S O U T H E R N M I S S A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N • S U M M E R 2 0 1 3
the
Resilient
Southern Miss
Spirit Continues to Soar
Helping your plans
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S O U T H E R N M I S S A L U M N I AS S O C I AT I O N • S U M M E R 2 0 1 3
Departments
7 Notes from Home
8 News Around Campus
34 The Resilient Southern Miss Spirit Continues to Soar
With the generosity from such a large amount of donors who continue to support the restoration of the campus to its former glory, progress is already evident. The initial phase of landscaping at the historic south edge of the Hattiesburg campus has begun. When complete, the multi-phased project is expected to add additional sidewalks, more than 130 trees, and an irrigation system to the “front porch” of the University.
16 Calendar of Events
18 Association News
28 Foundation News
38 A Humble Servant Leader: Southern Miss
40 Sighting Southern Stars
46 From the Archives
48 Arts and Letters
51 Athletic News
54 Snapshots
56 Class Notes
Alumnus Combines Experience and Passion Providing fun for children with cancer, Roz Dorsett ’08 enthusiastically combines her experience in the healthcare industry with a passion to serve the pediatric cancer population. This child and family studies graduate makes a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of children through her work as the assistant director of Camp Rap-A-Hope, a summer camp for children between the ages of seven and 17 who have or have had cancer.
42 The Courage to Tri
A Life Member of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, Dr. John Pendergrass has been the University’s Athletics department ophthalmologist for more than 30 years. Upon turning 60 years of age, he completed his first IRONMAN triathlon. Never his intention, Pendergrasss competed in six of the world’s toughest triathlons across six continents. In his book Against the Odds, Pendergrass takes readers on his incredibly inspirational journey.
44 Maintaining Tradition: One of
Southern Miss’ Own Leads The Pride
Dr. Jamie Standland ’87 never dreamed he would one day be named director of The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band. A Southern Miss alum and former member of The Pride, he recalls being in awe of The Pride as a spectator in the stands. Today, Standland vows to maintain the program’s traditions and the family atmosphere of Southern Miss that has always existed.
Front Cover: On May 7, five mature oak trees, funded in part by the $100,000 contribution from the Southern Miss
Alumni Association, were planted to kick off the Gateway Phase of the Campus Landscape and Restoration and Enhancement Plan. Photo by Kelly Dunn
Summer 2013
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ALUMNI STAFF Executive Director Jerry DEFATTA ’00, ‘10 Associate Director for external affairs Jennifer Payne ‘04 Associate Director for Internal Operations Dane Reiter ‘06, ‘07, ‘10 Assistant Director for Communications Jenny Boudreaux ‘08 Manager of Programs Dawn Smith ’95, ’12 Manager of Constituent Relations Laurie Benvenutti ‘10, ‘11 Director of the M-Club and Community Relations Ray Guy ‘72 Coordinator of Information Services Melissa McDaniel
It is now easier than ever to stay connected for a lifetime!
Administrative Assistant RENÉ TRIGG Data Entry Specialist Sharon Anderson Receptionist Shelly Jackson Mail Clerk Edward Wallace
••••• Contributing Writers Van Arnold, Tara Burcham, jack duggan, Patrick ferlise, Heather Leighow, Mike LoPinto, Ashlea maddox ‘97, Amy Martin ‘06, Charmaine Williams Schmermund, Nikki Smith, David Tisdale ‘90, ‘01 CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Kelly Dunn, Bert King ‘77/King Photography, Danny Rawls ‘69, ‘80,
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President Benny Waddle President-Elect Angie Collins Vice President Sean McGee Past President Dale Shearer Finance Committee Chair Tom Hickman Secretary/Treasurer Jerry DeFatta
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Kristie Fairley, Wade Howk, Chris Inman, T.J. McSparrin, Don Roberts, David Saulters, Wanda Simpson, Chuck Benigno, Julie Breazeale, Mark Graham, Cheryl Johnson, Warren Miller, Pamela Munger, Traci Rouse, Cindy Duvall, Kevin Gilbert, Gene Gouaux, Wren Hood, Chris Leonard, Clay Peacock, Susan Slaughter
The Southern Miss Alumni Association is excited to announce that a new discounted Life Membership rate is being offered to recent graduates. Alumni who purchase or start a Life Membership payment plan within three years of their graduation date will receive a discount of more than 15%. Longtime members and alumni over the age of 60 are also eligible for discounted Life Membership rates.
Ex-Officio Board Members: Rodney D. Bennett, Rex Kelly, Bob Pierce, Shannon Fleming, Al Gordy, Jeremy McClain, Torrel Bridges
For advertising information, contact Jennifer Payne by phone at 601.266.4095 or e-mail at jennifer.l.payne@usm.edu. The Talon (USPS 652-240) is published quarterly by The University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association, 118 College Drive #5013, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 Active membership dues of $45 (single membership) or $55 (couple) includes subscription
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Hederman Brothers Printing in Ridgeland, Miss.,
Life Membership Rates *Recent Graduate Discount Life Single: $500 • Joint: $650 *Senior Eagle Discount Life Single: $500 • Joint: $650 *Five-Year Life Membership payment plans are available. Contact the Alumni Association at 601.266.5013 for more information.
and the staff of the Southern Miss Alumni Association. Periodical postage paid at Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001 and at additional mailing offices (Approved January 20, 1955)
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to 118 College Drive #5013, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-5013 PHONE: 601.266.5013 | E-MAIL: alumni@usm.edu WEBSITE: www.SouthernMissAlumni.com
Proud Member of
www.conferenceusa.com AA/EOE/ADAI
Whether you are a new Association member or have been an annual member for years, there has never been a better time to get connected and stay connected for life. Life Memberships strengthen your alma mater and assist the Alumni Association in continuing its mission of connecting alumni, serving students and supporting the University.
Become a Life Member today by visiting SouthernMissAlumni.com.
NOTES FROM HOME Who can forget the exhilarating days of unprecedented academic and athletic successes at The University of Southern Mississippi during the early 1980s? As a rather noncommittal student at CLASS NOTES the time, I took advantage of several of the University’s excellent programs, including computer science, mathematics, foreign languages, British Studies, English and, if only as a spectator, performing arts, the Nasty Bunch, the Working Class and the opening of Pete Taylor Park. While SNAPSHOTS serving as president of the Southern Miss Alumni Association for 2012-13, I reconnected with many of those programs and found them prospering. Even more rewarding were the occasions for exploring other corners of the Southern Miss ALUMNI AUTHORS campuses this past year. To mention only a few, I was fortunate to meet two outstanding professors in the Department of History, Andrew Wiest, one of the world’s leading war historians, and Kenneth McCarty, who recently received the Mississippi Historical Society’s Dunbar Rowland Award for Lifetime Achievement in Mississippi History. Visit the Department ALUMNI ALMANAC of Communications Studies and you will find some of Southern Miss’ most engaging students, including the 2013-14 president of the Student Government Association, Ann Marie Chilcutt. In a sophisticated but nurturing facility, The Children’s Center for Communication and Development provides comprehensive educational and therapy services to more than 90 disabled Mississippi children and their families, helping each child achieve his maximum potential while training some of the most caring professionals to be found anywhere. Unfortunately, the jazz studies program came to my attention only a few weeks before the February tornado destroyed its unique venue, the Jazz Station. But jazz studies are now improvising all over campus, and Director Larry Panella promises to rebuild bigger and better. Led by Katherine Nugent, the ultra-competitive College of Nursing will soon begin construction of a new facility, increasing enrollment from 550 to more than 800 nursing students. The business building was unknown territory to me as student, but I can tell you where Scianna Hall, the new home of the College of Business, is currently under construction. Everywhere you go on campus at Southern Miss, remarkable things are happening. One of the president’s more enjoyable duties is representing the Alumni Association at commencement exercises. I was honored to attend seven of the last eight graduation ceremonies. All were unequivocal affirmations of the mission of our University, the devotion of the faculty and staff, and the bright futures of the new degree recipients. A highlight was congratulating the record graduating class at Southern Miss Gulf Coast a few weeks ago, as our newest alumni danced down the faculty receiving line in the Gulf Coast Coliseum while President Rodney Bennett guestconducted the Southern Miss Steel Pan Orchestra. What a memorable and distinctive Southern Miss experience! The Southern Miss Alumni Association exists to connect alumni with the University for the good of both. I certainly have benefitted from my membership. If you are not a member, you should of course join. Regardless, consider getting more involved in the Association and by supporting another program and attending additional events at Southern Miss. Public universities offer extraordinary opportunities to enrich your life or, as I tell our two children, to have more fun. To suggest just one more opportunity available at Southern Miss, see a show at the Tatum or Hartwig theatre — you cannot beat Broadway performances at Hardy Street prices. As a Southern Miss supporter, you are aware of the challenges and opportunities ahead for our University. Several of those are covered in this issue of The Talon, the magazine of the Alumni Association. Executive Director Jerry DeFatta and the talented Association staff are incredibly dedicated, and I am grateful for the privilege of working with them this past year. It was also my great pleasure to help welcome Rodney Bennett to Mississippi just before he was named the 10th President of our University. Before his official start date, Dr. Bennett demonstrated his commitment to Southern Miss by leading cleanup efforts after the tornado. With the continuing contributions of people like Dr. Bennett, Jerry, the other leaders of our University, and most importantly each of you, Southern Miss cannot fail to go... ...to the Top!
Dale Shearer Past President Summer 2013
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EAGLE CLUB Construction to Begin Soon on New Residential Halls at Southern Miss ATHLETIC NEWS
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This artist’s rendering shows Century Park South, which will include three buildings with five floors in each structure on The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus.
Construction is scheduled to begin ALUMNI AUTHORS soon on a massive student housing project that will transform The University of Southern Mississippi’s ALUMNI campus. ALMANAC venerable Hattiesburg Century Park South will bring stateof-the art residence halls to Southern Miss, providing 954 beds for freshmen and other scholarship students. The $55.6 million project will feature three buildings, with five floors in each structure. The new construction comes on the heels of Century Park North’s grand opening in August 2010. Located just across W. Fourth Street and the main campus, Century Park includes four buildings with four floors and 864 beds. To make room for Century Park South, two aging residence halls – Vann Hall and Scott Hall – were demolished. The east end of Bond Hall, which housed staff offices primarily, was also included
in the demolition plan. Southern Miss officials note that the demolition process is nearing completion. The McCarty Company-Design Group, P.A. of Tupelo, Miss., is serving as the lead architect on the project with assistance from Hanbury Evans Wright Vlattas + Company, Architectural Planning Company of Norfolk, Va. Harrell Contracting Group, LLC, of Jackson, Miss., has been chosen as the contractor, pending approval by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. Buildings B and C of the project have an estimated completion date of July 2014 with 511 beds available for the fall semester. Building B will be designated as Luckyday Citizenship Hall, pending approval by the IHL Board. It will house Luckyday Scholarship students and Luckyday offices. The Luckyday Foundation made
a $4 million gift commitment toward construction of the Century Park South complex in November 2011. Building A, which will also include the new Moffitt Health Center, is scheduled for completion in January 2015. The remaining beds would be move-in ready for the spring semester of that year. Some modern conveniences available to students as part of Century Park South include the following: • Majority double rooms with private baths • Larger social areas, lounges and meeting spaces for a home-like ambiance • Mini-kitchens with ovens and microwaves provided in some lounge areas • Residential rooms with thermostat for personal temperature control • Study/quiet room separate from lounges • Full laundromats in multiple locations • Energy management systems with sensors that monitor temperature and humidity in different zones • Oxygen-level monitors to ensure fresh air circulation For more information about the Century Park housing, contact the Department of Residence Life at 601.266.4783.
WUSM-FM Earns Best of the Pine Belt Award
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WUSM-FM (88.5 fm), the campus radio station at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, was recently voted “Best of the Pine Belt” in the Signature Magazine/Festival South yearly poll. WUSM’s music format is a celebration of American roots music with a strong Mississippi influence, drawn from a
60,000-plus music library. Its programming and other information can be found streaming on the Internet at SouthernMissRadio.com. To contact WUSM, including for program underwriting opportunities or information on the station and how to support it, call 601.266.4287. The station’s offices are located on the first floor of Southern Hall.
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Staff/Council Awards Ceremony Honors Pierce and Powell Annelise Moreau returned to the Southern Miss campus to take part in an awards ceremony honoring Jared Pierce.
The last time Annelise Moreau saw University of Southern Mississippi police officer Jared Pierce, he was coming to her aid after the Hattiesburg campus was struck by an EF-4 tornado Feb. 10. On June 4, under clearer skies, Moreau returned to Hattiesburg to help the University honor Pierce for his service on that fateful day. During the University’s annual Staff Council recognition and awards luncheon, Pierce and fellow officer Jason Powell received the Life Saving Award and Medal of Valor, respectively. Moreau, a junior at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, was travelling back to the university from New Orleans when she stopped to ride out the storm on the Southern Miss campus near the heavily damaged Ogletree Alumni House. Patrolling the campus to inspect the aftermath, Pierce discovered a visibly upset Moreau in her damaged car. He helped her out of her vehicle and took her and two pets traveling with her to safety at Wilber Hall, while also briefing staff there about her situation. Moreau said the feeling of returning to the campus for the first time after the harrowing experience was “intense” as she relived the memories, but she was looking forward to reuniting with Pierce again and helping the University honor him. Pierce said the memory of that day is still “surreal” and said he would hope any other police officer would do the same for his own child. On Nov. 28, 2012, Powell responded to a report of a fight on campus involving a firearm. Powell began investigating the area and encountered three suspects coming across Centennial Lawn. Parked near the old Printing Center building, he witnessed one of the suspects reach into a vehicle and pull out a black handgun. The armed individual then appeared to focus in on a group of people walking from Centennial Lawn toward the Thad Cochran Center, at which time Powell made the decision to apprehend him, pinning him to the ground until backup arrived. In his remarks about the accomplishments of Pierce and Powell, University Police Chief Bob Hopkins said one of the primary things he emphasizes to his staff is that they care about the people they are protecting. In both instances, he said that was evident.
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Miller Named Associate Dean ATHLETIC NEWS in Southern Miss College of Arts NOTES FROM HOME and Letters Dr. Amy Chasteen CLASS NOTES Miller, associate professor and chair of the Department of SNAPSHOTS Anthropology and Sociology, took on the ALUMNI AUTHORS role of associate Amy Chasteen Miller dean for academic affairs in The University ALUMNIMississippi’s ALMANACCollege of of Southern Arts and Letters in July. In working to ensure undergraduate student success, Miller will focus on professional development, academic engagement and intellectual growth. She will also work to develop leadershipbuilding initiatives. Miller earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Alabama, Master of Arts from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Michigan. She also earned a graduate certificate in women’s studies from the University of Michigan. Miller began her career at Southern Miss in 1997 and has served on the Luckyday Citizenship Scholars Program Advisory Board and on Faculty Senate. She also served as director of the Honors College Forum and was the founding associate director of the Center for Black Studies.
Summer 2013
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EAGLE CLUB Southern Miss, GE Aviation ATHLETIC Officials JoinNEWS for Composites Opening University of Southern NOTES FROMMississippi HOME President Rodney Bennett joined representatives of GE Aviation, along with local, state and federal officials, CLASS NOTES for the grand opening of the company’s new 344,000-square-foot composites manufacturing facility in Ellisville. The plant, known as GE Ellisville SNAPSHOTS Composites, is a $56 million company investment that will create 250 jobs. Previously, the Southern ALUMNI AUTHORS Miss School of Polymers and High Performance Materials collaborated with GE Aviation on technology and ALUMNI ALMANAC advanced material development for the company’s Batesville Composites Operation in Batesville. Similar initiatives involving Southern Miss researchers will be targeted for the new operation in Ellisville, which was created to meet an increase in global demand for the company’s products. Teams are currently working in polymer science labs at Southern Miss
Southern Miss President Rodney Bennett greets GE Aviation CEO David Joyce during the grand opening of the company’s facility in Ellisville.
creating composite materials such as fan blades for the global marketplace. These advanced materials are lightweight and durable, which translates to fuel savings, lower energy costs, and reduced maintenance for sophisticated jet engines.
Both Gov. Phil Bryant and David Joyce, president and chief executive officer of GE Aviation, praised the work of Southern Miss researchers and other Mississippi partners for their contributions to the company’s success in the state.
Southern Miss VP Frances Lucas Explores Logistics, Trade, Transportation Opportunities in Panama
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Dr. Frances Lucas, left, vice president and campus executive officer at The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast, and Dr. Tulio Sulbaran, right, director of the Southern Miss Center for Logistics, Trade and Transportation (CLTT), met with Dr. Albert White, director of logistics and transportation at the Chamber of Commerce for Industry and Agriculture of Panama. Lucas joined students and faculty in the study-abroad program in Panama to explore additional opportunities for the University, which include internship opportunities for students, expansion of CLTT, and meetings with representatives from Panamanian universities. Southern Miss Panama study-abroad participants are visiting a variety of business, industry and community sectors throughout the Central American country.
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EAGLE CLUB “Sweeney Todd” Crew Receives Surprise from Play’s Author
The Southern Miss School of Music presented “Sweeney Todd” on March 6-7 at the Saenger Theatre in downtown Hattiesburg.
After the catastrophe surrounding The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music’s production of Sweeney Todd, Dr. Mike Lopinto mailed a letter to the play’s author, Stephen ATHLETIC NEWS Sondheim, describing the story of the cast’s misfortune while working on the musical. Lopinto had heard that Sondheim often answered fan mail so he decided to write the Tony Award winner about all the cast had endured in trying to stage the performance. Not only did Sondheim reply, he donated $500 to the School of Music. NOTES FROM HOME As the cast and crew rehearsed on Feb.10, an EF-4 tornado ripped through Hattiesburg and a portion of the Southern Miss campus. The group rushed to the basement of the Mannoni Performing Arts Center as the storm tore through buildings on campus, including the MPAC. The performers lost their elaborate set, and the center was in no condition CLASS to house NOTES the performance. When the cast was called together afterward for a counseling session, most assumed that the production would not happen. Lopinto announced that they would still perform, but in a different venue--the Saenger Theatre in downtown Hattiesburg. The SNAPSHOTS production had to be restaged and re-choreographed, along with a new stage plan and new lighting. But the show did indeed go on March 6-7 – just one week after its original dates. The proceeds from the performances were donated to the University’s tornado relief fund.
