and things were happening that were atypical to your normal film process. If you had asked me in 2014 what I was going to be doing next in my life, I had no idea, but I can tell you being a movie producer was not on the list.” A native of Jackson, Johnston graduated from Forest Hill High School with plans to enroll at Rhodes College in Memphis on a full scholarship to be the school’s quarterback. However, a chance meeting with thenUniversity of Mississippi Chancellor Gerald Turner in March 1989 quickly changed his plans. “ D r. Tu r n e r w a s t h e g u e s t speaker for the groundbreaking of our [new] school, and as student body president, I was his chaperone to show him around the school,” Johnston recalls. “We started talking, and he asked if I had looked at going to Ole Miss. I told him I didn’t have a scholarship with Ole Miss, so he recommended that I be considered for a Hearin-Hess Scholarship, which was at the time a brand-new business scholarship.” Created by Robert Hearin of Jackson and Leon Hess of

New York City, the scholarship recognized students with outstanding academic records who planned to pursue careers in business or business-related fields. It ranked among the nation’s top business awards. “It was essentially a full ride to Ole Miss for four years, so when I found out I had been selected as a recipient, I gave up college football and became a professional flag football player for the fraternity league instead.” While at Ole Miss, Johnston was heavily involved in campus activities, particularly intramural sports, serving as the intramural chair for Sigma Chi Fraternity. He was elected Associated Student Body president his senior year. But for him, it was the relationships he formed that left a lasting impact. “I was very intentional about getting to know as many people as I could, so I had relationships with people from all walks of life while I was at Ole Miss,” Johnston says. “Not only with students, but also with faculty members and administrators. When I think about people like Sparky Reardon (BAEd 72, PhD 00), Gerald Turner, Dr. Khayat (BAEd 61, JD 66), who really impacted my life and encouraged me and helped me to become the best person I could be during that time of growth and mental development — those are my greatest memories.” S U M M E R 2 018

A Smart Move

After graduating from Ole Miss in 1993, Johnston accepted a position as an investment banker with First Union in Charlotte, North Carolina. Seven years into his career, he took a leap of faith and moved back home to Jackson to be part of the then-small startup tech company SmartSynch. “No one’s ever accused me of being risk-averse,” Johnston laughs. “I left a great-paying job to help start this company in a 1,200-square-foot house across the street from a Mexican restaurant, but I did it because I thought it would be fun and exciting to help build the business from the ground up. I didn’t know anything about technology, so I learned on the job and was able to build a very successful company.” When Johnston delved into the business, he never thought he would be the company’s CEO four years later and develop it into a company with 125 employees and offices in India and San Jose, California. “We had 250 utility clients throughout the U.S. and were viewed as one of the most innovative technology companies in the world,” he says. “One of the products we created was named the No. 3 product innovation in 2010. I really enjoyed innovation and the diversity of working in a company where

unbelievable set of circumstances, that the opportunity to be involved in the film came about. “My wife, Melissa (MS 93), gave me the [New York Times best-seller] book Same Kind of Different as Me around 2010, a couple of years before SmartSynch sold, and it was one of my favorite books I’ve ever read,” he says. “It was very moving and inspiring and reminded me a lot of my situation growing up in terms of relating to people of all different types.” He bought a couple of extra copies of the book and placed one on his desk. An employee, Darren Raybourn (BSME 90), saw it, and the two began a conversation about how it was their favorite book and what it meant to each of them.

Fateful Meeting

“Several months later, [Raybourn] ends up flying on an airplane and happens to sit next to the producer that is helping the author [Ron Hall] turn the book into a movie,” Johnston says. After an email introduction with the producer, Darren Moorman, Johnston eventually met Hall and decided that he would get involved in the journey to help turn the book into a movie. “My wife and I were scouting locations for the film in Mississippi and learned that Stephen was a big fan of our book and would possibly be interested in investing,” Hall says. “We met with Stephen and a few other potential investors. He took us to the governor’s office, where we met with [Gov. Phil Bryant] and the head of the Mississippi Arts Council, who told us about the Mississippi tax rebate incentive for filmmakers that want to come to Mississippi and shoot films. “They made us a very good offer, and Stephen said he could raise the balance of our shooting budget from Mississippi investors. Basically, within 24 hours or so after meeting him, we had a handshake deal and moved forward.” Jo h n s t on k n e w t h e m ov i e business was a risky industry for investors and was initially reticent to take on the role of lead investor to raise capital to make the film. Johnston and his wife, Melissa, with their children Bennett, Charlie, Isabelle and Mary Hunter at the “I had been praying about what 2016 Sugar Bowl was going to come next in my life, everything is new all the time. I found that I really had a and I felt like God was saying, ‘I want you to get involved in passion for helping companies grow and particularly creating this project,’” he says. “I felt called to get involved even though value from nothing.” I knew nothing about what they were doing.” The company was sold in 2012, leaving Johnston searching His faith and hard work quickly paid off. for his next project. It was during this time, through an almost “Within three months, we had raised $15 million to make 36

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would allow them to better serve the people in that community. All of that happened after the movie wrapped. “Ma k i n g a d i f f e r e n c e i n a community was an awesome experience.” According to Hall, he couldn’t have selected a better investor and partner in the film process, who ultimately became a close friend. “Stephen is a remarkable, very straightforward and personable young man. You could not have asked for a better partner — one that was fully engaged and fully committed and, more important than any of that, fully trustworthy. He d i d e ve r y t h i ng he s ai d he Melissa Johnston, actor Djimon Hounsou (Denver Moore) and Stephen Johnston at the wrap party would do on time and was always for ‘Same Kind of Different as Me.’ available.” the movie,” he says. “We started principal photography on After filming wrapped, Johnston took on the role of Oct. 27, 2014, and wrapped the movie on Dec. 10, 2014, so the marketer and promoter, speaking to various groups and orgawhole process was nine months from beginning to end, which nizations about the impact of the film in hopes of garnering is incredible. That never happens in the film business.” interest and momentum. “I did a lot of speaking at different places about the film, and that was fun,” he says. “We went to the Hollywood premiere event at the Fox Theater in Los Angeles, which was a fantastic experience. But my fondest memories of the film are the relationships that we were able to develop with the cast and Originally signed on as a producer and lead investor, crew and the people associated with the movie. I can’t imagine Johnston thought he would spend his time on the sidelines my life without knowing all of those people today, because they observing. But as the film process started, he found himself in became such an important part of our lives.” a much more active role. “If I was going to be involved in the movie, it had to be filmed in Mississippi,” he says. “As we began selecting locations [in the Jackson area], I learned that I had relationships with people that had places where we wanted to film, so I found myself more involved in the day-to-day operations of the movie. “My wife and I, in particular, were there to help make Mississippi an attractive place to be. We viewed our role initially as a hospitality role and were here to serve the people coming from all over the country to film this movie.” For Johnston and everyone involved with the film, it was important that the message of the movie be brought to life and have a positive impact on both the city and its residents. “We ended up filming scenes at this community center on Farish Street, and one of the things that was really important to us was to not just shoot in this community center but leave it in a better place than how we found it,” he says. “We ended up investing over $100,000 to improve the interior and exterior Johnston, actor Greg Kinnear (Ron Hall) and director of photography Don Burgess spend of the building, including a new kitchen that a day off from shooting at the Country Club of Jackson.

