Delta State Magazine 2015

2015

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R D E LTA S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y A L U M N I A N D F R I E N D S

School of Nursing Explores Breakthrough Technology Summer 2014 • Delta State Magazine • 1

Eddie Crockham, retired from 34 years at the DSU Golf Course; Shorlone Crockham Green ’94, member of the ’92 Lady Statesmen Basketball National Championship Team; Leon Green, freshman, member of the Statesmen Football Team

GROWING UP GREEN & WHITE

You know what it means to be a true Statesman, now pass it on! Start a legacy by sending your child’s name, birthdate, and address to enroll them in Delta State’s Legacy Program.They will learn about everything bright, green, and fun in their future.

We want to get to know the small smiles on your kids’ faces so we can see their giant grins at graduation.

KEEP THE TRADITION ALIVE. The Alumni Association has recently partnered with Admissions and Recruiting on an initiative to better recruit children of alumni. Send us your child’s name, birthdate, and address, and he or she will begin receiving information from the Delta State Alumni Association. Send information to alumni@deltastate.edu. For more information, contact us at 662.846.4660. Know a student who would be a great fit at Delta State? Tell us by using the Good Student Referral at www.deltastategiving.org/alumniassociation/goodstudentreferral.

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CONTENTS

Alumni Magazine President..............................................William “Bill” N. LaForge ’72 Executive Director, Alumni-Foundation.................Keith Fulcher ’83 Editor............................................................... Jordan Thomas ’11

Alumni-Foundation Staff Executive Director................................................Keith Fulcher ’82 Director of Alumni Affairs................................ Jeffrey Farris ’04, ’05

2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

12 DEVELOPMENT

3 ALUMNI MESSAGE

30 ATHLETICS

36 WITH THE CLASSES

4 CAMPUS BRIEFS

Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs................... Jordan Thomas ’11 Chief Development Officer.................................... Dr. Gary Bouse Director of Annual Giving..............................Missy Pearce ’99, ’07 Chief Financial Officer............................................. Deborah Cox

10 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Director of Donor Relations....................................... Ann Giger ’93

28 GRAMMY

Board of Directors Delta State University Alumni Association:

Rob Armour ’95, President; Sayward Fortner ’04, President Elect; Patrick Davis ’96, Secretary; John Fletcher ’91, Treasurer; Richard Myers ’91, Past President; Tim Harvey ’90, Foundation Board President; Michael Ainsworth ’94, Serena Clark ’97, Hays Collins ’00, Renee Selby Deweese ’92, Brad Evans ’87, Teresa Haynes ’95, Kelly Hunter ’00, Lylla Joe’00 Chrissy LaMastus ’96, Parker Lipscomb ’04, Paul “Bubba” Mancini ’00, Davlon Miller ’08, George Miller ’00, Chris Shivers ’94, Bradley Smith ’71, Karen Swain ’01, Ifeanyi Ugboaja ’00, Chris Wilson ’95, Meredith Brown, SAA President; Mikel Sykes, SGA President

Board of Directors Delta State University Foundation, Inc:

Tim Harvey ’80, President; Tom Janoush ’90, Vice President; Nan Sanders ’67, Secretary/Treasurer; Anne Wynn Weissinger ’81, Past President; Rob Armou, Alumni Association President; Judson Thigpen ’79, Development Chair; Jeff Tarver ’76, Finance Chair; David Abney ’76, Louis Baioni ’56, Dr. William Bell ’82, Anita Bologna, Amanda Borgognoni ’82, Jeff Ross Capwell ’60, Kay Dockery Clark, Dr. Anna Looney Dill ’74, Hank Drake ’69, Trudy Fountain-James, Brice Griffis ’54, Earnest Hart ’77, Peter Jernberg ’65, Ed Kossman III; Draughon McPherson, Ned Mitchell ’62, Billy Nowell ’72, Carol Puckett, Randy Randall, Homer Sledge III, Greggory Tharp, Margaret Walker ’67, Jimmy Wilson ’68, Dr. Bennie Wright ’74

6 STUDENTS VISIT RUSSIA

The Alumni & Foundation Magazine is published by the Delta State University Alumni & Foundation DSU Box 3104, 1003 West Sunflower Rd, Cleveland, MS 38733 E-Mail: alumnimagazine@deltastate.edu Phone: (662) 846-4660

18 SCHOOL OF NURSING

Note: In an effort to reduce our environmental impact, only one magazine per household is mailed.

Art and Layout by www.mothlitemedia.com

Special Thanks to our Delta State Alumni Association Corporate Sponsors

18

Today’s Nursing Students

24

Will Simpson

Tomorrow’s Leaders in Healthcare

STATESMEN LEVEL

OKRA LEVEL

Alumnus Participates in Presidential Leadership Scholars Program

On the cover:

Nursing students Sabrina Matthews and Brantley Catlette using a Wood’s Lamp, a device that uses black light to illuminate areas that are otherwise difficult to see, during instruction.

Patrick Davis

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 1

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Dear Alumni and Friends, Happy 90th Birthday to Delta State University! Delta State Teachers College officially opened its doors on September 15, 1925, and since that time we have educated thousands of students from across the Delta and beyond. As we begin to look toward our centennial anniversary, I am very excited about the future of this university — its faculty, staff, and students. We are successfully tackling major budget and enrollment challenges, building on our strong programmatic foundations, and realizing growth in some key areas. I am confident that we are on a path to excellence, and it continues to be my distinct honor to serve as President of this great university.

One of the biggest events ever to hit campus occurs this spring. The GRAMMY Mississippi Museum is scheduled to open on March 5, and it will bring many exciting opportunities to Cleveland and our campus. We have several facility projects underway, with many more in the planning stages. Our campus will have new paved streets and parking lots by the time you read this letter. We will have new state-of-the-art science and math classrooms with the completion of the final phase of our Caylor/White-Walters building renovation project. We will begin phase one of the Statesmen Boulevard project, and on October 3 we dedicated a statue to honor Coach Dave “Boo” Ferriss for his years of support for our baseball program. We will also have a brand new baseball complex thanks to the generous support of alumni Tim and Nancy Harvey and other donors. Our next projects will include renovations to Young-Mauldin Dining Hall, Zeigel Hall, and Sillers Coliseum.

There are great things happening on campus, and we need your help in making sure the Delta State you enjoyed and remember remains vibrant for future generations. You can give back to your alma mater in many ways such as recommending prospective students, providing financial support, and supporting your local alumni chapter. We just completed a record year of fundraising from alumni and friends, and I thank you for that financial support. Please continue to be generous with your dollars as we supplement institutional dollars with private support to advance our academic mission.

I look forward to seeing many of you at alumni chapter events in the year ahead, and I hope you will make plans to join us for Homecoming and other upcoming events on campus. I encourage you to stay connected with Delta State through Facebook, Twitter (follow me @presidentDSU), YouTube, Flicker, and the Delta State website (www.deltastate.edu), where you will find a wide array of timely information including a link to my weekly “Fireside Chat.” And, you can always reach me at president@deltastate.edu or (662) 846-4000.

Thank you for your continued support of our Delta State! The best is yet to come.

Cheers!

William N. LaForge ’72 President

Be an active Alumnus and stay in the know . . .

Future issues of the Delta State Magazine will only be mailed to dues-paying members of the National Alumni Association. If you are not an active member, it’s a great time to join. To update your membership or check your status, contact the Alumni Association at (662) 846-4660, scan the QR code, or visit www.deltastategiving.org/alumniassociation/jointhealumniassociation.

2 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

ALUMNI MESSAGE

Dear Alumni and Friends, Another summer has come and gone and the fall semester is upon us. As Delta State University continues to thrive under the leadership of President Bill LaForge, the students are in full swing in the classroom and around campus. I am happy to report that your National Alumni Association is also working hard to make 2015 one of the best years in the history of our university!

If you haven’t been back to Delta State in a while, I invite you to come home one weekend this fall. I promise you will be amazed with the campus as well as the city of Cleveland. The city is thriving with new restaurants and shops all over town. There is literally too much going on for me to fit everything into this column, but I will touch on some of the highlights. Football games in the fall are now truly an all-day event. The tailgating starts early and there is an incredible atmosphere in the stadium with grills smoking in the end zone throughout the game.

Pig Pickin’ has become an annual tradition and is one of the biggest fundraisers for the Alumni Association, and once again we had a record-breaking crowd at the 30th annual event. If you weren’t able to make it back for Pig Pickin’, we hope you will join us for Homecoming this year, which is scheduled for November 6–7.

During Homecoming weekend we will be honoring our Alumni Award recipients along with the Athletic Hall of Fame at our annual Alumni Awards Gala.

We will also recognize this year’s featured class, the Class of 1965, and induct them into the prestigious Golden Circle. We hope to see you back at your alma mater soon.

Sincerely, Rob Armour ’95 National Board of Directors President

NOVEMBER 6 & 7

Delta State vs Valdosta State

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 3

Setting the Record Straight Fraternities and Sororities are no strangers to scandal. So when Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity was recently thrust into the national spotlight after a leaked video went viral, many called into question the merit of Greek Life on campus. The incident, which involved members of the fraternity singing a song about SAE never admitting black students and hanging them from trees, occurred at Oklahoma University—522 miles away from Delta State University. However, one Delta State student found himself in the middle of a national debate.

Mikel Sykes is the current president of both the Delta State Student Government Association and the Delta Sigma Chapter of SAE. “I was extremely disappointed,” said Sykes of when he first learned about the incident. “However in an organization that has over 15,000 members it would’ve been almost naive of me to think that there wouldn’t be anyone who would have those types of beliefs considering that race relations in this country aren’t perfect.”

Sykes, a native of Winona, MS, is a senior at Delta State majoring in Social Science Education and History with a minor in Music. Upon arriving at Delta State, he didn’t plan to join a Fraternity.

“My impression of Greek life was based on the very stereotypical view of what Greek life is,” he admitted. “However, when I arrived at Delta State, I met a group of guys who were starting a new fraternity because they wanted to make something that they could call their own and make of it whatever they wanted. The guys that I met took their scholarship very seriously, stressed being gentlemen, and they also wanted to make the most of the college experience through social functions and taking on leadership roles on campus.”

Sykes joined as a charter member of the Delta Sigma Chapter of SAE, and he quickly rose up through the ranks of the chapter. After news of the Oklahoma incident broke, he was contacted by the SAE National Organization.