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History Student’s Fellowship to Focus on Missing American Soldiers A history graduate student at The University of Southern Mississippi has joined an elite team of researchers as they attempt to learn more about the fate of American soldiers from World War II missing in action in the South Pacific since the war ended in 1945. Colin Colbourn, an advanced Ph.D. student, accepted an Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education Fellowship with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), located at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, Nebraska. Colbourn joined two other historians; only three researchers in the entire country were extended these fellowships, which could last as long as five years. The opportunity to help families find closure after decades of not knowing what became of their loved one is an honor for Colbourn. Colbourn is working as a historical researcher, uncovering evidence about
Colin Colbourn at the top of Mount ALUMNI ALMANAC Suribachi, Iwo Jima
soldiers lost in the South Pacific during World War II, specifically searching for records that could identify soldiers missing in action and unknown soldiers. As late as 2013, the armed forces are still working to identify the bodies of some soldiers killed from 1941 to 1945 and to uncover the fate of those MIA. The Elkhart, Indiana, native first came into contact with JPAC while on a 2012 trip to Vietnam when he wrote for Leatherneck, a Marine Corps magazine. The name struck a chord with him when he later heard
about the fellowship in Nebraska. Colbourn says Southern Miss has influenced his success and specifically credits the Department of History’s Center for the Study of War and Society. Colbourn began his fellowship at the new JPAC Identification Laboratory in Nebraska in May and has a string of successes behind him, including being awarded the Lemuel C. Shepherd United States Marine Corps Dissertation Fellowship, the only such fellowship awarded in the entire country for 2012. Summer 2013
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European Group Visits ATHLETIC Southern Miss NEWS as Part of Clean Technology Forum NOTES FROM HOME
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Caroline Pin, right, international manager for Plastipolis, chats with a vendor during the trade show portion ALUMNI ALMANAC of the Mississippi Polymer Institute’s Clean Technology Forum.
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Representatives from six different European countries spent three days touring the Mississippi Polymer Institute and related facilities at The University of Southern Mississippi as part of a clean technology project. The visit was coordinated through the European Commission’s Worldwide Intercluster Initiative for New Materials and Processes Focused on Clean Technology (WIINTECH). The WIINTECH network links eight European world-class clusters representing more than 2,500 companies and research centers working in materials and processes applied to clean technologies. Countries represented during the Southern Miss visit included Germany, France, Italy, Portugal, Austria and the United Kingdom. The Mississippi Polymer Institute was one of two sites in North America chosen by the commission to participate in the project.
Inventor Creates Card Beams with Mississippi Polymer Institute’s 3D Printer What are card beams, you may ask? They are the building toy that allows you to build gravity-defying houses of cards with the help of friction, gravity, and two types of beams--the cap and the connector. Virgil Breeden, the inventor behind Card Beams, came to the Mississippi Polymer Institute at The University of Southern Mississippi with a simple question: Why can’t building a house of cards be easier? Using any other method might involve glue or pins and could take Virgil Breeden’s Card Beams hours. Breeden brought MPI sketches of an idea, which were used to build 3D computer-aided design drawings that could then be printed on MPI’s state-of-the-art Objet 3D printer. Ty Posey, technical services leader at MPI, produced the prototypes in different materials and at different sizes until they were just right for the inventor’s needs. After a few design iterations, two different pieces were chosen--the “cap” and the “connector.” The cap has a flat bottom and four inserts, which allows for stacking cards on a flat surface. The connector has inserts all the way around to allow for six cards to be plugged in at one time. Once the card beams were selected, Breeden applied for the patent, took his prototypes to an extrusion manufacturer, and chose a custom packaging company for the packaging portion of commercialization. For more information on MPI’s 3D printing capabilities, call 601.266.4607.
Southern Miss Quintet Chosen for National Festival The Southern Quintet, composed of students from The University of Southern Mississippi School of Music, has been accepted to attend the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival held at The Julliard School in New York City July 28 - August 8. The 11-day festival hosts advanced and professional musicians, ensembles and The Southern Quintet, composed of students from composers from all across the country and the Southern Miss School of Music, has been acabroad to perform and be mentored by cepted to attend the Imani Winds Chamber Music Festival at The Julliard School in New York City. Imani Winds, a Grammy Award-nominated wind quintet known for their legacy of innovative music. The Southern Quintet is the first student chamber group from Southern Miss to be accepted to the festival. The quintet includes flutist Brittany Trotter, oboist Zully Casallas, clarinetist Garrick Pitts, Amanda Ray on French horn, and Ernesto Balarezo on bassoon. The group is coached by Southern Miss faculty member Dr. Kimberly Woolly.
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Southern Miss Center for Child Development Earns Top Rating The Center for Child Development at The University of Southern Mississippi reached an historic milestone recently by earning a fivestar rating for the first time by the state’s Quality Stars Program. Quality Stars is Mississippi’s tiered quality rating and improvement system, developed by the Division of Early Childhood and Development of the Mississippi Department of Human Services. Center Executive Director Jeff Leffler notes that there are only eight five-star (out of five) centers in the state with the Southern Miss Center serving as the only one in Hattiesburg. The Center for Child Development is already accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (a designation achieved by only 10 percent of programs nationally). Leffler said that much credit for the Center’s success must be given to the teachers on staff –professional educators with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in child development/early childhood education. The Center houses eight classrooms for approximately 90 children ages eight weeks through age five. Its primary purpose
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Leeann Pittman, a student teacher at the Southern Miss Center for Child SNAPSHOTS Development, enjoys some outdoor time with one of the youngsters.
is to serve as an academic/teaching and research facility for faculty and students across the University. A secondary ALUMNI AUTHORS purpose is to serve the children and their families in a quality childcare environment. Children of Southern Miss faculty, staff and students receive ALUMNI ALMANAC priority enrollment in the Center, but the services are also available to the community at large. For more information call 601.266.5294.
Southern Miss Student Receives First American Chemical Society SEED Scholarship Faulkner said he chose to do the SEED Caleb Faulkner, an incoming freshman Program during high school because it chemistry and biochemistry major at The seemed like a great opportunity to get into University of Southern Mississippi, has a lab and do research. “Not too many high been awarded a $5,000 scholarship from school students can say that they have done the American Chemical Society (ACS) that,” he said. Project SEED program. This is the first Faulkner’s Project SEED scholarship SEED scholarship awarded to a Southern is only awarded to first-year college Miss student. students. According to ACS, the scholarships Faulkner participated in Project SEED are intended to assist former SEED last summer while a student at Hattiesburg participants in their transition from high High School. Project SEED helps high school to college and consist of up to $5,000. school students expand their education Faulkner received the full $5,000. and career outlook. The program provides Southern Miss Associate Professor Dr. Doug Faulkner’s mentor is Southern Miss opportunities for students who historically Masterson, left, watches former Hattiesburg High Associate Professor Dr. Doug Masterson, lack exposure to scientific careers to spend student Caleb Faulkner work on a project during last summer’s SEED program. who is also Associate Chair in the a summer conducting hands-on research Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Faulkner with a scientist in academic, industry, and government considers Masterson to be an ideal mentor. research laboratories. Project SEED students complete hands-on research and To be eligible for the Project SEED scholarship, Faulkner receive guidance on their career and personal development. must have worked at least one summer at a science institute Mentors and students build relationships that help to expand under the Project SEED program and must be planning to major their awareness and understanding of the workforce. in a chemical science or engineering field. Summer 2013
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EAGLE CLUB Thriffiley New Director-Liaison for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Lhay Browning Thriffiley has been ATHLETIC NEWS chosen as the new directorliaison for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute NOTES FROM HOME (OLLI) at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Thriffiley is a CLASS NOTES graduate of the Master of Science in Economic Development program at Southern Miss, where she SNAPSHOTS excelled in graduate-level classes in grant writing, nonprofit leadership and AUTHORS Lhay Browning ALUMNI Thriffiley administration studies. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with an emphasis in arts-based program development, creating a
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children’s summer camp program as her senior capstone. She was previously employed with the University as a special projects coordinator, developing funding and organizing activities for the Hattiesburg Concert Association and the Symphony Orchestra. While in graduate school, Thriffiley worked as a freelance writer for Mississippi Legends magazine, later completing community development and research-related projects for the Mississippi Main Street Program, Mississippi Arts Commission and Mississippi Development Authority. OLLI is an association of active women and men 50 years of age and older who are interested in stimulating learning experiences while developing new friendships. The institute began in 1991 as the Institute for Learning in Retirement, offering a variety of non-credit educational programming for mature adults. It is member-governed, member-driven and primarily peer taught and is supported by the Bernard Osher Foundation, which supports a growing national network of lifelong learning institutes.
SOUTHERN MISS
10% discount on facilities for current members of the Alumni Association. www.usm.edu/event-services 601.266.4399 • eventservices@usm.edu
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A N D C AT E R I N G
UC 69182.5067 7.13
EVENT SERVICES
THE ARTS
NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
Mississippi Elected Officials Address Delegates to Girls State
EAGLE CLUB
Southern Miss Children’s Center ATHLETIC NEWS Board Member Langford Honored NOTES FROM HOME
CLASS NOTES
SNAPSHOTS
Pictured left to right: Margaret Brinegar, former director of The Children’s Center; Donna Langford; ALUMNI AUTHORS Jayne Buttross, center staffer; Cynthia Bivins, current center director
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood addresses delegates to Girls State at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood encouraged Girls State delegates to take an unselfish approach to life during his speech at the annual convention held on The University of Southern Mississippi campus in Hattiesburg. Since being elected attorney general, Hood has spoken at Girls State every year. This year he spoke to the delegates about the importance of being safe and careful on the Internet and with modern technology. Hood warned of the dangers of technology and problems like cyber-bullying and the sale of counterfeit products. He also reminded the delegates to be mindful of what they post on social media sites. The delegates also heard from Commissioner of Agriculture Cindy Hyde-Smith, who spoke to them about her commitment to public service. Hyde-Smith, a Southern Miss alumna from Brookhaven and the first woman to serve as the state’s agriculture commissioner, said hard work and sacrifice were the keys to achieving any goal.
Did you know that University Libraries recently digitized archived issues of The Talon? This project was made possible through the LYRASIS Digitization Collaborative, a Sloan Foundation grant-subsidized program that has made digitization easy and affordable for libraries and cultural institutions across the country. Through the Collaborative’s partnership with the Internet Archive, all items were scanned from cover-to-cover and in full color. You can choose from a variety of formats, page through a magazine choosing the “read online” option, download the PDF, or search the full-text version. To view the Southern Miss collections, visit archive. org/details/universityofsouthernmississippi. If you have any questions, contact Jessica Clark at j.m.clark@usm.edu or 601.266.4348.
Donna Langford, co-chair of the ALUMNI Board for The ALMANAC Children’s Center for Communication and Development at The University of Southern Mississippi, has been recognized for her generosity and giving spirit with Mississippi’s 2013 Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award. Langford was one of 14 Mississippians to receive the GIVE Award – Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence – presented by the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service. The recipients were honored during a luncheon in Jackson on April 22. Langford became affiliated with The Children’s Center 32 years ago shortly after her son was born with cleft lip and palate. Her unique circumstances presented an opportunity to help and support the center and the families it serves. For more than three decades, Langford has been a visible advocate for The Children’s Center as a public speaker, fundraiser and financial contributor. She has served on the center’s Board for eight years.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Upcoming Events Calendar
SOUTHERN MISS
All events are subject to change and should be confirmed. Any questions regarding these events can be directed to the Southern Miss Alumni Association. For athletics schedules, visit SouthernMiss.com. The football schedule is included in the Athletic News section of this edition of The Talon.
July 26
Gulf Coast Beach Bash 6 – 8 p.m. | D’Iberville Civic Center | D’Iberville Tickets available for purchase day of event.
August 3
18th Annual Eagle Fanfare 2 – 4 p.m. | Lake Terrace Convention Center | Hattiesburg Tickets available for purchase day of event.
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The Legacy’s Painting of the Eagle Walk 5:15 p.m. | Eagle Walk
30 – African-American Cultural Society Sept. 1 (AACS) Reunion
Weekend events will include a reception, picnic, Southern Miss home football game and much more! For more information, contact Janet Street at janetjstreet@comcast.net.
October
Here are a few questions to test your knowledge of Southern Miss history. Answer two or three accurately, and you can consider yourself a loyal alumnus or alumna. Answer zero or one correctly, and you may want to double check to make sure your diploma is not from a university in north Mississippi.
1.
Southern Miss is home to the oldest symphony orchestra in the state. In what year was the school’s symphony first organized?
2.
What Southern Miss call to action are fans encouraged to participate in at the beginning of basketball games?
3.
Can you name the student tradition that was first started in 1998 that takes place each fall and involves more than 1,000 students and 50 gallons of gold paint?
4.
Prior to the construction of Carlisle-Faulkner Field in 1932, where were Southern Miss football games held?
SEE THE ANSWERS ON PAGE 63
3 – 4 Elmo Lang Memorial Law Seminar Hattiesburg Campus 24
Southern Miss Professional Development Alumni Summit 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. | Trent Lott Center | For more information or to register, contact the Office of Professional Development and Educational Outreach at 601.266.4186.
arts
A haven for the
Homecoming 2013 Homecoming Golf Tournament 8:30 a.m. | Hattiesburg Country Club To register, visit SouthernMissAlumni.com or call 601.266.5013.
Alumni Hall of Fame Dinner 6:30 p.m. | Thad Cochran Center
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Homecoming Parade 10 a.m. | Downtown Hattiesburg
Alumni Awards Lunch and Business Meeting Noon | Thad Cochran Center
Payne Center 20th Anniversary Celebration 2 p.m. | Payne Center | For more information, contact the Payne Center at 601.266.5405 or visit usm.edu/rec-sports.
Homecoming Football Game vs. North Texas 6 p.m. | The Rock
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One of only 34 institutions in the nation accredited in all four arts disciplines: theatre, dance, art and music.
Hosting more than 300 arts events each year.
Concerts | Art exhibitions Dance performances |Theatre productions
www.usm.edu/arts
AA/EOE/ADAI
AA/EOE/ADAI AA/EOE/ADAI
Essential Essential explorations. explorations. Transformative results. Transformative results. In 2011, Dr. Jeff Wiggins, associate professor in the School In Dr. Jeff associate professor in led the aSchool of 2011, Polymers andWiggins, High Performance Materials, team of High aPerformance team thatPolymers helped and develop new footballMaterials, helmet led nowa being that develop a new football now being used helped by hundreds of professional and helmet collegiate athletes. used by hundredsused of professional and aids collegiate athletes. The technology in this helmet in minimizing The technology in this aids in minimizing the risk of injury used to players byhelmet replacing traditional foam the risk of injury to players by replacing traditional foam material with temperature-resistant cushioning materials. material temperature-resistant cushioning Now, Dr.with Wiggins and his team are testing materials. this new Now, Dr. Wiggins and for histhe team are testing new technology developed playing field to this improve technology for the with playing fieldoftoenhancing improve helmets useddeveloped on the battlefield the goal helmets used battlefield with the goal of enhancing protection for on thethe soldiers that defend our nation. protection for the soldiers that defend our nation.
www.usm.edu/research-playlist www.usm.edu/research-playlist
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Alumni Association Awards Record Breaking FOUNDATION NEWS Number of Legacy Scholarships for 2013-14
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ecruiting children and grandchildren of alumni has incessantly been one of FROM THE ARCHIVES the Southern Miss Alumni Association’s top initiatives. A portion of the plan surrounding the legacy initiative involves continuing to honor the Robert D. Pierce II Legacy Scholarship, and this year, the Association is proud to announce that THE ARTS nine high school seniors were awarded this scholarship. Established in 2003, and named in honor of former Alumni Association Executive Director Bob Pierce in 2008, the Legacy Scholarship helps perpetuate Southern Miss legacies by providing financial assistance to children and grandchildren of active Alumni Association members. The NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Association’s Scholarship Committee based on the criteria of academic excellence, community
EAGLE CLUB Caldwell James Reid An incoming freshman from Gulfport who attended NEWS Gulfport High ATHLETIC School, Reid played on both the baseball and football team and was a memberNOTES of Fellowship Christian FROMofHOME Athletes. He was a member of the National Key Club, Beta Club and the Admiral Anchors. Reid was active in CLASS NOTES his community through the Salvation Army and his church, where he was an usher, worked in the church nursery and participated in a mission trip to Georgia. SNAPSHOTS Reid comes from a long line of Southern Miss graduates. He is the son of Alumni Association members Brian and Kellee ALUMNI AUTHORS Caldwell and the grandson of Lifetime Association members Jim and Virginia Milstead. His sister Claire is a current ALMANAC student at ALUMNI Southern Miss. Hayden Roberts Chapman
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Hayden, a student from Hattiesburg, attended Hattiesburg High School where he was an honor student. Hayden was a member of the JROTC from 2009 through graduation and achieved the ranking of Lieutenant Colonel. He also participated in Boys State in 2012, was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, National Honor Society, the debate team
service and high school involvement chooses recipients. Candidates must be the children or grandchildren of an alumnus or alumna who is a Life Member of the Association or has been an active member of the organization for 10 or more consecutive years. Proceeds from the Shell Finish Line Alumni Homecoming Golf Tournament as well as the Buy a Brick, Leave a Legacy brick campaign are used to fund the one-time, $1,000 scholarships. The members of the 2013 Class of Robert D. Pierce II Legacy Scholars include James Reid Caldwell, Hayden Roberts Chapman, Kelsey BriAnna Hubbard, David C. Jordan, Lauren Brooke McCann, Matthew Ryan McMullen, Nathan Robert Marshall, Benjamin Clayton Waddle and Susan Elizabeth Walley.
and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Hayden was a member of the soccer, archery and swimming teams. He is an Eagle Scout and has participated in many community service projects such as volunteering for an American Red Cross blood drive, Gordon’s Creek clean-up, mile marker painting on the Longleaf Trace and the Cub Scout Parent/Son Weekend at Camp Tiak. Hayden is a true Southern Miss legacy. He is the son of Life Members Kevin and Dee Chapman and the grandson of Life Members Roger and Patricia Cameron. Kelsey BriAnna Hubbard
A native of Flowood, Kelsey graduated from Northwest Rankin High School where she was an honor student and involved in numerous organizations and activities such as the Beta Club, Spanish Club, Mu Alpha Theta and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She was a member of the Lady Cougar basketball team, cross country team, and track, where she holds the 800-meter school record. She was voted class favorite and selected for homecoming court. Kelsey is active in Pinelake Baptist Church where she is on the Chi Alpha Mission Team. She is the daughter of Life Members Benny and Kim Hubbard, and her brother is a current student at Southern Miss.
