Ole Miss Alumni Review - Summer 2019

OLE MISS ALUMNI REVIEW

SUMMER 2019

ALUMNI REVIEW

Tracing the Untraceable UM TEAM TRACES CHEMICAL FINGERPRINTS IN 3D-PRINTED FIREARMS TO OFFER NEW TOOLS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

SUMMER 2019 VOL. 68 NO. 3

Alumna Jenifer Harmon finds success and satisfaction in marketing industry Kathy Tidwell rises through ranks during a half-century at Ole Miss

IT’S GETTING CROWDED IN HERE. Our pediatric teams provide outstanding care to more than 175,000 patients a year, but we’ve outgrown our facilities. As we expand and modernize the state’s only children’s hospital and our pediatric specialty clinics, your gift will make the difference. The time to give is now.

HELP US GROW

SO THEY CAN GROW. Give today at growchildrens.org

Features ALUMNI REVIEW

20 Still Going Strong after 50 Years of Employment

As longest-serving employee ever, Kathy Tidwell rises through ranks during a half-century at Ole Miss

BY BENITA WHITEHORN

26 Delivering the Right Message

Alumna Jenifer Harmon finds success and satisfaction in marketing industry

BY ANNIE RHOADES

32 Tracing the Untraceable

UM team traces chemical fingerprints in 3D-printed firearms to offer new tools for law enforcement

BY SHEA STEWART

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Contents VOL. 68 NO. 3

Departments

26

2 Chancellor’s Letter

SUMMER 2019

ON THE COVER

4 President’s Letter 6 From the Circle

18 Calendar

38 Ole Miss Sports

2020 football schedule announced Raptors sign Terence Davis

46 Just Published

48 Rebel Traveler 52 Alumni News

32 James Cizdziel (right), UM associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and recent doctoral graduate Oscar ‘Beau’ Black have spent two years researching 3D-printed firearms through a grant from the National Institute of Justice, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Photo by Megan Wolfe

O le M iss A lumni R ev iew Publisher Kirk Purdom (93) Executive Editor Jim Urbanek II (97) jim@olemiss.edu Associate Editor and Advertising Director Annie Rhoades (07, 09) annie@olemiss.edu Contributing Editor Benita Whitehorn Art Director Amy Howell Contributors Kathryn Abernathy (19), Kevin Bain (98), Stella Connell, Dana Engelbert, Jay Ferchaud, Thomas Graning (17), Robert Jordan (83, 90), Nathan Latil (17), Joshua McCoy, Lindsay McMurtray, Kate Royals, Edwin Smith (80, 93), Pamela Starling (03), Christina Steube (11, 16) Shea Stewart (00), Justin Whitmore, Megan Wolfe (18) Officers of the University of Mississippi Alumni Association Augustus L. Collins (82) president Matt Lusco (79) president-elect Lampkin Butts (73) vice president Candie Simmons (02, 15) athletics committee member Andy Kilpatrick (74) athletics committee member Alumni Affairs Staff, Oxford Kirk Purdom (93), executive director Joseph Baumbaugh, systems analyst III Sunny Brown (09, 11), coordinator of student engagement Allie Bush (12), graphic web designer Clay Cavett (86), associate director, campaigns and special projects Anne Cofer (07, 08), accountant Martha Dollarhide, systems programmer II Annette Kelly (79), accountant Brian Maxcy (00), assistant director Steve Mullen (92), assistant director for marketing Annie Rhoades (07, 09), assistant director for communications Anna Smith (05), assistant director Scott Thompson (97, 08), associate director, engagement Jim Urbanek (97), associate director, communications and marketing Torie Marion White (07), assistant director Rusty Woods (01), associate director for information services Warner Alford (60, 66), executive director emeritus The Ole Miss Alumni Review (USPS 561-870) is published quarterly by the Ole Miss Alumni Association and the Office of Alumni Affairs.

Alumni Association offices are located at Triplett Alumni Center, 651 Grove Loop, University, MS 38677.

Telephone 662-915-7375.

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ALUMNI REVIEW

C hancellor from the

Dear Alumni and Friends,

As we look forward to a new academic year at Ole Miss and to welcoming the newest members of the Ole Miss family with the Class of 2023, it’s a good time to catch up on developments around campus and recent achievements. I must express the sorrow I know you share with two recent losses. Dr. David Sansing was a legendary historian on our campus and throughout the state of Mississippi.

His work continues to reach hundreds of thousands of Mississippi students. In addition, we mourn the loss of Ole Miss student Ally Kostial. Ally was an engaged member of our community with a bright future ahead of her. We send our love and support to the Kostial family and Ally’s friends on campus, and hope they find some solace in the wake of this tragedy.

I know we all look forward to welcoming a new chancellor soon. To identify the best leader for our university, the board of trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning needs your input. Please plan to attend the Campus Listening Session on Thursday, Sept. 5, at The Inn at Ole Miss. While sessions throughout the day are open to anyone, the session at 3 p.m. will focus on the needs of alumni and the community. For more details, visit mississippi.edu/ieo/um.

We are thrilled to welcome, among the Class of 2023, 13 new Stamps Scholars who earned the highly competitive merit scholarship. We now have 41 Stamps Scholars, making us the fourth largest in the nation in this program.

For 30 years, the Mississippi Teacher Corps, housed in our School of Education, has tackled the challenge of finding and producing certified teachers for Mississippi’s high-need public schools. The anniversary this year included a celebration of Andy Mullins (PhD 92), founder of the Teacher Corps and a name familiar to many of you. Andy, who is retiring from Teacher Corps, helped train and place more than 750 teachers across the Delta and north Mississippi. We salute Andy and thank him for a lifetime of service to the university and the state.

The School of Pharmacy rose to sixth in the nation in external research funding for 2018, according to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. This places us second in the SEC and among the top 5 percent of pharmacy schools nationwide. The results of the research funding span from botanical research with international impact to inquiries into how to deliver necessary pharmacy services more effectively for underserved Mississippians.

Our campus gains two major upgrades this fall with completion of the $60 million renovation and expansion of the Student Union, and the grand opening of the new $32 million South Campus Recreation Center. The 98,000-square-foot recreational facility is key to our expanded focus on well-being, including as home to the new William Magee Center for Wellness Education. With several innovative elements (including one of the nation’s only collegiate recreation indoor high-ropes courses), it will contribute to our premier collegiate experience. We’ve also recently marked the construction midpoint of the Medical Center’s $180 million Children’s Hospital expansion project to enhance our ability to treat Mississippi’s children.

On a final note, congratulations to this year’s eight recipients of the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards! We can’t wait to honor them for their service and accomplishments during Homecoming weekend.

Hotty Toddy!

Larry D. Sparks (BAccy 84) Interim Chancellor

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President from the

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ALUMNI REVIEW

OMG, where did the year go? It seems like just yesterday I was being introduced as the new president of your Association. It has been an exciting year and one that has allowed me to meet many talented young students and make the acquaintance of many extremely devoted alumni. I thank you for allowing me to serve as your president.

As my time in this position comes to an end, I reflect on the successes this university we all love had this past year. An NCAA selection in men’s basketball, an SEC championship in women’s golf, a regional championship in women’s softball and a regional championship in baseball are only a few. Student-athletes accomplished all this while continuing to excel in the classroom and posting the highest Academic Progress Rate in school history. Those accomplishments are only overshadowed by the anticipation I have for what is yet to come.

I recall standing at the final Rebel Road Trip stop in Jackson and listening to Keith, Mike, Kermit, Coach Yo and Matt and seeing and hearing the energy and anticipation on their faces and in their voices. It reassured me that the dark days of the NCAA investigation are history, and we are laser focused on the future.

The search for a new chancellor is underway. The importance of getting this right cannot be overemphasized. Selecting someone who cares for and understands our university is paramount. But, let me say thank you to Larry Sparks for the leadership he has given as our interim chancellor. There couldn’t have been a better selection to carry the load during this period. He and Jacky have gone above and beyond, and we as Rebels should never forget it.

As I close, I say again that we have a great Alumni Association. However, it is up to us to ensure it continues to grow. Our target of 30,000 members is one that we can achieve, but it takes work. Encourage your family members and friends to become members. Let’s show our love for our university.

Speaking of work, Kirk Purdom and the staff of our Alumni Association office are the best you will find anywhere. They are a group of “blue-chippers” whose love for their jobs is only outmatched by their love for Ole Miss.

I ask you to please welcome Matt Lusco (BBA 79) as your new president. Please show him and Janet the same type of love and support you have shown Debra and me this past year. They both love Ole Miss and will take this Association to even greater heights.

The university is poised for success, and I think the best is yet to come. Why? Because I believe in our students! I believe in our alumni! I believe in Ole Miss.

Fins Up!

Augustus L. (Leon) Collins (BBA 82)

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THE L ATES T ON OLE MISS S TUDENTS, FACULT Y, S TAFF AND FRIENDS

Following Their Parents’ Footsteps TRIPLETS DISCOVER PATHS TO HEALTH CARE CAREERS THROUGH OLE MISS

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Will supplemented his biology major with minors in chemistry and society and health.

“They’ve broadened my horizons by looking at psychology and ethics,” Will says. “I didn’t just focus on biology; I was able to learn how everything works together and what I want to do with my career.”

He conducted research in biochemistry and natural products and taught a freshman biology lab, where he enjoyed interacting with students.

The Sistrunks’ academic endeavors were rewarded. Besides their honor society memberships, Ann Weston earned a Taylor Medal, the university’s highest academic achievement.

With undergraduate degrees in hand, the triplets will be branching out but know they’ll still support one another.

Will is staying in Mississippi to attend the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Ann Weston will attend the University of Minnesota School of Public Health for a master’s degree in health care administration. Katherine will pursue a master’s degree in nursing at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in Baltimore.

Katherine (left), Will and Ann Weston Sistrunk

Submitted photo

nn Weston, Katherine and Will Sistrunk have gone their separate ways for the first time ever. The Springfield, Missouri, triplets and University of Mississippi graduates have been attached at the hip their whole lives, including their time at Ole Miss. Despite three different paths forward, the trio remains connected through their individual pursuits in health care.

The Sistrunks’ parents, Dr. William (BA 86, MD 90) and Camille Sistrunk (BS 88), are Ole Miss alumni who frequently brought their children to Oxford.

“We grew up coming to Ole Miss and to visit family in Mississippi, even though we lived in Missouri,” Ann Weston says.

All three noted that their parents encouraged them to choose their own paths and never focused on Ole Miss as the preferred choice.

“Ann Weston and I were looking at other schools,” Will says.

“Eventually we visited more and realized that we didn’t want to be apart right away, though it wasn’t the deciding factor.”

The academic and service-related opportunities available at Ole Miss ultimately made the decision clear-cut. And to say they have seized those opportunities would be an understatement, as all three graduated with induction into both Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi academic honor societies.

Ann Weston and Katherine chose the public policy leadership degree in the Trent Lott Leadership Institute.

“I knew I wanted to do something different,” Katherine says. “I did have an interest in health policy and realized that a degree in public policy leadership could really prepare you for a career in anything.”

Opportunities within the College of Liberal Arts allowed them to diversify their studies.

“Ann Weston and I are both Spanish minors, which has allowed us to broaden our education here at Ole Miss and abroad,” Katherine says. “We’ve learned a lot more than the basics.”

from the Circle

JETER NAMED ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR FOR STUDENT HEALTH & WELLNESS former administrator at WinstonSalem State University is the new assistant vice chancellor for student health and wellness at the University of Mississippi.

Natasha H. Jeter, who was previously assistant dean of health, wellness and prevention services at WSSU, began her new position Aug. 1. With more than 13 years of professional experience in higher education administration, the native Mississippian is also a certified health education specialist and a certified health coach.

“I wanted to return to my home state, but only for the right organization and opportunity,” says Jeter, who holds master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Walden University, respectively. “The AVC position at Ole Miss was the right position and the right organization.”

Jeter ’s passion for student health and wellness was forged in the fires of her undergraduate years at UNC-Greensboro. While earning her bachelor’s degree in biology there, she discovered her research and teaching interests included minority health disparities, interpersonal violence prevention, suicide and substance abuse prevention, and eating disorders.

Natasha H. Jeter “Dr. Jeter’s exceptional background in public and college health positions us to achieve the vision of fully integrating student wellness and success initiatives,” says Brandi Hephner LaBanc,

UM vice chancellor for student affairs. “Her direct experiences and passion for enhancing holistic individual wellness will improve our resources and enhance student success overall.”

Jeter comes with a proven track record of successful administrative leadership and teaching experience.

“I value relationships and believe that strong partnerships are key to building successful organizations,” Jeter says. “I am very much interested in meeting and developing relationships with the different constituents on the campus and in the community.”

New Dean of Students

MARSH BRINGS 20-PLUS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN STUDENT AFFAIRS TO OLE MISS rent Marsh, who has worked in higher education student affairs for more than two decades, was named the new assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students at the University of Mississippi.

Marsh, who was serving as vice president for student affairs at Rogers State University, was selected after a nationwide search.

He first got involved in student life administration as an assistant residence life coordinator during his senior year at Kansas State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree Brent Marsh in sociology in 1997. “(It’s) an opportunity for which I’m ever grateful,” he says. “Within weeks, my eyes were opened to the prospect of doing student affairs work for a living. I

knew this is the work I was called to, and I’ve never looked back.”

He later earned a master’s degree in college student personnel from Kansas State University in 1999, and a doctorate in higher education a d m i n i s t r at i on f rom B ow l i n g G re e n St at e University in 2006.

A native of Emporia, Kansas, Marsh started at UM on Aug. 1.

“In addition to being incredibly excited about the opportunity, I am both honored and humbled to be invited to join the Ole Miss community,” Marsh says. “A colleague whom I trust and admire commended me to the search firm, and upon researching the position and university further, it was evident to me that I would join a fantastic team of student

affairs professionals.”

Marsh brings a wealth of experience and proven leadership to UM, says Brandi Hephner LaBanc, vice chancellor for student affairs.

“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Marsh to the University of Mississippi,” she says.

“Dr. Marsh’s positive energy and proven engagement with students, alongside his working knowledge of higher education, will help us expand our efforts related to fraternity and sorority life, as well as leadership and advocacy initiatives.”

Marsh will be responsible for supervisory oversight of the Ole Miss Student Union, UMatter: Student Support and Advocacy, the Office of Fraternal Leadership and Learning and the Office of Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct.

“I aim to be a highly visible and engaged dean of students, striving to build relationships with students, colleagues, alumni, parents and community members,” Marsh says.

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from the Circle

Complete to Compete GREEN ATTAINS UM DEGREE AFTER 30-YEAR BREAK

Submitted photo

heers rang when Phyllis Green (BUS 19), of Oxford, walked across the stage to receive her bachelor’s degree in university studies during the University of Mississippi’s Commencement exercises in May. “I always wanted to complete my degree and things just didn’t work out, but I always wished that I had,” Green says.

Phyllis Green

Green, 59, graduated from Byhalia High School in 1977, and attended Northwest Community College in Senatobia for two years. She transferred to UM, majoring in education.

“I’ve always felt it is so rewarding to teach a child, especially when they are building the foundation for their education,” she says.

Green completed elementary education, special education 8

ALUMNI REVIEW

and library science courses at Ole Miss before taking time off from school in the early ’80s.

“Life just goes in different directions, and I needed to work and care for my family,” Green says.

She worked as a department manager at Walmart in Oxford for more than 20 years. She still felt the calling to teach, so she took a teacher’s assistant position at Bramlett Elementary School in Oxford in 2010.

