Ole Miss Alumni Review - Summer 2023

ALUMNI REVIEW

Behind the Seams

OLE MISS DUO FINDS SUCCESS IN APPAREL INDUSTRY

Special series highlights new graduates

Alumnus becomes inaugural lead special trial counsel for US Army

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22

‘It’s Not the Destination, It’s the Journey’

Special series highlights new graduates

Cambria Chatman profile by Clara Turnage

Heidi Myers profile by Benita Whitehorn

Orianna Shaw profile by Lisa Stone 28 |

Behind the Seams

Ole Miss duo finds success in apparel industry

By Annie Rhoades 32 |

A Major Responsibility

Alumnus becomes inaugural lead special trial counsel

US Army

By Brian Hudgins

Alumnus Blake Dubinski (BBA 13, MBA 15) teamed up with Brice Noonan, UM associate professor of biology, to start GenTeal Apparel in 2016. Their company now sells to over 200 retailers in 20 states, as well as 50 country clubs. | Photo by Logan Kirkland

Ole Miss Alumni Review

PUBLISHER

Kirk Purdom (BA 93)

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Jim Urbanek II (BA 97) jim@olemissalumni.com

ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Annie Rhoades (BBA 07, MBA 09) annie@olemissalumni.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Benita Whitehorn

ART DIRECTOR

Amy Howell

CONTRIBUTORS

Kevin Bain (BA 98), Srijita Chattopadhyay, Ruth Cummins (BA 82), Bill Dabney (BA 89), Andrea Wright Dilworth, Natalie Ehrhardt (BAJ 15), Dana Engelbert, Erin Garrett (BAJ 11, MS 20), Thomas Graning (BAJ 17), Brian Hudgins, Darrell Hudson, Robert Jordan (BA 83, MA 90), Logan Kirkland (BAJ 16, MS 22), Joshua McCoy, Debbie Nelson (BGS 15), Gary Pettus, LaReeca Rucker (BA 97, MA 16), Edwin B. Smith (BA 80, MA 93), Lisa Stone (MA 97), Clara Turnage (BAJ 17)

OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Bill Reed (BA 72, JD 77) president

Karen Moore (BS 82) president-elect

Jeff Hubbard (BBA 80, JD 83) vice president

Todd Sandroni (BSPh 92, PhMD 97) athletics committee member

Bruce Ware (BBA 99) athletics committee member

ALUMNI AFFAIRS DIRECTORS

Kirk Purdom (BA 93), chief executive officer

Joseph Baumbaugh, assistant director for information services

Sunny Brown (BSFCS 09, MA 11), assistant director

Clay Cavett (BBA 86), associate director, campaigns and special projects

Michelle Coughlin (BAccy 93, MAccy 94), chief financial officer

Junae Johnson (BBA 15), assistant director

Jessica Lynch (BSES 05), assistant director

Steve Mullen (BA 92), assistant director for marketing

Annie Rhoades (BBA 07, MBA 09), assistant director for communications

Mary Kate Smith (BS 18), assistant director

Scott Thompson (BA 97, MA 08), associate director, engagement

Jim Urbanek (BA 97), associate director, communications and marketing

Rusty Woods (BBA 01), associate director for information services

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. 77035

from the Chancellor

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Each year, it is one of our highest honors to celebrate our remarkable graduates and welcome them as our newest alumni. Members of the Class of 2023 are notable for their persistence despite catching a curveball in their freshman year with the disruptions of the pandemic. Their grit and perseverance to stay on track with their academic pursuits is truly inspiring. I’m excited that this issue of the Alumni Review gives you a glimpse into the journeys of a few new graduates. These examples show why we are in the best of hands as the Class of 2023 becomes the nation’s next generation of leaders.

At 18 years old, Cambria Chatman, of Natchez, was one of our youngest graduates ever. She joined the Ole Miss family after earning an associate degree from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Just three days after receiving her bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies, Cambria headed to basic training with the U.S. Air Force. Cambria is building a life of purpose fueled by her drive to serve others.

During his time at Ole Miss, Andy Flores, of Ocean Springs, a first-generation college student, emerged as one of the most accomplished members of the Class of 2023. This public policy leadership and philosophy major served as president of the First-Gen Student Network and was named a Truman Scholar in 2022 for his commitment to public service. Andy is an outstanding example of what can happen when we provide all students the opportunity and support to pursue a degree.

Heidi Myers, of Arlington, Tennessee, is an inspiring grad who was diagnosed with stage II germ cell ovarian cancer during her sophomore year. Even through chemo treatments, she continued her studies and was rewarded by graduating summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and psychology, and she graduated on time. On May 21, Heidi marked two years cancer-free!

A two-time Ole Miss grad, Orianna Shaw, of Taylor, was shaped by her experience as a sprinter for Ole Miss track and field. She combined her passion for sports with her ambition to be a health care provider by earning a Master of Science in Athletic Training, which prepares individuals to pursue a career as a certified athletic trainer. I’m proud of the many ways that Ole Miss helps our students discover and pursue their calling.

Let me also congratulate our Medical Center on the groundbreaking for a new 106,000-square-foot School of Nursing. We’re grateful for the incredible role that nurses play in providing excellent health care, and this new facility will offer updated educational areas, enhance the learning experience and increase nursing enrollment.

We’ve come a long way since Nov. 6, 1848, when the University of Mississippi opened its doors with four faculty members and 80 students. As we welcome another record number of freshmen this fall, we’ll celebrate our 175th anniversary of serving students by doing what we do best: developing leaders and preparing students to lead fulfilling lives and careers.

Hotty Toddy!

Glenn F. Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) Chancellor

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from the President

Dear Alumni and Friends,

While I will be privileged to serve as your Ole Miss Alumni Association president until Homecoming 2023, this will be my last letter, so special thanks are due to my bride, Cindy, OMAA CEO Kirk Purdom and his talented staff, and the amazing alumni of Ole Miss. I know all our alumni will welcome and support the Association’s next president, Karen Moore, and president-elect, Jeff Hubbard.

In late 2018 or early 2019, a nice fellow named Glenn Boyce visited our executive committee to discuss the requisite talents of the person who would become the next chancellor. After he left our meeting, several folks remarked that Glenn would be a great chancellor. They were right. Chancellor Boyce has led Ole Miss to new heights. Enrollment has exploded (three new residence halls are coming soon). The campus has grown by leaps and bounds but remains beautiful. And the faculty, staff and student body are more talented than ever. The next time you see Chancellor Boyce, thank him for doing a great job.

The Name, Image and Likeness, or NIL, funding concept has changed college athletics forever (or at least for now). To generate much-needed resources for the Alumni Association and Ole Miss Athletics’ NIL program, I encourage you to support DeadSoxy, a lifestyle sock brand founded by Ole Miss alumnus Jason Simmons. I have several pairs of DeadSoxy’s Ole Miss-themed socks, which are also available at olemissalumni.com/shop. They are unique, comfortable and fun. And every time you buy a pair of them, you will be contributing to the Association, the Grove Collective and Ole Miss Athletics.

Renovations at The Inn at Ole Miss are in full swing. The lobby and front desk area have been renovated and redecorated. New HVAC units are being installed in the original sections of the hotel, and four “model rooms” hopefully will be ready by the first football game on Sept. 2 this fall. Guest reactions to the model rooms will guide the planned renovations of all standard and deluxe rooms. Give the Inn a try. I assure you, there is no substitute for staying on the edge of the Grove and enjoying an aperitif on the newly redesigned McCormick’s patio.

Summer is almost over, and football season is fast approaching. For every home game, Cindy and I (really more Cindy than me) will host a reception in the president’s suite (second floor of the Inn tower). All are invited to stop by and enjoy refreshments. By the way, this event will move to the new Triplett Alumni Center as soon as we can raise the money to build it. If you have not contributed, please do so. The new center will serve us well for years to come.

Hotty Toddy!

Bill Reed (BA 72, JD 77) President, Ole Miss Alumni Association

rom the Circle

THE LATEST ON OLE MISS STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF AND FRIENDS

Bright Futures Ahead

STUDENTS TO TRAVEL, TEACH ENGLISH, CONDUCT RESEARCH

Eight University of Mississippi students have earned Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards, the most ever in university history.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program partners students with universities and schools from more than 140 nations around the globe to promote international study and cross-cultural dialogue. The selective program is available to seniors and graduate and doctoral students from the United States.

Ole Miss students have garnered 59 Fulbright awards since the program began in 1946, says Vivian Ibrahim (15), director of the Office of National Scholarship Advisement.

“This is huge,” Ibrahim says. “This is the most Fulbrights we’ve ever had, and the students are just fantastic. I can’t tell

you how excited I am for them.” This year’s recipients are:

• Manuel Campbell, a biochemistry major from Jackson

• Edith Marie Green, an international studies major from Oxford

• Mikayla Jordan, an education major from Hattiesburg

• Alyssa Langlois, an international studies major from New Orleans

• Rabria Moore, a journalism and political science major from Durant

• Sydney Rester, a biomedical engineering major from Oxford

• Emily Wang, an international studies major from Randolph, New Jersey

• Savannah Whittemore, a law school student from Grenada

Along with promoting cross-cultural exchange, these awards put the university well on its way to becoming a top Fulbright Award-producing institution, Ibrahim says.

Each year, the U.S. Department of State names institutions across the United States that have the highest number of accepted applicants to the Fulbright U.S. Student and Fulbright U.S. Scholar programs.

Although Ole Miss hasn’t yet earned this distinction, Ibrahim says she believes it could be on the horizon.

“This is just an incredible group,” she says. “I think it says something about making these awards attainable and accessible to students.”

Manuel Campbell

Rabria Moore

Edith Marie Green

Sydney Rester

Mikayla Jordan

Emily Wang

Alyssa Langlois

Savannah Whittemore

Honored for Civil Rights Research

WICKHAM RECEIVES FARRAR AWARD IN MEDIA AND CIVIL RIGHTS HISTORY

The University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Mass Media has recognized University of Mississippi journalism professor and author Kathleen Wickham with the Ronald T. and Gayla F. Farrar Award in Media and Civil Rights History for her work in civil rights research.

The Farrar Award honors journalists whose articles or chapters in an edited collection depict historical relationships between media and civil rights efforts.

“It is a real tribute to Dr. Wickham, who has a long history of doing work related to civil rights that’s been both nationally and internationally recognized,” says Andrea Hickerson, dean of the UM School of Journalism and New Media. “It’s affirming and a wonderful recognition of her body of work.”

Wickham’s 2020 article published in American Journalism, “The Magnifying Effect of Television News: Civil Rights Coverage and Eyes on the Prize,” details how Henry Hampton’s award-winning documentary “Eyes on the Prize” uses broadcast journalism and interviews with activists before filming to better understand media’s role in civil rights perception and coverage.

“The famous line that we teach journalism students is, ‘Journalism is the first draft of history,’” Wickham says.

“Examining how that history evolves and is recorded is important to the public’s understanding of news events.”

Wickham was chosen as winner of the award in 2021, but the announcement was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite having won the award two years previous, Wickham says she only found out a few weeks before this year’s USC Media and Civil Rights Symposium.

“I was stunned,” Wickham says. “And I was overwhelmed that they recognized my work that I’ve been doing on the topic. I’m very grateful.”

Wickham, who has taught journalism at Ole Miss for 24 years, also received a 2023 research grant from Kappa Tau Alpha to continue researching the role of media in the coverage of civil rights. The grant will allow Wickham to delve into the recently digitized Black newspapers of the civil rights era, which she says have been largely unstudied, unlike their legacy publication counterparts.

“I am so proud of the work that the faculty do here relating to civil rights,” Hickerson says. “It’s important for us to look back to understand who we are, and it’s important for students today to understand part of the narrative that they are in right now. They are a part of this legacy.”

Organizers at the University of South Carolina’s College of Information and Mass Media present Kathleen Wickham (second from right) with the Ronald T. and Gayla F. Farrar Award in Media and Civil Rights History in recognition of her work in civil rights research. | Submitted photo

A Showcase of Recent Acquisitions

EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS VARIETY OF ART COLLECTION

The University of Mississippi Museum’s newest installation, “Recent Acquisitions,” highlights the varied and expansive collection of artworks that has been donated or funded by the community in the last 10 years.

Among the selected works are wood carvings, watercolor and oil paintings, pieces that blend the line between painting and sculpture, and a wealth of works created by underrepresented populations in the art community.

I didn’t know you had that,’” she says. “This exhibit contains work gained in the last 10 years, but many of them have never been displayed before.

“The goal of any museum is to make art accessible, and that’s what we’re trying to do.”

UM alumnus Michael Rogers’ (MFA 81) “Untitled (Dishes in a Sink),” a nearly photorealistic depiction of glassware and plates in a cast iron sink and drain board, sits at the forefront of the collection. Rogers, an African American realist, had his work featured in the National Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art by the time he graduated from Ole Miss in 1981.

Highlighting Rogers and other minority and female artists such as Hale Aspacio Woodruff, Dean Mitchell (BAEd 91) and Marleah Kaufman Hobbs (MFA 65) was one of the primary goals of the exhibit, Antonelli says.

“Art as a profession doesn’t always seem attainable for people from underrepresented and minority communities,” Antonelli says. “We wanted people to be able to walk in and see these works from African American artists and women and see these people represented.

“To have someone like Hale Aspacio Woodruff, who is highly trained and incredibly talented, is important for our students to see.”

“The museum has evolved over the years with what our mission has been,” says Melanie Antonelli (MFA 13), the museum’s curator and collections manager. “Right now, we’re highlighting, of course, Southern art and artists, but we also want our collection to represent our community.”

“Recent Acquisitions” will be on display through March 2024. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Admission is free.

Among the dozens of donations and donor-funded acquisitions over the last decade are many pieces from Ole Miss alumni and former professors, Antonelli says.

“We have, with almost every exhibit, someone say, ‘Oh,

Other works in the exhibit come from well-known names such as Theora Hamblett, William Dunlap (MFA 69) and Laurin McCracken.

“I hope with all of the variety — the different mediums and subjects and artists — everybody can find something that they can identify with, regardless of what that may be,” says Andrea Drummond (12), membership, events and communications coordinator for the museum. “There are so many different kinds of art on display here.”

Without the support of the community, such an exhibit wouldn’t be possible, Antonelli says.

“This isn’t a traditional exhibit; it’s more about celebrating our donors and our community,” she says. “It lets people appreciate the breadth of our collection.”

The University of Mississippi Museum’s ‘Recent Acquisitions’ exhibit displays artworks donated or purchased using donated funding and grants from the last 10 years. Among the displayed works are pieces by numerous Mississippi artists, artists from minority and underrepresented communities, and former Ole Miss students and faculty members. | Photos courtesy of the University of Mississippi Museum

HARRINGTON HONORED FOR DOCUMENTARY ON ARTIST WYATT WATERS

Arising senior in the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media was named one of the winners of the 48th annual Gracie Awards.

Emma Harrington, an integrated marketing communications major from Madison, was among the Television Student Winners for her documentary “Wyatt Waters: Below the Surface.”

Larz Roberts (MA 97), director of the university’s S. Gale Denley Student Media Center, says he was surprised but not shocked to hear of Harrington’s win.

“Emma is sharp and she keeps her motor running,” he says. “Her work reflects that. Spend 10 minutes in a room talking with her, and anyone can see how Emma representing Ole Miss on the national stage for that honor just makes sense.

“I’m happy the Gracies recognize the quality of student we have in Emma Harrington through her documentary.”

The Gracies are presented by the Alliance for Women in Media Foundation. The awards recognize outstanding programming and individual achievement created by women, for women and about

women in all facets of media in news and entertainment.

Harrington says she hopes others see the beauty of Mississippi in her work.

“Many things have described Mississippi over the years, not all of them positive,” she says. “However, Mississippi has produced some of the most talented and inspirational people in history. Wyatt Waters is one of them.”

This year’s theme is “Storytelling.” The awards were inspired and named after actress Gracie Allen.

Harrington says she hopes people are inspired to follow their dreams after watching her documentary.

“Wyatt didn’t come from much, but he made something of himself with a paintbrush and a dream,” she says. “He worked hard and never gave up, even when giving up would have been a whole lot easier.

“If you think the world wants you to give up, I hope this documentary can convince you otherwise. I never thought a girl like me from small-town Mississippi could win such a prestigious award as a Gracie, and yet here I am. Find your people and chase your dreams.”

Piecing Together the Narrative

RESEARCH TO FOCUS ON BLACK EXPERIENCE IN VICKSBURG AFTER CIVIL WAR

For the next two years, University of Mississippi history instructor Beth Kruse (PhD 21) will live and work in Vicksburg, delving into the untold story of Black Americans in the tumultuous Civil War South.

As a recipient of the National Park Service Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship, Kruse will be piecing together the history and experiences of African Americans living in and around Vicksburg between the Civil War and Reconstruction.

“This is an enormous accomplishment for Beth,” says Kathryn McKee, director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture. “Beth has gotten a postdoc that potentially points her toward a career in public history. This is a testimony to her persistence and her hard work and the quality of her work.”

For her fellowship, Kruse will examine widow and orphan pension letters and

other documents from African American soldiers buried in the Vicksburg National Cemetery who died in the war. She will also gather stories from families who are descendants of Civil War soldiers and the local Freedmen communities.

“It’s a matter of looking at records with current historical understandings, searching for African American history that was previously overlooked and talking to people about their ancestors’ stories,” Kruse says. “We can actually form a picture of Mississippi and Louisiana’s Civil War and Reconstruction era African Americans’ daily lives based on their documented experiences.”

Kruse says telling the lesser-known stories about African American soldiers who fought and died in the war will also help close a gap in history,

“I really want to give the life stories of those, especially the men who are buried in that cemetery,” Kruse says. “Those who

have been written out of history, they’re still fighting for the rights that were guaranteed for them after the Civil War that were denied through Reconstruction era violence and Jim Crow era laws.”

Emma Harrington

Beth Kruse

Prescribing Greatness

FOUR FIRST PROFESSIONAL YEAR PHARMACY STUDENTS EARN TAYLOR MEDAL

Four first-year students in the professional program at the UM School of Pharmacy earned Marcus Elvis Taylor Memorial Medals, the university’s highest academic award, this spring.

Fewer than 1% of all Ole Miss students earn the award annually, and honorees must have a 3.90 GPA or higher. This year, some 3.5% of eligible pharmacy students were awarded Taylor Medals.

“Having four Taylor Medals affirms the School of Pharmacy has the best and brightest students, who are academically strong and leaders on campus,” says Donna Sue West Strum (BSPh 95, MS 97, PhD 99), the school’s dean.