David C. Jordan
David attended Wayne Academy High School and is a native of Waynesboro. An honor student, David was the senior class president and a member of the golf and basketball teams. He was a member of the 4-H Shotgun Team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and First Priority. David was on the honor roll all four years of high school, attended Boys State and served as a State Capital Page for Lt. Governor Tate Reeves. David has attended several mission trips through his church, has assisted with Vacation Bible School and singing in the youth choir. Growing up a Golden Eagle, David aided the Southeast Central Alumni Chapter regularly and is the son of Life Member Byron C. Jordan. Lauren Brooke McCann
Lauren Brooke McCann, a native of Natchez, attended Cathedral High School. She was a student in the biomedical research class where she was able to participate in a project to successfully extract DNA from a bedbug and a flea. Her results were sent to Woods Hole Marine Laboratory in Mass., and added to their national data map. Lauren was also a member of the Key Club where she completed more than 70 hours of
ASSOCIATION NEWS community service. As a member of First Baptist Church of Natchez, she participated in many local mission projects. Lauren is the daughter of Life Members Tim and Stacy McCann. Tim is currently the president of the Southwest Mississippi Alumni Chapter. Matthew Ryan McMullen
A native of Jackson, Matthew attended Jackson Academy, where he was an honor student and a member of Mu Alpha Theta and the National Honor Society. Matthew was a member of the tennis and basketball teams and was a member of the chess club, Students Against Destructive Decisions, Raider Rowdy Spirit Group, the annual staff and the PreMedicine Society. He has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots and Operation Christmas Child. He is an active member of Broadmoor Baptist Church and has been a small group Bible study leader and a member of the youth group. His sister Courtney is currently a sophomore at Southern Miss. He is the son of Life Members Mike and Missy McMullan and the grandson of Life Member Raymond McMullan. Nathan Robert Marshall
Nathan, an incoming freshman from Spanish Fort, Ala., attended Daphne High School and graduated as an International Baccalaureate. He was a member of the marching and symphonic bands and also was a member of the track and cross-country teams where he was a letterman. Nathan has volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House, cooking meals for the residents, the public library and Prodisee Pantry. He is the son of Life Member Robert Marshall and grandson of Life Member Earl Marshall, a past president of the Southern Miss Alumni Association.
Benjamin Clayton Waddle
A native of Hattiesburg, Benjamin is a graduate of Hattiesburg High School where he was an honor student and a member of the National Honor Society. Benjamin was captain of the varsity soccer team, co-captain of the baseball team and a member of Hattiesburg’s tennis team. He is an Eagle Scout and participated in many service projects with his troop such as ringing the bell for the Salvation Army and delivering meals to those in need. For the past five summers, he has participated in Service over Self, a mission trip to Memphis. He recently organized a clean-up crew to assist those affected by the February tornado. Benjamin is the son of Life Members Benny, president of the Alumni Association board of directors, and Pam Waddle. Susan Elizabeth Walley
A native of Richton, Susan graduated from Richton High School. As an honors student she was the captain of the Academic Quiz Bowl, class president, Beta Club president, member of Mu Alpha Theta, Math League captain and a member of the speech and debate club. Susan was named to the National Society of High School Scholars, a Girls State delegate, HOBY Ambassador and a Rotary Student of the month. She was also a varsity cheerleader and named Ms. RHS. As an active member of Richton’s First Baptist Church, she taught English on a mission trip to Moldova, was a Vacation Bible School teacher and coached a soccer camp for a trip to London during the Olympic games. Susan is the daughter of Life Members Paul and Samantha Walley. Her brother David is a current student and a catcher for the Golden Eagle baseball team.
FOUNDATION NEWS
Welcome New Life Members
FROM THE ARCHIVES
THE ARTS
Sandra Allen Ross and Jessica Barrios Tory and Amy Bass NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Thomas and Jacqueline Boone Thomas Brewer Trena Carter EAGLE CLUB Dustin Cooper Larry Fowler Carl Geenen ATHLETIC NEWS Preston and Druhan Goff Scott Hecker Giselle Hecker Michael NOTES FROMHoy HOME Rickey Jones John Glenn Lee Connolly McArthur CLASS NOTES Regina McCarty Robert and Heather McKenzie Bob and Vicki Merchant SNAPSHOTS John and Kara Nicholas Anna Pickard Sherry Pittman ALUMNI AUTHORS Pattie Rainey Daryll Robinson Mallie Silverman ALUMNI ALMANAC Steve and Lisa Sizemore David and Kellye Sliman Teresa Smith Riva Teague Tyler Tolson Benita Tucker Virginia Vervaeke Quinn and Tessa Vorhaben Kimberly Walker Dewayne and Loriece Walker Dudley Williamson
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Hundreds of Alumni Gather at FOUNDATION NEWS Association Events Across the Country a rainy Sunday afternoon to attend the Over the past several months, Seconnd Annual Southern Miss Mobile alumni, fans and friends of The FROM THE ARCHIVES Bay Crawfish Boil. Nearly 100 alumni University of Southern Mississippi have and friends from the Southeast Central gathered at Alumni Association events Mississippi Alumni Chapter gathered throughout the country to display their THE ARTS for dinner in Waynesboro to meet new Golden Eagle pride. New University Head Football Coach Todd Monken, President Rodney D. Bennett toured and alums enjoyed spending the day the Southeast to visit with alumni at on the golf course with Coach Monken some of their favorite local venues: NEWS AROUND CAMPUS at the 15th Annual East Central Golf The American Sector at the National Tournament in Meridian and the 26th WWII Museum in New Orleans, The Mobile Bay Classic Golf Tournament Westin in Huntsville, Jim ‘n Nick’s CLUBCadillac Bar in in Daphne. The Baton Rouge Alumni Bar-B-Q inEAGLE Birmingham, Chapter welcomed Head Basketball Houston, and the Biloxi Yacht Club on Coach Donnie Tyndall and his family the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Bennett and Dr. Rodney D. Bennett spoke to a full crowd in Birmingham as he at the group’s dinner in June and were his family also spent time with Atlanta ATHLETIC NEWS toured the Southeast to visit with alumni. eager to hear about Coach Tyndall’s alumni at the Mississippi Society of plans for next year’s basketball season. Georgia’s Annual Mississippi Night at the Atlanta Braves and at the The Alumni Association’s summer schedule concludes with Fifth Annual Atlanta’s Mississippi Picnic in the Park. the “Big Three Summer Parties,” named affectionately for the In June,NOTES constituents gathered to enjoy Mississippi fried catfish FROM HOME largest three alumni chapters in the state, hosted by the Central and sweet tea at the 34th Annual Mississippi Picnic in Central Park Mississippi, Gulf Coast Metro and South Central Mississippi in New York City and at the 23rd Annual Mississippi on the Mall in chapters of the Association. Washington, D.C. Mobile alumni came out in full force in spite of
CLASS NOTES
The SNAPSHOTS Legacy Holds Spring Reception to Honor Scholarship Recipients ALUMNI AUTHORS
ALUMNI ALMANAC
The Legacy, the student chapter of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, held its annual Spring Reception in April to celebrate the culmination of a successful year and to award the Powell and Frances Ogletree Scholarship, the Past Presidents Council Scholarship and the Clyde Kennard Memorial Scholarship to current students. Scholarship recipients must be active members of The Legacy and must exemplify qualities such as outstanding service to The Legacy, strong leadership skills and a commitment to the University.
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From left to right, Clyde Kennard Memorial Scholarship recipients Wilton Jackson II, Bradley Floore, Shanice Floore, Alejandra Galnares, Bridget Page; Past Presidents Council Scholarship recipients Sophie Saizan, Chris Bolden; Powell and Frances Ogletree Scholarship recipient Torrel Bridges
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Ogletree House Bids Scheduled to Open Mid-July
Efforts to repair the Ogletree Alumni House are underway.
The efforts to repair the Ogletree Alumni House, the University icon located on the southern most edge of the Hattiesburg campus, are underway. Fortunately, the damage FROM THE ARCHIVES to the facility did not necessitate the demolition of the historic structure, where the roof and walls were blown away and four of the front columns were a total loss. Currently, the THE ARTS University is advertising for bids from qualified contractors to conduct the needed repairs to the building, and those bids are scheduled to open in mid-July. Immediately followingNEWS the February 10 tornado, the AROUND CAMPUS Southern Miss Alumni Association staff was quickly relocated to The Accelerator, located in the University’s technology park, The Garden. Since then, the Ogletree House has been EAGLE CLUB inspected by contractors, structural engineers, state archivists and Larry Albert, the architect who oversaw the 2009 restoration. “The Association staff will forever be grateful for the ATHLETIC NEWS outpouring of support from alumni and friends immediately following the storm,” said Jerry DeFatta, executive director for the Alumni Association. “We truly appreciate everyone’s encouragement, and we eagerly look forward our return to NOTES FROM to HOME the Ogletree House.”
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FOUNDATION NEWS
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Summer 2013
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
FOUNDATION NEWS
The Clearman family holds nearly three generations of Southern Miss graduates. Clearman grandparents and nine Clearman grandchildren pictured below.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
THE ARTS
NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
EAGLE CLUB
ATHLETIC NEWS
Growing Up Gold! The Southern Miss Alumni Association is excited to announceNOTES the launch of “Growing FROM HOME Up Gold,” a legacy engagement program. Designed for the purpose of creating a black and gold bond with children and grandchildren of alumni, this program will provide opportunities for Southern CLASSfrom NOTES Miss engagement birth until age 16. Southern Miss birthday cards, biennial gifts throughout childhood, and
invitations to Southern Miss events are just a few of the many ways the Association will foster a love for all things black and gold among the newest generation of future Golden Eagles. To ensure your child or grandchild is enrolled in the program, the Alumni Association requests full name and birthday. Information may be submitted online at SouthernMissAlumni. com/growingupgold or by calling 601.266.5013.
SNAPSHOTS
AACS to Host Reunion Weekend Aug. 30 – Sept. 1 ALUMNI AUTHORS
ALUMNI ALMANAC
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Founded in 1969, the African-American Culture Society (AACS) is Southern Miss’ oldest black student organization and now operates under the name African-American Student Organization (AASO).
The University of Southern Mississippi AfricanAmerican Culture Society (AACS) will be hosting a reunion August 30 - September 1. All former AACS members and Southern Miss African-American alumni are invited to attend. To date, more than 125 alumni and students have committed to the event. The reunion weekend will include a meet-andgreet, picnic, Southern Miss home football game, and a worship service on Sunday morning, among other events! Again, all Southern Miss alumni are welcome! Reunion Weekend T-shirts are available but must be pre-ordered; hotel arrangements are the responsibility of individuals that plan to attend. To RSVP or for more information on the event, please contact Janet Street at janetjstreet@comcast.net at your earliest convenience. Your contact information is crucial if you desire to receive the most up-to-date information on the event.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Peets Buffett, Elmo Lang Memorial Scholarships Chosen by Alumni Association The Southern Miss Alumni Association has announced Sarah Elizabeth Rhett and Lauren Elizabeth Scarborough as recipients of this year’s Peets Buffett Scholarship and Dominique Nicole Brown as the recipient of the Elmo Lang Memorial Scholarship. Lizzie Rhett, a second-year recipient of the scholarship, will be a sophomore in the fall and has made the most of her time on campus. This English major Lizzie Rhett is a member of The Legacy, the student chapter of the Alumni Association, Reformed University Fellowship and Chi Omega sorority. She is on the dean’s list, was
appointed as sisterhood chair for Chi Omega, and was selected as a finalist for the Freshman of the Year Award. Lizzie has begun working with the renowned deGrummond Children’s Literature Collection in hopes of learning more about children’s literature. Lauren, a firstyear recipient of the scholarship, is from Petal and attended Sacred Heart Catholic High School. An honor student, she plans Lauren Scarborough on majoring in theatre when she attends the University in the fall. She has spent the last two years volunteering at the Mid-Summer Musical Theatre Experience, a summer camp that teaches children about the
FOUNDATION NEWS aspects of theatre and provides a way of sharing a love and respect for the arts. FROM THE ARCHIVES A student from New Hebron, Dominique attended THE ARTS Lawrence County High School, where she was a member of Health Occupation NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Students of America Dominique Brown and competed against other schools in different aspects of health, CLUB such as CPR, FirstEAGLE Aid, CERT and many more. She was also involved in the Literary Club and Make-A-Wish, where she assisted in raising funds to send a child to ATHLETIC NEWS Disney World. As an incoming freshman, Dominique plans to major in nursing. For more information on the scholarships awarded above, visit NOTES FROM HOME SouthernMissAlumni.com/scholarships.
CLASS NOTES • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL SNAPSHOTSMILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY ALUMNI AUTHORS • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON ALUMNI ALMANAC SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT The Southern Miss Alumni Association would love to hear from you. ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR VisitEAGLE SouthernMissAlumni.com fill ANNOUNCEMENT the Association• in on what’s• new you! • GOLDEN STORY • NEW ADDRESS • to BIRTH PROMOTION NEW with ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT • PROMOTION • NEW ADDRESS • TALON SUBMISSION • ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT • EDUCATIONAL MILESTONE • WEDDING ANNOUNCEMENT • SNAPSHOT • ALUMNI AUTHOR • GOLDEN EAGLE STORY • NEW ADDRESS • BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
WHAT’S NEW WITH YOU?
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Annual Alumni Chapter Award FOUNDATION NEWS Recipients Announced for 2012-13 Year The Southern Miss Alumni Association awards three annual FROM THE ARCHIVES chapter awards for leadership, service and excellence. These awards are given to select chapters, chapter presidents and ambassadors to recognize them for success in their respective leadershipTHE rolesARTS and to acknowledge their willingness to go above and beyond in their duties. The Association is proud to announce the following recipients of the 2012 awards:
NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
2012 Scott Caldwell Award for Outstanding Chapter President: Steven Leggett, New Orleans Alumni Chapter The Scott Caldwell Award is given in honor of Southern EAGLE CLUB Miss Alumnus Scott Caldwell, who passed away of cancer during his term as president of the Mobile Alumni Chapter in 1992. This award is presented annually to an outstanding alumni chapter president, and this year’s Outstanding Chapter ATHLETIC NEWS President is Steven Leggett of the New Orleans Alumni Chapter. Steven has worked to create new and different activities for New Orleans alums, such as partnering with the local Mississippi alumni group for a friendly competition NOTESState FROM HOME of pub games. He has also increased knowledge of the chapter’s activities by utilizing social media to promote events. Steven’s love of the University is evidenced by the dedication he shows in keepingCLASS alumni NOTES involved in the New Orleans chapter.
Bay Area Alumni Chapter. This chapter works hard to keep local alumni engaged in both the chapter and the University. They hold regular after-hours socials and game-watching parties and also host pre-game events whenever the Golden Eagles travel to Mobile. In 2012, the chapter held its inaugural Southern Miss Mobile Bay Crawfish Boil where alumni, friends, current and incoming students gathered to socialize and show their Southern Miss spirit. The Second Annual Southern Miss Mobile Bay Crawfish Boil was held in early June and was an even bigger hit than last year’s event. Proceeds from the crawfish boil benefit the Mickey Marshall Endowed Scholarship, which the chapter awards annually to an incoming freshman from the Mobile area.
SNAPSHOTS
ALUMNI AUTHORS
ALUMNI ALMANAC
Jerry DeFatta, executive director of the Alumni Association, awards Steven Leggett, president of the New Orleans Alumni Chapter, with the Scott Caldwell Award for Outstanding Chapter President.
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2012 Alumni Chapter of the Year: Mobile Bay Area Alumni Chapter The Alumni Chapter of the Year Award recognizes the top alumni chapter based on overall success in a variety of categories, and the 2012 recipient of this award is the Mobile
Members of the Southern Miss Mobile Bay Alumni Association Steering Committee accept the 2012 Alumni Chapter of the Year Award. Pictured from left to right: John Erwin, Joe Sullivan, Brent Greenwald, Alumni Association Executive Director Jerry DeFatta, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Joe Paul, Mickey Marshall and Jamie Loris.
2012 Alumni Ambassador of the Year: Paul Gottlieb, Dallas, Texas The Alumni Ambassador of the Year recognizes the top alumni ambassador for overall excellence in leadership. Paul Gottlieb of the Dallas Alumni Ambassador is the 2012 Alumni Ambassador of the Year. Whenever the Golden Eagles travel to Dallas to play Conference-USA rival Southern Methodist University, Paul is quick to organize pre-game tailgates, hosting both local alums, as well as alumni and fans visiting from other areas. When the Eagles are not in town, he plans gamewatching parties, allowing the Dallas/Fort Worth alumni many opportunities to socialize and cheer on their Golden Eagles. Paul is a member of the Business Advisory Council for the College of Business and is a proud supporter of the University and of the Alumni Association.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
The Legacy Awarded Southern Miss’ Student Organization of the Year The Legacy, the student chapter of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, was recently named Student Organization of the Year for the 2012-13 school year during the Annual Presidents and Advisors Luncheon hosted by Student Activities on April 30, 2013, in the Thad Cochran Center. Nominations for multiple awards were accepted from a wide variety of contributors that included students, faculty and staff, and a committee was chosen to make final award selections. The top five nominees in each category were recognized at the luncheon, and the award winner received a plaque. In addition to receiving the Student Organization of the Year award, The Legacy was also one of the top five nominees in the President of the Year and Advisor of the Year categories. “The Legacy Board worked tirelessly this year to raise the organization’s visibility on campus and to increase student involvement in activities hosted by The Legacy,” shared Laurie Benvenutti, manager of constituent relations for the Southern Miss Alumni Association. “The dedication to The Legacy exhibited by members of this organization has been outstanding, and I am extremely proud of our students. It is truly an honor for all involved to be recognized as the Student Organization of the Year!”