Made in Mississippi

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The Johnston family at Taylor Grocery

Investing in the Future

A member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association Executive Committee, Johnston has worn many hats throughout his career, including venture capitalist, CEO and film producer, but it’s the role of entrepreneur that befits him best. “During that time period of working on the film, I started an advisory business, SDJ Investment Co. LLC, where I could leverage some of my core skills and do business development and strategic advisory work,” he says. “I’m an entrepreneur and love building and creating things.” In May, Johnston began a new chapter, accepting the position of operating partner with Forté Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on making equity investments in early-stage, high-growth technology companies across North America. “Stephen and I met in 2004, when I was a partner with Siemens Venture Capital, and we invested $5 million into his company, SmartSynch,” says Tom Hawkins, founder and managing partner of Forté Ventures. “[He] is a successful entrepreneur with strong interpersonal skills and relevant business connections in the venture capital ecosystem as well as the energy technology market. He is also a self-starter with a strong work ethic, so when you combine all of this together (along with the amazing support of his wife, Melissa, and their four children), you have a very good recipe for success. We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with him.” Johnston is most grateful for the firm foundation his 38

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parents provided that gave him the confidence he’s needed to take risks and persevere. “I had the best parents in the world,” he says. “We had no money growing up, but I had a father who never told me what to do but always encouraged me to be the best I could be. He

Johnston with his sons, Bennett and Charlie, at the 2017 Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M game

was my mentor and the person that always supported me in a very positive way. My mother taught me the importance of serving others and helping those in need and encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do in life. I want to keep looking for opportunities to make a difference in the world.”

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Sports OLE MISS

Successful Tenure

WARNER ALFORD SELECTED TO NACDA HALL OF FAME Cup Luncheon, held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Alford dedicated over half of his life to the athletics program at Ole Miss. From his playing and coaching days on the football field to his administrative duties, Alford served his alma mater in

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

ormer Ole Miss athletics director Warner Alford (BBA 60, MA 66) was named to the 2018 Hall of Fame class for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. Other inductees include Ron Case, Rowan College at Gloucester County; Deborah Chin, University of

Warner Alford

New Haven; Ed Farrington, Western Connecticut State University; Mike Jacobsen, Utah Valley University; Ed Matejkovic, West Chester University; Steve McCarty, Stephen F. Austin State University; and Brian Quinn, Cal State Fullerton. The honorees received their awards on June 30 at NACDA’s 53rd Annual Convention at the Learfield Directors’ 40

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many capacities, including 16 years as director of athletics. During his tenure as athletics director, Ole Miss enjoyed success in all areas, including on the field of competition, in the classroom and in facilities improvement. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium received a major facelift, which included a new press box, 29 skyboxes and the addition of a lighting system, bringing

night football to the Oxford campus. Other major facility additions included construction of a new baseball stadium and tennis center. Renovations also took place at the golf course, while the track facility expanded seating capacity and was resurfaced, plus a training center was added to the “Doc” Knight Field House. A member of the Mississippi Sports, Ole Miss Sports and University of Mississippi Alumni Association halls of Fame, Alford’s efforts didn’t stop with physical improvements. When he took over as athletics director, Ole Miss sponsored only five men’s sports and three sports for women. When he left Ole Miss in 1994, the university sponsored eight sports for men and seven sports for women. Alford also served on the committee to formulate plans to bring women’s athletics into the Southeastern Conference. A strong leader in the field of athletics, Alford served as NACDA first vice president, a member of the NCAA Council, president-elect of the Division I-A Athletics Directors Association, chair of the College Football Association Athletic Directors Committee and member of the CFA board of directors. He was also a member of the NCAA Professional Sports Liaison Committee, on the NCAA Honors Committee and a member of the NCAA Certification Committee. Alford served on the SEC Executive Committee, SEC Basketball Tournament Site Selection Committee and the CFA Television Committee. He served as executive director of the Ole Miss Alumni Association from 2004 to 2008.

YOU ARE PART OF OUR PAST. BE A PART OF OUR FUTURE. The Ole Miss Alumni Association allows you not only to have the connection with the place and people that share your past, but helps secure Ole Missâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; future with funding for student outreach, scholarships, reunion activities, alumni communications and athletics support. Lend us your voice by remaining an active, dues-paying member. Renew your membership and encourage family and friends to remain active. Only with your help can we enable others to create new memories and strengthen the bond with our university. un Thank you for being an active part of the Ole Miss Alumni Association.

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OLE MISS Sports

HARTONO GOES PRO AFTER NCAA SINGLES TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP WIN

ALUMNI REVIEW

in program history to be named to the 2018 also had great support from her parents, ITA Collegiate All-Star Team. Lieke and Okki Hartono. Hartono is philosophical about her After graduation, Hartono went back to success and quite willing to the Netherlands for a short share the glory. while to spend time with her “I think it’s the process of family and enjoy her mom’s it all,” says Hartono, a native cooking. She was scheduled of Meppel, Netherlands. to play her first professional “Obviously, you can’t become match in Portugal and one a national champion from one in Indonesia, where she also day to the other. There’s so planned to visit family. She says as long as she much work that went into it. loves to play, she’ll keep at it. “I believe that everything “If not, then I’ll find happened for a reason, Arianne Hartono something else to do. That’s even that injury I had my freshman year. That was part of the road I why I have a college degree,” she laughs. She also plans to return to Ole Miss in the had to go on to, to be where I am right now. So I think all the effort, not just from me but fall to visit with the tennis team and friends. “I can never say goodbye to Ole Miss,” everyone else that’s worked with me, worked she says. “We (she and her teammates) with the team, has led up to this.” Hartono says she was lucky to have taken always tell each other, ‘Once a Rebel, always classes taught by supportive professors and a Rebel.’ I truly believe that.” Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

le Miss women’s tennis standout Arianne Hartono (BA 18) made history on May 28, becoming the first player in program history to win an NCAA championship, defeating Pepperdine’s Ashley Lahey 6-4, 6-2, to take the singles crown at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex. Hartono joins 2009 men’s tennis NCAA champion Devin Britton as the only players from Ole Miss to win an NCAA singles title. Facing such adversity as recuperating from a broken wrist her freshman year and missing as many as three out of five days of classes during the weeks when she had to travel to away matches, Hartono’s accomplishments are all the more impressive — excelling equally in athletics and academics. Hartono graduated summa cum laude in May with a major in psychology and minor in business administration. She is also the first student-athlete in any sport at Ole Miss to be named a Honda Sports Award winner and the second player

OLE MISS Sports

Raising the Bar

KENDRICKS WINS FIFTH-STRAIGHT USA OUTDOOR POLE VAULT TITLE Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

lympian and Rebel great Sam Kendricks (BA 15) continued to etch his legacy into the fabric of track and field in the United States after winning his fifth-straight USA Outdoor title on June 23. Kendricks, the 2016 Olympic bronze medalist in the pole vault, cruised to victory, clearing his first seven bars without a miss. Kendricks and 2018 NCAA champion Chris Nilsen of South Dakota were the final two in competition, with Kendricks prevailing on a Drake Stadium record clearance of 5.85 meters (19-02.25). Nilsen opted to pass to the next height at 5.90 meters (19-04.25), but he missed his two attempts, which secured the gold medal for Kendricks. This marks the eighth U.S. title Kendricks has claimed, including the last five outdoors and eight of the last nine overall across both the indoor and outdoor seasons (Kendricks lost his first career U.S. competition indoors this season). Kendricks is now the first American man to win five straight pole vault titles outdoors since Cornelius Warmerdam did from 1940 to 1944. The win also marks the 17th U.S. outdoor title won by a

Rebel and the 26th overall when combining the indoor and outdoor seasons. Of those 26, a total of 19 belong to Kendricks and Olympic long jumper Brittney Reese (BA 11), who has won 11 (seven outdoors, four indoors) throughout her esteemed career. At the University of Mississippi, we recognize generous donors who contribute $1,000 or more annually to support academic scholarships and programs. These donors are now members of our Flagship Society â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most exclusive annual giving recognition group.

Make a gift today and become a charter member of the Flagship Society. To learn more about the Flagship Society or to make a gift online, visit umfoundation.com/flagshipsociety

S U M M E R 2 018

OLE MISS Sports

Record Throw

JANEAH STEWART WINS NCAA HAMMER TITLE

O Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

le Miss senior Janeah Stewart was on nobody’s radar to win the national title in the women’s hammer throw. A powerful 15-foot career best rewrote that narrative, putting

Janeah Stewart

her atop the podium with an NCAA title in hand during a spectacular second day of the national meet at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, on June 7. Stewart, already a four-time FirstTeam All-American in just two seasons at Ole Miss, unleashed a winning throw of 72.92 meters (239-03) on her second attempt of the day, making her the fourth-best collegian all-time in the event with the 10th-best throw ever recorded. The championship performance also put her at No. 4 in the United States and No. 8 worldwide this season, while also making her the No. 10 alltime American-born hammer thrower. The throw demolished her previous school record of 68.36 meters (224-03), which was a new personal best that punched her ticket to Eugene and won her the East Region title in May.

