Ole Miss Alumni Review - Winter 2023

OLE MIS S ALUMNI RE VIE W

A L U M N I

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WINTER 2023

Two Decades of Arts and Entertainment FORD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

WINTE R 2023

VOL . 72 NO. 1

Alumnus lives American dream as part of world’s top fashion magazine

Alumna mentors thousands in Tennessee

OFFICIAL OLE MISS ALUMNI FASHION AND GIFTS olemissalumni.com/shop

Contents

VOL. 72 NO. 1 | WINTER 2023 A L U M N I

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Departments 2 | Chancellor’s Letter 4 | President’s Letter 6 | From the Circle 20 | Calendar 38 | Ole Miss Sports

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Football inks 12 in early signing Bre Henry named volleyball head coach Men’s tennis releases spring slate

Features

46 | Just Published 48 | Rebel Traveler 52 | Alumni News

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24 | T wo Decades of Arts and Entertainment

Ford Center for the Performing Arts celebrates 20th anniversary

Family bridges 99 years

By Dana Engelbert

of history at Ole Miss

Lott Institute establishes alumni advisory board

30 | L a Vie en Vogue

Eli Manning to be inducted into Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame

Alumnus lives American dream as part of world’s top fashion magazine

Alumnus honored in Governor’s Arts Awards

By Annie Rhoades

34 | I nspiring Confidence Alumna mentors thousands in Tennessee

By Brian Hudgins

ON THE COVER

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The Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a diverse slate of performances in its main performance hall shown here, an expanded offering for area schoolchildren, a book and a spring gala. | Photo by Robert Jordan

Ole Miss Alumni Review PUBLISHER Kirk Purdom (BA 93) EXECUTIVE EDITOR Jim Urbanek II (BA 97) jim@olemissalumni.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Annie Rhoades (BBA 07, MBA 09) annie@olemissalumni.com CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Benita Whitehorn ART DIRECTOR Amy Howell CONTRIBUTORS Kevin Bain (BA 98), Joey Brent, Stella Connell, Ruth Cummins (BA 82), Bill Dabney (BA 89), Joe Ellis, Dana Engelbert, Jay Ferchard, Erin Garrett (BAJ 11, MS 20), Thomas Graning (BAJ 17), Brian Hudgins, Robert Jordan (BA 83, MA 90), Logan Kirkland (BAJ 16, MS 22), Nathan Latil (BGS 17), Abigail Martin, Jennifer Lea McClure (BBA 01, MBA 03, PhD 20), Joshua McCoy, Sydney Pender, Gary Pettus, LaReeca Rucker (BA 97, MA 16), Jonathan Scott (BA 82), Edwin B. Smith (BA 80, MA 93), Clara Turnage (BAJ 17), Lou Tyson OFFICERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Bill Reed (BA 72, JD 77) president Karen Moore (BS 82) president-elect Jeff Hubbard (BBA 80, JD 83) vice president Todd Sandroni (BSPh92, PhMD 97) athletics committee member Bruce Ware (BBA 99) athletics committee member ALUMNI AFFAIRS DIRECTORS Kirk Purdom (BA 93), chief executive officer Joseph Baumbaugh, assistant director for information services Sunny Brown (BSFCS 09, MA 11), assistant director Clay Cavett (BBA 86), associate director, campaigns and special projects Michelle Coughlin (BAccy 93, MAccy 94), chief financial officer Junae Johnson (BBA 15), assistant director Jessica Lynch (BSES 05), assistant director Steve Mullen (BA 92), assistant director for marketing Annie Rhoades (BBA 07, MBA 09), assistant director for communications Mary Kate Smith (BS 18), assistant director Scott Thompson (BA 97, MA 08), associate director, engagement Jim Urbanek (BA 97), associate director, communications and marketing Rusty Woods (BBA 01), associate director for information services 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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from the Chancellor Dear Alumni and Friends, We have lots of good news to celebrate, and I appreciate how much our alumni are always eager and enthusiastic to shout it far and wide.

It is one of the reasons I’m excited to share our momentum with you and highlight some of the ways in which our legacy is on the rise.

First, the official numbers are in, and our total enrollment grew 5.1% this year! We also welcomed our largest freshman class ever this fall with 4,480 students. This growth has continued through the spring semester, and we expect to grow again next year. I’m especially proud that we are serving more students from Mississippi. These gains buck a national trend of declining enrollment, and we were the only university in the state to experience growth. The word is out that Ole Miss offers academic excellence, dynamic experiences and value. So much of this is due to our committed, talented faculty and staff who empower how we build legacies and a brighter future. And, I thank you, our dedicated alumni, for your role in our growth, including how you serve as outstanding examples of the legacies that begin at Ole Miss and how you serve as active recruiters of the next generation of Ole Miss Rebels.

In addition to record enrollment, we’re celebrating several major anniversaries this year.

The Mississippi Excellence in Teaching Program has trained high-performing teachers for 10 years. Another program making an impact for the past decade is the Haley Barbour Center for Manufacturing Excellence, which produces graduates who embark on successful careers in advanced manufacturing. Our Croft Institute for International Studies and our nationally recognized Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College are celebrating 25 years of cultivating academic excellence and outstanding student scholars. And, be sure to read the article in this edition about how the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts is marking its 20th anniversary with a diverse slate of performances, an expanded offering for area schoolchildren, a book and a spring gala featuring Mississippi celebrities and friends.

We’re also celebrating major milestones at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, including the 30th anniversary of the state’s sole program providing bone marrow transplants to patients of all ages. Since the program’s inception, UMMC has performed more than 1,700 bone marrow transplants and recently received national recognition as a Center of Excellence. It is among the many ways in which UMMC creates a healthier Mississippi.

In athletics, we set a new department record with a Graduation Success Rate of 88% in 2022. Four Rebel teams posted a perfect 100% GSR, including men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s golf and women’s golf, which has posted a perfect GSR for 14 consecutive years. It is noteworthy that since 2004, Ole Miss’ GSR has risen from 69% to the current 88% — an outstanding reflection of the continued dedication and hard work of Ole Miss student-athletes and our academic support staff.

As we look ahead, I’m excited for another vibrant spring at Ole Miss and in Oxford.

I hope you’ll visit Oxford for Mississippi Day (April 15), the Double Decker Arts Festival (April 28-29) and, of course, to cheer on the reigning NCAA baseball champs during the 2023 season.

Hotty Toddy!

Glenn F. Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) Chancellor

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from the President Dear Alumni and Friends, By any measure, 2022 was a successful year for the University of Mississippi and the Ole Miss Alumni Association. The university celebrated the 60th anniversary of James Meredith’s historic enrollment in 1962. The Rebel baseball team won a national championship. The Oxford campus welcomed its largest-ever freshman class of 4,480 students and experienced a record first-time student retention rate of 89.3%. The Alumni Association increased its membership, awarded more than 370 scholarships and supported the various activities of 77 in-state and out-of-state member clubs. And 2023 promises to be even more eventful!

As mentioned in my fall 2022 letter, the Alumni Association this year hopes to complete its campaign to raise the funds required to build a new Triplett Alumni Center. Thanks to a very generous gift of $4 million by the Dr. & Mrs. R. Faser Triplett Foundation and several other substantial pledges, the fundraising goal of $30 million-$35 million for this project is realistic. The new 46,000-square-foot Triplett Alumni Center will replace the building originally dedicated in 1951 and, among other things, will feature multiple balconies facing the Grove, expanded meeting and office space, and a much-needed M-Club Room/Museum. If you wish to donate to this exciting project, please contact the University of Mississippi Foundation office or the Alumni Association office for more details.

I am pleased to announce the appointment of the following new members of the Alumni Association board of directors: John Banahan, of Pascagoula; Cable Frost, of Madison; Tywanna Inmon-Smith, of Proctor, Arkansas; Ben Lane, of Jackson; Jessica Banahan McNeel, of Pascagoula; Tay Cossar Morgan, of Madison; Gail J. Pittman, of Ridgeland; Pepper Pounds, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Zach Scruggs, of Oxford; Chris Spencer, of Nashville; Julia H. Thornton, of Oxford; McLean Trotter, of Fairhope, Alabama; and Wanda Taylor Truxillo, of Roswell, Georgia. Gail, Pepper and Zach also will serve on our executive committee. I appreciate these talented Rebels’ willingness to commit their time and talents to serving the Alumni Association and the university.

Sincere thanks also are due to the Alumni Association members who have just completed their service on our board of directors. Their efforts during the last three years have contributed significantly to the Association’s ability to serve its members and achieve its goals.

I would like to express a special word of thanks to past president Matt Lusco, of Birmingham; Charles White, of Mountain Brook, Alabama; and Shaquinta Morgan, of Frisco, Texas, for their many years of service on our executive committee. Ole Miss is a better place because of their many contributions. While Matt, Charles and Shaquinta have rolled off the executive committee, all three will continue to be actively involved in the work of the Association.

Finally, Ole Miss has about 163,000 living alumni, and the Alumni Association has about 26,000 members. Growth in overall membership and, in particular, Life Memberships, is essential for the Association to achieve its goals. You can help by encouraging your friends and relatives to join the Alumni Association.

Hotty Toddy!

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Bill Reed (BA 72, JD 77) President, Ole Miss Alumni Association A LU M N I R E V I E W

the

from the Circle

THE L ATEST ON OLE MISS STUDENTS, FACULT Y, STAFF AND FRIENDS

Brittney Reese (third from left) visits with some of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy Scholars after she was named the council’s Emerging Young Philanthropist. The students are (from left) Daneel Konnar, Miley Ray, Benton Donahue, Amyaha Graham and Nadia Corder. | Photo by Joey Brent

Outstanding: On and Off the Track REESE HONORED AS EMERGING YOUNG PHILANTHROPIST

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ne of the greatest long jumpers in history, University of Mississippi alumna Brittney Reese (BA 11) is already recognized as the university’s most celebrated Olympian. However, her quiet efforts to help and serve others are often overlooked.

That changed recently when the 36-year-old Reese was honored in Oxford with the Emerging Young Philanthropist Award by the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy.

“I’m so honored to be a recipient of the Emerging Young Philanthropist Award,” Reese said at the event at the home of Mary Haskell (BM 81), a former OMWC chair. “I have always prided myself on giving back, and I have been blessed to be able to do so.”

Reese’s philanthropic efforts are an important aspect of life for the 2011 UM graduate, says Suzan Thames (BA 68), of Ridgeland, who is OMWC chair.

“While the world knows Brittney Reese is an extraordinary athlete who has been decorated for her many unparalleled accomplishments on track and field’s world stage, the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy is pleased to have this opportunity to highlight Brittney’s generous giving nature and outstanding philanthropic resume as well,” she says.

For many years, Reese has supported her hometown of Gulfport in several ways, including assisting various 6

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homelessness and religious organizations, donating turkeys for the holidays, and providing children from financially unstable families the opportunity to see a screening of the superhero movie “Black Panther” for free. She also created the B. Reese Scholarship to be given annually to a male and female student in the Gulfport School District who will attend either a two- or four-year college.

Reese and her agent, Mark Pryor, owner of a firm specializing in track-and-field management, also established the Brittney Reese Allied Sports Scholarship. It is awarded to students with disabilities who are of outstanding character and sportsmanship, are involved with two allied sports and plan to attend a secondary school after high school.