Alumni Association FOUNDATION NEWS Quarterly Magazine Wins FROM THE ARCHIVES CPRAM Awards The Southern Miss THE Association ARTS Alumni was presented two awards in the senior division at the College Public NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Relations Association of Mississippi (CPRAM) 2013 awards luncheon EAGLE CLUB May 21 in Gulfport. In the category of institutional magazine, The Talon placed twice. The College Public Relations ATHLETIC NEWS Association of Mississippi is composed of public relations professionals of twoand four-year colleges and universities as well as those in-state NOTES FROM governmental HOME educational agencies.
CLASS NOTES
SNAPSHOTS
ALUMNI AUTHORS PRESENTED BY
ALUMNI ALMANAC
SAVE THE DATE! Shell Finish Line/Southern Miss Alumni Association
HOMECOMING GOLF TOURNAMENT Presented by Coca-Cola
Friday, October 25, 2013 | 8:30 a.m. | Hattiesburg Country Club The Southern Miss Alumni Association invites you to the 2013 Shell Finish Line/Alumni Homecoming Golf Tournament, to be held at Hattiesburg Coutnry Club, the official country club of the Alumni Association. To register now or for more information, visit SouthernMissAlumni.com or call the Alumni Association at 601.266.5013.
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Alumni Association Places First Installment of Bricks FOUNDATION NEWS FROM THE ARCHIVES
THE ARTS
NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
EAGLE CLUB
ATHLETIC NEWS
On July 1, more than 45 bricks inscribed with the names of Southern Miss alumni, family and friends were installed.
On the Hattiesburg campus, the plaza between Shoemaker Square and Cook Library is paved with bricks inscribed with the namesNOTES of alumni, family and friends of The University of FROM HOME Southern Mississippi. The program was created in the spring of 2013 and, to date, more than 45 bricks have been purchased. Inscribed on CLASS NOTES these bricks are favorite Southern Miss moments, declarations of loyalty to the University, and tributes of special days in the lives of past Golden Eagles. Benny SNAPSHOTS Waddle, president of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, and his wife Pam recently purchased a brick to honor the memory of an extremely special person in their lives. “Our brick was in honor and memory of Dr. Lamar Gillespie, ALUMNI AUTHORS Pam’s father,” shared Waddle. “He was a very active Southern Miss alumnus and supporter of the University in many ways.
He gladly served on various University committees and organizations. This was a small tribute to an alumnus that did tremendous works for his alma mater.” The brick program, an initiative created to assist in raising funds for the Pierce Legacy Scholarship Endowment, will aid in the funding of one-time, $1,000 scholarships awarded to incoming freshmen who are children or grandchildren of Southern Miss alumni. For the 2013-14 school year, the Association awarded nine scholarships, but the long-term goal is to award scholarships to every legacy that attends the University. Brick purchases will bring the Association one step closer to achieving that goal. Bricks can be purchased online by visiting SouthernMissAlumni.com/leavealegacy or by calling the Alumni Association at 601.266.5013. Each order includes a complimentary replica brick for personal display.
ALUMNI ALMANAC
MEMBERSHIP
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MINUTE
Did you know that the Southern Miss Alumni Association has recently announced new discounted Life Membership rates for recent graduates? Alumni who purchase or start a Life Membership payment plan within three years of their graduation date will receive a discount of more than 15%. Longtime members and alumni over the age of 60 are also eligible for discounted Life Membership rates. Contact the Southern Miss Alumni Association at 601.266.5013 today to discuss rates and to purchase or upgrade to a Life Membership. There has never been a better time to become connected for life!
On May 10, 2013, Dr. Rodney D. Bennett, tenth president of The University of Southern Mississippi, participated in his first graduation as head of the institution.
The Southern Miss Alumni Association
invites you to take the trip of a lifetime! Date:
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March 26 – April 5, 2014
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island splendor of Moorea, Bora Bora, Hiva Oa, and more as you sail the
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(including airfare)
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Discover incredible ancient wonders and alluring sun-soaked islands on this Aegean adventure aboard the graceful Oceania Cruises Riviera. This odyssey to Turkey and the Greek Isles transports you to the amazing cities and islands of Santorini, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Mykonos, Kavala and Istanbul.
Date: May 14–22, 2014 Riviera
Price: From $2,499 per person double occupancy (Airfare included)
ASSOCIATION NEWS
FOUNDATION NEWS
FROM THE ARCHIVES
THE ARTS
NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
EAGLE CLUB
ATHLETIC NEWS
NOTES FROM HOME
CLASS NOTES
Dr. MichaelSNAPSHOTS Miles, director of the School of Music (left), and Dr. Steven Moser, dean of the College of Arts and Letters (right), joined Dick and Mary Jordan (center) at the President’s Prelude held on March 28, 2013. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan were recognized at the event for establishing the Sonya Rebecca Jordan Fox Symphony Orchestra and Opera Endowment at Southern Miss through their generous gift to the USM Foundation.
ALUMNI AUTHORS
Support for the School of Music Thrives Amidst Damage and Displacement ALUMNI ALMANAC
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The School of Music at The University of Southern Mississippi experienced severe damage to many of its facilities from the tornado in February, displacing faculty, staff, classes and arts productions. Despite the destruction, support for the arts continues to thrive with celebrations of service, community involvement and the gift of scholarship. The fall of 2012 marked Dr. Jay Dean’s 25th anniversary as conductor of The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra. In recognition of his dedicated service to the University and the impact he has made on the lives of young musicians, the School of Music Dr. Jay Dean announced the Jay Dean USM Symphony Woodwind Scholarship Endowment. By providing funds to award scholarships to School of Music students who are members of the Symphony Orchestra majoring in music
performance or music education, this endowment will serve as a tribute to Dean’s work and assist future students who share his passion for the arts. “The support of our alumni and friends for both Dr. Jay Dean and our School of Music is tremendous,” said Bob Pierce, vice president for advancement. “Although the celebration of Dr. Dean’s 25th anniversary was interrupted by the tornado, both he and the School of Music responded to the challenges they faced and proved the resilience of our University.” Three months after the tornado, a reception was organized by local enthusiasts of the arts under the banner “Community Cares,” with the goal to raise money to purchase a grand piano for the symphony orchestra and lighting for the Museum of Art. Becky Montague, Community Cares chair, recalled the moment she was inspired to organize the fundraiser. “When
ASSOCIATION NEWS
FOUNDATION NEWS
FROM THE ARCHIVES Meg Puckett, Iris Easterling and I attended a performance of Sweeney Todd, we were so impressed with the ‘show must go on’ attitude beaming forth from the very same students who had to hunker down in the Mannoni Performing Arts Center when the tornado struck during their rehearsal. We knew we had to do something to help.” The event, which generated contributions in excess of $56,000, saw an overwhelming response from the community. In addition to purchasing the piano and lighting, proceeds helped fund the purchase of costumes and props for the opera, a synthesizer for the orchestra to use in its outreach efforts and software for the jazz program. “It was heartwarming to be reminded that this community does care–very much indeed,” said Montague. Support for students in the School of Music continued to grow thanks to the generosity of Dick and Mary Jordan of Columbia, Miss. On March 28, the USM Foundation and School of Music honored Mr. and Mrs. Jordan for their generous gift of $25,000, which established the Sonya Rebecca Jordan Fox Symphony Orchestra and Opera Endowment in memory of Mr. Jordan’s late sister. The endowment will support the needs of the symphony orchestra and Southern
Opera Musical Theatre. Mr. and Mrs. Jordan also provided an additional $5,000 to purchase a piano for the School of Music. Mr. Jordan recalled his sister’s love of music. “She was very THE ARTS instrumental in her church choir, and sang on many occasions throughout the Sunflower County Methodist ministry. She was well liked by everyone and was a wonderful person.” AROUND CAMPUS As a student at Southern NEWS Miss, Fox was a cheerleader, the charter first vice president of Chi Omega Fraternity, and the lead vocalist of the Modernist Dance Band. After graduating from Southern Miss with a degree in physical education, Fox spent a EAGLE CLUB few years as a teacher in various school systems. She then worked for the Sunflower, Miss. Welfare Department for more than 45 years and was the director for the last 25 years of her career. ATHLETIC Dr. Steven Moser, professor and dean of theNEWS College of Arts and Letters, discussed the vital role the arts play in shaping the identity of the community. “The generosity of those who support the arts in Hattiesburg, and particularly at Southern NOTES FROM HOME Miss, demonstrates a deep understanding that what we do goes far beyond personal entertainment,” said Moser. “Supporting creativity and the freedom to express oneself is a most precious gift. We are all better for our investment in theNOTES minds and CLASS talents of the young people who create great art.”
SNAPSHOTS
USM Foundation Announces Appointment of New Executive Director The USM Foundation recently announced Dr. Shannon Fleming as its next executive director. In this role, Fleming will serve as the chief staff executive for the USM Foundation, in addition to serving as the director of development for the University and will be responsible for the Foundation’s strategic leadership, attainment of goals and objectives, coordination of fundraising activities, and board management. The executive director’s position was recently re-created as a stand-alone role as part of the Foundation’s fiveyear strategic plan. Bob Pierce, who has served as both the executive director of
the Foundation and vice president for University Advancement since 2010 will continue in the vice president’s role with administrative responsibilities in the areas of the Foundation, the Southern Miss Alumni Association and the Office of University Communications. “We are glad to welcome Dr. Shannon Fleming to our leadership team,” said Pierce. “He is a well-seasoned fundraising professional, and we have no doubt he will enhance our Foundation staff while continuing the progress we have made on the strategic plan.” Fleming has more than 20 years experience in higher education fundraising. In his most recent position, Fleming served for seven years as the vice president for institutional advancement at Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark. Under his leadership, the alumni giving rate increased from four
percent toALUMNI 15.5 percent, and the number AUTHORS of donors of $1,000 and more increased by almost 40 percent. Fleming has also worked in development at the University ALUMNI ALMANAC of Central Arkansas, Henderson State University and the University of Arkansas-Monticello. “I’m grateful for this opportunity and look forward to working diligently to meet the mission of the University and its Foundation,” said Fleming. “President Bennett’s vision of creating ‘pathways for completion’ for our students will be embedded into all that I hope to accomplish.” Fleming earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of ArkansasMonticello, a master’s degree in business administration from Louisiana Tech University, and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Summer 2013
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
FOUNDATION NEWS
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Sandersons Make $1 Million Commitment to Nursing Building Campaign THE ARTS
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With a $1 million gift commitment from Joe and Kathy Sanderson of Laurel, Miss., The University of Southern NEWS AROUND CAMPUS Mississippi Foundation’s College of Nursing Building Campaign has exceeded the $5 million mark on its way to reaching its $8 million goal. The campaign began last year EAGLE CLUB with the announcement of a $4 million gift from the Asbury Foundation of Hattiesburg that provided naming rights for the new ATHLETIC NEWSHall. facility to be known as Asbury The contribution from Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson will name Asbury Hall’s Clinical Simulation Lab for the family. NOTES FROM HOME The Sanderson Clinical Simulation Lab, covering more than 8,000 square feet on the second floor of the proposed building, CLASS will feature specialized patient NOTES care areas with patient simulators, task trainers, simulated health care records and equipment needed to provide care SNAPSHOTS that will enhance patient safety. Mr. Sanderson is the chief executive officer of Sanderson Farms Inc., a publicly held poultry AUTHORS company that is ALUMNI one of the leading food corporations in the United States. Mr. Sanderson has held numerous ALUMNI positions inALMANAC the company since 1969, including the role of president from 1989 to 2004. In addition to his current position as CEO, he also serves as the chairman of the Board of Directors and is a member of the Executive Committee. “My wife and I are very pleased to support the expansion of the College of Nursing at The University of Southern Mississippi. We know that our state will need the health care professionals that will be produced out of this program, including registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nurses with PhDs who will teach other nursing students. We congratulate USM on its vision and are happy to add our support,” said Mr. Sanderson. The Sandersons’ gift will be a critical component of the funding required
Joe and Kathy Sanderson of Laurel, Miss made a $1 million commitment to the College of Nursing Building Campaign that will name the Sanderson Clinical Simulation Lab in Asbury Hall.
to build the new nursing facility, and it will help provide nursing students and faculty with the tools they need to continue to make a difference in the lives of Mississippi residents. “The Southern Miss College of Nursing faculty and students are extremely grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson for their generous support of our growing program,” said Dr. Katherine Nugent, dean of the College of Nursing. “The Nursing Clinical Simulation area is a vital aspect of the education of nursing students as simulation improves clinical skills, facilitates critical thinking and prepares our graduates to be proficient nurses.” The USM Foundation, in partnership with the University’s College of Nursing, announced the fundraising campaign on January 18, 2012, to aid in the construction of a new nursing facility. As of March 20, 2013, the campaign has received $5.3 million in commitments. Five million dollars of the $8 million campaign has been earmarked for construction with the remaining $3 million to be used for an endowment to support the long-term maintenance needs of the proposed
86,000-square-foot building with a total project cost of $28 million. Federal grants and state bond funding provided by the Mississippi legislature will also be required to complete the project. Bob Pierce, vice president for advancement, praised the Sandersons for their significant investment in the facility and also credited former University president, Dr. Martha Saunders, for her extensive role in securing the gift. “The Sandersons are wonderful stewards of their finances, and they have made an incredible impact on this state with their charitable contributions. We appreciate all they have done and, of course, are grateful they decided to make such a sizable gift to this important project. I am pleased we will have an impressive space on this campus named in their honor,” said Pierce. “I am also indebted to Dr. Saunders for her involvement in this process. Her departure from the presidency didn’t hinder her engagement with, and enthusiasm for, the Sandersons and the potential of this gift.” For more information on the College of Nursing Building Campaign, visit www. usmfoundation.com/nursingbuilding.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
FOUNDATION NEWS
Southern Miss Supporters Unite on Day of Giving FROM THE ARCHIVES In just 24 hours, The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation successfully raised $130,234.46 to support the restoration of the front lawn of the University’s Hattiesburg campus that was heavily damaged by the tornado on February 10. During the Southern Miss Campus Beautification Day of Giving on May 8, the USM Foundation utilized the University’s social media platforms to encourage alumni, family and friends to make a gift to the Southern Miss Campus Beautification Campaign. The total amount raised represents 374 gifts from donors in 37 US states and the country of Barbados.
“We are so grateful for the widespread support we received on the Day of Giving to help restore the beauty our campus,” THEofARTS said Megan Burkes, manager of annual giving and special projects for the USM Foundation. “It shows the strength of our University family and is truly something to be proud of.” NEWS The Foundation will continue to AROUND raise moneyCAMPUS for the Southern Miss Campus Beautification Campaign to assist in funding the $3 million landscape restoration plan. For more information on the campaign or to make a gift, visit www. EAGLE CLUB usmfoundation.com/restore.
Significant Gifts ATHLETIC NEWS to Emergency and Tornado Relief Efforts In support of the Southern Miss NOTES FROM HOME Campus Beautification Day of Giving on May 8, Fisher’s Landscaping of Hattiesburg, Miss., made a gift commitment to provideNOTES landscaping CLASS services to The University of Southern Mississippi for the next five years. A gift from Connie Kelly of SNAPSHOTS Clarksville, Ark. will support the University’s tornado relief efforts. The Chisolm Foundation of ALUMNI AUTHORS Laurel, Miss. recently donated $10,000 in support of the Southern Miss Emergency Relief Efforts.
ALUMNI ALMANAC
A commitment of $25,000 to the Southern Miss Campus Beautification Campaign from Aubrey and Ella Lucas will provide support for the Campus Landscape Restoration and Enhancement Plan. Doug and Pam Rouse of Hattiesburg, Miss. made a gift of $10,000 on the Day of Giving to support campus restoration efforts. Forrest County Board of Supervisors made a gift to the University of $25,000 to support campus beautification efforts. A gift from Nelma Ivey to the Southern Miss Emergency Relief Fund will support tornado relief efforts.
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
FOUNDATION NEWS
FROM THE ARCHIVES
USM Foundation Hosts Honor Club Black Tie Gala The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation proudly THE ARTS hosted its annual Honor Club Black Tie Gala on April 26, 2013, at the Thad Cochran Center on the Hattiesburg campus. Fred Drews, president of the USM Foundation opened the NEWS AROUND CAMPUS night’s ceremonies by formally welcoming the new University president, Dr. Rodney Bennett, who was accompanied by his wife, Temple. During the program, Dr. Michael Miles, director of the EAGLE CLUB School of Music at the University, vividly recounted the story of the impact the February tornado had on the school’s production of Sweeney Todd. During a rehearsal on February ATHLETIC NEWSto the basement of the Mannoni 10, the cast and crew rushed Performing Arts Center as the storm tore through buildings on campus, including the center. The performers lost their elaborate set, and the center was in no condition to house the NOTES FROM HOME performance. However, the show was relocated to the Saenger Theatre in Downtown Hattiesburg, and proceeds from the performances were donated to the USM Foundation’s Tornado Relief Effort. With NOTES great pride, Miles introduced the ensemble CLASS cast from the production who provided entertainment for the evening’s ceremonies. Ann Marie Chilcutt, a junior communications studies major SNAPSHOTS and president of the Student Government Association, inspired guests with words on how her Southern Miss experience was
Charles and Dottie Long with Barbara and Michael Gibson (right) at the 2013 Honor Club Black Tie Gala
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ALUMNI ALMANAC G olden E agle
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Vulcan Materials Company of Birmingham, Ala. donated $10,000 to the Vulcan Materials Scholarship Endowment in the College of Science and Technology to award scholarships to students majoring in construction.
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The Chisolm Foundation of Laurel, Miss. made a gift of $10,000 to the Friends for Gifted Education Fund to support current programs conducted by the Frances A. Karnes Center for Gifted Education.
