The View from Ventress 2006

The Unfolding Story of Katrina Devastation brings out compassion, scholarly interests Special Focus: Women The contributions of women associated with the College of Liberal Arts take center stage.

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Art on Location Classes take students to New York, London and Japan to study art, architecture.

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Zeroing in on Learning New lab receives high marks for helping students learn statistics, algebra.

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NSF Ranks Physics UM’s department outperforms Michigan, Harvard in attracting grants.

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In the Gentilly area of New Orleans, journalism student Elan Walker videotapes her grandparents’ home, where five relatives once lived before evacuating to Houston.

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he devastation Hurricane Katrina wreaked upon Gulf Coast residents touched deeply the lives of students, faculty, staff and administrators in the College of Liberal Arts. The College community went right to work providing basic necessities and consolation to storm victims. Months later, their work continues.

Immediately after the hurricane, 19 cadets in the Army ROTC program withdrew from school to join their National Guard units on the coast, where they helped clear roads, facilitate search-and-rescue efforts and distribute supplies.

“I could not be more proud of their

willingness to help,” said Lt. Col. Joseph Blackburn, chair of military science. “They recognized that while school is important, the need to help relieve suffering and save lives is much more important. Their selfsacrifice speaks volumes.”

Department of Sociology and Anthropology faculty, their spouses and friends drove supplies to the coast several times after the hurricane and brought to Oxford a Bay St. Louis family left homeless by the storm.

“The destruction from Hattiesburg to the coast was mind-numbing,” said associate professor Kirsten Dellinger. “Houses and trailer continued on Page 2

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Español para Niños Professor helps start Spanish program in state’s elementary schools.

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Remarkable Teachers History, classics professors earn top teaching awards.

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The Unfolding Story of Katrina

David Swanson (right) and Cliff Holley, research associate in the Center for Population Studies, load a van with supplies bound for coast residents.

UM Herbarium Curator Lucille McCook (right) and other volunteers rescue plant specimens at the damaged Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.

homes were windowless, roofless, crushed by trees.”

Chair and professor David Swanson and his wife, Rita, led a second relief team.

“It was heart-wrenching to see people living on the streets, especially those multigenerational families,” he said.

Retired English professor T.J. Ray coordinated the Oxford Resource Center, which enabled UM, Oxford and Lafayette County to maximize efforts to provide food, water, medical supplies and shelter to hundreds of arriving evacuees.

“The emotional needs of those who came to us ran pretty deep,” said Ray. “Even with local ministers offering hope, when people returned and saw they had nothing left, it was pretty overwhelming.”

Through the Psychological Services Center, doctoral students in the Department of Psychology offered free counseling services to help people come to terms with the tragedy and its ramifications, and assistant professors Stefan Schulenberg and Laura Johnson provided training for those who wanted to know more about helping disaster victims.

People weren’t the only survivors rescued.

Herbarium Curator Lucile McCook, Associate Professor of Biology Cliff Ochs and other volunteers helped recover plant specimens from the damaged Gulf Coast Research Laboratory in Ocean Springs. Parts of the collection were sent to various regional institutions for conservation.

The weeks that followed Katrina found the College

apply to my degree,” said Smith.

Upon her arrival, Smith found a faculty mentor in biology professor Stephen Threlkeld, who offered her a work-study job. In awe of her spirit, Threlkeld said, “There is not a day that goes by that I’m not amazed at how resilient she seems to be. It’s humbling to me.”

Dillard University freshman Brandis Shaw, a biology/pre-med major from Pope, enrolled in College Algebra three weeks after everyone else but said her instructor, Marlow Dorrough, was especially helpful.

“I offered her individual help in the mathematics lab or in my office, and she pulled herself up to speed,” Dorrough said. “She didn’t miss once since the day she came and was always attentive in class. She steadily improved, and that’s what I like to see.”

With more than 1,400 students from the beleaguered region enrolled at UM before Katrina struck, it was inevitable that many would face difficulties and need to balance family and school requirements. Among them was junior journalism major Brian Mackay of Pass Christian.

“I got a text message from my brother that the house had been destroyed,” said Mackay. “I missed a whole week of classes when I went home to help the family, and it was nice to know that I could go and not be penalized.”

Since then, it has been challenging for Mackay to study while worrying about his family. He credits his journalism instructors and the women’s basketball team (he’s a team manager) with helping him cope.

diversifying its efforts to help victims recover and explore the storm’s impact on the South’s demographics, language and culture.

The Department of Art organized a sale to raise funds for the Red Cross and the Southern Arts Federation Emergency Relief Fund, which used them to assist coast artists and arts organizations.

“We sold about 130 pieces,” said graduate student Kim Noll, who helped coordinate the event. “We had works from students, A campus art sale raised more than $6,000 for alumni and Red Cross and other emergency relief funds. faculty, and raised $6,139.”

Accommodating students Weeks after the fall semester began, the College opened its classrooms to 63 students from colleges and universities shut down by Katrina. Among them was biology major Samantha Smith, a University of New Orleans sophomore from Ocean Springs. “[UM] did not have any of the classes I was in [at UNO], but I did get into some fantastic classes that will

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Studying Katrina The College’s response to Hurricane Katrina included several conferences, panel discussions and research projects aimed at unraveling the storm’s consequences.

Population, housing, economic and social losses were examined by a panel during the Southern Demographic Association conference hosted by UM’s sociology and anthropology faculty. Those losses, as well as Mississippi coast residents’ perceptions of relief and recovery efforts and the role social networks played in their ability to obtain physical and emotional relief, will be studied further by sociology, economics and political science faculty with $96,200 from the National Science Foundation.

“Understanding these social networks could prove valuable in preparing for and recovering from future disasters,” Swanson said.

A panel of the College’s linguistics faculty discussed the consequences of displacing New Orleans and other residents.

“Linguists often discuss language death and the shaping of dialects, but rarely do they see such phenomena unfold right before their eyes, as they did with thousands of people moving out of the New Orleans area,” said Donald Dyer, chair of modern languages.

“In the case of Katrina, we are seeing the potential extinction of Mississippi French and Isleño Spanish, and the displacement and relocation of the New Orleans English dialect,” Dyer said.

“Are Mississippi French and Isleño Spanish gone forever?” he asks. “Who will come back to New Orleans, and will the city ever ‘sound’ the same? And will the people from New Orleans who have moved to other parts of the country reshape speech patterns in those areas with their massive linguistic influx?”

The Center for the Study of Southern Culture’s program, “Katrina: The Future of the Gulf Coast,” featured sessions on the state of economic and social recovery.

“The purpose was to assess the state of rebuilding on the coast and share visions of a rebuilt coast,” said center director Charles Wilson. Co-sponsored by the Department of Political Science, the conference was a project of the center’s Future of the South initiative supported by the Phil Hardin Foundation.

“The Katrina Conference illustrated the potential for the new Future of the South Symposium, creating a dialogue among leaders about an important problem facing the region,” said Richard Forgette, chair of political science.

“Conference participants gave diverse perspectives on the state of recovery,” he said. “The sessions had a theme of capital-building in the aftermath of the hurricane—economic, social and cultural.”

An adviser to the Governor’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal, former Mississippi Gov. William Winter said that because the local and state governments are unable to provide the funding necessary to rebuild the Gulf Coast and its communities, the nation needs to come together to help coast residents.

Oxford architect Tom Howorth (right) listens as former Mississippi Gov. William Winter discusses the needs of Hurricane Katrina survivors.

Clarion-Ledger photography director Chris Todd talks during Journalism Week to students about the impact of photographs of natural disasters.

“We still have too many people literally living on the ground,” Winter said. “Three months after the hurricane people are living in tents. This has to be our top priority.”

“Covering Katrina” was the theme for Journalism Week, which enabled students to visit with journalists who covered Katrina and ask them some tough questions.

“We critiqued our performance as journalists, and our students learned some wonderful lessons from the pros,” said journalism chair Samir Husni.

Students in UM’s Association of Black Journalists

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Kirk Johnson, assistant professor of African American studies and sociology, was part of a panel examining media coverage of race, class and poverty in the aftermath of hurricanes Rita and Katrina.

went to New Orleans and Mississippi’s coast to survey damage and report what they found in the inaugural edition of Our Voice.