“I just told myself, ‘Do what you do in practice, and just have a nice, easy throw,’ and it came out to be my best throw that was good enough to win the meet,” Stewart says. “If you would have told me three, even two years ago that I would throw 72, almost 73 meters, I would have told you that you’re lying to my face. It’s amazing that I’ve accomplished this much so far.” With her performance, Stewart becomes just the third Rebel woman to ever win an NCAA title, the fifth Ole Miss women’s national title after Olympians Brittney Reese (2008 indoor long jump, 2008 outdoor long jump) and Raven Saunders (2016 outdoor shot put, 2017 indoor shot put) won two titles apiece during their Rebel careers. Across men’s and women’s competition, her title constitutes the 18th NCAA track title while making her the 21st overall champion.

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Published JUST

M o o d u s N o i s e s b y D a v i s L . Temple (BSPh 66, PhD 69), 268 pages, $13.95 (Paperback), Wheatmark, ISBN: 9781627875974 Moodus Noises is a fast-paced, compelling work of fantasy that questions modern reality and is also a poignant critical commentary on our nation, its history, and the repercussions of what it means to be both an American and a human being. The violent history of colonialism has plagued the American psyche for centuries. Some ghosts, however, are never laid to rest. When the Pequot Indians, exterminated by the white man in 1637, return to modern-day Connecticut to exact revenge upon the white man and his former allies, the Mohegan Indians, a violent supernatural confrontation erupts. Davis L. Temple is a renowned scientist, scientific writer and the author of six previous novels, including Two Letters Then Booger Den, for which he was awarded the Mississippi Author of the Year distinction in 2004. Temple and his wife, Patty, lived in Connecticut for many years where Moodus Noises was conceived. Today they live in Bonita Springs, Florida, and Greensboro, Georgia. 46

ALUMNI REVIEW

Butterfly Colors b y Michelle P. Varner (author) and Samantha Bell (illustrator), 16 pages, $9.95 (Paperback), Guardian Angel Publishing, ISBN: 9781616339036 A poor young girl yearns for a beautiful party dress to wear to the ballet. A magical butterfly generously gives the girl his vibrant colors, which turn her drab dress into one fit for a princess, while he is left with gray wings. Suggested age range for readers is 3-10. Michelle P. Varner loved to listen to her father’s imaginative stories as a child. Although her father died when she was 12, he impressed upon her the lesson that we should always look at the heart — not the outward appearance of others. She hopes to always live true to that life lesson. Varner lives in Jackson with her family and enjoys volunteering in her community and church. Samantha Bell is the author and/or illustrator of more than 50 books for children, and her favorite illustrations are those with animals. She lives in the country in upstate South Carolina with her family and lots of pets.

independent of one another, allowing readers to enjoy them at their leisure. This is John S. Case’s second book, following the success of his collection of short stories, Bogue Chitto Flats, released in 2015. Case grew up in Mississippi, where the short story, both written and spoken, is the soul of literature. He tells stories that originate from incidents and characters in Lincoln County where he was raised. He is an independent insurance agent who lives in Slidell, Louisiana, with his wife, Brenda, sons Chris and Alan, and three grandchildren.

Southern Writers on Writing edited by Susan Cushman, 192 pages, $28

(Hardcover), University Press of Mississippi, ISBN: 9781496815002 The South is often misunderstood on the national stage, characterized by its struggles with poverty, education and racism, yet the region has yielded an abundance of undeniably great literature. In Southern Writers on Writing, Susan Cushman assembles an anthology of

Saucered Coffee, Blewed and 26 writers from across the South whose Cooled b y John S. Case (BA 72), 244 work celebrates Southern culture and pages, $18.50 (Paperback), Magnolia Bend Press, ISBN: 9780692094396 Saucered Coffee, Blewed and Cooled, reflects the places, times and happenings of growing up in a small-town atmosphere. These short stories are all

shapes the landscape of contemporary Southern literature. Contributors hail from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida. The anthology is divided into six

JUST Published s e c t ions, including “Becoming a Writer”; “Becoming a Southern Writer”; “Place, Politics, People”; “Writing about Race”; “The Craft of Writing”; and “A Little Help from My Friends.” Cushman was codirector of the 2010 and 2013 Creative Nonfiction conferences in Oxford and director of the Memphis Creative Nonfiction Workshop in 2011. She is the author of Tangles and Plaques: A Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer’s and Cherry Bomb, and editor of A Second Blooming: Becoming the Women We Are Meant to Be. Her writing has appeared in many anthologies and journals.

The Round of Your Life: A Book on Golf and Life b y Andre Huu (BS 95),

252 pages, $17.99 (Hardcover), Archway, ISBN: 9781480860513 As t he g re at B en Hogan once pondered, what if your life was like a round of golf? What would that round be like? What might the unfinished scorecard of your life look like? The quest for answers to these hypothetical questions led author Andre Huu to the fundamental concepts behind his book, The Round of Your Life. In his memoir, Huu likens his life to a game of golf, devising a scoring method to help him evaluate his experiences, responses and lessons learned. Throughout this journey from his birth in Vietnam to the present, he shares his stories and the scores he has assigned himself for each hole he has played. He invites readers to apply his unique scoring method to come up with a scorecard for their own lives. Filled with life stories, insights, advice and inspirational quotes, The Round of Your Life encourages readers to worry less about the score of the game and focus more on getting the most enjoyment possible out of the rest of their round. Andre Huu is a jack of many trades:

physical therapist, entrepreneur, aspiring author and artist. But mostly, he is a proud husband and father of three. He is also an unaccomplished, highhandicap golfer. Visit Huu online at golfroundofyourlife.com.

Mississippi Blood: A Novel (Natchez Burning) b y Greg Iles (BA

83), 704 pages, $28.99 (Hardcover), William Morrow, ISBN: 9780062311153 The endgame is at hand for Penn Cage, his family and the enemies bent on destroying them in this revelatory volume in the epic trilogy set in modernday Natchez — Greg Iles’ epic tale of love and honor, hatred and revenge that explores how the sins of the past continue to haunt the present. Shattered by grief and dreaming of vengeance, Penn sees his family and his world collapsing around him. The woman he loves is gone, his principles have been irrevocably compromised, and his father, Dr. Tom Cage, once a paragon of t he community t hat Penn leads as mayor, is about to be tried for the murder of a former lover. Most terrifying of all, his father seems bent on self-

destruction. Despite Penn’s experience as a prosecutor in major murder trials, his father has frozen him out of the trial preparations — preferring to risk dying in prison to revealing the truth of the crime to his son. Mississippi Blood is the enthralling conclusion to a breathtaking trilog y seven years in the making. Greg Iles was born in Germany in 1960, where his father ran the U.S. Embassy Medical Clinic during the height of the Cold War. Iles wrote his first novel in 1993, a thriller about Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess, which became the first of 12 New York Times best-sellers. His novels have been made into films, translated into more than 20 languages and published in more than 35 countries worldwide. His new epic trilogy continues the story of Penn Cage, protagonist of The Quiet Game, Turning Angel and New York Times No. 1 best-seller The Devil’s Punchbowl.

S U M M E R 2 018

Traveler 2018-19 REBEL

he Ole Miss Alumni Association is offering a number of exciting trips in 2018 and 2019. Alumni and friends obtain group rates and discounts. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy and subject to change until booking. Airfare is not included unless noted. For a brochure or more information, contact the Alumni office at 662-915-7375. Prices and dates are subject to change. Visit the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s website at olemissalumni.com/travel for the most up-to-date information.