A gift of $30,000 from Frances Crawford of Tylertown, Miss. to the Moffitt Health Center Campaign will provide naming opportunities for two doctor’s offices in the future home of Student Health Services in Century Park South. Linda and Darryl Abner of Stanton, Ky. recently established the Linda Smith Abner Dixie Darling Scholarship Endowment to award scholarships to students who are members of the Dixie Darlings with preference given to students majoring in speech pathology and audiology.
A commitment of $15,000 to the Moffitt Health Center Campaign from Chris and Robin Schwartz of Hattiesburg, Miss. will support the construction, furnishing and maintenance of the University’s new health center. Liz and Jack Joachim of Biloxi, Miss. made a gift to the Frank P. Corso, Inc. – Liz Corso Joachim Endowed Scholarship for Women at USM Gulf Coast that provides scholarships to women age 40 or over from Mississippi who are juniors or seniors at USM Gulf Coast.
ASSOCIATION NEWS
FOUNDATION NEWS
FROM THE ARCHIVES impacted by the Elliot and Bonnie Pood Communication Studies Scholarship Endowment she received from the USM Foundation. Following the program, guests enjoyed live music by The 6550’s of Hattiesburg. The 2014 Honor Club Black Tie Gala is to be held on March 28 at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi, Miss. To view pictures from this year’s event, visit www.usmfoundation.com/honorclubevents.
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NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
EAGLE CLUB
ATHLETIC NEWS
NOTES FROM HOME
CLASS NOTES
From left: Peyton Myers; Michele Myers; Meg Paul; Dr. Joe Paul, vice president for Student Affairs; Dr. Virginia Crawford, director of Student Health Services; Dr. Stephen Beam; and Hon. Dawn Beam.
Dr. Rodney Bennett, university SNAPSHOTS president, and his wife, Temple
ALUMNI AUTHORS Cynthia Kershner of Clinton, New York made a commitment of $15,000 to the Campaign for Mass Comm in memory of her late husband, Charles Kershner. In addition to naming a column on the front porch of College Hall, the contribution will also establish the Charles J. and Cynthia Z. Kershner Scholarship Endowment to award a scholarship to students in the School of Mass Communication and Journalism who demonstrate a commitment to excellent communication skills. A gift of residential property valued at $230,000 from Jenny Moffitt of Madison, Miss. will name the reception area of the Moffitt Health Center.
Alan and Melinda Lucas of Hattiesburg, Miss. made a gift commitment to the Moffitt Health Center Campaign to name the conference room in the new Student Health Services facility.
A commitment from Michael and ALUMNI ALMANAC Christy Hammett of Hattiesburg, Miss. to the Moffitt Health Center Campaign will name the Dr. Larry J. Hammett Doctor’s Office in the new facility.
Frances Burns of Hattiesburg, Miss. made a gift of $10,000 to the William B. Burns, Ed.D. Technology Education Scholarship Endowment to provide scholarships to students majoring in instructional technology.
Mary Ann Dalgo of Ocean Springs, Miss. made a commitment to the James Andrew Sessions Doyle Library Endowment to support the University Libraries.
Hoyt and Carolyn Nation of Purvis, Miss. made a gift commitment of $15,000 to the Campaign for Mass Comm to name a column on the front porch of College Hall.
Michelle and Raymond VanNorman of Madison, Miss. made a commitment of $15,000 to the College of Nursing Building Campaign that will name the Neonatal Unit in the new home of the College of Nursing, Asbury Hall.
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Resilient
Southern Miss
Spirit Continues to Soar By Amy Martin '06 and David Tisdale '90, '01
I
n the wake of the storm that tested the strength of The University of Southern Mississippi and heavily damaged its Hattiesburg campus on February 10, the resilient spirit of Southern Miss soared with an impressive response from University alumni, family and friends to aid in relief efforts. As generous donors continue to show their support, progress on restoring the campus to its former glory is well under way. As of June 30, The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation has raised more than $1.7 million for tornado relief efforts. This included more than $140,000 received in response to a solicitation mailed to alumni, friends and parents of current students; $56,675 as a result of College of Arts and Letters fundraising events; nearly $6,000 donated by student groups and alumni chapters; and more than $1.3 million directed toward restoring the campus landscape. “It serves as our visitors’ first The EF-4 tornado significantly damaged several buildings, destroyed 75 trees, and scattered debris across the southern edge of impression of a campus campus. The University acted quickly to accommodate the faculty, community that is bursting staff and classes displaced by the storm, while members of the Physical Plant, Tree Management Task Force and Department of Biology with tradition, resilience and worked with Neel-Schaffer Inc. to develop a landscape restoration the passion to make Southern plan to repair what was damaged or lost and to make improvements to enrich the historic area of campus. Miss better every day.” In April, the University announced the comprehensive landscape restoration plan. The USM Foundation also announced the Southern Miss Rodney Bennett Campus Beautification Campaign to generate private gifts to help fund the University President effort, which is projected to cost $3 million. The campaign had a strong start with a $100,000 contribution from the Southern Miss Alumni Association, which also sustained significant tornado damage to its offices in the historic Ogletree House. The facility is one of the original campus buildings, first serving as the president’s home. “This area holds such importance and so many memories for our students, alumni and friends. As our ‘front porch,’ it serves as our visitors’ first impression of a campus community that is bursting with tradition, resilience and the passion to make Southern Miss better every day,” said University President Rodney Bennett. “The diligent work of our team and continued support of private funding provides us the unique opportunity to join together and recreate this important aspect of our campus.”
On May 7, five mature oak trees, funded in part by the $100,000 contribution from the Alumni Association, were planted to kick off the Gateway Phase of the Campus Landscape and Restoration and Enhancement Plan.
The Campus Landscape Restoration and Enhancement Plan
5 PHASES
2. THE ROSE GARDEN PHASE
4. THE DISTRICT PHASE 3. THE LAKE BYRON PHASE
5. THE MARSH HALL PHASE
1. THE GATEWAY PHASE (COMPLETED)
The Campus Landscape Restoration and Enhancement Plan, spearheaded by landscape architect Russ Bryan of Neel-Schaffer, focuses on providing a framework for creating desirable views of campus landmarks that highlight the southern “front porch” of the University. Lake Byron will also receive improvements, such as an increase in size and the ability to temporarily retain storm water. The multi-phased project is expected to add additional sidewalks, more than 130 trees and an irrigation system when complete. The Five Phases of the Project 1. The Gateway Phase, which was completed in June, included planting of five mature live oak trees, grass sodding and major irrigation work. 2. The Rose Garden Phase, which began in mid-June, will consist of removing some obsolete pavement and adding a brick walkway through the center of the garden. Additionally, a seating area and wider pathway for pedestrian and bike travel with improved lighting will be added. 3. The Lake Byron Phase will expand the shore and add a recognition wall at the north end of the lake. Native hardwood trees will be planted on the upslope and drainage will be improved. 4. The District Phase will add trees for shade and irrigation to support renovated or new turf. 5. The Marsh Hall Phase will include conducting irrigation work, re-grading turf areas and planting additional live oak trees. On May 7, five mature oak trees, funded in part by the $100,000 commitment from the Alumni Association, were planted to kick off the Gateway Phase. “The Ogletree House sustained significant damage when the tornado touched down on the southern edge of the Hattiesburg campus,” said Jerry DeFatta, executive
“It’s moving along quicker than we anticipated because of the generosity of alumni donating to the restoration plan. So many have stepped forward to help make this become a reality.” Chris Crenshaw Southern Miss Physical Plant Director
For more information on the Southern Miss Campus Beautification Campaign, visit usmfoundation.com/ restore.
director of the Alumni Association. “Although a team of construction professionals is working diligently to repair the iconic structure, the Campus Beautification Campaign provides our organization with an opportunity to financially support the University's efforts to restore the main entrance of the Hattiesburg campus to its original beauty.” As the first steps of the plan were being implemented, the USM Foundation held the Southern Miss Campus Beautification Day of Giving on May 8, utilizing the University’s social media platforms to encourage alumni, family and friends to support the landscape restoration. In just 24 hours, the Foundation successfully raised $130,234.46 for the Campus Beautification Campaign. The total amount raised represents 374 gifts from donors in 37 U.S. states and the country of Barbados. The live oaks, measuring 40-feet high by 40-feet wide, were supplied by Florida-based grower, The Magnolia Company. While the Gateway Phase is complete, additional phases will begin as seasonal said there is no definitive timeline because of the unpredictable planting conditions and funding permits. The Foundation nature of weather conditions, as well as the availability of will continue to raise money for the Southern Miss Campus plants and trees. Beautification Campaign to assist in funding the project. Loren “So far, the work is progressing nicely. I’m not sure Erickson, superintendent of landscaping at Southern Miss, everyone is aware of the difficulty of layering so many new elements with people working on top of each other,” he said. “At the same time, you can’t tear up any existing infrastructure or damage newly installed landscape. My hat is off to all involved for their ability to execute this complex undertaking.” Erickson said after dealing with loss and cleanup for so long, the arrival of the first trees was a refreshing boost in the moral of the team working on the project. “Now that we are well on our way to getting the new and old landscaping to mesh and look even better than before, I am encouraged and excited to see the transformation continue.” Erickson said the staff is motivated to preserve the meaning that the campus has for so many people, and expressed his gratitude to all who care so much for the shared space. Dr. Chris Crenshaw, director of the Southern Miss Physical Plant, joined Erickson in his appreciation of the overwhelming support of the plan. “It’s moving along quicker than we anticipated because of the generosity of alumni donating to the restoration plan. So many have stepped forward to help make this become a reality,” he said. “It makes it easier for us to purchase the items we need and keep the project moving forward.” “I am indeed encouraged by the response of our alumni and friends to this significant natural disaster,” said Bob Pierce, vice president for advancement. “The impact of the tornado, primarily on our campus landscape, created an unexpected and real need for the University. This became a fundraising priority for us in very short order, and I am confident we will continue to have gifts come in to restore the beauty of our Loren Erickson, superintendent of landscaping of Southern Miss, secures an Hattiesburg campus.” additional strap on one of five live oaks.
A Hu mble Servant Leader: Southern Miss Alumna Combines Experience and Passion By Marie John Roberts 11’, 12’
C
ombining her experience in the health care industry with a passion to serve the pediatric cancer population, Roz Dorsett ’08 has made a career out of “providing fun for kids with cancer.” The child and family studies graduate and Mobile, Ala., native worked as a child life specialist in the Atlanta area for a few years after graduating and became heavily involved with a camp for children in the area. “When we moved back to Mobile, I began a job search that lasted a few months. I heard about this job, and it was the perfect fit for me,” Dorsett shared. Dorsett, who is an alumna of the Delta Pi chapter of Delta Gamma sorority, was also involved with Southern Style, GEWW Crew, and Lambda Sigma as an undergraduate at Southern Miss. With an emphasis in child life, as well as a minor in Spanish, Dorsett utilizes the material learned from coursework at the University on a daily basis. Now, Dorsett makes a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of children through her work as the assistant director of Camp Rap-A-Hope, a summer camp for children between the ages of seven and 17 who have or have had cancer. The free camp includes all things that a summer camp traditionally offers: horseback riding, arts and crafts, canoeing, archery, etc. Dorsett’s role as assistant director of Camp Rap-A-Hope includes planning camp week and other annual events, as well as attending fundraisers and processing camper and staff registrations. “If you know of any child that fits within this, tell them about us,” Dorsett said.
Robert, an 8-year-old cam per at Camp Rap -A-Hope , who refers to himself as “Robert the Great,” was one of Dorsett’s patients whi le employed as a child life specialist in Atlanta.
Camp Rap-A-Hope also offers additional opportunities for fun throughout the year. Family fun days and holiday parties are a few ways the camp continues the fun for campers and their families. Funded solely by generous donations from individuals, corporations, memorials and honorariums, Camp Rap-A-Hope creates lifelong memories for Dorsett and the camp’s participants: “Not long after I began working with Camp Rap-A-Hope, I had the privilege of hearing a camper’s parent speak about what camp means to her. She began to tell the story of her daughter and her love for camp, and eventually she got to the part of their story where they learned that there were no more treatment options for her. She illustrated what it was like for them as parents and for their adolescent daughter to learn of her impending death. She then said that the doctor asked her daughter if she had any questions, and she responded, ‘My family is going to miss me’ and ‘Will I still be able to go to camp?’” For Dorsett, this enriching experience is both humbling and motivational. “To be a contributing part of something that makes this much of a difference in a child’s life—a child who has had to endure far more than a child should ever have to endure—is enough inspiration for a lifetime!” This year, Camp Rap-A-Hope was programmed around a circus theme, “Cirque du Hope: The Greatest Camp on Earth,” and challenged campers to relate to the daily circus animal highlighted each morning. “Specifically, one of the day’s animals was a tiger,” Dorsett said. “We focused on the stripes that every tiger has. What do the stripes mean? They are unique to the tiger and make up who the tiger is. We focused on the fact that everyone has bumps, bruises and scars. These are our tiger stripes that make us who we are.” At Camp Rap-A-Hope, every camper has endured cancer and has one or multiple scars from the journey. For Dorsett, this experience is awe-inspiring. “To sit back and watch them courageously and proudly compare and share their ‘tiger stripes’ in front of the whole camp was humbling.” Dorsett’s future goal for Camp Rap-A-Hope is simple: to reach more children and their families. “The passion that I saw in both University faculty, Dr. Julie Parker and Dr. Ann Blackwell, working with children and families has directly impacted my career. They both invested in me as a student and instilled in me the vision of how I wanted to serve children and families. I am indebted to them for who I have become in the professional world, which is hopefully someone who is viewed as a servant leader.” For more information on Camp Rap-A-Hope, visit camprapahope.org.
Dorsett brings both her ukulele and acoustic guitar to Camp Rap-A-Hope, in order to assist in leading songs at Circle Time but also as a means to engage the campers one-on-one. Camp participants love the ukulele because it is actually their size!
Fun for Kids with Cancer
Dorsett facilitates a game at Circle Time where campers sing songs, play games, and then sing the blessing for their meal.
Brandon Hersey is the third student from The University of Southern Mississippi and the first African-American student from the University to receive the prestigious Truman Scholarship.
SIG
SIGHTING SOUTHERN STARS
ASSOCIATION NEWS
an invitation to
a Life Dedicated to Public Service:
FOUNDATION NEWS
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Southern Miss’ First African-American Truman Scholar THE ARTS
By D’Andra Price ‘13
F
NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
or Hattiesburg native Brandon Hersey, receiving the Truman Scholarship, which is awarded to college juniors who exude exceptional leadership potential, was both an honor and a call to action. This junior political science and communication studies doubleEAGLE major views winning the CLUB scholarship as an invitation to dedicate his life to public service and leadership. Hersey was selected as the recipient of this prestigious $30,000 award from a pool of more than 600 applicants. As the third University of Southern Mississippi Truman Scholar and the first African-American ATHLETIC NEWS student from the University to receive the award, these students are required to further their education in areas of studies that promote public service, leadership, and the betterment of the community. When asked how life has changed since receiving the scholarship, Hersey slightly chuckled and reflected in a moment of silence, as if the honor had not set in yet. “Graduate school hasHOME definitely become NOTES FROM a more manageable option,” said Hersey humbly. “But day-to-day life has not changed much for me.” Life for Hersey prior to winning the scholarship involved devotion in ways to give back to Southern Miss, Hattiesburg and his family; so personally, the new scope in which he will represent Southern CLASS Miss will require the most adjusting. “By being named a Truman scholar, I have beenNOTES charged with the task of representing not only my school, but my community, city and state on a national level,” shared Hersey. “That is truly humbling and something I take seriously. I am honored and more than ready to do just that. I believe it is important to use the gifts God has given me and give back to my community.” SNAPSHOTS Although Hersey will forever have a place in his heart for Hattiesburg, he feels he is ready to experience life outside of the Hub City. Hersey’s short-term goals include traveling and education. “I plan to spend a lot of time in Washington D.C., to gain professional experience and, hopefully, attend graduate school,” ALUMNI AUTHORS Hersey explained. “Long-term, I see myself returning to Hattiesburg to serve my city in some capacity.” Since the recognition he has received in his time thus far at Southern Miss, Hersey remains humble, crediting his father Roosevelt Hersey for instilling this virtue in him at a young age. “My father always ALUMNI ALMANAC taught me that you do not do good things to get noticed, but rather when you do good things, people notice,” Hersey shared. “For me, I just want to continue doing good things. Whether people notice or not.” In terms of how Hersey measure success, he says there is no end game. “As long as there are people who are hungry, children who need an education, people who are homeless and racial inequalities, the job is never over,” shared Hersey passionately. “There is always work to be done. But when I’m old and grey, hopefully sitting in the stands cheering on the Golden Eagle football team, and I can look back on my life and see how I helped to alleviate some of those problems, that’s when I’ll know my life was a success.” For other students who are interested in applying for the Truman Scholarship, Hersey offers a piece of advice. “Know yourself. Know what it is you want to do for the world and what you have already done to advance those goals,” he advised. “The application process revealed a multitude of things about myself that I would have never known if I didn’t decide to embark on this amazing journey.” Summer 2013
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The Courage to
Tri
By Jenny Boudreaux ‘08
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Different family members have accompanied Pendergrass on different trips. His daughter Patricia Pendergrass is one of his biggest enthusiasts.