“The mainstream press often fails to accurately capture the essence of the African-American experience,” said assistant professor Michael Cheers. “They [media] cover the fringes of African-American communities, often extracting inflammatory sound bites but rarely stick around to do depth reporting, to tell the complete story.

“The hurricane is over, but the story is still unfolding,” Cheers said. V

News From the College of Liberal Arts

Art on Location Program brings students face to face with great art and architecture

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he art department’s Art on Location courses in New York, London and Japan are moving students beyond the classroom to interact with great art and discover the uniqueness of other cultures.

Adjunct instructor Laura Antonow, who leads trips to New York and London, said she thinks it’s “tremendously important for our students to realize that there is an entire world out there that we tend to overlook.”

“While my art history survey course introduces students to great works of art, being submerged in the culture is the best way for students to understand and appreciate art,” Antonow said. “Seeing an actual Jackson Pollock painting or Rodin sculpture that you’ve studied in the classroom can be a really moving experience for students.”

With a Master of Fine Arts from the Parsons School of Design in New York and several years of experience at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on Manhattan’s Museum Mile, Antonow provides students with an insider’s view of the city’s art scene. In addition to studying New York architecture, she takes students to such art landmarks as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim and Whitney Museum of American Art. During the London course, Antonow took students to the British Museum, Tate Modern and Tate Britain, and the Saatchi Gallery. They also visited the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew to see “an incredible” Dale Chihuly installation, she said.

“We were lucky enough to be in England during the one month a year that Buckingham Palace was open to the public,” she said. “We also toured Windsor Castle, Salisbury Cathedral and Stonehenge. It was a great inaugural trip, and I look forward to growing the London course as I did the New York course.”

“In the study of art, there is no comparable substitute for the face-to-face interaction between the viewer and a work of art,” said M. Lance Herrington, art instructor and visual resources curator who leads study trips to Japan.

Herrington, who earned his master’s in art history from UM and lived in Japan for a year, took students to see the world’s oldest pottery, tombs of early emperors, prints from the world of the geishas, castles of the shoguns, rock gardens of Zen monasteries and earth-

UM art students saw this piece, ‘Kew Persian Chandelier,’ created by American glass artist Dale Chihuly for a large-scale exhibition at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, just outside London.

‘In the study of art, there is

no comparable substitute for the face-to-face

interaction between the viewer and a work of art.’

—M. LANCE HERRINGTON

quake-resistant skyscrapers. They also studied the Japanese art of origami, or paper folding.

Part of the written component in all three courses is a journal assignment in which students are required to document their experiences. “To read about the impact these courses are having in the lives of the students is inspiring,” Herrington said.

While the Art on Location courses provide exciting learning opportunities for the students, every trip is a learning experience for the instructors, too.

“I expand my own knowledge and understanding, which makes me a better teacher,” Herrington said. “I

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like the idea of leading by example and demonstrating to our students that learning is enjoyable and a lifelong process.”

“I think the students learn a lot about the place they’re visiting, but they learn as much about themselves,” Antonow said. “They begin to realize that the art world is alive and well. They learn to sort out what they personally respond to, and I hope they’ll have a lifetime love of art.” V

Zeroing in on Learning

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new mathematics laboratory is getting high marks from both students and professors.

Aptly named Computer Aided Learning in Mathematics (CALM), the lab features 70 computer stations that run the Hawkes Learning Systems software. Approximately 1,800 students enrolled in special sections of Elementary Statistics and College Algebra had access to CALM during the fall semester.

“The Hawkes software helped me learn by trial and error,” said Jennifer Grigsby, a sophomore linguistics major from St. Mary’s, Ga. “It would show me the problems I got wrong, and instead of letting me get away with that, I would have to do them over, understand why I got them wrong and fix them.”

Tristan Denley, chair and associate professor of mathematics, said, “The software allows mathematics to become more than a spectator sport. The lab provides a learning environment in which students can practice the new skills they are learning until they really have them mastered. Our students get immediate feedback on the mistakes they make and ultimately learn more mathematics.”

Funded by the Office of the Provost, the lab is one more way UM is keeping pace with students’ changing needs, said Tim Hall, associate provost. “I think we’re all realizing that students are becoming increasingly at home in the world of computers, and we see the mathematics department striving to augment instruction to meet their needs,” he said.

CALM is open 30 hours a week. Students enrolled in the special sections are required to spend at least 75 minutes per week working on the Hawkes tutorial in

addition to their regular classroom sessions. Students choose the level of difficulty for practice problems and receive one-on-one help from on-site tutors.

Incorrect answers offer the options of “try again” or “explain error,” giving students a chance to overcome any deficiency and learn from their mistakes. A tutor cannot assist students once they move to the program’s “certify”

tified in 90 percent of the lessons received an A or a B in the class.

“The lab is a great benefit to students who use it wisely,” said Marlow Dorrough, instructor and director of freshman mathematics. “That means they must be patient enough to practice the problems before attempting to certify, study the explanations offered by Hawkes for incorrect answers and take the time to work through a Web test to simulate a real test situation.”

Carrie Reed, a sophomore pre-pharmacy major from Greenwood, said, “The most helpful aspect of Hawkes for me was that it provides step-by-step help for every problem if you need it, and it tells you if you have the correct answer at every step.”

“What we’ve found is exactly what we had hoped,” said Denley. “By consistently practicing their mathematics skills, a larger number of students are really understanding mathematics at the end of the semester.” V Mathematics instructor Emily Atchley (right) helps Wintersession students in the department’s new CALM lab.

mode because this opens up homework that will be turned in to be graded, with students’ scores automatically recorded in a professor’s online record book. To certify, or successfully complete a lesson, a student must achieve at least 80 percent accuracy.

Ninety-seven percent of students who certified in at least 75 percent of the lessons completed the semester with a passing grade. Sixty percent of students who cer-

Nathan Latil

New mathematics lab receives high marks

New scholarship, faculty, facilities enhance classics program

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he Department of Classics has awarded its first Alfred W. Milden Scholarship, revised its curriculum and is preparing to add a new faculty member and move closer to the heart of campus.

Established in 2004 with a $230,000 gift from Milden’s daughter, Dorothy, the Alfred W. Milden Endowment provides scholarships to the departments of Classics and Modern Languages. The annual $1,500 Milden scholarship is awarded to full-time students who have demonstrated need and exceptional ability and leadership in their field of study.

Linda Denning of Southaven, a senior classics and English major, is thankful for the assistance.

“I was thrilled to receive this scholarship, not only because I needed the money but also because this was

a nod from professors in my department, validating my efforts,” said Denning.

Milden received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto and doctoral degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1889. He taught at Emory and Henry College before coming in 1910 to UM, where he was chair of the classics department and dean of the College of Liberal Arts from 1920 to 1936. He died in 1944.

The addition of the Milden scholarship is but one of many changes for the classics department. Three of its four professors were hired in the past few years, each bringing different areas of expertise and scholarship and fueling a complete revision of the curriculum.

Edward Gutting, for example, is a scholar in Latin

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literature, poetry and ancient war literature. Jonathon Fenno’s expertise is in Greek drama, poetry and mythology, and John Lobur studies Roman history, propaganda and Latin prose.

The department is conducting a search for a fifth faculty member, who will contribute to the Latin program and teach courses on ancient Greek and Roman culture. Aileen Ajootian, the department’s interim chair, rounds out the group’s scholarship with expertise in Greek and Roman archaeology and Latin language.

In summer 2006, the department plans to move from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College to Bryant Hall. The move will provide additional office space and classrooms. V

News From the College of Liberal Arts

NSF ranks physics 19th in the country

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Imaging Services

National Science Foundation ranking of the nation’s physics departments by the total research grant funding they received indicates UM’s department outperforms many other prestigious institutions on this measure.

In 2003, the Department of Physics and Astronomy ranked 19th in the country (up from 26th in 2001), higher than Michigan (20), Harvard (24), Princeton (30), Yale (32) and Duke (35).

“It’s good to see that we continue to improve our ranking,” said Tom Marshall, professor and chair of physics. “The ranking is especially gratifying, since the number of faculty in our physics department [12 tenure-track faculty and seven research faculty] is much smaller than the other departments in the top 35 institutions listed.”