“A lot of minorities within the fraternity got calls from the national organization asking if they would be OK with giving statements to the press to assist with the damage control,” he said. “It was just by sheer chance that I was the one who got national coverage.”

Sykes found out that he was going to be interviewed by Anderson Cooper during Cooper’s primetime show on CNN a mere three hours before airtime. He drove to a studio in Jackson for the live interview. Word quickly spread throughout the Delta State community via social media, and everyone tuned in to see one of Delta State’s own on national television.

Cooper began by asking about the diversity in Delta State’s chapter, and Sykes explained that they currently have four African-American members, and have had others in the past. Many SAE chapters do not have any African-American members.

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CAMPUS

“Our school, Delta State University in Cleveland, does a really good job of promoting diversity among its Greek Organizations, and we have a really great Greek system there,” he told Cooper.

Cooper asked Sykes if he had any concern when he first joined SAE because they were founded in the antebellum south, to which Sykes replied “Never, and that’s mainly and solely because of the people who were already in the organization. I met them and they were just upstanding gentlemen, and it was absolutely something I wanted to be a part of. The True Gentleman (the fraternity’s creed) spells out everything that I want to be as a man in life and so there was never any concern about that from my end.”

“So Mikel, what would you say to the National Organization about what needs to change if you believe something needs to change? Does there need to be more oversight, more effort to attract or to at least let people see the organization that you see? Does something need to change in this organization?” asked Cooper.

“It really varies from chapter to chapter,” Sykes answered. “There’s a lot of chapters that I know of that promote diversity, such as our chapter at Delta State, and there’s a lot of chapters that may not. In an organization that’s 15,000 undergraduates you’re going to have bad apples, and it’s really unfortunate when that happens. I’m not necessarily sure of the best solution or the best way the national organization can go about fixing the problem, but I think the first step is recognizing that there is a problem and then brainstorming different ideas about how to go about solving that” The National Organization immediately revoked Oklahoma University’s charter, which Sykes feels was a good first step.

“They put out a diversity and inclusion training program that every undergraduate member of the organization was required to complete,” he explained. “They also created a diversity and inclusion committee, which I am a part of, in order to figure out ways that the national organization can provide support and education to chapters on the importance of diversity.”

In addition to Anderson Cooper’s show, Sykes was also on NBC’s Today Show, local news programs, and a Mississippi radio show.

“It was a great experience, and I feel that I was able to bring some good out of a bad situation,” he said. “Being on national television was a surreal experience, and I was definitely nervous, but once I began talking, I was fine.”

Sykes feels that both his chapter and Delta State as a whole are doing great things in the area of race relations. Race Relations have been an important issue under President Bill LaForge’s tenure. The University has hosted two conferences entitled “Winning the Race,” in which leaders in diversity and race relations have been speakers.

Still, Sykes feels that Race Relations is a topic that needs to continue to be discussed across the nation.

Mikel Sykes

“I BELIEVE THAT SOLVING THE PROBLEM

Photo by Rory Doyle

OF RACE RELATIONS IS ONE OF THE BIG CHALLENGES MY GENERATION FACES.” 2015 • Delta State Magazine • 5

Photos by Rory Doyle

INTERNATIONAL

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Delta State expands Globally When President Bill LaForge returned to Delta State, one of his missions was to expand international relations.

Shortly after taking the helm, LaForge announced developments in four international partnerships with three universities in Poland, Russia, and Bulgaria and a secondary school in Poland. Recently, Delta State completed an international exchange program with partner university Perm State University in Perm, Russia. Delta State was invited by Perm State within the framework of the “Rivers of Music— Rivers of Culture” project, a part of the U.S. Russia Peer-to-Peer Dialogue Program and supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of State.

“I am very pleased that we are establishing student and faculty exchange programs with universities in Russia, Poland, and Bulgaria, as well as a high school in Poland,” said LaForge.

“This will increase our intellectual exchange, cross-cultural education, and potential institutional growth. Having foreign students and faculty on campus will allow us to ‘rub elbows’ with colleagues from around the world and will bring new perspectives to our learning environment.”

During the recent exchange, called the Permski Krai Immersion Experience, six students from Delta State’s Delta Music Institute took part in the trip to Perm. These students included Jessica Faith Wishard, Jarrick Finkley, Leelah Dill, Justin Boatman, Ty Young, and Brandon Mosley. Additionally, seven Delta State faculty and staff members attended the trip: Tricia Walker, Charly Abraham, Miles Fulwider, Barry Bays, Robin Boyles, Beverly Moon, and Rory Doyle.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 7

CAMPUS

The first component of Rivers of Music— Rivers of Culture came in October 2014 and included a visit from Perm State students and faculty, who attended Delta State’s inaugural International Conference on the Blues and additional Bridging the Blues events. This portion of the program was coined the Mississippi Delta Immersion Experience.

The second component continued throughout the spring semester with a telebridge project, a series of webinars between both universities. Utilizing music as the universal language, both groups took part in virtually streamed classes focusing on the cultures, histories, and heritages of the two countries.

During the recent Permski Krai Immersion Experience, the Delta State group was able to participate in Perm’s festival season and provide a mini summer Delta Music Institute camp to Perm students.

The main goal of the DMI camp was to

8 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

produce a public concert at the PSU Students’ Palace of Culture at the end of the camp session.

The concert featured performances from both Perm State and Delta State students as a final stage of this intensive international program. In the week leading up to the concert, the participants held four joint rehearsals before the performance on May 29.

“At the concert you could hear songs in the style of traditional Russian folk music and American blues of the Mississippi Delta region,” said Polyakova.

The Russians participating in the camp included: Katya Ilynykh, violin; Katya Konstantinova, key piano; Dmitry Dementiev, bass guitar; Uliana Grebenschikova, clarinet; Daniel Mansvetov, bongo, cajon, harmonica; Dasha Krasilnikova, vocals; Aleksandra Popova, vocals; Marina Aksenova, vocals; Igor Kopylov, vocals, songwriter; Ksenia Mazitova, vocals; and Eugeni Zherebtsov, songwriter.

DMI faculty are now in the process of producing an official recording of the concert.

The DMI students also participated in the Red Sail Festival of songwriters in the village of Shadeika near Kungur. This unique opportunity allowed the students to perform on stage to an audience in rural Russia. Once again, both Delta State and Perm State students joined together for the performance.

Another highlight event during the visit was Delta State’s participation in the conference “Rivers of Music —Rivers of Culture: At the Cultural Crossroads,” in which the American students and professors participated in the plenary session and attended four sections.

Around 70 participants attended the successful conference.

Special interactions occurred at School 6, where the group met Russian schoolchildren aged 9–16. Alla Podolskaya, director of music programs at the school, organized a thorough

performance highlighting the musical talents of the students.

“They enjoyed many other visits and excursions organized by the students of Foreign Modern Languages and Literatures, Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, and the Faculty of Law,” said Polyakova.

Additionally, the Delta State group was exposed to a number of interesting cultural events during the Diagilev Festival in Perm. The group attended five events in the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre and were guided through two excursions of the Perm Art Gallery.

The detailed schedule would not have been successful without the joint efforts of Perm State faculty and students. Along with Polyakova’s role as PSU program coordinator, the committee included: Olga Ilynykh, vice rector; Svetlana Zhdanova, head of the Development Psychology Department; Elena Gritsenko, associate professor of English in the

Language and Intercultural Communication Department; Michail Bakharev, faculty of law; Anna Shavkunova, Lubava Puzireva and Ekaterina Ilynykh, faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences; Daria Krasilnikova, Artem Gorin and Ivan Shardakov, faculty of Law; After the group departed Perm, they continued with a three-day tour of Moscow and others.

LaForge is still working with other institutions on exchange programs. The University of National World Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria, has agreed to establish a working relationship of cooperation in the areas of student exchange and internships; academic faculty and staff exchange; mutual recognition and transfer of credits; joint academic projects and common research, as well as conferences and other academic collaborations.

For more information on the recent trip to Russia, visit www.deltastate.edu/russia and read about the experiences firsthand.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 9

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

SCHEDULE PLANNER SPECIALIST

for CHEVRON

BS in Business Management, 1991

10 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

W

hen students graduate from Delta State University, they are ready for just about anything they may encounter in “the real world.” For Pam Taylor, Delta State prepared her for an exciting and challenging career aboard the Genesis SPAR platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

Taylor, a 1991 graduate with a degree in Business Management, works as a Scheduler Planner Specialist for Chevron. She works for two weeks at a time offshore.

“As a Scheduler Planner Specialist, I am responsible for logistics activities in regards to all individuals arriving and departing the Genesis SPAR platform in the Gulf of Mexico,” explained Taylor.

“Also, I coordinate with shore base employees to ensure the appropriate vessels are used during boat runs to the facility.”

She also schedules weekly p.m. maintenance, as well as helping new personnel on-boarding to the vessel’s location. While aboard the rig, she is constantly busy and begins her day at 5:30 a.m.

“Throughout the day, I update any changes for p.m. maintenance. I also work with supervisors, engineers, and land support employees to ensure we have living space for contractors who collaborate with us on projects,” she said. “I am responsible for obtaining supervisor approval for invoices for labor, supplies and equipment that are used on the Genesis platform.

“Because we have drilling and production on our facility, during downtime I will work with other groups to gain knowledge of our operations.

My most important job during the day is providing administrative support to my supervisors, land employees, and production team who work outside in any way possible.”

Working for two weeks at a time away from her family is difficult, admits Taylor, but having two weeks at home makes up for the time she’s missed.

While off the platform, Taylor attends as many school activities and family events as she can.

Working two weeks at a time definitely has its perks, but adjusting to life off the platform can sometimes be difficult.

“While offshore, our chefs cook every meal for you. My room and clothes are cleaned every day,” she said.

“When I return home, I have to readjust my lifestyle. No one is on duty to cook, clean and wash clothes for me. Also, since the facility is surrounded by water, I don’t drive for two weeks. Usually, it only takes a day to adjust!”

Taylor truly enjoys working for Chevron. In fact, when asked what she liked most about her job, she couldn’t name just one thing: her work schedule, the quality of life she has, and the support she receives from not only her supervisor, but also everyone on board. She also loves the fact that she has an opportunity to give back to

her community through the Chevron Humankind Program. For every 20 hours she volunteers, Chevron will donate $500 to any charity of her choosing.