“I never forgot my dream of teaching,” Green says. “I just thought I couldn’t pass the math that I needed to in order to complete my degree. It was always in the back of my mind, though.”

In 2016, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery to remove the tumor, along with radiation treatment.

About 18 months ago, Green read about a local student who completed her college degree after many years out of school through the statewide Complete to Compete, or C2C, program.

“I thought, ‘If she can do it, I can too,’” Green says.

The purpose of the C2C program is to find adults in Mississippi who have some college coursework and encourage them to complete their degrees, with the goal of positively affecting the state’s economy.

Green learned that she needed only one more course to complete her degree requirements: a math course.

“Math online is not the easiest course, but she was willing to take the time to learn it,” says Kevin Holmes, an Ole Miss mathematics instructor who met Green last fall during the annual UM Care Walk. “I could check online each week to see how much time students were spending in the online modules. She was usually logging in the most hours.”

Green finished the course with an A. She plans to use her degree to tutor students in the community.

“I want to help kids learn the basics so that they get a good head start in life,” she says.

Green is among more than 220 students who have earned their UM degrees through the statewide Complete to Compete initiative that has cast a wide net to help Mississippi residents who have earned some college credit complete their degrees.

For more information on the program, visit c2c.olemiss.edu.

from the Circle

Versatile English Degree

NETWORKING EVENT HIGHLIGHTS ALUMNI ADVICE FOR PATHS POSTGRADUATION

Photos by Pam Starling

tudents at the University of Mississippi had an opportunity to network with alumni who have translated their Ole Miss English degrees into a wide variety of career paths during a recent event on the Oxford campus.

The “Next Chapters” career networking program was a collaboration between the university’s College of Liberal Arts and its Department of English, and the UM Internship Experience Program.

The two-day networking event was designed for English majors and minors, but students from throughout the College of Liberal Arts were invited. The goal was to provide an opportunity to meet and learn from alumni who can explain the value of an English degree in today’s job market as well as provide honest advice about the job search process.

During a panel discussion, students got advice from each of the professionals on how to pursue their own career paths after graduation.

The second day featured one-on-one mentoring sessions with UM English alumni as part of a speednetworking breakfast that included 17 English department alumni from a wide range of career fields. They included clergy, publishing house associates, art directors, business writers, crime prevention directors, health care administrators, philanthropy coordinators and attorneys.

After attending the events, Rachel McKellor, a senior English major from Purvis, says she has a different outlook on rejection in the job market.

“I got a lot of advice about being open to rejection, which closes doors but opens them at the same time,”

Kayleigh Webb (left), an associate publicist with HarperCollins Publishers, shares career advice with UM junior Emily Capponi, of Seattle.

“The common assumption is that you can only become a teacher or a writer with an English degree,” says Rachael Harbourne, a junior from Dallas. “It was great meeting professionals with an English background who all do something different and are using what they learned here.”

Jason Solinger, associate professor of English, headed up the two-day event. He says that as chair of the department’s publicity UM alumnae Nicole Tisdale (left) and Kim Dandridge discuss their career paths in and outreach committee, one of his goals is to government and the legal fields with English major Hannah Woods, of Yazoo City, during develop more career programming options the recent ‘Next Chapters: Career Networking with English Alumni’ event. for students.

“We wanted to work on better connecting English alumni she says. “The professionals told me how certain job opporwith one another and with our students,” Solinger says. “The tunities wouldn’t work out and they would get disheartened, event gave them the opportunity to benefit from the wisdom but because of that, another door opened and it led them to and experience of our alumni who are now working in a wide something they wouldn’t have expected. variety of professions, and our alumni really enjoy coming “I might have been a person who, if a door closed, I would back to campus to speak to the future graduates.” have walked away, but hearing from successful people about Solinger teamed with the Office of College Programs that how this happened to them, now I know it’s common for most houses the UM Internship Experience Program. people. It’s all going to come down to my attitude.”

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from the Circle

Army ROTC Milestone

UM’S FIRST FEMALE COMBAT OFFICERS TO SERVE IN NATIONAL GUARD

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Photo by Kevin Bain

s more than 5,500 University of Mississippi graduates celebrated Commencement with family and friends on May 11, two members of the Ole Miss Army ROTC celebrated making school history.

Lakoda Kissee (BSCJ 18), who hails from Spokane, Missouri, and Katie Smith (BSCJ 19), from Ellicott City, Maryland, became the first two female UM ROTC cadets to be commissioned into roles as combat arms officers for the Mississippi Army National Guard.

“Kissee and Smith are giving the MSARNG the opportunity to accept two outstanding women as combat arms officers, and they are giving the

University of Mississippi Army ROTC program the opportunity to commission the university’s first female infantry and armor officers as well,” Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Douglas says.

“But of more significance, they both now have the responsibility to show that this is not a change to be afraid of — whether that’s the Army changing its policy to allow women in these jobs, or showing other young women that they can perform these jobs if they want. To me, that’s the greatest significance is that they have the opportunity to dissuade the fear while encouraging others.”

But Kissee and Smith did not view themselves as groundbreakers as they

were going through the rigors of the university’s ROTC program.

“I decided I wanted to join the military my senior year of high school,” says Kissee, who is attending Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. “I wanted to serve my country and be part of something greater.”

Smith joined Army ROTC after her freshman year at Ole Miss.

“I think I was kind of lost not playing sports,” says Smith, a criminal justice major. “I needed something I was really, really passionate about, and I decided to give (ROTC) a chance, and you cannot stick with it unless you absolutely love it.”

Both Kissee, who plans to be an infantry officer, and Smith, who will work as an armor officer, attended Ole Miss during a time of change for the roles of women in the military. They both remained steadfast in their desire to serve in combat roles if those opportunities were to open.

“It’s really nice to see that progression and how things have changed just within the time I’ve been in school,” Smith says.

Both newly commissioned officers will continue their training over the next few months before being assigned to positions within their respective units. Smith will serve on staff as a Gold Bar Recruiter for Ole Miss Army ROTC this summer before reporting to training in January.

“I see some of the younger cadets, female cadets, and it’s a good feeling knowing that we have already done this, and they can see that it can be done at Ole Miss ROTC,” Smith says. “It just gives them hope that you can really do anything that you want to.”

Kissee plans to attend Army Ranger School at Fort Benning and eventually hopes to return to school to study nursing.

Katie Smith (left) and Lakoda Kissee

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from the Circle

Itching for a Cure

COMPOUND IN CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT WITH MEMPHIS-BASED COMPANY

T

he University of Mississippi was issued its fourth patent for a product that could prevent the painful itching and rash due to exposure to poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac.

The compound is based on research conducted in the UM School of Pharmacy and at ElSohly Laboratories Inc. Hapten Sciences, a Memphis-based biopharmaceutical company, obtained a worldwide, exclusive license for the technology from the university in 2010, and has conducted extensive preclinical and clinical development work since then.

“We are delighted to be a partner with the University of Mississippi to develop this novel and important product candidate, and look forward to continued development to seek regulatory approval so that we can provide

it to people that suffer from contact dermatitis caused by poison ivy, oak and sumac,” says Raymond J. Hage Jr., CEO and president of Hapten Sciences.

The compound is a small molecule that acts like a vaccine or immunotherapy to prevent itching and rash after exposure to a sap oil found in poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac plants.

About 85 percent of the population is allergic to poison ivy, poison sumac or poison oak, according to the American Skin Association. It is the most common allergic reaction in the U.S., affecting as many as 50 million Americans each year.

A Phase I safety study on the compound was completed by Hapten Sciences in 2017. In 2018, the company initiated a second clinical study to evaluate the safety and biologic activity in subjects who tested positive for poison ivy.

Hapten Sciences expects results from the study in the second half of this year.

“We are excited about this next phase of our partnership with Hapten Sciences,” says Josh Gladden, UM vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs. “The most important outcome of our research mission is the impact it creates on society, and commercialization of technologies developed at UM is an important and growing part of that.”

The patent, issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is No. 10,322,103. This is the fourth patent surrounding the compound, with previous patents covering its active pharmaceutical ingredient and other key aspects of the product’s formulation.

GERALD KUCIA ADVANCING WORKERS’ RIGHTS CAUSES THIS SUMMER

G Photo by Christina Steube

erald Kucia, a second-year student at the University of Mississippi School of Law, is spending his summer advancing the cause of workers’ rights in

Gerald Kucia

Jackson through the Peggy Browning Fellowship Program.

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Kucia was awarded the competitive 10-week fellowship, which provides a stipend to law students interested in a career in labor law and working for labor unions, worker centers and labor-related nonprofit organizations.

“I applied for the Peggy Browning Fellowship because I believe in the causes of organized labor and workers’ rights,” he says.

“I believe the best way to rebuild America’s middle class and restore some economic fairness to our society is for workers around the nation to come together and fight for good jobs, high wages, strong benefits and fair representation in our government.”

Kucia, from Clinton, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Mississippi College.

In law school, he has served as founder and president of the Mississippi Labor and Employment Society and as a civil rights research assistant and a member of the Public

Interest Law Foundation. He was selected for the fellowship from a pool of 450 applicants.

“Being chosen for a Peggy Browning Fellowship was an enormous honor,” Kucia says.

“It gave me confidence that labor law is what I am supposed to be doing and made me feel like a real part of the labor movement.”

He will be working with Joel F. Dillard, a former National Labor Relations Board attorney and union lawyer in Jackson.

Kucia’s goal is to ultimately become a scholar and professor of labor and employment law, and this fellowship moves him one step further in his career path.

“I am inspired by academic activists who use scholarship to advocate for social good,” he says. “I want to join that cause and help lead the labor movement through the academy.

“Right after graduation, I plan to get some real hands-on experience by working as a union lawyer or maybe for the National Labor Relations Board.”

from the Circle

UM RANKS HIGHEST FOR JOB PLACEMENT niversity of Mississippi graduates are the best in the state at finding employment and keeping it, according to data from the U.S. Department of Education compiled in a new ranking from Zippia.com.

The ranking takes into account 10 years’ worth of data on job placement rates by using the Department of Education’s “College Scorecard,” which is designed to help the public see “how well different schools are serving their students.”

Zippia, a career expert website, compiled the data and created a ranking that shows the best college in each state for finding a job.

The data shows that after 10 years, 91.42 percent of Ole Miss

graduates are still employed.

That’s not only the best percentage of all Mississippi schools, but it also tops a number of institutions across the country. Ole Miss is among only three Power Five schools to tout its state’s highest graduate employment rate, with the other two being Auburn University and Georgia Tech.

This is the third year Zippia has compiled the ranking, and Ole Miss has maintained the top ranking in the state all three years.

The nation’s top university for 2019 is Connecticut’s Quinnipiac University, which has the best overall graduate employment rate in the country at 96.1 percent.

First 3+3 Graduate

PARTICIPANT IN ACADEMIC JOINT VENTURE MOVES ON TO UM LAW SCHOOL

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ariel Spencer (BBA 19), of Seattle, Washington, recently made history when she completed her bachelor’s degree in general business at the University of Mississippi.

What made her degree unique is that it included coursework in torts, civil procedure, legal research and writing, and constitutional law.

Spencer is the first Ole Miss student to receive her undergraduate degree while completing the rigorous coursework of a first-year law student in the Accelerated Law Program, often referred to as “3+3.”

“Our 3+3 program is designed to allow ambitious students an opportunity to complete their educational goals faster, allowing them to save money and enter the workforce sooner,” says Susan Duncan, dean of the UM School of Law. “We are delighted that Mariel has found success in this program, and we look for ward to our continued partnership with the School of Business [Administration] in extending this opportunity to more students.”

The opp or tunity t his program affords Spencer and other students with the ultimate goal of practicing law is an academic pairing spearheaded by the law school in tandem with other schools on the Oxford campus.

“I knew I wanted to be a lawyer in the fifth grade,” Spencer says. “That was when I realized what lawyers do and how much of an impact lawyers have on communities.

“I thought that having a background in business would be helpful in life, and it interested me.”

The School of Law has partnered with five other schools to offer an accelerated program that allows students early admission to the university’s law school. The partnerships are in the areas of business, engineering, legal studies, journalism and liberal arts.

“I came into law school most interested in the air, space and remote sensing concentration and currently am pursuing those areas,” Spencer says. “After law school, I hope to work in the field of air and space law. I am particularly interested in drones and privacy rights.”

The program was approved in 2013, and the first official recruiting took place in 2014, targeting high school students.

While law school admission at Ole Miss is variable, students need a 3.5 GPA and a 155 LSAT score for consideration in the “3+3” program.

Full-time study for an undergraduate degree generally takes four to five years, and a law degree takes three years.

Through this program, students are admitted into a fast-tracked bachelor’s and law degree program, trimming a year off the time typically needed to earn both degrees.

Mariel Spencer

Their fourth year of undergraduate study is the student’s “1L” year of law school.

“I believe business and law together are a powerful combination, and we are excited to have our first graduate from this joint program,” says Ken Cyree, dean of the School of Business Administration. “Learning both business and legal principles allows the graduates of this program to be valuable resources to their employers and create economic growth in Mississippi, the region and the world.”

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from the Circle

TWO UM STUDENTS’ WORK AMONG BEST AT JOURNALISM COMPETITION

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student and a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media were recognized nationally for their 2018 work by the Society of Professional Journalists.

Madison Scarpino, a junior broadcast journalism student from Tampa, Florida, won her award in the television breaking news category. Scarpino’s entry was “Ole Miss community reacts to controversial Facebook post,” which aired Sept. 20 on NewsWatch Ole Miss.

Scarpino says receiving the top award in the TV breaking news category was an honor and a shock.

“I never thought one of my news stories would receive such recognition, especially on a national level,” she says. “It means

everything to me that my hard work is beginning to pay off and lead me to so many amazing opportunities.

“I am so excited to see what is next for me and, hopefully, continue to receive this type of recognition on future projects.”

Ariel Cobbert, a Hattiesburg resident who earned her bachelor’s degree in 2018, was a finalist in the photography breaking news category. She was honored for one of her Daily Mississippian photos from the Martin Luther King Jr. assassination anniversary event in Memphis.

Cobbert says the recognition was a great way to wrap up her college career.

“It was like the icing on the cake,” she says. “It was an honor winning the award for the journalism school.”

Dissertation Honored in Italy

PHYSICS ALUMNUS WINS INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE THESIS

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winner was a difficult one and highlights the high standards of research being carried out in our field,” says Martin Hewitson, director of the GWIC-Braccini Thesis Prize. “It is with excellent work like Hector’s that our field will continue to grow.”

Silva’s dissertation focused on various aspects of compact objects, such as neutron stars and black holes.

Emanuele Berti, formerly an associate professor in the UM Department of Physics and Astronomy and Silva’s adviser, nominated Silva’s dissertation for the Braccini Prize.

“Hector was definitely one of the strongest Ph.D. students produced by the University of Mississippi physics department,” says Berti, on the faculty at Johns Hopkins University.

“During his Ph.D., he became a master in both analytical and numerical aspects of relativistic gravity.

“Hector is now a mature and independent researcher who, in my opinion, has the potential for a bright career as one of the world’s leading relativists.”

At the time Berti wrote Silva’s nomination letter, the winner had already published or submitted 25 papers. That number has since risen to 31.

Of these, 10 papers formed the backbone of his Ph.D. thesis.

Unanimously nominated by t h e O l e M i s s p hy s i c s department for a Graduate Student Achievement Award, Silva is among only five physics students to receive this award.

Submitted photo

University of Mississippi physics alumnus has received an international honor for his doctoral dissertation on gravitational wave research.