Of the $17 million awarded UM annually for physics research, Dr. James Sabatier demonstrates his mine-detection system, which uses sound waves and $16 million supports projects at a computer to identify buried land mines. the National Center for Physical Acoustics, where physics professors ‘… the Department of Physics and Astronomy work with engineers and others to study all aspects of acoustics.

(20), Their expertise in ultrasound, for (24), (30), example, is being applied to studies aimed at developing ways to stop internal (32) (35).’ bleeding, count and size catfish in commercial ponds, assess sediment content in NCPA Director Henry Bass, also an F.A.P. Barnard streams, and prevent soil loss and erosion. Expertise in Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, atmospheric acoustics and aeroacoustics focuses on credits the synergy between NCPA and the physics reducing noise produced by jet engines and on monitordepartment for the academic leap forward in physics. ing global compliance with nuclear test ban treaties.

“As a result of the funding, we have assembled Other projects are geared toward using acoustics to physicists from some of the best universities in the detect hidden land mines, generate power, detect insect world,” Bass said. V pest infestations and modify insect behavior.

ranked … higher than Michigan

Harvard Yale

Princeton and Duke

Economic costs of discrimination investigated by researchers

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n investigation of the economic consequences of minority discrimination is under way in the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation and the Department of Economics.

Facts gleaned from the work should help promote the institute’s mission to educate communities about the harmful effects of racism and its legacies so that, armed with good information, they can begin to create more vibrant, healthy communities for everyone, said institute director Susan Glisson.

“The board [of the institute] believes, and we agree, that while many people may engage in the work of the institute because it is the right thing to do, others may be prodded to join us because of pragmatic reasons or those reasons that appeal to self-interest,” Glisson said.

Projects include research by Jon Moen, associate professor of economics, who is addressing the question: What would per capita income in Mississippi have been if economic growth after 1880 had continued in the absence of economic discrimination and exclusion for a significant part of the population?

“This gives a counterfactual estimate of lost economic opportunities arising from limiting a large share of the population from full access to the economy,” Moen said.

The collaboration between the Winter Institute and the economics department also funds work by Andrew Young, assistant professor of economics, and Johnny Ducking, a second-year graduate student and Mississippi Delta native.

Using county-level data from Mississippi, Young and Ducking will apply income growth theory to identify the underlying determinants of the negative association between economic growth and the percent of a population that is African American. The ultimate aim, said Young, is “to put aside misperceptions about race and poverty in Mississippi and gain a constructive understanding of the problem. V

Former student shows gratitude to professor with $100,000 endowment

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athematics professor William Staton has been honored with an endowment of more than $100,000. Established by Hung Wei Lin, Staton’s former student, the William Staton Endowment in Mathematics is being used for faculty development and other needs.

Lin, who earned a doctoral degree in mathematics from UM in 1993, created the endowment in his own name but requested the name change to express his

gratitude to Staton.

“Dr. Staton has helped me not only earn my Ph.D. but also establish my business,” Lin said.

After earning his Ph.D., Lin returned to his native Taiwan, where he heads the Kwang Fu Group, one of Asia’s largest educational services companies, and teaches at Taipei’s Soo Chow University.

Staton is pleased about the endowment but said, “The story is really about Hung Wei Lin. He’s the

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hardest working human being I’ve ever met.” V Hung Wei Lin (left) and professor William Staton

Focus onWomen F R O M

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s the first university in the South to hire a woman to its faculty (Sarah Isom in 1885) and one of the first in the region to Glenn Hopkins admit women (1882), The University of Mississippi has a long history of supporting women in higher education. Today more than half of the College’s students are women (55.7 percent), as is more than onefourth of its faculty members. And the number of women faculty members is growing. In 1990, only 19 percent of the faculty members in the College were women. This year, 28 percent are women.

The number of women on the faculty will surely continue to increase as more women pursue advanced degrees, and projections show that the number of women enrolled in the College will remain high. Although long underrepresented in higher education, women have made important con-

D E A N

tributions to the academy. Take, for example, the four women profiled on the following pages, each representing a different area of the liberal arts: fine arts, humanities, physical sciences and social sciences.

Each of the women—Norma Bordeaux, an artist and alumna; Beth Ann Fennelly, an assistant professor of English and critically acclaimed poet; Rebecca Bertrand, a political science student and the first female Associated Student Body president in almost a decade; and Susan Pedigo, an assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry—exemplifies the best in creativity, scholarship and leadership that women contribute to the College as students and members of the faculty.

We hope their stories, and that of altruistic alumnae such as Kathryn Black and Nancy Stumberg, inspire other women—and men—associated with the College of Liberal Arts to invest just as fully in themselves, their education, their talent and their communities as these women have done and continue to do. V

Alumna dedicates life to family, art and community years, are needed for the landscape paintings she creates on wooden canvas. Egg tempera, a medium made by mixing pure pigments with distilled water or wine and egg yolks, requires a fine brush and a lot of thought about where to place the brush.

“It’s an unforgiving medium that takes concentration, time and a lot of patience,” Bourdeaux said.

“Many people don’t want to do that, but the paintings have an incredible glowing and transparent quality about them.”

Upon seeing Bourdeaux’s work in her thesis exhibition, her faculty mentor Joy Kloman remembers one student exclaimed, “These paintings are like pearls!”

The small scale of her work adds to the “exquisite, admirable quality of the paintings,” said Kloman, assistant professor of art. “Ms. Bourdeaux spends hours, days, even months perfecting each painting, meticulously applying every fine brush stroke.”

Since completing her MFA, Bourdeaux has exhibited her work around the state, including the prestigious Mississippi Invitational at the Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson.

Her dedication to her craft, as well as her unfailing determination and energy, are what makes her work—which is included in collections around the country, Great Britain and aircraft carrier U.S.S. Stennis’ captain’s quarters—even more beautiful. V Robert Jordan

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orma Bourdeaux’s resume looks like a compilation of several individuals’ Who’s Who entries. It begins in 1946 with earning a pilot’s license at age 16 and runs through 2004 with earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from UM at age 74.

After completing her bachelor’s degree in commercial art at the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa in 1952, Bourdeaux filled her years with raising a family; teaching art to junior high, high school and college students; owning and operating a business; and serving in civic and public leadership roles.

A founding member of the Mississippi Commission on the Status of Women, Bourdeaux served three terms in the state Legislature and on boards for numerous organizations such as the Meridian Museum of Art, Governor’s Human and Health Services Block Grant Fund and the Meridian Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Department of Art’s advisory board.

The decision to work toward an MFA degree is not one Bourdeaux made lightly.

“I always wanted to go back to school, but I had a family and not the amount of time such a degree requires,” Bourdeaux said. Eventually time became available, and she graduated with Phi Kappa Phi honors.

“As a graduate student here, Norma earned the respect of professors and students alike by her hard work,” said art department chair Nancy Wicker. “She continues to give back to the department, dedicating her time and expertise this past spring to our Art Alumni Reunion.”

Bourdeaux’s dedication and ability to think things through, which have served her well for 50

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News From the College of Liberal Arts

Norma Bourdeaux

Resident poet inspires students

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t the New Student Convocation last fall, Beth Ann Fennelly urged freshmen to invest in themselves and the community so they “get a return on that investment.” The poet and assistant professor of English knows what she’s talking about.

Fennelly’s investment in her talent, her family and UM has paid off well—in two published poetry collections and another book of essays due out this May, a cache of literary awards, a loyal student following, a marriage to fiction writer and fellow teacher Tom Franklin, and two children, 4-year-old Claire and 8-month-old Thomas.

That she is able to invest so fully is consistent with Fennelly’s “poetic sensibility,” said Joe Urgo, chair and professor of English.

“She exudes positive energy and inspiration, and has a spirit that sparks those around her to view the world as a place where good things may come into being,” Urgo said. “She has an uncanny way of motivating those around her to strive for greatness.”

Fennelly herself certainly strives for greatness.

Her first book, Open House, won several awards, including the 2001 Kenyon Review Prize for a First Book. She has since received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Breadloaf Writer’s Conference and the Mississippi Arts Commission. Her second book of poems, Tender Hooks, was published by W.W. Norton in 2005 to

critical acclaim. In spring of this year, just in time for Mother’s Day, Norton will release Fennelly’s Great with Child: Letters to a Young Mother.

The essays in Fennelly’s latest book are actually letters to a younger friend that focus on “how motherhood is so much better, harder, fiercer and wilder than [it’s portrayed] in the movies,” Fennelly said.