LEGENDS OF THE NILE OCT. 23-NOV. 3, 2018 Tour Operator: AHI

On this once-in-a-lifetime journey, experience Egypt’s splendid cultural heritage and eternal allure. Contemplate the Great Pyramid in Giza and the enigmatic Sphinx. In Cairo, explore the Egyptian Museum’s dazzling treasures,

discover its mosques, churches and synagogues, and revel in the old bazaar’s hubbub. Fly to Luxor, and sail by felucca to the impressive Luxor Temple. Journey to the intriguing Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. At the Oriental Institute’s Chicago House, learn about its meticulous epigraphic survey work. Then embark on a luxury Nile cruise to tour the temples of Karnak, Edfu and Kom Ombo. See Aswan’s High Dam, and fly to Abu Simbel to witness Ramses’ colossal temple. Discuss what you are most curious about with your egyptologist, a gifted, licensed professional who accompanies you on all excursions. While cruising, enjoy deluxe accommodations and generous meals, including wine with dinner. This nine-night, small-group program includes a travel director, four nights in a deluxe Cairo hotel and an overnight first-class hotel stay in Luxor. — From $4,795

HOLIDAY MARKETS: COLOGNE TO NUREMBURG NOV. 27-DEC. 5, 2018 Tour Operator: AHI

Delight in the magical merriment of Germany’s holiday markets on a sevennight cruise that celebrates enduring festive traditions. During Advent, villages of wooden kiosks festooned with pine branches, red ribbons and cheerful lights spring up in town squares along the Rhine and Main rivers. Linger in these fanciful Christkindlmarkts, as you savor the tantalizing aromas of mulled wine and gingerbread. Aboard your first-class ship, relax on deck as the stunning scenery unfolds around you; vistas of clifftop castles, charming villages and rolling hills. Sail through the scenic Rhine Gorge, and gaze upward at the soaring spires of Cologne’s magnificent cathedral. Admire the quaint timbered architecture of medieval gems Miltenberg and Rothenburg on the Romantic Road. Walk through the stately halls of Würzburg’s palace, and explore beautiful Koblenz. While in Cologne, Bamberg and Nuremberg, select from a choice of intriguing excursions. Enjoy insightful lectures and ample onboard meals, including wine and beer with lunch and dinner. For solo travelers, the single supplement is waived. — From $2,495

OUTBACK EXPLORER – SYDNEY TO AUCKLAND JAN. 14-30, 2019 Tour Operator: Go Next

Wellington, New Zealand 48

ALUMNI REVIEW

Take in the best of Australia and New Zealand, destinations of thrilling contrasts and incredible scenery: sun-kissed golden beaches, lush green valleys, laid-back coastal towns, majestic fjords and energetic urban landscapes. Depart Sydney for Eden, a sleepy seaside town that’s home to the fascinating Eden Killer Whale Museum, and sail to

2018-19 REBEL Traveler a significant history and breathtaking natural surroundings. Relax on Corinto’s white-sand beaches, and taste fresh seafood at Puntarenas’ coast-hugging cafés before passing through the Panama Canal. Then, sail to Cartagena. Its UNESCO-listed Old Town offers an easy walking option for exploration, while the city’s palm-fringed beaches provide an ideal backdrop for unwinding. Before ending your cruise in Miami, spend a day in Havana, exploring its old-fashioned aesthetic and beauty of this onceforbidden destination. — From $4,199, including airfare from select cities

Cartagena, Colombia

Melbourne, a vibrant capital sprinkled with chic art galleries and gardens. Spend two days exploring the marvelous city before continuing to Burnie, where you can uncover natural splendors in its many wilderness areas. Then, navigate one of the world’s most exquisite fjords, Milford Sound, with its dramatic cliffs, verdant forests and staggering waterfalls. Look for sunbathing fur seals and yellow-eyed penguins in Dunedin, and stroll Akaroa’s streets framed by colonial architecture. Discover the thriving art scene in Wellington, and view Art Deco architecture in Napier. Before ending your adventure in Auckland, visit Tauranga, rich with Maori culture, or discover the geothermal wonders of Rotorua, and learn about the fascinating history of the Bay of Islands. — From $6,899, including airfare from select cities

SAILING THE WINDWARD ISLANDS FEB. 26-MARCH 5, 2019 Tour Operator: Gohagan

Elude the depths of winter, and experience seafaring in its most timeless form on this custom-designed, seven-night sailing experience amid the Caribbean’s tropical Windward Islands. Enjoy classic “life under sail” — the very best way to see the islands — aboard the exclusively chartered, 64-passenger, three-masted sailing yacht Le Ponant, featuring all ocean-view staterooms and an observation platform, ideal for viewing marine life and snorkeling amidst

colorful coral reefs. Cruise from Vieux Fort, St. Lucia, into secluded harbors, exploring the natural and cultural treasures of the Windward Islands. Visit Soufriére’s Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens, volcano and Sulphur Springs; Martinique’s Clément Plantation and Rum Distillery; St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including Bequia’s seaside Old Hegg Turtle Sanctuary, Union Island with its dramatic volcanic peaks juxtaposing its flat and shallow coral reefs, and the awe-inspiring lagoons of Tobago Cays Marine Park; Grenada, the Spice Island; and Bridgetown, Barbados, known for colonial architecture, vibrant Bajan culture and, of course, the everblue ocean. — From $4,695

PANAMA TO PARADISE – LOS ANGELES TO MIAMI APRIL 1-17, 2019 Tour Operator: Go Next

Cruise the coast of Mexico toward vibrant Central America before crossing the Panama Canal into the dreamy Caribbean. Embark Regatta in Los Angeles, and set sail toward Cabo San Lucas. Its beautiful rugged coast includes the often-photographed Land’s End, a rock formation shaped by the sea. Continue to Acapulco, a city that was once a magnet for celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor and Judy Garland. Puerto Quetzal, the following port, serves as a jumpingoff point to nearby attractions, including resilient Antigua, a colorful town with

NORMANDY TO DEAUVILLE: 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY APRIL 5-13, 2019 Tour Operator: AHI

From rolling, green hills to the beautiful sea, discover the essence of Normandy as well as its pivotal role in history. On this seven-night journey, experience classic Norman culture. Explore Mont St. Michel, where a medieval monastery seemingly rises out of the sea, and see the Bayeux Tapestry, the embroidered story of William the Conqueror’s Battle of Hastings victory. Taste Normandy’s contributions to French cuisine, and sip Calvados, the region’s celebrated cider brandy, in an apple orchard. And as the world marks the 75th anniversary of D-Day, spend two full days visiting the Omaha and Utah beaches, Normandy American Cemetery and other sites associated with this crucial World War II battle, plus gain insights during engaging lectures. Enjoy first-class accommodations in Deauville and an extensive meal plan, featuring wine with dinner, on this small-group program. There is no supplement for solo travelers. — From $3,195

ATLANTIC ENCOUNTERS – NEW YORK TO LONDON APRIL 5-19, 2019 Tour Operator: Go Next

Take in renowned sights on both sides of the Atlantic — first in Canada, then in Ireland and France. First, sail to Saint John, a town located on the unique Bay of Fundy. Witness the S U M M E R 2 0 18

2018-19 REBEL Traveler Reversing Falls, a daily tidal phenomenon, and take in 19th-century Victorian-style buildings before continuing to Halifax, the capital of Nova Scotia. Although it’s the largest city in the Maritime Provinces, Halifax manages to evoke a small-town charm with the thriving spirit of its heritage. St. John’s, the following port, is often described as a mini San Francis co wit h its multicolored row houses that cascade down the steep, hilly slopes. Experience the town’s strong artistic and musical spirit before sailing across the Atlantic to Cobh. Take in scenic views of the large harbor, or consider visiting the nearby lively town of Cork to explore its 17th-century alleyways that lead to historic and cultural sites. Next, sail to Ireland’s capital, Dublin. The city packs character into neatly lined rows of Georgian buildings, gleaming edifices and quaint cobblestone streets. St.Malo, a beautiful fortified town sitting on France’s coast, is perfect for by-foot exploration. Before ending your cruise in Southampton, visit Le Havre, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Virtually destroyed during World War II, the city was rebuilt under the direction of Belgian architect Auguste Perret. Take in the modernist infrastructure, or consider traveling to nearby Paris to cap off your trip. — From $3,899, including airfare from select cities

flavors of Sicily at a family farm that produces award-winning olive oil. Enjoy first-class accommodations in Palermo, Caltagirone and Taormina. In Caltagirone, stay at a unique hotel and spa on an organic farm, and delight in meals created with freshly harvested produce. This eight-night, small-group program features an extensive meal plan and wine with dinner. — From $3,495