Reese credits her great-grandmother for instilling within her a desire to help others.

“When my great-grandmother started to notice how good of an athlete I was becoming, she told me to never forget where I came from,” she recalls. “And from that day on, I have not forgotten. Her words have stuck with me, and hopefully, I am doing just as she asked of me.”

Reese is among only three American women to compete four times in an Olympic final. With one gold and two silver medals, she is one of just three women in Olympic history to earn three medals in the long jump competition.

from the Circle

Big-time Mentorship DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN EDITOR SELECTED FOR NEW YORK TIMES CORPS

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he editor-in-chief of The Daily Mississippian student newspaper at the University of Mississippi, has been selected to participate in a New York Times journalism program designed to mentor young journalists.

Rabria Moore, a senior from Durant, was chosen to be part of The New York Times Corps, a talent pipeline program for college students to receive career guidance from NYT journalists.

She was among 20 young journalists selected from among hundreds of applicants. The students will be paired with Times advisers, with whom they will meet two or three times a year throughout their undergraduate careers. Those conversations will focus primarily on career-building advice, and the students also will have opportunities to learn from speakers and other activities.

“In the program, I receive mentorship from a New York Times reporter,” Moore says. “My mentor is Steven Lee Myers.

Rabria Moore, a senior from Durant, is part of the latest cohort for The New York Times Corps, a talent pipeline program for journalism students. | Submitted photo

He’s a foreign and national security correspondent, currently based in California.”

Moore says she was excited to learn she had been selected.

“I applied for this program because I think mentorship is important, and I wanted to specifically have a mentor from a national news organization to help me navigate and break into the journalism industry,” she says.

‘The NYT Corps will give Rabria another opportunity to showcase and build her talents.’ — ANDREA HICKERSON Moore is pursuing a dual degree in political science and journalism with a news-editorial emphasis while leading The Daily Mississippian staff. She is also a member of the UM chapter of the Association of Black Journalists, one of the Ole Miss Ambassadors and a member of the Columns Society.

“In terms of career goals, I see myself first as a political journalist, covering politics,” she says.

Moore is a capable leader who consistently shows initiative for learning and creating new opportunities for herself and others, says Andrea Hickerson, professor and dean of the School of Journalism and New Media.

“For example, if it weren’t for Rabria, we wouldn’t be hosting New York Times opinion editor Kathleen Kingsbury,” Hickerson says. “Rabria connected with her and her team at NABJ (the National Association of Black Journalists conference).

“The NYT Corps will give Rabria another opportunity to showcase and build her talents,” Hickerson says. “She will create a large, well-connected professional network that I expect will look out for her in the future.”

Moore hopes to gain more insight into journalism by participating in the NYT program.

“My ultimate goal is to become an international journalist, so I’m really happy to have Myers as my mentor,” Moore says.

“I’ve learned a little bit about him and his time as a journalist, and I hope to gain more knowledge about the field from him.

The New York Times is also one of my favorite news organizations, so learning from reporters who’ve worked there is definitely something I’m looking forward to.”

The Times Corps is meant specifically for journalism students from underrepresented groups, such as students of color and/or students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, according to the program’s website.

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from the Circle

Diversely Excellent TOP CROFT STUDENTS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS

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leven students in the Croft Institute for International Studies received awards from one of the largest and most prestigious scholarship programs at the University of Mississippi.

The Croft Scholars, the institute’s most competitive freshmen, are awarded $8,000 per year for four years. Top rising sophomores receive the Rose Bui Memorial Scholarship for Academic Excellence, which is also worth $8,000 per year.

Recipients must maintain a 3.4 GPA and remain in the international studies major during their time at the university.

Scholarship support has been an essential element of the institute’s model since its founding 25 years ago, says Oliver Dinius, Croft executive director.

Since then, more than $1.6 million in Croft scholarships has been awarded to the nearly 200 students that have graduated from the institute.

The 2022-23 Croft Scholars are (front, from left) Lily Schauwecker, Abigail Shaw, John Amburgy, Claudia Guske and Sophia Prost, and (back) Calloway Bills, Colin Richardson, Will Devenish and Nathan Guy. Croft scholarships are among the largest and most prestigious at the university. | Submitted photo

Rose Bui scholarships are awarded to rising sophomores at the Croft Institute for International Studies. This year’s recipients are Betsy Vise (left) and Sarah Long. | Submitted photo

Donors stipulate that half the scholarships go to Mississippi residents in the spirit of bringing together the best students in the state with exceptional students from other parts of the U.S. “We want our Croft Scholars to be excellent ambassadors for the internationalization of the UM campus and embody the idea of a future global citizen,” Dinius says. “We hope that 8

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they follow in the tracks of our Croft alumni — now almost 700 of them — and embark on exciting and meaningful careers.”

The 2022-23 Croft Scholars are John Amburgy, of Ocean Springs; Calloway Bills, of Nesbit; Claudia Guske, of Sanford, Florida; Nathan Guy, of Laurel; Sophia Prost, of St. Charles, Missouri; Colin Richardson, of Jackson, Tennessee; Lily Schauwecker, of Starkville; and Abigail Shaw, of Labadieville, Louisiana.

William Devenish, of Keswick, U.K., is a Croft International Scholar.

The Rose Bui scholarship recipients are Sarah Long, of Tupelo, and Betsy Vise, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

For the international studies major, Croft students select a regional concentration from East Asia, Europe, Latin America or the Middle East, and a related foreign language before starting their first semester in the program.

Students declare a thematic concentration of global economics and business, global health, international governance and politics, or social and cultural identity during their sophomore year.

Each year, the Croft scholarship committee interviews as many as 25 admitted students for the awards. They consider the students’ demonstrated awareness of global events, commitment to learning a foreign language and academic promise in the major as criteria.

Dinius says that Croft Scholars are among the institute’s greatest ambassadors.

“In our 20-year experience, the Croft Scholars have been among the most engaged students in the program,” he says. “They stay connected with the institute and with each other after graduation, and as alumni, they are generous with their time and advice to our current students.”

from the Circle UM ACCOUNTANCY MASTER’S GRADUATES EARN CPA EXAM AWARD

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wo graduates of the Patterson School of Accountancy at the University of Mississippi have received the 2021 Elijah Watt Sells Award, the most prestigious certified public accountant exam award in the world.

More than 72,000 individuals sat for the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination in 2021, with only 57 meeting the criteria for the Sells Award. The award recognizes candidates who pass all four sections of the exam on the first attempt and obtain a cumulative average score above 95.50.

UM recipients of the award are Sydney Ferguson (BAccy 20, MADA 21) and Reynolds Spencer (BAccy 20, MAccy 21).

The UM accountancy school is ranked first in the SEC and tied for fourth in the nation for number of Sells Award winners from 2020 to 2022, with eight awards going to Ole Miss graduates.

Sydney Ferguson

Reynolds Spencer

“Winning the Sells Award is an exceptional accomplishment,” says Mark Wilder, the school’s dean. “We could not be more proud of Sydney and Reynolds, as well as our previous Sells awardees.

“We are very fortunate to have bright, hardworking students in the Patterson

School who excel academically and become leaders in the professional world.”

Originally from St. Louis, Ferguson is employed with KPMG in New York City.

Spencer is originally from Nashville, Tennessee, where he works for Ernst & Young.

Law Abroad UM STUDENT LEARNS LAW, LANGUAGE DURING SUMMER INTERNSHIP

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avannah Whittemore (BA 20) spent her summer like many other law school students across the country: interning for a law firm.

Savannah Whittemore visits the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin while interning in Germany with the German American Exchange program. | Submitted photo

But Whittemore’s internship was different because of its location.

The third-year law student at the University of Mississippi spent her summer in Germany working for Meissner Bolte, an intellectual property firm, as part of the German American Exchange program.

Whittemore, of Grenada, is the first Ole Miss student accepted into the highly competitive program that matches U.S. students with three-month paid internships abroad.

Working overseas provided many memorable experiences, but one that sticks out took place back on native soil, Whittemore says.

“I wrote a client cease-and-desist letter for an intellectual property firm,” Whittemore says. “The letter is sent to a competitor that was infringing upon your patent.

“When I was on my way home, I was in the Atlanta airport, (and) they emailed

me saying they used my letter without any edits. I felt like I did something right.”

German American Exchange aims to give students necessary skills to excel in the international job market by engaging in cross-cultural experiences while gaining professional experience.

Whittemore, w ho had b e en to Germany three other times, was keen on overcoming cultural barriers by deepening her understanding of international law.

“I had probably 15 different textbooks on my desk all summer, all the ones that the firm could find on German law in English,” she says. “For a while, there was this expectation that you would read 500 pages a day about an assigned topic and then write a summary and submit it to the managing partner.

“That was kind of like my introduction to it because he knew I didn’t have any background knowledge about IP law in general, let alone any German laws.”

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from the Circle

UM freshmen in the Class of 2026 Stamps Scholars cohort are (front, from left) Mary-del Jansen, Amber Amis and Ryleigh Johnson; (second row) Yasmine Ware, Olivia Bacon and Dymond Mitchell; (third row) Jasmine Sanders, Layla Ashley, Carolena Graham and McKenzie Cox; and (fourth row) Ethan Roberts, Hayden Walker and Andrew Nichols. | Photo by Bill Dabney

Full Ride UM WELCOMES 13 STAMPS SCHOLARS FOR 2022

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ith plans to travel the world, research health disparities and develop a nonprofit organization, freshman Dymond Mitchell is thankful to be named one of 13 new Stamps Scholars at the University of Mississippi.

“This is so much more than a scholarship to me,” Mitchell says. “It will allow me to study abroad and build my network. I’m also thankful that the program has helped me keep a promise I made to my parents to earn a full ride to college.”

The Stamps Scholars Program awards scholarships based on academic excellence, leadership experience and exceptional character. The program awarded 247 scholarships this year to students at 31 partner institutions across the U.S. and the United Kingdom.

The new class brings the number of Stamps Scholars at Ole Miss to 58, making the university the second-largest in the program.

At UM, each scholarship covers the full cost of attendance, along with a $12,000 stipend for enrichment activities such as study abroad, academic conferences and leadership training.

A sociology major, Mitchell is from Prosper, Texas. Her parents are originally from the Bahamas.

“My parents arrived in the U.S. when they were very young, and I wanted to honor them by finding a way to put myself through college,” she says. “This scholarship is helping me do that and work toward my goal of traveling to all seven continents.”