“Chevron Genesis has more women than any other deep water location in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Taylor. “We currently have females working as Planner/Schedulers, in housekeeping, as cooks, and production operators.

We have female engineers visiting while their projects are in progress.

Overall, females are growing in the offshore oil industry and Chevron has a tremendous commitment to diversity.”

While at Delta State, Taylor was a member of the women’s basketball team, helping the Lady Statesmen win back to back championships in ’89 and ’90. Delta State is a special place for her for many reasons.

“I was the first in my immediate family to obtain a bachelor’s degree,” she said. “My education at Delta State prepared me for the job at Chevron, and I’m looking forward to continuing my career with the company.”

Taylor has achieved so much since she first stepped onto campus at Delta State, but for her, her two best accomplishments are her children. Her daughter Taylor, 18, will attend the University of Houston on a Track and Field scholarship, and her son Tanner, 16, will be a junior at Howard High in Elkridge, MD, where he plays football and basketball.

The Chevron Genesis is located 150 miles south of New Orleans with water depth varying from 2,500 to 3,000 ft.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 11

DEVELOPMENT

From Sunflower Avenue to Wall Street F I N A N C I A L L A B W I L L B R I N G TO P -T I E R F I N A N C I A L TECHNOLOGY TO CLEVELAND

By Mark H. Stowers The financial world revolves around Wall Street, but on Sunflower Avenue they’re drawing a new map on just how to get there. The Delta State University College of Business is planning to create a Financial Trading Laboratory on campus.

Dr. Billy Moore, dean of the university’s College of Business, understands the advantages this “real world classroom” will give to the next generation of financial leaders and businessmen.

“Delta State’s College of Business continues to explore ways of enhancing the educational experience of our students,” Dr. Moore said. “A finance studies lab will allow an opportunity for our students to use financial and investment software and tools to translate course goals and learning objectives and to carry out projects that will reinforce and enhance principles and theories

12 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

discussed in the classroom.”

Fundraising is planned for the estimated cost of $450,000. The amount covers remodeling an existing campus classroom.

“Our plans are to raise sufficient funds not only to establish but also to maintain the lab with industry-standard software and tools,” Dr. Moore said. “Plans are to raise the funds required to retrofit an existing classroom, Broom Hall 173, into a 24-station finance lab.”

Construction will begin when “required funding has been committed” according to Dr. Moore.

For future Statesmen businessmen and businesswomen, the lab is a connection from the classroom education to the big leagues of finance and business across the U.S. and the world.

“This lab will not only serve as an information

portal but will provide a dynamic learning environment for our students enrolled in finance, accounting, marketing, economics, and analytical courses,” Dr. Moore said. “Our finance lab will link the discussions, theories, and research talked about in classrooms to the kinds of questions industry faces but more importantly will carry out the analysis and answer these questions using industry-standard tools.”

The lab will take the best of the book and classroom and mix it with practical application, preparing students for the real business world.

“Students will take what they have learned in the classroom, confront it with real time resources, practice making decisions through simulations, and obtain feedback that will prove their understanding of what they learn in the classroom,” Dr. Moore said. “Ultimately, DSU business students will not only arrive in the job places prepared, knowing how to use industrystandard tools and understanding best practices in the industry, but will also have learned how to learn on the job.”

Inside the lab, Sunflower Avenue will resemble Wall Street, just with a southern accent but replete with all the technology found in New York City.

Marching Band to Shine in New Uniforms New uniforms are pretty much a given for college athletic teams.

Combinations, colors, and styles are innumerable, but not so much for college and university marching bands. As a matter of fact, the Delta State Marching Band has been using the same uniform for nearly two decades, but later this fall, band director Dr. Erik Richards will be designing a halftime show of “sporty new duds” songs to reflect his band’s new look.

With uniforms nearing 20 years old, the first year band director came on board last summer with the intent of getting new ones and keeping the band tradition strong at Delta State. With more than 100 members, the band is growing and soon will be gleaming in new unis.

“The average life expectancy for a uniform is about 10 years so we're overdue,” Dr. Richards said. “The materials used now are a lot lighter.

Mississippi summers and Mississippi falls are not exactly the coolest things on the planet. So we’re looking forward to getting some nicer looking and modern uniforms.”

The uniforms were designed by Dr. Richards and the DeMoulin Brothers.

The 120 or so uniforms include extra ones to create a stock of uniforms for current and future band members to choose from. Uniforms are given out each summer and turned in before Christmas break. The new uniform costs are $45,000 and most of that amount has been raised.

“We started having the conversation the day I walked on campus,” Dr. Richards said. “And we started getting serious about it in March or April and started collecting money around that time.” The School of Music has raised nearly $35,000 of the needed $50,000—mostly due to some generous donations. The uniforms have been ordered and will arrive soon. “They will be here this semester and we plan to unveil them at that time,” Dr. Richards said. “ University and college-level bands don’t rely on car washes and those types of fundraisers but more on alumni and friends of the university type donors.

“We’ve had some folks in town who have been very generous. We have donations from a couple of thousand to $5,000. Jeff Ross Capwell, who is a generous donor to the university gave a substantial amount of money. We also received a challenge grant and got to $25,000 very quickly. In a few more weeks we got to $35,000 and that allowed us to place the order.”

The band marches during home football games and local parades and have plans to do exhibition performances at regional marching band competitions. Dr. Richards is looking to speak or communicate with anyone who would like to make a donation.

To contribute to the new marching band uniforms, contact Dr. Richards at (571) 215-4973 or via email at erichards@deltastate.edu.

FOUNDATION GRANT TO PROVIDE NEW NURSING INSTRUCTORS

By Mark H. Stowers The field of healthcare has garnered much attention the past few years with the Affordable Care Act. But no matter how insurance is funded there will always be a need for doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers. At Delta State’s Robert E. Smith School of Nursing a foundation grant has been awarded that will provide for more instructors and equipment for the school.

Hospitals across the Delta are digging deep to help fund the new positions. Bolivar Medical Foundation, North Sunflower Medical Center, and Greenwood Leflore Hospital have all come together to help support the training and education of nurses and healthcare workers at Delta State.

Dr. Vicki Bingham, the schools’ Chair and Associate Professor of Nursing, noted the funds would be put to use in needed areas.

“We will create faculty positions and invest in classroom technology that includes a maternity simulation mannequin,” Dr. Bingham said. The generous foundation gifts will benefit current and prospective students.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 13

DEVELOPMENT

Delta State Annual Fund The Gift that Keeps on Giving

By Judy Smith Early in our lives we are taught that it is more blessed to give than to receive. Delta State University and its students have so fortunately seen this golden rule come to life due to the generosity and support of many of the university’s alumni, allowing future generations the opportunity to acquire an excellent education that will assist them in pursuing their dreams.

Through the Delta State University Annual Fund, there are many options for alumni and friends to give back to the university that formed their educational foundation in life. The Corporate Matching Gifts program is a wonderful way for alumni and friends in their places of employment to contribute to the university, offering twice the support as many corporations match alumni funds on a 1:1 ratio. Over the last 10 years, the University Annual Fund has received over $100,000 from this program.

Consecutive donors, Brad and Mellany Evans, take advantage of this program through Brad’s place of business, Atmos Energy, which furthers their donations and involves the corporation by bringing many Delta State University students in as summer interns.

“I grew up in Cleveland and can’t remember many days that I was not on campus for an event or there as a student,” Evans said. “It would be a shame for someone not to experience such a great place because of lack of funding. I think that giving consistently adds up in the end. It also allows the university to budget better when they know they can count on consistent donors rather than one-time donations. It also allows me to budget and give at a pace that is comfortable with my lifestyle.”

The daughter of Brad and Mellany Evans, Mollie, is a current Delta State University student and has benefited from the generosity of alumni and friends.

“I know that the university is a good steward with my contributions, and they will help all students succeed,” Evans said. “I wouldn’t have my family or career had it not been for some contributor doing

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the same thing 25 years ago. When I see my friends and fellow alumni send their children to Delta State, I am moved beyond words that they will entrust the greatest college in the world with their most precious commodity.”

Although Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Valent U.S.A., Matt Plitt and his wife Kaby live in the California Bay Area and are not able to attend as many alumni events as they would like, they feel compelled to give back to the university which contributed so much to their lives by using the Corporate Matching Gifts program.

“Kaby and I contribute to the fund because we value the education and experiences we gained from attending Delta State University,” Plitt said. “I know my social, athletic, philanthropic, and academic activities at Delta State University have contributed to my success professionally and personally. I’m grateful to the educators, leaders, and mentors that invested in our lives while at Delta State.”

Understanding the importance of consistent giving, alumni Earnest Hart is pleased to support the university that led to his current position as Director of Publications for the Office of the Mississippi Secretary of State.

“Because of the blessings that I have received, I feel that I must give something back, and the Annual Fund is a good way to support the mission of Delta State University and the student population,” Hart said. “As a collective group, passionate givers can ensure future generations of Delta State University students receive a good education and are prepared for challenging opportunities.”

Despite where their careers may take them, Delta State University alumni are easily able to contribute to their beloved university online through the Annual Fund and establish quarterly, monthly, or yearly payments that fit best with their personal budgets. Delta State University has served as the cornerstone in the lives of many students, and the generous donations of alumni are imperative to the university’s continued success. We thank all donors for their essential support.

Both Delta State University and its students benefit from your gifts and matching gifts.

Leila, Brittney, Jonathan, Jak, Jakari, Rachel, Bagya, Guillermo, Noori

left to right top to bottom

To see if your employer matches your donation, go to www.matchinggifts.com/ deltastate or to make a gift online, go to www.deltastategiving.org/Fund/Give/1.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 15

DEVELOPMENT

DR. JOE GARRISON

Honoring and Remembering the Educator Scottish novelist, historian, and Canadian leader John Buchan once said, “To live for a time close to great minds is the best kind of education.” Those who sat in the classroom of the late Dr. Joe Garrison would agree. The West Virginia native passed away last April but not before educating and touching the lives of thousands if not hundreds of thousands. For four decades he taught and prepared students to become elementary school teachers. To honor the educator, the Dr. Joe Garrison Excellence in Teacher Education Memorial Scholarship has been established by his family to honor his commitment to teach teachers.