RIVER LIFE ALONG THE DUTCH WATERWAYS APRIL 18-26, 2019 Tour Operator: Gohagan

C ome celebrate t he b e auty of Holland and old-world Flanders in springtime, the best time of year to visit, when the vibrant, abundant Dutch tulip fields are in bloom. Join us for this comprehensive nine-day travel program, and cruise for seven nights along the Dutch waterways aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe, small

ancient Maastricht and charming Antwerp. The Golden Age of Amsterdam pre-cruise option and The Delft, Kinderdijk and Hague post-cruise option are offered. This delightful itinerary is an exceptional value including all accommodations, excursions and meals, sells out quickly year after year and is continually praised by our past travelers as the ideal Dutch and Flemish experience. — From $2,995

GEMS OF THE DANUBE APRIL 29-MAY 9, 2019 Tour Operator: Go Next

The Danube River has shaped not only the beautiful European landscape but also the histories of the diverse regions it flows through. Stretching for hundreds of miles, the river links countries, cultures, people and age-old traditions. From fairy tale landscapes dotted with castles to grand hilltop cities and charming rural villages, a trea-

SKETCHES OF SICILY APRIL 10-19, 2019 Tour Operator: AHI

Sicily, which sits between the European mainland and the North African coast, has been a natural crossroads for travelers, explorers and conquerors. Delve into Sicily’s epic past while staying in western, central and eastern areas of the island. Admire the architectural legacy of Gothic, Moorish and Norman conquerors. Discover the baroque flair of Caltagirone. Walk in the footsteps of ancient Greeks and Romans as you explore the well-preserved remnants of their civilizations, marvel at the remarkable mosaics of an ancient Roman villa, and stand among the Greek monuments in Taormina and Syracuse. Savor the 50

ALUMNI REVIEW

Monreale, Sicily

river ship Amadeus Silver II. Meet local residents during the exclusive River Life Forum for a personal perspective of daily life and cultural heritage in the Low Countries. Enjoy a private cruise along the enchanting canals of Amsterdam, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Expert-led excursions include the storybook city of Bruges, the worldrenowned Kröller-Müller Museum, famous Keu ken hof Gardens, t he “Golden Age” trading town of Hoorn,

sure lies beyond each horizon. Spend two days exploring Prague before embarking on an all-inclusive, credit card-free luxury river cruise aboard the state-of-the-art Scenic Amber. With a meticulously planned itinerary, unforgettable shore excursions, and all onboard drinks and dining included, there is no better way to experience the Danube River region and immerse yourself in the history and culture that line its banks. — From $4,999

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News ALUMNI

Class Notes

’50s

JAMES W. DERUITER (BA 56, BS 58, MD 60), a physician practicing general medicine and gynecology in Panama City, Florida, serves as medical director for PanCare of Florida with seven federally qualified community health centers in the panhandle.

’60s

JOHN BOOTH FARESE (JD 69), partner at Farese, Farese & Farese in Ashland, was inducted as a fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation.

DR. CHARLES HARBISON (BSChE 60) of Southaven retired from dentistry after practicing for 50 years. HON. JERRY G. MASON (BA 64, JD 69) of

Meridian was selected out of a field of highly qualified candidates as the 2018 recipient of the Mississippi Bar Association’s Judicial Excellence Award.

WALTER PAGE (BA 69) of Natchez was elected president of the Mississippi Historical Society at its annual meeting in Jackson. HON. JAMES L. ROBERSON (BA 62), for-

mer Mississippi Supreme Court justice, donated two books of the late professor and scholar Myres McDougal (BA 26, MA 27, LLB 35) to the University of Mississippi School of Law.

CHAM TROTTER III (BA 69, JD 72) of Bel-

zoni was awarded the Law-Related Public Education Award at the Mississippi Bar Foundation meeting. He was selected 2015 L aw Alumnus of the Year and served as president of the Mississippi Bar Association.

ALUMNI REVIEW

’70s

LESLIE BANAHAN (BA 76, MEd

92), assistant vice chancellor for student affairs for the University of Mississippi, received a Thomas Frist Student Service Award.

JOHN S. CASE (BA 72) of Slidell, Louisiana,

authored his second book, Saucered Coffee, Blewed and Cooled.

’80s

JAMES E. HOLLAND (JD 86)

formed the law firm of Holland & Hisaw with J. Wesley Hisaw in Horn Lake.

JAMES M. HOOD III (BA 84, JD 88) of Jack-

son was inducted as a fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. He has served as attorney general since 2004.

MIKE MCDONALD (BBA 72, JD 74) of Okla-

SUZANNE RYALS (BAEd 88, MEd 89) was named assistant superintendent for the Lafayette County School District.

DONNA NEAD ROGERS (BA 76, JD 79) of Jackson retired from the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office after 39 years in state government.

LADYE LOVE SMITH (BA 87, MEd 89), part of

ROY A. SMITH JR. (BBA 77, JD 82), shareholder and president at Daniel Coker Horton & Bell in Jackson, was inducted as a fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation.

REGGIE SMITH (BM 88), part of husband-

M. KEITH STARRETT (JD 74) of McComb was awarded the Professionalism Award at the Mississippi Bar Foundation meeting. He serves as U.S. District Court judge for the Southern District of Mississippi.

LEE TYNER (BA 87) was named the first general counsel at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

homa City was elected chairman of the Oklahoma Energy Resources Board.

MIKE STEWART (BPA 75, MCJ 78), founder

and president of Oxford’s Wildrose Kennels, was announced as one of six inductees to the Mississippi Outdoor Hall of Fame.

BETTY L. SULLIVAN (BA 75, MEd 76) is the

publisher of the first LGBTQ newspaper founded jointly and equally by gay men and women, the San Francisco Bay Times, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year.

husband-and-wife singing duo Reggie and Ladye Love Smith, performed at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan. and-wife singing duo Reggie and Ladye Love Smith, performed at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

’90s

CHRIS COBB ( BAc c y 9 3 , MAccy 95) joined Fleetcor Technologies Inc., in Covington, Louisiana, as the director for international tax. DAVID DELLUCCI (95) of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was selected to the 2018 SEC Baseball Legends Class. WALKER LASSITER (BA 90, JD 94, MA 96) of

New Orleans was admitted to the Louisiana State Bar Association.

ALUMNI News

MISSISSIPPI ON THE MALL he Mississippi Society of Washington, D.C., hosted the 28th annual Mississippi on the Mall on June 16. In the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, Ole Miss alumni and friends enjoyed Simmons farm-raised catfish, hushpuppies, coleslaw, caramel cakes from Sugaree’s Bakery and Newk’s sweet tea. The event also featured live music by the Brian Farley Band.

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ALUMNI News

From Health Care to Government FORMER ARKANSAS SENATOR NAMED UM PHARMACY ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR ercy Malone (BSPh 65), former Arkansas state senator, is the School of Pharmacy’s 2018 Alumnus of the Year. He has spent his career fighting to represent the interests of those who may be otherwise overlooked: namely, children, sick or incapacitated people and those living below the poverty line.