She said she wrote the letters during a “fallow” period of trying to write poetry. But since her son was born last summer, she’s written several new poems and is looking toward publishing a third collection. And, of course, she’s also focused on family and teaching. This spring she returned to the classroom after taking a semester off to spend time with her new son.

“I really enjoy turning students on to poetry,” Fennelly said. “A lot of students don’t know what poetry can do, but if you can figure out a poem, you can improve your life.”

Christine Davis, who is working toward her Master of Fine Arts, is a poet studying under Fennelly.

“Beth Ann is the reason I am studying poetry at Ole Miss,” Davis said. “I read Open House as an undergrad, and those poems influenced my own work in a way no other poems had. That book made me want to become a poet. From there, I knew I had to study with her. She

Beth Ann Fennelly and her poetry collections

motivates me to always work harder and challenges my writing, which I know helps makes me grow.”

Few doubt Fennelly’s presence and work have improved the College of Liberal Arts.

“She is our first resident poet,” said Dean Glenn Hopkins, “and she has brought all the dignity and inspiration one expects from such a position.” V

ASB president encourages campus women to get involved

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he first female Associated Student Body preswhen she had an interest in interning with a political campaign. Since then she’s ident at UM since 1996, Rebecca Bertrand initiated several other internship experiences. She is an excellent student and natubelieves it’s good to have a woman in the ral-born leader.” office not only to represent the perspectives of the Besides working as assistant grass-roots director for the successful campaign to 7,120 other women enrolled on the Oxford campus elect fellow Texan Ted Poe to Congress, the Houston native has interned for but also to demonstrate that leadership from women Houston City Council member Addie Wiseman and for U.S. Sen. Trent Lott. She is possible and valued. also spent a summer interning with the ABC affiliate in Houston.

Bertrand, a senior “Growing up with Ann Richards as governor and political science and jourhaving worked for Addie Wiseman, I’ve never questioned ‘[Bertrand] is an nalism major, has worked whether a woman could be elected,” Bertrand said. closely with Vice ChanBusy with student government, her priorities include cellor for University Reworking with the registrar’s office to allow students to Rebecca Bertrand lations Gloria Kellum to track their course work and progress toward degrees and encourage junior and senonline, with the residential college design committee to .’ blend academics with residence hall life and with Oxford ior women to seek career mentoring. She’s also prompted sorority members to look beyond the Greek system officials to provide public transportation.

—RICHARD FORGETTE for opportunities to get involved.

Bertrand is also busy with school. She was among “I want to encourage women on campus to be wellthree students accepted this year into the political science rounded,” she said. department’s Take Five program, which allows exemplary students to complete a master’s degree by remaining at UM for a fifth year. After Bertrand sets a good example. Her resume includes several student governcompleting the fall semester, Bertrand said she will focus her graduate studies on ment posts, volunteer experiences, honor societies and internships. higher education, rather than politics, then land her dream job in “the university “Rebecca is a very special person who demonstrates innate leadership abilities,” said Richard Forgette, professor and chair of political science. “We first met setting.” V

excellent student natural-born leader

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Focus onWomen

Gender studies minor Biochemist contributes to cancer research usan Pedigo is the first female professor in the on how cadherins participate in interactions within sparks critical thinking

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ender studies at UM has come a long way since 1983, when the course Introduction to Women’s Studies was first offered. Today, students interested in gender studies can not only enroll in an introductory class but also earn a minor in the subject, looking at gender through the perspective of several disciplines.

“A gender studies minor offers a breadth of course work in the social sciences, arts and humanities,” said Mary Carruth, director of the Isom Center for Women, which oversees the academic program. “The courses include attention to how gender intersects with race, class, nationality and sexual orientation in the lives of men and women in different cultures. In a world of globalization and multiculturalism, this background provides a lens for understanding difference and sameness.”

The 18-hour minor, first offered in 1999, includes courses cross-listed with and taught by faculty from several different College of Liberal Arts departments, including African American studies, classics, English, history, modern languages, political science, philosophy and religion, sociology and anthropology, and Southern studies. Last fall, gender studies courses focused on such topics as women and the goddess in Eastern religions, women in the South, and masculinities/femininities in American history.

Kirsten Dellenger, assistant professor of sociology who regularly teaches Sociology of Gender, said gender studies yields better critical thinking.

“Being exposed to research that demonstrates the social construction of gender really challenges students’ taken-for-granted assumptions that gender is simply something we’re ‘born with’ and generates critical thinking about how we can alleviate gender inequality,” Dellenger said.

Besides taking courses, students interested in sharing their ideas about gender can also participate in the annual Isom Student Gender Conference or join the new Gender Studies Organization.

Established in 2001, the conference provides an opportunity for students to share their work through paper presentations and panel discussions. Similarly, the student-led Gender Studies Organization sponsors speakers, films and round-table discussions focused on gender issues.

Senior English major and gender studies minor Bethany Conner, who helped create GSO, said the group’s goal is to “help educate the Ole Miss student body about underlying gender issues and to help the gender studies program grow.” V

S

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Like all women choosing a career in the maledominated domain of the physical sciences, she is a pioneer. But she doesn’t see herself as one. Rather, she sees herself as a foot soldier in the struggle to unravel the wonders and secrets of the natural world.

“Nature is a really complicated mosaic,” she said.

“We create little tiles in the mosaic. [Then] at some point, we understand.”

For the past three years, Pedigo has been conducting research on a tile in the huge mosaic of human cancers: a class of cell proteins called cadherins, which mediate cell adhesion and regulate the sorting of different cell types into their proper loca-

Given the

and between cells.

Pedigo is “a dedicated teacher and strives to involve undergraduate students in every aspect of her research,” said her department chair and colleague Charles Hussey.

“Several of the university’s best and brightest students who are enrolled in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College have based their senior theses on research conducted under her tutelage,” he said. “Her senior-level biochemistry course is heavily subscribed, with more than 120 students enrolled this past semester.”

Given the knowledge, enthusiasm and curiosity she imparts to her students, it is a good bet that

knowledge, enthusiasm and curiosity

[Pedigo] imparts to her students, it is a good bet many of them will become leaders in medical research.

Kevin Bain

Susan Pedigo and her students work at unravelling cancer’s secrets.

tion during tissue development. Recent evidence suggests altered cadherins may play a role in the invasion and spread of tumor cells.

Why cancer cells do not adhere to each other like normal cells remains a mystery, but research by Pedigo and her students indicates that the loss of cadherin expression is correlated with the invasion of tumor cells in a variety of human carcinomas. Their work, which has attracted major funding from the National Science Foundation, is shedding new light

Spring 2006

9

many of them will become leaders in medical research or the field of biochemistry, Hussey said.

Pedigo is a rising star in UM’s chemistry and biochemistry department, preparing the researchers who may one day find new treatments for cancer or the doctors who may use them.

It’s a heady, if sometimes uncertain, role, but “her boundless energy and positive outlook mask any uncertainty she may feel about her role as the department’s first female professor,” Hussey said. V

News From the College of Liberal Arts

Women and Philanthropy Want to see the difference one person can make?

Meet alumnae whose time, money make College stronger

F

or alumnae Nancy Stumberg of San Antonio, Texas, and Kathryn Black of Collierville, Tenn., donating their time and money to UM isn’t “philanthropy.” It’s more like giving something to a beloved family member.

“Everything I learned—my values, my morals— either came from my parents or from Ole Miss. It’s like home,” said Stumberg (BA 75, JD 77).

“I’m just thankful to give what I can to the university, because I love it so much,” said Black (BA 62).

Stumberg and Black are typical of the growing number of women changing UM’s “philanthropic

landscape,” said Ellen Rolfes, director of Ole Miss First and architect of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy. Both programs provide scholarships and mentoring for students.

Stumberg and Black are also instrumental in helping the College of Liberal Arts achieve its goals, said Dean Glenn Hopkins.

“Nancy’s commitment to education has resulted in much needed resources for the College through her participation in the Ventress Order, the College’s recognition society for private giving,” Hopkins said.

“Kathryn, who soon becomes chair of the Ventress Order, has been extremely generous with her resources and her time,” he said. “She’s also been important in the success of the summer fellowship program.”

