News Briefs and Events

on an annual basis,” said Dr. Colin McKenzie, director of the School of Music. “This year, with added elements of jazz and composition as well as CEU credits for teachers, there is even more reason for area educators and students to participate.”

To learn more about the event or register, visit www.frettedslide.com/ tromboneday. Individual and group rates available. CEU credits are available to music educators attending the event.

The University of Southern Mississippi will host the biennial North American Saxophone Alliance Conference March 30 through April 2

USM School of Music to Host Biennial North American Saxophone Alliance Conference March 30 – April 2 of our school to the incredible alumni and friends who keep a song in the air from churches to clubs, this is a chance to showcase and be involved in a nationwide event, right here at our doorsteps.”

This conference was made possible with the generous help of VisitHattiesburg. Evening concerts included in the conference schedule are free and open to the public. To register, and for more information, visit the North American Saxophone Alliance website at https:// www.saxophonealliance.org/.

USM To Host Annual Economic Outlook Forum

Southern Miss will celebrate trombone day on March 4

USM School of Music Presents

Trombone Day

The University of Southern Mississippi will be hosting its annual Trombone Day in partnership with the Karen Cubides Agency on March 4 on the Hattiesburg campus.

This all-day event includes a variety of lectures, masterclasses, and exhibits led by top trombone experts and performers. The day’s festivities end with a concert in Bennett Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. and features the Southern Miss Trombone Choir, with special guests like New York Philharmonic trombonist Colin Williams, jazz superstar Marshall Gilkes, and Wilfrid Laurier University’s assistant professor of composition Kevin Day.

“I am so grateful to have support from Partners for the Arts and our wonderful vendors like SE Shires Trombones, Greg Black Mouthpieces, Giddings Mouthpieces, and Cinematic Solos, to bring such an incredible lineup of guest artists/teachers to Hattiesburg,” said Dr. Ben McIlwain, Southern Miss trombone professor and event organizer. “From jazz to classical, and from careers in music to composing music, there will be a little bit for everyone.”

“The Southern Miss community is fortunate to have this incredible event

Dr. Sarah Morgan, a professor and associate director in The University of Southern Mississippi School of Polymer Science and Engineering

Morgan Keynote Speaker for Mississippi Academy of Sciences’ 87th annual meeting in Biloxi Feb. 23-24

Dr. Sarah Morgan, a professor and associate director in The University of Southern Mississippi School of Polymer Science and Engineering, will be the keynote speaker for the Dodgen Lecture at the Mississippi Academy of Sciences when it hosts its 87th annual meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi Feb. 23-24 at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention Center.

The Dodgen Lecture honors Dr. Charles L. Dodgen of the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Dodgen joined the MAS in 1959 and became executive officer in 1972, a post he held until his death in 1980.

“I am honored to be selected to present the Dodgen Lecture,” Dr. Morgan said. “The MAS annual meeting is the premier venue for faculty, students, and researchers from colleges and universities across the state to share research findings and develop new research collaborations. The Dodgen Lecture will allow me to share research in polymer-based biomaterials applications and to discuss career opportunities for graduates of our polymer science and engineering program.”

Learn more about Dr. Morgan’s work at USM by visiting https:// www.usm.edu/faculty-directory/ profile.php?id=1935959; for more information about the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, visit https:// msacad.org/.

The University of Southern Mississippi will host the biennial North American Saxophone Alliance Conference Thursday, March 30 - Sunday, April 2 which will include more than 250 presentations, performances, lectures, and masterclasses focusing on saxophone performance and education, and taking place in multiple venues at the USM School of Music on the Hattiesburg campus.

“There will be many saxophonists, educators, performers and sax enthusiasts from all over the country visiting Hattiesburg, many for the first time,” said Dr. Dannel Espinoza, USM Professor of Saxophone and event host. “The incredible lineup of events available to everyone is truly incredible, and I hope our community will embrace the opportunity to be a part of it all.”

The North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference boasts a lineup of top saxophone experts and educators from North America and abroad, with plentiful opportunities for conference attendees to interact with and learn from the top saxophonists in the world, including trade shows and exhibits, performance opportunities for teachers and students alike, and a special evening concert featuring esteemed guests and performers.

With a focus on the highest level of performance and pedagogy, The North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference will provide saxophone enthusiasts and musicians of all disciplines a unique and enriching experience.

“Hattiesburg is, in many ways, defined by the music of our community,” said Dr. Colin McKenzie, director of the School of Music. “From the innumerable concerts and performances

The University of Southern Mississippi will host the Economic Outlook Forum on February 23 in the Thad Cochran Center’s thirdfloor ballrooms on the Hattiesburg campus.

State and national economic forecasts will take center stage when USM’s College of Business and Economic Development hosts the 2023 Economic Outlook Forum. The annual forum brings together experts from banking, finance, and academia to explore several issues and research related to the economic outlook for 2023. The First Bank serves as the title sponsor. This year’s event returns to an in-person format, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Thad Cochran Center’s third-floor ballrooms. The forum is free and open to the general public. However, seating is limited, and registration is required.

Forum speakers include Dr. Chris Smith, Visiting Assistant Professor for Economic Development in the School of Finance; Thanh Roettele, Managing Director of Mortgage Finance; and Dr. Gary Wagner, who currently holds the Acadiana Business Economist Endowed Chair at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

“The annual Economic Outlook Forum is a much-anticipated event in our region,” said Dr. Bret Becton, Dean of the College of Business and Economic Development.

“We are thankful for our partnership with The First Bank that allows us to provide this resource to our community. Having experts provide a national, regional, and local outlook is very useful in planning for the current year and those to come.”