Percy Malone

“I came from a meager background,” Malone says. “My mother told me, ‘The way out of poverty is through education.’” As a sixth-grader, Malone began working as a soda jerk in his local pharmacy, Lewis Drug Store. It was there he decided he wanted to become a pharmacist. After graduating

ALUMNI REVIEW

from Rosedale High School, he completed his pre-pharmacy requirements at Delta State University before coming to the School of Pharmacy. “I had people tell me that I would never get into Ole Miss, and if I did, I would never get out,” Malone says. “I didn’t spend my energy trying to prove them wrong. I spent my energy on telling myself I could do it. “It wasn’t easy, but I had a lot of people helping me, and I credit that for being able to get a good education,” Malone says. “I’m not a self-made man.” Malone went on to become one of the state’s top pharmacy innovators. As a pharmacist and businessperson, he focused on finding ways to be more efficient and patient-oriented. His concern for the consumer stemmed from the understanding his background had given him of not being able to afford medicine. In an effort to do more for patients, he ran for state government, and in 1995, began his first of three terms as an Arkansas state representative. “As a representative, Percy worked to bring generic drugs into Arkansas pharmacies, and the traditional pharmacists did not like that,” says Donna Malone, his wife. “But he fought and he prevailed, and now every drugstore in America has generic drugs available. He passed his savings on to the consumer.” Besides advocating for better health care, Malone made it his mission to introduce at least one measure per legislative session aimed at protecting children. Along with his wife, he helped expand the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas, where children could go to report abuse. He spent 18 years in the Legislature, eventually becoming a senator for five terms, befriending thenfuture President Bill Clinton and continuing to fight for the vulnerable. He also has been lauded for his work pioneering innovative health care solutions that benefit assisted and long-term care facilities and their residents. “Ole Miss gave me the opportunity to fail, and no one wants to fail,” Malone says. “It’s been a marvelous life, and I’m very fortunate to be able to give. My upbringing taught me that once you’re on top of the ladder, you don’t pull the ladder up behind you.” Malone was honored on April 21 with the Alumnus of the Year award at the School of Pharmacy’s awards banquet and reunion dinner at The Inn at Ole Miss.

ALUMNI News DEANO ORR (BBA 93) of Courtland, Alabama, has qualified as a Democratic candidate for Lawrence County probate judge.

CHRIS SIMS (PhD 02) received the Dan and

VICENTE RODRIGUEZ (BSEE 94, MS 96,

CHRISTIN SUTTON (BBA 09) accepted the

PhD 99) of Suwane e, G e org i a, was appointed a member of the Union RadioScientifique Internationale (International Union of Radio Science) in April in recognition of his achievements in radio science electromagnetics. JAMES B. THOMPSON (BSPh 97, MS 01, PhD

02) has been named president of Mississippi College in Jackson.

ROB TYNER (BPA 95, JD 98) opened the law

office of Rob Tyner in Sumner.

’00s

TUCKER HERNDON (BBA 04),

partner with Burr & Forman, was named the firm’s Nashville office managing partner.

Charlotte Hornaday Outstanding Faculty Award from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.

position of acting supervisory examiner for the New York territory of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. ROBERT O. TATUM (BBA 01), co-founder of

CR Properties in Hattiesburg, received the Small Business Leadership Award from William Carey University and the Area Development Partnership.

RYAN UPSHAW (BA 06, MA 08), assistant

dean for student services in the University of Mississippi School of Engineering, received a Thomas Frist Student Service Award.

HON. DIETRICH VON BIEDENFELD (JD 09) was elected as an alderman in Brazoria County, Texas.

’10s

KATIE KROUSE (BS 17) joined Oxford Newsmedia as general manager.

SCOTT MASON (MA 12) of Lowell, Massachusetts, accepted a position with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as assistant director of housing assignments in the Division of Student Life.

Alumni Friends

IRWIN BELL, Oxford’s longtime violin teacher, retired from teaching private lessons after 25 years. SAMIR HUSNI, journalism professor and founder and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media, was named a recipient of the 2018 Franklin Luminaire Award. He will be honored on Oct. 17 in New York City.

S U M M E R 2 018

ALUMNI News BIRTHS

Caroline Mae, daughter of Lauren Flegle Johnson (MA 11, PhD 14) and J.D. Johnson (BBA 03, JD 06), June 8, 2018.

1950s Luther Leon Atwell (BSChE 56) of Bernice, La., May 3, 2018 John Alexander Bellan Jr. (LLB 52) of Jackson, May 16, 2018 John Wesley Bowlin (MD 55) of Tupelo, May 12, 2018

WEDDINGS

Margaret Allison Burge (BS 11) and KÄ&#x201C;vin Clayton, April 14, 2018. Jill Clark (BA 01) and Aaron Michael Fulmer, April 28, 2018. Sara Elizabeth Cruse (BAEd 17) and John Russell Hardman (BSES 16), June 16, 2018.

Helen Pauline Carter (MEd 53) of Jackson, April 22, 2018 Thomas Harrington Cave (BA 50) of Virginia Beach, Va., June 14, 2018 Ruth Hines Cook (MEd 56) of Ripley, May 30, 2018 Frances Boyle Cooper (BAEd 50) of Grenada, June 13, 2018 John Albert Crawford Jr. (54) of Starkville, June 2, 2018

Julia Lee Davis (BAJ 13) and Kevin Thomas Barwick (BBA 14), April 14, 2018.

Robert Randolph Criss Sr. (BBA 59, MBA 60, LLB 63) of Evans, Ga., May 13, 2018

Sarah Anne Eicholtz (BSFCS 09, MA 11) and Mickey Leland Brown (11), April 14, 2018.

Vincent Anthony Dauro Sr. (BA 58) of Huntsville, Ala., April 24, 2018 Sandra Heath Davidson (BAEd 57) of Rome, Ga., June 1, 2018

Susanna Mae Rychlak (BA 14) and William Alford Allen (BA 13, MBA 14), April 7, 2018.

Vincent Samuel DePaula Sr. (BSPh 52) of Hammond, La., June 25, 2018

IN MEMORIAM

1930s

Charles Monroe Dorrough (MedCert 52) of Ruleville, May 27, 2018 Brad J. Dye Jr. (BBA 56, LLB 59) of Ridgeland, July 1, 2018 Juanita Brown Furner (52) of Venice, Fla., June 5, 2018 Gaither Clarke Johnson (BSPh 54) of Tupelo, June 6, 2018

Robert Killian Royce (BS 39, 40) of St. Louis, Mo., May 15, 2018

William Colbert Keady Jr. (BA 59) of Oxford, June 12, 2018

1940s

Billy Russell Kinard Sr. (BSHPE 57) of Fort Payne, Ala., June 30, 2018

David E. Keyes (BAEd 50) of Lincoln, Neb., June 10, 2018

Carroll Raybourne Ball (BA 47, MS 48, PhD 63) of Jackson, April 29, 2018

Robert William Krutz Jr. (BSPh 55) of Columbus, May 17, 2018

James Allan Blackwell (BSHPE 49, MEd 50) of Collierville, Tenn., May 26, 2018

James Oliver Manning (BBA 51) of Flowood, May 27, 2018

William Victor Crosby (BS 46, MedCert 47) of Athens, Ga., May 26, 2018 Edwin Horatio Gould Jr. (BBA 49) of Birmingham, Ala., June 27, 2018 David McCall Halbrook (BA 48) of Belzoni, May 19, 2018 Martha Turner Herrin (BAEd 49) of Hattiesburg, April 19, 2018 Philip Kantor (BSGE 41) of Memphis, Tenn., May 13, 2018 Dorothy Crum Lampton (BS 48) of Jackson, April 29, 2018 Leslie Barton Lampton Jr. (BBA 48) of Jackson, April 17, 2018 Charles Marcus (LLB 48) of Dallas, Texas, May 16, 2018 Mary Miller Morrison (BSHPE 43, MA 45) of Memphis, Tenn., June 22, 2018 Elizabeth McBride Rogers (BAEd 42) of Fayetteville, Ga., April 12, 2018 Raymond E. Turman (MedCert 47) of Oxford, April 23, 2018 John Ellis Williams Jr. (49) of Morgan City, April 26, 2018 Catherine Olden Wohner (BA 44) of Canton, June 18, 2018