The fellowships help recruit and retain College faculty. Among them is the College’s first resident poet, Beth Ann Fennelly (see story, Page 8).

In honor of her parents, Black has arranged a

alma mater whatever they are comfortable giving.

“That’s what I do—give as I can, what I can— because I want to help,” she said.

Stumberg’s contributions include a law school scholarship named for her parents, Dorothy and Noble Harrelson; a gift funding the Indoor Practice Facility’s video room; and $15,000 for an endowment honoring her late mentor, UM Dean of Women and Isom Center for Women Director Joanne Varner Hawks. The endowment funds enhancements at the Isom Center, which promotes research and scholarship about women.

Stumberg also provided a $25,000 Ole Miss First donation by recruiting four San Antonio couples to join her in giving $1,000 a year for five years. The scholarship they created will soon enable a student from San Antonio to attend UM.

my values, my morals—either came from my parents or Ole Miss.

‘Everything I learned—

Latil

It’s like home.’

Nathan

—NANCY STUMBERG

Kathryn Black

Nancy Stumberg

bequest in her will to provide a $100,000 endowment for the Kathryn H. and David J. Brewer Scholarship for Liberal Arts through the Women’s Council. She also established a $25,000 Ellen Rolfes Ole Miss First Scholarship, given to Kellie McDonald, a freshman liberal arts student from Germantown, Tenn.

Black believes all alumni should give to their

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Spring 2006

“It’s a privilege to do what I can to ensure someone else has the same experience I had at Ole Miss,” said Stumberg.

“Nancy Stumberg and Kathryn Black are true role models for all women—and men—who practice philanthropy and who invest in higher education,” said Chancellor Robert Khayat. “We are grateful to them for their faith in us.” V

Español para Niños Croft professor helps start Spanish program in Mississippi elementary schools that could raise children’s test scores

Pass Road Elementary K-3 students with Spanish teacher Annalisa McDonough

J

ohn Gutiérrez is determined to make UM one of “The children are responding well, and the teach“We hired Gutiérrez to help Mississippi improve the few schools around the country recognized for ers love it because the Spanish classes are reinforcing language pedagogy and work with schools to improve its language studies programs, and he’s getting in the regular curriculum,” Gutiérrez said. “If they are opportunities for students studying language,” Metcalf on the ground floor with some of his efforts. learning about shapes and basic math concepts in their said. “We’re very happy about what he’s doing in The professor of modern languages and foreign regular classes, the children talk about shapes and basic Gulfport. The program there serves the state well since language education, in addition to his far-reaching math in the Spanish class.” many Mississippi employers need people who have responsbilities with the Croft Institute for The Gulfport model has proven so successful that excellent command of Spanish. Also, we’re growing International Studies, has been working with the a third FLAP grant of $445,000 was awarded this year more competent language learners who’ll be ready to Gulfport School District (GSD) to attract federal to the Mississippi Department of Education to export study Spanish at the university level.” grants to fund quality language instruction for some of the program to four other districts in the state: Oxford Once they’re ready for college, Gutiérrez hopes Mississippi’s youngest students. The program is slated City Schools, Moss Point Schools, Poplarville Schools UM will be their first choice. to expand to other districts in the coming year. and Western Line Schools in Avon. The districts are to “Right now there’s no school in the South consid“We need students to enroll here as freshmen with begin offering Spanish in K-3 in fall 2006. ered ‘the’ place to go to learn languages,” he said. “Ole really good foreign language skills so they leave us with The program calls for students to meet with Miss could one day be just that.” an even higher level of proficiency,” Gutiérrez said.

Spanish instructors, all of whom are native speakers, Gutiérrez is doing everything he can to make that “Research shows that the earlier you start [studying a three times a week for half an hour. Classes are conducthappen. His work with the Croft Institute for language], the greater ultimate fluency you’ll achieve. ed entirely in Spanish and include no rote exercises. The International Studies includes conducting seminars for Research also shows that children who take even a curriculum works as well as it does because it’s “all high school language teachers, mentoring Spanish stuhalf-hour [course] dents, directing three times a week study abroad proin any language grams in Costa score better on stanRica and Chile, dardized tests.” and leading the ‘…the teachers Anecdotal evinew Intensive dence in Gulfport because the Spanish classes Spanish Summer elementary schools Institute. V is backing up the are research.

Gulfport students in kindergarten through fifth —JOHN GUTIÉRREZ grade are participating in the Spanish program thanks to Dayanara Navarro teaches Spanish to K-3 students at Pass Road Elementary. two grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Foreign Language designed to help students enjoy school,” said Shannon Assistance Program (FLAP). The first grant of Hulsey, GSD’s elementary Spanish coordinator. $419,500, awarded to GSD in 2001, allowed Hulsey, a longtime Gulfport educator who conGutierrez and Gulfport educators to set up a pilot protacted Croft Institute Executive Director gram for K-3 students in two high-poverty elementary Michael Metcalf in 2000 for help in schools, while a second grant of $406,000, awarded in creating the program, said that it 2004, expanded the program through the fifth grade might not exist without help from to all seven of the district’s elementary schools.

UM and the Croft Institute.

love it

reinforcing the regular curriculum.’

Spring 2006

11

News From the College of Liberal Arts

Former governors give students the inside story on politics

M

ississippi governors Ray Mabus and Ronnie Musgrove returned to their alma mater this fall as instructors, where they offered students a real-world glimpse into government and politics.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to meet and talk with two great leaders of our state,” said Richard Forgette, professor and chair of political science. The governors also have brought in several outside speakers, including retired four-star general J.H. Binford Peay III and former ambassador to Syria Theodore Kattouf, and helped students gain professional contacts.

Mabus, who earned a bachelors degree in English from UM before earning master’s Ray Mabus and law degrees from John Hopkins and Harvard universities, was governor from 1988 to 1992 and U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996. He first taught Middle East Politics in fall 2004.

“I wanted to be more involved with the university and its students,” he said. “No one was teaching a

Kevin Bain

course on the Middle East, so here I am. I’m enjoying every minute.”

Musgrove, who received business and law degrees from UM, was governor from 2000 to 2004. He taught State and Local Politics for the first time in spring 2005.

Musgrove said he returned to his alma mater to teach because “education is a top priority.”

“These students will have a major impact on the communities where they live,” he said. “It excites me to have a small part in their leadership.”

Political science students agree with Forgette that the two governors are providing them with a unique opportunity.

“Governor Musgrove is one of the best sources of information on state politics,” said Ryan Brown, a junior from Brandon, who took Musgrove’s class in fall 2005. “I have a much better understanding of how politics in Mississippi work.” V

Ronnie Musgrove

Online class enhances thinking skills

Advancement staffer dedicated to securing support for College

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I

ith a rapid increase in students enrolling in online courses at UM, instructors are searching for ways to provide quality learning experiences. One of these innovations has drawn the attention of the National Science Foundation: “Integrating Census Exercise Modules Into a Section of Online Sociology 101.”

Through the American Sociological Association, the experiment in online instruction by Wes Hill, adjunct instructor of sociology, and Cliff Holley, senior research associate in UM’s Center for Population Studies, was funded by NSF to use Census Bureau data sets and maps in a series of critical thinking exercises for an online section of Introduction to Sociology.

“Our goal for these exercises is to promote critical thinking and quantitative literacy among our students,” said Hill.

In one exercise, for example, students compare and contrast data from selected cities on several demographic variables including family size, income and education.

Students even download information from their own neighborhoods for comparison.

“The census provides several measures that illustrate the diversity of household arrangements evident across the United States,” said Hill.

David Swanson, chair and professor of sociology, said, “In today’s complex world, numeric sophistication is required. Those who are not able to find and assemble the data, do the quantitative analysis, and then report on it are not able to accurately gauge a particular course of action. A quantitatively literate citizen is an empowered citizen.”

The American Sociological Association and the National Science Foundation, Swanson said, “see the combination of online education and the use of census data as a unique model created by The University of Mississippi for improving quantitative reasoning among sociology students nationally.” V

TheView fromVentress

f you are wondering how you can become involved in the College of Liberal Arts and its programs, this person can help: John S. Davis, advancement associate for the College.

Davis identifies, cultivates and solicits prospective donors for gifts supporting the College’s mission. He also assists in donor relations activities.