Pendergrass competed in Switzerland, vying for an IRONMAN that contained mountains after viewing the Tour de France on television.
hether exercise is a top priority or not, Against the Odds by author Dr. John Pendergrass, Life Member of the Southern Miss Alumni Association, entices readers as they become engrossed in this inspirational journey of a man in his sixties competing in six of the world’s toughest triathlons across six continents. Although not a graduate of The University of Southern Mississippi, Pendergrass has been the Golden Eagle ophthalmologist for more than 35 years and a resident of the Pine Belt since 1975. This USM Foundation Honor Club member declares Southern Miss as “his school” and began running as his go-to form of exercise, following his ophthalmology board exams in the late 1970s. As Pendergrass neared the age of 60, he began to experiment in triathlons. “I didn’t know if I could do an IRONMAN,” he shared. “It was a goal, and I had to ask myself could I do this?” Upon turning 60, Pendergrass completed his first IRONMAN Triathlon in Brazil. “It was a big challenge because the most I ever exercised consecutively before this race was probably seven hours. The IRONMAN is twice that long. You don’t know until you try how you’ll do. It’s a big unknown.” The following year Pendergrass competed in Switzerland, vying for an IRONMAN that contained mountains after viewing the Tour de France on television. “After seeing all the bikers climb those mountains,” he said animatedly. “I wanted to see if I could do that too. So I did just that!” Upon returning home from his second IRONMAN, Hurricane Katrina hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast, followed by a serious bicycle accident that injured his hip and elbow. It was only time before his luck would turn around. Shortly after, Pendergrass entered and won a trip to an IRONMAN Triathlon in South Africa. He then competed in an IRONMAN in New Zealand and one in Arizona, tallying the triathlons he had competed in to five. “About that time, someone sort of mentioned to me that I had done five IRONMAN
The photo that appears on the cover of Against the Odds, Pendergrass’ book, which tells the story of a man who competed in six of the world’s toughest triathlons across six continents while in his sixties.
Pendergrass entered and won a trip to an IRONMAN Triathlon in South Africa
Triathlons on five different continents,” he shared. “Up until that point, I really hadn’t thought about it much. I decided, once I realized it, that I would like to see if I could do the sixth one.” The only race in Asia, which was the continent Pendergrass had yet to compete on, was China. Following this experience, he explained it was never his intention to compete in all of these races and publish a book about it. “People ask, ‘why did you write the book?’ I respond with, ‘I wrote the book for the same reasons I did my first IRONMAN Triathlon. To see if I could do it.’” Pendergrass’ greatest moments throughout this remarkable journey are crossing those finish lines. With more than 50 triathlons under his belt to date, Pendergrass describes these moments as “relief and euphoria.” Two of the strongest emotions he has ever experienced. This unintentional hero’s journey does not just apply to those who set athletic goals. His determination, accomplishments and triumphs can pertain to all facets of life. “To anyone who chooses to set a goal, start out by taking a step at a time,” advises Pendergrass. “Whatever you set your mind to do, commit the time and keep going.” Against the Odds can be purchased on Amazon.com.
Maintaining
Tradition:
One of Southern Miss’ Own Leads The Pride
By Jenny Boudreaux ‘08
M
usic has been a constant and significant part of University of Southern Mississippi alumnus Jamie Standland’s ‘87 life for as long as he can remember. After a switch in majors from musical theatre to music education, Standland, most recently named director of The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band, transferred to Southern Miss and began to gear his focus toward his music. It was then that Standland joined The Pride, where he met his future wife Carol Weatherford Standland ’87. “The Pride has always been very special to me and so has the University,” shared Standland. “I have so many memories, one of which is meeting my wife. Just so happens, had I not been a part of The Pride, I may be married to someone else. Well, to me, that would be tragic.” Reminiscing about his time as a student at the University, Standland recalls anticipating the start of each school year as an exciting time where he had the opportunity to rekindle friendships made throughout the previous year. “It’s the family atmosphere of Southern Miss that has always existed, and under my leadership, it will continue.”
Dr. James Standland, who has been connected to The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band for more than 25 years, was recently named director of the program.
New director of The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band James Standland ‘87 and wife Carol Weatherford Standland ’87 were both members of The Pride during their college years at Southern Miss.
By staying connected to the program for more than 25 years, Standland can only describe the past leadership of The Pride as top-notch. “Because of my closeness to The Pride, I can expand on aspects of the program that previous directors did really well, while still making the position my own without sacrificing any traditions whatsoever,” he shared. “Because that is what this program and university is about; it’s about tradition and maintaining those traditions. However that can be done, I’ll do it.” Standland has a personal saying: “Big ships don’t turn around easy.” According to the director, “This ship doesn’t have to turn around. It’s been heading in the right direction for a long time through the leadership that’s been in place, but I do have some ideas I want to make happen that I’ve had for years. Now I get the opportunity to put them into place.” When asked if being offered this position had been a life-long dream, Standland answers matter-of-factly, “No. When I was in high school The Pride was bigger than life and the best thing I had ever seen,” he said. “So often, when I take for granted the fact that I’m the director of this thing that is so big and impressive, I look back on that same awe I had as an undergraduate and think, there are others with that same look. That’s how they see The Pride of Mississippi. So no, it wasn’t a dream. I dream big, but this was something I thought would never happen. And here we go!”
FROM THE ARCHIVES
Earliest known photograph of The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, year 1920
The First Orchestra:
A Modest, Short-lived Ensemble
An excerpt from the book Bringing the World to Mississippi: The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra 1919 – 2010 by Southern Miss Alumna Rebecca Smart Montague
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he first orchestra at The University of Southern Mississippi – then Mississippi Normal College – was organized in 1913 and was a modest, short-lived ensemble that did not play traditional orchestral literature and was formed to accompany the school’s choir. Its conductor, Lorena Tomson, who would remain on the music faculty until 1922, established the true orchestral predecessor of The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra in 1919 with an orchestra consisting of 11 musicians. Ms. Tomson was followed in 1922 by conductor Margaret Gillard, under whose direction the orchestra grew to 15 musicians, including the addition of three brass players. Hazel Horton Read then conducted the small orchestra for two years, followed by Madeleen Armstrong’s tenure of two years. No records confirm the existence of an orchestra for the next few years – perhaps the founding musicians graduated. In 1930, State Teachers College hired Frank Earl Marsh Jr. to chair its fledging music department. Marsh became chair of the Fine Arts department and would remain in this position until his retirement in 1960. The few records that remain from the 1930s and 1940s identify Marsh as the orchestra conductor from 1930 until 1948. Marsh is also credited with the
Frank Marsh conducts the traditional Christmas presentation of Handel’s Messiah.
organization of the Hattiesburg Choral Union and the 1948 establishment of the Opera Workshop; both endeavors were accompanied by the symphony orchestra and have continued without interruption to the present time.
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The highlight of the orchestral season during these early years occurred each spring when, under Marsh’s baton, the orchestra embarked on a two-week tour of South Mississippi performing a shortened version of Handel’s Messiah. All music classes were canceled for two weeks, and those students who were not in the orchestra sang in the chorus. Music faculty acted as champions for the two-performances-a-day tour. Frank E. Marsh Jr. headed the school’s Music department from 1930 – 61.
To purchase Bringing the World to Mississippi: The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra 1919 – 2010, contact The University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Office at 601.266.4001. Summer 2013
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
ARTS AND LETTERS
NEWS AROUND CAMPUS
EAGLE CLUB
ATHLETIC NEWS
NOTES FROM HOME
CLASS NOTES
SNAPSHOTS
ALUMNI AUTHORS
ALUMNI ALMANAC
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“Rope Stories” rehearsal – Rebecca McArthur, Elizabeth Lentz, Kelly Ferris Lester and Meredith Robertson-Early. Not pictured – choreographer Stacy Reischman Fletcher
FROM THE ARCHIVES
ARTS AND LETTERS
AROUND CAMPUS of Two Golden Eagles ReturnNEWS to Department Dance Faculty and Form Dance Company At first glance, one would think that College of Arts and Letters faculty Meredith EAGLE CLUB Robertson-Early and Rebecca McArthur were reliving their childhoods by playfully swinging back and forth on a rope, laughing and swiping at each other as they sailed through the air. However, the two dance artists are rehearsing for an aerial dance that will ATHLETIC NEWS watch be performed later this summer. Several dancers in the rehearsal studio carefully every move Robertson-Early and McArthur make and await their cues as they double check the security of their safety harnesses before they take their places on the ropes. Robertson-Early and McArthur studied dance at Southern Miss before pursing NOTES FROM HOME their professional careers. These Golden Eagles came home and joined the Department of Dance faculty, and with support from Partners for the Arts, they are part of a cultural revolution of dance at Southern Miss and in South Mississippi. Along with fellow faculty members, Elizabeth Lentz, Kelly Ferris Lester and Stacy CLASS NOTES Reischman Fletcher, these dancers are part of Hub Dance Collective (HDC), which was founded in the fall semester of 2012. They hope to change the artistic landscape of Mississippi by adding modern dance to the rich mix of cultural influences for SNAPSHOTS which our state is famous. In other words, we can do more than sing, write and cook; we can dance, too. The roots of HDC began in the several weeks of training and practicing leading up to a December dance concert. Lester, Lentz, Robertson-Early and McArthur ALUMNI AUTHORS choreographed and performed “Shifting Boundaries” at the Repertory Dance Company concert. With the process being a success, the four artists decided they wanted to continue the collaboration process and approached Dance department chair, Stacy ALUMNI ALMANAC Reischman Fletcher, who excitedly agreed, about joining them as choreographer. “We value the inspiration, challenges and creativity that come in a collaborative process, recognizing that in such collaboration each of our individual artistry is fed,” said Reischman Fletcher. HDC focuses on the collaborative nature of modern dance, and when HDC performs in August, they will reprise an aerial piece choreographed by Reischman Fletcher from 2003, which featured then-undergraduate Meredith Robertson-Early. Robertson-Early graduated with a BFA in performance and choreography from Southern Miss and then went on to earn an MFA in dance from Sarah Lawrence College in New York. As a professional, she became resident artist and choreographer with the New Orleans Ballet Association. She was also part of a touring company that performed at the Kennedy Center, Jacob’s Pillow and The Picollo Spoleto Festival. She is now “back home” at her alma mater and has been part of the Arts and Letters faculty since 2009, where she hopes to serve as an example to students. “As a proud alumna of Southern Miss, I see HDC as providing an avenue for graduates of our program, that is, to continue to provide opportunities (be it in performance, internships or production) to our students. The University’s Department of Dance is a thriving community. As I see it, HDC is an extension of that, truly making connections in the professional realm of our field. We, the members of HDC, are setting an example. We teach, and we live it.” Members of HDC have performed all across America, as well as in France, Mexico and Brazil, in all types of venues: indoor and outdoor. Through their unique movement styles and expressive performances, the artists inform their audiences of the historical and creative legacies of modern dance.
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FROM THE ARCHIVES
ARTS AND LETTERS
NEWS AROUND CAMPUS As one of the newest Arts and Letters faculty members in the Dance department, Rebecca McArthur is honored to work with the other members of HDC on a daily basis and is excited about making a difference in the lives of the students at EAGLE CLUB Southern Miss. “I graduated from Southern Miss in 2005 with a BFA in dance performance and choreography,” said McArthur. “After ATHLETIC graduation, I joined a NEWS performing arts company based out of South Africa.” “I toured with the company in South Africa, as well as in the United States, for about two years. In 2009, I decided to NOTES FROM HOME pursue an MFA in dance at the State University of New York, College at Brockport. My time as a Southern Miss student was so meaningful and life-changing for me as a dance artist, and I knew I wanted to invest in students just as the faculty CLASS NOTES invested in me.” HDC is an opportunity for the faculty to continue their education by learning from one another’s unique styles of teaching SNAPSHOTS and performing. “HDC allows us to collaborate with each other, blend our diverse and unique styles of movement and, most importantly, continue ALUMNI to bring anAUTHORS awareness of our beloved art form to the Hattiesburg and surrounding communities,” said Early. As they prepare for their upcoming concert, they have welcomedALUMNI two guestALMANAC artists and former Southern Miss Department of Dance standouts, Kristen Rizzuto and Lauren Guynes, who will perform with them. Reischman Fletcher, who choreographed “Rope Stories: A Dance in Four Acts,” says that using ropes and climbing harnesses in performance is new to the dance field. While it may not be commonplace, the practice can be found in some dance pockets of the world. The rope and harness add an
element of unpredictability to the performance that tests the artists’ skill and control. “It’s incredibly physically demanding even for professionallevel dancers who are applying everything they know in a new context. Their abilities are pushed and put to the test, even in the middle of a performance when they are forced to solve problems if something in the performance goes wrong,” added Reischman Fletcher. “Performing this concert and our other work in South Mississippi and at Southern Miss, we grow our local audiences for dance; by touring we increase recognition of the burgeoning modern dance scene in our region.” In addition to the aerial performance choreographed by Reischman Fletcher, audience members will enjoy works by McArthur that will be performed by Robertson-Early, Lester and Lentz, a new duet choreographed by Lester, and a new non-aerial quartet by Reischman Fletcher set on the company. Having trained nationally, the members of HDC feel they bring a broad perspective on dance to their work and strive to create the highest quality modern dances. When asked what she hoped the legacy of Hub Dance Collective would be, McArthur answered: “Within any art form, there is a sense of vulnerability to put your work out there for others to see. I strive to be an example for my students by creating work, while continuing to perform, so they can see that there is no limit to what they can achieve. I want students to see that they have the ability and the support of the faculty to choreograph and share their work with others in a way that they can be proud of and confident in as they continue down whatever path is presented beyond their experience at Southern Miss. In a word, I hope HDC will inspire our students.”
Hub Dance Collective August 16-17 & 23-24 All concerts begin at 7:30 p.m. Theatre and Dance Building, Studio 115 $10 general public $5 students
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performing with Members of Hub Dance Collective ol. contr grace, precision and
EAGLE CLUB
ATHLETIC NEWS
Football 101: Chalk Talk for Ladies Returns July 30
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The Southern Miss football program, in conjunction with Forrest General Hospital, will host Football 101: Chalk Talk for Ladies Tuesday, July 30, from 6-9 p.m. in the Touchdown Terrace of CarlisleFaulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium. Female fans will get a chance to learn about the game of football from Southern Miss Head Football Coach Todd Monken. The Southern Miss Cheerleaders and Seymour will also be in attendance. Other activities during the evening include: • A fashion show • A dinner and opportunity to purchase unique Southern Miss merchandise and gifts • A photo taken with Head Football Coach Monken • A free commemorative T-shirt • The opportunity to experience running through the tunnel • A special raffle and silent auction • Door prizes available all throughout the evening Cost to attend the event is $25 for Spirit of Women and Eagle Club members or $35 for non-members. Limited space is available. Please call Spirit of Women at 601.288.4968 for more information or to register. The registration deadline is July 27.
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ALUMNI AUTHORS
ALUMNI ALMANAC
Football Schedule Aug. 31 Sept. 07 Sept. 14 Sept. 28 Oct. 05 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 02 Nov. 09 Nov. 16 Nov. 23 Nov. 30
vs. Texas State at Nebraska at Arkansas at Boise State vs. Florida International * at East Carolina * vs. North Texas * HOMECOMING at Marshall at Louisiana Tech * vs. Florida Atlantic * vs. Middle Tennessee State * at UAB *
Hattiesburg Lincoln, Neb. Fayetteville, Ark. Boise, Idaho Hattiesburg Greenville, N.C. Hattiesburg Huntington, W.Va. Ruston, La. Hattiesburg Hattiesburg Birmingham, Ala.
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EAGLE CLUB
ATHLETIC NEWS
NOTES FROM HOME
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR
CLASS NOTES RECENT GRAD PROGRAM
SNAPSHOTS
$280
$150
ALUMNI AUTHORS
2 LOWER DECK TICKETS ALUMNI $125ALMANAC EAGLE CLUB MEMBERSHIP
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
601.266.5299
2 UPPER DECK TICKETS $125 EAGLE CLUB MEMBERSHIP
HELP US JOIN THE EAGLE CLUB TODAY! The Eagle Club Scholarship Fund provides Southern Miss Athletics with annual scholarship support. Your contributions can help provide a student-athlete a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a member of the Southern Miss family!
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Join the Eagle Club today by calling 601.266.5299 or visiting southernmiss.com/eagle-club.
EAGLE CLUB
ATHLETIC NEWS
FROM HOME Eagle Club Introduces McCance as Newest AdditionNOTES to Staff
Sarah McCance
The Eagle Club, the fundraising organization for University of Southern Mississippi Athletics, would like to introduce the newest addition to the staff. Eagle Club Assistant Director Sarah McCance joined the organization’s staff in March 2013. A native of Cheyenne, Wyo., McCance graduated from the University of Wyoming in May of 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in
marketing and a minor in finance. Following graduation, McCance relocated to the University of North Texas, where she was a coordinator of the Mean Green Club within the Athletics department. McCance worked closely with athletics staff to coordinate events and provide opportunities to cultivate athletics donors. In 2010, McCance returned to Wyoming as an athletics development officer with the athletics fundraising arm, the Cowboy Joe Club. At UW, she oversaw donor relations in three areas that spanned across Wyoming and Northern Colorado. McCance also
managed Wyoming’s premium football seating facility, including sales and contracts of premium inventory. In addition to those NOTES duties, McCance directed all of WyomingCLASS Athletics’ three annual fundraising events - a series of golf tournaments, an annual live auction and an annual online auction, which together brought in more than $450,000 annually to the Club. SNAPSHOTS “I’m very excited to be joining the staff at Southern Miss,” McCance said. “I am familiar with the rich tradition and passion at Southern Miss and am proud to now be a part of ALUMNI AUTHORS that. I look forward to working with and learning from this staff and doing whatever I can to continue the development of the Eagle Club throughout the region. ALMANAC “The warm welcome I have ALUMNI received from fans, alumni and donors has been unparalleled. It brings so much meaning to the words ‘Southern hospitality,’ and this ‘Westerner’ loves every minute of it! I am honored to be a part of the Southern Miss family.” McCance will assist with all Eagle Club donor relations in South Mississippi, as well as in surrounding areas. She will work to grow the Eagle Club’s membership by inviting businesses and individuals alike to join. McCance will also oversee the student organization for athletics support, the Student Eagle Club. “We are excited to have Sarah join the Eagle Club staff” said Chad Foote, executive director of the Eagle Club. “Her experience and work ethic will truly be an asset to the Eagle Club.”
Eagle Club Announces Record-Breaking Year for Donations The Southern Miss Department of Athletics has announced the Eagle Club has produced another recordbreaking year, thanks to the generous donations from its supporters of the program. This past fiscal year, which ended June 30, marked the first time the Eagle Club eclipsed the $2 million mark, which goes directly to support Southern Miss studentathlete scholarships. “We have had a great year in the Eagle Club,” said Chad Foote, executive director of the Eagle Club. “The reason for our recordbreaking success this year is the teamwork of our fans and staff as they came together to help us accomplish our goal. Our staff did a great job implementing and believing in our strategic plan, and it showed through the increased support of our fans.” This total does not include the monies generated for endowments, facility projects and special needs.