This year’s winners include pharmacy students Camille Culp, of Marianna, Arkansas; Erin Lomenick, of Potts Camp; Maria Sallee, of Collierville, Tennessee; and Tuong Tran, of D’Iberville.

Culp was drawn to Ole Miss by the proximity to home, and the pharmacy school’s early entry program sealed the deal.

Once on campus, Culp joined Global Brigades, a health missionary nonprofit. As a student wellness ambassador, she gave emotional and mental support to peers. She also was elected the group’s treasurer and two-year president. Culp is active in the American Pharmacists Association – Academy of Student Pharmacists, working at health fairs to promote and provide immunizations and take blood sugar.

“The School of Pharmacy has been instrumental in helping me find community,” she says. “It’s where my friends are, and everyone has been so helpful. I’m grateful for the community I found here.”

Lomenick knew she wanted a science or health care career

but faced one large obstacle.

“The human body grossed me out,” she says.

Fortunately, she had a solid role model in her dad, Bob, who owns and operates community pharmacies in Holly Springs and Oxford.

Lomenick is involved in multiple campus organizations. In the fall, she becomes president-elect of Kappa Epsilon, a pharmacy fraternity and is active in the Mortar Board and Phi Kappa Phi honor societies.

Sallee grew up surrounded by family in the health care field — her dad is a radiologist, her grandfather was an ER doctor, and her great-uncle is a pharmacist.

At Ole Miss, she served as a recitation leader for a virtual organic chemistry class as a junior and was a study group leader for microbiology in fall 2022. She has volunteered at Grove Grocery and is active in the Baptist Student Union.

Tran, a first-generation college student who was unsure of a career direction, is keeping his options open as far as a practice specialty to pursue and anticipates finding his home in upcoming rotations.

“During our first rotation, my preceptor talked about how I might enjoy the hospital setting because of my personality,” he says. “We have an upcoming rotation in an institutional setting, and I’m looking forward to exploring different practices.”

Tran recognizes the hallmark community culture of the pharmacy school and says he is grateful for it.

“I’m thankful for the people who gave me their time,” he says. “At one point, I struggled with my mental health, so I’m appreciative of the people — my peers and mentors — who got me back on track.”

Camille Culp Maria Sallee

Erin Lomenick Tuong Tran

The Truth about Dietary Supplements

UM PHARMACY FACULTY MEMBER ADDRESSES COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS

Dietary supplements come with a disclaimer that they are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases. Still, a University of Mississippi pharmacy expert advises users to know exactly what they can and cannot do.

Hayley Prescott (PhD 22), instructional assistant professor of pharmacy, says that she advocates for consumers to be as informed as possible.

“Three key nonprofits — our own National Center for Natural Products Research, the American Botanical Council and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia — work constantly to provide scientific evidence, guidance to industry and education opportunities in this area,” Prescott says.

Although the FDA regulates dietary supplements, it does not have the authority to approve their effectiveness or safety before being sold to consumers, she says.

“Not all products are created equally, and your due diligence regarding an ingredient or the company you purchase from can go a long way. If something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.”

Prescott says she has seen a change in the way that supplements are marketed, particularly as it relates to boosting

immunity and managing stress.

Though dietary supplements are becoming more common among home remedies, Prescott notes that several inaccurate myths remain. For starters, just because they refer to themselves as “natural” does not mean they are safe.

“While it is a great marketing tactic, there are very well-known and documented interactions and contraindications between dietary ingredients and prescription medication,” Prescott says. “That is why it is always important to disclose any supplement use with your health care practitioner.”

Finally, Prescott says she regularly hears that dietary supplements are not regulated, an issue that was addressed with the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994.

“The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act amended the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, and subsequent amendments have given the FDA authority to regulate the dietary supplement industry,” she says.

“I am not a medical doctor; however, I believe that enough data has shown the positive impacts of a balanced diet and routine physical activity on maintaining one’s health. It also doesn’t hurt to be kind.”

JUST SAY NO TO SUGAR SUBSTITUTES FOR BETTER HEALTH

If you’re among the millions who regularly opt for non-sugar sweeteners, or NSS, in beverages and desserts because you think they help keep unwanted pounds at bay, think again.

The World Health Organization warns that while NSS chemically synthesized substances may help you lose weight in the short term, they should not be used indefinitely.

Rebecca Turner, a registered dietitian in the Department of Preventive Medicine’s Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, is not surprised by the WHO’s new recommendation or its suggestion there is no difference in health benefits between a regular soda and a diet soda.

“Both are processed foods, providing zero nutritional value,” Turner says. “The WHO’s findings finally acknowledge what health care professionals working in preventive medicine have long understood: that when it comes to chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, sugar is not always the only factor.”

Josie Bidwell (BSN 04), associate professor and lifestyle medicine clinician in the Department of Preventive Medicine, adds that while we tend to be more worried about sugar, there is no one “bad” food we should be avoiding.

“Simply swapping in an NSS for sugar is highly unlikely to produce

meaningful health improvement in the long term,” Bidwell says.

While it’s still OK to use NSS occasionally, such as an infrequent carbonated beverage, they should not be part of your daily diet.

It’s also important to note that sugar substitutes are usually 200 to 700 times sweeter than real sugar, Bidwell says.

“So as a strategy to ‘get off’ sugar, they often aren’t successful. People will still crave hyper-sweetened items as their palate gets used to this level of sweetness. This may make moving from NSS sweetened items to naturally sweetened items like fruit even harder.”

If you’re concerned about preventing chronic disease and maintaining a healthy weight two key reasons people use artificial sugars a healthier option is to reduce the sweetness in your diet altogether.

“Instead of worrying about which sugar substitutes to avoid, people should focus on replacing foods sweetened with NSS with the whole food, unsweetened form,” Turner explains.

While Turner reiterates the new guideline doesn’t say we should avoid NSS at all costs, she says it is reason enough to rethink our relationship with sugar, and to avoid getting our children hooked in the first place.

“A better approach is working to reduce the need for sweetness in the diet altogether, starting early in life,” Turner says.

Hayley Prescott

In-Depth Look at Plant Growth

QIU AWARDED $1 MILLION TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO AGRICULTURAL CHALLENGES

The National Science Foundation has awarded University of Mississippi biologist Yongjian Qiu a $1 million grant to further his research into the effects of global warming on crops.

Designed to help new teacher-scholars establish their research programs, the NSF CAREER grant will help Qiu conduct more in-depth analysis of the processes that alert plants when to absorb sunlight: phytochrome-interacting factors, or PIF4, and HEMERA, or HMR, protein signaling.

“This project is highly relevant to plant growth, development and crop yield under the changing climate,” says Sixue Chen, UM professor and chair of biology.

Qiu’s lab, which focuses on biological solutions to agricultural challenges, is working to solve a problem caused by increasing temperatures due to global warming.

To conduct the study, the researchers are evaluating plant growth in controlled warm, nonstressful environments, a process known as thermomorphogenesis.

“We try to see how plants can cope with this warmer climate,” Qiu says.

Qiu had previously discovered that plants cannot grow their stem in warm temperatures without the presence of the HEMERA protein. To advance his research, Qiu needed to isolate parts of the plant to determine their individual reactions

to rising temperatures.

Using an Early-concept Grant for Exploratory Research, Qiu worked with Yiwei Han, UM assistant professor of mechanical engineering, to develop micro-heaters, only 1 millimeter-by-1 millimeter in size. Produced using a 3D printer, the micro-heaters are used to elevate the temperatures of certain plant areas, such as leaves, to isolate how plants adjust to varying environmental conditions.

Their results, detailed in a TEDxUniversityofMississippi talk earlier this year, offer some promising possibilities.

“When a leaf is exposed to extreme heat, a heat-shock protein is highly induced, not only in that leaf but also in distal leaves and the stem,” Qiu says. “There is some signal — communications — between the organ’s stem, leaf, roots.

“We want to see if some sort of signaling molecules can be delivered.”

To develop results on a cellular level, the two researchers are collaborating again to develop even tinier wireless micro-devices that can be placed onto organs and into the cells of plants.

The goal is to discover exactly how PIF4/HMR-mediated thermomorphogenesis happens in plants.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Nos. 2239963 and 2200200.

Yongjian Qiu is using a plant called Arabidopsis thaliana, a small type of cress, in his project to understand the processes that alert plants when to absorb sunlight. His goal is to develop climate-smart crops. | Submitted photo

Leader in the Field

UM GETS NEW FIVE-YEAR CONTRACT FOR MARIJUANA RESEARCH

The National Institute on Drug Abuse has awarded the University of Mississippi a new five-year contract and $2 million work order for the cultivation of marijuana and related materials for research.

The five-year contract denotes the university’s eligibility to apply for task orders through NIDA. NIDA crafts task orders to provide materials that meet the expected needs of research investigators.

By fulfilling this work order, Ole Miss will help NIDA — which is part of the National Institutes of Health — supply quality, contaminant-free cannabis and its extracts and other materials to DEA-licensed researchers.

With the latest contract, UM will maintain its status as a leader in cannabis growth and research, says Donna Strum (BSPh 95, MS 97, PhD 99), dean of the School of Pharmacy.

“The university’s new National Center for Cannabis Research and Education and this latest contract with NIDA have positioned our university to play an important role in cannabis research, education and policy,” Strum says.

Cannabis production through the NIDA contract will take place in the Coy Waller Lab as part of the Marijuana Project. The long-running program is housed in the pharmacy school’s National Center for Natural Products Research.

“For more than 50 years, University of Mississippi researchers have been at the forefront of cannabis research by providing standardized, responsibly grown product for scientific purposes,” says Noel Wilkin, UM provost. “Through our research, we will continue to advance the scientific knowledge around this complex plant in a way that will inform and benefit our society.”

The amount of marijuana requested through the NIDA contract has fluctuated over the years, with the university using its 1,100-square-foot indoor grow room for smaller requests and its 12-acre

marijuana field for larger requests.

This one-year, $2 million task order includes a substantial increase in the amount of work requested compared to previous contracts, says Mahmoud ElSohly, director of the Marijuana Project and NCNPR research professor.

Cannabis Research and Education to develop programs to continue its legacy and expand into different areas of cannabis research and education. Earlier this spring, the university announced Robert Welch (BSPh 00) as the center’s first director.

“The first task award under this contract is the largest contract we have ever been awarded in a year without an outdoor grow, both in the funding amount and the amount of work required in a single year,” ElSohly says. “We will not only be producing bulk plant materials of various potencies, but also placebo plant material, cannabis cigarettes, THC-rich extract, CBD-rich extract, pure THC and CBD, as well as minor cannabinoids for the NIDA Drug Supply Program.”

In 2022, the pharmacy school founded the National Center for

Additionally, the pharmacy school plans to create a master’s program in dietary supplements and medical cannabis.

In January, the cannabis center partnered with the Mississippi Cannabis Patients Alliance and the Releaf app to gather data that will help researchers better understand cannabis treatments.

This project has been funded in whole or in part with federal funds from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under contract No. 75N95023D00010.

The university has a new five-year contract and $2 million work order from the National Institute on Drug Abuse to grow marijuana and produce related materials for research. | Photo by Kevin Bain

Making Room

UM TO OFFER THREE NEW RESIDENCE HALLS ON CAMPUS

The University of Mississippi is keeping pace with its record freshman class enrollment by planning three new residence halls to be built on the site occupied by Kincannon Hall.

Demolition of Kincannon, which has been vacant since 2015, began over the summer to minimize disruption during the fall semester.

“To be able to meet the increase in our enrollment and provide new, modern housing options for students, we decided that we needed to look at the addition of three new residence halls,” says John Yaun, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and director of student housing. “The Kincannon site is a natural and convenient location for new student housing.

“We are planning to provide new, modern housing options that we consider state-of-the art residence halls in terms of housing design, technological features, green spaces and academic spaces.”

Representatives from student housing and facilities planning, along with architect and design team McCarty Architects + Hanbury, have developed plans for the residential communities with input from student focus groups. One of the chief considerations was giving residents a sense of belonging.

“We want to enhance their on-campus living experience because we know how important that is to overall student success and retention,” says Charlotte Fant Pegues (BA 92, MEd 94, PhD 01), vice chancellor for student affairs.

The new halls will offer a variety of housing design concepts, Yaun says. One is a suite-style room with an ensuite

bathroom. Another features a pod-style room where a group of students shares a bathroom and living area. Traditional rooms with a shared hall bathroom will also be offered.

“We are implementing the most up-to-date technology and features in the spaces,” he says. “We’re going to have a classroom option, large spaces with natural light, and we will identify potential sustainability features to implement.”

Yaun says many of the planned features have been inspired by leading residential facilities from institutions around the country.

Named for Andrew Armstrong Kincannon, the university’s seventh chancellor, Kincannon Hall opened in 1963 and offered 540 bed spaces. At the time, it was the largest residence hall on campus, with 105,948 square feet of total space.

Previous Kincannon residents, or anyone with fond memories of the building, can own a piece of campus history by supporting student services on campus. In return, the Office of University Development will gift them an original brick with a $63 donation or room number with a $25 donation.

For more information, contact Maura Langhart, senior director of annual giving, at mmwakefi@olemiss.edu.

“While Kincannon has served its purpose, we are providing a more suitable site for student housing that is currently desired and needed on campus,” says Chad Hunter, associate university architect.

“We are very fortunate because we are a step ahead in the design process. We’re Ole Miss, and we have a beautiful campus that you cannot duplicate. These buildings are going to promote that — they will be an experience for our students.”

The university is preparing to demolish Kincannon Hall, which opened in 1963 with room for 540 students, to make way for three new residence halls. The new residence halls will feature design and technological features to help residents develop a sense of community. | Photo by Srijita Chattopadhyay

Processing Better Choices

DIETS HIGH IN PACKAGED FOODS LINKED TO POOR LEARNING, MENTAL HEALTH

This is a story about an apple versus an apple pie, a baked potato versus a potato chip.

It’s a story about ultra-processed foods, about what they can do to your emotions and to the place where those emotions reside. It’s about why you think, and feel, what you eat.

“Our brain and our gut are intimately linked together,” says Danny Burgess, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior, and director of the Center for Integrative Health at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

“So, there is no question that what we eat influences our mental health.”

Turner points out, however, that “not all food processing is a negative thing. For example, pasteurization is a form of food processing and is absolutely crucial for safety,” she says.

“But when a food has too much done to it, it often has a lot of the nutrients removed, including fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc., and other things added such as saturated fat, sodium and sugar.”

The connection between a regimen of these packaged foods and physical breakdowns such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and some cancers should be well known by now. What may be less familiar is the association between our moods/mental health and diet — for good or for ill.

On the good side, studies have shown that certain types of flavonoids may be useful for treating depression. Many fruits and vegetables are rich sources of these plant compounds and include grapes, berries, tomatoes, onions, kale and lettuce.

On the flip side: “If we feed our brain with an excess of processed, ‘unnatural’ food products and deprive it of healthy nutrients and minerals, the consequences are mental health disorders and cognitive decline,” Burgess says. Chemistry, pure and simple, is at play.

“The majority of serotonin, one of our ‘feel-good’ hormones responsible for happiness and pleasure, is produced in the gut,” Turner says.

The link between the gut and brain is the brain’s vagus nerve. What happens in the vagus doesn’t stay in the vagus. The nerve is responsible for several bodily functions, including digestion. It’s a two-way street: What you put in the gut could also affect your brain.

“If it sounds like a chemistry lab, then it is a highly processed or ultra-processed food,” Burgess says. “If you see ingredients that likely would not be in anyone’s kitchen, then it is an ultra-processed food.”

“The original form of a food product is unprocessed; as we add more ingredients and change the form, it becomes more and more processed,” says Lauren Turner, a nurse practitioner in the Department of Preventive Medicine’s Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at UMMC and also a collaborating member of the Center for Integrative Health team.

“It can be anything that has a very long shelf life,” Turner says. “Even juices and sodas or sweetened drinks. Anything that has preservatives, flavoring or coloring added.”

“There is a tendency to associate eating these foods when stressed/depressed/anxious, which typically leads to overeating,” Burgess says, “which leads to a whole host of physical and emotional problems.”

That is why Turner recommends, for instance, eating a baked potato instead of French fries or potato chips; an apple instead of apple juice, sauce or pie; Thanksgiving turkey instead of deli turkey or turkey bacon. And whole grains, nuts, beans at all times, or at least many times. Turner is a realist. She recognizes that some people might prefer to give up altogether than to give up bacon.

“Processed food is quick, convenient and often cheaper,” she says. “It is also readily available in areas that may not have access to fresh foods. It also tastes good.

“So, should we never eat bacon? Not necessarily. It’s important to focus on the things we CAN eat. Nothing is off limits, everything in moderation. We just want to be conscious of the health risks and choose healthier, unprocessed, or less processed, foods most of the time.

“Just remember that the better you eat, the better you feel.”

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Planting a Better Tomorrow

SURVEY FINDS TREES STORE MORE THAN 960,000 POUNDS OF CARBON

When walking in the Grove or the Circle, one of the first things most people notice is the trees. Grand oaks line sidewalks, shade picnic tables and contribute to the University of Mississippi’s reputation as one of the most beautiful campuses in the country.

Supported by an Urban & Community Forestry Grant from the Mississippi Forestry Commission, the university is collecting new information about the benefits of its trees by partnering with Oxford consulting arborist firm Green Groves.

“Trees provide such value to our campus,” says Jeff McManus, director of landscape services. “They provide shade, atmosphere, erosion control and also help reduce carbon.

“We like to be as protective as we can with our campus trees, and this project will help us continue to provide the best care for them.”

The project, which began last fall, involved taking inventory of all the trees in the Grove and Circle. Matt Nielson, owner of Green Groves, conducted the inventory of more than 250 trees.

“I help my clients understand what kinds of trees they have, their condition, associated risk and ways to mitigate that risk and improve tree health,” says Nielson, who is a certified

arborist and tree risk assessment expert. “My role in this project was to inventory the trees, provide a health assessment and make recommendations for landscape services to consider.”

The study found that the Ole Miss trees remove 305 pounds of air pollutants annually. They also store a “massive” amount of carbon — 962,073 pounds to be exact.

“This is important because one of the best ways to reduce carbon is to plant trees,” says McManus, who is also a certified arborist. “It’s a very underutilized strategy. If you’re worried about climate change, planting trees can be a great solution.”

The predominant genus on campus is oak, which tends to contain many long-living and resilient species, Nielson says.

Nielson emphasizes the importance of caring for trees because of their many social and environmental benefits.

The department hopes to have future inventory work expand to include all campus trees, McManus says.

“We would like to do this on a grander scale,” he says. “We started off relatively small and prioritized the Grove and Circle trees because they are the focal point of the campus.

“However, the goal is to ultimately take inventory of all the trees on campus if funding is available. We are thankful for the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s and the university’s support to get the project started.”