“In his short time with us, Josh has quickly become an important member of the advancement team,” said liberal arts Dean Glenn Hopkins. “We are fortunate to have someone with his ability and experience in this position.”

Davis joined The University of Josh Davis Mississippi Foundation staff in July 2005.

He previously was recruitment coordinator in the Graduate School, where he was responsible for planning, coordinating and monitoring activities associated with recruiting UM’s graduate students.

An Oxford native, Davis graduated from UM with a BBA in management in 1999. He also earned an MPA in 2004 from the University of Memphis.

Davis can be reached at 662-915-6967 or jsdavis@olemiss.edu. V

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Spring 2006

Remarkable Teachers Harry Briscoe

Classics professor’s caring treatment of freshmen is award-winning John Neff, Glenn Hopkins, and Aileen Ajootian

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self-described disciplinarian in the classroom, Aileen Ajootian said she was stunned to learn last spring she had won the 2005 Cora Lee Graham Award for Outstanding Teaching of Freshmen.

“This is a wonderful surprise,” said Ajootian, who teaches Latin 101 and 102 as part of her duties as associate professor of classics and art. “I enjoy interacting with the students. Their initiative and energy make teaching worthwhile.”

Nominations for the Graham Award are invited from students, faculty, staff and alumni. Selection is made by a committee under the auspices of the dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

“Dr. Ajootian is generous with her time and attention, always going the extra step to help students succeed,” said Glenn Hopkins, liberal arts dean. “Freshmen are often lost or overwhelmed as they enter college, and I can think of no better teacher than Dr. Ajootian to help them find their way in the freshman year.”

‘I have never seen a professor who

had such

enthusiasm and

willingness

to help her students.’

— E M I LY B E R N A R D I N I

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from State University of New York, College of Oswego, Ajootian worked at several jobs, including cataloguing rare books, for more than a decade before earning a master’s degree in classics at the University of Oregon and another in classical archaeology at Bryn Mawr College.

She completed her doctoral degree in classical archaeology at Bryn Mawr in 1990 and joined the UM faculty in 1996.

Since then she’s been committed to helping her students excel.

“Dr. Ajootian is completely devoted to her students,” said senior classics and English major Emily Bernardini. “I have never seen a professor who had such enthusiasm and willingness to help her students. Being a great teacher requires dedication, passion and skill, and brilliance helps also. Dr. Ajootian is a great teacher.”

The Cora Lee Graham Award was established in 1987 to help reward outstanding liberal arts faculty. Selection criteria include excellence in classroom presentation, intellectual stimulation, fairness and concern for students’ welfare. The award carries a plaque and a $1,000 stipend, and the recipient’s name is displayed with those of past winners in the dean’s office.

This fall, Ajootian received the 2005 Humanities Teacher Award. Presented to distinguished humanities scholars at senior and community colleges in Mississippi, the award is sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council and the College of Liberal Arts. Ajootian is the 11th professor to receive the award, which includes a $500 honorarium and delivery of a public lecture.

She presented “Instant Messenger: Iris and the Art of Communication in Classical Greece” in October in celebration of Arts and Humanities Month. V

Spring 2006

Civil War history comes alive in hands of liberal arts’ top teacher

T

he 2004-05 academic year was a benchmark for history professor John Neff.

His book, Honoring the Civil War Dead: Commemoration and the Problem of Reconciliation, was published in March by the University Press of Kansas; he was granted tenure; and he was named the top teacher in the College of Liberal Arts.

“Dr. Neff ’s students speak often of his enthusiasm for teaching, his infectious love of history and his challenging classes,” said Glenn Hopkins, dean of liberal arts.

“He is both a remarkable classroom teacher and a caring mentor.”

Nominations for the Liberal Arts Teacher of the Year Award are invited from students, faculty, staff and alumni, and selection is made by a College of Liberal Arts committee. The award includes a plaque and a $1,000 stipend, and the recipient’s name is displayed in the dean’s office with those of past winners.

Neff, who called the award a “tremendous honor,” joined the UM history department in 1999, after receiving his bachelor’s degree from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of California-Riverside.

His interest in the Civil War was sparked early, during family vacations to battlegrounds and other historic sites. His knowledge of the subject makes him a popular teacher: More than 100 students enrolled in his Era of the Civil War course last spring. Additionally, his guided tour of Shiloh National Park was a high point of UM’s first-ever conference on the war, “Remembering America’s Civil War,” held in May.

‘He is both a remarkable

classroom teacher and a caring mentor.’

—GLENN HOPKINS

Graduate student Marcella Morris, who took several of Neff ’s courses as an undergraduate, said Neff ’s classes “made me excited to be a history major.”

“His enthusiasm in the classroom is nothing short of contagious. He uses pictures, music, paintings, literature and any other sources he can find to help bring history alive.”

Neff said teaching is his way of giving back: “It’s been said that education is not filling a vessel, it’s igniting a fire. Teaching is incredibly rewarding. It allows me to repay those who have invested so much in my career and do for others what has already been done for me.” V

13

News From the College of Liberal Arts

Lewis Family Legacy Alum wills his estate to scholarship endowment; late dean’s portrait presented

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Attracting excellent physics students and supportgift of nearly $150,000 ing his parents’ endowment was important to Roger from the estate of Lewis, said his brother, Leighton Lewis of Hattiesburg. retired U.S. Air Force “Roger wanted to return a token of his appreciation Col. Roger C. Lewis is helping Roger C. Lewis for what our parents and the university meant to him.” to provide scholarships for The College of Liberal Arts continues to benefit physics students. Lewis’ estate was willed to the univerfrom the late dean’s legacy. His portrait hangs in sity and designated for a scholarship endowment creatBarnard Observatory. The oil ed by his parents, the late on canvas by award-winning Arthur B. Lewis, former dean portrait artist and Lewis family of the College of Liberal Arts, friend Jason Bouldin of Oxford and Alma G. Lewis. was presented to the College Established in 1999, the during a ceremony at the obserArthur B. Lewis and Alma G. vatory last spring.

Lewis Scholarship is given to “My father had such an physics scholars who have affection for the observatory,” shown evidence of academic said Lewis’ daughter, Mary excellence, leadership ability Lewis Poole of Oxford. “It was and service. the heart and soul of his life at After graduating from UM the university.” in 1957 and receiving a master’s The observatory once in space physics from the Air housed the physics and astronoForce Institute of Technology, my program. Lewis, who earned Roger Lewis dedicated 30 years bachelor’s and master’s degrees of service to the Air Force, This oil-on-canvas image of the late Arthur B. Lewis, UM alumnus and longtime professor and from the university, spent many serving on assignments in the hours in the building as a stuPropulsion Laboratory at Wright administrator, painted by Jason Bouldin, hangs in Lewis’ most beloved building on the Oxford dent in the 1920s and the first Patterson AFB, Weapons campus. years of his 35-year career at Laboratory at Kirkland AFB, Air UM, which included stints as a Force Systems Command mathematics and physics professor, and professor and Headquarters at Andrews AFB, Defense Nuclear chair of physics and astronomy. He retired in 1971.

Agency and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C. After retiring from the Air Force, Lewis Hall, home to the physics and astronomy he worked at Logicon RDA for 10 years. department, is named in his honor. V

Alumni couple sparks grass-roots initiative to support art students

Jan Farrington, Warner Alford and Lawrence Farrington

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an and Lawrence Farrington weren’t art majors when they were UM students, but their adult lives are filled with art—both as collectors and philanthropists.

When the couple toured the Department of Art, the Farringtons immediately recognized needs that could be met with private gifts. They made a $15,000 gift and are involved in an effort to encourage others to do the same.

“Can you imagine a world without art?” asked Jan Farrington of Jackson, Miss. “Artists throughout the ages have not only given us great beauty but also provided a visual history of people, places and events. Art is an essential component of any strong liberal arts program. As in other disciplines, Mississippi has an abundant share of talented artists. We need to provide

‘Can you imagine

a world

without art?’

— J A N FA R R I N G T O N

Nathan Latil

Making Music Associate Dean Emeritus of Engineering Frank Anderson (left) created the Mary Courtney Anderson Piano Scholarship to honor of his wife and provide piano students with opportunities to advance their careers.