Dr. Curtis Garrison, Dr. Joe’s son, said, “He put his heart and soul into it until the day he died and he loved every minute of it.”

“He really made it a point to connect with everybody,” daughter Danna Pritchard said.

“He addressed everybody by name and made it a point to learn something about each one of them to make them feel valuable and connected.

People trusted him because he took time to know them.”

Giving every day, Dr. Joe Garrison touched a never ending number of lives. That legacy continues in classrooms around the country as

his former students spread out over the United States and the world. And now students, friends, and others have a personal way to honor his memory and continue his legacy through the Dr. Joe Garrison Excellence in Teacher Education Memorial Scholarship.

Eloise Walker, former Education professor and colleague, remembered him as a perfect blend of heart and mind in and out of the classroom. “He was a kind professor with a merry heart,” Walker said. “His loyalty for his students and for Delta State clearly showed as he provided leadership in the elementary program. His knowledge was unbounded and his students respected him for that.”

Former student Emily Eaton who is pursuing her doctorate at Delta State University knows she wouldn’t have so many opportunities without Dr. Garrison’s input into her life from the classroom. “After I finished the specialist program he arranged transportation and found scholarships for me to continue my education,” Eaton said. “He even took the time to call me from his home at night and talk to me for more than half an hour about different career paths and things I could pursue. I really appreciated that about him.”

Sonya Swafford, an elementary school principal, saw Garrison in the classroom and in the community as a shining example. “He was rooted in our community and wanted our teachers to be successful, therefore making students the winners in the end,” Swafford said.

Joan Stiles, an academic coach, knew Garrison as a classroom and Sunday school teacher. “More than any teacher ever, he made you think and come up with your own understanding of things,” Stiles said. “Not only questions about education but questions about life. Questions I still ask myself today, 25 years later.”

Dr. Griffin, Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences, understands the honor of continuing the Garrison legacy. “So many of Dr. Garrison’s former students, many now veteran teachers and school administrators, are seeking ways in which to honor his memory.

How fitting that the Dr. Joe Garrison Excellence in Teacher Education Memorial Scholarship provides an opportunity for these alumni to honor Dr. Garrison’s memory by perpetuating his legacy—the preparation of excellent teachers for our schools.”

To make a memorial gift to the Dr. Joe Garrison Excellence in Teacher Education Memorial Scholarship, contact us: www.deltastate.org/Fund/Give/683 • Delta State University Foundation, Box 3141, Cleveland, MS 38733 foundation@deltastate.edu • 662-846-4704

16 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

Remember

Delta State in Your Will or Living Trust

H

CURIOUS HOW IT WORKS? aving a will or living trust allows you to protect the people you love most even after you’re gone. What you may not realize is that these documents also offer an opportunity to continue your support of Delta State University students and programs into the future.

HOW DO I MAKE MY GIFT? The process of making a provision in your will or trust for the DSU Foundation is easy. Simply take the sample wording in the box at right to your estate planning attorney when you create your will or trust. If you already have a will or trust, just ask your attorney to draft a codicil or an amendment to the existing document.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? • You can leave assets without worrying about whether you will need them to live on because you won’t actually be giving them away until after your lifetime.

• There are a number of ways to make your gift: you can give a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events, or a percentage of your estate.

• Your estate is entitled to an unlimited estate tax charitable deduction for gifts to Delta State University.

WHAT IF I ALREADY MADE THIS TYPE OF GIFT? Let us know! That way we can ensure that your gift will be used exactly as you intend. Plus, it would be our honor to thank and recognize you for your gift. We will of course respect any wishes regarding anonymity.

Even a gift of 5–10% of your estate can make a big difference.

HOW TO INCLUDE DSU IN YOUR WILL OR LIVING TRUST If you would like to support Delta State students and programs after your lifetime, ask your estate planning attorney to add this suggested wording to your will or living trust: I hereby give, devise and bequeath to the Delta State University Foundation, a nonprofit corporation with principal offices in Cleveland, Mississippi, percent (%) of the rest, residue and remainder of my estate for the unrestricted benefit of Delta State University. Additional bequest language can be found at www.deltastategiving.org/giving/ waystogive/plannedgiving.

Contact us at (662) 846-4709 to learn more about supporting Delta State University through your will or trust.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 17

TODAY’S NURSING STUDENTS TOMORROW’S LEADERS IN HEALTHCARE

By Jordan Thomas

18 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

Photos by Rory Doyle

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 19

“I’ve always enjoyed helping people. I enjoy talking with people and assisting them with all their medical needs.”

TREY

uilt literally on the foundations of the old Cleveland hospital, the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing was from its inception destined to improve healthcare in the Mississippi Delta.

Since opening in 1977 the school has prepared nurses to improve the health and lives of those living in the Delta and beyond.

On any given day the Nursing School is buzzing with activity. Faculty give lessons to eager students of all ages and backgrounds. Students experiment and train in state of the art, hands-on simulation labs. Thousands of shots and tens of thousands of stitches are given here every year, but the simulated patients endure it day after day without feeling so much as a pinprick.

The initial feeling you get when walking into the Robert E. Smith school of nursing, other than the sense that everyone is always very busy, is an instant and obvious perception that here is a group enthusiastic and excited about everything they do. They love the field that will one day be their careers. That disposition alone is enough to make you feel hopeful about the future of our healthcare industry.

That same interest and enthusiasm, along with advanced simulation technology and excellenct training, keeps our Delta State nursing graduates in high demand. In fact, every graduating student gets at least one job offer during their final semester, and many get more. No other degree or field offers such a clear path from graduation to employment,

20 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

“Being a nursing student takes a lot away from your daily lifestyle.

You have to learn how to pull back from your social life and just focus on your education. It takes so much dedication and hard work, and you have to be extremely organized.”

NATALIE

and Delta State grads enter the job market in an even more advantegeous position due to the quality and reputation of their alma mater.

The Robert E. Smith school of nursing offers five degree programs. The largest is the Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Candidates for this program are not yet nurses. This degree combines online, classroom, and clinical instruction, so that students are fully prepared when they graduate after five semesters.

The RN-BSN Completion Program is for currently Registered Nurses who are seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The program is online and can be completed in two semesters. This program was recently ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for providing RN to BSN education by RNtoBSN.org.

The Master of Science in Nursing is also completely online and is offered in three program tracks: nurse administrator, nurse educator, and nurse practitioner. There is also a Post Master’s Certificate Program for registered nurses with an RN license and a Master of Science in Nursing for those who want to pursue another concentration or certificate.

The newest program in the lineup is the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), which began in December 2013. DNP graduates will be eligible to take their Family Nurse Practitioner certification exam.

With over 200 students currently enrolled, the nursing school continues to grow, and there is a constant demand to expand its facilities in order to meet the needs of a growing student body without compromising the quality and reputation of its programs. “We’ve been accepting less than 50% of those who apply to the BSN program,” said Dr. Lizabeth Carlson, Dean of the nursing school. “We have done the best we can to expand. That’s why we built the new office wing and the new classrooms, but it’s a matter of resources, faculty. We’re trying to hire additional faculty right now.”

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 21

NURSES ARE THE HEART OF HEALTHCARE. –Donna Wilk Cardillo

Although they may not have expanded as much as Carlson would like, the facilities they do have are second to none. The simulation lab has multiple electronic mannequins who act as patients for the students to train on.“ We have a state of the art simulation lab here,” said Carlson.

“These mannequins do everything. You can make them react to what students do or don’t do. The monitors look exactly like in an emergency room or an intensive care unit – you can see the breathing pattern, the oxygen level, the heart rate, the blood pressure – everything.

“The mannequins talk and you can either use a pre-programmed conversation that they have or the person in the control room can take over and change their voice. Students are really nervous when they first come in here, but they love it once they’ve experienced it because they’re able to make mistakes in a safe environment.”

One of the mannequins is a birthing mannequin that actually simulates the birthing process. “We’ve actually been training with maternity nurses and physicians here from local hospitals using her (the mannequin) for high risk and rare situations. Scenarios you don’t see much. But when you do get it, you have to know what to do and you have to do it quickly,” said Carlson.

The lab also has IV arms that students can practice inserting IVs

22 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

into. There are computer programs that simulate inserting an IV or a catheter, and there is even a child mannequin.

The latest addition came in 2014 when the Healthy Lifestyle Center opened its doors. The center, located off campus and underwritten by Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides programs and services to help patients develop a healthier lifestyle. They aim to prevent diseases such as diabetes and heart disease.

“The new concept of how health care should be delivered is focused on prevention,” said Dr. Shelby Polk, nursing instructor and project director for the HRSA grant. “It’s been a ways of thinking for about 10–15 years. We are thrilled to finally see the doors open so we can transform how health care is delivered in the Delta.”

With the commitment from its students and the technologies to train them in every situation from the commonplace to the extremely rare, all within the safe confines of a university environment, the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing is essential for training the next generation of healthcare workers and ensuring that they leave Delta State not only with degrees but with the tools and approaches they need to thrive in a field where the stakes could not be higher.

A LEGACY OF HEALTH ROBERT E. SMITH

ROBERT E. SMITH SCHOOL OF NURSING

BY THE NUMBERS

139 199 234 Increased Enrollment Trend

Graduates Practicing in the Delta

Board Pass Rates

NP Certification Rates

Perhaps one of the biggest proponents of healthcare in the Delta was Robert E. Smith. Smith, a native of Cleveland, passed away in 2001 and the Nursing School named in his honor received a $3.1 million bequest from his estate, bringing his lifetime giving to a total of $4 million designated solely to the Nursing School.

“I’m very fortunate that in 1996 the phone rang, it was late afternoon, I was here by myself, and it was a voice on the other line I didn’t recognize that said ‘Mr. Fulcher, this is Robert Smith.’ I had no clue who Mr. Smith was,” said Keith Fulcher, executive director of the Alumni-Foundation.

“He said ‘I’m interested in starting a nursing scholarship.’”

The idea came to Mr. Smith after meeting a young girl who worked at a local donut shop that he used to frequent.

“She expressed that she would like to go to school, but she was the only one out of nine children to finish high school, and she said would like to go to college but she knew that her family was so poor that she never would get a chance to go and further her education. I decided that I would try to help her,” said Smith in a previous interview.

Smith established a scholarship that students could receive from the time they started their general education at Delta State to the time they graduated from Nursing School. At the time, there were many scholarships for current nursing students, but none that helped students get to nursing school.