The university worked with arborist firm Green Groves to inventory more than 250 trees in the Grove and Circle and learn more about their benefits and health. | Photo by Thomas Graning

Calendar

UM Law School Orientation: AUG. 16-18

AUGUST

Through Aug. 26 Exhibition: “Blurred Lines.” This exhibit features works from the W. Forrest and Joan Stevens Collection, including Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Alexander Calder. UM Museum, 10 a.m-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, closed Saturday-Monday. Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

Through Dec. 8 Exhibition: “The Southern Plate: An Archival Exhibition on Food.” This exhibit examines food and its intersection with other aspects of society such as wartime and literature. J.D. Williams Library, Archives & Special Collections. Visit events.olemiss.edu.

Through Dec. 9 Exhibition: “Friends of Theora.” This exhibit examines the external influence of other artists that inspired Hamblett as an emerging artist, student and observational painter searching for her own artistic voice. UM Museum, 10 a.m-4 p.m. TuesdayFriday, closed Saturday-Monday. Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

Through March 2024 Exhibition: “Recent Acquisitions.” This exhibition celebrates recent purchases and donations to the University of Mississippi Museum over the past decade. UM

Museum, 10 a.m-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, closed Saturday-Monday. Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

4First Friday Free Sketch Day: Look for the UM Museum’s gallery sketching stools generously provided by a grant from Lafayette Oxford for Tomorrow, and explore the galleries in this informal, free sketch session for all skill levels. UM Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (drop-in). Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

13Ole Miss Alumni Day: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Cleveland Guardians. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida, 1:40 p.m. Visit olemissalumni. com/events.

16-18 UM Law School Orientation: Weems Atrium, Robert C. Khayat Law Center, time TBD. Email bebarbee@olemiss.edu for more information.

19Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas State. Gillom Center, 1 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

19Gilder-Jordan Lecture Series: Location TBD, 6-7 p.m. Visit southernstudies.olemiss.edu/events.

28Faculty Panel on Mississippi Law: Faculty panel members will discuss interesting Mississippi law cases in their respective areas. Weems Auditorium, Robert C. Khayat Law Center, 12:30-1:45 p.m. Call 662-801-1486 for more information.

SEPTEMBER

1First Friday Free Sketch Day: Look for the UM Museum’s gallery sketching stools generously provided by a grant from Lafayette Oxford for Tomorrow, and explore the galleries in this informal, free sketch session for all skill levels. UM Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (drop-in). Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

2Football: Ole Miss vs. Mercer. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, 1 p.m. Visit olemissgameday.com/football.

6Application: Student Alumni Council applications available at Triplett Alumni Center. Call 662-915-7375.

7Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. Alcorn State. Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

8Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. South Dakota State. Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

Photo by Robert Jordan

9Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. Tennessee Tech. Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

5Panel: Student Alumni Council’s Bridging the Gap. The Inn at Ole Miss Ballroom, 3:30 p.m. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

11

Nominations: OMAA 40 Under 40 Awards nominations open on olemissalumni.com.

14-15 CIE Family Business Symposium: The Refuge Hotel & Conference Center, Sheraton, Flowood, time TBD. Email ciefb@bus.olemiss.edu for more information.

6First Friday Free Sketch Day: Look for the UM Museum’s gallery sketching stools generously provided by a grant from Lafayette Oxford for Tomorrow, and explore the galleries in this informal, free sketch session for all skill levels. UM Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (drop-in). Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

26Distinguished Alumni Awards: The Inn at Ole Miss. Reception 6-7 p.m., dinner 7 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2345 for more information.

27Banking and Finance Symposium: Oxford Conference Center, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit olemissalumni.com/ events.

27Black Alumni Mixer: Memory House, patio, 6-11 p.m. Contact Junae Johnson at 662-915-1868.

16

Football: Ole Miss vs. Georgia Tech. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Visit olemissgameday. com/football.

22Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. Alabama, Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

26Honors College Fall Convocation: Location and time TBD. Visit honors.olemiss.edu/events.

6Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M. Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

6Young Alumni Council Happy Hour: Back 9 on the Square, 5:30-7 p.m. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

7Football: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, time TBD. Visit olemissgameday.com/football.

27-28Ole Miss Black Alumni

Homecoming: Location and time TBD. Call Junae Johnson at 662-915-1868.

28

Football: Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, time TBD. Visit olemissgameday. com/football.

29

Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. South Carolina. Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

7 School of Pharmacy Tailgate: Thad Cochran Research Center, time TBD. Open to all affiliated with the university, including future students. Call 662-915-2377 or email  marykate@olemissalumni.com.

28Black Alumni Chapter Tailgate: Triplett Alumni Center, front lawn, 8:30 a.m.-noon. Call 662-915-1868.

30

Football: Ole Miss vs. LSU. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, time TBD. Visit olemissgameday.com/ football.

30 School of Pharmacy Tailgate: Thad Cochran Research Center, time TBD. Open to all affiliated with the university, including future students. Call 662-915-2377 or email marykate@olemissalumni.com.

OCTOBER

1Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. Tennessee. Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

5RMI Fall Career Fair: Johnson Commons, 12:30-3 p.m. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

7 Young Alumni Council Tailgate: Triplett Alumni Center, front lawn. Three hours before kickoff. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

16School of Law: Mid-Semester’s Social. Weems Atrium and Courtyard, 3-5 p.m. Call 662-801-1486.

20-21Southern Foodways Alliance Fall Symposium: “Where is the South?” Location and time TBD. Tickets will go on sale Aug. 3. Visit southernfoodways.org/ event/.

28School of Pharmacy Tailgate: Thad Cochran Research Center, time TBD. Open to all affiliated with the university, including future students. Call 662-915-2377 or email marykate@olemissalumni.com.

28Alumni Association Annual Meeting: Triplett Alumni Center, time TBD. Call 662-915-7375.

29Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. Missouri. Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

For a complete and latest listing of Ole Miss sports schedules, visit olemisssports.com.

Volleyball: Ole Miss vs. Florida. Gillom Center, time TBD. Visit olemisssports.com.

25

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

Not the Destination,

Special Series Highlights New Graduates

Cambria Chatman profile by Clara Turnage

Heidi Myers profile by Benita Whitehorn

Orianna Shaw profile by Lisa Stone

Created in 2020, the Journey to Commencement Series started as an effort by the University of Mississippi to showcase graduates during their time at the university as well as to highlight the experiences that brought them to Ole Miss. Those experiences epitomize the famous quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson in the headline.

Students who choose to pursue their education through the university are diverse and carry with them unique stories about their journeys throughout college. From the young Cambria Chatman (BMDS 23), who graduated at 18, to cancer survivor Heidi Myers (BA 23) to Orianna Shaw (BSES 21, MS 23), who is reclaiming her history with the university, the series recognizes and honors the hard work that graduates put in to overcome obstacles that have crossed their paths on their way to the stage.

The articles are housed on the Journey to Commencement website at journey.olemiss.edu, which showcases the stories of Ole Miss students and their determination, perseverance and success throughout their time at the university.

It’s the Journey ’

Ahead of Her Time

Cambria Chatman graduates, joins Air Force at only 18

Cambria Chatman earned an associate degree from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College at only 16 before heading to the University of Mississippi to pursue her bachelor’s degree. With her degree in hand, Chatman went directly to the Air Force. Following basic training, she plans to seek her master’s degree and then a degree in law.

“I want to be an attorney for the Air Force, a JAG,” Chatman says. “That means I’ll have to take the officer qualifying test pretty soon. But if I start studying for the LSAT in 2024, I should be able to get into law school by 2025.”

At 18, she’s already checked off many of the to-dos that most students would be only beginning: graduate high school, get into a great college, earn her degree — a bachelor’s degree in multidisciplinary studies with minors in political science, sociology and general business — and make post-college plans. For Chatman, however, that’s just the beginning.

“She gives herself a checklist for everything,” says Leslie White, Chatman’s mother. “She had a checklist in high school, community college and still maintains one at Ole Miss.”

Throughout her young life, Chatman grew up alongside her grandparents and great-grandmother in Natchez, White says.

Cambria Chatman | Submitted photo

Photo by Thomas Graning

Growing up an only child with multiple generations of a family made her an old soul.

“I have to tell her, ‘Don’t forget to have fun,’” White says. “Can you believe that that’s one of the things I have to talk with her about? I have to tell her to go have fun.

“I want her to have a normal life and not just be tending to business all the time. I tell her it’s OK to mess up. It’s OK to fail.”

White, a teacher education professor in Louisiana, and Daniel White, a retired member of the U.S. Air Force and Chatman’s stepfather, taught Chatman to grow up valuing education and service. Her early exposure to reading, the arts and education may have put her ahead in life, but White says it was Chatman’s determination that got her where she is.

“My mom, she always said education is your No. 1,” Chatman says. “She emphasized that. And my stepfather, he’s the reason why I want to go into the Air Force. I saw what the Air Force did for us growing up.”

When Chatman first walked onto the Ole Miss campus in 2021, she fell in love with the buildings and atmosphere. It was the people at Veteran and Military Services, however, that made the campus feel like home.

“The people at the VA, they’re not friends, they’re family,” Chatman says. “If I need anything — anything — they’re who I go to.”

Stelenna Lloyd (BBA 04), operations coordinator at Veteran and Military Services, says she didn’t realize how young Chatman was when she first walked into her office, but that she quickly realized that, regardless of age, Chatman was special.

“This is a beautiful child,” Lloyd says. “I’ve never seen a young person so motivated to do everything, and she wants to do everything.”

Though she’s graduated, Chatman says she intends to return to campus to visit the friends and family she’s made here, particularly those in Veteran and Military Services.

“I feel like I’ll have to come back to see them,” Chatman says. “You meet important people in your life, and you have to come back to see them. I’ll probably never meet people like them again.”

Cambria Chatman, a multidisciplinary studies major, graduated from the University of Mississippi at 18 before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. | Submitted photo

Cambria Chatman graduated from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College at only 16 before heading to the University of Mississippi to earn her bachelor’s degree. | Submitted photo

The Definition of Determination

Heidi Myers wills her way through a semester with cancer

Heidi Myers (BA 23), from Arlington, Tennessee, who majored in political science and psychology with a minor in Spanish, graduated in May. Her cancer treatment began just two years earlier in spring 2021, after she was diagnosed with stage II germ cell ovarian cancer.

“It’s a rarer form of ovarian cancer, but it’s also the most common type for women my age,” Myers says. “Fortunately, it’s a very curable form of cancer.”

During treatment, she lived with her mom in Ripley,

Tennessee, and traveled an hour and a half each way to do four rounds of chemotherapy over 10 weeks at the West Cancer Center in Germantown, Tennessee. Every three weeks, she had chemo infusions five days a week for about four hours a day.

She did a lot of her class assignments during chemo, sitting in a recliner, hooked up to an IV, trying to ignore the beeps and rolling wheels of medical equipment and chatter of patients and caregivers around her, all the while experiencing such side effects as nausea and fatigue.

Myers found a lot of support at Chi Alpha Campus Ministries at Ole Miss during and after treatment. She had joined the group as a freshman and became close with some of the members, including her mentor, Kaitlin Wilkerson (BBA 20).

“Heidi is probably the most determined individual I’ve ever met,” Wilkerson says. “She was always studious in regards to school, but that determination followed her into so many other parts of her life. She likes to learn, to be knowledgeable about all her interests and the world around her.

“She would join our small group over video on a weekly basis when she was at home during chemotherapy treatments, often when she was tired or in pain. She has never shied away from hard work or new ideas, and I believe that is going to continue to set her apart. I’ve met few people who are so admirable in their determination to live and grow to be the best person they can be.”

Heidi Myers takes a senior photo on the field at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Submitted photo

Heidi Myers poses with her mom after ringing the bell on her last day of chemotherapy. ‘All the nurses working in infusion had confetti and cheered, so it was a nice moment,’ Myers said. | Submitted photo

Besides Chi Alpha, Myers was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology and Pi Sigma Alpha National Political Science Honor Society.

She also worked in video services for the Ole Miss Department of Intercollegiate Athletics since she was a freshman.

“Heidi is a co-worker’s dream,” says Matthew Engelbert, coordinator of video services for athletics. “When given a task, she would do it and be able to help her fellow staff members without getting myself or the assistant involved. Heidi is one you would do anything for.

“When she came back to the staff after her cancer treatments, she didn’t want to be treated differently from the other staffers. Heidi wanted to be treated like she was prior to leaving us — carrying the heavier cameras, running around the field following the different drills with the camera and meeting the expectations we set for every member of the video staff.”

Myers plans to continue her education at Ole Miss, pursuing a master’s degree in social work. Her experience with cancer has inspired her to want to work with cancer patients, as well as others. Her volunteer work with Cancer Hope Network, a one-on-one peer support program that matches individuals who have had cancer with someone who has been recently diagnosed, influenced her career decision.

“Volunteering has shown me that I’m at a point where I’m able to have conversations about cancer, even though I wouldn’t have been able to two years ago,” she says.

“It’s been difficult, but now that it’s almost been two years, I can see the good that I’ve gotten out of going through this. I want to work as a clinical social worker, and I know I can use my experience to help others.”

Crossing the Finish Line

Two degrees over six years prepare Orianna Shaw for her next race

Several factors underlie Orianna Shaw’s (BSES 21, MS 23) goals and academic pursuits, including a strong desire to overcome challenges from her childhood.

“I think that growing up in a tough environment exposed me to a life of struggle at a young age,” Shaw says. “I did not have a lot growing up, so I always knew I would have to work harder and possess a lot of determination to get where I wanted to be in life.

“Having two little sisters has always motivated me to be a role model to them and showing them the value of never giving up, that the circumstances that you’re given when you’re young aren’t the things that define you when you get older.”

Shaw’s ties to the university run through her mother, aunt and grandmother who attended the university. Growing up in Taylor, she was aware of an especially difficult and emotionally charged connection to the university through her grandmother, Henrieese Roberts, one of the Ole Miss Eight who was expelled in 1970 after participating in the “Fulton Chapel Protest.” A traumatic experience for Shaw’s grandmother, she was not one to speak about what had happened, but her struggles were always something of which Shaw was aware.

“I was definitely told my grandmother was one of the first Black people to come to Ole Miss,” Shaw says. “While it was not one of the main decisions that influenced me, it was something that I always kept in the back of my mind.”

Once Shaw enrolled at Ole Miss, she found experiences and inspiration in unexpected places connecting her to her grandmother.

“It was crazy because I actually stayed in the same dorm that she had stayed in when she was here; we both stayed in Brown Hall,” Shaw says.

“Her story and the stories of all the people that were a part of that are really inspiring.”

Shaw was eager to take advantage of all the opportunities and experiences available to her at the university that had been denied to her grandmother. This included enrolling in the Master of Science in Athletic Training program, which prepares future health care professionals to pursue a career as a certified athletic trainer. Established in 2021, it is touted as a program that allows individuals to combine their passion for athletics and sports with their ambition to be a health care provider.

Not only did the master’s degree program offer Shaw a dynamic academic environment, but she seized opportunities offered through the hands-on clinical experience to learn from a variety of leaders in the field.

“Being on both sides — being the athletic trainer and having been the athlete (she was a sprinter on the Ole Miss track and field team during her undergraduate years) — I think that has helped me a lot in relating to athletes more and

Heidi Myers spends time with a therapy dog during a chemo session at West Cancer Center in Germantown, Tennessee. | Submitted photo

to just know that they have such big plates to fill. I know how hard they have to work.”

Meredith Pendergast (MS 15) is associate director of health and sports performance for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. She worked with Shaw last season with women’s basketball. As the athletic trainer for both women’s basketball and women’s golf, Pendergast witnesses how the characteristics that make great student-athletes are the same characteristics that most hope to see in employees and young professionals.

“Orianna was able to gain insight into the profession of athletic training while she was a student-athlete,” Pendergast says. “In turn, this paved a direct path for her future. In the time that I’ve known her as an athletic training student, I’ve seen her gain so much confidence in herself and in her skill set as a clinician.”

While she prepared to walk across the stage, Shaw reflected on her six years at Ole Miss and all she has reaped in addition to two degrees.

“I have met some of the best people and have made some lifelong friendships,” Shaw says. “Track and field gave me the opportunity to visit places I would have never been able to, and I am so appreciative of that.”

Shaw also recognizes the intangibles she has gained in becoming a two-time alumna of the university.

“Before I came to Ole Miss, I was a very shy, to-myself type of person,” she says. “Being an athlete and on campus, I was around so many different kinds of people, different cultures and nationalities.

“I think coming to Ole Miss expanded my personality, made me more open to meeting people and to gain trust with people. It has given me the chance to branch out and grow.”

Those personality traits combined with the education and experiences earned during her six years in the “spot that ever calls” will serve her well as she takes the next steps of her career and life.

Orianna Shaw graduated with a master’s in athletic training from the School of Applied Sciences in May. | Submitted photo

Orianna Shaw | Submitted photo

Ole Miss duo finds success in apparel industry

By Annie Rhoades

Photo by Logan Kirkland

What does a University of Mississippi biology professor, MBA graduate and the apparel industry have in common? As it turns out, quite a lot.

“Brice (Noonan, UM associate professor of biology) and I met through a mutual friend in the Grove,” recalls alumnus Blake Dubinski (BBA 13, MBA 15), CEO and co-founder of GenTeal Apparel. “He had an idea for a business and wanted to meet up and talk through it.”

After numerous meetings over drinks at the Growler, the unlikely business partners officially launched GenTeal Apparel in 2016.

“He didn’t really know what to do with [the idea] or where to start from a financial standpoint,” Dubinski says. “I guess because I was getting my MBA, he thought I would know more. I knew I didn’t know enough to convince myself not to do it. I like to say we got our Ph.D. in the apparel industry. We took about two years before we ever sold a shirt, just learning the ins and outs of the industry.”

Midwestern Roots

Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, Dubinski grew tired of seeing the same type of clothing that was brightly colored and had a sort of preppy, coastal vibe.

“When I was growing up, my mom used to buy me stuff like that, and I hated it,” he says. “That’s why [with GenTeal], we went a different direction and found a niche. We wanted something more refined, and our logo is a teal, so it was a play on words instead of the usual spelling of the word genteel.”

While in high school, Dubinski began contemplating where he wanted to attend college. At the urging of his father, a Mizzou graduate, he toured numerous college towns before settling on Oxford.

“I’m the only person in my family to not go to the University of Missouri,” he says. “I went to Colorado, Kansas State, Arkansas and then visited Ole Miss. My dad told me if I wasn’t going to go to school [at UM], he would. That kind of sealed the deal for me.”

After earning his bachelor’s degree in 2013, Dubinski began his career as a pharmaceutical sales rep — a stint that lasted a little over a year.