Endowed with $52,432, the scholarship will be awarded to a freshman or undergraduate transfer student studying piano. Mrs. Anderson, who taught private lessons and shared her gift of music at campus and community functions, plays for services at Oxford-University United Methodist Church. Dr. Anderson, who chaired the Department of Chemical Engineering for more than 30 years, is a volunteer science teacher at First Baptist Church’s Weekday Education Center. Here, with assistance from Mrs. Anderson, he uses an open piano to help preschoolers learn how sounds are created. Anderson Hall, which houses some engineering programs, is named in his honor. V

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Spring 2006

programs that allow the opportunity for creative growth and success.”

Responding to the need for more student scholarships, alumnus Dr. Briggs Hopson Jr. of Vicksburg established one honoring his spouse. The Patricia S. Hopson Scholarship in art will help the department “recruit, retain and nurture some of the nation’s most artistic students,” said Nancy Wicker, chair of art.

Patricia Hopson, who majored in art as a UM student, went into interior design and also designed swimwear. Some of her designs were used by Jantzen.

“I think art is so much fun,” she said. “There are so many ways that you can go with it. I just wish to give other art students at the university a chance to further their career opportunities as well.” V

Those interested in joining the Farringtons, Hopsons and others in supporting the Department of Art can contact Perry Moulds, major gifts officer for liberal arts, at 662-915-5961 or pmoulds@olemiss.edu.

Love for history department lives on in late professor’s gift

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he bulk of Professor Emeritus Clare Leslie Marquette’s $1 million estate went to UM last spring in a final tribute to his late wife and to the history department. Three-quarters of the Marquette estate is being used for scholarships in Lena Mitchell’s name to assist deserving students, with the remainder supporting a history department professorship.

“We are deeply moved by this astounding gift, by what it meant to Dr. Marquette, and by what it will mean to future scholars and to the history depart-

Ventress Order undergoes changes, recognizes gifts of founding members

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or more than 26 years, UM’s order programs, including the Ventress Order, have administered millions of dollars in private support for scholarships, faculty development and UM’s greatest needs.

Full membership required a $5,000 pledge payable over 10 years, and affiliate membership required a $1,000 pledge payable over four years.

The Ventress Order, the cornerstone of private giving to the College of Liberal Arts, quickly became one of the premier order programs on the Oxford campus and boasts 419 full and affiliate members. On July 1, the college began recognizing contributions to the order on an annual basis. All members who joined prior to June 30 will be permanently recognized as Founding Members.

A list of Founding Members appears at right and will be permanently displayed in the Gallery of Distinction in Ventress Hall.

“The change was made to better recognize the college’s many generous donors,” said Josh Davis, the advancement associate for liberal arts. “Over 1,500 alumni and friends gave generously to the College last year, and we want to express our gratitude to every one of them.”

The new Ventress Order structure is based on a series of giving levels: Friend ($1-$99) Partner ($100-$249) Senior Partner ($250-$499) Steward ($500-$999) Associate ($1,000-$2,499) Advocate ($2,500-$4,999) Executive ($5,000-$9,999) Benefactor ($10,000-$24,999) Patron ($25,000 and above) V

For more information on giving through the Ventress Order, contact Josh Davis at 662-915-6967 or jsdavis@olemiss.edu.

ment,” said Chancellor Robert Khayat.

Marquette was a professor of American history at UM from 1946 through 1972. Originally from Wisconsin, Marquette settled in Oxford after marrying Mitchell, a Mississippi native.

One of the most significant moments in Marquette’s teaching career was in October 1962, said Robert Haws, chair of history and Marquette’s colleague.

“His was the first class that James Meredith attended,” Haws said. “It was in the auditorium in

Bondurant Hall, and when Meredith came to class under the protection of federal marshals, Dr. Marquette insisted that they [the marshals] wait in the hall. It was, I suppose, Dr. Marquette’s thinking that a classroom was no place for armed guards.”

Marquette’s professional life was distinguished by his dedication to his subject, American economic history, and to his “methods” class, which he taught for nearly 30 years, Haws said. V

The College of Liberal Arts is grateful to the following Founding Members of the Ventress Order. Membership is based on gifts and pledges received on or before June 30, 2005.

H. Dale Abadie Ann J. Abadie James Deloach Abbott Louis E. Abbott Peggy A. Abood John Adham R. Wayne Alexander Camille S. Anders Marian and Frederick Anklam Jr. Barbara D. Arnold David W. Arnold Nancy L. Ashley Dorothy J. Atkinson James Arthur Autry Thomas W. Avent Jr. Michael Leo Baker Dan Ballard Sheri Parker Bankston Bryan Barksdale George S. Barnes Brett R. Bartlett Eugene M. Bazaar Fred E. Beemon Jr. Johnny M. Belenchia Elizabeth and John Bergin Vasser Bishop Kathryn Black Thomas A. Blanton Betty W. and J. David Blaylock E. Josh Bogen Jr. Michael Joseph Boland Karen M. Bonner Gayle Smith Bourland Louis K. Brandt Christy L. Bray David E. Brevard Gregory Brock Oliver E. Brock Virginia F. Brooks Adam H. Broome Cecil C. Brown Steven F. Brown Gwynne T. Brunt Jr. L. Michael Brunt Maralyn H. Bullion Hanh and Stuart J. Bullion Harold Burson Timothy R. Cantrell Natie P. Caraway Mary Terell Cargill Michael H. Carter John Hubbard Cheatham III John Benton Clark John S. and Mary L. Cockerham Gerald B. Cole

Thomas A. and Frances M. Coleman Robert F. Cooper III John Gordon Corlew Sidney C. Crews James M. Cross Sandra Gail Crosthwait Judy J. Daniel Faye Lanham Daniel Fay S. Davidson Stacy Davidson Jr. Dwayne P. Davis Thomas R. Davis Wanda and Michael P. Dean G.B. Delashmet Rex M. Deloach and Ruthann Ray Cole Delong III Anna Katherine Dendy Jo Ann and S. Gale Denley Vance Paul Derryberry Dixie and Herbert Dewees Jr. David I. Doorenbos Jean Cobb Douglas W.W. Drinkwater Jr. James Otis Dukes Leslie Dukes Charles Martin Dunagin Sarah Kendall Dunn Allan Percy Durfey Jr. Donald Dyer David C. Edrington John C.T. and Lynn D. Edwards Sonya M. Edwards Maurice Eftink James H. Eley Robert Smith Ellis Esther Lewis Ethridge Robbie Ethridge Robert S. Fabris Joseph B. Fenley Calvin Albert Fleming III Anne S. Fox Roy Cecil Fox John T. Frame Mark A. Frank Derrick Freeman Marnie and Peter Frost Mary Ann H. Frugé William N. and Lee A. Fry Dwight Terry Gentry Guy T. Gillespie Jr. Timothy J. Gilster Jean and Kees Gispen Nancy H. Goldman C. Daniel Goodgame

Spring 2006

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Margaret J. Gorove Hardy Moore Graham Hardy P. Graham Chellis O. Gregory Jr. William W. Gresham Jr. Betty Jo and J. K. Gresham William K. Griffin III Ben and Kathy O. Griffith Sandra M. Guest Walter D. Gurley Jr. Marguerite and Curtis H. Gwin Emmette F. Hale III Glen Wesley Hall Glinda and Mike Hall Dorothy A. Halliday Jimmy L. Hamilton W. Gordon Hamlin Jr. Katherine S. and Jordan H. Hankins William Kirk Hannon David Scott Hargrove Michael Harrington Robert Harris Harper Ethelwyn Stevens Hart Samuel B. Haskell III Arnold J. Herring Thomas M. Hewitt Marian and Julian B. Hill Jr. Jere R. Hoar Luanne Buchanan and Michael H. Hoffheimer Marie M. Holder Donald E. and Mary L. Holloway Glenn W. Hopkins W. Briggs Hopson Jr. Tara T. Horton William Stone Howard Julie, Lynn and Norris Howell Jr. Mary-Hartwell and Beckett Howorth Jr. Kim M. Huch Fraser Berkley Hudson David Andrew Huey Judith W. and William R. Hurt Samir Husni Bernice Hederman Hussey Cammiel W. and James L. Hussey Jr. Charles L. Hussey Wiley C. Hutchins William O. Jacobs Jamie and Ernest Joyner III Dorothy T. Keady William H. Keener Jr. Gregory Scott Kent