The complete roster of freshman UM Stamps Scholars is: • Amber Amis, an economics major from Clinton 10

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• Layla Ashley, a public policy leadership major from Chicago • Olivia Bacon, an English major from Atlanta • McKenzie Cox, a journalism major from Concord, North Carolina • Carolena Graham, a civil engineering major from Columbus • Mary Jansen, a mechanical engineering major from Brandon • Ryleigh Johnson, an international studies major from Olive Branch • Dymond Mitchell, a sociology major from Prosper, Texas • A ndrew Nichols, a public policy leadership major from Monroe, North Carolina • E than Roberts, an engineering major from Paducah, Kentucky • Jasmine Sanders, a biochemistry major from Prosper, Texas • Hayden Walker, a public policy leadership and engineering major from Oxford • Yasmine Ware, an international studies major from Madison Georgia native Roe Stamps and his late wife, Penny, launched the Stamps Scholarship in 2006. Though Penny Stamps died in 2018, her legacy continues through the Stamps Scholars community, which has grown into an international network of more than 2,600 scholars and alumni.

from the Circle

Planting a Better Future NEW UM BIOLOGY CHAIR AIMS TO LIFT PROGRAM TO NEW HEIGHTS

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ixue Chen, an accomplished biological researcher and Another concern related to modern agricultural practices is new chair of the Department of Biology at the Univer- the effects of hazardous chemicals used for farming, Chen says. sity of Mississippi, plans to use agricultural research Some of these products increase the likelihood of cancer, as and outreach to elevate the program nationally. carcinogens, in humans who consume the produce or His research is motivated by his childhood otherwise encounter the pesticides or herbicides. experience of growing up on a farm, but This is a major concern as cancer is the paradoxically, having little to eat. Chen nation’s No. 2 killer, behind heart disease. believes that studying subjects such as Although he only recently joined the the function of microscopic pores on Ole Miss faculty, Chen already has a plant leaf surfaces can reveal ways to passion for helping the community and improve agricultural practices and state — chiefly focusing on the future water conservation. generation of scholars.

This approach could help to combat “We are a flagship university, so how both world hunger and the imminent do we help our citizens out of poverty?” freshwater crisis as the climate becomes he says. “If we encourage childhood more arid and less conducive to current education — make the kids excited to learn agricultural methods. science and pursue education — I think that “One way to help stop food insecurity is to make is one way to get out of poverty. I was a really plants more stress resilient,” he says. “After we domestipoor kid growing up; at that time the only way to get Sixue Chen cated the agriculture crops, farmers give these plants tons out of poverty was education.” of water, which takes up 70% of our fresh water resources.

Chen hopes to propagate a community of diverse, sci“They don’t consider making plants more drought-tolerant ence-loving scholars at the university. because they assume there will always be plenty of water, but “Connections are important; social and academic events to that is not the case anymore. Around the world, countries are bring people together provide more and more opportunities experiencing drought conditions, so my lab wants to make — not just for the people, but potentially for the whole world,” plants use water more efficiently, like cacti.” he says.

POZEN GIFT MAKING AN IMPACT

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enaz Worthem (BSCS 06), of Oxford, is the 2022 recipient of the Pozen Scholarship at the University of Mississippi.

The award, established through the Robert C. Pozen Scholarship MBA Diversity Fund, provides full tuition for a student from Mississippi who is pursuing a Master of Business Administration.

“Last year, Mr. Pozen generously gave a gift to the School of Business to set up the Robert C. Pozen Scholarship Diversity Fund to build diversity in our MBA program and build leaders for the betterment of our community,” says Ashley McGee, director of MBA programs. “Kenaz is a hardworking, successful and professional leader who is actively involved in the community. He values his faith, his family and his purpose.”

The Pozen Scholars were established

in spring 2021 through a gift made by Bob Pozen, of Boston, who also made similar gifts to the universities of Alabama and Florida.

In spring 2022, the Pozen Scholars expanded to three additional Southeastern Conference schools: Louisiana State University and the universities of Georgia and South Carolina.

“I am proud that Ole Miss is developing such a high-quality cadre of local scholars,” Pozen says. “The initial success of the program has led me to expand it to other SEC schools.”

Worthem, who is enrolled in the online program, graduated from UM with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and works as an IT professional.

“The chance at a new opportunity towards

Kenaz Worthem

entrepreneurship is what motivates me,” he says. “I have always desired to own my own businesses and to work for myself. I am more of a free spirit and full of new ideas.”

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from the Circle

The Cytoskeleton and You UM PROFESSOR USES GRANT TO STUDY MOLECULAR MECHANISMS

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ikki Reinemann (BS 13), assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Mississippi, wants to understand the molecular mechanisms that sustain life. The National Institutes of Health has granted her almost $1.5 million so she can devote most of her research time to this pioneering field.

Reinemann received the Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award, or MIRA, from the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences. This institute supports basic research to increase understanding of biological processes and lays the foundation for advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

This is the first time an Ole Miss faculty member has received a MIRA grant, or R35, from the NIH. And it’s only the second MIRA award granted to a Mississippi researcher.

“I am grateful for receiving this award from the NIH,” Reinemann says. “It’s such an honor, and it’ll allow me to focus my research in the exciting field of molecular biomechanics.”

Nikki Reinemann, UM assistant professor of biomedical engineering, prepares the optical trap for an experiment in her lab. | Submitted photo 12

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Dwight Waddell, chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, concurs.

“Dr. Reinemann brings her enthusiasm and intellect to this challenging area,” he said. “And, she serves as a wonderful mentor for up-and-coming researchers in our undergraduate program.”

In graduate school, Reinemann researched how single motor proteins work.

Now, she is trying to understand how they work and communicate in groups. It is becoming increasingly recognized that when multiple proteins work together, their team dynamics may not necessarily be the sum of their individual properties.

“With a building, you’ll always get the same result if you use the same blueprint, nails, beams and other materials,” Reinemann explains. “With the human body, emergent mechanics are at play because the ‘nails’ and ‘beams’ have a dynamic nature — allowing it to adapt in order to stay alive.

“This originates at the molecular level and works its way up in scale to drive actions such as muscles contracting or cells dividing.”

For her NIH-funded research, she’ll develop and optimize experimental models of protein structural hierarchies, specifically with cytoskeletal proteins. Cytoskeletal proteins not only provide support, strength and rigidity to a cell, but also allow the cell to move and divide to stay alive.

She wants to measure the impact of changing parameters within the structure — the number, concentration or mix of proteins, for example. She can then study these protein building blocks piece by piece to understand the origin of these emergent mechanics.

This research could be a foundation for developing tools to combat cytoskeletal diseases such as cancer and heart disease.

For this work, she will use a highly sensitive instrument known as an optical trap. It incorporates a microscope and laser beam that can manipulate microscopic objects, much like tweezers, and measure movements and forces at a nano level.

The university is one of the very few institutions in the region to have this specialized instrument.

With the stability of multiyear funding, MIRA researchers can tackle ambitious projects, instead of spending time with grant applications. And it also lets them devote more time and energy to mentoring young academics.

Reinemann’s award will allow her to set up a support team with postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students.

“I really appreciate how this award promotes academic research at all levels,” she says. “I hope this will attract high-quality students to the engineering program.”

from the Circle An internship program with tech firm EdgeTheory will provide students with hands-on experience in narrative analytics. Understanding how narratives emerge and evolve is critical for businesses and government, and interns will develop skills to take advantage of the opportunities. | Photo by Kevin Bain

Controlling the Narrative EDGETHEORY EXPANDS INTERNSHIP PROGRAM AT UM

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nline conversations have great power. They can influence our economy, politics, science and culture. They can even win or lose wars.

An internship program at the University of Mississippi will teach students how to identify, understand and leverage these narratives. EdgeTheory, a Ridgeland-based narrative intelligence company, has set up shop at UM’s Insight Park to offer the program to students in all majors.

“We’re committed to providing our students with extraordinary experiences and opportunities that build upon their foundation of learning,” Chancellor Glenn Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) says. “The expansion of EdgeTheory’s internship program is a tremendous example of that commitment.”

EdgeTheory uses artificial intelligence-powered technology to help its customers analyze how conversations on websites, social media, blogs and other online channels become narratives, how those narratives evolve, and how they create both challenges and opportunities. Its clients range from large corporations such as the Mayo Clinic to government agencies.

“Narratives can be a company’s greatest asset or greatest liability,” says Joe Stradinger, CEO of EdgeTheory. “Understanding how to own these conversations and strategically connect them to a brand is so important.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to give Ole Miss students hands-on experience with our systems and research methods and help them connect all that they learn to their field of study.”

The company first offered internships last year to students in the UM Center for Intelligence and Security Studies and is expanding the program.

Josh Gladden, vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs, is impressed with the scope of the program.

“The interesting thing about the work that they are doing in narrative intelligence and analytics is that it’s not just the computer science students they are interested in,” he says. “They are interested in history, political science, journalism, psychology, linguistics and literature — people that understand how narratives are built and what causes them to resonate.”

Stradinger says the program’s top priority is to increase the students’ value to prospective employers.

“These students will be a lot more valuable to an employer if they understand how narratives work,” he says. “We want our interns to be more attractive to the marketplace.

“They are going to get real-world experience, and we plan to help them build a strong portfolio that they can include on their resume.”

Stradinger, who has two children attending Ole Miss, says that the university was the obvious choice for EdgeTheory’s internship program.

“I built my company on the art of conversations,” he says.

“Mississippi is the home of narratives and storytelling; that is our gift. There is no better place in my mind to have a robust internship program.”

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from the Circle

Aspirin Aspirations NEW GUIDELINES SUGGEST YOU MAY NEED TO THINK TWICE ABOUT TAKING DAILY DOSE

I

f you’re thinking about starting a daily regimen of aspirin to prevent something that never happened to you before, you may need to reconsider.

In 2022, a change emerged regarding guidance about using aspirin to ward off conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says people over the age of 60 without a history of heart disease should not start taking daily, low-dose aspirin to prevent cardiovascular events such as stroke or heart attacks.

“Recent, large randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that older individuals without cardiovascular disease do not benefit from daily aspirin,” says Dr. Donald “Trey” Clark (BA 06, MD 10), associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

“These trials show that daily aspirin does not reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and increases the risk of bleeding events in this population.”

It is important to stress that the task force guidelines address only whether someone should start taking daily aspi-

Donald ‘Trey’ Clark

Lyssa Weatherly

disease — plaque buildup in the walls of the arteries — and peripheral vascular disease — plaque buildup in the arteries of the legs or arms. A history of stent placement also applies.

Heart disease caused one out of every five deaths in the U.S. in 2020; it was fatal for about 697,000 people, making it the leading cause of death, the Centers for Disease Control and

specialized CT scan of the heart, helps doctors discover and measure the presence of calcium plaque in the arteries; this plaque can hinder blood flow to the heart. The scan enables physicians to detect possible coronary artery disease before symptoms show up.

Weatherly has used the test on her patients, most of whom are older. If the score is high enough — any score above zero is not good news, she says — she will put them on aspirin and statins.

Statins are drugs used to lower LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, and raise the “good,” or HDL, cholesterol. For her patients ages 60 to mid-70s, they can completely replace aspirin as a treatment for primary prevention of heart attack or stroke, Weatherly says.

There are other ways to stop it before it starts, and they don’t come in an Rx bottle.

“A healthy lifestyle including regular exercise, a heart healthy diet, weight management and smoking cessation remains the cornerstone of cardiovascular disease prevention,” Clark says.

To sum up: Don’t stop taking aspirin if you’ve had a stent or a previous heart attack or stroke; for adults 60 and older with no heart disease, don’t start.

‘Recent, large randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that older individuals without cardiovascular disease do not benefit from daily aspirin.’ — DONALD ‘TREY’ CLARK rin, not whether people should continue it, says Dr. Lyssa Weatherly (MD 12), associate professor of medicine in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at UMMC. Clark says it can be lifesaving when it comes to other types of cardiovascular complaints, such as coronary artery 14

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Prevention reports.

It is so life-threatening that the task force made a separate recommendation for adults ages 40 to 59: If you have a high risk for heart disease, speak with your doctor about starting daily aspirin: Does the benefit outweigh the risk?