Hector Okada da Silva (PhD 17), of Belém, Brazil, was presented the 2017 Gravitational Wave International CommitteeBraccini Thesis Prize for “Compact Objects in Relativistic Theories of Gravity.” The honor included a $1,000 cash award and a certificate, presented to Silva at the 22nd International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation/13th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves, July 7-12 in Valencia, Spain.

The prize was established by GWIC and the Friends of Stefano Braccini to honor a colleague by recognizing outstanding research in gravitational waves.

“I was very surprised,” says Silva, who completed his doctorate in physics in 2017. “While I think my thesis had material to be competitive for such a prize, actually receiving it is another thing altogether.”

The prize-winning thesis addressed a key question in relativistic gravity: if modifications of Einstein’s general relativity do indeed exist in nature, could they leave observable imprints in astrophysical systems and in gravitational wave observations? It was chosen from a group of at least eight theses covering different aspects of the field of gravitational waves.

“The process of selecting a

from the Circle

Prestigious Science Scholarship ADDISON ROUSH IS THE UNIVERSITY’S 14TH GOLDWATER SCHOLAR

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University of Mississippi chemistry major who is pursuing research treatment methods that he hopes will eventually combat Alzheimer’s disease was awarded a prestigious and coveted Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship.

Addison Roush, an Oxford native and junior in the university’s Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, is the 14th Ole Miss student, and the first since 2012, to receive a Goldwater Scholarship.

The Goldwater Scholarship is the oldest, most prestigious science scholarship available to undergraduates and recognizes college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming the next generation of research leaders in their fields.

“I feel extremely honored to have been recognized for my work in the sciences, and I am very grateful to the Goldwater Scholarship board for this recognition and to Mr. Barry M. Goldwater for founding such a wonderful award,” Roush says.

In his research with Joshua Sharp, assistant professor of pharmacology, Roush is developing new techniques to simplify the study of protein structures and their interactions. With data yielded through Roush’s research, scientists will gain a useful ne w to ol with many applications.

He w i l l c ont i nu e building his knowledge this summer through a research training program, where he will work alongside professor William DeGrado at the University of California at San Francisco. Addison Roush In the long term, Roush aims to continue his work by developing ways to visualize protein-folding events as they occur. He hopes to apply the knowledge he gains to help combat

Alzheimer’s disease and prion diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.

Along with the recognition of being name d a G ol dw ate r Scholar, selected students also receive $7,500. For the 2019 competition, more than 5,000 applications were submitted from 443 academic institutions, and 493 students were named Goldwater Scholars.

“We are extremely proud to count Addison Roush as one of the top biochemistry students in the countr y and happy the Goldwater Foundation recognizes the research excellence that occurs at the University of Mississippi,” says Tim Dolan, director of the UM Office of National Scholarship Advisement.

STAY SUN SMART WHILE SOAKING UP SUMMER RAYS

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he arrival of summer ushers in long days of lounging by the pool, visiting the beach and working in the yard. More time outside in the sun also brings a higher risk of skin cancer and other damage caused by ultraviolet rays.

University of Mississippi Medical Center experts weigh in with information about the risks of increased sun exposure, how to spot the warning signs of potentially permanent skin damage and easy ways to protect your skin all year long.

Dr. Robert Brodell, chair of the UMMC Department of Dermatology, and Dr. Allison Cruse, a UMMC dermatopathology fellow, share five tips to stay sun smart this summer and protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays: • Wear sunscreen every day, year-round. Choose an SPF of 30 or higher and reapply it often.

Remember to reapply after swimming or exercising.

• Don’t forget to protect your ears and lips. These are common areas for skin cancer cells to grow because they are the most commonly forgotten. Use a lip balm with SPF coverage regularly.

• Not all clothes are created equal when it comes to UV protection. Always look for sun-protective clothing, like rash guards, with an SPF of 50 or more and lighter colors that will reflect the sun’s rays. Always wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat when spending time outdoors to help protect your face.

• Know your rays. Two types of UV rays contribute to skin damage.

UVA occurs from sunup to sundown and causes signs of aging and lasting damage to skin, while UVB is most common from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is to blame for severe sunburns. Both types of UV rays can cause cancer.

• Pay attention to changing moles. Follow the “ABCDE rule” to know if moles or other marks are cause for concern. ABCDE stands for Asymmetry, (a defined) Border, (irregular) Color, Diameter and Evolving or changing size, shape or color.

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from the Circle Illustration courtesy of UMMC

Did You Know? ave you e ver wondered w hy our bodies do certain things?

Although they may be commonplace, sometimes the physiological reasons behind them are not obvious.

University of Mississippi Medical Center faculty answers several questions that may have had you asking, “Why in the world does this happen?”

Why are people colorblind?

Colorblindness can be inherited or acquired, according to Dr. Kimberly Crowder, UMMC chair of ophthalmology.

“It is commonly inherited in males (about 8 percent of males and less than 1 percent of females are colorblind),” Crowder says. “It is a maternal inheritance (the male gets the defective gene from his mom).

“There are also a number of eye diseases that can be acquired later in life that can affect a patient’s ability to see colors.”

Why do people’s mouths water before they eat anything, especially when looking at food they like?

“Saliva is produced in preparation for food to help swallow and reduce acid symptoms in the chest as you begin to eat,” says Dr. Jim Sones, professor of medicine in the Division of Digestive Diseases and medical director of adult physician relations.

According to Dr. Jimmy Wolfe, 16

ALUMNI REVIEW

assistant professor of neurology, the salivary glands “are innervated with sympathetic and parasympathetic fibers.

You get a reflex response to prepare your mouth for eating.”

Why does urine smell strange after eating asparagus?

Chemicals develop a smell when they vaporize, according to Dr. Mehul Dixit, professor of pediatric nephrology and medical director of pediatric dialysis and transplantation.

“A classic example is chlorine in water,” Dixit says. “Asparagus contains asparagusic acid, a chemical that is not volatile, so it doesn’t have the ‘rotten smell.’ Once we eat asparagus, we convert asparagusic acid into sulfur-containing chemicals that can vaporize. These ‘vapors’ stink when we pee — from urine into the air and then to our nose.”

Why is the left lung smaller than the right one?

“The left lung has to share more space with these organs than the right lung and is therefore a notch smaller.”

Why do pregnant women get heartburn?

Dr. Michelle Owens (MS 07), professor of obstetrics and gynecology, says hormones in pregnancy are the main contributor to pregnancy-related reflux (heartburn).

“Progesterone, one of the primary hormones of pregnancy, has the effect of causing muscle relaxation. This can slow down the digestive process and contribute to constipation and delayed stomach emptying. Furthermore, the muscular ring that keeps reflux from occurring can also be relaxed by this hormone. Add that to competing for space as pregnancy grows, and it is understandable how reflux is a common occurrence in pregnancy.”

Why do some people think Dr. Michal Senitko, assistant professor of cilantro tastes like soap? pulmonology, said the lung is one of the largest organs in the body.

“We have two lungs,” Senitko says.

“On an average, there is 50 grams’ difference in their weight, with the right lung (150-720 grams) being slightly bigger.

Both lungs share their space in the chest with the other organs, such as the heart, esophagus and great vessels.

Dr. Scott Stringer, chair of otolaryngology and communicative sciences, says those who think cilantro tastes like soap “have a variation in a group of olfactoryreceptor genes that allows them to smell the aldehydes in cilantro leaves.

Aldehyde chemicals are present in both soap and cilantro. Taste is in large part dictated by smell.”

Nature

at Your Doorstep Situated 15 minutes from Oxford, 34 lakeside dwellings blend seamlessly into nearly 650 acres of rolling pine forests, lakes, wetlands and trails.

Hike, boat, fish, or just kick back and relax.

Visit Us

Contact Us

484 County Road 343 Taylor, MS 38675

+1 601.898.2772 info@splintercreekms.com

splintercreekms.com Offered by Tom Smith Land and Homes PHOTOGRAPHED BY JOE WORTHEM

Calendar Michael Bolton

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SEPT. 17

Social: Alumni Association Scholarship Recipients Ice Cream Social.

Triplett Alumni Center, 4-5 p.m. Call 662-915-1878.

6

Banking and Finance Symposium: Oxford Conference Center, 9 a.m.4 p.m. Social at 4 p.m. Registration $95. Call 662-915-7375 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

7

Accountancy Graduate School Tailgate: Yerby lawn. Time TBD. Call 662-915-7375.

7

Football: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas.

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Visit olemissfb.com.

13

Board Meeting: Fall meeting of the Accountancy Advisory Board, The Inn at Ole Miss, McMillan Boardroom, 3:30 p.m. Restricted to board members. Email emtettle@olemiss.edu.

14

Football: Ole Miss vs. Southeastern Louisiana. VaughtHemingway Stadium, 3 p.m. Visit olemissfb.com.

17

Performance: Michael Bolton.

The Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter has sold more than 65 million records globally and continues to tour the world. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

20

Board Meeting: Fall meeting of the Law Alumni Chapter board of directors. Robert C. Khayat Law Center, Room 1115, 2-4 p.m.

Restricted to board members and Lamar officers. Call 662-915-1878.

20

School of Journalism and New Media Alumni Reception: Bryant Hall, 4-6 p.m. Call 662-915-8816 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

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ALUMNI REVIEW

20

M-Club Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony: The Inn at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner. Call 662-915-2377.

21

School of Journalism and New Media Alumni Tailgate: Farley Hall, front lawn. Time TBA. Call 662915-8816 or visit olemissalumni.com/ events.

21

Football: Ole Miss vs. California. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

26

Reception: Alumni and friends reception to celebrate the Mississippi Bar’s newly inducted members.

Sponsored by The Koerber Co. Thalia Mara Hall in Jackson, 4-5 p.m. Call 662-915-1878.

26

Patterson School of Accountancy Luncheon: Jackson, River Hills Club, 11:30 a.m. Call 662-9157375 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

OCTOBER

1

Performance: Diavolo | Architecture in Motion. Founded in 1992

by French-born choreographer and visionary Jacques Heim, Diavolo is a cultural pillar of the Los Angeles community and has performed for hundreds of thousands of concertgoers worldwide as well as millions more on television. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

4

Business Unplugged: Happy hour with alumni presented by the Luckyday Scholarship Program and Luckyday Alumni Committee. Oxford University Depot, 4-6 p.m. Call 662915-7375.

4

Alumni Hall of Fame Awards Gala: The Inn at Ole Miss, 6 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. dinner. Ticket required. Call 662-915-1871.

Photo courtesy of the Gertrude C. Ford Center

SEPTEMBER

Calendar

5

School of Education Tailgate: Triplett Alumni Center, front lawn. Three hours prior to kickoff. Call 662-915-7375.

5

Ole Miss Alumni Association Annual Meeting: The Inn at Ole Miss. Time TBA. Call 662-915-7375 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

5

Football: Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt, Homecoming. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

10

Performance: Huntertones.

The group’s high-energy, horndriven sound features genre-bending composition and unconventional covers. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m.

Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

17

Harvest Supper: Friends of the Museum will host Harvest Supper 2019 on the grounds of Rowan Oak to support the UM Museum.

6:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662915-7073.

17 Photo by Nathan Latil

-18 Engineering Advisory and Advancement Council: Various times and locations. Contact Torie Marion at torie@olemiss.edu.

18

Board Meeting: Fall meeting of the Pharmacy Alumni Chapter board of directors. Carriage House Boardroom, 2-4 p.m. Restricted to board members. Call 662-915-1878.

18

Bridging the Gap: A studentalumni networking forum. The Inn at Ole Miss Ballroom, 3:30 p.m.

Call 662-915-7375.

For the last decade, the Tennesseebased musician has established himself as one of Americana and Southern roots music’s freshest upstarts, building his following and critical appeal with every release, show and venture.

Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m.

Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

NOVEMBER

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9

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12

Accountancy Alumni Board Meeting: The Inn at Ole Miss, McMillan Boardroom, 3:30 p.m. Reception to follow in Stark Family Garden, 5 p.m. Email emtettle@olemiss.edu.

Accountancy Alumni Tailgate: Triplett Alumni Center, front lawn. Time TBA. Contact Elizabeth Tettleton at emtettle@olemiss.edu.

Football: Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

22

RMI Career Day: The Inn at Ole Miss, 1-4 p.m. Call 662-801-6695 or visit olemissalumni.com/events.

28

Performance: Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors: Dragons Tour.

Harvest Supper OCT. 17

Performance: Pete the Cat, the Musical. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 10:30 a.m. Ticket required. Call 662915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

Football: Ole Miss vs. New Mexico State. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

Performance: “1984.” Aquila Theatre Company. As our modern world grapples with the threats and benefits of technological integration, Aquila Theatre’s production of “1984” provides a space to appreciate the value of individual thought — an evocative and timely narrative of personal freedom against political repression. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Ticket required. Call 662-915-2787 or visit fordcenter.org.

16

School of Pharmacy Tailgate: Faser Hall, front lawn. Sponsored by CVS. Three hours prior to kickoff. Call 662-915-1878.

16

Football: Ole Miss vs. LSU. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

Time TBA. Visit olemissfb.com.

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

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

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Still

Photo by Candice McMinn 20

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Going Strong

after 50 Years of Employment As longest-serving employee ever, Kathy Tidwell rises through ranks during a half-century at Ole Miss

Submitted photo

By Benita Whitehorn athy Tidwell (BBA 82, MEd 93, MEd 98) started working at the University of Mississippi a few months before man first walked on the moon.

This year marks Tidwell’s 50th year at Ole Miss, making her the longestserving employee in university history. She officially started in January 1969, and while she could have retired many years ago, the 68-yearold says she continues to derive a lot of satisfaction from her work each day, and besides, she says, “I’m not much of a homebody.”

A lifelong resident of Lafayette County and the university’s director of contractual services and university licensing, Tidwell says it’s been a short 50 years at the university. Many people, who are ready to retire in half that time, may wonder why and how she’s done it.

“I think what keeps me working is I enjoy the students, I enjoy the staff, I enjoy the parents,” she says. “I’ve learned a lot, and I feel like working at the university is an education in and of itself because you meet so many diverse people that you would not meet in most places of employment.

“And every day is kind of new, and every year you get a new set of students. So it’s never boring to me.”

Another factor might play into Tidwell’s employment longevity: genes. Tidwell’s mother, Marguerite McCain, worked as a seamstress until age 88, and her sister Delores Barnett, who was Title 1 coordinator in the South Panola School District and an adjunct professor at Ole Miss, worked until age 84.

Tidwell during her Student Housing days

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Submitted photos

Kathy Tidwell and Al Ling, UM director of business applications and enterprise resource planning support, attend a Collegiate Licensing Co. conference in Orlando, Florida.

Ole Miss Memories

Tidwell’s first job on campus was records clerk in men’s housing.

“At that time, I was young, 18,” she says. “When I came into work, the office was on the ground floor of LaBauve, which was a men’s residence hall.

“When I went up to go in, I thought, ‘Oh no, people are going to see me going into a men’s residence hall.’”

Because January 1969 was especially cold, then-Chancellor Porter L. Fortune permitted women to wear pants to class for the first time.

“Girls had to sign in and out when they went home,” she recalls. “It was really a different time then.”

She remembers the housing department’s first computer; in-person, two-day class registration at the gym; and carbon copies of room damage reports.

Tidwell originally planned to work two years and then quit and go to school after her husband, Larry Tidwell (BAEd 69), got his degree in secondary education. But she ended up working for housing some 30 years, working her way up to assistant director, associate director and interim director.

Meanwhile, from the time she started work at the university, she took classes, beginning with algebra, which she enjoyed, and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting in 1982 while working full time.