Robert C. Khayat Robert C. Khayat Jr. Catherine S. Kidd Thomas W. Kimbrough Michael Lewis King Robert Philip Koontz Mary L. and Nick Kotz Fred H. Krutz III Lillian N. Landrum Leila and Samuel M. Lane Kenneth Forst Lange Lilla S. Lauderdale Beverly and Tim Lawrence Welsa Leech Alma G. Lewis Arthur B. Lewis John C. Lewis Ronald M. Lewis Jr. William Lewis Jr. Hung Wei Lin Katharine M. Loeb John Fair Lucas III Wilton L. Marsalis Claudia Martino Donna Ballard Masselli Eddie J. McCafferty Melonie M. McCarley Lisa J. McClure Freddie S. McEwan Molly E. McFarland Sharrel and Frank A. McGrew Margaret E. McGuire Keith Dockery McLean Carlette McMullan William Holt McMullan Johnny P. McRight Becky and Edwin E. Meek G.T. Merriam Michael F. Metcalf Georgia Nix Miller and Gary L. Miller Willis Roy Minton Sidna B. Mitchell Susan S. Mitchell Deborah B. Monroe Karen and Robert S. Montjoy Dennis E. Moore Marie Austin Moore Paul H. Moore Sr. Sue Moore Samuel K. Morgan Jr. Marcus E. Morrison Deanne Marie Mosley Clifton Perry Moulds Margaret Allen Moyse Alan Linn Murphree

Anita and Thomas E. Murphy Celia C. Muths James Elmer Nix Sr. Chris Noone Charles E. Noyes Ronald D. Nurnberg Michelle Hyver Oakes Rose L. Paris Charles R. Patrick Markee T. and Tarasha P. Pearson Cynthia Peavy-Lewis Thomas A. Peterson Crymes G. Pittman Crymes M. Pittman Allie Stuart Povall Jr. Scott Morris Prewitt M. Bernard Puckett Jr. Keil and Kirk Purdom J. Steve Purdon Jane Ramsey Margaret and James Hugh Ray John Eugene Ray Dale G. and Virginia H. Read Mary Mills Ritchie William H. Roberson James L. Robertson Willard P. Rose Jr. Joe R. Ross Jr. David G. Sansing Diane and Richard F. Scruggs Kelly Scott Segars Jr. Robert Seibels III Norman Edward Shaw Hazel and John Howard Shows Irene S. Simon Thomas R. Singley Carolyn and W. Marion Smith Deborah Smith J. George Smith Jr. Julie G and McKamy Smith II LeAnn Smith Misty H. Smith Patti P. Smith T. Whitman Smith Rose and Hubert E. Spears Sarah A Spencer Esther Sparks Sprague John David Stanford Carolyn Ellis and William A. Staton Patricia L. and Phineas Stevens

News From the College of Liberal Arts

Sandra Harmon Strom Wayne S. Stuart Nancy H. Stumberg Ygondine W. Sturdivant Ward Sumner David Swanson Richard C. Sweeney Crystal Lane Tate Dorothy Lee Tatum Julien R. Tatum Jr. Stephens D. Taylor William M. Taylor Mary Sue and Robert L. Tettleton Samuel C. Thigpen John Buckingham Thomas Sanford C. Thomas Kari Marie Thompson Pamela C. Tims Ancel Cramer Tipton Jr. J. T. Tisdale Ann F. Tolbert Brandi A. Tolbert J. Michael Tonos Jr. Michael C. Torjusen James Thomas Trapp Rodney Faser Triplett Sr. William C. Trotter III James Martin Tucker Thomas C. Turner Lesley and Joseph R. Urgo LeAnn and Nicky Vance Dwight Van De Vate Ronald F. Vernon Todd Alan Vinyard Meredith M. Walker Jr. Juliet H. Walton Margaret Ward Mary Ellen and Robert L. Warner Jr. Dabney Dykes Weems Miriam W. Weems Lara and George White Mitzi J. and Lynn K. Whittington Curtis C. Wilkie Jr. Edwin N. Williams Max W. and Nila Q. Williams Polly F. Williams Norman Mott Williamson Eddie S. and Virginia B. Wilson Zebulon M. Winstead William F. Winter Joseph Kenneth Wong Yoknapatawpha Arts Council Ralf P. Zapata

The University of Mississippi

Spring 2006

TheView fromVentress News From the College of Liberal Arts

Founded in 1848, the College of Liberal Arts is the oldest and largest division of The University of Mississippi. The College offers a broad and comprehensive course of study, including most areas of knowledge in the humanities, the fine arts and the biological, physical and social sciences.

Glenn Hopkins, Dean Janice Murray, Associate Dean Ronald Vernon, Associate Dean Holly Reynolds, Assistant Dean C. Perry Moulds, Major Gifts Officer Josh Davis, Advancement Associate AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES Charles Ross, Director

MATHEMATICS Tristan Denley, Chair

AEROSPACE STUDIES LTC Kevin Petesch, Chair

MILITARY SCIENCE LTC Joseph Blackburn, Chair

ART Nancy Wicker, Chair BIOLOGY Murray Nabors, Chair CHEMISTRY Charles Hussey, Chair CLASSICS Aileen Ajootian, Interim Chair ECONOMICS Mark VanBoening, Chair ENGLISH Joseph Urgo, Chair GENDER STUDIES Mary Carruth, Director HISTORY Robert Haws, Chair INTERNATIONAL STUDIES Michael Metcalf, Director JOURNALISM Samir Husni, Chair

MODERN LANGUAGES Donald Dyer, Chair MUSIC Charles Gates, Chair NAVAL SCIENCE Capt. Timothy Howington, Chair PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION William Lawhead, Chair PHYSICS Thomas Marshall, Chair

As They Liked It Oxford Shakespeare Festival’s popularity gives green light to third season

T

he second season of the Oxford Shakespeare Festival, which featured “The Taming of the Shrew,” drew large crowds and raucous laughter. Organizers are now looking to expand the summertime event.

“The festival is in its early stages, but it’s growing rapidly,” said Joe Turner Cantú, associate professor of theatre arts and OSF artistic director. “Our audiences improved [from the first season], especially in our third and final weekend, so much so that we hope to add a fourth weekend of performances this summer.”

Co-sponsored by the Department of Theatre Arts and Ford Center for the Performing Arts, OSF produced two plays for its inaugural season. Thanks to contributions from individuals and such organizations as the Gertrude C. Ford Foundation, OSF added a third play in 2005 and was able to hire more actors and technicians. The 2005 season also included productions of “The Compleat Works of Willm Shkspr (abridged)” and “Babe.”

Cantú hopes that continued support will allow OSF not only to add a fourth weekend to the upcoming season but also become a permanent event.

“The need for a professional theater in Oxford goes to the heart of the growth that the Oxford community and surrounding areas are experiencing,” Cantú said. “It is important for Ole Miss to remain at the forefront of the region’s cultural expansion.”

Although dates and other details for the 2006 season have yet to be confirmed, Cantú said, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” has already been selected. The upcoming 2006 summer season also includes a production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates of Penzance” and “Shakespeare’s Fight Scenes,” a Brian Evans adaptation of Shakespeare’s works. V

To learn more about OSF, including how to contribute to the festival, visit http:// shakespeare.olemiss.edu.

Theatre Arts professor Brian Evans carries off Caroline Perreault, who played Kate in ‘Shrew.’

POLITICAL SCIENCE Richard Forgette, Chair PSYCHOLOGY Michael Allen, Chair SOCIOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY David Swanson, Chair SOUTHERN STUDIES Charles Wilson, Director THEATRE ARTS Scott McCoy, Chair

This publication is funded by the Ventress Order, an organization established by The University of Mississippi Alumni Association in cooperation with The University of Mississippi Foundation to support the College of Liberal Arts. Active membership in The University of Mississippi Alumni Association helps make The View from Ventress possible. Active members have **** on their mailing labels. Please contact the Dean’s Office, College of Liberal Arts, if you have any questions or comments.

The University complies with all applicable laws regarding affirmative action and equal opportunity in all its activities and programs and does not discriminate against anyone protected by law because of age, color, disability, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, handicap, or status as a veteran or disabled veteran. 2143D/2-06

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College of Liberal Arts Ventress Hall P.O. Box 249 University, MS 38677

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