T h e c oron ar y c a l c iu m s c an , a

from the Circle

Now Hear This WHEN CONSIDERING OVER-THE-COUNTER HEARING AIDS, BE AN INFORMED CONSUMER

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hen it comes to using a hearing aid, experts at the University of Mississippi Medical Center have a common goal: The device should provide the optimal benefit and be accessible to those in need.

It’s important to know how much hearing you’ve lost. It’s a necessary consideration in light of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s action that made hearing aids available over the counter effective Oct. 17, 2022, to those with mild to moderate hearing loss, with no prescription or trip to a provider required.

“Knowledge of your hearing loss is going to create the greatest outcome in improving your ability to hear,” says Victoria Gonzalez, UMMC associate professor and chief of the Division of Audiology.

Just b e c aus e over-t he-counter hearing aids don’t require a prescription doesn’t mean that people can’t get their hearing tested by a licensed audiologist before a purchase.

“We often see people who think they have a mild degree of impairment,” says Mary Frances Johnson, an associate professor and director of clinic operations for the Division of Audiology. “Once we complete testing, we discover they have a more severe degree of hearing loss than they perceived.

“They might purchase something over the counter that can’t meet their hearing needs, and they invested that money for a device that isn’t appropriate for their hearing loss,” Johnson says.

“That could create a negative experience: ‘I tried it, and it doesn’t work.’ We don’t want that to happen.”

Victoria Gonzalez

Mary Frances Johnson

Tradit iona l ly, t he hig h cost of hearing aids has discouraged millions of Americans from pursuing them.

The devices are generally not covered by insurance or Medicare, and covered by Medicaid only in individuals under 21.

It’s important to distinguish that not everyone’s hearing struggle is the same from environment to environment, Gonzalez says.

Audiologists and other medical practitioners aren’t against over-the-counter hearing aids, Gonzalez and Johnson say.

They do, however, want consumers to arm themselves with information, ranging from what their true hearing loss is to the cost of an OTC device versus one purchased at a medical practice.

“One of the original ideas with OTC hearing aids was to give people more options,” Johnson says. “But there is some misunderstanding about price points. If you purchase something for $300, you can expect it to work at a more basic level.”

In the clinic of Johnson and Gonzalez, housed in the Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, prescription hearing aids range from $1,100 to $5,200 per pair.

“If you purchase a hearing aid at a store, there’s no professional to adjust it for you. They are considered self-fitting,” Johnson says. “You can sometimes use an app on your phone, but it could lead to someone over-amplifying or under-amplifying for hearing loss.”

Audiologists at UMMC perform thousands of hearing tests, a procedure that’s quick and not invasive, and generally covered by insurance.

“We put (patients) in a sound booth where we test the lowest sound that they can hear,” Gonzalez says. “We’re able to provide them with information on where they have challenges, and we can provide recommendations for OTC hearing aids or assisted hearing devices.”

Consumers should consider their specific symptoms when they seek help for hearing loss, Johnson and Gonzalez say.

“When the audiologist is removed from the diagnostic process, ear conditions that require medical attention can be missed,” Johnson says. “If a difference in hearing between ears is obvious, or you have symptoms like pain or drainage from an ear, see a physician or audiologist before proceeding with an OTC purchase.”

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from the Circle

Clues to a Nation’s Stability UM RESEARCHER LEADS STUDY OF HOW LEADERS RESPOND TO CRISES

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nderstanding how elected leaders respond to crisis sit- understanding how severe periods of disruption and unceruations, and how voters judge them for their responses, tainty caused by pandemics, natural disasters, violence or can provide clues to a nation’s political stability and the economic crisis affect political support for leaders.” accountability of its leaders. That’s the goal of a study headed This includes collecting more than one million newspaper by a University of Mississippi researcher, with support articles from around the world and analyzing how from the National Science Foundation. crisis coverage may have influenced voting UM political science professor Gregory outcomes.

Love, the project’s principal investigator, is “We’ve been collecting over 70,000 working with colleagues at Georgia State public opinion polls from across the University, Indiana University and the globe to understand how citizens universities of Connecticut and North evaluate their leaders,” he says. “The Carolina. grant will allow us to hire research “When a country enters into a crisis, assistants to continue and expand this we often view it as a unique and rare data collection effort.” period of time,” Love says. “But crises are Another key part of the work being actually pretty normal. In the U.S. alone, done at Ole Miss is conducting surveys in in the past 20 years, we have seen major five countries: Mexico, France, Italy, Brazil security crises, natural disasters, financial and the United States. crises and now a major public health crisis.

Love has an established record of strong “In many ways, for national governments, crises accomplishments in his research, says John Bruce, Gregory Love are not special; they are an everyday occurrence.”

UM professor and chair of the Department of PolitWhile crises may be fairly common, they are also very dif- ical Science. ferent in their causes, consequences and how leaders approach “This project is the next piece of that record,” Bruce says. mitigating their effects, he says. The project’s central goal is to The study, “Varieties of Crises, Elite Responses and Execunderstand which aspects of crises shape support for political utive Approval,” runs through June 30, 2024. It is funded by leaders and the stability of governments. the NSF’s Accountable Institutions and Behavior program “The project aims to understand when citizens reward or and the Build and Broaden program, which is designed to punish their democratically elected leaders for the causes and increase research capacities at minority-serving institutions consequences of different types of crises,” Love says. “This and expand research links between such institutions and other project moves beyond our current public health crisis to research universities.

UM’S LARGEST-EVER FRESHMAN CLASS POWERS ENROLLMENT GROWTH

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rawn by robust academic programs, outstanding value and dedication to its students, 22,967 students enrolled across the University of Mississippi’s seven campuses for fall 2022.

Powered by a freshman class of 4,480, the largest in university history, total enrollment is up 5%, or 1,111 students, over 2021.

“Students and families across Mississippi and around the country are coming to Oxford in record numbers for the academic excellence, vibrant campus experience and life-changing opportunities that we offer,” Chancellor Glenn Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) says. “This year’s freshman class is not only the largest in university history, but also among our most accomplished.”

The university’s gains in total enrollment over each of the past two years defy a national trend of declining enrollment. The National Student Clearinghouse reports that enrollment nationally declined 1.1% compared to fall 2021, and that it has declined a total of 3.2% since 16

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fall 2020. By comparison, UM enrollment increased 6% since fall 2020.

UM is well-known for offering one of the most competitive tuition rates in the country. The university was recognized in September by U.S. News & World Report as a “Best Value School,” which takes into account a school’s academic quality compared to its cost of attendance.

Along with providing affordable tuition and extensive financial aid, the university has increased its recruitment efforts to attract new students. Created in 2021, the Division of Enrollment Management brought the offices of Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid into one team to boost UM’s overall enrollment strategy.

“This year’s freshman class and transfers reflect a total campus community and alumni effort,” says Eduardo Prieto, vice chancellor for enrollment management. “I am appreciative of the great job done by our enrollment management division, which includes an outstanding team of admissions and financial aid professionals.”

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from the Circle

Panelists discuss economic opportunities and challenges for the state during the second annual Mississippi Competes Vision Session at the university. The session examined technology trends, business innovations and the state’s potential to take advantage of a hightech economy. | Photo by Kevin Bain

Time to Move Forward BUILDING A MORE COMPETITIVE MISSISSIPPI

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ississippi has the ingredients it needs to thrive in a high-tech economy, but the state’s leaders must embrace technology to ensure success, business and policy leaders agreed in November at the University of Mississippi. More than 60 leaders gathered at Ole Miss for the second annual Mississippi Competes Vision Session, a conference that aims to bolster the state’s economic competitiveness.

“The economy of yesterday is not the economy of tomorrow,” said Bill Cook, venture partner at Columbia Capital and president of Cook Consulting LLC. “This session is a forum that (focuses) on embracing new and emerging technologies and learning how to create a vibrant ecosystem that can advance the state’s economy.”

Cook pioneered the conference in 2021 as a way to showcase opportunities for advancement and to bring the heads of government, education and industry into one space.

Among the 10 panelists were digital infrastructure industry executives, successful entrepreneurs, defense contractors and leaders in autonomous transportation. Guests also included U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (BA 73, JD 75), Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson (BBA 00, JD 03), state Rep. Clay Deweese (BBA 04) and state Sen. Nicole Boyd (JD 94).

The panels focused on how to create an ecosystem of accessibility and success for startup companies and entrepreneurs and the importance of autonomous transportation, both by land and by sea. Creating this ecosystem begins with policy surrounding the issues and continues with local and regional buy-in, panelists said.

The point of the session was not just to talk about opportunities, but to expose participants to new technology trends 18

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and innovative thoughts based on panelists’ experiences, and give attendees specific assignments to create opportunities for Mississippi, Cook said.

The university is working to help develop the workforce and technology needed to capitalize, UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce (BAEd 81, EdD 96) said.

Panelists said the state is uniquely poised for opportunity, being between two major internet and autonomous vehicle hubs — Dallas and Atlanta — and having significant fiber optic communications infrastructure throughout the state. Panelist Sean Baillie, digital infrastructure executive, said that success in the world of data infrastructure requires four things: “land, power, water and fiber.”

Mississippi has those assets, panelists agreed. It just needs someone to act.

Throughout the panel, Cook often redirected focus to how the university can prepare students for entering the “economy of tomorrow” by providing hands-on training in robotics and by partnering with data center industries and cloud companies, both of which, speakers said, are experiencing exponential growth.

Boyce highlighted the university’s recent growth, including a 5.1% overall enrollment increase over 2021 and the university reaching an all-time high retention rate of 89.3%. The chancellor lauded student achievements, such as the recent naming of two Truman Scholars, six Fulbright Scholars and three Goldwater Scholars.

“Why do I tell you all this?” he said. “Because we’re building a labor force and I want you to understand the quality of the labor force coming out of this university.”

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Calendar FEBRUARY

Through April 8 Exhibit: “Gathering: Works by Earl Dismuke.” Dismuke, a Mississippi native, is an abstract expressionist sculptor who gathers and assembles discarded material, mostly metal. This is his first solo exhibit. UM Museum. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

Through April 15 Exhibit: “Self-Taught Portraits.” The selected works in this exhibit share the diversity of portraiture.

UM Museum. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

Through July 8 Exhibit: “The Fall of 1962.” The images, personal accounts and artifacts in this exhibit exemplify the infamous and deadly Ole Miss riot, a final segregationist opposition to Meredith’s yearlong battle for admission.

UM Museum. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

Through Aug. 26 Exhibit: “Blurred Lines.” This exhibit features works from the W. Forrest and Joan Stevens Collection, including Andy Warhol,

Pablo Picasso and Alexander Calder, that disrupted the status quo in art, from modernism into the postmodernism movement. UM Museum.

Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

13

5

15

Women’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs.

Florida. The SJB Pavilion, 3 p.m.

Visit olemisssports.com.

5

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Tulane.

Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.

Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

9

Chemistry Seminar Series: Featuring professor Andrew Wilson. Coulter Hall, 4 p.m. Visit libarts.olemiss.edu.

Performance: Step Afrika! Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities.

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

Visit olemissboxoffice.com.

Art Talks: Ellen Lupton: typographer, graphic designer, author and curator at the Cooper Hewitt/Smithsonian Design Museum. Zoom event, 5 p.m. Register at libarts.olemiss.edu.