She also received a Master of Education in higher education in 1993 and a master’s in counseling in 1998.

In 1998, after her career in housing, Tidwell considered retiring from the university. She interviewed for a counseling job at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis, but also for a job in UM Contractual Services.

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Tidwell with Jill Davis, former food service director of the Student Union

“Thankfully, I was selected here first,” she says. “Driving to St. Francis would have been an issue.”

In Contractual Services, she started out in the ID Center and reported to the late Johnny Williams, who was vice chancellor for administration and finance, as well as Larry Sparks (BAccy 84), who has become UM interim chancellor, and Clay Jones (BAccy 04), assistant vice chancellor for administration and human resources.

“I have definitely enjoyed working with Clay Jones and Larry Sparks,” she says. “Had I not worked with great people, I might have retired by now.”

Jones and Sparks say the feeling is mutual.

“Compared to Kathy, I am a newcomer to the university,” Sparks says. “I have worked with her for a mere 22 years, since my arrival in 1997. During that time, I have had the privilege of working with her on contractual services, food services and licensing. We have worked together on all aspects of contractual services – from dealing with day-to-day management issues to the negotiation of contracts.

“I am amazed at her commitment and dedication, as well as her love for this university. A commitment of 50 years to a single employer is almost unheard of and demonstrates her true love for not only the university but for its people. She brings great excitement to work every day.”

Tidwell has been an integral part of many major projects on campus, including opening Rebel Market, the Grill at 1810, food operations in the Pavilion, the Student Union food court and the new Union bookstore, as well as performing as licensing director for the past 20 years or so, Jones says.

“Most of us will never see an individual work for the same organization for 50 years again in our lifetime,” Jones says. “Today’s workforce changes jobs much more rapidly than previous

Photo by Megan Wolfe

Submitted photo

OLE MISS LICENSING Kathy and Larry Tidwell at a Gateway to the Delta 5K walk/run

generations did, but even those workers rarely accomplished what Kathy has, working for the same organization for this long.

“It is an absolute testament to her work ethic, ability to adapt with changing times – to include moving from paper to computers and changing to various levels of software integration – and finally her absolute love and dedication to our university for her to stay here 50 years.”

Multitasker

These days, Tidwell oversees 10 full-time employees and the operation of several entities on campus: Ole Miss Dining Services; the Ole Miss Bookstore; the ID Center; Ole Miss Express, Flex and meal plans; campus vending; campus residence hall laundry facilities; licensing of university logos; digital/network video recording systems (security cameras); and card access readers.

“We constantly find solutions to issues, and I think I have a great staff,” Tidwell says. “The key to [administration] is relying on your staff, communicating with them, allowing them to make decisions and knowing what’s going on.

“I don’t call myself a micromanager. I ask my staff to make decisions but keep me informed.”

One employee says Tidwell will always find a way to help.

“Her dedication and compassion for the Ole Miss family shows in everything she does,” says Micah Bowen, ID Center coordinator, who has known Tidwell for 17 years since starting in the department as a student worker. “She’s truly an Ole Miss legend.”

Tidwell says part of her job is keeping up with issues that come up daily, whether it’s a problem with a vending machine or moving the bookstore back to the renovated Student

Ole Miss Licensing has evolved significantly since the university partnered with Collegiate Licensing Co., or CLC, based in Atlanta, in 1982. This partnership was formed to oversee and regulate the use of the university’s licensing marks, including trademarked or copyrighted logos, scripts and images.

“While the tracking of illegally produced and sold products has improved, the escalation of internet sales has resulted in a number of sites attempting to sell illegal, or unlicensed, items,” says Kathy Tidwell, UM director of contractual services and university licensing. “This makes our tracking of the production and sales of these an important task, now more than ever.”

The good news is the number of companies interested in making and selling legally licensed Ole Miss merchandise has greatly increased. Currently, 387 licensees produce Ole Miss products, and 2,481 unique retailers in the U.S. offer licensed Ole Miss products from CLC licensed producers.

The top-selling item is men’s/unisex T-shirts, with performance and fashion apparel coming in second. Among new items, “The Grove Collection” apparel will be introduced this fall at the Ole Miss Bookstore, which has moved back into a larger space in the renovated Student Union.

The university’s and CLC’s goal is to have a variety of quality products, and licensees that can meet the needs/ wants of the fans and consumers, as well as the retailers, Tidwell says. It’s also imperative for licensees to be aboveboard and have fair labor standards.

“Our goal is to have desirable options for each and every one of our fans and alumni,” she says. “We want licensees that know our values and protect our institution with their designs.”

S U M M E R 2 019

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Photo by Megan Wolfe

Tidwell flips through a book in the Ole Miss Bookstore, one of the campus operations she supervises.

Union. So she’s constantly running around campus.

“I believe in handling problems right up front,” she says.

A friend and former colleague confirms that Tidwell does, indeed, handle problems right away.

“She does not know the meaning of the word ‘quit’ or how to accomplish tasks with anything less than complete excellence,” says Candice McMinn, software developer II in the UM Division of Outreach and Continuing Education, who met Tidwell in 2001, when she worked in Contractual Services, then known as Auxiliary Services.

Moves to Improve

Tidwell, and her Contractual Services staff, always looks for ways to improve practices and offerings. Recent developments include an online calendar and mobile ordering. The online dining calendar shows open dining locations, and corresponding meal plans, so students can plan for each day of the calendar year, which is essential for international students. The new mobile ordering feature allows students, faculty and staff to order ahead at Freshii, McAlister’s and Which Wich in the Union. This eases lines at busy times and allows fast and convenient pickup.

“We try to listen and figure out what would benefit students,” Tidwell says.

An example of providing a service that sprang from student feedback is adding the “Plus One” option with meal plans. As a basis, or a component, of many of the meal plans, the Plus One has an $8 prepared food equivalent, which permits usage once per day at any Ole Miss Dining location, including a la carte locations such as Starbucks. This allows the students a wider range of locations to use, which results 24

ALUMNI REVIEW

in more variety for the students, and alleviates lines and wait times at meal-only locations.

“Ole Miss is the only university in the Southeastern Conference that offers a Plus One that works in all dining locations at all hours of operation,” Tidwell says. “Most [universities] have ‘block’ plans that work in residential dining halls and then work at limited locations during specific hours only,” she says.

Other improvements happening this fall include adding a Provisions on Demand (P.O.D.) Market at the new South Campus Recreation and Transportation Center and reinstating one at the newly remodeled Student Union. Adding new debit and credit card readers to vending machines is another benefit being provided, which will bring convenience to not only the Ole Miss community but also visitors to campus.

“This should make it much more convenient for visitors, faculty, staff and graduate/law students to use our vending machines while on campus for events,” Tidwell says.

One Day at a Time

Tidwell says she’s sure she’ll retire but doesn’t have a date set. She and her husband, who retired in 1999, enjoy spending time on their farm, riding horses and training some of them to compete in area horse shows. She walks in 5Ks and likes gardening and doing anything outdoors.

Looking back at her years at Ole Miss, she acknowledges she has achieved quite a bit.

“Getting three degrees while working full time is a pretty big accomplishment,” she says. “Moving from records clerk to where I am now is an accomplishment. Being here 50 years is an accomplishment. I try to take things one day at a time.”

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Delivering the

Right Message

Alumna Jenifer Harmon finds success and satisfaction in marketing industry

By Annie Rhoades

Photos courtesy of Jenifer Harmon 26

ALUMNI REVIEW

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27

itting at the dinner table as a little girl, alumna Jenifer Harmon (BA 80), chief marketing officer for Ruby Tuesday, enjoyed the “lively” conversation from her father, Howell Boyd (BA 56), owner of Howell Boyd Advertising, about all the different brands he was working on.

“I grew up in the advertising business,” Harmon says.

“My dad was always in advertising and marketing. When I was a little girl, we lived in New Jersey, and he worked in the city and would commute back and forth. I lived life through brands, and it was always an interesting conversation around the dinner table.”

Harmon and her family soon moved to Texas, where her father’s work through HBA thrived.

“He really inspired me to want to be in advertising and marketing,” Harmon says. “I wanted to move and influence people to consider a service or consider a brand, so as I grew up, I started talking to him about going into marketing as a major.”

Afraid to be too far away from her home in San Antonio, Harmon enrolled at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. However, she was the daughter of two Ole Miss alumni, and it didn’t take her long to make the move to Oxford.

“My mother, Clif Conlee (56), was from Jackson, and my father was born in Clarksdale and later moved to Blytheville, Arkansas, so my whole life when I was in Texas, I would go and visit family in Mississippi and Arkansas all the time. I love Mississippi.”

After completing her freshman year at Sam Houston, where she was a member of Chi Omega Fraternity, Harmon

“The opportunities that exist today weren’t available then,” Harmon says. “Today if I were at Ole Miss, I would probably be in the IMC program. I think it’s a really nice mix of business and new media, and how you really look at behavior and make a determination on how to move people’s mindset. I would’ve loved that.”

Harmon chose to major in English within the College of Liberal Arts to focus on writing with the hope that one day she would write marketing plans and potentially even copy.

“That’s where my focus was,” Harmon says. “I was majoring in English and minoring in radio and television.”

While at Ole Miss, Harmon met her husband and fellow English major, Roy Harmon (BA 80). The couple married and moved to South Bend, Indiana, for Roy to attend law school at Notre Dame.

Good Morning, South Bend!

“He was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to find a job,” Harmon says. “After working briefly at a bank, I got a job working for a small country music radio station. I was not a country music lover, and it wasn’t big in South Bend.”

The station was later bought by four Princeton graduates and changed to a Top 40 station. While working there, Harmon did traffic continuity, wrote advertising copy, produced commercials and much more.

‘When I was a little girl, we lived in New Jersey, and (my father) worked in the city and would commute back and forth. I lived life through brands, and it was always an interesting conversation around the dinner table.’

— Jenifer Harmon transferred to Ole Miss her sophomore year and was an active member of the Tau Chapter.

“I think I finally got the guts to do it,” Harmon recalls. “I had a good first year at Sam Houston, but I still felt like I’d given up on my dream of going to Ole Miss. I realized no matter where you are, you are going to have to meet new people. I applied, entered and loved it – it was such a good decision. It was all based on my parents because they loved Ole Miss and met each other there while getting their master’s degrees.”

In the late 1970s, the integrated marketing communications program at the School of Journalism and New Media didn’t exist. The university’s only marketing major leaned more toward the business aspect of marketing versus communications.

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“I did very basic things, and I really loved it,” she says. “I was even a DJ on Sunday mornings, which was hilarious! Back then everything was on audio cassette tape, and I had to play the commercials and different community shows. Those old cassette players would break, and I’d have to go in and splice it together. I really learned a lot, and it gave me some good, very simple exposure to more real-life production.”

After working in the radio business for three years, Harmon and her husband moved to Texas, where she began working for HBA, her father’s agency.

“My first big start was with HBA,” Harmon says. “My father was just a great leader for me. I had a different last name because I was married, so that was helpful. He had just won the Corona Beer brand for the United States.”

For the first time, Corona Beer was being imported to the U.S., leading Harmon and her father to do all of the public relations and events work to help establish Corona, both as a U.S. brand as well as a Texas merchant.

“All of the Mexican officials were coming up, and they were a little nervous about it because they had never bought before in the U.S.,” Harmons recalls. “It was a big deal, and I loved working on that. I would say that’s probably where experience at that point in my life trumped my education. I now had reallife experience from working with Corona, and that’s kind of how [my career] started.”

Moving up the Ladder

Harmon soon found that her forte was in retail and truly understanding consumer mindset including how people look at competitors, brand loyalty and what really drives people.

“I used a lot of my own insights as a consumer, but then

Subs, Denny’s and Ruby Tuesday to name a few. Her vast resumé includes working with four companies throughout her career: twice on the client side working for the actual brand, and twice on the big agency side.

“When I was in my 30s, I was the senior director for advertising for Denny’s,” Harmon says. “I worked there for 10 years and really used all of the marketing tools I had learned. I did everything including research, sales and testing everything to make sure that all of the communications work in real life. It was a great job.”

Friend and co-worker Jon Jameson, CEO and founder of Bellwether Food Group Inc., first saw Harmon’s expertise at work in 1995, when he was brought into Denny’s to run its brand and marketing functions.

“Jenifer was the glue that had been holding the department together,” Jameson says. “She is a brilliant marketer, but more importantly than that, she builds successful teams around her. She is a great motivator and communicator with her team, management and franchisees. She is also persistent and never gives up [on] what she knows to [be] the right direction and decisions.”

Harmon went to work for Erwin Penland from 2001 to 2005, where she was management supervisor for Firehouse

Harmon and Boyd family photo, including nine Ole Miss alumni

I got into research and understanding psychographics and what makes a person want to do something. I’ve really tried to use that wisdom for good. I don’t think I’ve ever advertised anything that I didn’t believe in or brands that I didn’t think a lot of.”

After working for HBA, Harmon relocated to Greenville, South Carolina, where she’s built a portfolio in the restaurant industry boasting work with Bojangles, Zaxby’s, Firehouse

Subs and Fatz Cafes. In 2005, she began climbing the ranks with St. John & Partners, eventually being promoted to executive vice president.

“I worked for [St. John & Partners] for about 14 years,” Harmon says. “I took all of the skills I had and really applied them. I was working with Zaxby’s, and at the time they were only about 140 units. Now they’re over 900, so we helped that brand grow in every way. I had a great team.”

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(Hello) Ruby Tuesday

In May 2019, Harmon accepted her current role as chief marketing officer for Ruby Tuesday after being recommended to NRD, the private equity group that owns the company, as someone with the reputation of being able to turn brands around.

“When I worked on Denny’s, it was in really bad shape, and we reversed declining sales and rebranded it as America’s diner,” she says. “Ruby Tuesday was in need of someone who really knew how to do that, because it’s a hard job when you have a brand that’s a little bit tired and you want to infuse new life into the brand.”

Harmon’s current task is finding a more relevant position for the brand and helping the restaurants reestablish themselves in their communities.

“In this case, we can appeal to a younger audience, including young professionals and families with children who are looking for a really good, fresh meal that isn’t really expensive,” she says. “We want to remind people of what we have that’s fantastic, look at the menu for areas where we might need to add things and talk to the consumer(s) the way they want to be communicated with – in a way that resonates with them, making it meaningful.”

women I’ve ever met and has the innate ability to be relatable to just about anyone. [She] is one of the most dynamic ladies in marketing you’ll ever meet. Her positive energy enters the room before she does, and her magnetic personality draws people to her and keeps them engaged. In all, a super impressive package!”

Harmon knows she wouldn’t be where she is today without the love, guidance and support of her father, Howell.

“The No. 1 influential person was and is my father,” she says.

“When I first started in the business, I probably called him every single night and asked him questions, got his thoughts and had him look over things I had written. He was an on-call coach who was always there for me and still is today.”

While Harmon wouldn’t have guessed she would be chief marketing officer for Ruby Tuesday, she always knew she would be in this business. Through hard work and constantly evolving and learning, she’s one of three C-suite women in the company.

“I always had great ambition,” Harmon says. “I remember when I was getting married at 21 after graduating from Ole Miss, my dad said, ‘Oh, you would’ve been such a great businesswoman.’ I remember thinking, you can be a businesswoman and be married.

Harmon and her husband, Roy, at their son Howell’s (BA 11) graduation from Medical University of South Carolina.

Harmon built an “ace team” for restaurants while at St. John & Partners, so where else would she look to hire her current team?