The record breaking year was due to numerous factors, including the loyalty of Golden Eagle fans with the addition of the 20-for-20 challenge — asking fans to donate an additional 20 percent in support of the school’s 20th head football coach. These efforts increased the local community’s engagement and the transition of Southern Miss fans becoming Eagle Club members for the first time. “Chad Foote and the entire Eagle Club staff have done an outstanding job of engaging our fan base and helping raise the level of commitment,” said Southern Miss Interim Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain. “Our fans and supporters have answered the challenge in impressive fashion during a critical time as we look to move Southern Miss Athletics forward.” The previous year saw the Eagle Club raise $1.875 million for student-athlete scholarships. Summer 2013
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When youALUMNI pack your AUTHORS bags for a vacation, be sure to coordinate your wardropbe with black and gold attire and bring along a camera! Send *photos of yourself, your family and friends, and we will print as many as space allows in a future edition of Snapshots.
ALUMNI ALMANAC
Top Left: From left to right: Rodney Schenck, Richard Swearengin and Brian Farmer. All three are graduates of the Department of Forensic Science and are currently utilizing their skills and education in the war effort in Afghanistan. They are seen here at a United Arab Emirates compound where they were given the opportunity to build international relations regarding forensic capabilities. Top Right: Sandra Hogue, Lisa Hogue Brown ’02, ’09, Nick Brown ’03 and Larry Hogue ’69 visited Hanaumba Bay, Hawaii, where they enjoyed hours of snorkeling and sightseeing! Middle Left: The Mississippi Society of Washington, D.C., held its annual Mississippi on the Mall on June 22. Southern Miss alumni and friends came together to celebrate their Mississippi roots with fried catfish, Sugaree’s caramel cakes, and music from Mississippi’s own “Fistful of Grits.”
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Below: Southern Miss alumni and friends and fellow Mississippians attended the Fifth Annual Atlanta’s Mississippi Picnic in the Park on June 15 located at Chastain Park in Buckhead.
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Above: United State Representative Steven Palazzo ‘94, ‘96 donned Southern Miss gear during the Annual Congressional Baseball Game for Charity. This will be Palazzo’s third year participating, and each year he’s been proud to wear a Southern Miss uniform! Top Right: This past spring, more than 35 Southern Miss alumni cruised through the Mediterranean as part of the Alumni Association’s partnership with Go Next Travel. Making stops in France, Monaco and Italy, this group of Golden Eagles spent a week at sea enjoying beautiful scenery, art and cuisine. Right: Billy ’87 and Lisa Dodd ’88 celebrated their son Zale’s 10th birthday during Spring Break at Universal Studios in Orlando.
Above Left: Lamar Lott ’88, ’97 and his son Mitchell, a sixth-grader at Brandon Middle School, visit Stone Mountain in Atlanta, Ga., as part of Brandon’s Venture Gifted Student Program. Above Right: Alumni and friends from the New York City area gathered in Central Park on June 8, for the 34th Annual New York Mississippi Picnic. While Gov. Phil Bryant brought Mississippi greetings to the Big Apple, picnic goers enjoyed an afternoon filled with sweet tea, friends and music. Left: Recent University of Southern Mississippi grads Kyle Williams ‘12 and Leigh Haas ‘10 ‘12 are pictured with Representative Toby Barker ‘04 ’06. Kyle is a policy assistant for the speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives, and Leigh is the head page for the Mississippi House of Representatives.
*For printing purposes, please save or scan your photos at a resolution of 300 dpi. If you have any questions, contact the Alumni Association at 601.266.5013. Summer 2013
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CLASS NOTES Now is your chance to catch up on the news and accomplishments of your fellow Golden Eagles. SNAPSHOTS To submit your news to The Talon, please send your information to the Southern Miss Alumni Association, 118 College Drive #5013, Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001, email alumni@usm.edu or post it online at SouthernMissAlumni.com. All cities are in Mississippi unless otherwise noted.
ALUMNI AUTHORS
1950s
Robert F. Ostrunder ’55 has retired from NASA as an Aerospace Engineer. ALUMNI ALMANAC Butch Williamson ’58 proudly announces the birth of his great-grandson, Eliah Murphy. Baby Eliah was born in Dundock, Ireland on July 10, 2012.
1960s
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Doherty ’62 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on April 27, 2013. Robert Toy McLaughlin’s ‘62 firm, Inverness Financial Group, has been selected by the Birmingham Business Journal as one of the top financial advisory firms in the city of Birmingham.
Barbara Fremgen ’63 migrated to Whittier, Calif., in late 1976 and has lived there ever since. She retired from teaching several years ago and returns to Mississippi periodically as it is in her roots and holds a special place in her heart.
1970s
Reverend Al Green ‘71 recently retired after forty years in the ministry. He was pastor of First Baptist Church, Bay St. Louis during and after Hurricane Katrina. Green plans to retire in Iuka and continue work in the ministry and as a volunteer. Dorothy Little ’72 retired on January 1, 2013 from Delta Air Lines after 40 years as a flight attendant.
Walter Drew ’69 recently coauthored From Play to Practice: Connecting Teachers’ Play to Children’s Learning, a book that asserts educators benefit from participating in play workshops.
Carol Ann Crapps Dran ’74 has been inducted into Alpha Delta Kappa, an international honorary organization for women educators. She serves as student support services coordinator at Simpson County Technical Center in Mendenhall.
Dr. Rayford Vaughn ’69 has been appointed the new vice president for research at The University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Eric Lantrip ’75, ’78 was hired as a football and baseball coach at Oldetowne Middle School, in Ridgeland. He will also serve as an art teacher.
printing & direct mail
direct
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design
creative & innovative solutions Art Studio, Bridal Registry, Gift Shop, Framing and More!
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500 steed road • ridgeland, mississippi 39157 • 601.853.7300 • 1.800.844.7301
Located in the Newpointe Shopping Center at Highway 98 West 6555 U.S. Highway 98 West, Suite B, Hattiesburg, MS 39402 Phone: 601.579.9378
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CLASS NOTES
1980s
Dr. Charles E. Sanderson, Jr. ’85, ’86 has been promoted to coordinator of psychological services in the Richmond County School System in Augusta, Ga. He will serve more than 33,000 students. Dr. Mary S. Graham ‘86 of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College has been elected to the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), a national organization representing the nation’s almost 1,200 two-year colleges and more than 13 million students. Norman Rowe ’86, ’93 has been elected to serve as headmaster at Laurel Christian School. He was previously the dean of students at Presbyterian Christian School in Hattiesburg. Dr. Pollyanne Frantz ’89, ’01, director of grants resources and services at Appalachian State University, Boone, N.C., successfully completed the Certification Examination for Pre-award Research Administrators in February 2013. Dr. Frantz was awarded a Love of Learning Award from the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi to pay the examination fee.
1990s
Rebecca Pritchett ’90 has been named partner at Waller, a nationally recognized law firm, in the Birmingham office. She is a distinguished
DownBeat SNAPSHOTS
magazine announced Ningbo University’s Professor of Music ALUMNI AUTHORS Tom Smith ‘79 as the 2013 inductee to the Jazz Education Hall ALUMNI ALMANAC of Fame. The longtime trombonist and Fulbright Scholar is the founder of NBU’s first full-time jazz program in China and is currently China’s only full-time American music professor. DownBeat Hall of Fame inclusion is the highest honor awarded in jazz music. Smith is the 21st inductee from the education division. During his 34-year career, the 2008 International Association for Jazz Education Ambassador Award designee has been a university professor, trombonist, conductor, researcher, program creator and recipient of six Senior Fulbright Professorships at the Romanian National University of Music in Bucharest and Tibiscus University in Timisoara. He was also a Senior Fulbright Professional Specialist Lecturer at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa and most recently at the Serbian Academy of Music in Belgrade where he formed the curriculum for that country’s first university jazz program. In 2003, he was the first foreigner to be awarded the Romanian National Radio Prize, co-founded/coordinated Romania’s first summer music camp, and co-founded their first school of jazz music. As a performer, Smith has played trombone and conducted or recorded for scores of performers like Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, Louie Bellson, Herb Ellis, and the Manhattan Transfer. Through a career seeped mostly in high yield grass-roots endeavors, he has founded more than 50 regional and national ensembles on four continents, including the Romanian National Jazz Ensemble and the Unifour Big Band, an acknowledged forerunner of the American community jazz movement. In the field of jazz research, Tom’s work has been featured on numerous media programs, including National Public Radio’s Weekly Edition and Tech TV. On October 2010, Smith and his wife Sarah relocated to Northeast China where he developed a jazz music strategy for teaching English to native Mandarin speakers and was subsequently hired the next year as professor and founding director of jazz studies at Ningbo University. Tom and Sarah are the parents of well-known drummer Matt Smith.
Tom Smith ‘79
Marsha Peters ’75 welcomed her newest Golden Eagle, John Winton Peters V, on April 11, 2013. John is welcomed by father Johnny Peters ‘99, uncle Jeffrey Peters ‘08, and cousins Brayden, Caleb and Trace.
environmental and natural resource attorney who has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America and Alabama Super Lawyers for the past five years. She was also recently elected to the USM Foundation Board.
Dr. Joe Trahan ’91 has been selected Outstanding Faculty Advisor at Georgia State University and received The Royal Flame Award April 15, 2013 in Atlanta. Jerry Twiggs ’91 has been recommended to serve as an assistant superintendent for the Ocean Springs School District. Summer 2013
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ALUMNI AUTHORS
ALUMNI ALMANAC
Dorman Joins Zehnder Communications
Tinnon Promoted to VP Human Resources Gerresheimer Glass, Inc.
Julie Dorman ‘96 has joined Zehnder Communications as a copywriter and will assist with the collaborative conception and production of multimedia campaigns and brand messaging. An award-winning copywriter, Dorman has worked at a variety of regional agencies and most recently at Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Ga. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from The University of Southern Mississippi and is a graduate of the Portfolio Center in Atlanta. Zehnder Communications is a fully-integrated advertising agency providing a wide range of services, including strategic marketing, public relations, media placement, creative services, social media, interactive design and programming. With offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, La., and Nashville, Tenn., the agency has served the greater Southeast region for 17 years.
Susan H. Tinnon ’70, ’90 has been promoted to vice president of human resources for Gerresheimer Glass, Inc., based in Dusseldorf, Germany with United States corporate offices located in Vineland, N.J. Gerresheimer Glass is a 1.3 Billion euro company. Since August 2007, Tinnon served as vice president of human resources for Gerrisheimer’s Kimble Chase Life Science and Research Products LLC. The company is a joint venture between Gerresheimer Glass Inc. and Thermo Fisher Scientific with distribution worldwide in the life sciences industry. Prior to this role, Tinnon served as human resources director for Laboratory Products Group at Thermo Fisher Scientific located in Asheville, N.C. from 2005-07. Susan and husband Gene, ‘61, reside in Kingsport, Tenn.
Vice Named Chairman of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors Charles Vice ’90, commissioner of the Department of Finance Institution, has been named chairman of the Conference of State Bank Supervisors. The Conference of State Bank Supervisors is an organization of national banking regulators. Vice has served as treasurer and chairman-elect of the Conference of State Bank Supervisor board, treasurer of the State Regulatory Registry LLC Board
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Amy Knight Doherty ‘92 has earned certification as a travel marketing professional after completing the three-year program at the Southeast Tourism Society (STS) Marketing College. Doherty was one of 47 new TMPs recognized at the STS spring meeting in Atlanta, Ga.
of Managers, and the Education Foundation of State Bank Supervisors. He has also served as an employee of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation where he worked to supervise the financial services industry. Vice has diligently worked to maintain and protect the financial stability of Kentucky resident for 18 years, serving at the Lexington, Ky., field office. He earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Southern Mississippi in 1990 and is a 1985 Biloxi High School graduate. Vice resides in Winchester, Ky.
Gary Reed ’92 has been selected as the new deputy district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Mississippi. Teri Smith ’93 was the winner of this year’s Live Oak Art Festival’s annual poster design contest. Her poster design was featured throughout the Pascagoula area to promote the festival, which was held May 11 in downtown Pascagoula.
Jody Madigan ’94, ’95 received the Department of Recreational Sports Tom Shoemaker Allied Association Alumnus of the Year award for 2013 in recognition of his outstanding achievements. Cati Stone ’96 recently accepted the position of executive director of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Atlanta Affiliate.
ALUMNI AUTHORS
ALUMNI ALMANAC
Knight Named SSAC Athletic Director of the Year Steve Knight ‘79, athletics director and head men’s basketball coach at William Carey University, was named the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Athletic Director of the Year at the annual SSAC awards banquet. Knight, who began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at William Carey in the spring of 1981 and became head men’s basketball coach in 1982, just completed his 31st season at WCU. In 1987, he took on dual responsibilities as WCU athletics director. In 2010, Knight earned the honor as the state of Mississippi’s all-time most wins coach at the same four-year institution. He currently is ranked 16th among NAIA all-time active coaches with 537 career wins. Knight’s Crusader teams have compiled 14 20-plus win seasons, captured six GCAC championships, six District 30 championships, one SSAC divisional title, and have competed in seven NAIA national tournaments. Knight was named NAIA District 30 Coach of the Year three times, GCAC Coach of the Year five times, and has been named Clarion Ledger Mississippi Coach of the Year twice. In 2002-03, he served his coaching colleagues as president of the NABC-NAIA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association. He was also named the GCAC Athletics Director of the Year four times, selected as the NAIA Region XIII Athletic Director of the Year in 2003-04, and as General Sports Turf Systems Athletics Director of the Year – NAIA Southeast Region.
Judy A. Craven ’98 happily announces the birth of her grandson, Peyton Douglas Frost, born January 10, 2012. Tina Shoemaker ’98 was recognized as St. Martin Elementary School’s Teacher of the Year, where she has taught math and science for 11 years. Chad Britt ’98 has received the Platinum Tier Award from Hawthorn Pharmaceuticals.
Mathews Named 2012 Outstanding Leader in School/ Community Relations Gary S. Mathews ’82, superintendent of the Newton County School System in metro-Atlanta, retired June 30, after 38 years in public education. A 21-year veteran of the superintendence in six states, Mathews was recently named the 2012 Outstanding Leader in School/Community Relations by the Georgia School Public Relations Association. Previously, the Virginia Association named Mathews the 2007 Curriculum Leader of the Year for Supervision and Curriculum Development and recipient of the 2006 ET3 TEC Champion Leadership Award by the Education Technology Think Tank in Washington, D. C.; he was named Communicator of the Year in 1996 by the Public Relations Association of Louisiana. In 1998, the Louisiana Association of School Executives named him Superintendent of the Year. Having served as a teacher in New Orleans, principal at Jackson’s Callaway High School, assistant superintendent for curriculum in the Jackson Public Schools District, and instructor at the University of Houston and school superintendent, Mathews retired in Baton Rouge where he served as superintendent (1995-2001).
Meredith Acosta ‘99 received the “Mayor’s Outstanding Award” from Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans. She is a forensic firearms examiner with the New Orleans Police Department Crime Laboratory.
Brent ’99, ’02 and Kelly Greenwald ’02 announce the birth of their daughter Addie Estelle Greenwald on March 12, 2013. Addie Estelle was welcomed by big sister Lauren.
2000s
Wendy Sue Tynes ’00 happily announces the birth of her daughter Susanna Elizabeth Clifton, born on February 20, 2012. Summer 2013
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CLASS NOTES Hope Herron ’01 has been appointed SNAPSHOTS to the Board of Directors for The Nature Generation, an environmentally focused non-profit organization.
ALUMNI AUTHORS
Dr. Emily Hindrichs ’01 has reprised her signature role of Queen of the Night withALUMNI debuts at ALMANAC Chicago Opera Theater and the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruche. She will also appear as a guest recitalist at Alderburgh Music and the Mars Hill New Music Festival. Dr. Hindrichs resides in Boston with her husband, Frank Pesci ’04. Sarah Case-Price ’01 of The University of Southern Mississippi’s Children’s Center has been selected to co-present at the Mississippi Speech and Hearing Association Annual Continuing Education Conference in Jackson on “Targeting Unintelligible Preschoolers.” Kelly Thornton ’02, ’03 and Brittany Thornton, proudly announce the birth of their son Cole Houston Thornton, 7lbs., 5oz. and 21 in. long, born on October 8, 2012.
Jillian Harper ’06 received the Department of Recreational Sports Steve “Big Daddy” Rey Alumnus of the Year award for 2013 in recognition of her outstanding achievements. This award was named after Steven Rey, Southern Miss alumnus and longtime recreational sports professional. Janet ‘06 and Chris ‘05, ‘06 Walker are excited to announce the birth of their son, Brennan Glenn Walker. Brennan was born April 18, 2013 and weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz. Charles Childress ’07 was recently inducted into The University of Southern Mississippi’s Greek Alumni Hall of Fame. Trenton K. Smith ’07 and Erica Marie Bennett ’08 happily announced their engagement on March 10, 2013. The couple plans to marry in 2014. Christy Blaine Barbee ’08 and her husband Brandon Barbee happily announce the birth of their second son, Smith Barbee, born on January 29, 2013.
Keith Wilson ’04, St. Martin’s Club president, has received a President’s Volunteer Service Gold Award from certifying agency, United Way of South Mississippi, during a recognition breakfast at the Knight Nonprofit Center in Gulfport on April 25, 2013.
Aaron W. Parker ’08 received the Frisby Griffing Marble Scholarship at the Mississippi College School of Law Law Day Ceremony.
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Madelena CampbellOwenby ’03 and husband Charlie Owenby announce the birth of their daughter, Emery Claire C. Owenby, born March 15, 2013. Emery Claire was welcomed by her big brother Jackson.
Kelly Lucas ’08 has joined the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources as their chief scientific officer.
Jason Bounds ’09 has been promoted to assistant vice president and loan officer in BankPlus’ Picayune main office.