“I was not a good salesman and I hated it,” he says. “That job gave me a greater appreciation for being in school, so I decided to enroll in the MBA program.”

Mastering the Business

The timing for pursuing a master’s degree couldn’t have been better.

“I was very fortunate to be able to go back to school after I had been out in the working world,” Dubinski says. “The timing of being in the program at the same time I was starting

the business was perfect.

“The teachers that I had were very interactive, and I felt comfortable enough sharing the idea that Brice and I had. I got a lot of good advice, and I got a lot of questions because any 21-year-old with $500 can sell T-shirts, but we wanted to do something a little bit bigger. The ability to connect our idea back to the lessons that they were teaching was the biggest benefit.”

While the schedule at times proved tricky, they made it work.

“It was time-consuming because we were communicating with factories in Thailand, Vietnam and South Korea,” he says. “Their 9 to 5 is different from ours. We were staying up until 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning communicating with factories, and then I’d have to do all my MBA stuff the next day. It was a lot of work, but I was fortunate I could have that experience.”

Fairly Odd Couple

According to Dubinski, he and Noonan are best described as the “fairly odd couple.”

“Brice is 6 feet, 4 inches, bald and has a ZZ Top long beard,” Dubinski laughs. “Our partnership works out well because, if you think of it like a restaurant, he’s in the back and handles sourcing and design. I’m in the front of the house handling sales, financials and things of that nature.”

Noonan counts himself “fortunate” in his choice of a business partner.

“Through our interactions, I knew him to be incredibly sharp and motivated. And when he received my pitch of the idea of GenTeal over beers at the Growler with enthusiasm, I knew we would have a solid foundation to get the company off the ground.”

Brice Noonan and Blake Dubinski | Photo by Bill Dabney

The company not only got off the ground — it soared.

“I needed a job after I finished graduate school, and I actually thought I was going to work at the Library [sports bar],” Dubinski says. “I ended up getting offered a teaching job as an adjunct instructor for business communications [in the UM School of Business Administration]. That teaching position allowed me to have both a paycheck and a flexible schedule so I could work on the business with Brice.”

The company boasts a team of 14 full-time employees located in Oxford and sells to over 200 retailers in 20 states plus 50 country clubs on top of that.

“We just moved into a 30,000-square-foot facility in the Industrial Park,” Dubinski says. “We’ve been very fortunate to have the team that we have here in Oxford to help us get to the point that we’re at now. In addition to 14 employees in Oxford, we have five sales reps. It’s been kind of a crazy ride over the last few years.”

The company offers a wide range of products from polos and other shirts to pants, shorts, swimwear and a variety of accessories. Its ever-expanding collegiate line was born out of an excess of inventory during the pandemic.

“During COVID, 80% of our retailers were shut down,” Dubinski says. “We had all this inventory and didn’t know what to do with it. We sat down and tried to think of ways that we could come out of it with more sales opportunities. That’s where the collegiate route came from.”

The duo invested in an embroidery machine and began applying for collegiate licenses.

“It just grew from there,” Dubinski says. “The collegiate business has been really good to us. I think we have 19 licenses now. It started with Ole Miss, then other schools took notice, and it ran from there.”

Despite the company’s “meteoric growth,” Noonan says he and Dubinski still make time for some of their favorite Oxford pastimes.

“We still catch a game at Swayze or grab a drink at Bouré,” he says. “While we have very different backgrounds and training, we both enjoy the outdoors, prioritize time with family and strive to foster a collegial and enjoyable workplace for our team. In the end, it’s this alignment of priorities that makes this friendship such a productive partnership.”

40 Under 40

Due in part to the success of the business, Dubinski was recently named a member of the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s 2023 40 Under 40 class, which recognizes the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of successful University of Mississippi graduates under the age of 40.

“It was cool, and I’m very appreciative,” he says. “To have such a phenomenal network of alumni that have come out of Ole Miss and to be named to that was a huge honor. We’ve had a good team that’s helped us grow and build this company. It’s a team effort.”

While the company takes up most of his time, Dubinski’s love of teaching has only grown. He continues to teach courses in the School of Business Administration while simultaneously running his burgeoning business.

“I teach two courses under the entrepreneurship major,” he says. “I really enjoy it, so I’ve had a hard time giving it up.”

While the future of the company is bright, it’s the relationships Dubinski has formed along the way that make it all worthwhile.

“My favorite part of what I do are interactions I get with the people we work with every day,” he says. “We’re fortunate — everybody comes in and works incredibly hard. It’s a team atmosphere. Everybody is attached to the bigger picture and how it benefits everyone, not just from just a financial standpoint. They really enjoy coming to work.”

Dubinski considers the many retailers the company has partnered with to be part of his extended family.

“I’ve made a lot of friends and grown close to the families that own [the retail businesses] that carry our line like Landry’s in Oxford and Kinkade’s in Ridgeland,” he says. “We have a plan for where we see ourselves in three, five and 10 years, so I’m looking forward to continuing to grow the business and enjoying what we do.”

Dubinski and his girlfriend, Karlee | Submitted photo

Ole Miss apparel from the brand's collegiate line | Submitted photo

A

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY

Alumnus becomes inaugural lead special trial counsel for US Army

By Brian Hudgins

Warren Wells (BA 93) expected to complete a fouryear U.S. Army contract and be finished.

Twenty-seven years later, Brig. Gen. Wells is leading a unit revamping the way the Army prosecutes sexual assault, murder, domestic violence, child pornography and other offenses.

Wells has been named the inaugural lead special trial counsel in charge of the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel.

“For a while, Congress has been concerned about the experiences of sexual assault victims,” Wells says. “This is designed to give independence (within investigations).”

MEDIA OR MILITARY

Long before Wells was leading a U.S. Army office, he received a clear vision of two career paths from his father, David Wells (BAEd 67, MSS 68).

“I grew up in Oxford, and Dad was the associate athletic director at Ole Miss,” Warren Wells says. “Dad also coached … that business can be fickle.”

The elder Wells served Ole Miss as a student-athlete, coach and administrator. His playing days included being a member of the 1963 Southeastern Conference champion squad and the Rebels’ leading receiver in the 1964 Sugar Bowl.

David Wells completed his degree requirements as an Army ROTC Distinguished Military Graduate before embarking on a military career in 1968 and serving on active duty for two years. A high school football coaching career followed

before Wells moved up to the University of Kentucky and then Ole Miss. Athletics administration provided another avenue for him to contribute. He retired as senior associate athletic director for compliance and student services in 2011.

Warren Wells witnessed the military and media career tracks — he worked in the Sports Information Office at Ole Miss while majoring in journalism. Under the guidance of retired Sports Information Director Langston Rogers, who now serves as special assistant to the athletics director, Wells helped put together Ole Miss media guides, did stats at games and worked as an Associated Press correspondent — all training aspects for the career Wells was preparing to pursue. His attention to detail paid off as a contributor.

“Many of our former students entered the athletics communication profession, while others, like Warren, became successful in many different areas of our society,” Rogers says. “It was evident Warren had a great work ethic — with the ability to communicate effectively.”

The office depended on student workers to assist the athletics communications staff in covering a wide variety of sports. Those opportunities were right up Wells’ alley.

“He was eager to work many different sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, and baseball,” Rogers says. “Warren also wrote stories for our game programs and was a valuable contributor when we published our 1993 Football Centennial Media Guide — celebrating 100 years of Ole Miss football. We are so proud of Warren’s accomplishments and the man he has become.”

Though Wells planned to pursue sports information as his

Photo by Darrell Hudson

career path, a different destination soon appeared.

“Dad had four of us (kids) to put through college,” Wells says. “He gave us ROTC scholarship applications. I always had an interest in law.”

Once Wells went through ROTC at Ole Miss, a military career came into focus. He supplemented his bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss with a law degree from Brigham Young University. Wells soon realized completing tasks such as motions needed for court and doing the networking needed for criminal law called for coordination and a detailed mindset that had already served him well in sports information.

Both avenues at Ole Miss, sports information and the ROTC, provided foundational experiences that proved valuable later.

“The ROTC student battalion … that cadre of officers was fantastic,” Wells says.

Among those who influenced him was the late Bobby Towery Jr. (BBA 83, MEd 94), who was commissioned as a U.S. Army Armor second lieutenant in 1983 from the Ole Miss Army ROTC. The 2006 inductee to the Ole Miss Army ROTC Hall of Fame died in October 2019.

“Bobby was a great guy in the ROTC Department,” Wells says.

Wells credits two former faculty members within the School of Journalism and New Media for their influence on his ability to process information and make decisions. Senior lecturer Robin Street (BA 75, MA 85, MS 97), who retired from the university in May 2020, and the late Jim Pratt made lasting impressions.

“Their trust was encouraging,” Wells says. “They always encouraged you to develop relationships and to trust but verify (information). I continue to carry those lessons with me.”

After Wells completed his undergraduate degree, his legal education included a criminal law specialty from the Judge Advocate General’s School and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. It formed a solid early career footing for Wells.

“I enjoyed the commitment to ideals,” Wells says. “The Army provides a sense of service. The JAG Corps is made up of people who are committed to that notion of a higher calling and serving the rule of law.”

As Wells progressed through the earlier stages of his career, he began with a deployment out of Fort Polk, Louisiana, and served as a trial counsel and operational law attorney in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1997-98. Then he served as a trial counsel for the 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division in Baumholder, Germany, where he prosecuted drug and sexual assault cases. Those early cases gave Wells a sense of the complexities

involved when a crime is alleged abroad.

“The Army has been trying cases all over the world as long as it has had deployed troops,” Wells says. “There are those different aspects of trying to coordinate with different agencies, especially when overseas.”

TAKING CHARGE

A return to the U.S. saw Wells serve as senior defense counsel at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he headed a team that defended soldiers at courts-martial and adverse administrative hearings.

Recognition of Wells’ military justice experience resulted in him joining the faculty at the Air Force JAG School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, in 2004, where he taught military criminal law. He became the first Army instructor to ever serve as chief of the Criminal Law Department at the Air Force JAG School.

During 2012-14, Wells served as the regional defense counsel, Great Plains Region, U.S. Army Trial Defense Service. As the RDC, Wells supervised 20 defense counsel at five field offices who defended active-duty soldiers in a 13-state region facing criminal prosecution and adverse administrative action.

Those handful of assignments marked a focus on team leadership by Wells a couple of decades into his career.

Wells served as principal legal adviser to the 1st Infantry Division commander and oversaw the provision of legal services, including criminal law, for the Fort Riley, Kansas, military community from 2015 to 2017. While Wells was assigned to the 1st Infantry Division, he deployed to Iraq and served as staff judge advocate for the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command.

When Wells later became the staff judge advocate, XVII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg in 2019, he witnessed a case where a reserve soldier out of the Midwest was involved in a crime investigated by multiple agencies, including the Saudi police. Successfully prosecuting it required extensive

U.S. Army Col. Warren L. Wells is promoted to the rank of brigadier general during a ceremony at the Pentagon auditorium in Arlington, Virginia, Jan. 5, 2023. | Photo by Darrell Hudson

coordination and planning. That 2019-21 assignment at Fort Bragg served as a continuation of Wells’ receiving a wide scope of legal responsibilities.

Wells most recently served as chief of personnel, plans and training at the Office of the Judge Advocate General at the Pentagon.

“Traditionally, JAG offices support a large unit staff,” Wells says. “We had an office staff of over 100 — dealing with environmental law, national security law, criminal law — it really covered everything. This (current) assignment focuses exclusively on special victim crimes and prosecuting those cases. It is a niche focus instead of a full-service legal practice for an installation’s every need. But whether niche or full service, the work environment has always been about building teams to achieve success.”

The genesis of the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel came through Congress, which called for a change in the way the armed forces branches handle military sexual assault cases. A special promotion board selected Wells to be promoted to brigadier general and to lead the new unit. In the new role, he reports directly to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth.

The newly formed outfit under Wells is in a standup phase. It is designed to be fully operational by December, when the process of making decisions on cases will begin.

The outfit includes 150 civilians and military personnel who provide litigation skills under Wells. It has taken several months to get the office running after starting at square one.

“When I took charge in January, we didn’t have buildings and didn’t have phones,” Wells says. “It’s a little bit of a new way of doing business (with the cases). June to September will be specialized training for folks coming on board.”

Although the work fills a niche prosecution need, the case variety is vast — including murder, manslaughter, rape, sexual assault, crimes against children, kidnapping and domestic violence.

“Congress commissioned a group to make recommendations; the perception was commanders want to take care of soldiers and can have competing priorities,” Wells says. “Sometimes, victims need a measure of extra care, and Congress

wanted to see attorneys with significant criminal law experience making prosecution decisions in special victim cases.”

The main structural difference is how special victim cases will be handled — instead of commanders deciding which cases should go to trial based on JAG recommendations, the new legal office will make case prosecution decisions independently.

“Commanders have a primary objective of getting ready for war,” Wells says. “Our organization has headquarters in Washington, D.C., with 28 field offices.”

It is an early-stages process that will include a worldwide presence. Field offices throughout the U.S. at installations will be bolstered by field offices in Europe and Korea. The possibility of U.S. forces going to war and increasing the number of troops in a location could necessitate surging prosecution resources to a combat zone.

“We will be worldwide — everywhere we have a status of forces agreement,” Wells says.

The office Wells leads will determine whether to file charges. Each special trial counsel office will report to the civilian service secretary of that respective military branch, which gives the office independence outside the chain of command.

Senior military commanders will continue to select juries for all courts-martial and will retain authority to send nonspecial victim crimes to court martial. Commanders will also be able to separate from the service soldiers accused of misconduct in cases where Wells’ office determines that a court martial is not warranted.

In addition to Wells’ efforts in the Army office, the Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force also have lead special trial counsels. It is an active leadership role — the sort of responsibility Wells first embraced in his hometown. Peer interactions and coursework provided the blueprint in an overall environment that prepared Wells for both graduate school and his career climb.

“The Ole Miss classes were small, and the faculty was invested in the students,” Wells says. “Ole Miss is a little bigger now, but the (common denominator) is you could get involved. It was more than just passive learning. It was active learning.”

Office of Special Trial Counsel, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School, Charlottesville, Virginia, June 2023 | Submitted photo

Ole Miss Sports

Take It to the Limit

TWO WOMEN’S BASKETBALL STAFF MEMBERS PROMOTED

As the calendar hit July 1 and with the NCAA’s coaching limit increase going into effect, head women’s basketball coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin has elevated Patrick Henry and Erika Sisk (BSG 16) to assistant coaches.

In January 2023, the Division I Council increased coaching limits across several sports, including women’s basketball. The council supported an increase of two coaches, in which these additional coaches may participate in all coaching activities but may not recruit off campus.

Henry will add on-court coaching responsibilities to his role as the associate athletic director for women’s basketball as he enters year two with the Rebels. With over two decades of experience in college athletics, Henry assists in oversight of the daily organizational aspect of the program’s operations. A native of Warner Robins, Georgia, Henry is a 1998 graduate of Ohio University and earned his master’s

from Mercer University in 2005.

“Patrick brings an incredible amount of knowledge to this program,” McPhee-McCuin says. “He has been a rock for me this whole year and has helped our whole program take another step in a positive direction. In my eyes he’s always been a coach, and now I’m glad that he can assist us more on the floor.”

After spending last season as a graduate manager, Sisk was named as special assistant to the head coach in her second year on staff. A standout Rebel from 2014 to 2017, Sisk appeared in 94 games for Ole Miss, making 92 starts. Sisk has been an integral part of assisting the Rebels in game preparation between film work and her basketball skill set on the scout team. She holds two degrees from Ole Miss, earning her undergraduate degree in 2016 and her master’s degree in 2023.

Photo illustration courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Sports

Experienced Crew

MEN’S BASKETBALL ANNOUNCES CHRIS BEARD’S FIRST-YEAR STAFF

Announced as the 23rd head coach of Ole Miss men’s basketball in March, Chris Beard released his list of full-time staff in July as the program prepares for the 2023-24 season. Adding eight new coaches and support staff members to seven returning, Beard’s staff brings years of collegiate and professional experience to Oxford and includes numerous staff members who have worked with Beard previously in his coaching career.

Wes Flanigan joins the Ole Miss staff as assistant coach by way of Auburn where he spent the previous five seasons and will coach under Beard for the second time in his career. Working primarily with the forwards while with the Tigers, Flanigan coached numerous NBA Draft selections.

This will be the second time Al Pinkins has coached with the Ole Miss program after he previously spent time with the Rebels from 2011 to 2014, and will mark the second time on staff under Beard as assistant coach. Bringing 20 years of coaching experience including nine years in the SEC where he has coached several NBA Draft picks and NBA players, Pinkins has coached at Texas Tech, Florida, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee State.

His third stint working on Beard’s staff, this time as assistant coach, Bob Donewald Jr. comes to Oxford with experience as a head and assistant coach at the collegiate, professional

and national team level. He spent the previous two seasons at Texas and was at Texas Tech under Beard for two years prior.

Entering his sixth season at Ole Miss, Win Case spent the previous five years on the men’s basketball staff as an assistant before being named acting head coach on Feb. 24. Now, he joins Beard as special assistant to the coach. He won his first game at the helm against LSU and helped guide the Rebels to a victory against South Carolina in the opening round of the 2023 SEC Tournament.

Another staff member to have previously worked with Beard, this will be analyst Brian Burg’s third time after joining Beard at Texas Tech and Little Rock. Burg spent the previous three seasons as head coach at Georgia Southern where he was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award in 2020-21, presented annually to the top first-year head coach in Division I.

Joining Beard’s staff at a third school, strength and conditioning coach John Reilly brings over a decade of collegiate coaching experience to Ole Miss. He has helped his teams win conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances as the head strength and conditioning coach at four prior universities. He has assisted in the development of two NCAA All-Americans, a pair of NBA first-round draft picks and a total of eight NBA players.

After spending the previous two seasons at the University of South Carolina Upstate as an assistant coach, Anthony Johnson reunites with Beard in Oxford as director of player development. Before his time at USC Upstate, Johnson spent time as director of development and recruiting at Georgia Southern University and was director of player development and video coordinator at the College of Charleston.

A first-time member of Beard’s staff, Derrick Mallison comes to Oxford to be director of video operations after spending the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach at South Carolina State. Having previously worked on Beard’s staff at Texas Tech, Parker Eidson comes to Ole Miss to take the position of director of basketball operations after spending the previous five years at UT Arlington as director of operations. He was a graduate assistant on Beard’s staff with the Red Raiders during the 2017-18 season during their run to the Elite Eight.