“Interesting point: I hired my own old agency at St. John & Partners because this team was a great team,” Harmon laughs. “I know they can do a great job for me, so I’m excited they’re my agency of record.”

Cari Pirello, president of Marketing Workshop, met Harmon more than six years ago through business, as the firm often served the marketing research needs for clients of St. John & Partners.

“Jenifer’s professional background lends to her breadth of experience,” Pirello says. “She’s one of the most intuitive 30

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“I’ve always had the goal to be a businesswoman. I love working, and I’ve also enjoyed being a wife and mother. I’m not surprised that I am where I am because I’ve worked really hard along the way, and I’ve had wonderful people working with me and teaching me. That’s a big part of being successful – people helping you along the way. I’ve had wonderful people that have mentored me and great leaders that have worked around me to propel me forward.”

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George Walker OLE MISS CLASS 1990

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BY SHEA STEWART

PHOTOS BY MEGAN WOLFE

n summer 2016, Transportation Security Administration screeners at Reno-Tahoe International Airport in Nevada confiscated an oddity: a 3D-printed handgun in a man’s carry-on baggage.

The plastic gun was inoperable but accompanied by five .22-caliber bullets. The passenger said he had forgotten about the gun and willingly left it at the airport and boarded his flight without being arrested.

The TSA later said the plastic gun was believed to be the first of its kind seized at a U.S. airport.

Since the world’s first functional 3D-printed firearm was designed in 2013, such guns have increasingly been in the news. Proponents of the firearms – 3D-printed with polymers from digital files – maintain that sharing blueprints and printing the guns are protected activities under the First and Second Amendments. Opponents argue the guns are concerning because they are undetectable and also untraceable since they have no serial numbers.

Tackling some of those forensic unknowns are a University of Mississippi chemistry professor and a graduate student. Their research focuses on developing analytical methods to explore how the firearms might be traced using chemical fingerprints rather than relying on physical evidence, with the goal of offering tools for law enforcement to track the guns as they become more widespread.

UNTRACEABLE

UM team traces chemical fingerprints in 3D-printed firearms to offer new tools for law enforcement

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The world’s first functional 3D-printed firearm was designed in 2013. The guns are 3D-printed with polymers from digital files and are untraceable since they have no serial numbers.

“We can positively identify the type of polymer used in the construction of the gun from flecks or smears of plastic on bullets, cartridge cases and in gunshot residue collected on clothing,” says James Cizdziel, an associate professor in the UM Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Cizdziel, who joined the Ole Miss faculty in 2008, and Oscar “Beau” Black (BS 15, PhD 19), who recently earned his doctorate in chemistry, have spent two years researching 3D-printed firearms through a grant from the National Institute of Justice, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

The three-year, $150,000 grant, “Physical and Chemical Trace Evidence from 3D-Printed Firearms,” has resulted in a 2017 peer-reviewed paper in Forensic Chemistry, a growing reference library of mass spectra from 3D-printed firearms for use by law enforcement, and a book, Forensic Analysis of Gunshot Residue, 3D-Printed Firearms, and Gunshot Injuries: Current Research and Future Perspectives.

The research involved Cizdziel and Black being the first to use Direct Analysis in Real Time, or DART, Mass 34

ALUMNI REVIEW

Spectrometry to identify polymers and organic gunshot residue in evidence from 3D-printed guns. The idea is forensic experts could trace the polymer that might show up in chemical evidence from the discharge of a 3D-printed firearm back to the type of plastic used in the gun.

“Our growing database provides a second means of identification or grouping of samples, alleviating the need for subjective interpretation of the mass spectral peaks,” says Cizdziel, a Buffalo native. “We also published fingerprinting protocols on surfaces of 3D-printed guns.

“Overall, we demonstrated that our methods are particularly useful for investigating crimes involving 3D-printed guns.”

The pair’s research arises from an undergraduate chemistry class Cizdziel taught in 2014, Introduction to Instrumental Analysis. Before earning his bachelor’s degree in forensic chemistry in 2015, Black, who also was an undergraduate researcher in Cizdziel’s laboratory, took the class, where talk soon turned to 3D-printed firearms.

“We discussed how developing new, reliable analytical

James Cizdziel (right), UM associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and recent doctoral graduate Oscar ‘Beau’ Black have spent two years researching 3D-printed firearms through a grant from the National Institute of Justice, part of the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Research by Cizdziel and Black had led to a growing reference library of polymers from 3D-printed firearms for use by law enforcement.

methods for forensic practitioners dealing with trace evidence from 3D-printed guns would make a good doctoral research project,” Cizdziel said. “Apparently this sparked a fire in (Black), and he not only joined my research group as a graduate student but was awarded a research fellowship from the Department of Justice to do that very project.”

Black, from Weatherford, Texas, began the project in 2016, before funding was secured in 2017, and quickly realized he was in unexplored territory.

“There was such a dearth of information out there,” Black said. “There was only one, I think, report of an actual test fire (of a 3D-printed firearm) from a forensic agency.”

The pair began creating functional 3D-printed firearms – either .22-caliber or .38-caliber handguns – that used certain metal parts to comply with a federal ban on weapons that aren’t picked up by metal detectors. They test-fired them under controlled and safe conditions at the Mississippi Crime Laboratory in Pearl and the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Hoover, Alabama.

“When you discharge them, they do exactly what they are designed to do,” Black says. “You can shoot them multiple times. There was one we shot dozens of times with no visible wear and tear on it.”

The discharges generated samples to analyze. The duo also evaluated the differences in evidence between 3D-printed guns and conventional guns, and used the analytical technique mass spectrometry to identify and characterize the various 36

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polymer types in 3D-printed gun evidence.

This work was the beginning of creating a reference library of various polymer samples to provide the basis of categorizing an unknown sample. The reference library holds about 50 polymer samples.

Cizdziel and Black were assisted in their research by undergraduate students and Murrell Godfrey, director of the UM forensic chemistry program and associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

Black graduated in May, but the pair’s research is ongoing, including expanding and improving the 3D-print polymer reference library.

“The ultimate goal would have the reference library in a format that’s similar to the other reference libraries that are out there for fingerprints, etc.,” Black says. “Every different arena has a reference library that goes along with that discipline.”

Beyond work on the reference library, the twosome is examining DNA methods on 3D-printed firearms and studying the longevity of polymer evidence under weathering conditions. Cizdziel and Black also are working on a paper that presents all their scientific discoveries when it comes to 3D-printed firearms.

Not knowing what they might find in their investigations has led to some exciting findings and groundbreaking work, Cizdziel says.

“That’s when things get interesting,” he says. “When you don’t quite know what to expect.”

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Sports OLE MISS

2020 Football Schedule Announced SEVEN HOME GAMES HIGHLIGHT REBELS’ 2020 SLATE

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

T

he 2020 Ole Miss football schedule was unveiled on Aug. 7 as the Southeastern Conference announced next year’s full league slate.

Ole Miss opens the 2020 campaign on Sept. 5 against Baylor in Houston, Texas, in the eighth installment of the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff. It will be the second time in the last three years the Rebels have opened the season in Houston. Ole Miss defeated Texas Tech 47-27 in the 2018 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff.

The Rebels will host Southeast Missouri on Sept. 12 in the 2020 home opener before beginning SEC play with Auburn on Sept. 19 in Oxford. Ole Miss closes out the month of September at LSU on Sept. 26.

The month of October opens with the Rebels hosting Alabama on Oct. 3, followed by a trip to Vanderbilt on Oct. 10. Florida will visit Oxford Oct. 17 for the first time since 2007, followed by a nonconference matchup against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 24 to close out the

month before the season’s open date on Oct. 31.

Back-to-back SEC road games at Texas A&M on Nov. 7 and Arkansas on Nov. 14 open the final month of the season, followed by a home matchup with Georgia Southern on Nov. 21. Ole Miss hosts Mississippi State on Thanksgiving night on

Nov. 26 in the annual Battle for the Golden Egg to close out the regular season.

The 2020 season will culminate with the SEC Championship Game in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Dec. 5. It will be the 29th edition of the game and the 27th in the city of Atlanta.

WEISZ FIRST OLE MISS RIFLE ATHLETE TO MEDAL AT PAN AMERICAN GAMES

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n impressive run came to an end on Aug. 3 for Ole Miss Rifle graduate Ali Weisz (BS 16) at the 2019 Pan American Games in Peru. Weisz and Team USA Shooting teammate Tim Sherry finished fourth in the 10-Meter Air Rifle Mixed Team event.

The pair ended with 390.6 points in the finals, just 0.4 behind third place at the second cut, but brought home gold medals from prior events. Weisz also earned an allimportant Olympic Quota spot and brought home a world of experience.

Team USA Shooting, which includes rifle, pistol and shotgun (skeet and trap), was in search of 10 Olympic Quota spots. The team earned seven and was able to max out the 38

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number of athletes each squad could bring to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for rifle and shotgun.

Weisz became the first current or former Ole Miss Rifle athlete to medal at the Pan American Games. Her 249.4 was a Pan American Finals record for 10-Meter Women’s Air Rifle.

She finished high enough to earn an Olympic Ali Weisz Quota alongside fellow rifle teammates Ginny Thrasher (Women’s ThreePosition Rifle) and Lucas Kozeniesky (Men’s

Air Rifle) at the games.

Up next for Team USA is the ISSF World Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, A u g . 2 6 -S e p t . 1 1 . Th e team then will shift focus to qualifiers in the year ahead that will determine who competes at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The XVIII Pan American Games ran through Aug. 11 with more than 6,500 athletes from 41 nations in North and South America. The games included 61 sporting disciplines.

YOU ARE PART OF OUR PAST. BE A PART OF OUR FUTURE. The Ole Miss Alumni Association allows you not only to have the connection with the place and people that share your past, but helps secure Ole Miss’ future with funding for student outreach, scholarships, reunion activities, alumni communications and athletics support.

Lend us your voice by remaining an active, dues-paying member. Renew your membership and encourage family and friends to remain active.

Only with your help can we enable others to create new memories and strengthen the bond with our university. un Thank you for being an active part of the Ole Miss Alumni Association.

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OLE MISS Sports

Rebels Shine in Track & Field

KENDRICKS BREAKS AMERICAN RECORD, REESE SNAGS EIGHTH U.S. OUTDOOR TITLE

O

lympic bronze medalist Sam Kendricks (BGS 15) cemented himself as one of the world’s all-time best pole vaulters after breaking the American record, while three-time Olympian Brittney Reese (BA 11) captured her eighth career outdoor national title at a spectacular day three of the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 27.

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Photos courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Kendricks, an Oxford native and the reigning world champion with an automatic bye to the IAAF World Championships in Qatar later this year, was flawless over his first eight bars, wrapping up the competition and his sixth consecutive U.S. outdoor title with his clearance of 5.86m (19-02.75). He went on to clear 5.91m (19-04.75) on his first attempt, as well, before instructing officials to move the bar to an American record height of 6.06m (19-10.50).

His performance puts him No. 2 on the all-time world outdoor list and tied for third on the combined indoor/outdoor list, in addition to toppling Mondo Duplantis’ American record of 6.05m (19-10.25) from 2018. Kendricks’ win is his sixth outdoor title in a row, making him the first American to win that many consecutively. In 2018, Kendricks became the first American to win five in a row since Cornelius Warmerdam won five from 1940 to 1944.

“My only goal was formulated when I went to my first USA Championships,” Kendricks says. “I said when I get the chance to wear USA, all I can say is that I want to be hard to beat.”

Reese – the 2012 Olympic gold medalist and 2016 silver medalist – had a superb competition of her own, winning her 12th overall U.S. long jump title and her eighth outdoors with a Drake Stadium record of 7.00m (22-11.75) on her second attempt. It was her first wind-legal 7-meter jump of the season, and it was good for a dominant 8-inch victory in her 11th year on the pro circuit since leaving Ole Miss in 2008.

Her victory further enshrined her as one of the top American-born athletes of all time. Her eighth outdoor long jump title puts her in a tie with six-time Olympic medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee for third all-time, trailing only 11 from Stella Walsh (1930, 1939-46, 1948, 1951) and 10 from Willye White (1960-62, 1964-66, 1968-70, 1972).

Fellow Olympian Isiah Young (BSCJ 13) returned to the track

after finishing sixth in the men’s 100-meter final on July 26, running in the 200-meter prelims the following day. Young earned a time qualifier spot to the semifinal after finishing third in Heat One and running the 11th-best time in the prelim at 20.84 (-1.5).

Young’s trips to the World Championships for Team USA have all been in the 200-meter in 2013, 2015 and 2017.

Janeah Stewart, the 2018 NCAA hammer champion, made her second consecutive U.S. hammer final as well, finishing sixth overall at 69.96m (229-06) in what ended up as one of the most prolific finals in world history.

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OLE MISS Sports Photos courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Rebels Drafted

SIX REBELS SELECTED OVERALL IN 2019 NFL DRAFT

F

our Rebels were selected during the second day of the NFL Draft on April 26, in Nashville, Tennessee. Ole Miss offensive lineman Greg Little and receivers A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf all heard their names called during the second round of the draft, while tight end Dawson Knox was selected in the third round.

The Carolina Panthers traded up early in the second round to take Little with the No. 37 pick overall. The Allen, Texas, native anchored the Ole Miss offensive line for the last three seasons, appearing in every game at left tackle since arriving on campus.

Little allowed pressure on just 2.8 percent of his pass-blocking snaps since 2017, the fourth-best in the class among offensive tackles.

Brown, a second team 2018 AllAmerica by multiple publications, was scooped up by the Tennessee Titans with the No. 51 overall pick. He became the

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first Ole Miss player ever to be selected by the Titans since the franchise moved to Nashville in 1997.

A junior out of Starkville, Brown rewrote the receiving record books in his three years at Ole Miss. He stands as the all-time leading receiver in Ole Miss history with 2,984 yards. He had 12 100yard receiving performances during his career, also a program record.

Metcalf became the second member of the Nasty Wideouts (nWo) drafted when the Seattle Seahawks traded up to grab the Oxford native with the last pick of the second round and No. 64 overall. He appeared in 21 games during his career at Ole Miss and hauled in 14 career touchdowns.

The Buffalo Bills also traded up in the draft to add a Rebel, moving up the board to select Knox with a compensatory pick at No. 96 overall. Knox, a former walk-on and high school quarterback, appeared in 28 career games

for the Rebels, including 20 starts at tight end.

Two more Rebels heard their names called the following day as Javon Patterson and Ken Webster were both selected in the seventh round.

Patterson, a four-year starter for Ole Miss on the offensive line, was taken by the Indianapolis Colts with the No. 246 overall pick. The Petal native started every game for the Rebels over the last three seasons and recorded 42 total starts during his time in Oxford.

Webster, a cornerback from Decatur, Georgia, was selected with the No. 252 overall pick by the New England Patriots. He appeared in 47 career games in the secondary for the Rebels, tallying 125 total tackles and three interceptions in an Ole Miss uniform.

In total, six Rebels were selected during the 2019 NFL Draft, the most since 1971 when Ole Miss had nine players selected in a 17-round draft.

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OLE MISS Sports

NBA CHAMPION RAPTORS SIGN TERENCE DAVIS

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ended his Ole Miss career 12th on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,512 points. Knocking down 176 threepointers, he ranks seventh on the career chart from long distance. Davis also cracks Ole Miss’ top 10 with 140 career steals.

Playing in 121 games as a Rebel, including 83 starts, the 6-foot-4 guard earned a letter all four years on campus.