Ruth Ann Lopez Luciano, the girl from the donut shop, was the very first recipient and is now a nurse at North Sunflower Medical Center in Ruleville, MS. She is but one example of the many lives and careers made better by the generosity of Robert E. Smith.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 23

Will Simpson pictured with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush.

24 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

D E L TA S TAT E A L U M N U S W I L L S I M P S O N

Participates in Presidential Leadership Scholars Program

By Jordan Thomas

When the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program was announced on CSPAN, Will Simpson ’00, was eagerly watching. Simpson, a Presidential history buff, had already read about the program in the Wall Street Journal. He signed up to begin the application process immediately. Over 3,000 people signed up online; 900 completed the application, and 60 were chosen for the inaugural class. Simpson found out just before Christmas that he would be one of the 60, and the only Mississippi resident.

The program is administered by the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Clinton Foundation, the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation.

The curriculum, which was developed

by Georgetown professors, centers on four leadership abilities: engaging others through vision and communication, making decisions, working collaboratively to influence and persuade stakeholders, and building working and strategic partnerships.

Each month for six months, the class traveled to various cities around the U.S. “The first week we met at Mt. Vernon, studied leadership, and got acclimated to the program,” explained Simpson. “We were each assigned a coach, and we had lessons from Harvard professors. The first week was very classroom intense, and we spent a lot of time studying

leadership. Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates was the keynote speaker.”

The next month, the class traveled to Little Rock, AR, to the Clinton Library where they studied Clinton’s presidency, particularly his communication skills.

Simpson met President Clinton as well as numerous members of his cabinet.

“We had the opportunity to mix and mingle with people in high leadership positions,” said Simpson.

“The Governor of Arkansas hosted us for dinner at the Governor’s Mansion.”

In April, the class visited President George W. Bush’s library at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where they met President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, and Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

“The theme for that module was decision making,” said Simpson. “They did an exercise dealing with the financial crisis.”

The following month, the group traveled to Boston to the LBJ Library. They visited the Johnson Ranch and met one of President Johnson’s granddaughters.

The final class weekend was held in College Station, TX, at the George H.W. Bush Library. The theme was coalition building, and they studied the reunifying of Germany.

Simpson graduated from the class in Dallas this past July. Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and “shark” investor on Shark Tank, was the featured speaker. Both President George

W. Bush and President Clinton were there to congratulate the graduates.

As part of the program, each scholar was required to do a personal leadership project.

“My personal leadership project dealt with foster kids who are aging out of the system,” explained Simpson. “We’re teaching a class to foster children to teach basic life skills that they might have missed.”

Simpson became interested in forming the project when he read that one in 10 children who have aged out of the foster care system will be homeless within three years.

The initial class included eight teens from Jackson, MS, who met weekly. They learned how to properly shake hands, look others in the eye, set personal goals, and other skills many take for granted. He hopes to expand the program throughout the entire state of Mississippi starting with the Gulf Coast.

Simpson’s favorite part of the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program was the diversity of his fellow classmates.

“I really feel like I have a new network of friends and colleagues on the national level,” he said. “The connections were amazing.”

The group is currently planning a reunion in October at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California.

While at Delta State, Simpson majored in Social Science with an emphasis in political science. He currently serves as policy advisor and counsel for Governor Phil Bryant.

ENGAGING OTHERS • MAKING DECISIONS • WORKING COLLABORATIVELY • BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 25

In the wake of tragedy . . .

Dear Campus Colleagues, Students, Alumni, and Friends: The tragedy at Delta State the week of September 14, 2015 conjures up terms such as unspeakable, unimaginable, and surreal. That sort of thing is not supposed to happen on our campus…to our people…in our community. But it did.

Our hearts and prayers go out to the families affected by these tragic events. We grieve with them and hope they find peace.

Now, it is up to us to pull together, renew, and heal. We are members of the Delta State family, and now is the time to demonstrate it. True, the world is looking in at us throughout this difficult time. But, more importantly, we need to look to each other — and inside of ourselves — as we face down the adversity we have encountered.

On campus, I’m seeing people reach out to others, check in on a colleague, and ask for help in understanding what has happened. We are providing counselors for students, faculty, and staff. If you would like a consultation, please contact Dr. Richard Houston at (662) 846-4630.

My Cabinet and I have reached out to various departments and individuals on campus, and many colleagues are calling or visiting with us…and with each other. We are hurting, and we are sharing grief. That is okay. In fact, it can be helpful in the healing process.

I am moved by the heartfelt sentiments being expressed by students, faculty, and staff for the families involved, certainly; but, also about each other. What I am hearing is very telling — we care deeply! And, that is a vital ingredient in a family.

This tragedy was an inexplicable anomaly; nevertheless, it has affected us in various ways — resulting in sadness, grief, disbelief, and even anger.

But, we should not despair. Time, caring, and effort can help us heal.

Delta State has been a safe campus, and continues to be a safe campus.

But, we are not immune to the dangers that exist in everyday life. We put

26 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

systems and processes in place to guard our Delta State family, and we rely on each of you to help us safeguard one another.

Your actions on that dark day played a big role in helping to keep the campus as safe as possible. Across the campus, I am hearing gratitude on many levels, and I express my own appreciation to you for how this campus reacted in the time of an emergency. We were purposeful, responsible, and caring. I thank everyone for the smart and quick reaction to the call for a lockdown, and for cooperating with law enforcement personnel whose job it was to address the incident and help make us all safe. And, we should all be exceedingly grateful to all the law enforcement agencies and professionals, and to those in our local community who came to our aid in our time of crisis. The outpouring of condolences and compassion from around the country and world has been truly inspirational.

We may never know the answers to many of our questions. We may never understand motives and actions. In the end, we may not even be able to bring closure to, or make sense of, something that seems to defy reason.

But, we can talk about these things, comfort and support one another, and look for ways to bring a sense of healing to a situation that has left us all stunned and numb.

As we continue to transition from the shock and grief to the healing and hope we all need and seek, I encourage you to stand strong — for yourself and for others — and help fashion a brighter tomorrow that will make this family we know as Delta State stand even taller. This is the time for healing, and we will get through this together.

Yours in solidarity, Bill LaForge ’72 President

HUGH ELLIS WALKER

Remembering the Father of the Alumni Association Hugh Ellis Walker came to Delta State from Northwest Junior College in 1949 and graduated in 1952. His education was made possible by his 1946–1948 stint in the Marine Corps and allowed him to fulfill his lifelong dream of coaching and teaching. He studied physical education and biology, played sports and intramurals, and was elected President of the Student Government Association. In his senior year at Delta State, Walker married Eloise Stratton, was named Mr. DSTC, and was inducted into the Delta State Hall of Fame.

After graduating, Walker taught and later worked in insurance in Jackson, giving him the opportunity to start the Jackson DSU Alumni Chapter. In 1969, he moved back to Cleveland to assume the position of Alumni Secretary for Delta State; he became the Alumni-Foundation Executive Director in 1987. His contributions as a student and an alumnus to Delta State were immensely valuable.

In 1985, Hugh Ellis Walker and Vicki Fioranelli brought a new tradition to Delta State, Pig Pickin’. This year, Pig Pickin’ celebrated 30 years as one of the richest traditions for Delta State students, alumni and friends. Reflecting on the honor of naming the alumni house in his name, he said “I think the Alumni House has helped put [DSU] on the map somewhere, too.” The Alumni House became the Hugh Ellis Walker Alumni House in 1996 to recognize his dedication and contributions. In 2013, Walker was named Outstanding of Alumnus of the Year by the Alumni Association. Walker passed away in November of 2014.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 27

GRAMMY MUSEUM MS

®

Celebrating the birthplace of American Music

By Jordan Thomas

GRAMMY Museum Mississippi® is coming to Delta State, and the opening is getting closer every day. Located next to the Hugh Ellis Walker Alumni-Foundation House, the multi-million dollar museum is scheduled to open next March.

Cleveland will be the home of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi®, the only Grammy Museum outside Los Angeles. “Why Mississippi? And specifically why Cleveland?” many have asked.

“Mississippi is the birthplace of American music,” explains Emily Havens, the executive director of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi®.

“In fact, nearly eight percent of all Lifetime Achievement Award winners are from Mississippi.”

Mississippi is also the only state to have its own “Mississippi Night” during GRAMMY

28 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

week in Los Angeles. This, in addition to the Delta Music Institute (Mississippi’s only accredited music industry studies program) at Delta State, created the perfect storm for GRAMMY Museum Mississippi® to come to Cleveland.

“The DMI program is vital to the success of this museum,” said Havens. “Students from DMI will have the opportunity to intern in the museum and even participate in an exchange program with Southern California universities.

The museum will provide great opportunities for Delta State students to learn and gain great experience.”

DMI students will also support GRAMMY Museum Mississippi® in the areas of production, retail, promotion, and support staff.

Recently, a group of DMI students, known as the DMI All-Stars, traveled to Los Angeles

for the annual Mississippi night of GRAMMY week.

“They were once again invited to perform at the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. Live for Mississippi Night. The event promotes Mississippi music, the GRAMMY legacy, and various segments of Mississippi’s creative economy,” explained Tricia Walker, Director of the DMI. “The DMI All-Stars performed an opening set of music for the Bank of Legends, studio musicians who backed Elvis on many of his hit recordings,” she said. “The All-Stars also assisted in a songwriting program, where we involved several young students in the audience in an ‘on the spot’ created of a blues song.”

For more information on GRAMMY Museum Mississippi,® visit www.grammymuseumms.org.

Become a Sustaining Life Member Today!

By becoming a Sustaining Life Member, you are making a difference in the lives of Delta State students. This program was launched for current paid-in-full lifetime members of the Delta State University Alumni Association who are looking for ways to provide additional annual support. By donating a yearly gift of $100, you will be supporting the Hugh Ellis Walker Alumni Scholarship and helping a deserving student complete their education.

Sustaining Life Members will be recognized for their generosity in an issue of the Delta State Magazine and listed on the Alumni Association’s website. They will also receive a Sustaining Life Member Certificate and a special edition 2015 lapel pin.

2015 Sustaining Life Members* Lana Aguzzi

Charlene Graham

Michael Aguzzi

Keith and Leslie Griffin

Richard and Priscilla Aguzzi

Bill and Nancy LaForge

Mike and Angel Ainsworth

Thomas Lampkin

Joe Baker, Jr.