17

Tailgate: Club Leadership Summit Opening Day Tailgate.

Left field of Swayze, 1-4 p.m. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

11

17-18

11

17-19

13

17-26

Women’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs.

Belmont. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, 1 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Men’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs.

South Carolina. The SJB Pavilion, noon. Visit olemisssports.com.

Women’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. Kentucky. The SJB Pavilion, 6 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Club Leadership Summit: Various locations and times. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Delaware. Oxford-University Stadium, 4 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Performance: Polaroid Stories presented by the Department of Theatre and Film. Polaroid Stories is a blend of classical mythology

Ole Miss Men’s Basketball vs. Mississippi State FEB. 18

Photo by Robert Jordan

20

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Calendar

28

Performance: “R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – A Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin.” Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Visit olemissboxoffice.com.

28

RMI Spring Career Fair: Paul B. Johnson Commons, 10 a.m.noon. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

28

Men’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs.

Texas A&M. The SJB Pavilion, 8 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

‘R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – A Celebration of the Music of Aretha Franklin’

28

-March 1 Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Louisiana Tech. Oxford-University Stadium, 4 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

FEB. 28

Photo courtesy of the Ford Center

MARCH

23

2

18

24

3

18

24

18

24-26

and real-life stories that conveys a whirlwind of psychic disturbance, confusion and longing. Meek Auditorium. Various times. Visit libarts.olemiss.edu.

2023 Club Leadership Summit: The Inn at Ole Miss, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

Men’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs.

Mississippi State. The SJB Pavilion, 2:30 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

M-Club: Men’s Basketball Alumni Reunion. Various times and locations. Email jessica@olemissalumni.com.

19

Women’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. South Carolina. The SJB Pavilion, 3 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

20

Lecture: 2023 UM Mississippi Humanities Council Teacher of the Year Lecture. “The Mentor as Cartographer: Seeing Harold Fisk’s Meander Maps as Metaphor” by Beth Spencer.

Barnard Observatory, Tupelo Room 105, 6 p.m. Visit libarts.olemiss.edu.

21

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas State. Oxford-University Stadium, 4 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Women’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs. Missouri. The SJB Pavilion, 6 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs.

Alabama State. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Women’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs.

Kennesaw State. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Maryland. OxfordUniversity Stadium, 4 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

25

Men’s Basketball: Ole Miss vs.

LSU. The SJB Pavilion, 7:30 p.m.

Visit olemisssports.com.

25

Performance: Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group. Lyle Lovett and his group fuse elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers. Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Visit olemissboxoffice.com.

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. St. John’s.

Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.

Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Women’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, 3 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

3

Softball: Ole Miss vs. Mount St. Mary’s. Ole Miss Softball Complex, 6 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

3

First Friday Free Sketch Day: Free sketch session for all skill levels. UM Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (drop-in).

Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

3-4

Softball: Ole Miss vs. Missouri State. Ole Miss Softball Complex, 3:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Visit olemisssports.com.

4

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, 1 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

4

Gala: Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College 25th Anniversary Silver Gala. The Inn at Ole Miss, Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom, 6 p.m.

Contact scott@olemissalumni.com and pleeton@olemiss.edu.

W I N T E R 2023

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Calendar

Ole Miss Baseball vs. Southern Miss MARCH 7

Photo by Joshua McCoy

March events, continued

4-5

Softball: Ole Miss vs. SEMO. Ole Miss Softball Complex, 6 p.m. Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Sunday. Visit olemisssports.com.

9

Chemistry Seminar Series: Featuring professor Daniel Tabor (Texas A&M). Coulter Hall 211, 4 p.m. Visit libarts.olemiss.edu.

22-23

5

10-12

24

5

16

5

24

17-18

Women’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Kentucky. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, 1 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Softball: Ole Miss vs. Mount St. Mary’s. Ole Miss Softball Complex, 3 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Nebraska.

Oxford-University Stadium, 2 p.m.

Visit olemisssports.com.

6

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Belmont.

Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.

Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

7

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Southern Miss. Oxford-University Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

7

Performance: Aizuri String Quartet.

Praised by the Washington Post for “astounding” and “captivating” performances that draw from its notable “meld of intellect, technique and emotions.” Gertrude C. Ford Center, 7:30 p.m. Visit olemissboxoffice.com.

22

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Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Purdue. OxfordUniversity Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Florida.

Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.

Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Softball: Ole Miss vs.

Samford. Ole Miss Softball Complex, 3:30 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m.

Saturday. Visit olemisssports.com.

17-18

Softball: Ole Miss vs.

Purdue. Ole Miss Softball Complex, 6 p.m. Friday, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday. Visit olemisssports.com.

19

Softball: Ole Miss vs. St. Thomas.

Ole Miss Softball Complex, 11 a.m.

Visit olemisssports.com.

21

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff. Oxford-University Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

RMI 2023 Insurance Symposium: The Inn at Ole Miss. Various times. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

40 Under 40 Class of 2023 Ceremony and Celebration: The Inn at Ole Miss Ballroom, 4:30 p.m. Contact sunny@olemissalumni.com for more information.

Women’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs.

South Carolina. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

24-25

Law Weekend: All alumni and friends of the law school are invited back to campus for a weekend of fun, food and networking. The 2023 class of Law Alumni Hall of Fame recipients will be inducted. Various times and locations.

Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

24-26

Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Florida. OxfordUniversity Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

24-26

Softball: Ole Miss vs. LSU. Ole Miss Softball Complex. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Calendar

25

4

16

25

6-8

21

Young Alumni: Crawfish Boil.

Behind left field at Swayze, noon-2 p.m. Contact sunny@olemissalumni.com for more information.

Gala: Gertrude C. Ford Center 20th Anniversary Gala featuring Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. The gala evening will honor Sam and Mary Haskell with the prestigious Concerto Award, presented by the Ford Center, for their extraordinary patronage of the center and the arts.

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

Visit olemissboxoffice.com.

26

Women’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Florida. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Softball: Ole Miss vs. UT Martin.

Ole Miss Softball Complex, 6 p.m.

Visit olemisssports.com.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Arkansas. Oxford-University Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday. Visit olemisssports.com.

Women’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Georgia. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Alabama.

Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, 3 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

School of Accountancy: Alumni Board Meeting and Reception. Meeting in Griffin Boardroom, 2-5 p.m. Reception in Chancellor’s Room, 5-7:30 p.m. Email marykate@olemissalumni.com or mphelps@olemiss.edu.

7

21-23

7-9

21-23

7

First Friday Free Sketch Day: Free sketch session for all skill levels. UM Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (drop-in).

Visit museum.olemiss.edu.

Softball: Ole Miss vs. Kentucky.

Ole Miss Softball Complex.

Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Performance: “Little Shop of Horrors.” Presented by the Department of Theatre and Film. Meek Auditorium. Various times. Visit libarts.olemiss.edu.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. LSU. OxfordUniversity Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Visit olemisssports.com.

28

9

28

11

21-23

31

12

27-29

31

Softball: Ole Miss vs. Louisiana Tech. Ole Miss Softball Complex, 6 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

12

28-30

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Southern Miss. Oxford-University Stadium, 6 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Softball: Ole Miss vs. Memphis.

Ole Miss Softball Complex, 6 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. South Carolina. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, 4 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

-April 1 Pharmacy Weekend: Various locations and times. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

APRIL

1

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Memphis.

Oxford-University Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs. Alcorn State. Oxford-University Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

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Women’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. Tennessee. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Buie Babies: Pop Art Baby. Families with babies and toddlers, join the UM Museum and Kindermusik with Jeanne & Friends for our museum stroller tour and music session. UM Museum, 10 a.m.-noon. Visit museum. olemiss.edu.

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Golf: MBA Classic. Two-man scramble. Country Club of Oxford, 9 a.m. Email pduke@bus.olemiss.edu.

Men’s Tennis: Ole Miss vs. LSU. Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, 1 p.m. Visit olemisssports.com.

School of Applied Sciences: Alumni Chapter board meeting.

Restricted to board members. Call 662-915-7375.

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Softball: Ole Miss vs.

Texas A&M. Ole Miss Softball Complex. Time TBA. Visit olemisssports.com.

Accountancy Weekend: Various times and locations. Visit olemissalumni.com/events.

Baseball: Ole Miss vs.

Georgia. OxfordUniversity Stadium, 6:30 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Sunday. Visit olemisssports.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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M-Club: Spring Weekend.

Various times and locations. Email jessica@olemissalumni.com.

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Two Decades of Arts Ford Center for the Performing Arts celebrates 20th anniversary

By Dana Engelbert

2 0TH ANNIVER S AR Y

2004 | B. B. King concert | Photo by Kevin Bain

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2005 | Nancy Van de Vate concert | Photo by Nathan Latil

2006 | Spike Lee talk | Photo by Nathan Latil

and Entertainment

Photo by Nathan Latil

2007 | Michael Feldman's ‘Whad’Ya Know?’ radio show | Photo by Nathan Latil

2008 | Presidential Debate | Photo by Robert Jordan

2009 | India Night | Photo by Nathan Latil

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he Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Mississippi celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with a diverse slate of performances, an expanded offering for area schoolchildren, a book and a spring gala featuring Mississippi celebrities and friends.

“The Ford Center is more than a building,” says Julia Aubrey, the center’s director. “Its mission and strategic planning are dedicated to stretching and exploring how the Ford Center can best serve the arts and its community.”

Julia Aubrey | Photo by Robert Jordan

The center’s goal is to “enrich the intellectual and cultural environment of the University of Mississippi and the region,” per its mission through programming, community engagement and student opportunities, Aubrey says.

Diverse programming The 2023 spring season showcases a broad range of theatrical, musical and dance performances and will culminate with a celebratory gala.

Among the events, Lyle Lovett and his Acoustical Group performs Feb. 25; the tribute concert “R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – A

2011 | Annual gingerbread house display | Photo by Robert Jordan

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Celebration of Aretha Franklin” plays on Feb. 28; and the performance season wraps up with “The Pirates of Penzance” from the Gilbert & Sullivan Players on March 30.

A star-studded 20th anniversary gala, hosted by Oscar winner Morgan Freeman, will feature eight-time Grammy winners Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., who will perform songs from “Blackbird, Lennon-McCartney Icons” and hits from The Fifth Dimension.

Sam (BA 77) and Mary Haskell (BM 81) will be honored with the Ford Center’s Concerto Award for their exceptional patronage. Besides their generous support of the center, the alumni couple were instrumental in planning its opening gala and are coordinating the anniversary celebration.

“My husband, Sam, and I are honored and humbled to be receiving the 2023 Ford Center Concerto Award, and to have it coincide with the 20th anniversary gala celebration is just so very special,” Mary Haskell says.

“Sam produced the opening gala in 2003, and I performed as a part of that evening’s celebration, so for us to invite friends from both New York and Los Angeles to join us for this 20th anniversary event is really exciting!”

Community engagement “An important focus is for the Ford Center to incubate and be a producer of arts events,” Aubrey says. “We seek collaborations with other units on campus and in the community.”

The center has expanded the Youth Theatre Music Workshop and family-friendly events.

The Daytime School Series is part of its work to culturally engage the community. The center hosted more than a thousand children for each school performance before the COVID-19 pandemic, Aubrey says. In 2023, the center will host four different shows that appeal to children from pre-K through sixth grade.