Behind Davis’ senior leadership on and off the floor, Ole Miss returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. The Rebels were predicted to finish last in the SEC, but Davis and company exceeded expectations en route to a 20-13 record (10-8 SEC). In his final game as a Rebel, the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Davis led the team with 17 points and six assists.

Innoducing THE 2019

SHIRT FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

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Ole Miss alumni are Rebels for Life!

While we’ve left campus, our hearts remain at Ole Miss. Show your pride by wearing The Shirt, and buy one for each member of your family! Adult and youth sizes are available. All proceeds fund our alumni scholarship endowments.

$

Brrght to yy by

Buy line at OLEMISSALUMNI.COM/THESHIRT

SUPPORT OLE MISS. BUY THE SHIRT. WEAR THE SHIRT. 44

ALUMNI REVIEW

Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

fter one big performance in the NBA Summer League, Terence Davis has found a permanent home for his NBA future. The Toronto Raptors, the reigning NBA champions, picked the Rebel guard after seeing him score 22 points for the Denver Nuggets in his professional debut.

Davis joined the Nuggets for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, pouring in a game-high 22 points on eight of 13 shooting that included five of seven from beyond the arc to lead the team to a victory over the Phoenix Suns on July 7. With his impressive debut in front of scouts from all 30 NBA teams, he received several offers before choosing the Raptors.

A fan favorite from Southaven, Davis

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Published JUST

The Dinosaur Artist: Obsession, New Madrid: The Certainty of for nature and the great outdoors.

Betrayal and the Quest for Earth’s Uncertainty b y Malcolm Bailey (BA 71), The many Native American burial Ultimate Trophy by Paige Williams (BA 178 pages, $10 (Paperback), BookBaby, mounds throughout the countryside 88), 432 pages, $28 (Hardcover), Hachette Books, ISBN: 9780316382533 In 2012, a New York auction catalog boasted an unusual offering: “a superb Tyrannosaurus skeleton.” In fact, Lot 49135 consisted of a nearly complete T. bataar, a close cousin to the most famous animal that ever lived. The fossils now on display in a Manhattan event space had been unearthed in Mongolia, more than 6,000 miles away. At 8 feet high and 24 feet long, the specimen was spectacular, and when the gavel sounded, the winning bid was over $1 million.

Eric Prokopi, a 38-year-old Floridian, was the man who had brought this extraordinary skeleton to market. A one-time swimmer who spent his teenage years diving for shark teeth, Prokopi’s singular obsession with fossils fueled a thriving business, hunting, preparing and selling specimens to clients ranging from natural history museums to avid private collectors such as actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

But there was a problem. This time, facing financial strain, had Prokopi gone too far? As the T. bataar went to auction, a network of paleontologists alerted the government of Mongolia to the eye-catching lot. As an international custody battle ensued, Prokopi watched as his own world unraveled.

Paige Williams is a New Yorker staff writer and the Laventhol Visiting Professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. A winner of the National Magazine Award for feature writing, she has published magazine pieces that later appeared in anthologies including The Best American Magazine Writing and The Best American Crime Writing.

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ALUMNI REVIEW

ISBN: 9781543949896 When the chief of a Native American tribe and his grandson discover an ancient cave on their reservation in Missouri, they have no idea that it’s linked to the mysterious jar recently unearthed by an archaeologist from Memphis. But the excitement over their discovery is shortlived when they learn that a construction company is determined to build a casino on their reservation. Resolved to preserve their home, the members of the tribe band together to stop the construction company at any cost — but it’s

the land itself that might have the final say.

G row i n g up near family in a r u r a l are a of the southeastern United States, much of Malcolm Bailey’s early childhood was spent listening to stories told by grandparents, uncles and aunts. He devoted most of his spare time to the demands of the family farm, which gave him a healthy respect

encouraged his study of the history and lifestyle of the people who lived in the same place in an earlier time.

Friends of the Library b y Susan

Cushman, 158 pages, $26.95 (Hardcover), Koehler Books, ISBN: 9781633938977 When Adele Covington becomes an author in her 60s, she goes on a book tour to speak to the Friends of the Library groups in 10 small towns in her home state of Mississippi.

Chasing her personal demons through the Christ-haunted South of her childhood, Adele befriends an eclectic group of wounded people and decides to tell their stories. From Eupora to Meridian, from a budding artist with an abusive husband to a 7 year old with a rare form of cancer, each story contains elements of hope and healing and honors the heart, soul and history of the Magnolia State.

Susan Cushman returned to her native state of Mississippi to speak at Friends of the Library groups in 10 small towns in 2017-18, including Oxford, where she had studied at the University of Mississippi. Those visits and the people she met inspired the stories in this, her fifth, book.

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

The Return of an Icon In 1865, Civil War veterans George and Joe O’Bryan had an idea - repurpose army tent material to make work pants. The canvas cloth, known as “duck,” served as inspiration for their company trademark. Over a century later, Duck Head was “discovered” by brand savvy college students who began wearing Duck Head chinos to class, football games, spring break, even church. By 1990, the gold mallard became a symbol of southern sensibility from Austin to Nantucket. Today’s Duck Head remains true to its humble roots. We invite you to welcome back this American icon and join the revival.

www.DuckHead.com 10% of your purchase benefits the Ole Miss Alumni Association + FREE shipping Use code GOREBS at checkout

S U M M E R 2 019

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Traveler 2019-20 REBEL

T

he Ole Miss Alumni Association is offering some spectacular trips as part of its world travel program. Alumni and friends obtain group rates and discounts. Listed prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Pricing and dates are subject to change until booking. Airfare is not included unless noted. Visit the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s website at olemissalumni.com/travel for a complete listing and the most up-to-date information. For a brochure or more information on a trip, contact the Alumni office at 662-915-7375 or email alliel@olemiss.edu.

HOLIDAY MARKETS CRUISE – THE FESTIVE RHINE RIVER DEC. 11-19, 2019 Tour Operator: AHI

Celebrate centuries-old traditions on a Rhine River cruise taking you to holiday markets in France, Germany

Cologne, Germany 48

ALUMNI REVIEW

and Switzerland. Holiday delights — Old World decorations, toys, jewelry and more — fill these festive fairs.

The scent of cinnamon and nutmeg and the sound of carolers and bells enchant your senses. New adventures await daily. In Heidelberg, visit the castle and attend a musical performance. Admire Cologne’s spectacular c at he d r a l, and p e rs ona l i z e you r cruise with a selection of included excursions in Basel, Breisach, Rüdesheim and Strasbourg. Ample free time allows you to explore the markets at your leisure. Aboard the exclusively chartered, first-class MS Amadeus Silver III, you’ll never miss a sight, including the scenic Rhine Gorge, on this seven-night journey.

All meals are included. Wine, beer and soft drinks are complimentary with lunches and all dinners aboard the ship. There is no supplement for solo travelers. — From $2,295

EXPEDITION TO ANTARCTICA JAN. 15-28, 2020 Tour Operator: Gohagan

Join us for this spectacular, 14-day journey featuring a nine-night exclusively chartered cruise to Antarctica, Earth’s last frontier. Cruise aboard the intimate L’Austral, one of the finest vessels in Antarctic waters, featuring private balconies in 95 percent of the deluxe, ocean-view accommodations.

Experience the White Continent in its unspoiled state — fantastically shaped icebergs, turquoise glaciers, bustling penguin rookeries and breaching whales. Accompanied by the ship’s expert team of naturalists, board sturdy Zodiac watercraft for excursions ashore, and observe Antarctica’s abundant wildlife. Spend two nights in vibrant Buenos Aires. Extend your journey with the exclusive three-night Iguazú Falls post-program option. — From $9,995

2019-20 REBEL Traveler AMAZON RIVER EXPEDITION FEB. 2-14, 2020 Tour Operator: Gohagan

Delve into the lush Amazon River Basin and the legendary “lost city of Incas,” Machu Picchu, with a five-night cruise aboard the deluxe, all-suite Zafiro through the world’s largest rainforest ecosystem and five nights exploring the breathtaking Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu and Cuzco.

Seek rare, indigenous flora and fauna — delicate orchids and pink river dolphins — and visit local villages to observe the traditional life of the ribereños (river people). In the Urubamba Valley, visit the terraced Inca fortress of Ollantaytambo, the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco and Machu Picchu, a mysterious engineering marvel in the Andes. A Lima pre-program option is offered. — From $6,995

PANAMA CANAL AND COSTA RICA FEB. 5-13, 2020 Tour Operator: Gohagan

Join this incomparable, nine-day journey from the Costa Rican rainforest through the mighty locks of the Panama Canal. Spend one night in a deluxe hotel in San José, Costa Rica. Cruise for seven nights aboard the exclusively chartered, five-star Le Dumont d’Urville. Experience a daylight passage through the awe-inspiring Panama Canal, and explore the terrestrial wonders of Costa Rica’s national parks, wildlife refuges and pristine waters that diverse marine life call home.

Call at rarely visited Isla Cébaco. Tour Panama City, and visit Panama’s San Blas Islands. Enjoy lectures by exclusive onboard study leaders. Additional opportunities include Costa Rica’s Cultural and Natural Riches pre-program and Dynamic Panama post-program.

— From $4,995

TROPICAL RETREATS FEB. 11-18, 2020 Tour Operator: Go Next

The sunny shores of the Caribbean and Mexico are yours to explore on this exciting, seven-night voyage aboard

Machu Picchu

Oceania Cruises’ Sirena. Your journey begins in Miami, Florida, where the bold Latin flavors of Little Havana set the tone for a colorful island-hopping adventure.

Set sail for the pastel-hued streetscapes of Key West — this welcoming island offers a unique combination of relaxed hospitality, distinctive architecture and rich maritime history. Visit Harry Truman’s “Little White House,” and see the local establishments where writer Ernest Hemingway once shared his big-game fishing exploits. Spend a day at sea, and then stop at the island paradise of Harvest Caye just off the coast of Belize.

Look for starfish and manatees in the scenic saltwater lagoon, or simply catch some sun at the beach. Continue to Roatán, where the second-largest barrier reef in the world, the Great Mayan Reef, invites you to snorkel, sunbathe and experience the natural habitat up close.

Before your journey ends in Miami, spend a day in Costa Maya. Take a rare opportunity to swim among dolphins, turtles and schools of vivid tropical fish, or opt to explore the area’s mysterious Mayan ruins. — From $1,599 per person, including airfare from select cities

NEW ZEALAND AND THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF THE SOUTH ISLAND FEB. 11-23, 2020 Tour Operator: Gohagan

Journey with us on this 10-night, custom-designed itinerary, and circumnavigate the South Island of New Zealand to experience inimitable natural wonders that exist nowhere else on Earth. Cruise through the breathtaking scenery of the South Island for seven nights aboard the exclusively chartered, five-star Le Lapérouse — featuring only 92 suites and staterooms, each with a private balcony, and the extraordinary Blue Eye, the world’s first luxury, underwater Observation Lounge. Spend three nights in Auckland, including an adventure to the Northland country to learn more about the important national tradition of sheep farming. Experience the genuine and uniquely friendly nature of New Zealand “Kiwis” and the rich Maori culture while admiring the varied and exceptional scenery simply everywhere.

Tour charming Christchurch, where English influence persists in Victorian architecture and well-tended parks.

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2019-20 REBEL Traveler Choose to extend your journey with our exclusive pre-program option in Sydney, Australia, and post-program option in Mount Cook and Queenstown, New Zealand. — From $5,995

of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Discover Wadi Rum, the desert hideaway of Lawrence of Arabia, and explore the Greco-Roman city of Jerash. — From $5,595

THE PRIDE OF SOUTH AFRICA MARCH 5-19, 2020

VERONA AND COMO, ITALY

Explore the many facets of southern Africa, where history is rich, cultures are diverse, and “Big Five” game viewing is extraordinary. Follow Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom” in South Africa. Enjoy a unique, three-night river safari aboard the exclusively chartered, five-star Zambezi Queen on Namibia’s legendary Chobe River. Experience superb game viewing from the fourwheel-drive safari vehicles in Botswana.

Visit three UNESCO World Heritage sites, including Zimbabwe’s spectacular Victoria Falls. Enjoy five-star accommodations in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Victoria Falls. A post-program option in the MalaMala Private Game Reserve, bordering Kruger National Park, is available. — From $8,495

Tour Operator: Anywhere Adventures

Tour Operator: Gohagan

Ole Miss Travelers Only

MARCH 18-28, 2020

Famous for being the setting of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” Verona is a city of a thousand shades, a mix of styles and cultures that can charm and seduce any visitor. Travelers will spend the first four nights at the fivestar Due Torri Hotel. This property offers luxury and elegance in the heart of Verona, next to the Church of St. Anastasia and a five-minute walk from Juliet’s balcony.

T he n rel a x at L a ke C omo, an upscale resort area known for its dramatic scenery, set against the foothills

Como, a five-minute walk from Como Cathedral. — From $4,748, including airfare from select cities

TULIPS, WINDMILLS AND BELGIAN DELIGHTS – AMSTERDAM APRIL 14-22, 2020 Tour Operator: Go Next

Experience spring in the countryside of B elg ium and t he Net herlands aboard the Scenic Pearl. Embark in Amsterdam, and sail to the sleepy fishing village of Volendam, then discover the nearby town of Hoorn with a local guide. Travel to Rotterdam, a bustling metropolis full of futuristic architecture. Explore nearby Delft and its famed pottery museum, or take in the windmills of Kinderdijk.

In Ve e re, t a ke a g u i d e d tou r, or instead, visit the Delta Works of Holland, one of the Wonders of the Modern World. Next, visit Antwerp, home

AN ICONIC JOURNEY: EGYPT AND NILE CRUISE ADVENTURE MARCH 15-24, 2020 Tour Operator: DAI

We are pleased to invite you on this extraordinary journey to explore the incomparable treasures of Pharaonic Egypt. Visit the three Great Pyramids of Giza, Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, as well as Djoser’s famous Step Pyramid in Sakkara. Try out your bargaining skills in the Khan el Khalili Bazaar. Spend a night in Aswan, the heart of ancient Nubia, and the archaeological excavations being conducted on Elephantine Island. Take a three-night cruise between Aswan and Luxor, and visit King Tut’s Tomb in the Valley of the Kings. Finish your Egyptian adventure at massive Karnak Temple and its hypostyle hall consisting of 134 columns. Continue your journey on an extension to Jordan and the long-lost, rose-red city 50

ALUMNI REVIEW

Cairo, Egypt

of the Alps. And enjoy the mountain air and views in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Located on the Italian-Swiss border, the city of Como overlooks the southwest end of its lake and is surrounded by green ridge hills, resulting in unparalleled natural scenery. Participants will spend five nights at the four-star Palace Hotel, located in landscaped gardens on the shore of Lake

to Peter Paul Rubens, or else take a stroll through Bruges, a charming city lined with cobblestone streets.

Uncover the history of Arnhem at the Airborne Museum, and then back in Amsterdam, cruise the photogenic canals or experience the spectacular beauty of Keukenhof Gardens, where over seven million bulbs flower annually. — From $3,999

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One prestigious MBA. On campus or online. olemissbusiness.com/mba | mba@olemiss.edu | 662-915-5483 S U M M E R 2 0 19

51

News ALUMNI

Class Notes

’50s

DR. LAMAR WEEMS (51), who

became the first full-time urologist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, received an honorary degree from Millsaps College.

’70s

BRIAN FROGLE (BBA 78, MBA

79), president and CEO of Community Foundation of the Ozarks, gave the keynote address at Missouri State University-West Plains’ 2019 commencement ceremony.

JOE GIBBS (JD 71), attorney at law in

Clarksdale, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Mississippi Defense Lawyers Association at its 2019 annual membership meeting.