Parker Lipscomb

Sydney Beach

Robert McClellan

Walter Campell, III

George Miller, Jr

John Cox

George Miller, Sr

Tripp Davis, III

Rodney Scaife

R.L. Creekmore

Patsy Sledge

Kim Dowdy

Herman Smith

Henry Drake

Rose Strahan

Martha Evans

Stringer Billboards

Brenda Ferguson

Richard Tillotson

Jonathan and Sayward Fortner

Sara Trotter

Keith Fulcher

Joyce Dugan Wood

David Gladden

Mary Williams *As of September 28, 2015

For more information, contact the Alumni Association at (662) 846-4660 or email alumni@deltastate.edu.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 29

ATHLETICS

Flying Statesm

30 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

LaQuavius Cotton Wins 2015 State Farm College Slam Dunk Contest

man

Photo by Steve Woltmann

On the national stage with millions watching, senior Statesman LaQuavius Cotton faced up University of Wisconsin-Green Bay guard Keifer Sykes in the final round of the 2015 State Farm College Dunk Championship.

The first dunk from Cotton in the second round received 10s across the board, resulting in a whopping second round score of 86.9 taken from the judges scores’ as well as those from social media voters watching at home. Cotton, a 6’6” shooting guard from Cleveland, sealed the deal with a windmill slam and brought the championship home to Delta State.

But maybe even more impressive is the news that followed the event. Cotton, one of our own, has been drafted by the world famous Harlem Globetrotters! The Globetrotters will be celebrating their 90th anniversary tour this year and a Statesman will be trotting the globe with them. Congratulations, LaQuavius!

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 31

ATHLETICS

BASEBALL STADIUM RENOVATIONS It’s been in the works for several years, but Delta State University Athletics has officially announced plans to renovate Ferriss Field following the 2015 baseball season.

32 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

The $1 million project is being funded entirely by private donations to one of the nation's most prestigious college baseball programs and was jumpstarted by a $525,000 lead gift by former Statesman Tim Harvey. The stadium will be named the Tim and Nancy Harvey Stadium in honor of their generous gift.

“The renovation coming to Ferriss Field will help ensure the Statesmen compete at the highest levels of NCAA Division II Baseball for years to come,” DSU head coach Mike Kinnison said. “The goal for this complete project is $1,000,000. Former Statesman Tim Harvey has generously given a lead gift of $525,000 to make this dream become a reality. All of us who have supported this program extend our appreciation to Tim for making this possible.”

DSU's fundraising effort has grown to $325,000, with approximately $850,000 committed to date. Construction began at the conclusion of the 2015 season.

The project will feature a completely new elevated seating area that will house 500 chair-back seats in the main concourse spanning from dugout to dugout. Handicap accessibility and seating will be included.

The upper level will feature a new press box and two guest suites. The stadium seating area will also be enclosed entirely with brick. The last phase of the project will provide new, relocated ground level dugouts

with restrooms and storage.

“The enhancements have come, thanks in part, to a tremendous tradition of success on and off the field for Delta State University Baseball. The student-athletes who have worn the green-and-white have gone on to exemplify the true definition of what it means to be a Statesman,” DSU Director of Athletics Ronnie Mayers said.

“This new stadium will be a tremendous asset for many years to come,” added Kinnison. “Recruiting is the most important thing we do here to contribute to a championship culture. This addition will not only enhance the recruiting experience but the game day experience for our community, fans, and players.”

In addition to the stadium renovations, Delta State Athletics recently erected a statue in honor of Coach Dave “Boo” Ferriss, legendary coach of the Delta State University Statesmen and Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer. Retiring after the completion of the 1988 season, he continues to be a tireless supporter at all levels of baseball throughout the state and especially to his beloved Statesmen.

The statue, created by renowned Mississippi artist Kim Sessums, features Ferriss in his Delta State uniform and has been placed behind the newly renovated grandstand inside the stadium that bears his name.

ABOUT FERRISS FIELD • Delta State University Baseball enjoys one of the finest collegiate facilities in the Gulf South Conference—Dave “Boo” Ferriss Field.

• Since 2003, the Statesmen have enjoyed the highest level of attendance of any NCAA Division II team in the nation and that success has led the program to uncompromising excellence.

• That growth has led to the development and design of a new Dave “Boo” Ferriss Field. The new home of the Statesmen is set to open in the spring of 2016.

• Delta State’s current field was completed in 1964 and the stadium grandstands erected under the watchful eye of Coach Ferriss in 1974. Ferriss has overseen the transformation of the 6.63-acre parcel of land into a present day field of dreams for the Statesmen.

• The field was named in honor of Ferriss upon his retirement on June 18, 1988.

President Bill LaForge, Athletics Director Ronnie Mayers, Head Coach Mike Kinnison, and former player Judson Thigpen at the unveling of the Ferriss statue.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Both the renovation and the statue are being funded by private dollars. You can donate to both projects by visiting www.deltastategiving.org. To contribute to the stadium renovation, you can also contact Coach Mike Kinnison at (662) 846-4291 or via email at mkinnisn@ deltastate.edu. You can double or triple your support if you are employed by a company with a matching gift program. Donors for the Ferriss Statue may also break their gifts up into monthly installments. We thank all donors for their generous support.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 33

PROFESSOR SPOTLIGHT

Dr. Nina L. Baghai-Riding was born in Pittsburg, PA, and moved to Wellesley, MA, in the 4th grade. She graduated from Wellesley Senior High School. She began her Bachelors of Science degree in geology at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. During her junior year, she transferred to the University of Wyoming where she received Bachelor of Science degrees in Geology and Botany. Later she received a Master’s of Science in Geology from the University of Idaho, a Master’s of Science in Geoscience from the University of Rochester, and a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Texas at Austin with an emphasis in fossil plants. Her research interests pertain to Mesozoic and Cenozoic palynology (fossil pollen and spores), Pleistocene iceage fossils, conservation biology, and environmental science. She teaches upper division biology and environmental science courses, non-majors biology, and first year seminar. She also is the manager of the Delta State University Herbarium.

34 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

Q. How long have you been at Delta State?

I started teaching at DSU in Fall 1999. Prior to that time, I taught one year as a visiting professor at Richard Stockton College in Pomona, NJ, and one year as a visiting professor at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, SD.

Q. What do you like most about teaching?

and conservation biology research projects. As a result, many have been co-authors on my scientific poster presentations. A few students also have been authors to contributed papers that are published in scientific journals.

Q. What is something that most people don’t know about the Delta State Herbarium?

The Delta State University herbarium has national and international status. It contains more than 17,000 preserved plant specimens. Most specimens are from the southeastern United States. However, more than 35 states and 8 countries are represented in the collection. The collection primarily contains materials from outstanding botanists that have put DSU on the map. For example, a tropical fern collection from Panama collected by Richard Caylor (Caylor Hall is named after him) is present. The collection contains hundreds of specimens collected by emeritus professor Dr. Robert A Stewart, Dr. Henry Jacobs, a former Dean, and retired Mississippi State plant taxonomist Sydney McDaniel. Numerous specimens from other historic collectors are present. Students have added more than a 1,000 specimens to the collection.

I enjoy seeing students being able to grasp rather difficult concepts rather quickly. I have been told that I am able to come down to their level. I attribute part of that gift to my past experience as a seasonal ranger and interpreter at state and national parks, where I learned how to explain scientific principles to a general audience.

Q. If you had to choose, what is your favorite course that you teach and why?

My most favorite is probably BIO 314–Physical Geology for Life Sciences. I studied geology as an undergraduate and graduate student. Environmental Science students who take the two geology courses that I offer become acquainted with soils, rocks and minerals, aerial and landsat photographs and topographic maps, earthquakes, landforms, groundwater and surface water applications, where to build and not build their dream home, and much more.

Q. When you are not teaching, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I enjoy playing the organ. (I play the organ for church services.) My favorite composers are J. S. Bach and Felix Mendelssohn.

Q. What is your favorite memory as a professor?

I have two recent favorite memories. I helped to initiate Ryan Fulgham in receiving the Gunn award in 2014. Ryan was a stellar student at DSU and would do everything that was asked and lots more. He graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Science as well as in Chemistry. He also assisted in taking more than 12,000 digital images of various specimens contained in the DSU herbarium. Ryan is now a graduate student at Colorado State University in Environmental Chemistry and his focus is on air quality.

The other favorite recent memory was seeing Sam Rustom walking in the graduation ceremony in Spring 2014. He was another one of my Environmental Science students that I taught for more than three years. At graduation, he gave me a big hug when exiting in the student procession.

When he hugged me, he thanked me for everything. I will never forget that moment.

Photo by Rory Doyle

Q. What is one thing you hope your students will take away from having you as a teacher?

I like to tell my students to pursue their passion. Life is short so I tell my students to study what they like the best.

I tell them that I studied paleontology because I enjoyed it. Later I found that I could work at a park, at a university, museum, for industry, and more. I also tell them if they are good at what they do, then others will want to be on their team. Additionally, I encourage some of my upper division students to help me with my paleontological

I also like traveling to scientific meetings and sharing experiences with my colleagues. Every year, for example, I attend the Botanical Society of America meeting. I usually have a poster presentation that relates to my research. At that meeting, I visit with many colleagues that I often just see once a year. In addition, I have served as a Plant Grant mentor for undergraduate students for the past five years.

Q. What do you like most about Delta State?

I like how professors and staff in various disciplines interact with each other. Everyone tries to help out one another to achieve their goals. I also like how students get to know their professors. I did not get that opportunity too much when I was an undergraduate student. I also am Facebook Friends with many former and current students.

Q. How would you encourage a prospective student to attend Delta State?

I would tell a prospective student that DSU is a family atmosphere. Professors and students will help them achieve their dreams. I also tell them that DSU has many outstanding programs. Students majoring in the sciences, especially environmental science, often are able to acquire good jobs before they graduate because of the skills and knowledge that they have developed.

(DSU is the only state public university in Mississippi that offers a B.S. degree in environmental science.)

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 35

WITH THE CLASSES

CLASS NOTES Who Ordered the Rattlesnake?