2012 | Sam and Mary Haskell Theatre dedication | Photo by Robert Jordan

2016 | Annual Parade of Beauties | Photo by Thomas Graning

Shows in the series are “Grace for President” on Jan. 25; “The Lightning Thief ” on Feb. 2; “Disney’s Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation” on Feb. 8; and “Llama, Llama Live” on March 21.

“The Ford Center hosts over 150 events per year beyond the touring shows featured in our annual season,” Aubrey says.

“This includes arts-focused events such as university ensemble performances, pageants, lectures and special events.”

One of those special events turned global eyes on Oxford.

After being open only five years, the Ford Center hosted the 2008 presidential debate between Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama.

Faculty, staff and students from across campus, along with community leaders, planned the event for months. Community and school events peppered the center’s calendar in weeks leading up to the debate on Sept. 26, 2008.

Journalists and political pundits from around the world gathered in Oxford and on the Ole Miss campus in days leading up to the event, and the debate stands as one of the marquee events hosted at the center.

Media and staff prepare for the first presidential debate of 2008 held at the Ford Center on Sept. 26. | Photo by Robert Jordan

2017 | Body Traffic Dance Co. residency | Photo by Kevin Bain

Student opportunities Besides bringing great performances to campus, the Ford Center serves as a professional learning opportunity for students.

The center offers chances for Ole Miss students to gain valuable professional experience in stagecraft and performing arts management, says Kate Meacham, its assistant director of marketing.

“Several students who worked here went on to professional roles in production or arts management, including many who have been with the Ford Center throughout the years,” she says.

One of those students, Jason Patrick Hudson (BUS 18), is now managing director of the Coliseum Theatre and founder of the Mississippi Repertor y Theatre in Corinth.

While an Ole Miss student, Huds on was responsible for rigging many productions for the UM Department of Theatre and Film and became familiar with the Ford Center staff, equipment and resources.

“I got comfor table with the place and with Jason Patrick Hudson the people,” he says.

As a student worker at the Ford Center, Hudson helped stage many productions, including 20 national touring shows. He says he had the chance to meet famous people such as singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash, filmmaker John Waters, and Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Antonin Scalia.

“I learned how a theatre works at the Ford Center,” he says. “The term ‘student worker’ never came up. I was an employee.”

2018 | TEDx event | Photo by Kevin Bain

2019 | Fellowship Ball | Photo by Kevin Bain

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Whitley O’Neal (BA 12) says she wanted to be part of the Ford Center after watching the 2008 presidential debate hosted there. She successfully applied for a job as general stage manager and stayed on after graduation. She is still there as a performing arts technician.

O’Neal is responsible for lighting, which varies by production. For larger productions, she is the liaison between the center and the production company’s lighting team. She makes sure lighting teams can connect to power and the network and helps them hoist their lighting grid above the stage.

“Because I don’t work backstage, I get to sit and watch the show,” O’Neal says. “Getting to see all the work from the day — it’s magic.”

Student performers also gain experience working with a professional crew and facility during recitals and other performances. Throughout the year, students may also participate in master Whitley O’Neal classes hosted by visiting performers and crew.

“The university put the Ford Center here to engage students and the community in a number of ways,” Meacham says. “We look forward to continuing that mission.”

The future Ford Center staff looks forward to a future that continues to bring the campus and community together through arts and entertainment.

Updates have been made to lighting and technical operations inside the theater to keep it competitive. Seating changes have been made to the center’s Mary Ann Mobley/ Gary E. Collins Studio Theatre, and collaborators are being

2021 | Youth Music Theatre Workshop | Photo by Kevin Bain

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Whitley O’Neal (third from left) and her Ford Center colleagues pose with singer-songwriter Dolly Parton who performed for a limited audience in fall 2022. | Submitted photo

encouraged to use it for musical and theatrical events.

Staff members continue to seek out programming that both reflects and inspires the community.

“I encourage individuals, especially students, to take advantage of all that is offered by the Ford Center,” Aubrey says. “There are artists that one would pay high ticket prices to see, right here in Oxford for a fraction of the cost.

“Even though you might not think you are a fan of a particular genre, by taking a chance and attending the performance, you might find you have been missing out.”

The center’s staff has been reviewing its history in preparation for what lies ahead. As part of the anniversary celebration, a book of the center’s history will be unveiled during the gala on March 25. The book, edited by Aubrey, is titled 20 Years of History, Stories and Performances: Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

“I discover every day something new and interesting how the Ford Center began with an innovative vision and is now established as a ‘beacon’ for the region,” Aubrey says.

“There is so much to celebrate about the Ford Center, it is difficult to pare down the most important aspects. It means many things to many people.”

2022 | ‘Waitress,’ a touring Broadway show | Photo by Logan Kirkland

2022 | Celebrating 60 Years of Integration | Photo by Thomas Graning

La Vie en

Vogue Alumnus lives American dream as part of world’s top fashion magazine

By Annie Rhoades hatting with models during an afternoon of go-sees, conference calling with his teams in Mexico and China and wrapping up the day on the set of a photo shoot are all in a day’s work for alumnus Ignacio Murillo (BAJ 14), global talent casting director for Vogue magazine.

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“It’s funny because people somehow think that [our office] is kind of like the movie [‘The Devil Wears Prada’],” Murillo says. “Vogue recently did a TikTok of [the office staff] and randomly asked us things like who has the best style in the office?

A lot of the comments people left were based on [the movie] saying that we have horrible style, or the office is white and boring. It’s so funny how everyone perceives that it’s like [the movie].”

While Murillo’s days are filled with highly coveted couture and celebrity

encounters, the first few months of his life in New York City were not quite so glamorous.

“I moved here on July 4, 2014, with two lovely suitcases and $400,” he recalls. “I had a lovely friend that let me crash on her couch. I had no job, no plan, no nothing — but I just kind of knew that this is where I wanted to come and give it a shot.”

In arguably one of the world’s most fast-paced, competitive cities, Murillo heard a lot of nos. At times, dealing with repeated rejection was difficult.

Photos courtesy of Ignacio Murillo

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during his freshman year, Murillo quickly learned that medicine was not his forte. He instead turned his attention to the School of Journalism and New Media and found his niche.

“I always had a passion for photography, art and fashion, but I never considered it as a career,” he says. “It was in Journalism 101 that I discovered I could be more than just a writer, so I got really interested in that. That’s what led me to change my major to journalism.”

Murillo photographs the Rebels for Ole Miss Athletics.

“I was trying to find internships and jobs, and at the same time I was working jobs just to earn money so I could keep paying my friend some sort of money so she wouldn’t kick me off of her couch,” Murillo laughs. “It’s very hard to find a job in New York, particularly if you don’t live there already and aren’t available for in-person interviews.

“The first six months were very hard.

It was a struggle trying to decide if I even had enough money to eat. Some days I had enough money to buy a $5 Subway footlong sandwich, and I had to split it into three parts: breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was super challenging, but I just knew I had to try it. I moved with no plans.”

Mississippi bound

An immigrant and first-generation college graduate, Murillo found the stakes were high for him to succeed and make his family proud.

“I was born in Zamora [Michoacán, Mexico], and my family and I moved to Horn Lake when I was 10 years old,” he says. “I’m the first one in my family to go to college. For us it was all about coming to this country and getting this amazing opportunity. I always thought I needed to be a doctor, lawyer or teacher — something that gave you a secure income.”

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Miss and now is working [for Vogue] in NYC. That’s a true American dream, and he’s known he was going to achieve this since childhood.

“There is no limit for Ignacio. I’m just happy I get to witness his rise and enjoy his successes with him for years to come.”

Tweet me

After pounding the pavement and filling out numerous job applications during his first year in New York City, Murillo tried a different approach that he hoped would catch the eye of a VIP in the industry.

“I had my first-ever job interview with Vogue, and I was told no,” he says. “Then I started tweeting Laura Brown who was the executive editor at Harper’s Bazaar [magazine] at the time. She later became the editor-in-chief of InStyle [magazine] and now has her own business.

Murillo smiles with cover subject Taylor Swift.

A memb er of t he C hancel lor’s Leadership Class and photographer for Ole Miss Athletics and The Daily Mississippian, Murillo thrived in his newfound passion.

“I had the most amazing experience being an intern/student worker for the Athletics Office,” he says. “I got to experience a lot of Ole Miss sports in general from a different type of perspective than a fan, which to me was a little more special. I also used to photograph for The Daily Mississippian. Watching games through a camera lens on the field was so memorable.”

Friend and former UM classmate Paul Belsome (BBA 16) counts Murillo as a “top-tier friend” with an incredible work ethic.

“Ignacio’s work ethic is borderline intimidating,” Belsome says. “He was constantly filling his schedule with projects, work and events. His origin story is almost super heroic — born in Mexico, immigrated to Mississippi, goes to Ole

On set with Julia Roberts in California for the Harper’s Bazaar cover shoot

“I started tweeting funny memes at her of how this could be us if I was your intern type of thing, but she was not responding to any of my tweets. I eventually did one that she liked, and she said call my office.”

Those tweets led to a four-monthlong internship with Harper’s Bazaar before landing a permanent gig with the magazine as a photo assistant and later assistant photo editor.

“Ever y year I kept climbing the ranks and getting promoted,” Murillo says. “I eventually became their bookings and visual production director in 2019.”

One of the perks of working for a high-profile fashion magazine is getting to meet a few famous faces along the way.

“When I was at Bazaar, part of my job was to be the vision director, so I oversaw every cover shoot and photo shoot,” Murillo recalls. “I got to meet a

in Vogue

“I basically oversee models for American Vogue and other territories like Vogue Mexico, Latin America and APAC, which is essentially Asia, China, Japan and India,” Murillo says. “My role is global, so I meet with teams in different territories and countries. I also collaborate with photographers and editors.

“Some days I meet a lot of models on go-sees where they come and see me, and I get to meet with them for a few minutes. It’s a packed day of meeting people and models, and my role is finding the models for each photo shoot.”

His initial assignment for the magazine was casting models for Vogue’s first-ever fashion show celebrating its 130th anniversary during New York Fashion Week.

“For the celebration, we did a show called Vogue World,” Murillo says. “I got to cast the runway show and book

Murillo and his favorite artist, Bad Bunny, in Puerto Rico for his last shoot for Harper’s Bazaar

lot of those cover subjects like Taylor Swift, Cardi B, J.Lo, Julia Roberts and Serena Williams.

“But [the best] was Bad Bunny because he’s my favorite artist of all time.

I went to Puerto Rico to be on set for my last photo shoot, which was the cover of Bad Bunny for Bazaar. That was super special all-around for me to close that eight-year chapter in my life with my favorite artist.”

During those eight years, another magazine kept calling.

“I had [more] job interviews [with Vogue], but I never was able to secure one,” he says. “It started affecting me a lot because the more that I got the opportunity to interview there, the more I wanted it.”

Murillo’s persistence and interest in working for the magazine paid off when he landed the position of global talent casting director for Vogue in June 2022.

says. “It’s so interesting, on some days I might get to talk to a model that grew up in Africa or China. I like getting to have a conversation with them about their life in their country, what their dreams and goals are and why they wanted to be a model.”

According to Samantha Short, friend and former co-worker at Harper’s Bazaar, Murillo is full of “sheer, raw talent,” who can achieve whatever he wants.