BEN GRIFFITH (BA 73, JD 75) of Oxford was

appointed by the incoming president of the American Bar Association to serve on the Council of the Central European and Eurasian Law Initiative for a term beginning in August 2019.

LISA HOWORTH (BA 76, MA 84) of Oxford

released her new novel, Summerlings, published by Doubleday, in August.

CALVIN W. LEGGETT, P.E. (BSCvE 73) was

awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Highway Engineers at its national conference in Nashville.

DAVE NELSON (BBA 77), of Eau Claire, Wis-

’80s

JAY ANTHONY (BBA 82) was pro-

moted to executive assistant for the Office of the Federal Security Director at Washington Dulles International Airport for the Department of Homeland Security.

DONNA M. BARNES (BA 82, JD 85) of Tupelo

South Carolina, was named chief marketing officer for Ruby Tuesday Inc.

MARK M. BOLE (BA 89), circuit judge of the

JOHN HODGE (BA 89, DMD 93) was named

First Judicial Circuit, was assigned as an appellate court justice in the Fifth District by the Illinois Supreme Court.

SCOTT BOWEN (BA 88, MA 91, PhD 93) was

promoted to full professor and appointed interim chair of the Department of Psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit in August 2018. He was appointed to the position of chair in August 2019.

CALVIN BUCHANAN (BA 80, JD 83), former

gressman, joined the law firm of Watkins & Eager as a member in its Jackson office.

the Meridian Star Readers’ Choice Man of the Year.

ANDREW HOWORTH (BBA 84, JD 87) was

named Citizen of the Year during the Oxford-Lafayette Chamber of Commerce’s annual meeting, honoring his work as a judge as well as his work with the Lafayette County Drug Court.

WANDA LYLE (BA 81), managing director

U.S. attorney, Northern District of Mississippi, became the West Point office managing attorney for North Mississippi Rural Legal Services.

and general manager of the UBS Business Solutions Center in Nashville and president of UBS Business Solutions U.S. LLC, was elected to the Frist Art Museum board of trustees.

AUGUSTUS LEON COLLINS (BBA 82), for-

KAREN MOORE (BS 82), founder and presi-

mer commanding general of the Mississippi National Guard and president of the Ole Miss Alumni Association, delivered the University of Mississippi’s 166th Commencement address on May 11.

dent of Project Redesign in Nashville, was elected to the Frist Art Museum board of trustees.

RICHARD NEWMAN IV (BBA 88), owner of

Green Hills office of the Fridrich & Clark Realty firm in Nashville.

Storage Depot in Madison, was elected to the board of directors of J.A. Bentley Lumber Co. Inc. and Bentley-Glenmora Lands Inc.

JENNIFER GILLOM (BAR 87), head coach

JOHN NEWSOM (DMD 81) of Atlanta was

WANDA QUON (BAEd 74), a principal in the

at Xavier College Preparatory and former Phoenix Mercury player, joined the team as a player development coach.

ALUMNI REVIEW

JENIFER HARMON (BA 80) of Greenville,

GREGG HARPER (JD 81), former U.S. con-

CATHRYN EAST (BA 84) was added to the

52

gon, retired after 30 years in the U.S. Navy.

was selected as the recipient of the 2019 Susie Blue Buchanan Award at the annual Mississippi Bar Association meeting.

consin, was inducted into the KM School District Trailblazer Hall of Fame and was also recognized by citation of the Wisconsin State Senate.

Jackson Public School District, was named a member of the Class of 2019 Practitioners of Distinction by the University of Mississippi’s School of Education.

JEANETTE GORTHY (DMD 88) of Amity, Ore-

named the 107th president of the prestigious Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society.

STACEY J. SMITH (MA 89) was promoted to

director of libraries and information services at Hollis F. Price Library in Memphis.

ALUMNI News Submitted photo

HENRY STOVALL (MHCA 84) was named the

new president and CEO of Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, Florida.

PATRICIA WILSON (MCS 80) of Loudon,

Tennessee, was bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Law degree by Piedmont International University.

’90s

ANDRE’ HOLLIS (BPA 96) of

Morton accepted the position of state director of parks for the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.

YOLANDA INGRAM (BA 91), a champion of

diversity in legal education and an experienced law school administrator and educator, joined the law school faculty at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

STEVEN JENKINS (BA 96, DHA 19) of Ger-

mantown, Tennessee, received his doctorate in health administration from the University of Mississippi Medical Center along with Outstanding Student Award for the 2019 class.

KEVIN PATTERSON (BAccy 92, MAccy 93)

of Oxford was named CEO of Magnolia Therapeutics.

VINCE RODRIGUEZ (BSEE 94, MS 96, PhD

99) of Suwanee, Georgia, authored Anechoic Range Design for Electromagnetic Measurements, published by Artech House.

AMANDA JONES TOLLISON (JD 96), a partner

in the Oxford office of Butler Snow, is president of the Mississippi Bar Association.

WESLEY WALLS (BE 91) of Charlotte, North

Carolina, was inducted into the Carolina Panthers’ Hall of Honor for 2019. He and the other three inductees will be honored during the upcoming NFL season.

W

SIX GENERATIONS

hen cousins Laura Alison Chatham (BFA 19) (left), Anthony Moore Rowan (BAEd 19) and MaryScott Polk (BE 19) graduated from Ole Miss in May, they accomplished something much rarer than earning a degree. They became the sixth generation of their family to earn degrees from Ole Miss, dating back to just 10 years after the university opened its doors. Direct-line family members who span those generations include Francis Holmes (BA 1858), Herbert Holmes (LLB 1904), Minnie Holmes (BA 31), Gerald Wilborn Chatham (BPA 66), Carole Chatham (BAEd 60), Gerald Wilborn Chatham Jr. (BPA 93), Miriam Holmes Moore (BSCS 86) and Mary Carole Moore (BSPh 91).

CHARLES YARBOROUGH (MA 95), teacher

at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, received the prestigious 2019 Mary K. Bonsteel Tachau Teacher of the Year Award during the annual meeting of the Organization of American Historians in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

’00s

KEVIN ALLEMAND (BAEd 05)

of Perkinston was named the 2019 Mississippi History Teacher of the Year by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

S U M M E R 2 0 19

53

ALUMNI News Submitted photo

JASON BAILEY (BBA 02), Ward VI alder-

man in Oxford, was nominated and unanimously approved to be the next mayor pro tem by the Board of Aldermen.

DONALD LLOYD COUNTS III (06) of Nashville

was promoted to the position of national executive chef of City Winery.

JOHN T. GIVENS (BS 00, JD 04) opened Giv-

ens Law Firm PLLC in Ridgeland, where he will practice personal injury law.

MARC HINES (BA 04) of Germantown, Ten-

nessee, was selected to the rank of commander with the U.S. Navy.

JAMIL NORTHCUTT (BSES 03, MA 04, PhD

13), vice president of player engagement for Major League Soccer, was named a member of the Class of 2019 Practitioners of Distinction by the University of Mississippi’s School of Education.

ADAM PUGH (PhD 09), Lafayette School

District superintendent, was named a member of the Class of 2019 Practitioners of Distinction by the University of Mississippi’s School of Education.

BRETT YOUNG (00) of Westminster, Cali-

fornia, celebrated the success of his fifth consecutive No. 1 single, “Here Tonight,” alongside co-writers Ben Carver, Justin Ebach and Charles Kelley.

’10s

BRET BABCOCK (MBA 13) was

appointed COO of LogicForce, a Nashville-based legal IT consultancy.

TERENCE DAVIS (19) of Southaven signed

with the Toronto Raptors basketball team.

THORNE C. HUGUELET (BA 16) joined the

Kentucky Claims Commission PPC, as executive administrative secretary.

MARY MARGARET HYER (BA 18) of Hatties-

burg was crowned 2019 Miss Mississippi.

KELSEY LOEBEL (BBA 15), founder of Con-

fections & Connections, acquired Miss Muff ’n Bakery in Germantown, Tennessee.

STUDENT MEMBERS

KEVEON TAYLOR, a Cleveland native, was

named the 2018 Lafayette County Fire Department’s Firefighter of the Year during a special banquet in September.

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ALUMNI REVIEW

O

LEGENDS OF THE NILE

le Miss alumni and friends enjoyed “Legends of the Nile” from Oct. 23 to Nov. 3. Trip participants visited the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx in Giza, then explored the Egyptian Museum’s treasures and visited mosques, churches and synagogues before embarking on a luxury Nile cruise as part of the Alumni Association’s travel program. For more information on upcoming trips, visit the Rebel Traveler department on page 48 of this issue, or visit the Alumni Association website at olemissalumni.com.

ALUMNI News BIRTHS

IN MEMORIAM

Elizabeth Drake, daughter of Ashlee Drake Berry (JD 13) and Lee Will Berry IV (JD 08), May 5, 2019.

Tristan Clayborne Peery, son of Kayla Clayborne Counts (BA 05) and Donald Lloyd Counts III (06), Oct. 4, 2018.

Camille Elizabeth, daughter of Catherine Blake Polk (BA 11) and Aaron C. Polk, Aug. 15, 2018.

Wallace Purser, son of Jennifer Rose Reid (BBA 10) and Colin Bruce Reid (BA 10), April 5, 2019.

1940s

James Samuel Attaya (BSGE 49, MS 51) of Denton, Texas, April 9, 2019 Moses Attaya (BSCvE 49) of Conroe, Texas, June 4, 2019 Hugh Gregory Breland Sr. (BBA 49) of Collins, July 2, 2019 Gloria Steadman Butler (49) of Knoxville, Tenn., June 29, 2019 Billy Tommy Collum (BA 49, BS 51, MedCert 52) of Fulton, April 9, 2019 John Foster Dean Jr. (48) of Corinth, April 7, 2019 Elizabeth McCarty Edwards (BAEd 45) of Madison, May 23, 2019

WEDDINGS Victoria Kayla Ellis (BSPh 16, PharmD 19) and Clarence Edward Henley III (BSPh 16, PharmD 19), June 9, 2018.

Elisabeth Hart Pepper (BA 17) and Sam Clayton Martin (BA 15, JD 18), June 1, 2019.

Logan Marie Simpson (BAEd 19) and Clint Walton Therrell (BSChE 17), June 2, 2018.

Esther Riley Heath (BSHPE 47, MEd 75) of Winona, April 24, 2019 Sarah Oden Holyfield (47) of Laurel, May 25, 2019 Gregory Gaines Kergosien (BA 49) of Bay St. Louis, May 15, 2019 Wesley Leroy McFarland Sr. (BA 49, BS 51, MedCert 51) of Bay St. Louis, June 25, 2019 Cora Thomasson Mitchell (BSC 46) of De Kalb, April 6, 2019

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ALUMNI News Norman Albert Mott Jr. (BA 48, BA 49) of Yazoo City, June 13, 2019

Thad Cochran (BA 59, JD 65) of Oxford, May 30, 2019

William Timothy Nicholson (47) of Greenville, April 12, 2019

Edgar Henry Denk Jr. (BA 50) of The Villages, Fla., Oct. 31, 2018

Mary Jane Trobaugh Pruitt (BA 47) of Millington, Tenn., May 14, 2019

Mary Louise Chandler Dobbs (BA 51) of Denver, Colo., June 26, 2019

Jerome Wayne Smith (BAEd 48, MEd 51) of Jackson, June 9, 2019

Charles Howard Easom (BBA 55) of Philadelphia, July 9, 2019

Thomas Laney Sweat Sr. (MedCert 47) of Corinth, April 10, 2019

Marion Westmoreland Enders (BA 56) of Denton, Texas, April 7, 2019 John Benjamin Greenwood (MEd 51) of Little Rock, Ark., April 19, 2019

1950s May Wyc Coers Adams (58) of Oxford, June 21, 2019 Gloria Sayers Baker (BSHPE 57, MEd 75) of Batesville, July 3, 2019 Ottis Gene Ball (MD 59) of Jackson, May 24, 2019 Louis Johnson Blanchard (BBA 53, MBA 54) of Magnolia, Ark., May 4, 2019

Howard Bickham Grubbs (BSPh 54) of Alexandria, La., March 9, 2019 Jo Ann Casteel Hall (BSC 51) of Tulsa, Okla., Nov. 29, 2018 James Henry Hellums (BBA 57) of Birmingham, Ala., June 26, 2019 Bernice Owen Hickman (MBEd 57) of Monroe, La., June 1, 2019 Elinor Sansom Holwadel (BAEd 53) of Columbia, S.C., July 2, 2019

Mary Simpson Bratton (MA 51) of Memphis, Tenn., May 29, 2019

Mary Ashmore Lancaster (BAEd 52) of Knoxville, Tenn., April 19, 2019

Grace Dolbeer Bray (59) of Jackson, Tenn., April 10, 2019

Verda Johnson Laws (MA 56) of Columbus, April 28, 2019

Gail Curry Brown (55) of Fort Worth, Texas, May 3, 2019

Beatrice Ann Ruff Luckett (BAEd 56) of Tupelo, May 21, 2019

Thomas Wayne Butler (53) of Nesbit, April 19, 2019

Roger Keith Lyles (BBA 59, MBA 60) of St. Louis, Mo., April 14, 2019

Submitted photo

T

ATLANTA’S MISSISSIPPI PICNIC IN THE PARK

he Mississippi Society of Georgia hosted the 10th annual Atlanta’s Mississippi in the Park on Saturday, June 15, at Chastain Park in Buckhead. Ole Miss alumni and friends enjoyed catfish plates provided by Penn’s, McAlister’s sweet tea and caramel cake from Sugaree’s Bakery in New Albany. This year’s entertainment included a performance by The Shufflejunkies.