ALUMNI REVIEW

George Myron Lee (BSPh 52) of Newhebron, April 18, 2018 Charles William Maris Sr. (BBA 50) of Madison, June 27, 2018 Walter Allen McCool Jr. (BBA 58) of Grenada, July 1, 2018 John Robert McDade (BS 57) of Nashville, Tenn., June 10, 2018 Robert Finley McDavid Jr. (MEd 50) of Terre Haute, Ind., June 19, 2018 Edward Lee McMillan (MA 51) of Clinton, May 24, 2018 William Sebastian Moore (BBA 50, LLB 54) of Madison, May 12, 2018 James Edward Nichols (BSHPE 54, MEd 61) of Oxford, May 19, 2018 Dorothy Jean Myers Norman (57) of Calhoun City, May 20, 2018 Margaret Bowen Norsworthy (BM 50) of Billings, Mont., June 15, 2018 Cecil Leon Oswalt (MEd 55) of Tallahassee, Fla., May 16, 2018 James L. Ott (54) of Morton, April 29, 2018 Carleton Clifton Page (MBA 58, BBA 58) of Plano, Texas, April 23, 2018 Barbara Norred Perkins (MA 58) of Atlanta, Ga., June 4, 2018 Merab Banks Reedy (BA 59) of Bethel Springs, Tenn., May 1, 2018 James Vayden Robinson Jr. (MA 59, PhD 67) of Hattiesburg, May 22, 2018 Jo Lane Jumper Rutledge (BSC 54, MBEd 61) of Jackson, April 27, 2018

ALUMNI News

ATLANTA’S MISSISSIPPI PICNIC IN THE PARK

he Mississippi Society of Georgia hosted Atlanta’s Mississippi in the Park for the ninth year on June 23, at Chastain Park in Buckhead. Ole Miss alumni and friends enjoyed catfish plates provided by Penn’s, McAlister’s sweet tea and caramel cake from Sugaree’s Bakery in New Albany.

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High Court

UM LAW ALUMNA AND ADJUNCT PROFESSOR TO CLERK ON U.S. SUPREME COURT

obi Young (JD 03), a 2003 graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Law and an adjunct professor, has been selected as a U.S. Supreme Court clerk for Justice Neil Gorsuch. Young, who graduated with high honors, will serve during the court’s 2018-19 term. “The law school is so excited for Tobi, who has been an excellent professor and mentor to our students,” says Susan Duncan, UM law dean. “She has had an incredible career thus far, and we know she will be excellent in this position.” Young is the school’s first female graduate to clerk for the Supreme Court. W. Wayne Drinkwater (BA 71, JD 74) clerked for Chief Justice Warren Burger during the 1975-76 term, and Judge Rhesa Barksdale (JD 72), of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, clerked for Justice Byron White during 1972-73. “How can you turn down an opportunity to clerk at the Supreme Court?” Young says. “It’s not a pros- Tobi Young pect I had ever pursued, but it was such an honor for [Gorsuch] to have placed his trust in me. I’m excited to work for him, and lucky to have an amazing support system that enables me to be a mother and take this position.”

Young is general counsel in the office of former President George W. Bush, as well as general counsel and board secretary for the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Previously, she was an associate White House counsel under Bush. “I am extremely grateful to President and Mrs. Bush for their example and for having given me the opportunity to work for and with them for over a decade,” she said. “Having practiced law in both the government and the private sector, I have experienced the profession as more than a theoretical puzzle. I hope this real-world experience will help me serve Justice Gorsuch well.” Young excelled during her time at Ole Miss and was invited to give the Commencement speech for the 2016 School of Law graduation. “I truly enjoyed my time at Ole Miss and appreciate the support that has continued,” she says. “My professors taught me the fundamentals of the law, while also consistently emphasizing the importance of upholding the ethical expectations of our field — an area lawyers can never underscore enough.”

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ALUMNI News Charles Edward Sweeney (BA 58) of Iuka, April 22, 2018 Mary Elizabeth Tahir (54) of New Orleans, La., May 7, 2018 Robert Laurence Taylor (BBA 52) of Estes Park, Colo., April 7, 2018 Francis Marion Tindall Jr. (54) of Bentonia, June 5, 2018 Robert Fred Trexler Jr. (BBA 58) of Lakeland, Tenn., June 21, 2018 Thomas Lavaughn Warbington (MA 58) of Gautier, April 21, 2018 Mary Ona Wilhoit (BA 58, MA 68) of Montevallo, Ala., June 18, 2018 John Nathaniel Wright Jr. (BSHPE 51) of Cordova, Tenn., April 26, 2018

1960s

Gabriela Teichert Holstein (BAEd 66) of San Antonio, Texas, May 15, 2018 Henry Ervin Hooke (BBA 63) of La Porte, Texas, April 19, 2018 John Bernard Hooker (MCS 62) of Jackson, April 23, 2018 Lenora Thompson Irby (MEd 64) of Brandon, April 15, 2018 William Hartley Jones (BA 60) of Winchester, Va., May 2, 2018 Carroll Abrams Kemp Jr. (BBA 61) of Miramar Beach, Fla., April 28, 2018 Edwin Eugene Kerstine (BS 68, JD 77) of Madison, May 20, 2018 Ronald William Lamey (BSPh 67) of Gautier, June 7, 2018 Marjorie Hays Livingston (MA 69) of New Albany, April 26, 2018

Marsha Campbell Becker (BA 63) of Cumming, Ga., May 30, 2018 William Alonzo Billups Jr. (MD 65) of Meridian, April 19, 2018 Billy E. Brewer (BSHPE 64) of Oxford, May 12, 2018 Elbert Leon Brown Jr. (BSChE 60) of Auburn, Calif., May 9, 2018 Bobby Joe Canup Sr. (BBA 65) of Tremont, May 6, 2018 Charles Henry Caperton (BA 67) of Meridian, June 9, 2018 Laurance Nicholas Chandler III (BA 67, MURP 69) of Swiftown, May 3, 2018 Donald Bain Clary (BSHPE 67) of Lawrenceville, Va., June 14, 2018 Martha Hughes Collins (BSN 63) of Ridgeland, April 22, 2018 James Kenneth Dunaway (BSHPE 63) of Foxworth, May 13, 2018 James Mercer Harrison (BBA 64) of Jackson, June 13, 2018 Linda Jacobs Harrison (BAEd 65) of DeLand, Fla., April 15, 2018 A.J. Holloway Jr. (BSHPE 63) of Biloxi, June 5, 2018

William Lee Lovett (BA 63, MD 67) of Phoenix, Ariz., April 14, 2018 Wayne Greene Lynch (BBA 69) of Pawleys Island, S.C., May 3, 2018 William Earl Morgan (MEd 67) of Brandon, May 4, 2018 Van N. Oliphant (BBA 63) of Germantown, Tenn., May 30, 2018 Jerry Joe Rayborn Sr. (BA 64) of Franklinton, La., June 15, 2018 Gail Gillespie Reed (BAEd 68) of Oxford, June 10, 2018 John Franklin Reed Jr. (BBA 66) of Bradenton Beach, Fla., April 22, 2018 Charles Lamar Richardson USAF (Ret.) (BA 69) of Sterling, Va., June 10, 2018 John Bedford Russell Jr. (BS 61) of New Braunfels, Texas, Dec. 19, 2017 Fred Monroe Sandifer III (BA 64) of Greenwood, April 25, 2018 Johnnie Cain Schram (63) of Metairie, La., May 7, 2018 Patricia Anne Sheldon (BA 62) of Houston, Texas, May 15, 2018 Stanley Stein Sherman (BA 62) of Greenville, May 19, 2018

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ALUMNI News Elizabeth Fincher Sinkula (BSPh 61) of Kalamazoo, Mich., May 28, 2018 Julie Spencer (BA 69) of New Orleans, La., April 19, 2018 Alvin Gilbert Tenner (LLB 62) of Henderson, Nev., June 28, 2018 Charles Donald Thomas (LLB 62) of Pontotoc, April 19, 2018 Jane Lundberg Tribble (BAEd 67) of Grenada, April 13, 2018 Gerald Wayne Waldrop (MEd 65) of Randolph, June 13, 2018 Robert Lewis White (67) of Bluffton, S.C., June 18, 2018 Elsie Wells Williston (BSHPE 69) of Oxford, May 5, 2018