“That’s something you can’t fake through connections or even learn along the way,” Short says. “But it’s not just his talent that defines his success. Ignacio is the kind of person you’ll always want to root for. He is unapologetically himself in every room he walks in, not in a conceited way but in a sincere way where he simply doesn’t know how to be anyone else.”

While it took grit and determination to get to where he is, Murillo isn’t surprised by the path his career has taken.

“I’ve always had it in my head that I was going to be here, but I just didn’t know at what point or how I would get here,” he says. “No matter what I was doing, I wanted to reach the top. I think having passion and working hard will get you noticed and get you to the place you want to be.

“My mom always said to me that if you work hard, you’ll get what you want.

I always wanted to work at Vogue, so much so that I never got to enjoy what I had at the moment. So, for the first time, it feels nice to be in the present and not worried about my next step.”

Murillo celebrates the new year in Chinatown.

all the models. It was probably the most rewarding project I’ve ever done because I’ve never done a show before. It was an exciting process learning all the ins and outs of a show.”

While his days are filled rubbing elbows with the fashion elite, Murillo counts all the daily people-to-people interactions as the thing he loves most about his job.

“Everything goes back to people,” he

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Photo by iStock

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Inspiring

Confidence Alumna mentors thousands in Tennessee

By Brian Hudgins

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hen 9-year-old Barbara Daush decided she wanted to be like her big sis — that meant the Chicago native was eventually headed to Ole Miss on a mission.

Daush’s older sister, Roberta “Bobbi” Halliday, graduated from the university in 1966. Her round trips from Chicago to Oxford were made by train or plane.

Daush was luckily on a shorter travel plan a handful of years later. The family moved to Memphis when Daush was in seventh grade.

“I had to get in a car to go to Ole Miss after we moved to Memphis,” Daush says. “It was a much longer trip for my sister.”

Halliday’s decision to attend Ole Miss largely rested on a result posted by the Rebels’ 1962-63 football squad. If Ole Miss won the 1963 Sugar Bowl over the University of Arkansas, Halliday would attend Ole Miss. The Rebels won that 29th annual Sugar Bowl, 17-13, Daush recalls with a laugh. Both sisters Barbara Daush love Southeastern Conference football.

“My older sister went to Ole Miss, and she had a great experience,” Daush says. “My younger brother went to Ole Miss as well. We knew we would get a good education.”

So big sis took her trip to Ole Miss — followed nearly a decade later by Daush’s journey, which led to her becoming a teacher, head of school and school president during a 40-year career before she took on the role of senior consultant at Carney, Sandoe & Associates in March 2018.

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Leadership Learned In addition to the guidance provided by her parents, Daush’s high school Latin teacher influenced the young student. Those early lessons gave Daush a solid foundation for figuring out her path after high school.

“I knew exactly what I wanted to do,” Daush says. “Ole Miss had a fantastic program. I was ready to assume a teaching position after graduating.”

Before she reached that stage, Daush’s first lessons in leadership at Ole Miss came when she served as an officer in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and she worked in admissions through a work-study program.

“That [admissions work] is where I learned to advocate for the mission of a school,” Daush recalls. “The admissions group would take me on trips to high schools to recruit. That is where I learned presentation skills and communication skills.”

Being a member of Angel Flight and ROTC gave Daush additional opportunities to recruit in an officer capacity.

Daush graduated from Ole Miss in three years, earning a bachelor’s degree in Latin and classical studies in 1974. It is a track she grins about with a touch of regret because the three years limited her time at the university.

“Ole Miss educated me in my major, but I got a lot more than that,” Daush says. “I was a leader.”

Leading a classroom at Lausanne School in Memphis was the next step for Daush, who taught Latin and history for a few years until 1978. She did not have her eyes on moving into an administrative role.

“When you are a teacher, you are so focused on the students, the subject matter and being so passionate about that,”

Daush says. “I moved to a second school and was getting a master’s in counseling at the time.”

The headmaster at Grace-St. Luke’s Episcopal School asked Daush if she was interested in trying an administrative workload. She was about 27 years old.

“He said, ‘Just try it for a year,’” Daush says. “If it hadn’t been for that, I wouldn’t have gotten that taste of administration.”

Twelve years as assistant head of school led to four more years as head, lower school at Hutchison School. Daush was about to get a fresh start where she would break new ground and guide thousands of young women through school and career choices during the next 22 years.

Presidential Material

When Daush became president of St. Agnes Academy-St. Dominic School in 1994, it marked the first time a lay president (nonreligious leader) had been chosen to head the SAA-SDS campus.

“That was an amazing adventure,” Daush says. “We needed some capital improvements, needed fundraising for financial aid, and we were able to increase the endowment by 1,000%. We were able to grow the school and accept more students.”

Drawing up a campus master plan both times that St. Agnes-St. Dominic launched a capital campaign included Daush gathering input from teachers, coaches, administrators and board members.

“Enrollment growth and financial sustainability were both major focus areas of those campaigns,” Daush says.

During those capital and endowment campaigns, the school was named an Apple Distinguished School for 12 straight years. Daush’s peers also picked her to chair the boards of the Southern Association of Independent Schools, the Tennessee Association of Independent Schools and the Memphis Association of Independent Schools.

Growth at St. Agnes-St. Dominic meant expansion not just of classroom facilities and the number of faculty members, but also development of athletics programs — and the ability to enable students to compete in sports that Daush did not have the chance to participate in during the late ’60s and early ’70s at Wooddale High School in Memphis. Athletics for Daush and her peers was limited to activities such as cheerleading or ROTC participation.

“The epitome of St. Agnes-St. Dominic is creating leaders to make the world a better place,” Daush says. “Being a female leader in a male-dominated field, I really wanted to position the school to help young women feel like they could be anything they want to be. We made it to the state championships many times in different sports.”

That includes three Tennessee state champiDaush with the late Marian Swicker, dean emerita of St. Agnes Academy | Submitted photo onships in girls’ golf, four team championships 36

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“It is so important to learn in an environment that is comfortable, inviting and loving,” Novarese says. “She instilled a confidence and a love for learning in me that prepared me for my next chapter at Ole Miss, as well as for the rest of my life.

She was not someone who just gave us the tools we needed to thrive in the classroom. She inspired us to become the best versions of ourselves.”

Lesson Plan 2.0

Daush and Meghan O’Brien Kilkenny at St. Agnes Academy’s annual ring ceremony | Submitted photo

in girls’ bowling, 21 state championship appearances in cross country and two championships in girls’ soccer — with that program achieving a national ranking. The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association took notice. The association named Daush a Title IX Trailblazer in May 2022.

Daush’s impact at St. Agnes went far beyond grade-point averages or team-sports statistics. Halle Novarese, a 2021 Ole

When Daush retired from St. Agnes in 2016, she accepted an opportunity to work for Ole Miss as a regional development officer. The career change gave Daush a chance to reconnect with many folks from her alma mater. Daush and her husband also saw grandchildren become part of the family.

“When I retired from St. Agnes-St. Dominic, we had grandchildren and they became the center of our world,” Daush says.

“I did not want to fully retire. I went back home to Ole Miss and worked for the University Foundation for two years. My husband had been diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma. I could be closer to home and closer to him.”

When Carney Sandoe & Associates, an educational recruitment and consulting firm, needed a search consultant in 2018, Daush took and embraced that role. Working part time, she is in charge of providing Catholic schools assistance when they need to identify a next leader. Daush’s previous experience as a president of a Catholic independent school helped shorten the learning curve when she went to Carney Sandoe.

“I can relate to the board members and heads of schools as they enter into a transition of leadership process and assist them with the many layers of communication and priority

‘Being a female leader in a male-dominated field, I really wanted to position the school to help young women feel like they could be anything they want to be.’ — BARBARA DAUSH Miss graduate of the School of Journalism and New Media, attended St. Agnes from pre-K through 12th grade.

“No matter how old we were, Ms. Daush was able to connect with us on a personal level,” Novarese says. “You could hear her high heels walking up to your classroom before she would waltz in with a warm, comforting presence and a smile on her face. She carried herself so gracefully, but would still get down on the floor with 3-year-olds to make funny faces at each other.”

That bond extended outside interior classrooms or a main entrance to St. Agnes. It existed during the most difficult circumstances. When Novarese was in fourth grade, her mom died. Daush left school to be with the family and take Novarese and her brother to get ice cream. Novarese notes Daush’s character was the trait that affected her education more than anything.

setting as they seek new leadership,” Daush says.

Daush has navigated the path from student to teacher to administrator to consultant. One constant theme is the power of education.

“As a female leader, there are not a lot of female leaders in schools, universities and businesses,” Daush says. “My passion is education.”

That focus on education began through family. Daush’s late father graduated from Northwestern University after his parents immigrated to the U.S. from Germany. Three of the family’s five children graduated from Ole Miss. Daush has carried those family and Ole Miss lessons throughout her career in Tennessee.

“I do whatever I can to instill that confidence to pursue your dreams,” she says. “Ole Miss gave me that confidence. I will be forever grateful for that.”

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Ole Miss Sports

Jacob Gonzalez | Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Hunter Elliott | Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Defending Champions PERFECT GAME TABS GONZALEZ, ELLIOTT AS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS

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le Miss’ Jacob Gonzalez and Hunter Elliott each received their second Preseason All-America honors on Jan. 5 as Perfect Game named Gonzalez to the 2023 First Team and Elliott to the Second Team.

Both Gonzalez and Elliott were named to Collegiate Baseball’s Preseason All-America Team in December. Gonzalez has also been named the No. 3 Major League Baseball prospect in all of college baseball by D1Baseball and the No. 5 2023 MLB Draft prospect by MLB Pipeline heading into the 2023 season.

Gonzalez started every game of the 2022 season at shortstop for the Rebels while leading Ole Miss in runs scored (73) and walks (50). He also finished second on the team in RBIs (52), total bases (135) and home runs (18). The junior hit .273 with an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .963 and a slugging percentage of .558 while leading the Rebels to their first national championship in program history.

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Regional and the Hattiesburg Super Regional. He also went three-for-four with a solo home run that sparked the scoring for the Rebels in the national title clinching game against Oklahoma in the College World Series final.

Elliott was one of the best freshmen in the country in 2022, earning Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball News, Perfect Game and D1Baseball. He was also named to the All-SEC Freshman Team and the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team at the end of the season. Elliott finished third in the SEC in ERA with a 2.70 and was sixth in the conference in total strikeouts with 102 in his first season.

The Tupelo native put together one of the best postseasons by a freshman in recent memory, going 2-0 and allowing just four earned runs over 25.1 innings of work. He also struck out 28 batters in his first collegiate postseason.

The Rebels will begin their national title defense on Feb. 17 as they host Delaware for the first of a three-game series at Swayze Field.

Ole Miss Sports

Football Inks 12 REBELS SIGN MISSISSIPPI’S TOP PROSPECTS IN EARLY SIGNING PERIOD

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le Miss football welcomed 12 new high school prospects on early signing day just before Christmas, including the two highest-rated prospects out of Mississippi to start its 2023 class.

The Rebels accepted national letters of intent from eight prospects with a four-star rating to highlight the class, which head coach Lane Kiffin cautioned is just the beginning of a new batch of talent set to join the program.