Leslie Roark Scott competed on the Food Network’s Chopped Grill Masters reality show. Scott was the winner of round three, where she had to prepare lobster, and earned herself a spot on the final episode. On the final episode, Scott was eliminated after the group had to prepare rattlesnake. Scott owns Ubon’s Restaurant in Yazoo City with her father Gary Roark. She has been involved with cooking competitions since 1989, and barbecue is her specialty. Follow Leslie on twitter @barbequeprinces!

Alumnus of the Year.

1964

Larry Liddell was inducted into the Clarksdale-Coahoma County Sports Hall of Fame.

1972

J. Walter Wood, Jr., the longest serving state juvenile corrections executive in the U.S., recently retired from his position as Executive Director of Alabama’s Department of Youth Services. He accepted a position as Chief Operating Office of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America in Tampa, FL.

1973

Marty Pearson, of Oxford, was recently inducted into the Mississippi Tennis Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

1976

Jesse Murphree was inducted into the Clarksdale-Coahoma County Sports Hall of Fame.

1978

Dr. Cathy Sessums received the “Love, Honor, Truth Award” by the National Council of Phi Mu at the Fraternity’s annual convention.

James E. Dunn was honored as the 2014 Northwest Community College Outstanding

36 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

1992

2003

1997

2009

Richard Myers Jr. has been named co-chair of Stites and Harbison PLLC’s intellectual property & technology service group.

Ryan Akers founded and coordinates Mississippi Youth Preparedness Initiative (MYPI) MYPI and was recently awarded the FEMA Individual and Community Preparedness award for “Outstanding Youth Preparedness Program.”

1999

Cory Radicioni has become a shareholder in Wise Carter’s Jackson Law Firm.

Kelli Wallace was recently named the Head Band Director at Cleveland High School in Cleveland, MS.

2001

Will Sledge was selected as president of the Ruleville office of Planters Bank.

2002

Mona Norwood Milan was named the 2014 Teacher of the Year for O’Bannon Elementary School in Greenville, MS, and the 2014 Teacher of the Year for the Western Line School District.

Brandon Moon was awarded the Visual Arts Award by the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters.

NaTunya Johnson was named the 20132014 Rookie Educator of the Year during the Mississippi Business Education Association Conference in Gulfport.

FACULTY/STAFF

Sammy Britt received the Noel Polk Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters.

FRIENDS OF DELTA STATE

Bob Wilbanks was recently selected as Bolivar Medical Center’s 2015 Mercy Award Winner.

WEDDING BELLS

Leigh Anna Herring ’98, of Madison, to Brian Burris on August 31, 2014, in Atlanta, GA.

BABY STATESMEN Zoey Victoria to M/M Todd Davis (Krista Goetz ‘12), of Cleveland, on July 17, 2015 William Henry to M/M Mike Carr (Kelli Davis ‘03) of Cleveland on June 1, 2015.

Delta State vs Valdosta State

NOVEMBER 6 & 7 2015 DSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION SERVICE AWARDS

OUTSTANDING ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR: Lucy Janoush ’78 HALL OF FAME AWARD: Lucy Janoush ’78, Colonel Gentry Boswell ’91, Dwight Herlong ’91, John C. Cox ’96 HUGH ELLIS WALKER ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD: Charlie McGuffee ’67 KENT WYATT “YOUNG ALUMNUS” SERVICE AWARD: Hays Collins ’04 GLADYS CASTLE “FRIEND” OF DELTA STATE SERVICE AWARD: Bolivar Medical Center Hospital LEGACY AWARD (FIRST AWARDED IN 2005): Hill Demonstration School HENRY OUTLAW RETIRED FACULTY/STAFF ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD: Vicki Fioranelli ’68

SPECIAL REUNIONS

Class of 1965 50-year Graduates; Golden Circle: Classes 1928–64 Black Alumni Constituent Group Tailgate Reunion

10:00–NOON NOON–2:00

4:00 5:00–7:00 7:00–UNTIL

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2015 Alumni Association Board Meetings Full Board of Directors Meetings Kent Wyatt Lecture Series. Jacob Conference Center Class of 1965/Golden Circle Social and Reunion (Social at 6:00). BPAC Alumni Awards Gala. BPAC

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2015

8:00–11:00 Homecoming Registration. H.L. Nowell Student Union 8:15–9:15 “Respect the Statesmen” Tour of Campus (Again at 9:45–10:45) 9:00–NOON Art Faculty Workshops 10:00 Athletic Alumni Board Meeting. Dorgan Center Conference Room

Veterans Exhibit and Refreshments. Jobe Hall 10:00–3:00 Wright Art Gallery 11:00 Athletic Alumni Board General Meeting. Chadwick-Dickson

Ceremony for Veterans Atrium. Jobe Hall | Organizations, Constituent Group Meetings, & Open Houses NOON Statesmen Park Tailgating; Cheerleaders, DSU Marching Band, Dance Team | Lunch. Young-Mauldin DSU Dining Hall NOON–1:00 “Fear the Okra” Tour of Campus (Alumni/Friends/Community Members) NOON–3:00 Reunions, Open Houses, Tents at Statesmen Park (N. Field), Continuing Ed All-Star Cheerleaders, DMI’s Ol’ Skool Revue & Delta Rox 4:00 Football Game: Delta State University vs. Valdosta State University Queen and Court Presentation at Halftime 8:00

National Pan-Hellenic Council presents Stomp Fest 2015. BPAC

ACTIVITIES University Archives & Museum Patriotic Exhibit. Jobe Hall Atrium • SGA will ask all Alums to stand and be recognized at halftime. • Jimmy R. Williams Bookstore Open 11:00–4:00.

H.L. Nowell Union; Noon–3:00. Statesmen Park; 3:00. Parker Field-McCool Stadium (10% discount with alumni membership card)

IN MEMORIAM John D. Ashcraft, III (friend), of Greenwood, on October 15, 2014.

Deborah S. Hankins ’80, of Little Rock, AR, on January 18.

Brenda F. Peterson ’93, of Cleveland, on April 9.

George Arendale ’68, of Cordova, TN, on June 17.

Samuel A. Haynes ’57, of Corinth, on May 17.

Marsh Pickett, Jr. ’95, of Tupelo, on September 7.

Glynda L. Austin ’68, of Madison, on January 7.

Carmen E. Headley (friend), of Fairhope, AL, on September 28, 2014.

Will E. Pittman, Sr. ’91, of Clarksdale, on June 26.

Bruce R. Bailey ’83, of Fort Myers, FL, on August 4.

William A. Bandy ’53, of Columbus, on January 13.

Edwin D. Bagley, Jr. ’66, of Houston, TX, on July 14, 2014.

Dr. James A. Blanton ’88, of Fairhope, AL, on August 9, 2014.

William S. Boswell, Jr. ’63, of Amory, on July 23, 2014.

Robert E. Box ’50, of Flora, on December 27, 2014.

Dennis D. Hendrix (attended), of Cleveland, on September 20.

Thomas S. Hendrix (friend), of Brandon, on September 27, 2014.

Robert W. Henson ’63, of Scottsdale, AZ, on August 14.

Frances E. Hinson ’33, of Boyle, on November 29, 2014.

Billy J. Holder (friend), of Crossett, AR, on September 30, 2014.

Dennis W. Raines ’76, of Cleveland, on June 27, 2014.

James W. Ramage ’58, of Northport, AL, on August 30, 2014.

Scott W. Randall ’79, of Biloxi, on December 27, 2014.

Levona N. Rickles ’86, of Greenwood, on March 6.

Ronald W. Robertson ’76, of Greenwood, on June 3.

Jerry W. Robinson (Faculty), of Cleveland, on August 31.

Daniel T. Branton, Jr. (friend), of Leland, on November 10, 2014.

Kathryn M. Hollingsworth (friend), of Atlanta, GA, on August 24, 2014.

William L. Rowland ’55, of Oxford, on June 11.

Billie W. Breland ’53, of Cleveland, on January 13.

Emmett H. Hood, Jr. ’52, of Ridgeland, on March 27.

Jessie M. Rushing ’72, of Indianola, on April 18.

John O. Breland, Sr. ’59, of Ripley, on May 21.

Melody K. Jackson ’66, of Fort Walton Beach, FL, on May 17.

Stanley P. Sandroni (friend), of Batesville, on September 10, 2014.

Ethel L. Brown (friend), of Rolling Fork, on October 24, 2014.

Norma J. Jackson ’50, of Greenwood, on August 29.

Nancy M. Scheiderman ’61, of Clarksdale, on April 18.

Terry W. Brown, Sr. ’71, of Columbus, on September 4, 2014.

Josephine E. Janoush ’48, of Cleveland, on June 28.

Cecil O. Sharp ’51, of Batesville, on January 16.

Wilma P. Brown ’45, of Leland, NC, on March 11.

Irene S. Johnson ’46, of Boyle, on February 2.

Sherard R. Shaw ’58, of Carmel, IN, on January 14.

Mildred Bryant ’85, of Hollandale, on July 20, 2014.

Wanda M. Jones (friend), of Sandersville, on October 25, 2014.

George Sherwood ’90, of Cleveland, on June 27.

Betty J. Bullard ’49, of New Orleans, LA, on August 27, 2014.

Terry Keesee (attended), of Leland, on July 21, 2014.

Syble R. Simmons ’46, of Vicksburg, on August 1, 2014.

Carolyn M. Bullock ’82, of Southaven, on November 16, 2014.

Sylvester Kyles, Jr. ’83, of Shaw, on September 19.

Georgia A. Sims ’05, of Cleveland, on January 20.

Edna C. Burrell ’49, of Durant, on September 29, 2014.

Mae D. Lambert ’63, of Booneville, on October 23, 2014.

Vera E. Smith ’45, of Jackson, on October 12, 2014.

Otis T. Carollo ’55, of Baton Rouge, LA, on May 16.

James A. Law (attended), of Greenwood, on June 23, 2014.

Harvey V. Springer ’63, of Brandon, on June 7.

John D. Chamblee ’94, of West Palm Beach, FL, on April 12.

Jane Leggett ’74, of Bogue Chitto, on May 16.

Christine D. Stallings ’41, of Summerville, GA, on September 23.

Dixie S. Clark ’69, of Starkville, on July 12, 2014.

David S. Lingle ’53, of Jackson, on August 4, 2014.

Robert E. Stanton ’72, of Clarksdale, on May 24.

John P. Chouccoli, Jr. (friend), of Shaw, on August 9, 2014.