In addition, Beard’s support staff will consist of Drew Clinton, associate athletic director for academic support; Kara Hobson, administrative assistant; Mike Swartz, assistant director of communications; Josie Nicholson, assistant athletic director for sports psychology; Jordyn Kleve, sports dietitian; and Spencer Hill, equipment manager/Tuohy Basketball Center Services.

Wes Flanigan

Al Pinkins

Bob Donewald Jr.

Win Case

Brian Burg

John Reilly

Anthony Johnson

Derrick Mallison

Parker Eidson

Schedule Unveiled

FOOTBALL TEAM RECEIVES 2024 SEC OPPONENTS

Ole Miss Football has received its SEC opponent assignments for the 2024 season, as unveiled by the conference via SEC Network.

For 2024, the Rebels are set to host Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi State and SEC newcomer Oklahoma, while Ole Miss will hit the road for Arkansas, Florida, LSU and South Carolina.

Ole Miss’ home schedule will feature the first-ever trip to Oxford for Oklahoma, and only the second matchup all-time between the Rebels and Sooners alongside a 27-25 Ole Miss win in the 1999 Independence Bowl.

The 2024 season will also feature the first trip to Vaught-Hemingway for Georgia since 2016, when the Rebels won 45-14. This fall, Ole Miss and Georgia will play for the first time since that 2016 game with a Nov. 11 contest scheduled in Athens.

Notable away trips for the Rebels in 2024 include Ole Miss’ first trip to The Swamp since the 2015 season and the first road trip to South Carolina since 2009.

Among the features of the matchups is that each of the 14 existing SEC members will play newcomers Oklahoma or Texas — home or away — during the 2024 season when the Sooners and Longhorns join the conference.

The 2024 SEC opponents were determined based on two primary factors: traditional opponents and balance of schedule strength.

Balance of schedule strength was based on each school’s conference winning percentage since the last expansion of the SEC in 2012. The winning percentages for the performance of Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 since 2012 were included in determining 16 positions ranked by winning percentage.

A complete 2024 SEC football schedule that includes dates of games will be announced later this year.

It was also previously announced that the SEC will eliminate divisional standings beginning in 2024. The SEC Championship game will feature the top two teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season.

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

OLE MISS ONLINE MBA

EXPAND YOUR OPPORTUNITIES

• Get the advanced degree you need in just two years.

• Develop a broad range of business skills that can be applied in any setting.

• Flexible format designed for busy professionals in diverse industries.

• GMAT/GRE waivers available for professionals with 5+ years post-graduate work experience.

• Rolling admission for spring, summer, and fall cohorts.

“The flexibility of one class at a time made it doable for me to power through, even while changing jobs and welcoming a baby.”

ANDREW ROMIG OF ANN ARBOR, MI

SPRING 2023

ONLINE MBA GRADUATE

OLE MISS BASEBALL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP LICENSE PLATE NOW AVAILABLE

Mississippi residents are now able to pay tribute to Ole Miss’ historic 2022 baseball national championship run on their vehicle with the release of the official commemorative license plate.

The new license plate features the Ole Miss National Championship logo and will honor the team that brought home the Rebels’ first baseball national title in school history.

High-Caliber Player

Fans in Mississippi can reserve their commemorative plates now through the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation.

The championship plates will be produced after pre-sale of the first 300. Once that occurs, the plates will then be available for purchase though county tag offices rather than OMAF.

For additional information, visit the tags and titles page on the Mississippi Department of Revenue’s website: dor.ms.gov.

WOMEN’S GOLF ADDS TWO-TIME ALL-AMERICAN

The Ole Miss women’s golf program and head coach Kory Henkes have announced the addition of TCU transfer and South Africa national team member Caitlyn Macnab, ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Macnab ranks as the No. 40 women’s amateur in the world. In her collegiate career, the rising junior has played in 23 tournaments, compiling a career 71.73 stroke average. She logged 11

top-10 finishes over the last two seasons with the Horned Frogs.

“We are really excited to have a high-caliber player like Caitlyn join our team,” Henkes says. “She brings a wealth of experience and success in international and top-tiered events. Caitlyn has lofty goals, and we are excited to work with her in helping her accomplish them.”

Macnab was named to the All-Big 12 team and earned honorable mention All-America accolades from the Women’s Golf Coaches Association last year with TCU after leading the Horned Frogs with a stroke average of 71.97.

As a freshman at TCU, Macnab set the program record for best season stroke average (71.5), earning Big 12 Freshman of the Year during the 2021-22 season. She also set TCU season marks with 22 rounds of par or better, 130 birdies and seven eagles. Macnab was the Horned Frogs’ top finisher in seven of TCU’s 12 tournaments.

Macnab has also shined on the international stage. As the top-ranked player in South Africa, she competed for Team International at the 2023 Arnold Palmer Cup. In 2022, she represented South Africa in the Women’s World Amateur Team Championships in France, four years after doing the same in Ireland in 2018.

Caitlyn Macnab | Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Just Published

Variations in the Perception of Color by Howard Brown (BA 65, JD 68), 108 pages (hardback, also available in paperback and Kindle), iUniverse, ISBN: 978-1663228062

Sometimes creating a poem is nothing more than a rite of exorcism, a catharsis by which you cast out a demon skulking about your interior landscape, exiling it to the surface of a sheet of plain white paper. Variations in the Perception of Color is a collection of work where the author reflects on the world, interesting people with whom he has interacted, the unique character of animals, the effect of nature on the mind, the ongoing pandemic and the purpose of poetry. While exploring his personal experiences, he meanders deftly between the real world and that of the imagination, exploring how things might have turned out in slightly altered circumstances. His poems reveal that poetry is often akin to a dream — a means of expression that challenges the capacity of words.

After practicing employment and labor law, Brown retired in 2009. His poetry has appeared in various domestic and foreign journals in addition to receiving awards such as the first-place prize in the William Faulkner Literary Competition in the poetry category.

Leading with Significance by Joey Havens (BBA 80), 200 pages (hardcover, also available in Kindle), Greenleaf Book Group Press, ISBN: 979-8886450484

In Leading with Significance , Joey Havens breaks through the limiting barriers of common culture theory and shows, with great transparency, the real human emotions that elevate a culture to one that is genuine, enduring and magnetic. Havens shares insights, failures, low points, lessons learned and growth from his experience of helping lead the successful transformation of HORNE LLP’s good culture to a magnetic, people-first culture based on the Christian principles of caring and service. Whether you are inspired by exponential growth, the power of inclusion or attracting and retaining outstanding people, this book will inspire you to choose a journey toward significance.

Havens is managing partner of strategic growth for HORNE. In addition to his weekly beBetter blog, he is the author of numerous papers and articles, including “Becoming the Firm of the Future.” He has co-authored four books during his career at HORNE.

holding the hand of a person who is “crossing over.” It can be heartbreaking, of course, but also holy and beautiful. Some of the pieces in this collection share the experience of personal loss when a loved one dies. Often the presence of an angel or another mystical experience is shared. But not only in death — there are also stories here of the way the mystical world interacts with us in daily life. And not only angels but also mothers, fathers, sisters, grandfathers, friends, a homeless man and a dog.

This anthology is a collection of essays and poetry by 28 female authors. Cushman not only curated and edited the book, but she also contributed an essay. This is her ninth published book. Her previous books include two novels, one short-story collection, two memoirs and three other anthologies she edited. A native of Jackson, she lives in Memphis.

Party Favors by Darden North (BA 78, MD 82), 330 pages (paperback, also available in hardback and Kindle), WordCrafts Press, ISBN: 978-1957344508

All Night, All Day: Life, Death

& Angels by Susan Cushman (70) (editor), 208 pages (paperback), Madville Publishing LLC, ISBN: 978-1956440454

There is something mystical about

In Party Favors, Dr. Scott Mack, a struggling, young orthopedic surgeon, is tempted to sell his patients’ leftover narcotics to save his drowning surgical practice, even hook new patients on opioids for financial gain. A transplant from Alaska and a competitive residency

program, Mack contracts to practice with a hospital on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. While he is drawn to the warm beaches, a slower pace and his last-ditch effort at employment, his hospital-appointed secretary serves as a front for her family’s black-market narcotics business. Soon Mack is wrapped in deception and trapped into dealing drugs in a back alley.

When a longtime, successful orthopedic surgeon is found shot in his car en route to the same hospital, Mack stands to profit legitimately in the face of less surgical competition. As detectives Reed Spearman and Kendall Brisdell investigate the deadly shooting and the drug racket exploding along the Gulf Coast, the police focus on the casino underworld and the suspected involvement of the medical community.

North’s mysteries and thrillers have been awarded nationally, most notably an IPPY in Southern Fiction for Points of Origin. His other novels include The 5 Manners of Death, Wiggle Room, Fresh Frozen, and House Call.

The Untold Story About How Unions Took Over Illinois Government

This book was inspired by a report in the Chicago Tribune on Nov. 25, 2019. The newspaper asked, “Who is actually running Illinois state government? It’s not the administration. It’s not the department heads. It’s the public employee unions.”

Jones determined that unions in Illinois are saving money by not filing lawsuits for members who have had their civil rights infringed by unscrupulous employers. This plot enables unions to pay union employees outrageous salaries and contribute to campaign funds of politicians who favor union control of Illinois government. Explained within chapters in the book are moves unions have made that have allowed them to, over the years, get control of the Illinois government. How this control came about is a mystery to citizens. The Untold Story About How Unions Took Over Illinois Government is an attempt to clarify and expose what has to be a silent insurrection.

Up in Indiana: The Culture & Hoosier Hysteria Revisited.

Pushmataha — The Forgotten Warrior by Thomas L. Wiley (MD 77), 298 pages (paperback, also available on Kindle), Monarch Publishing House, ISBN: 978-0979786129

On Sept. 27, 1830, the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek was signed. Within two years, removal of the Choctaws to their new home in Oklahoma began. Of the 16,000 men, women and children who made the 600-mile journey, almost 2,500 died of exposure and starvation on this, the first Trail of Tears. The life of Chief Pushmataha parallels the tumultuous times that led up to the removal. From his humble beginning as an orphan, to his reputation as a vicious warrior, and later a master of oratory and diplomacy, Pushmataha led his people through a time of marginal contact with the white man into an era of submission and despair. Sadly, in the two centuries since his rise to greatness, his name, like the struggles of his nation, has faded from the memory of the American public.

by Norman Jones

(EdD 77), 108 pages (paperback, also available in Kindle), Authorhouse, ISBN: 978-1665568548

For four decades, Jones has made presentations about leadership, communications, teaching and human development. He earned his doctorate in counseling and educational psychology from the University of Mississippi and has published multiple books and articles, including his memoir, Growing

Wiley practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Jackson for 37 years. He is now retired.

Information presented in this section is compiled from material provided by the publisher and/or author and does not necessarily represent the view of the Alumni Review or the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To present a recently published book or CD for consideration, please mail a copy with any descriptions and publishing information to: Ole Miss Alumni Review, Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677.

Rebel Traveler 2023-24

Strasbourg, France

The alumni travel program is a service the Ole Miss Alumni Association offers as part of its mission to unite its alumni and keep them connected to Ole Miss and one another. OMAA has partnered with several tour operators that specialize in alumni travel to offer a broad selection of educational tours. Alumni and friends obtain group rates and discounts. Listed prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and pricing and dates are subject to change until booking. Airfare is not included unless noted. Visit olemissalumni.com/ travel for a complete listing and the most up-to-date information.

Offerings and itineraries are subject to change or cancellation. OMAA strongly recommends purchasing travel

insurance. For a brochure or more information on a trip, contact the Alumni office at 662-915-7375 or email travel@ olemissalumni.com.

CRUISING THE FIJI ISLANDS

NOV 7-17, 2023

Tour Operator: Premier World Discovery

Join us in exploring the Fiji Islands and the joy of small-ship cruising aboard the intimate Fiji Princess . This “bucket-list” adventure takes you on a journey through paradise and includes seven days cruising the breathtaking Mamanuca and Yasawa islands. Upon arrival in Fiji, you will be treated to an island tour with a visit to an orchid farm and one-night hotel accommodations at an oceanfront resort in Nadi, Fiji. Prior

to embarking on your Fiji cruise, you will spend a day at the Malamala Beach Club enjoying this private island. On the last day of your cruise, a day room is included at the same Nadi, Fiji, resort, allowing you to relax or explore Nadi on your own before your evening flight home on day 11. — From $7,599

HOLIDAY MARKETS CRUISE: THE FESTIVE RHINE RIVER

DEC 10-18, 2023

Tour Operator: AHI

Feel the magic of the holidays in Germany and France on a seven-night Rhine River cruise! Celebrate centuries-old traditions in festive markets aglow with twinkling lights and good cheer and overflowing with handmade decorations

and other treasures. Savor the sounds of carolers and bells and the scent of nutmeg, cinnamon and fresh pine in the air. Visit Heidelberg’s castle and enjoy an exclusive musical performance in the romantic old town. You’ll also stroll through Freiburg, a vibrant university city, and admire the details of Cologne’s spectacular cathedral. In the ports of Breisach, Strasbourg, Rüdesheim and Düsseldorf, choose excursions that fit your interests, such as wine tastings, culinary tours or cultural experiences. Aboard your exclusively chartered, firstclass ship, revel in the beauty of the Rhine Gorge and sip warm, spicy Glühwein. This heartwarming journey includes an ample meal plan, plus wine and beer with lunch and dinner. There is no supplement for solo travelers. — From $2,795

EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA

JAN. 17-30, 2024

Tour Operator: Gohagan

Retrace sea lanes navigated by storied explorers Shackleton, Amundsen and Scott on a once-in-a-lifetime journey that includes two nights in vibrant Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a nine-night, five-star cruise to “The White Continent.” Be among the fortunate few to set foot on this pristine wilderness. Enjoy guided excursions led by an expedition

team of naturalists aboard sturdy Zodiac crafts amid floating ice sculptures, intricate ecosystems and abundant wildlife — including humpback whales, leopard seals and Adélie penguins. Extend your expedition with the Iguazú Falls pre-program option, which includes Buenos Aires/Iguazú round-trip airfare.

— From $11,595

CULTURAL TREASURES OF ISRAEL AND JORDAN

JAN. 20-FEB. 1, 2024

Tour Operator: AHI

Experience the treasures of Israel and Jordan on this incredible 11-night journey. Begin in the Mediterranean paradise of Tel Aviv, followed by stays in Jerusalem, Tiberias and Jordan. Thrilling excursions connect the past with the present, from biblical ruins to modern cities, archaeological wonders to local markets. Witness the Western Wall, Masada, ancient Akko, the Mount of Beatitudes and beyond. In Jordan, discover the Roman ruins of Jerash, plus Madaba, Mount Nebo and the Lost City of Petra. Along the way, sample olive oils and wines, talk with welcoming locals and follow in the footsteps of biblical stories. This small-group program includes first-class hotels and a generous meal plan. — From $6,495

JOURNEY TO SOUTHERN AFRICA

FEB. 13-28, 2024

Tour Operator: AHI

This exceptional 12-night journey reveals fascinating local culture and lands brimming with incredible raw beauty, where pristine wilderness teems with exotic wildlife and wonders.

Begin your journey to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana in Cape Town, a jewel of the Western Cape. Tour poignant Robben Island alongside a knowledgeable guide and spot penguins by the Cape of Good Hope. Then venture out to renowned safari destinations: Chobe National Park, Hwange National Park and Kapama Private Game Reserve. With expert guides leading the way, search for ambling elephants, sleeping lions, racing antelope and more as you gain insight into the majestic African bushveld. Along the way, experience the utmost in luxury aboard Rovos Rail on a three-night train journey, and meet welcoming locals in Soweto and other towns that hold powerful history lessons. From thundering Victoria Falls to historic Kliptown, Johannesburg, to a sunset safari, every moment will touch your heart. This unmatched adventure includes a Rovos Rail journey, two flights within South Africa and an extensive meal plan featuring wine with dinner. — From $8,495

Old Jaffa, Tel Aviv, Israel

Rebel Traveler 2023-24

PASSAGE THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL AND COSTA RICA

MARCH 1-9, 2024

Tour Operator: Gohagan

Begin your seven-night expedition in the San Blas Islands, Panama, to immerse yourself in local culture and learn about the traditional way of life. Spend two days exploring Panama City and experience a daylight passage through the awe-inspiring Panama Canal — an experience unmatched for sheer drama and engineering prowess. Explore the wonders of Costa Rica’s seldom-visited Cébaco Island, diverse Manuel Antonio National Park and colorful Curú National Wildlife Refuge. Enhance your experience with the Panama pre-program and/or Costa Rica post-program options. — From $4,995

ANTIQUITIES OF THE RED SEA AND THE AEGEAN SEA

MARCH 8-12, 2024

Tour Operator: Gohagan

Visit three continents; explore centuries-old landmarks in Jordan, Egypt and Greece; and cruise from the Red Sea to the Aegean Sea via the Suez Canal on this remarkable 12-night voyage. Discover the historical sites of Jordan on a journey to Amman, Jerash, Wadi Rum and legendary Petra. Mid-cruise, overnight in Luxor in a Nile-view room and enjoy a specially arranged visit into the tomb of Queen Nefertari. Stand in the shadows of the Great Pyramids of Giza. View the Minoan Palace at Knossos and continue to Heraklion to visit the Archaeological Museum. Enhance your immersion into these ancient civilizations with the Israel pre-program and/or Greece post-program options. —

From $8,995

CRUISING THE PILLARS OF HERCULES

APRIL 10-19, 2024

Tour Operator: Gohagan

Trace the cultural legacy of the most storied civilization of the Middle Ages on this spectacular eight-night cruise aboard the five-star, four-masted sailing

yacht Wind Star , featuring the Iberian Peninsula and Portugal’s breathtaking Algarve coast. Visit 10 spectacular cities — Lisbon, Portimão, Seville, Gibraltar, Tangier, Malaga, Granada, Valencia, Tarragona and Barcelona — with excursions in every port. Stand on the “Top of the Rock” in Gibraltar, considered one of the two Pillars of Hercules by ancient Greeks and Romans. Explore Granada’s magnificent Alhambra Palace and discover the historical hillside port of Tarragona. Extend your journey with the Lisbon pre-program and/or Barcelona post-program options. — From $5,995

VILLAGE LIFE IN DORDOGNE

APRIL 18-26, 2024

Tour Operator: Gohagan

Immerse yourself in the authentic provincial character of the Dordogne region in Sarlat-la-Canéda, one of France’s

most beautiful and well-preserved medieval towns, on this one-of-a-kind, seven-night experience. Discover charming villages, medieval castles and prehistoric treasures through specially arranged excursions, including Sarlat’s famous open-air market; the pilgrimage site of Rocamadour; the English-style gardens of Eyrignac; the fascinating prehistoric cave paintings of Cap-Blanc; the perfectly reproduced cave art at Lascaux and Rouffignac; and a specially arranged gabare cruise on the Dordogne River. — From $3,995