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ALUMNI News Freeland Harris Magruder Jr. (BBA 56) of Madison, July 10, 2019

William Carter Smallwood Jr. (BBA 55) of New Albany, May 30, 2019

George R. Manoly (BA 53) of Grants Pass, Ore., April 6, 2019

Lloyd Gilmer Spivey Jr. (BA 57, LLB 63) of Canton, June 10, 2019

Andrew Eugene McDill (58) of Brandon, May 20, 2019

Charles Wallace Taylor (BBA 54, MBA 55) of Oxford, June 5, 2019

Claude Eugene McRoberts Jr. (BBA 56, LLB 58) of Jackson, July 4, 2019

Ray Stephen Taylor (BBA 56) of St. Petersburg, Fla., Jan. 15, 2019

Ila Charlene Sellers Mitchell (MEd 58) of Jefferson City, Mo., May 29, 2019

Mary Charlene Shaw Torbert (BA 55) of Nashville, Tenn., April 12, 2019

James Ware Neblett (BSChE 53) of Charlottesville, Va., April 9, 2019

Dixie McRae Walden (BAEd 59) of Corinth, June 18, 2019

Gene Austin Ogletree (BSPh 55) of Macon, July 1, 2019

Edward Harris Wilkinson (BBA 53) of Prescott, Ariz., April 16, 2019

David Bruce Oram (BBA 54) of Caledon, Ontario, Canada, May 8, 2019

William Denham Winn (BSChE 51) of Temple, Texas, Jan. 27, 2019

Bobby Joe Peeler (BSPh 59) of Martin, Tenn., April 14, 2019

William Lansden Winningham (BSPh 58) of Livingston, Tenn., July 5, 2019

Guy Dee Penny (BSHPE 50, MEd 58) of Murfreesboro, Tenn., April 8, 2019

Jane Demarest Withers (BA 55) of Fairmont, W.Va., June 29, 2019

Richard A. Polizzi (BSPh 55) of Metairie, La., April 13, 2019 Mary Ellen Greenlee Poynter (BBA 58) of McKinney, Texas, Feb. 11, 2019

1960s

Peter Rowan Rudolph (BAEd 56) of Covington, La., June 7, 2019

Alexander Armstrong Alston Jr. (LLB 64) of Jackson, June 1, 2019

James Mitchell Savery Jr. (53) of Tupelo, July 10, 2019

John Henry Askew (MS 67) of Sikeston, Mo., June 22, 2019

Frank Lamar Schmidt Sr. (MedCert 54) of Pass Christian, June 22, 2019

James Atkinson Baker (BBA 67) of Grenada, April 17, 2019

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ALUMNI News William Tillman Banks (BSCvE 62) of Madison, June 11, 2019

Perry Louis Montgomery (MEd 68) of Woodland, May 24, 2019

Margaret Holcomb Bass (BS 62) of Memphis, Tenn., April 11, 2019

Thomas Gates Moore (60) of St. Charles, Mo., March 5, 2019

Robert Tillman Bell (MS 60) of League City, Texas, June 18, 2019

Gerry Tarver Nichol (BSC 62) of Memphis, Tenn., July 6, 2019

Patricia Moore Bogen (BSC 65) of Oxford, May 9, 2019

Katherine Harvey Philp (MA 61) of Lookout Mountain, Tenn., June 23, 2019

Robert Morris Canon (BA 64, MA 67) of Sardis, Nov. 16, 2018 Russell Dwane Duncan (BS 63) of Oakwood, Ga., Jan. 5, 2019 Nancy Lynn Gatlin (BA 68) of Olive Branch, June 13, 2019 William George Gragson Jr. (BBA 66, JD 68) of Lake Charles, La., April 13, 2019 Ann Klaus Holloman (BAEd 61) of Madison, May 19, 2019 Ray Smalley House (MBA 61, PhD 66) of Franklin, Tenn., June 21, 2019 Stephen Rogers Izard (BA 69, MS 71, PhD 73) of Columbia, S.C., June 24, 2019

Charles Augustus Pitcher (BSG 61) of Alpharetta, Ga., May 9, 2019 James Stanley Price (BSPh 63) of Oxford, Oct. 5, 2018 Dean Blackburn Priest Sr. (MS 62, PhD 69) of Searcy, Ark., April 17, 2019 Nancy Ferguson Rasco (BSHPE 61) of Oxford, May 12, 2019 Peggy Sellers Rayzor (60) of Fort Worth, Texas, May 31, 2019 John Buchanan Storment III (BAEd 66) of Little Rock, Ark., April 28, 2019 Irvin Christopher Walker Jr. (BA 68) of Memphis, Tenn., June 27, 2019

Robert Trezevant Jones (BBA 68) of Huntsville, Texas, June 6, 2019

Hudson Ayles Waller (BSGE 60) of Charleston, S.C., May 27, 2019

Mary Susan Butler Lewis (BA 61) of Tullahoma, Tenn., June 10, 2019

Horace Clement Watkins III (MD 64, BS 67) of Fairhope, Ala., May 16, 2019

Samuel Kimble Love (MD 63) of Hattiesburg, June 29, 2019 William Jack Maxey (MCS 64) of Sibley, La., April 29, 2019 Frank Logan McDonald Jr. (BFA 65, MFA 67) of St. Augustine, Fla., Feb. 2, 2019 Millie Zeigler McDonald (BM 69) of Vestavia, Ala., April 23, 2019 Thomas Darrell McNeese (BBA 65, JD 69) of Columbia, April 21, 2019 Betty Black Mitchell (BSC 60) of Madison, May 12, 2019

Martha Ruth Watkins (BSC 60) of Brandon, July 3, 2019 Walter Scott Welch III (LLB 64) of Madison, June 14, 2019 Marguerite Braddock Williams (MEd 67) of Batesville, May 15, 2019 Herbert Wayne Wilson (AMEd 66, EdD 71) of Germantown, Tenn., April 7, 2019 William Johnson Witt III (64) of Jackson, July 10, 2019

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ALUMNI News John Lacy Wyatt (BSHPE 64) of Calhoun City, Feb. 14, 2019 James Newton Yelverton (BSGE 61) of Ocean Springs, July 4, 2019

1970s Glenda Wood Adair (MEd 75) of New Albany, June 6, 2019 Nicholas Gaines Augustus IV (BA 70) of Pensacola, Fla., April 21, 2019 Annette Evans Austin (BSN 79) of Baton Rouge, La., June 18, 2019 Raymond Vincent Bass Jr. (EdD 72) of Pagosa Springs, Colo., June 3, 2019 Elizabeth Heiderhoff Beasnett (BAEd 70, MA 74) of Maryville, Tenn., June 6, 2019

Constance Kerr Gallant (BA 71, MA 72, SpecEd 81) of Hattiesburg, June 10, 2019 George Thomas Gamblin (BS 75, MD 77) of Napa, Calif., May 1, 2018 Mary Swayze Fleming Gee (BAEd 74, MBA 78) of Greenwood, May 1, 2019 Karen Loretta Gray (BSHPE 78, MEd 79) of Oxford, June 2, 2019 William Alan Gray (BBA 72) of Oxford, July 3, 2019 David Alan Gustafson (JD 70) of Amston, Conn., Dec. 5, 2018 Roger Alan Hammond (MS 70) of Guntersville, Ala., April 5, 2019 John Martin Harper (BBA 70) of Melbourne, Fla., June 25, 2019 Burrell Leroy Higdon (BSChE 75) of Greer, S.C., July 8, 2019

Ralph Dillard Bennett Jr. (71) of Knoxville, Tenn., June 5, 2019

Barry Lee House (77) of Germantown, Tenn., June 11, 2019

Billy Marion Bishop (EdD 74) of Madison, June 21, 2019

John Herbert Hunsicker Jr. (BA 72, MA 77, PhD 79) of Canton, May 19, 2019

Dixie Norman Boyd (BA 73) of Vestavia, Ala., April 7, 2019 Jeffrey Dees Boyd (BBA 79) of Amory, May 28, 2019 James Robert Bryson (EdD 72) of Guntown, April 27, 2019 Wade Murphy Burt (BAEd 75, MEd 88) of Houlka, May 5, 2019 Mary Evelyn Chrestman (BS 72, MLS 79) of Oxford, July 4, 2019 Marianne Bennett Christian (BAEd 72, MEd 76, SpecEd 90) of Olive Branch, April 10, 2019

Vernell Anderson Johnson (BA 72) of Jacksonville, Fla., Nov. 12, 2018 Janet Rogers Matthews (PhD 76) of Kenner, La., March 31, 2019 Angela South Mobley (BAEd 79, MEd 83) of Iuka, May 13, 2019 Sandy Vincent Read (BAEd 74) of Aubrey, Texas, May 22, 2019 Margaret Epting Roberts (MCS 72) of Baldwyn, May 23, 2019 Lilly Joe Ross (BBA 73) of Tomball, Texas, April 29, 2019

Roy Eugene Clark (BPA 75, MCJ 76) of Oxford, April 8, 2019

William Edward Shelton IV (71) of Memphis, Tenn., June 8, 2019

Richard Charles Davis (JD 75) of Oxford, April 18, 2019

Jerome Francis Sherman (PhD 73) of Omaha, Neb., April 14, 2019

Thomas Neal Elliott (PhD 71) of Memphis, Tenn., April 16, 2019

Dorothy Smith Simelton (MEd 76) of Blue Mountain, May 16, 2019

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ALUMNI News Sam Palmer Smith-Vaniz (BBA 71) of Canton, May 10, 2019

Carrie Beth Jamerson (98) of Mooreville, April 8, 2019

James Lawrence Smithmier (BA 79) of Lakeland, Tenn., May 17, 2019

Jerry Dale McDaniel (BAccy 99) of Pascagoula, May 6, 2019

Clay Randall Stokes (BPA 71) of Orlando, Fla., May 26, 2019 Karen Crossno Streit (BA 78, MA 82) of Brandon, June 16, 2019

2000s

George W. Van Devender (PhD 73) of Abilene, Texas, April 24, 2019

Brian Miles Bennett (BE 00) of Little Rock, Ark., Feb. 20, 2019

Dennis Wade (BA 72) of New Albany, June 27, 2019

Micah Frank Craven (MFA 08) of Athens, Tenn., May 29, 2019

William Burnell Waits Jr. (BA 70) of Lambertville, N.J., June 9, 2019

Amber Nicole Lancaster (BSCJ 06) of Booneville, April 10, 2019

Sylvia Kime Waller (MN 78) of Meridian, April 19, 2019

Deborah LaShun Miller Mays (BSN 05) of Coldwater, May 14, 2019

Jimmie Carnell Lovelace Watson (MEd 77) of Tupelo, April 15, 2019

Mary Clark McClatchy (BSFCS 06) of Germantown, Tenn., April 28, 2019

1980s

2010s

Mary Ann Doty Boyd (BAEd 86) of Tupelo, May 21, 2019

Shane Edward Gitter (12) of Memphis, Tenn., April 22, 2019

Donna Tidwell Cagle (BS 88) of Laurel, May 28, 2019

James Garett May (11) of Coldwater, May 27, 2019

Jimmy Kemp Champion (BBA 88) of Marks, June 7, 2019

Carl John Neumann (BGS 15) of Memphis, Tenn., April 23, 2019

Glenn Walton Cofield (BAccy 83) of Memphis, Tenn., June 7, 2019

Wesley Cole Roberson (BBA 14) of Tupelo, June 27, 2019

Bettye Crowson Collums (BSN 83, MSN 98) of Belden, June 27, 2019

Mikiah Rashawn Smith (16) of Long Beach, June 2, 2019

Sherry McFerrin Gregory (BM 80) of Tupelo, May 23, 2019

Zachary Ward Paley Spell (17) of Canton, April 20, 2019

Ulysses Leroy Howell (MEd 89) of Oxford, May 11, 2019

Amy Elizabeth Dempsey Tidwell (MSN 11, 94) of Water Valley, April 15, 2019

Brenda Berryhill Johnson (BBA 81, JD 84) of Hattiesburg, May 5, 2019 Gary Watkins LaRose Jr. (89) of Brandon, April 29, 2019 Robertson Morrow Leatherman Jr. (BA 82, JD 87) of Memphis, Tenn., April 24, 2019 Jane Bradley MacEachern (BSPh 81) of Covington, La., May 27, 2019 Leslie Robbert Marsh (BBA 83) of New Orleans, La., July 6, 2019 Kathryn Clements Spragins (MEd 89) of Oxford, May 24, 2019 Sandra Milican Steen (MEd 82) of Corinth, April 27, 2019 Kenny Roy Thomas (BSW 82) of Grenada, Aug. 25, 2018 Cecil Gerald Woods Jr. (MAccy 85, JD 86) of Gulfport, June 19, 2019 Vincent Gerald Woods (BBA 88) of Gulfport, Jan. 16, 2019

1990s Scott Franklin Coffey (PhD 96) of Jackson, April 9, 2019 Tammy Stanford Friloux (BSN 94) of Tupelo, June 9, 2019 Joseph Aaron Frush (BSCS 96, MS 98) of Collierville, Tenn., May 3, 2019 Charlotte Carothers Huthnance (BA 95) of Dallas, Texas, May 30, 2019

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ALUMNI REVIEW

James Harold Willis (19) of Oxford, July 9, 2019

Faculty, Staff and Friends Lewese Wall Ahrens of Mount Ida, Ark., May 27, 2019 Mitylene Boykin Arnold of Waco, Texas, July 8, 2019 Helen Shackelford Barkley of Ripley, April 19, 2019 Charlotte Rose Bennett of Oxford, May 10, 2019 William Dodd Blair of Brandon, June 21, 2019 Helen Graves Brinson of St. Petersburg, Fla., May 7, 2019 Lowry Windell Busby of Oxford, June 14, 2019 James Roberts Cartier of Fort Worth, Texas, Jan. 4, 2019 Susan Lester Eftink of Oxford, April 6, 2019 Clifton Goss of Greenwood, April 14, 2019 Diana Carter Hilliard of Oxford, April 9, 2019 Joan Sarles Hollis of Gulfport, April 23, 2019 Lizzie Malone Ingram of Waterford, May 6, 2019

Submitted photo

ALUMNI News

T

MISSISSIPPI ON THE MALL

he Mississippi Society of Washington, D.C., hosted the 29th annual Mississippi on the Mall on Saturday, June 22. Ole Miss alumni and friends enjoyed Simmons farm-raised catfish, hushpuppies, coleslaw, caramel cakes from Sugaree’s Bakery and Newk’s sweet tea.

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ALUMNI News Gladys Dye Klepper of Germantown, Tenn., June 1, 2019 Martha Gordon Masterson of Vicksburg, May 3, 2019 Georgia Pearson McClain of Grenada, June 14, 2019 Bonnie Nelson McCurdy of Gainesville, Fla., March 14, 2019 Nancy Faith Gregory Petros of Oxford, June 14, 2019 George Watson Purvis of West Monroe, La., May 27, 2019 Austin Caruthers Sams of Amory, April 16, 2019

Due to space limitations, class notes are only published in the Alumni Review from active, dues-paying members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To submit a class note, send it to records@olemiss.edu or Alumni Records Dept., Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 386771848. Class notes also may be submitted through the Association’s website at olemissalumni.com. The Association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni.

David Gaffney Sansing Sr. of Oxford, July 6, 2019 James Patrick Spell of Oxford, May 28, 2019 James Holton Sweeney of Hazel Green, Ala., April 16, 2019 Lucy C. Turnbull of Oxford, April 21, 2019 Cornelius Turner of Jackson, June 7, 2019 Barbara Rogers Wright of Memphis, Tenn., May 20, 2019 William Shadrach Young of Fernandina Beach, Fla., May 16, 2019

Show your Ole Miss pride Show your loyalty to Ole Miss by owning an official University of Mississippi license plate.

Mississippi residents pay an additional $51 a year for the affinity plate, $32.50 of which returns to the university and is applied toward student scholarships and keeping the Grove and University Circle green and vibrant.

Ole Miss affinity license plates also are available in some other states, including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas and Washington D.C. For more information visit olemissalumni.com.

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A DREAM COME TRUE Submitted photo

W

Monroe with her husband, Bob (BAEd 72)

hen Martha F. Monroe (BM 72, PhD 18) was hooded for her doctoral degree from the University of Mississippi on May 10, it was the culmination of a journey she started in 1975.

Monroe earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Ole Miss in 1972 and Master of Music degree from Mississippi College in 1974 before starting her doctoral work in 1975. Though she did not have the opportunity to complete her degree at that time, she didn’t give up on the idea and achieved that dream at the age of 68.

“After a rewarding teaching career spanning over 45 years, I still wanted to complete my terminal degree,” Monroe says. “In August of 2016, I mustered all the courage and hope within me to go meet with Dr. Alan Spurgeon, head of Graduate Studies in the Department of Music, to inquire about any possibility of finishing my degree. After looking over my resume and transcripts, Dr. Spurgeon looked across his desk at me and asked, ‘Can you start classes Monday?’ My whole life flashed before me as I realized that the door had just been opened for me to accomplish my dream.”

Not only did she complete that dream, Monroe was chosen as a class marshal for the Graduate School at the hooding ceremony at the Ford Center, which she says was a great honor for both her and her family, who have been Ole Miss Rebels since her father entered in 1931.

In her speech at graduation, Monroe encouraged her fellow graduates to never give up on what is important to them.

“If you are in education, research or any other human endeavor, you must be a lifelong learner — even in retirement,” she said.

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