Lewis Myers Jr. (JD 72) of Chicago, Ill., May 24, 2018 James Harvey Parrish (MBA 70) of Marietta, Ga., April 25, 2018 Fred Thomas Ratchford Jr. (BA 70) of Pensacola, Fla., June 3, 2018 Harriet Parker Smith (BA 77) of Marshall, Texas, March 25, 2018 Steven Arthur Smith (BSPh 78) of Bridgeport, W.Va., May 3, 2018 Sandra Spencer Spengler (BPA 79) of Brandon, June 13, 2018 Mark Allen Stevens (MD 79) of Columbia, June 13, 2018 Linda Kolwyck Tabor (BAEd 73, MCD 74) of Jackson, Tenn., June 10, 2018 James Grant Thompson III (JD 73) of Kissimmee, Fla., April 24, 2018

1970s

Edward T. Woo Sr. (BSPh 71) of Webb, June 10, 2018 Otto Albert Wusnack (JD 73) of Las Vegas, Nev., May 31, 2018

Leslie Edward Breeding (79) of Oxford, May 1, 2018 James Ellis Carpenter (BBA 74) of Louisville, Ky., June 22, 2018 Thomas Howard Carpenter Jr. (BAEd 72) of Hernando, March 26, 2018

1980s

Marjorie Hebert Chauvin (MEd 76) of New Iberia, La., May 20, 2018

Betsy Poole Aloway (BPA 83) of Abbeville, June 17, 2018

Robert Elisha Clark (JD 74) of Vidalia, La., June 1, 2018

Karen McElwain Broughton (BSW 82) of Reno, Nev., May 31, 2018

Burgess Thomas Cox (BBA 77) of Oxford, June 6, 2018

Robert Lee Craven (BE 87) of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., May 6, 2018

Woodrow Wilson Day Jr. (BBA 70) of Germantown, Tenn., May 22, 2018

Daniel Triplett Day (BSPh 87) of Gulfport, June 19, 2018

Jack Alexander Denton (BBA 79, MBA 80) of Florence, Ala., May 22, 2018 Valdis Gercens (BBA 75) of Cruger, June 14, 2018 Russell Porter Grant Jr. (JD 74) of Madison, June 27, 2018 Chih-Ming Hsiao (MS 79) of Chicago, Ill., April 20, 2018 Jim Eldridge Lloyd (MEd 75) of Vardaman, June 6, 2018 Dan Ellen Brock Maples (BA 74, MCD 76) of Jackson, April 19, 2018

Clinton LaFayette Franklin III (BA 82, JD 84) of Houston, Texas, April 22, 2018 Vivian Ann Langley (MEd 80) of Auburn, Ala., May 6, 2018 Kent Allen Luter (BBA 82) of Tylertown, April 20, 2018 Mark Stephen Millette (BAccy 83) of Pascagoula, May 9, 2018 Robert Holland Parrish (BSME 85) of Nashville, Tenn., May 9, 2018 Sonya Scott Thompson (BBA 81) of Panama City Beach, Fla., April 18, 2018

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ALUMNI News

GREAT JOURNEY THROUGH EUROPE

le Miss alumni and friends enjoyed ‘The Great Journey through Europe’ June 13-23 with UM Chancellor Jeff Vitter and his wife, Sharon. Trip participants experienced an extraordinary 11-day grand tour of Europe including an incredible combination of river, rail, lake and mountains as part of the Alumni Association’s travel program. For more information on upcoming trips, visit the Rebel Traveler department on page 48 of this issue, or visit the Alumni Association website at olemissalumni.com.

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ALUMNI News David Shelby Van Every (JD 81) of Columbus, June 12, 2018

Deborah Palmer McCoy (BAEd 00) of Booneville, May 3, 2018

Brenda Leigh Vanderburg (BA 85) of Spring Hill, Fla., April 22, 2018

Bertha Cropper Shegog (MA 05) of Crowder, June 14, 2018

David Lynn Walker (JD 84) of Batesville, June 30, 2018

Michael Brad Staton (00) of Astoria, N.Y., March 28, 2018

Joseph Clayton Wallace (MEd 80) of Horn Lake, June 15, 2018

Terwanda Denise Thomas (BSFCS 03) of Winona, June 26, 2018

1990s

2010s

Jeffery Brand Caldwell (BAR 92) of Oxford, May 16, 2018

Rebecca Bland McKittrick (12) of Etta, May 5, 2018

Letha Cheryl Jackson Cummins (EdD 96) of Cleveland, May 19, 2018

Rebecca Adeline Gerene Rhodes (18) of Belleville, N.Y., June 17, 2018

Dorsey Dee Edmundson (MA 92, PhD 95) of Rocky Mount, N.C., April 30, 2018

Mercedes Lane Sellers (16) of Grenada, May 4, 2018

Paul Weldon Howard (BFA 99) of Holcomb, June 25, 2018 Mary Colum Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Donnell OP (PhD 96) of River Forest, Ill., June 6, 2018

Joseph Yoon Tae Woestendiek (BSCS 17) of New Albany, June 18, 2018

Chris Pittman (BBA 97) of Bonaire, Ga., June 17, 2018

FACULTY AND FRIENDS

David Archer Stegall (99) of Missouri City, Texas, May 7, 2018

Dennis Edward Beyerlein of Horn Lake, May 2, 2018 Kay Kannada Bounds of Oxford, June 29, 2018

2000s

Martin Lester Dalton Jr. of Macon, Ga., June 22, 2018

Carrie Elizabeth Grafe (BAEd 02, MEd 03) of Moss Point, June 26, 2018

Barney Roy DeLaughter Jr. of Clinton, April 13, 2018

Jacob Anthony Greer (BSFCS 08) of Madison, June 6, 2018

Doris Roberts Embry of Oxford, June 5, 2018

Show your Ole Miss pride Show your loyalty to Ole Miss by owning an official University of Mississippi license plate. Mississippi residents pay an additional $51 a year for the affinity plate, $32.50 of which returns to the university and is applied toward student scholarships and keeping the Grove and University Circle green and vibrant.

Ole Miss affinity license plates also are available in some other states, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Washington D.C. For more information visit olemissalumni.com. 62

ALUMNI REVIEW

ALUMNI News Alan Edward Freeland of Brandon, June 6, 2018 Wilson Arrington Harreld of Canton, June 26, 2018 Lizabeth Smith Lefeve of Cedar Park, Texas, May 8, 2018 Don Owen Lewis Sr. of Germantown, Tenn., June 8, 2018 James David March of Madison, April 15, 2018 Mamie Gertrude Morgan of Oxford, June 1, 2018 Gwendolyn Hunt Nichols of Olive Branch, April 19, 2018 Edward Lee Overall of Potts Camp, April 21, 2018

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 Associationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website at olemissalumni.com. The Association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni.

Hazel Coleman Ragland of Oxford, May 11, 2018 Mike Slive of Birmingham, Ala., May 10, 2018 Patricia Lawrence Smith of Oxford, May 6, 2018 Joyce Merchant Stocks of Oxford, May 14, 2018 Willola Vick Sullivant of Pope, April 11, 2018 Cedell Toles of Taylor, May 16, 2018 Edith C. Vaughn of Abbeville, June 6, 2018 Bonnie MacCain Vaught of Oxford, April 25, 2018 Haila Suzanne Lindley Williamson of Vicksburg, April 14, 2018

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ALUMNI News

EASY COMPANY – WWII: ENGLAND TO THE EAGLE’S NEST

le Miss alumni and friends followed in the footsteps of Easy Company, part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne, as part of the Alumni Association’s travel program from May 27 to June 8. Led by historians and curators from the National WWII Museum, and joined by ‘Band of Brothers’ cast member Michael Cudlitz, the tour took participants from the hedgerows of Normandy, along ‘Hell’s Highway’ in the Netherlands, through the foxholes surrounding Bastogne and atop the Eagle’s Nest. For more information on upcoming trips, visit the Rebel Traveler department on page 48 of this issue, or visit the Alumni Association website at olemissalumni.com.

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