Frances J. Love (friend), of Indianola, on October 25, 2014.

Sue H. Strawbridge ’63, of Shaw, on November 13, 2014.

Robert A. Cire ’49, of Cambridge, MD, on April 10, 2009.

Kathryn W. Mann ’46, of Cleveland, on June 23, 2014.

Helen C. Stroup ’73, of Batesville, on September 4, 2014.

Dr. William M. Clower, Jr. ’74, of Denver, CO, on June 8.

Robert G. Mason ’60, of Cleveland, on June 6.

Robert M. Swann ’62, of Oxford, on February 7.

Phyllis M. Dale ’52, of Walls, on January 14.

Donald L. Massey ’73, of Madison, on November 26, 2014.

William L. Switzer ’70, of Coppell, TX, on September 24, 2014.

Dr. William F. Davidge (friend), of Ocean Springs, on June 23, 2014.

Lee McCarty (attended), of Merigold, on September 7.

Sarah E. Tapley ’54, of Cleveland, on January 6.

Samuel J. McClellan ’79, of Lexington, on August 11, 2014.

Kathy J. Trippe ’99, of Marks, on July 13, 2014.

Mark L. McCord ’88, of Grenada, on April 12.

Rose M. Vance ’49, of Mandeville, LA, on August 4, 2014.

Robert C. McDaniel ’62, of Greenwood, on July 12.

Ernestine B. Walker (friend), of Cleveland, on January 22.

James M. McFadden, Jr. ’93, of Inverness, on February 16.

Harry A. Walker ’51, of Columbus, on September 9, 2014.

J.C. McGuire, Jr. ’50, of Gulfport, on August 18, 2014.

Hugh Ellis Walker, Sr. ’52, of Cleveland, on November 14, 2014.

Clifton J. McInnis, Jr. ’53, of Vicksburg, of September 18, 2014.

Robert L. Warnock ’67, of Moorhead, on September 2, 2014.

Lester McKinney ’50, of Orlando, FL, on October 12, 2014.

Cecil Washington (friend), of Cleveland, on May 21.

Billy K. McMinn ’55, of Oakland, on July 26, 2014.

Zonnia Washington ’91, of Fayetville, NC, on March 11.

Floyd W. Eppinette ’57, of Newnan, GA, on April 27.

William R. Merritt (faculty), of Cleveland, on September 23, 2014.

Gerald D. Williams ’57, of Benton, LA, on January 1.

Alice C. Ewing ’45, of Memphis, TN, on March 28.

Billie R. Metcalf (friend), of Cleveland, on July 18, 2014.

Princy L. Williams ’76, of Greenville, on July 6, 2014.

JoAnn P. Forrest ’86, of Decatur, on March 22.

William P. Moses ’79, of Ruleville, on September 1.

Ronald J. Garrison (faculty), of Cleveland, on April 10.

James M. Wilson (friend), of Baton Rouge, LA, on October 16, 2014.

Gregory S. Mullen ’78, of Grenada, on August 26, 2014.

Samuel W. Gidden (attended), of Tunica, on March 23.

Cynthia K. Myers (attended), of Jackson, on April 6.

George W. Gilliam ’40, of Pontotoc, on September 28, 2014.

Neil T. Nations ’68, of Vicksburg, on March 25.

Shelton M. Yocum (friend), of Snowmass Village, CO, on September 1, 2014.

Gladys S. Gillmore ’42, of Ridgeland, on November 30, 2014.

Joanne C. Norwood ’46, of Memphis, TN, on September 6, 2014.

Jane B. Youell (friend), of Clarksdale, on March 15.

Lillian Love Gordy ‘52, of Ocala, FL, on September 1.

Dorothy J. Pate ’50, of Cleveland, on December 3, 2014.

James W. Young, Sr. ’48, of Madison, on June 7.

Linda Y. Goudelock ’45, of Lyons, CO, on October 6, 2014.

Nell D. Peay ’39, of Denton, TX, on July 17, 2014.

Margaret G. Young ’53, of Ridgeland, on June 24.

Marie F. Hall ’58, of Hollandale, on November 15, 2014.

Daniel J. Peters ’80, of Akron, OH, on October 27, 2014.

George T. Davis, Jr. ’85, of Drew, on May 7.

Oma E. Davis ’73, of Avon, on April 10.

Timothy L. Davis ’86, of Olive Branch, on September 2, 2014.

Dr. William H. Dodson ’59, of Memphis, TN, on March 31.

Margie H. Dorris ’51, of Greenville, on March 11.

Charlie Doze (attended), of Greenwood, on December 3, 2014.

Doretha Eason-Stewart (attended), of Houston, TX, on September 4, 2014.

Larry Wood ’64, of Lena, on November 1, 2014.

*Due to space limitations, listing priority in the “With the Classes” section of the Alumni & Foundation magazine will be given to dues-paying members of the Delta State University Alumni Association. To submit a Class Note, Baby Statesmen, Wedding Bells, In Memoriam, or Miles Away photo, send it to alumni@deltastate.edu or DSU Box 3104, Cleveland, MS 38733.

The Association relies on numerous sources for “With the Classes” information and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni.

38 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

IN MEMORIAM Dorothy Sample Shawhan Dorothy Sample Shawhan, educator and author, died after a brief illness on December 21, 2014, in Tupelo. Born in Tupelo on July 16, 1942, to George Vay and Jessie Talley Sample, Dorothy was raised in Verona and graduated with honors from Tupelo High School in 1960. She continued her education at Mississippi State College for Women where she was an English major, serving in several class and student body leadership roles and again graduating with many honors. Postgraduate work included an M.A. Degree in English from Louisiana State University in 1966 and an MFA degree in Creative Writing from George Mason University in 1991.

In 1968 she married Ralph Thompson Shawhan, and they lived in Bloomington, IN, where she worked as an editor for an instructional television show as well as an editor for IU Publications. In 1974, she and Ralph welcomed a son, George, to their family.

In 1981, Dorothy and George moved to Cleveland where she joined the faculty at Delta State University as an English instructor. She went on to become Chair of the Department of Languages and Literature, serving in that position for 14 years.

An avid reader and writer, Dorothy co-founded, with close friend Marion Barnwell, a literary journal, Tapestry, which publishes faculty work at DSU and where many of her short stories have been published. She was also co-publisher for and contributor to a short story collection, On the Way Home, by Ruby Shoes Press, published in 1996.

A proud feminist, Dorothy devoted much of her career to wring about strong women and their contributions. Her acclaimed novel, Lizzie, was published in 1994, followed by the biography of Lucy Somerville Howorth and later Delta: The Art of Carolyn Norris. A meticulous and inspiring professor, accomplished author and critic, Dorothy Shawhan, her quick wit and charming character, will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know her.

Ethan Schmidt Mr. Ethan Andrew Schmidt, 39, of Cleveland, died tragically on September 14, 2015, in Cleveland, MS. Mr. Schmidt was born September 27, 1975, to Thomas Eugene Schmidt and Jeffery Sue Pierce Schmidt. He graduated from Peabody High School then attended Emporia State University where he obtained his undergraduate degree and his Masters degree in History and Social Sciences. He then studied and achieved his doctorate degree from Kansas University.

On December 19, 1998, he married Elizabeth Ann Skolaut in Emporia, Kansas. In 2005, he began working as a professor at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, and remained there until 2012. In 2013 he and his family then moved to Delta State University in Cleveland, MS, where he taught for several years until his passing.

Ethan’s first book, The Divided Dominion: Social Conflict and Indian Hatred in Early Virginia was published by the University of Colorado Press in 2014. His second book, Native Americans in the American Revolution was published by Greenwood Praeger/ ABC-CLIO publishing in 2015.

He was a member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Cleveland, MS. He loved to read, listen to music, and spend quality time with his wife and children. He was a devoted father and husband with family being the highest priority for him. He had a great sense of humor that he shared with everyone he met.

Henry E. Outlaw ’61 Dr. Henry Outlaw, 77, died after a brief illness and surgery on February 21, 2015, at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. Dr. Outlaw was born in Pickwick, TN, on June 17, 1937. Upon graduating from Baldwyn High School, Henry introduced himself to Delta State College and Cleveland by riding through the pep rally bonfire on a Harley Davidson motorcycle and spent the rest of his life devoted to the university and students he loved. He graduated from Delta State College in 1961 with a B.S. degree in chemistry and biology. He received his Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in biochemistry from the University of Mississippi Medical School.

From 1965–66, Dr. Outlaw was a National Institute of Health Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Florida Medical School.

Then he became a Fellow-in-Residence in the School of Theology at the University of the South. Following that, he was a Templeton Fellow in Science and Religion at Oxford University. He was also a visiting professor at the University of North Carolina Medical School.

Dr. Outlaw taught chemistry at Delta State University from 1966–2002 and served as Chairman of the Department of Physical Sciences from 1970–2002.

While serving as Chair, the Department of Chemistry became the first department at Delta State to earn national certification. He also worked at the Delta Center for Culture and Learning as a program associate and was instrumental in fundraising for the DSU AlumniFoundation. After retiring he continued to support DSU by recruiting students and attending various alumni meetings. He held memberships in the Mississippi Academy of Sciences and the American Chemical Society.

He was a member of Kappa Alpha Order where he was in the Court of Honor and had an Old South dedicated to him. He was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa and DSU’s Hall of Fame as well as a member of the Cleveland Exchange Club for many years. He was also a member of Calvary Episcopal Church of Cleveland.

In 1995, he was honored by the Mississippi Section of the American Chemical Society with the Outstanding Chemist Award. Other honors included DSU SGA Outstanding Teacher Award in 1998 and the Dr. Travis Richardson Outstanding Science Teacher Award in 2000.

For his work, in 2005, he received the Public Humanities Achievement Chair’s Award for Special Achievement in the Humanities. His most recent honor was being named the inaugural recipient of the award named for him, The Dr. Henry E. Outlaw Faculty/Staff Service Award.

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 39

PARTING SHOT

Mississippi natives The Band Perry performed a concert at Parker FieldMcCool Stadium on the campus of Delta State University to celebrate GRAMMY Museum Mississippi® coming to Cleveland.

40 • Delta State Magazine • 2015

2015 • Delta State Magazine • 41

DSU Box 3104 1003 West Sunflower Road Cleveland, MS 38733 www.deltastate.edu Address Service Requested

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