CHARISMATIC MEDITERRANEAN (BARCELONA TO VENICE)

APRIL 19-29, 2024

Tour Operator: Go Next

Lose yourself in the wonders of the Mediterranean on this 10-night cruise aboard Oceania Cruises’ Marina. Your

Algarve coast, Portugal

journey begins in beautiful Barcelona. Set sail for Marseille and venture to the pleasant Provençal countryside where fields of lavender and sunflowers are abundant. Try your hand at the famed Monte Carlo Casino. In Rome, get your fill of Italian Renaissance art and architecture and see the towering remains of the ancient Roman Empire. Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables along the colorful Amalfi coast. Marvel at the stunning Mount Etna in Taormina, and in Argostoli explore ancient artifacts from the Mycenaean, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Take in the sights of 15th-century monasteries in Igoumenitsa, and in Kotor enjoy an entertaining tuk-tuk ride. Explore Split’s UNESCO-listed Old Town or go local and cook coastal cuisine with Croatian villagers. — From $3,699

DUTCH WATERWAYS

APRIL 26-MAY 4, 2024

Tour Operator: Gohagan

Celebrate the spectacular beauty of Holland and Flanders in springtime on this uniquely exclusive, seven-night cruise. Expert-led excursions include visits to the historical canals of Amsterdam; the world-class KröllerMüller Museum; Kinderdijk and the Delta Works engineering projects; storybook Bruges; the 2,000-year-old city of Nijmegen; the incomparable Keukenhof Gardens; the blue pottery center of Delft; and the Golden Age trading center of Hoorn. Immerse yourself in local culture during our exclusive River Life forum. Enhance your experience with the Amsterdam pre-program and/ or The Hague post-program options. — From $3,395

EUROPEAN COASTAL CIVILIZATIONS

MAY 12-21, 2024

Tour Operator: Gohagan

Explore the storied legacies and dynamic cultures of coastal Portugal, Spain, France and England, and commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day on this eight-night cruise itinerary. Discover Portugal’s renowned wine country, walk in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims in Santiago de Compostela, visit Bilbao’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, and see UNESCO-inscribed Mont-St.-Michel’s impressive abbey. Meet guest speaker Dwight David Eisenhower II, grandson of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower, as he joins us on a special anniversary tour of the hallowed Normandy beaches. Extend your journey with the Lisbon pre-program and London post-program options. — From $6,295

Keukenhof Gardens, Amsterdam, Holland

A lumni News

Class Notes

’50s ALBERT LYLE (BBA 59), of Jackson, formerly on the Ole Miss golf team, was selected by the United States Tennis Association to represent the U.S. on the four-man Lorne Main Cup Team in the World Team Championships in Mallorca, Spain. He was also chosen as Player of the Year by the Southern Tennis Association.

JOHN PALMER (BBA 56, MB 59) was selected as the Legacy Award honoree of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy. The award recognizes individuals for their valuable and important contributions as well as their positive impact on Ole Miss, Mississippi and the nation.

’80sPHIL AYERS (BSPh 84, PharmD 96), of Madison, was named president of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Ayers is the 47th president of ASPEN.

KRIS MORRIS (BAEd 83, MEd 84), of Brandon, is retiring after 39 years in public education in Mississippi, Indiana and Louisiana. During her time in public education, she received many awards including most recently the National Beta Club Trailblazer Award for outstanding innovative sponsor out of a pool of 19,000 teachers and the John W. Harris Educator of Excellence Award.

supporting, recruiting and training mentors to serve these students.

AMY GREENWELL GRIFFIN (BA 90, JD 93), of Lexington, Kentucky, retired after 21 years as senior in-house counsel at Kentucky Employers’ Mutual Insurance, Kentucky’s largest workers’ compensation insurance carrier.

KIM (BS 90) and FRANCES HACKNEY (BS 20), of Tyler, Texas, are set to open a brick and mortar for their business, Foster.

’70s

RICHARD S. BUSH (JD 75), of Marksville, Louisiana, retired as a supervisory administrative law judge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Irvine, California.

ROSE FLENORL (BAEd 79), of Cordova, Tennessee, was elected as a member of both Renasant Corp. and Renasant Bank boards of directors.

BEN GRIFFITH (BA 73, JD 75), proprietor of Griffith Law Firm in Oxford, was appointed to serve a term on the American Bar Association’s Rule of Law Initiative, chaired by former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

DAVID NELSON (BBA 77), of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by AmeriCorps and President Joseph Biden for his commitment of volunteer service to the American Red Cross and International Services.

CHANCELLOR LAWRENCE PRIMEAUX (BA 71, JD 73), of Meridian, announced his retirement from the 12th District Chancery Court after over 40 years dedicated to law and his office.

ALICE Z. SEALE (BS 76), of Dallas, was named to D Magazine’s 2023 Power Broker list in retail.

COLETTE OLDMIXON (JD 81), proprietor of Smith & Oldmixon in Poplarville, was inducted into the Law Alumni Hall of Fame as a member of its 2023 class.

GEORGE SIMMERMAN (JD 83), of Mobile, Alabama, who recently retired as vice president and chief counsel of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, was named the University of Mississippi School of Law Alumnus of the Year.

C. MITCHELL WAYCASTER (BBA 82), of Tupelo, was elected chairman of the Mississippi Bankers Association for 2023-24.

’90s PAUL BYERS (MD 92), of Jackson, announced his retirement from the Mississippi State Department of Health after more than 30 years of service.

BILL COURTNEY (BA 91), of Memphis, Tennessee, recently launched a podcast titled “An Army of Normal Folks,” which peaked as the No. 10 podcast on Apple and No. 1 in the Society & Culture category.

CHAD GREER (BBA 96), of Nashville, Tennessee, was recognized by Northwestern Mutual as a 2023 Community Service Award winner. As part of his award, Greer donated $15,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, which will be used to support the nonprofit’s mission of

JAMES HARPER (BA 94), of Oxford, was named general counsel and senior vice president/community development financial institutions coordinator by FNB Oxford Bank. Harper brings 25 years of experience in business and contract law, enforcement law, commercial and real estate transactions, estates and civil litigation to the bank.

CRYMES M. PITTMAN (JD 98), of Jackson, completed his year of service as president of the Mississippi Association for Justice and was recognized as a lifetime member of the organization. Pittman is a partner in the Jackson office of Pittman, Roberts & Welsh.

ROBERT F. “ROCKY” WILKINS (BA 96, JD 99), of Jackson, was named the Mississippi Association for Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year at its annual meeting in New Orleans. Wilkins is managing partner in the Jackson office of Morgan and Morgan PLLC. ’00sMEGAN EDWARDS HODGE (BS 07, BA 08), of Oxford, was named assistant professor of clinical neurology at Baptist Health Sciences University.

ADRIAN L. MAYSE (BBA 05), of Washington, D.C., was selected to join the faculty of Talladega College as the new dean of the Division of Business Administration. He will also hold the rank of tenured professor.

BRETT MCCALL (JD 04), of Bay Village, Ohio, has assumed the position of deputy

ETA ZETA CHAPTER CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF SERVICE, BROTHERHOOD

The Eta Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. at the University of Mississippi celebrated its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of commitment to brotherhood, service and community uplift. The milestone event took place April 21-23 and brought together current members, alumni and distinguished guests to reflect on the chapter’s rich history and the significant impact it has had on campus and beyond.

“I am so thankful for the young men who took the bold step to birth a chapter on the Ole Miss campus back in 1973,” says Xavier M. Hoskins (BBA 92). “The Eta Zeta Chapter has produced renowned leaders in politics, business, sports, science and education. The chapter has also produced renowned authors, television personalities and highly decorated military officers in all branches of our great armed services.”

Chartered at UM on July 31, 1973, the Eta Zeta Chapter holds a special place in the annals of Ole Miss history as the first Black Greek letter organization to be chartered at the university, paving the way for the integration of the previously all-white Interfraternity Council. Chartering Eta Zeta also came just 11 years after James Meredith (BA 63) was the first African American admitted to the university in October 1962.

“The chapter is indebted to those brave 11 men, who in 1973 displayed a tremendous amount of courage and resilience in championing equality and unity in the face of adversity,” says alumni member Lt. Col. Dex McCain (BBA 92).

The reunion weekend began with a social where current and former members of the Eta Zeta Chapter gathered to reconnect and reminisce.

“I knew from my first visit that this would be my home,” Hoskins says. “What I did not know was that I would make lifelong friendships through membership in Omega Psi Phi.”

McCain says the highlight of the entire weekend celebration was the black-tie gala.

“It was a grand affair, and a particularly special moment during the gala was the tribute paid to the courageous brothers who in 1973, possessed the aspiration (to) make a difference and through their ingenuity, enthusiasm (and) sense of duty set the stage for generations of men to seek and find Omega through the Eta Zeta chapter, thereby cementing Omega’s legacy of achievement at the university and the broader Oxford and Lafayette County communities,” he says.

The celebration culminated with brothers attending a church service, which served as a reminder of the spiritual values that underpin the fraternity’s work and the moral compass that helps guide its members.

“The 50th anniversary celebration of the Eta Zeta chapter was a testament to the enduring impact of brotherhood, service and principles that the fraternity upholds,” McCain says. “As the chapter looks toward the future, we, the sons of Eta Zeta, remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting brotherhood, friendship and service while uplifting our community.”

staff judge advocate for the Coast Guard Ninth District.

MATT MCKENZIE (BBA 03, JD 06), of Oxford, announced the formation of McKenzie Little. The firm’s new identity reflects its commitment to providing exceptional legal services in the ever-growing real estate industry in Oxford.

ROBERT SAVOIE (BBA 07), of Solon, Ohio, and an attorney with McGlinchey, was ranked in the Chambers USA 2023 Guide in Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance. Savoie was band-ranked in the 2023 Chambers Fintech guide for the fourth year in a row.

JOHN WILLIAMSON (BA 02), of Franklin, Tennessee, led the Vanderbilt bowling

team to national victory as the school’s first bowling coach. This victory is the third under his belt as the team’s coach.

’10s

WILL EGEN (JD 13), of Glen Allen, Virginia, was chosen as one of Style magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40.”

ALEXA LAMPKIN (BA 13, DMD 17), of Ridgeland, was confirmed by the Mississippi Senate to a seat on the State Board of Dental Examiners. She is the first female dentist to be appointed to the board.

GABRIELLE ROSE (BAJ 12), of Gulfport, was named a Top 10 Under 40 honoree at the annual One Coast Awards. The awards recognize outstanding community leaders and strong up-and-coming young business leaders of the Gulf Coast.

GERALD “JESS” WALTMAN III (BAccy 13, JD 16), of Gulfport, joined the Gordon Arata firm as an attorney in its New Orleans office where he will primarily work with the firm’s banking, construction and energy clients.

’20s

CARLI GLENN (BSW 21, MSW 22), of Richmond, Texas, recently moved to Biloxi and is working for Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources as an outpatient child and adolescent therapist.

CADE SLAUGHTER (BA 21, BS 21), of Hattiesburg, has taken on a new role as the operations director for U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney and is living in Washington, D.C.

Submitted photo

Sustaining Life Membership Program

The Sustaining Life Membership Program is a voluntary way for current Life Members to provide additional annual support to the Ole Miss Alumni Association at one of several tax-deductible levels: Platinum, Gold, Silver, Blue and Red. These contributions are used to support necessary programs to engage Ole Miss alumni and friends and to help create future alumni leaders through student involvement, scholarship and leadership programs. Thank you for your generous support of Ole Miss and the Alumni Association.

Platinum $1,000+

Mr. and Mrs. Robert R. Bailess

Mr. and Mrs. Lucien L. Bourgeois

Mr. and Mrs. David E. Brevard

Mr. and Mrs. Lampkin Butts

Mr. J. Truman Channell

Mr. and Mrs. Charles C. Clark

Drs. Frank A. and Ann D. Critz IV

Mr. Charles Hyde Davidson V

Mr. Fred de Roode

Mr. Mac Elliott

Mr. and Mrs. S. Lawrence Farrington

Mr. W.F. Galtney Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Justin S. Gardner

Lt. Col. Howard L. Gerlach

Mr. and Mrs. William W. Gresham III

Dr. Bruce R. Guerdan

Dr. James S. Hicks

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey L. Johnson

Mr. William F. Johnson

Mrs. Melissa Windham Johnston

The Hon. E. Grady Jolly

Mr. Robert L. Koestler

Mr. and Mrs. Rufus A. Lewis

Mr. and Mrs. C.M. Lusco

Mr. Michael J. Maslanka

Mrs. Beverly Bennett Mauch

Mr. and Mrs. David O. McCormick

Prof. Martin C. McWilliams Jr.

Mr. Jeffery M. Michael

Mr. and Mrs. Sam M. Millette Jr.

Mr. Wayne Minor

Mr. and Mrs. A. Bruce Moore Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Paul H. Moore Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. John R. Pittman

Mr. and Mrs. Ray S. Poole Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Andre Prefontaine

Mr. and Mrs. George L. Price

Mrs. Barbara L. Purdon

Mr. and Mrs. William N. Reed

FY 2023 MEMBERS

Mr. Robert L. Salmon

Mr. John Douglas Self Jr.

Mr. Glynne A. Simpson

Mr. and Mrs. Donald S. Smith

Mr. Michael R. Sweet

Dr. Valmadge TeErino Towner

Ms. Misha Wynn Vause

Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey J. White

Dr. and Mrs. Lynn K. Whittington

Dr. Eddie T. Yau

Gold: $500-$999

Mr. and Mrs. Olen S. Akers

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel F. Alexander

Dr. Antrece Lynette Baggett

Mr. and Mrs. Bill H. Benson

Dr. Otis J. Bouwsma and Ms. Lucilla Perez

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Bowles

Mr. Larry H. Bryan

Mrs. Bettye M. Butler

Dr. Taylor D. Caffey

Ms. Angela D. Carney

The Hon. and Ms. Mark J. Chaney Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Couch Sr.

Mr. William M. Dalehite Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Danny B. Dedmon

Mr. John A. Dupps

Mr. Herbert C. Ehrhardt

Mrs. Georgia McKenzie Ellison

Dr. William B. French Jr.

Dr. Jane T. Gaede

Mrs. BettyLou Garrigan

Mr. and Mrs. Chauncey R. Godwin Jr.

Mr. Thomas Alsop Griesedieck

Mr. and Mrs. G.O. Griffith Jr.

Dr. Nancy M. and Mr. Joel C. Hale

*Mr. Larry Jerome Hardy

Mr. and Mrs. Fred M. Harrell Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. George J. Heard Jr.

Mrs. Patricia S. Hopson

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey P. Hubbard

W. Robert Hudgins M.D.

Mr. David A. Huey

Mr. and Mrs. William M. James

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Lee

Mr. and Mrs. John A. Maloney

Mrs. Rhoda N. Maloney

Mr. and Mrs. William T. Mays Jr.

Mr. James Andrew McKenzie

Mrs. Dorothy Miller

Mr. and Mrs. Guy W. Mitchell III

Mr. and Mrs. Steven T. Mullen

Mrs. Jennifer R. O’Barr

Dr. John V. Parham

Mrs. Katherine Boone Phelps

Mr. and Mrs. John K. Purdom

Mr. and Mrs. Lee W. Randall

Dr. and Mrs. James W. Rayner

Mr. and Mrs. William S. Rhea

Ms. Donna Ruth Roberts

Mr. and Mrs. Larry Rocconi Jr.

Mrs. Carol C. Satterfield

Mr. and Mrs. W. Marion Smith

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Strawbridge

Mr. William L. Wallace III

Dr. James E. Warrington

Mr. Kenneth W. Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Sandy Williams

Silver: $250-$499

Mrs. Joyce M. Arnold

Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Ayers

Ms. Carol Jo Barnes

Mr. and Mrs. Fred A. Bell Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Gene W. Bennett

Ms. Kathryn Brewer Black

Mr. and Mrs. David B. Blackburn

Mr. and Mrs. James T. Boone

Mr. and Mrs. R.R. Brashier

Mrs. Joyce Bray

The Hon. Cynthia Lee Brewer

Mrs. Manya C. Bryan

Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Byrd Sr.

Dr. David K. Carter

Mr. Jeptha C. Clemens

MG and Mrs. Augustus L. Collins

Mr. L. Pepper Cossar

Mr. Randy L. Dean

Mr. and Mrs. Nicky Drake

Mr. Shelby B. Drummond Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. David N. Duddleston

Mr. Eric T. Duncan Jr.

Mr. Robert E. Duncan

Mr. Clinton James Dunn

Mr. Larry E. Eubank

Mr. Alan J. Ferguson

Mr. and Mrs. Richard L. Flenorl

Dr. and Mrs. Don L. Frugé

Mr. Tommy R. Funk Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. John H. Geary

Mr. Bruce J. Gray

Mr. and Mrs. Ben Griffith

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph A. Haley III

Michael and Tracey Hall

Mr. and Mrs. Van E. Hedges

Mr. and Mrs. R.W. Heidelberg III

Mr. H. Richard Hemmings

Mr. and Mrs. Hardy M. Hill

Mr. and Mrs. George Hilliard

Mr. Allen F. Hollis

Mr. and Mrs. D.B. Holstein

Hon. and Mrs. David W. Houston III

Mrs. Rita S. Howard

Mrs. Trentice G. Imbler

Dr. Harriet L. and Mr. Joel R. Jones

Mr. James R. Kenney

Dr. and Mrs. George H. Leggett III

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Y. Love Jr.

Mr. Leonard Lurie

Dr. and Mrs. Robert A. Magarian

Mr. Michael J. Malouf Sr.

Mrs. Alexa S. Marcello

Hon. John N. Martin

Mr. and Mrs. Scott T. Matlock

Dr. and Mrs. Eric A. McVey III

Mr. Ronald J. Melton

Mr. Terrence B. Mohr

Dr. and Mrs. Lee D. Morris

Mr. Claude Nixon Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Noble

Mrs. Phyllis H. Nuckolls

Mr. and Mrs. Rush O’Keefe

Mr. and Mrs. Steven R. Osso

Mr. Tommy C. Pannell

Mr. and Mrs. Crymes G. Pittman

Mr. and Mrs. Gary L. Ramsay

Mr. and Mrs. Randy Rawlings

Dr. Jeff W. Rish III

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Seibels III

Dr. S.L. Sethi

The Hon. Constance Slaughter-Harvey

Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Sloan

Mr. and Mrs. Briggs Smith Jr.