Duston Boone ’09 graduated from Columbia University in New York City with a Master’s of Public Health in Health Management. He recently began working in consulting with Nexera, Inc. Tiffany Skrmetti ‘09 married McKenzie Lott on December 8, 2012, at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Biloxi. They reside in Flowood where Tiffany is a physical therapist at River Oaks Hospital and McKenzie is in his final year of occupational therapy school at the University of Misssissippi Medical Center.
2010s
Kristin James ’10 welcomed baby Nicholas Luka Mattice, 7lbs. 3oz. and 19 in. long, on February 10, 2012. Scott W. Thornburg ’10 recently accepted a position with Eastwick Communications, Silicon Valley’s influence leaders, as an account coordinator. He is also currently serving on the national executive committee for the Public Relations Society of America’s New Professionals Section as a liaison to students. Sara Moulder ’10 was the recipient of the Women in Profession award at the Mississippi College Annual Law Day Ceremony. Kattie Warren ‘10, of Forest, recently graduated with a Juris Doctorate from Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson.
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CLASS NOTES
Joanna M. Busby ’11 has been selected as an elementary interventionist with the Wayne County School District. Hon. James Roberts Jr. was recently appointed as the first circuit judge of Mississippi and received the Mississippi Bar Association’s Lifetime Award for 2012. Judge Roberts previously served on the faculty at Southern Miss from 2000-06. Bucky Waters, a former football player and coach at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, was inducted posthumously into the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Sports Hall of Fame. The induction took place on April 23, 2013, at a banquet at Hinds Community College–Rankin Campus. Leta Smith recently celebrated her 106th birthday. Following a long career working as a teacher, Smith now spends her time visiting with the residents of the Pearl River County Hospital and Nursing Home where she is known for bringing smiles to many of the residents.
In Memoriam
Ethelyne Phillips Wooten ‘38 of Mount Juliet, Tenn., died March 10, 2013. Beatrice Bernice Campbell ‘38 of Collins died May 15, 2013. Angeline Elizabeth Peyton ‘42 of Hartwell, Ga., died March 8, 2013. Lillian Taylor ’43, ‘81 of Ocean Springs died May 2, 2013. Dorothy Bingham ’49 of Biloxi died April 29, 2013.
Most recently named Mayor SNAPSHOTS of Gulfport, Mississippi’s second largest city, Billy Hewes ‘84 is putting his experience to good ALUMNI AUTHORS use in building relationships and putting together a team of city leaders to maximize the ALUMNI ALMANAC opportunities ahead. A tradition of public service runs deep in the Hewes family. A direct descendent of the first mayor of Gulfport, Finley B. Hewes, his grandfather, served as a chancery judge for many years. His father also served on the Gulfport City Council. For generations, his family has enjoyed a history of community support and civic involvement. Elected to public service in 1992, Hewes represented the interests of South Mississippi in the Mississippi Senate for 20 years, serving as president pro tempore in his last term. Among other roles, he has served as national chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council and as chairman of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission. In addition, Hewes has served as chairman of the Senate Ports and Marine Resources Committee and Highways and Transportation Committee, chairman of the Mississippi National Guard Legislative Caucus and was named Mississippi Association of Realtors Legislator of the Year. An insurance agent and real estate broker, Hewes owns Billy Hewes Insurance Agency/Billy Hewes Real Estate. He has been the recipient of the Nationwide Insurance District Community Service Award, is a member of the Gulf Coast Board of Realtors and Gulf Coast Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. Hewes is a graduate of Leadership Mississippi and is also a graduate of Leadership Gulf Coast. He is also a member of the Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, Gulfport Rotary Club and Gulfport Jaycees past president. A devoted family man, Hewes and his wife Paula have been married for 28 years and are the proud parents of four.
Billy Hewes ‘84
Leonard Papania ’11 has been named Gulfport’s chief of police. Leonard has been a Gulfport police officer since 1994 and has served as deputy chief since 2009.
Dalton Hill ‘49 of Pearl died October 20, 2012. William “Bill” Gay ‘51 of Forest died December 19, 2012. George Wilson ‘51 died February 28, 2013. Eva Grace Eckhoff ’51, ‘55 of Pensacola, Fla., died June 5, 2013. James B. Kelly ’52 of Covington, La., died April 2, 2013.
Dr. James McPhail ’52, ‘58 of Hattiesburg died March 31, 2013. Howard Perkins ‘52 died April 26, 2013. Meldon Frank Hurlbert ‘52 of Mobile, Ala., died June 12, 2013. Mary Jane Lambert ‘53 of Jackson died May 14, 2013. Conway Jackson ‘53 of Clinton died June 5, 2013.
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Jean Kubik Hooker ‘53 of Mobile, Ala., died June 7, 2013. SNAPSHOTS Hon. Arvis V. Combest ‘54 of Pascagoula died September 16, 2012. Katie L. Pryor ‘54 of Laurel died June 5,AUTHORS 2013. ALUMNI Melbourne Laird ‘55 of Dickinson, Texas, died April 24, 2013. Rev. Harris Cleveland Jones III ‘55 ALUMNI of Niceville, Fla., diedALMANAC May 12, 2013. Juanita Jefcoat ’55, ‘64 of SoSo died April 30, 2013. Rev. Samuel McRaney Jr. ‘56 of Prentiss died April 20, 2013 Lyman Paul Bradford Sr. ‘57 of Biloxi died April 9, 2013. Sue Frye ‘58 of Hattiesburg died March 30, 2013. James Kelley ‘58 of Covington, La., died April 2, 2013. Jane “Janie” Morris Estrada ’58, ‘73 of Gulfport died March 8, 2013. Samuel Hugh Welch ‘58 of Nashville, Tenn., died May 6, 2013. John Thomas Russel ‘59 of Leander, Texas, died May 3, 2013. Donald Robbins ‘59 of Carson died February 27, 2013. Thomas Smith ‘60 of Fulshear, Texas, died April 14, 2013. Dr. Gavin Thorsen ’60, ‘74 of Pensacola, Fla., died April 16, 2013. Thomas E. Cloud ‘60 of Germantown, Tenn., died March 13, 2013. Jessie Mae Gerald ‘61 of Smithdale died April 11, 2013. Cora Frances Brooks ‘61 of Lucedale died March 1, 2013. James Martin Jr. ‘62 died March 4, 2013. Charles F. Stevens ’62 of Laurel died December 21, 2012. Lillian Gayden Hays ‘62 of Grandbury, Texas, died March 15, 2013. Lt. Col (Ret.) Joseph Pate ‘63 of Columbia, S.C., died April 9, 2013. Peaster Leo Hughes Jr. ‘63 of Madison died June 3, 2013. SMSgt Wallace G. Gurganus ‘64 of Biloxi died March 11, 2013. Duane Matthew Diaz ‘64 of Biloxi died March 16, 2013. Linda O’Leary Hunneyman ‘64 of Montgomery, Ala., died March 4, 2013. Maj. Claire W. Olson ‘64 of Charlston, S.C., died June 8, 2013.
Elma A. McWilliamsCameron ’64, ‘66 of Fairhope, Ala., died June 9, 2013. Kenny Martin ‘65 of Metairie, La., died March 10, 2013. Charles Kershner ‘65 of Clinton died April 14, 2013. John “Sonny” Stokes ‘65 of Philadelphia died January 12, 2013. Eugene “Gene” Stanley ‘65 of Ocean Springs died March 1, 2013. Elmer H. “Butch” Hephill Jr. ‘67 of Metairie, La., died May 6, 2013. Edward “Ed” Scarborough Jr. ‘ 67, ‘70 of Lumberton died March 29, 2013. Janis Campbell Cooper ‘69 of Newton, Iowa, died March 13, 2013. James “Ron” Sperance Jr. ‘70 of Germantown, Tenn., died April 7, 2013. Claude Wayne Eaton ‘70 of Chunchula, Ala., died March 20, 2013. Larry Simpson ‘70 of Vancleave died April 10, 2013. Bobbie Johnson Durham ‘70 of Valparaiso, Fla., died March 1, 2013. Louis E. Bozeman ‘71 of Foxworth died May 3, 2012. Robert V. “Bob” Cuccaro ‘71 of Long Beach died March 9, 2013. Lonnie Trice Shoultz Jr. ‘71 of Foley, Ala., died May 1, 2013. Carl Haskew ‘71 of Mobile, Ala., died April 7, 2013. Wilbert Bolton Jr. ’72, ‘77 of Baton Rouge, La., died March 14, 2013. Juanita Pearl Boleware, ’72, ‘74 of Prentiss died May 18, 2013. John Chance ‘73 of Pearland, Texas, died April 16, 2013. Muriel Harrigill Dale ‘74 died March 30, 2013. Evelyn Keith ’74 ‘76 of Odenton, Md., died February 27, 2013. Dan Eugene Walters ‘74 of Laurel died May 1, 2013. Ralph T. Woosley ’74, ‘80 of Baghdad, Fla., died June 13, 2013. Kay Ellen Chilcutt Gunter ‘75 died February 26, 2013. Oonagh Josephine Bowling Currie ’76, ‘82 of Greer, S.C., died May 3, 2013. Dr. William Crowson ‘77 of Hattiesburg died April 22, 2013. Dr. Timothy E. Spencer ’78 of Collierville, Tenn., died May 10, 2013.
John Wiley McLendon III ‘78 of Jacksonville, Fla, died June 4, 2013. Robert Ramsey Sr. ‘80 of Utica died April 5, 2013. Richard Wayne Knisely ‘80 of Centreville, Va., died March 6, 2013. Col. Roy Louis Schutzmann ‘80 of Long Beach died June 2, 2013. Jane Ann Geil ’81 of Gulfport died March 21, 2013. Sue Garlington ‘82 of Macon, Ga., died April 10, 2013 Katherine Sippola ‘82 of Inman, S.C., died April 27, 2013. Barbara Lynn Dean Tammen ‘83 of Gulfport died May 8, 2013. William George “Will” Meyer Jr. ‘88 of Gulfport died on June 3, 2013. Stephen “Coach” Flack ‘90 of Harrisonburg, Va., died April 4, 2013. Janet Webb Bradley ’92, ‘97 of Gulfport died May 15, 2013. Linda Margaret Davis ‘93 of Hattiesburg died March 16, 2013. Julie McDaniel ‘93 of Gulfport died April 18, 2013. Cheryl Joyce Bradfield Shows ‘95 of Gulfport died May 11, 2013. Rex Robert Moak ‘96 of Moss Point died March 7, 2013. Vivian Elizabeth Holder ‘96 of Laurel died April 8, 2013. MSgt. Benjamin Davis ‘97 of Biloxi died February 28, 2013. Marshall Julius Dixon ‘98 of Hattiesburg died on June 4, 2013. Dr. Gerald Waguespack ‘00 of Duson, La., died April 9, 2013. Stacey C. Fairley ‘05 of Hattiesburg died June 3, 2013. Stephanie Jeanette Brown ’06 of Hattiesburg died March 10, 2013. Cynthia Carter Woodcock ‘09 of Gulfport died May 10, 2013. Reginald M. Falvey of Brookhaven died on February 2, 2013. William Dwight Barham of Hattiesburg died on February 8, 2013.
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SOUTHERN MISS ALUMNI MARKETING PARTNERS
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Continue your support of The University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association by doing business with the Association’s Marketing Partners. By utilizing the goods and services of these marketing partners, you will be generating additional revenue to support the programming and operations of the Association.
SNAPSHOTS This listing contains current participants in The University of Southern Mississippi Alumni Association’s C.A.R.D. Program. By presenting either your Southern Miss Alumni Association annual dues membership card or your Life Membership card, you will receive the discount noted by each participant. The program is designed to bring added value to your membership in the Alumni Association and to thank you for your support of Southern Miss.
ALUMNI AUTHORS
Aaron’s Sales and Lease 50% discount on first month’s payment on any new lease agreement Anderson’s Rug Market 10% discount on any rug purchase ALUMNI ALMANAC Ashley’s Sporting Goods 10% discount on total purchases (some restrictions apply) Bourne Brothers Printing 10% discount on any service Brownstone’s LLC 10% discount on entrees Caliente Grille 10% off of total purchase Chesterfield’s* 10% off entrée Classic Concepts/ACE Home Center 10% discount on purchases or rentals Comfort Inn-The Lodge* 10% off rack rate Comfort Suites* 10% off rack rate Command Spanish, Inc 20% discount on online language courses at commandspanishonline.com when applying USMAA20 promotional code Expectations 15% discount on total purchase (does not apply to furniture) Firehouse Subs Free drink with purchase of sandwich The First, A Natl. Banking Assoc. $200 discount on closing costs on mortgage loans Garfields* 10% off entrée Golden Eagle Storage 5% discount on rental Grand Bank $100 discount on mortgage loan closing costs Hattiesburg Zoo $1 off admission Heritage Vision Center 10% discount on all eyeglasses and sunglasses for regular members and 20% discount for Life Members Holiday Inn 10% off rack rate Holiday Inn Express, Lucedale 15% off standard room rate Hopson Law Firm, PLLC Free initial consultation on any contingency fee case, 10% discount on consultation fee on non-contingency cases J and L Sales 10% discount on any purchase King Photography 10% discount on photography, excluding senior portraits Kitchen Table 10% discount on cooking classes Lance Computer Systems 20% discount on normal labor charges Leatha’s Bar-B-Que Inn 10% discount on all purchases McLeod & Associates, P.A. 10% discount on estate planning, business entity formation and other legal services Mike’s Tire and Wheel 10% discount on all sales Newk’s Express Café 10% discount on purchases, excluding alcohol Oak Grove Plaza Package Store 10% discount on purchases Oak Grove Rental 10% discount on rental items / not valid with other offer O’Charley’s* 10% discount on all purchases, excluding alcohol Owen’s Business Machines 10% discount on selected items Parris Jewelers 10% discount on all items Pine Burr Country Club $5 off one 18-hole round of golf Priceless Rent-a-Car 10% discount on rental cars, trucks and passenger vans Prime Mortgage, Inc. $250 closing cost discount Signs First* 15% discount on Southern Miss-related signs Simmons Furniture 10% discount on all items The Sleep Number Store by Select Comfort Free pillow when you find your Sleep Number setting Sonic Drive Inn on Hwy 11 Free 20 oz. drink or slush with purchase of #1 or #2 burger Southern Interiors 5% discount on flooring Southern Oaks Catering 10% discount on takeout orders (weddings excluded) Southern Oaks Florist 15% discount on funeral, hospital and home arrangements (weddings excluded) Southern Oaks House and Gardens 20% discount on facility and room rentals Tall Pines Farm 10% discount on gift baskets and catering Tranquility Day Spa 10% member discount, 15% discount for Life Members on all services, not valid with other discounts University Florist 10% discount on all purchases (excluding holiday’s and wire outs) ^ All discounts subject to change or termination without prior notice. Please verify discount with provider before making purchase. *Hattiesburg locations only.
Bank Of America® Special offer for Southern Miss alumni and friends! Announcing a special No-Annual-Fee MasterCard® credit card now conveniently available to Southern Miss alumni. Simply call 1.800.932.2775 for details about the costs and terms of this offer or to apply for the credit card.
Balfour Official Southern Miss Ring. For more information or to order, call 1.866.BALFOUR and ask for reference code 2315.
Printing and Framing. For more information, call 1.866.418.0320.
USM
Campus Book Mart
Campus Book Mart Southern Miss Apparel and Gifts. For more information, call 1.888.712.5083.
Marsh Alumni Services Whether it is life, health, or long-term care insurance, you can obtain important financial protection for your family at an affordable rate through Marsh Alumni Services. For more information, call 1.888.560.ALUM (2586).
Specially Designed Southern Miss Degree Frames Order your custom Southern Miss diploma frame and preserve your achievement for a lifetime with Diploma Display. To order, visit www.diplomadisplay.com/usm.
Liberty Mutual Liberty Mutual is the official home and auto insurer of the Southern Miss Alumni Association. For more information, call 1.800.981.2372.
Barnes and Noble Your school. Your bookstore. Located on the Hattiesburg campus of The University of Mississippi. For more information, call 601.266.4381.
SOUTHERN MISS
Answers below are to questions asked on Page 16. 1. 1913, by Mississippi Normal College faculty member Lorena Tomson 2. The crowd is encouraged and instructed to stand until the first Southern Miss shot is made. 3. Painting of the Eagle Walk 4. Kamper Park just off East Hardy Street in Hattiesburg
How did you score?
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Southern S C E N E S New Turf Installed at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium The final phase of turf installation is complete for Carlisle-Faulkner Field at M.M. Roberts Stadium. The work, provided by Hellas Sports Construction, included base improvements and a new collector system to improve playability and drainage with its Matrix Turf system. The Matrix Turf by Hellas also includes its patented RealfillTM system, preventing infill fly-out and splashing when athletes make cuts on the turf and improving drainage by drawing water away from the synthetic turf field quicker. The field design includes contrasting color—light and dark green—every five yards in the field of play with the end zones adorned with the words Golden Eagles in white text with a black border and gold background. A Southern Miss logo, the same that is displayed on the Golden Eagle helmets, is also featured at midfield. “We are extremely excited about the installation of our new football playing surface,” said Jeremy McClain, Southern Miss interim director of Athletics. “The quality of the product from Hellas is outstanding, and we feel the new design will help continue to brand Southern Miss football across the nation. With television exposure at an all-time high for college football, it is important that every viewer make an immediate connection to the Southern Miss brand.” Installation of a new field was needed following the February 10 EF-4 tornado that hit the city of Hattiesburg and the Southern Miss campus. Debris on the field made it a necessity for the school to put down the new field. Photo by Kelly Dunn
Summer 2013
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e c r u o s 1 # e h T for all your ! r a e g s s i M Southern
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Hattiesburg Country Club carries the tradition of being the finest in Hattiesburg for private golf and country club amenities. We offer a wide array of private membership opportunities designed to accommodate every social and recreational interest. So whether you are a golfer, tennis enthusiast or you enjoy fine dining and fun social events, we have a membership to suit your individual needs.
Hattiesburg Country Club offers sometHing for everyone. Contact Caitlin Johnson at 601.264.5076 to find out about our various membership opportunities. Hattiesburg Country Club • 61 Classic Drive • Hattiesburg, MS 39402 (601) 264-5076 • www.hattiesburgcountryclub.com