Mr. Hubert A. Staley

Dr. and Mrs. Gordon L. Stanfield

Alumni News

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Street Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. A.W. Stringer

Dr. and Mrs. John H. Sumners

Mrs. Becky Elkin Sweeney

Mr. and Mrs. Barrett B. Teller

Mrs. Margaret J. Varshock

Mr. James S. Verplanck

Dr. Benjamin O. Weeks Jr.

Mr. James B. Wolf

Drs. William C. and Judy W. Wood

Mr. Michael W. Wright and Mrs. Vickie M. Cook

Mr. and Mrs. Jack B. Yates

Blue: $100-$249

Dr. Richard S. Abney

Dr. and Mrs. George E. Abraham II

Brig. Gen. and Mrs. Benjamin F. Adams III

Mr. Jeffrey D. Aldridge

Mrs. Marian Sykes Alexander

Mrs. Emily Ann Allen

Mr. and Mrs. Sidney P. Allen Jr.

Dr. John J. Arnold

Drs. David L. and Gemma D. Beckley

Mr. Roeland T. Bell

Mrs. Betty W. Blaylock

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Boland

Mr. R. Cole Brabham

Mr. and Mrs. R.S. Brennan

Mrs. Bobette H. Brizendine

Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Broun III

Mr. Ernie H. Brown

Mr. and Mrs. James L. Brown

Mrs. M. Leebett Calar

Mr. David Wayne Callicutt

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Carroll Jr.

Mr. Richard J. Case

Mr. David H. Chapman

Mrs. Jenny Kao Chase

Eric and Karan Clark

Dr. Neal G. Clement

Mr. B. Craig Clemmer

Mr. Jason J. Cobb

Mr. Jerome B. Connolly

Dr. Ann Homer Cook

Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Cook

Mr. Giles A. Coors III

Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Crongeyer Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. John M. Crossman

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Cunningham

Ms. Mary Leslie Davis

Mr. William Joseph Dennis

Mr. Ted Denstel

Mr. William D. Donald Jr.

Mr. Richard M. Edmonson Sr.

Mr. Xavier Omar Edwards

Hon. and Mrs. Robert W. Elliott Sr.

Mr. Robert E. Ellis

Dr. James M. Ewing Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Bryan P. Farmer

Dr. Alton Brad Farris

*Dr. James Vaiden Ferguson Jr. and Mrs. Weba Coward Ferguson

Dr. and Mrs. William F. Ferguson

Mr. Brooke Ferris

The Hon. and Mrs. Webb Franklin

Mr. Charles H. Frederick Jr.

Judge Thomas Joseph Gardner III

Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Garraway

Mr. and Mrs. H.W. Gates

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Gex II

Mr. and Mrs. Gerard R. Gibert

Dr. and Mrs. Randel C. Gibson

Mr. James H. Gilmer

Mr. Karl D. Gottschalk

Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Grant

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas G. Gresham Jr.

*Mr. William Gallagher Griesbeck and Mrs. Mary Ann W. Griesbeck

Mr. Bradley G. Hall

Dr. Julia Oxner Hall

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew W. Hall

Mrs. Jane L. Hammond

Dr. and Mrs. Charles B. Hargrove

Dr. John F. Hassell

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Hayes III

Mrs. Margaret Heard Hays

Ms. Lori R. Henry

Mr. and Mrs. Mike Henry

Mr. and Mrs. Timothy N. Herndon

Ms. Monica M. Hewes

Dr. and Mrs. Frank S. Hill Jr.

Mr. Harold E. Hill Jr.

Mr. Joseph M. Hinshaw III

Ms. Carol A. Hobby

Mrs. Jean Hobby Holmes

Mrs. Dana Dallosta Horner

Mr. and Mrs. Daniel H. Hoskins Jr.

Mrs. Ann Phillips Hough

Mr. Charles V. Imbler

Mr. James H. Ivy

Dr. William A. Ivy

Mrs. Alice D. Jackson

Mr. and Mrs. Augustus R. Jones

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Jones

Mr. Ted Jones

Ms. Minnie Jones-Butts

Dr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Jordan Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Michael C. Jurgensen

Mrs. Delia H. Kaigler

Dr. William F. Keeton

Mr. and Mrs. Donald H. Keith

Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Keleher

Dr. Gloria Kellum

Mr. Michael W. Kenney

Mr. and Mrs. William D. Kidd

Dr. Larry H. Killebrew

Mr. Orman Lanier Kimbrough Jr.

Ms. Leone D. King

Mrs. Joy F. Kirchhoff

Mr. Roosevelt Kitchens

Mrs. Mary Lynn Kotz

Mr. Thomas L. Lamb III

Mr. and Mrs. John B. Laney Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Lauderdale

Mr. and Mrs. David L. Lawrence

Mr. and Mrs. Preston H. Lee Jr.

Mr. Charles P. Leonard

Mrs. Barbera Hollowell Liddon

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Linginfelter

Mr. Hubert S. Lipscomb Jr.

Mr. John W. Locovare

Mr. and Mrs. Wesley R. Lominick Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Billy W. Long

Mr. Joe Macione Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Joshua A. Magruder

Mr. Lauch M. Magruder Jr.

Dr. Gregory E. Maksi

Mr. and Mrs. Stephen D. Maness

Dr. Teresa Rowley McDaniel

Dr. Thomas J. McDonald Sr.

Mrs. Daisye R. McGee

Mr. William A. McGinnis Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. John S. McIntyre Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Prentiss C. McLaurin Jr.

Mrs. Arda McMullan

ith a modest beginning in downtown Jackson, Hederman Brothers has grown to become the largest commercial printer in the Southeast. As we celebrate our quasquicentennial this year... 125 years of providing imPRESSive SOLUTIONS, we would like to thank the Ole Miss Alumni Association and the entire community for their support throughout these years.

Alumni News

Mrs. Georgia G. McPherson

Mr. and Mrs. Floyd M. Melton III

Mr. and Mrs. Floyd M. Melton Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Meredith

Mr. Dennis E. Moore

Mrs. Elizabeth L. Morgan

Mr. Sidney Gerald Morgan

Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Morlino

Mr. and Mrs. William H. Morris Jr.

Dr. Karl F. Morrison

Mr. Christian S. Mueller

Mr. Thomas Munoz Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Muths Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnny H. Nance

Dr. and Mrs. R.B. Newell

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Norwood

Mr. Robert J. Notestine III

Dr. Rosemary Oliphant-Ingham

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Orange

Mrs. Rebecca G. Pace

Dr. Joel G. Payne Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Edward P. Peacock III

Mr. Charles G. Perkins

Ms. Janet Jones Pilko

Mr. and Mrs. Monroe Pointer

Mrs. Anne Biles Ponder

Dr. and Mrs. John W. Prados

Mr. Michael L. Pratt

Mrs. Camille S. Puckett

Mr. and Mrs. Jesse W. Quillen

Mr. Kenneth G. Ray

Mrs. Patsy O. Reilly

Mr. and Mrs. William M. Renovich

Mrs. Mary Jane Ridgway

Mr. Mack W. Riley

Mr. and Mrs. David G. Roach

Mr. William Robert Roberts

Dr. and Mrs. Gerald M. Robertson

Dr. Tommie L. Robinson Jr.

Dr. Walter H. Rose

Mr. Marc Rosen

Mr. and Mrs. William J. Ross III

Mr. Bernard L. Royce

Mr. Ronald L. Samuels

Mr. and Mrs. Lenny Sawyer

Mr. and Mrs. Eugene R. Schnierle

Mr. John R. Schwalje

Dr. K. Scott Segars Jr.

Mr. Frank Seid Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Shaw

Mrs. Patricia Beckett Sims

Mrs. Lisa Puckett Sinders

Dr. Patsy S. Sledge

Mr. William K. Smith

Capt. Jack F. Speed Jr.

The Hon. and Mrs. S.R. Steckler

Dr. Kate Stewart

Mrs. Doris Baley Still

Ms. Ruth P. Stroud

Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Strouse

Mr. Stanley M. Swentkowski

Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence D. Terrell

Mrs. Lucy M. Thompson

Mrs. Rebecca Allen Thompson

Dr. and Mrs. Ancel C. Tipton Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. John M. Trotter

Mr. Dennis James Troy

Mr. Kam-Chuen Tse

Mr. Vincent M. Tsin

Mr. and Mrs. James E. Vance

Dr. Juliet H. Walton

Mr. and Mrs. Gregory P. Ware

Mr. Charles E. Warren

Drs. Joseph W. and Andrea L. Wesley

Mrs. Anne J. Wilbourne

Mr. Dan S. Wilford

Mr. Ned B. Wilford

Mr. A. Thomas Williams

Mr. M. Christopher Williams

Mr. and Mrs. Vance L. Witt

Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. Witty

Mr. Larry D. Word

Dr. and Mrs. Travis W. Yates

Dr. Kuo-Shien Yu and Dr. Dianna Yan

Mr. Anthony Zuccaro Jr.

Red: $1-$99

Dr. Kimberly A. and Mr. Timothy J. Bartusek

Mr. and Mrs. Dewitt T. Bates Jr.

Mr. J. Michael Blackburn

Mr. and Mrs. William R. Bouchillon

Mr. William E. Brent Jr.

Dr. and Mrs. Ray Cain

Mrs. Desiree P. Casey

Mr. and Mrs. R. Steven Cox

Dr. and Mrs. William C. Cushman

Mr. and Mrs. R. Deryl Edwards

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Flemmons

Mrs. Jacqueline Fawcett Fogel

Ms. Mary Elizabeth Ford

Mr. John W. Glenn

Dr. James R. Hailey

Ms. Alice L. Hammond

Mr. and Mrs. James C. Herbert Jr.

Dr. Jerry Holmes

Dr. Lisa and Mr. Timothy W. Huddleston

Dr. and Mrs. Charles L. Hussey

Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Johnson III

Dr. Thomas L. Jones Jr.

Mr. Billy W. Keyes

Capt. and Mrs. R.K. Leedham Jr.

Mr. and Mrs. Eddie K. Lindsey

Mr. and Mrs. Richard B. Lucas

Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Martin

Mr. Wallace G. McAlpin

Mrs. Nell S. McMullen

Dr. Vernon Miller and Ms. Sheral Cade

Mr. Michael J. Molt

Mrs. Cathie M. Moore

Dr. James B. Moore Jr. and Mrs. Caren K. Madden

Mr. and Mrs. Glen A. Murphy

Mrs. Priscilla P. Musgrave

Mr. Spencer L. Neff

Mr. Ray Pickering

Mr. Steve Pittman

Mr. Jimmie Gerald Purvis

Ms. Olivia Clare Ray

Dr. and Mrs. Donald Rockey Jr.

Mrs. Susan S. Sbarra

Mr. David L. Smith

Mr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Smith

Dr. Stover L. Smith Jr.

Ms. Hannah Grace Steele

Mr. David L. Wagers

Mr. and Mrs. L.K. Watt Jr.

Dr. William E. Wheeler

Mr. Henry L. Wilson

Mr. and Mrs. Jerome W. Wilson Jr.

*Deceased

BIRTHS

Noble Frisby, son of Christina White Adams (BAccy 07, MAccy 08) and Joseph Clay Adams (BA 07, DMD 11), May 2, 2023.

Paxton Parker, son of Neal Ann Chamblee (BAJ 11, MA 20) and Tommy Vincent Chamblee (BA 10, BAccy 10), April 26, 2023.

Raymond Harold, son of Kaitlyn Brittan Hankins and Richard Jordan

Hankins (BA 09, BA 09), Nov. 12, 2022.

Loxley Briggs, daughter of Megan Edwards Hodge (BS 07, BA 08) and Ronald Blake Hodge (BBA 08), May 3, 2022.

Anthony Thomas, son of Maria del Mar Pacheco and John T. Zver (BBA 02), April 20, 2023.

WEDDINGS

Chandra Shedale Dorsey  (BA 01) and Danny P. Felton Sr., June 24, 2023.

Savannah Nychole Hulme (BS 21) and Ryan Michael Dye, May 20, 2023.

IN MEMORIAM

1930s

Dorothy Sparkman Walker (BSC 39), of Starkville, April 24, 2023

1940s

Mary Williams Lang (BA 45), of Hoover, Ala., May 17, 2023

Mary Miller Robertson (BA 43), of New York, New York, Feb. 28, 2022

Jeanne Koffman Wallace (BA 47), of Lafayette, La., May 30, 2023

DEDICATED SERVICE

Gaye Bukur retired as general manager of The Inn at Ole Miss on June 30 after serving in that role since 2008. An Oxford native, Bukur has more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality industry after starting her career as a desk clerk at the Oxford Ramada Inn. She previously worked with Hyatt Hotels, including stints in Memphis, Denver and Lake Tahoe. She also worked as a hospitality consultant for independent hotels and resorts throughout the country. Page Dean, former assistant general manager, was hired as general manager.

1950s

Thorwald Holger Anderson Jr. (BA 58), of Hopkins, Minn., April 1, 2023

Madeline Applewhite Baker (BM 59, MM 65), of Clinton, April 4, 2023

Rita Roe Bartlett (BAEd 59), of Memphis, Tenn., May 13, 2023

Hugh DeLacy Bohn Jr. (BBA 54, MBA 55), of Columbus, Ohio, May 21, 2023

Imogene Johnson Borganelli (BAEd 50), of Hattiesburg, April 15, 2023

Marilu Whiteside Boutwell (BAEd 57), of Senatobia, June 20, 2023

Lucas Gordon Boyd (BSHPE 55), of Franklin, Tenn., April 21, 2023

Gaye Bukur

Alumni News

Pauline Laguzzi Brown (MEd 51), of Jackson, Tenn., May 31, 2023

Norris Caldwell Jr. (BSHPE 52), of Tupelo, April 22, 2023

Robert Edward Crowe (BA 59), of Corinth, May 3, 2023

James McClintock Day (BSPh 51), of Gulfport, June 24, 2023

Sara Duvall Eickerman (BA 56), of Hansville, Wash., Nov. 11, 2022

Albert William Felsher Jr. (MA 58), of Biloxi, April 22, 2023

James Vaiden Ferguson Jr. (MD 59), of Oxford, April 29, 2023

Luther Harrison Fulcher Jr. (BA 59), of Jackson, May 6, 2023

John Lee Gainey Jr. (BBA 57), of Lexington, S.C., April 24, 2023

Joe Clay Hamilton (LLB 59), of Meridian, April 11, 2023

Asa Elliott Hatch (BSGE 51), of Boerne, Texas, April 10, 2023

Jimmy Ellis Jones (BA 52), of Pensacola, Fla., June 15, 2023

Vera Willis Koger (BA 52), of Winchester, Tenn., April 11, 2023

Robert Roy Marriam (BSChE 52, MS 55), of Abbeville, April 1, 2023

Alva Hollis Miller (BAEd 52, MEd 60), of League City, Texas, April 26, 2023

Paul Harold Moore Sr. (MEd 51, MD 59), of Pascagoula, April 30, 2023

William Thomas Moroney (BA 50, LLB 50), of Phoenix, Ariz., April 14, 2023

Junius Kennedy Oates Jr. (BA 56, MD 62), of Ocean Springs, May 24, 2023

Brantley Barnard Pace (MD 58), of Monticello, April 3, 2023

Lidie Jones Peery (BA 50), of Hilton Head Island, S.C., March 21, 2023

Charles Edward Rousseau (BBA 59), of Counce, Tenn., June 15, 2023

Barbara Smith Stark (BAEd 55), of McKinney, Texas, May 17, 2023

Shirley Walne Tenison (55), of Nashville, Tenn., May 4, 2023

Beverly Morris Vance (53), of Dallas, Texas, April 13, 2023

Bailey Lee Wiener (59), of Memphis, Tenn., March 25, 2023

Owen Knox Williamson (BBA 51, MBA 55), of Roanoke, Va., May 15, 2023

Anne Rice Wooley (59), of Lake Park, Ga., June 14, 2023

1960s

Billy Ray Adams (BSHPE 62), of Madison, June 1, 2023

Howard Wroten Alford (BPA 61), of McComb, June 12, 2023

John Shelton Allen III (BA 69), of Sarasota, Fla., June 5, 2023

Warren Noble Ball Sr. (BBA 61), of Harvey, La., May 30, 2023

Mills Eugene Barbee (BPA 69), of Hernando, April 11, 2023

Jimmie Don Barton (63), of Guntown, June 28, 2023

Katherine Downing Batson (BAEd 62), of Columbus, March 28, 2023

James William Bingham (BBA 64, JD 68), of Tupelo, June 24, 2023

Charles DeWitt Blanton Jr. (PhD 63), of Roswell, Ga., Nov. 21, 2022

Ethel Johnson Boring (BSHPE 68), of Starkville, June 27, 2023

David Lynn Bradley (BSJ 64), of Memphis, Tenn., April 25, 2023

Ernest Eliot Brown III (BBA 65), of Collierville, Tenn., April 9, 2023

Raymond Franklin Burk Jr. (BA 63), of Nashville, Tenn., May 1, 2023

Robert Frank Cade (Cert 64), of Hattiesburg, June 2, 2023

Gerald Watson Clark (MEd 67), of Florence, Ala., July 3, 2023

James Thomason Cox (BA 66, BA 71), of Oxford, June 10, 2023

Carlyle Scarbourough Crutchfield (BBA 61), of Buford, Ga., May 30, 2023

Gilford Fortner Dabbs III (BBA 64, JD 67), of Quitman, May 12, 2023

Charlotte Aull Davies (MCS 65), of West Columbia, S.C., April 22, 2023

Harold Moultrie Edwards Jr. (BBA 69), of Mansfield, Ga., April 10, 2023

Adele Love Ewing (BSHPE 66, MEd 71), of Brandon, May 9, 2023

Estella Galloway Fair (BA 68), of Hattiesburg, Feb. 22, 2023

Mary Hobson Ferguson (BSPh 61, PhD 64), of Canton, March 26, 2023

Edwin Elliott Flournoy Jr. (MD 60), of Albany, Ga., May 7, 2023

Eleanor Salveson Forsythe (BA 62), of Winona, May 6, 2023

Franklin Gerald Gay Jr. (BBA 67), of Cape Canaveral, Fla., April 17, 2023

John Gercens (BA 68, MBA 73), of Cruger, June 11, 2023

Reginald Arthur Gray III (JD 69), of Sumrall, June 27, 2023

Virginia Tays Griffin (BAEd 66), of McComb, May 22, 2023

John Thomas Hardy Jr. (BSChE 60), of Houston, Texas, April 5, 2023

Larry Jerome Hardy (BBA 68, MAccy 69), of Memphis, Tenn., April 29, 2023

Erik Gore Harkey Sr. (BA 67), of Columbia, April 19, 2023

Gail Ford Hedgepeth (BAEd 66), of Jackson, Tenn., April 11, 2023

Katherine Webb Heidinger (BA 66), of Winter Harbor, Maine, June 2, 2023

Lila Smith Herren (68), of Oxford, April 11, 2023

Benton McInnis Hilbun (MD 61), of Tupelo, May 9, 2023

William Boyd Hill (BSEE 67), of Gautier, June 16, 2023

Edwin Kent Horner (MCS 66), of Scottsboro, Ala., March 27, 2023

Charlie Albritton Hudson (BBA 65), of Cypress, Texas, April 21, 2023

Kenneth Wesley Hudson (BAEd 68), of Indianola, April 6, 2023

Irvin Meade Hufford (BBA 62), of Weems, Va., April 15, 2023

Willie Clark Jack (BAEd 61), of Memphis, Tenn., April 25, 2023

Carolyn Walters Jennings (BSN 60), of Taylorsville, April 22, 2023

Mary Biedenharn Jones (BFA 68), of Vicksburg, May 24, 2023

Mary Braddock Jones (BA 69), of Starkville, June 13, 2023

Robert Major Jones III (BM 64), of McComb, June 3, 2023

William Timothy Jones (BA 61, LLB 63), of Ridgeland, June 10, 2023

James Phillip LaRussa (LLB 63), of Tampa, Fla., May 18, 2023

Herman Lee Lazarus (BSPh 64, MS 70), of Vestavia, Ala., May 18, 2023

Edith Gatewood Leaf (BA 68), of Winchester, Ky., April 25, 2023

Patsy Provence Livingston (BAEd 69, MEd 78), of New Albany, March 24, 2023

Jim Mabus (63), of Jackson, May 4, 2023

Vernon Bryan Mathias (BA 67, BBA 73), of Vicksburg, June 1, 2023

Martha Mason McKee (BAEd 68, MEd 70), of Oxford, April 13, 2023

John Terry McMillan (BA 66, MA 71, PhD 79), of Oxford, June 11, 2023

Hosea S. McNew Jr. (BBA 65), of Monroe, La., June 9, 2023

John Hampton Miller (MD 62), of Chattanooga, Tenn., June 16, 2023

Jay Bryan Mitchell Jr. (BBA 60), of Columbus, June 1, 2023

Flo Cobb Mixon (BAEd 65), of Atlanta, Ga., Nov. 14, 2022

Robert Earl Nash (BAEd 62), of Venice, Fla., April 5, 2023

MISSISSIPPI ON THE MALL

The Mississippi Society of Washington, D.C., hosted the 32nd annual Mississippi on the Mall on Saturday, June 10. In the shadow of the Lincoln Memorial, Ole Miss alumni and friends enjoyed catfish, hushpuppies, coleslaw and sweet tea. The event also featured live music by Dance Candy.

Claudia Johnson Neelly (BS 65), of Tupelo, May 25, 2023

Charles Ray Nix (BSPh 65, MS 69, PhD 71), of Canton, March 23, 2023

Benjamin Worth Nutt (MD 68), of Brooksville, Fla., June 17, 2023

Charles Phillip O’Bannon (BSPh 69), of Parsons, Tenn., May 28, 2023

Edward Douglas Parker Jr. (BBA 69), of Birmingham, Ala., June 18, 2023

Sandra Brocato Parks (BBA 65), of Tupelo, May 31, 2023

George Wilfred Petering (BS 66), of Anchorage, Alaska, Feb. 20, 2023

Morgan Gene Ray (BSME 66), of Ridgeland, June 15, 2023

Barbara Bond Richards (MEd 68), of Cocoa Beach, Fla., June 14, 2023

James Dixon Roberts (BA 66, PhD 88), of Oxford, Nov. 27, 2022

Rachel Carroll Rogers (MEd 69), of Marvell, Ark., April 5, 2023

Nellie Ashley Sandroni (MEd 61), of Shaw, April 20, 2023

Myrtle Davis Saucer (MA 65), of Treasure Island, Fla., April 9, 2023

Judith Noble Scheldt (BA 69), of Houston, Texas, April 22, 2023

Edwin Rodney Smith (BA 68, MA 69, JD 73), of Brandon, June 7, 2023

Hugh Carroll Smith (MS 68), of Durango, Colo., Nov. 21, 2022

Mary Phillips Steffan (BA 62), of Northport, Ala., June 23, 2023

Clay Marler Stone (JD 65), of Franklin, Mass., June 22, 2023

Michael Everette Taylor (BA 66), of Anacortes, Wash., Sept. 3, 2022

Roger Dale Thornton (BSPh 67), of Oxford, June 12, 2023

Joe David Warrington (BSCvE 63, MS 64), of Batesville, April 25, 2023

1970s

Sandra Brown Atkinson (BAEd 73), of Oxford, June 14, 2023

Lyndall Gene Beamer II (78), of Annandale, Va., June 17, 2023

Evelyn Copeland Bender (MEd 76), of Baldwyn, April 5, 2023

Ernest Roland Blanton (BAEd 76), of Byhalia, March 28, 2023

William Vincent Buchanan Jr. (BA 76), of Forrest City, Ark., May 29, 2023

Carol Platt Busby (Cert 72), of Waynesboro, April 4, 2023

Edna Sutton Butts (BAEd 73, MEd 79), of Dickson, Tenn., June 3, 2023

Roy Isaac Carmack (BPA 79), of Pontotoc, May 21, 2023

Stephen Wesley Caver (74), of Laredo, Texas, May 28, 2023

William Jerry Coats (BAEd 71), of Potts Camp, May 23, 2023

Kay Beevers Cobb (JD 77), of Lenoir City, Tenn., May 26, 2023

John Wilson Colby Jr. (MSS 70), of Tappahannock, Va., May 30, 2023

William Colin Collins (BAEd 73), of Myrtle, May 10, 2023

James Orion Connelly Jr. (MA 76), of Hot Springs National Park, Ark., June 9, 2023

Charles Floyd Crumby (BBA 70, MBA 71), of Collierville, Tenn., March 29, 2023

James Joseph Davidson (BA 71), of Pottsville, Pa., April 16, 2023

William Thomas Davidson (MLS 71), of Salem, Va., June 28, 2023

Carole Jeannette Ferguson (BAEd 72), of Oxford, May 28, 2023

Stephanie Owen Fowlkes (BAEd 72, MEd 74), of Pulaski, Tenn., May 11, 2023

Betty Malone Fulwood (MA 73), of Water Valley, April 3, 2023

Bettye Hudson Galloway (76), of Memphis, Tenn., May 6, 2023

William Gallagher Griesbeck (BBA 70), of Memphis, Tenn., May 8, 2023

Jean Houston Hinds (MEd 70), of Spring City, Tenn., April 28, 2023

Frank Hollingshead (MD 76), of Sacramento, Calif., May 6, 2023

Photo by Steve Mullen

Victor Horn (BA 78, MD 82), of Houston, April 24, 2023

Terry Johnston (BS 74, BSPh 77), of Carrollton, June 17, 2023

Camilla Jackson Kennedy (MEd 77), of New Albany, April 4, 2023

Janice Mae Ledbetter (BAEd 71, MLS 76), of Myrtle, June 13, 2023

Cullen Eugene Loveless (MCS 72), of Booneville, June 2, 2023

Warren McGee Ludlam (BBA 72), of Greensboro, N.C., April 3, 2023

Betty Mullins Marquis (BAEd 71, MEd 72), of Oxford, May 26, 2023

Marion Jourdan McRae (MEd 76), of Tishomingo, June 28, 2023

T.K. Moffett USA (Ret.) (JD 79), of Tupelo, June 5, 2023

Charles Weinacker Montgomery (MD 74), of Tupelo, June 3, 2023

Johnny Morgan (BBA 70), of Oxford, May 17, 2023

Burke Campbell Murphy Jr. (JD 77), of Canton, April 9, 2023

Billy Steve Nelson (MCS 73), of Union, June 13, 2023

Patrick Idemudia Oigbokie (BA 77, MA 78), of Cordova, Tenn., June 25, 2023

Cornelia Armstrong Patterson (BSN 71), of Marietta, Ga., April 24, 2023

Joseph Edmund Poisson (MCS 71), of Aiken, S.C., May 13, 2023

Richard Wheeler Post (MURP 72), of Tallahassee, Fla., Dec. 6, 2022

Cathryn Sullivan Powers (BSHPE 72), of Lake Wales, Fla., April 20, 2023

Cynthia Irene Powers (BA 76, MD 80), of Jackson, April 6, 2023

Lisa Meierhoefer Primeaux (73), of Meridian, April 8, 2023

Dianna Gammill Raines (BAEd 75), of Atlanta, Ga., March 28, 2023

Trenia Fulton Reynolds (BAEd 75, MSP 78), of Oxford, March 28, 2023

Patricia Allen Rush (BA 73, MCD 74), of Ridgeland, June 10, 2023

Robert Joseph Sharbaugh (PhD 70), of Charleston, S.C., May 20, 2023

George Milas Spinks Jr. (71), of Rockmart, Ga., April 8, 2023

Bonnie Wood Stanford (MEd 76, PhD 95), of Tupelo, May 13, 2023

David Wayne Stergas (JD 76), of Darien, Conn., May 11, 2023

Katherine Magee Tatum (BAEd 74), of Brandon, April 7, 2023

Mary Pylant Tettleton (MA 70), of Nashville, Tenn., May 2, 2023

Annette Taylor Thomas (BAEd 72), of Clinton, April 21, 2023

Gene Tillman (JD 75), of Murrells Inlet, S.C., March 25, 2023

Russell Godwin Turner III (71), of Woodstock, Ga., May 9, 2023

Madappa Vrishabhendra (MS 72), of Columbus, Ga., May 11, 2023

James Dexter Walcott Jr. (BSCvE 75), of Fort Smith, Ark., May 7, 2023

James Lewis Weems (BFA 75, MFA 88), of Oxford, May 20, 2023

1980s

Andrew Nourse Alexander III (JD 82), of Greenville, May 26, 2023

Stephen Dudley Barnes (BAEd 80), of Ashland City, Tenn., March 29, 2023

Brian Alan Burford (BSPh 89), of Marion, Ark., April 3, 2023

Robert Ferrell Davidson (86), of Belden, April 30, 2023

James Fletcher (BBA 85), of Pensacola, Fla., June 15, 2023

William Marshall Fogarty (BBA 81, JD 84), of Boca Raton, Fla., April 29, 2023

Gregory Lane Gore (JD 84), of Hattiesburg, April 8, 2023

Brenda Heathcock Hughes (BA 81), of Waynesboro, April 30, 2023

Norma Whittington Lawes (PhD 84), of Greenwood, May 3, 2023

Michael Stuart Ledlow (BSPh 87), of Newton, May 8, 2023

David Leslie Lyle (BAccy 82, MAccy 84), of Madison, May 31, 2023

Mary Ketchum Lyon (BBA 84), of Prattville, Ala., April 1, 2023

Sara Allison McNeese (BA 81, MA 82), of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, March 25, 2023

Alvin Delay Montgomery Jr. (BBA 84), of Weir, March 31, 2023

Alan Wayne Partin (BA 83), of Fork, Md., March 28, 2023

Alumni News

William Sidney Robert Ross (MD 89), of Gulfport, May 8, 2023

Jeffrey Holt Shaw (BBA 89), of Crossville, Tenn., March 11, 2023

Bobby Wayne Simpson (MFA 80), of Jonesboro, Ark., June 29, 2023

Herbert Monroe Snider (MEd 81), of Oxford, May 21, 2023

Cynthia Cook Williams (BSB 84), of Mountain Brook, Ala., March 26, 2023

1990s

James Rayford Clark III (BBA 95, MBA 96), of New Albany, April 24, 2023

Tracy Ray Dyer (BAccy 92), of Pontotoc, April 23, 2023

Charles Anthony Kent (BSEE 92), of Iuka, May 23, 2023

Laura Haas Knox (BA 94), of Charlottesville, Va., April 29, 2023

Darryl Glen Long (BSPh 91), of Iuka, June 5, 2023

Brad Ernest Mallette (BS 96), of Killen, Ala., May 8, 2023

John Kevin McKay (BAR 91), of Grenada, April 28, 2023

Dolores Bowling Rose (BSW 90), of Tupelo, May 2, 2023

Gary Dean Sims (BPA 90), of Batesville, June 23, 2023

Laura Beth Taylor (99), of Gulfport, March 25, 2023

Hilda Young White (MSN 93), of Vicksburg, June 27, 2023

Ronnie Lee Woodruff (BA 98, JD 01), of Tupelo, May 12, 2023

2000s

Parker Barnes Camp (BA 02), of Meridian, May 8, 2023

Kari Lorene Copeland (BA 07, PhD 12), of Coldwater, April 19, 2023

Christopher Michael Dimmack (MA 02), of Washington, Pa., April 7, 2023

Kisha Fields Flanigan (BA 03), of Madison, June 6, 2023

Kristy Marie Hailey (05), of Brentwood, Tenn., April 23, 2023

Stephen Michael Logan (BA 01, MBA 03), of Nashville, Tenn., July 22, 2022

Kimberly Ann MacIntosh (BA 08), of Oxford, April 11, 2023

Amanda Campbell Shafer (06), of Marietta, Ga., May 6, 2023

Jennifer Tally Tharp (MEd 09), of Tupelo, June 10, 2023

Erin Stephanie Williams (05), of Forest Hills, N.Y., April 17, 2023

2010s

Tami Juanita Barger (BA 13, 22), of Batesville, April 12, 2023

Tiffany O’Banner Bolden (BS 18), of Jackson, April 23, 2023

William Wylie Coleman (14), of Oxford, April 21, 2023

Christopher Matthew Lucius (BA 10), of Blue Springs, June 20, 2023

Robert Eugene Tribble III (13), of Memphis, Tenn., April 18, 2023

2020s

Teresa Ray Barnes (20), of Ashland, April 26, 2023

Melissa LaShalle Nash (22), of Horn Lake, March 30, 2023

Jordon Hiram Stong (BSCJ 20), of Vicksburg, May 14, 2023

Helen White (23), of Winona, March 24, 2023

STUDENTS

Ethan Blake Bailey, of Olive Branch, April 14, 2023

Jonah Tyler Greer Condon, of New Albany, May 29, 2023

Khaled Hussein Emam Elhawy, of Giza, Egypt, May 14, 2023

Andrew Tyler Mitchell (23), of Wildwood, Mo., April 27, 2023

FACULTY, STAFF AND FRIENDS

George Breen Baroni Jr., of Greenville, May 11, 2023

Marcia Young Baumhauer, of Pascagoula, April 5, 2023

Gerald L. Bishop, of Saltillo, April 16, 2023

John Donald Bower, of Brandon, May 1, 2023

Peggy Causey Brown, of Madison, June 20, 2023

Mary Dorothy Card, of Freehold, N.J., May 25, 2023

Byron Edison Green Jr., of Milton, Fla., June 4, 2023

Walter Plummer Griffey Jr., of Buchanan, Tenn., June 17, 2023

Anita Ringvelski Kimery, of Oxford, May 18, 2023

Robert Lavelle Kirby, of Washington, April 14, 2023

William Hollis Leech Sr., of Ridgeland, June 4, 2023

Judge Lee Logan, of Abbeville, April 14, 2023

Martha Bennett Lyles, of St. Louis, Mo., Dec. 31, 2022

Carole LaMon Massengill, of Brookhaven, June 23, 2023

Tommie Netterville-Blackmon, of Woodville, May 22, 2023

Enid Sawyer O’Mara, of Carthage, April 4, 2023

Roger Bedell Patterson, of Water Valley, April 28, 2023

Terrence Todd Price, of College Station, Texas, June 23, 2023

Michael William Putman, of Mio, Mich., May 11, 2023

Perry Taggart Roberts, of Oxford, June 2, 2023

Beverly Walsh Robertson, of Germantown, Tenn., April 30, 2023

Peggie McCoy Robinson, of Germantown, Tenn., March 27, 2023

Jack Rowell, of Walkertown, N.C., June 23, 2023

Scott Leonard Ruphard, of Crest Hill, Ill., March 27, 2023

Timothy Emmitt Thames, of Gulfport, June 21, 2023

David Clark Trippe, of Greenville, May 2, 2023

John Reed Trusty, of Greenwood, May 15, 2023

William Clement Walker Jr., of Oxford, May 26, 2023

Sylvia Knight Webb, of Greenville, May 26, 2023

Danny Curtis Wood, of Meridian, April 23, 2023

Kyral Francis Wylie, of Santa Fe, N.M., June 26, 2023

Due to space limitations, class notes are only published in the Alumni Review from active, dues-paying members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To submit a class note, send it to records@olemiss.edu or Alumni Records Dept., Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848. Class notes also may be submitted through the Association’s website at olemissalumni.com. The Association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni.

SPRING BACK

The board of directors of the Ole Miss Alumni Association met for its annual spring meeting on April 28 at the Triplett Alumni Center.

Photo by Annie Rhoades

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION PAST PRESIDENT Dr. Paul H. Moore Sr., 1927-2023

Paul Harold Moore (MEd 51, MD 59) died on May 11, 2023, in Pascagoula. He served as president of the Ole Miss Alumni Association in 1973-74. Born at home in rural Winston County on May 11, 1927, Moore resided in Pascagoula since 1963, when he joined his brother-in-law in the practice of radiology at Singing River Hospital. In 1972, he founded Singing River Radiology Group and served as its president until 1996. For 36 years until his retirement in 1999, he enthusiastically served patient and partner; employee and colleague; profession and community.

When he began medical school in 1955, he was part of the first class to begin training in the new University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson.

In addition to his term as president of the OMAA, Moore’s dedication and service to the University of Mississippi included tenures as president of numerous alumni groups, such as the UM Medical Alumni Chapter (past president) and the UM Foundation, as well as chairman of the Alumni Hall of Fame Committee.

He also served as a member of the university’s Athletic Committee, the Loyalty Foundation Board of Governors, on the School of Medicine’s Dean’s Selection and Dean’s Advisory committees, and on the advisory committee appointed by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees to assist in the selection of the university’s chancellor. In 1996, Moore was named to the OMAA’s Hall of Fame and in 2017, to the University of Mississippi Medical Hall of Fame.

Moore also served on the board of directors for Merchants & Marine Bank. He was past president of the Rotary Club, Jackson County Cancer Society, the local U.S. Navy League and was active with the Jackson County Area Chamber of Commerce as well as United Way of Jackson County.

At The Inn at Ole Miss, you’ll soon find staying footsteps from the Grove on America’s most beautiful college campus is more than an affordable luxury—It’s a tradition.

Grove.

Ole Miss Alumni Association

P.O. Box 1848

University, MS 38677-1848

(662) 915-7375

olemissalumni.com