“Excited about the guys who we’ve already received their papers,” Kiffin says. “I think there’s a lot of really good players in there. Our coaches did a good job, the entire program working really hard to put this together and capitalize on the momentum on the field over the last couple of years and keeping a couple really high-impact recruits in the state of Mississippi. Kind of unusual press conference because no portal guys to talk about, which is a lot of the class nowadays.”

Just three of Ole Miss’ 12 signees come from inside the Magnolia State’s borders, but Kiffin’s staff made the home-state signatures count with a trio of four-star prospects, arguably the three best the state had to offer. Linebacker Suntarine Perkins, of Raleigh, and receiver Ayden Williams, of Ridgeland, come as Ole Miss’ two highest-rated recruits with On3 Consensus national rankings of No. 58 and No. 86, respectively. They’re also the consensus top two prospects in Mississippi.

Photo illustration courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

“Really big,” Kiffin says of inking Mississippi’s best. “Something that didn’t necessarily happen when we first got here.

They were going away to play. I think we did a better job of that. Hope we continue to do that. As guys come in and have success here, that will help that.”

Perkins and Williams are joined by defensive lineman Jamarious Brown, of Moss Point, who ranks fifth in the On3 Consensus rankings but is rated as high as second among Mississippi recruits across all recruiting services.

Running back Kedrick Reescano out of New Caney, Texas, joins Perkins and Williams as the third consensus top 150 prospect in the class. Reescano, who is the No. 5 running back and No. 103 overall prospect in the On3 rankings, will join the top rushing offense in Power 5.

“I think it says a lot for a guy to follow arguably the best freshman in (America) in his spot and be willing to come compete,” Kiffin says. “He’s been an extremely productive back that we had way up there on the board from early on. I think he has a chance to be really special.”

Ole Miss also brought in two key pieces to pave the way for Reescano and Co., including the signature of four-star offensive lineman Brycen Sanders out of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Sanders is the No. 18 interior lineman and a top 300 prospect nationally in the consensus rankings. Ethan Fields will join Sanders on the offensive front after flipping late from his verbal commitment to Purdue.

The Rebels added two more offensive playmakers in receiver Cayden Lee and tight end Jayvontay Conner. Lee joined as the last signee of the incoming freshman class and the eighth four-star, joining the Rebel pass-catching corps as the No. 26 prospect out of Georgia and the nation’s No. 36 receiver according to Rivals. Conner, a three-star out of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is ESPN’s No. 17 tight end prospect in the nation.

Defensively, Ole Miss once again stocked up on talented defensive backs, signing four-star cornerback Braxton Myers out of Coppell, Texas, four-star safety AJ Brown out of Cordele, Georgia, and three-star safety Daniel Demery out of Flower Mound, Texas. Myers brings the highest ranking of the bunch, tabbed as a top 150 (No. 146) player nationally by 247Sports and the nation’s No. 9 corner.

Skielar Mann will join Perkins in the linebacker room.

The Fort Valley, Georgia, native is the No. 22 linebacker in the country according to ESPN. With early signing day in the books, the work is far from complete for the Rebel coaching staff, who will continue to fill out the roster by whatever means necessary.

“It’s so incomplete compared to what this will look like when we start spring ball, let alone camp,” Kiffin says. “I think you’ll see a lot of portal players here and maybe not even necessarily what you’re used to where it’s all, these are portal guys who are supposed to be starters. I think you’ll see portal guys in backup roles. You’ll fill out your roster, there’s thousands of guys in there, they’re not all going to find what they think they’re going to find.”

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Ole Miss Sports

Winning Record BRE HENRY NAMED OLE MISS VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH

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ith national championship pedigree and her success at Ole Miss, Bre Henry was the clear choice after a national search to guide the Rebel volleyball team into the future and was named permanent head coach in December by Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter.

Henry won national championships as both a player at Long Beach State and on staff at Nebraska. Thrust into a challenging role as Ole Miss’ interim head coach in October, she responded by uniting the Rebels for wins against some of the SEC’s top talent.

“Bre has a tremendous background in the sport and understands what it takes to compete at the highest level,” Carter says. “She was presented with a difficult challenge this year and responded with tremendous leadership for our student-athletes, both on and off the court. With the support and resources we have in place, we are excited to see Bre put her vision in place and build this program into one of the nation’s elite.”

As a student-athlete in both indoor and beach volleyball, Henry helped bring Long Beach State its first national title on the sand courts in 2013 and collected All-American honors in 2014.

Before starting her coaching career, she spent two years playing professionally in the Philippines and Switzerland.

Over the course of her six seasons as a graduate assistant and assistant coach, Henry helped produce four All-Americans, 12 All-Region honorees and won the 2017 NCAA crown with Nebraska.

Throughout her entire career, she has either been mentored by or worked alongside some of the top coaches in the nation, such as John Cook (Nebraska), Matt Ulmer (Oregon) and Erin Lindsey (Santa Clara), among others.

“I am beyond excited to start this new chapter of my career here at Ole Miss,” Henr y says. “The volleyball 40

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program has a strong foundation with phenomenal athletes that will lead Ole Miss volleyball to success in the coming seasons. I am very thrilled to have the opportunity to continue working with these student-athletes and help them leave a legacy at Ole Miss, impact the SEC and positively influence the world around them.

Photo illustration courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

“My family and I are very excited to be staying here in Oxford and continuing to be a part of a very supportive community. My husband, John, and I would like to thank Athletics Director Keith Carter, SWA Jennifer Saxon and Executive Associate Athletics Director Shannon Singletary for their confidence in me to lead and continue to impact Rebel volleyball!”

Henry joined the Ole Miss staff as assistant coach prior to the 2022 season and was named acting head coach for the final 11 matches. The Rebels posted four wins over that span despite facing some of the top squads in the conference, including four teams that made the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Working primarily as the defensive coordinator until her promotion, Henry helped middle blocker Sasha Ratliff earn her second All-SEC and

American Volleyball Coaches Association South All-Region nod and guided Payton Brgoch to the fourth-most blocks in a single season in program history. She was also instrumental in the growth of a young Rebel team that saw three freshmen get significant playing time at setter, libero and outside hitter. Under her guidance, they garnered multiple SEC weekly honors, and Aly Borellis was named to the AllSEC Freshman Team.

Before arriving at Ole Miss, Henry spent three seasons as an assistant at Santa Clara. During her time with the Broncos, Santa Clara produced three AVCA All-Region selections, 12 All-WCC (West Coast Conference) accolades and 10 WCC all-academic nods. Santa Clara led the WCC and ranked 10th nationally with 326.5 total blocks.

Henry began her coaching career as a graduate assistant with one of the nation’s elite programs at Nebraska. In two seasons, the Huskers went 62-11, winning the 2017 NCAA title and finishing as runner-up in 2018 while producing four All-Americans and six all-conference selections.

A former standout student-athlete at Long Beach State, Henry played both indoor and beach volleyball, earning AVCA All-American honors for the 2014 indoor season and winning the 2013 beach national championship. She helped lead the 49ers to a 27-5 record and a perfect 16-0 mark in the Big West Conference during her senior campaign. After graduating, Henry continued her playing career professionally in the Philippines and Switzerland in 2015 and 2016.

A Redding, California, native, Henry studied kinesiology as an undergraduate student at Long Beach State before earning a master’s in sports and exercise psychology from Argosy University in 2016 and a master’s in education administration from Nebraska in 2017.

Ole Miss Sports

Men’s Tennis Releases Spring Slate REBELS PREPARE FOR 23-MATCH SCHEDULE

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he Ole Miss men’s tennis program officially set the team’s 2023 spring season schedule in stone, head coach Toby Hansson announced on Dec. 21, with the Rebels slated to play a total of 23 regular-season matches.

Among the 23 matches awaiting the Rebels in 2023 are three nonconference doubleheaders including the team’s season-opening matchup against Tennessee State on Jan. 21. The Rebels’ SEC slate will consist of 12 matchups, beginning with a test at home against in-state rival Mississippi State on March 4.

“We have a very good home schedule and are looking forward to getting the season started,” Hansson says. “We’re bringing in a couple new guys and returning the core of our team from last season.”

The Rebels hosted Tennessee State on Jan. 21 for a season-opening doubleheader in Oxford before traveling to the University of Virginia to take part in the team’s 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association, or ITA, Kickoff Regional Jan. 28-29.

A pair of home nonconference matchups will be waiting for the Rebels upon their return from Charlottesville, with the Rebels set to take on Columbia (Feb. 3) and Tulane (Feb. 5).

If the Rebels win their ITA Kickoff Regional at Virginia, then the team will travel to Champagne, Illinois, Feb. 17-20, for the annual ITA National Indoor Finals.

The Rebels will then close out their nonconference schedule with a plethora of home matches starting with a doubleheader

against Alabama State on Feb. 24, which is then followed by matching up against St. John’s (March 2). Ole Miss will then briefly dip into conference play by hosting in-state rival Mississippi State on March 4 before closing out the team’s nonconference schedule with a doubleheader against Belmont March 6.

Ole Miss’ first true road match of the season will come on March 9 when the Rebels travel to Fayetteville to take on Arkansas, before returning home to take on Florida on March 16. This will then kick off a three-match road spell for the Rebels, with the squad traveling to play against Auburn (March 18), Kentucky (March 24) and Vanderbilt (March 26).

Four home matches will be waiting for the Rebels when they return to Oxford, including matchups against South Carolina (March 31), LSU (April 2), Alabama (April 7) and a Senior Day matchup versus Texas A&M (April 9).

The Rebels close out their 2023 spring schedule on the road, going to Knoxville on April 14 to battle Tennessee before closing out the year in Athens against Georgia on April 16. Ole Miss will then take its talents to the University of Auburn to take part in the SEC Championships, which are set to run April 19-23.

In the event Ole Miss punches its ticket into the postseason for the historic 29th straight year, the Rebels will take part in the NCAA Regionals set to take place May 5-7. The 2023 NCAA Championships are slated to run May 14-23 in Orlando, Florida, to conclude the tennis season.

Photo illustration courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

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43

Ole Miss Sports

Photo illustration courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics

Softball Unveils 2023 Schedule REBELS TO HOST 26 GAMES IN OXFORD

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oming off its sixth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance and fourth 40-win season in program history, Ole Miss softball unveiled its 2023 schedule in December. It features a packed nonconference slate and a standard 24-game conference schedule featuring eight weekend series.

The 2023 schedule is headlined by matchups with 16 teams from last season’s NCAA Tournament, including Florida and Oklahoma State from the 2022 Women’s College World Series.

Additionally, the Rebels will host a pair of home tournaments in March.

Ole Miss opens the season with back-to-back weekends at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge beginning Feb. 10 in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The Rebels face off against North Carolina, Oregon, Wisconsin, Oklahoma State and North Dakota State in session one and are set to take on Liberty, Southern Illinois, Cal State Fullerton and Kansas the following weekend.

After returning stateside, head coach Jamie Trachsel and the Rebels continue action at the Cowgirl Classic hosted by McNeese State in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and then make a quick stop in Lafayette, Louisiana, on the way home to face off against Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 27.

Fans in Oxford get their first glimpse of the 2023 squad at home the first weekend of March as the Rebels host their annual Ole Miss Classic. This year they’ll welcome SEMO, Missouri State and Mount St. Mary’s to town for three days of doubleheaders.

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The following weekend, Ole Miss kicks off conference play on the road for the second consecutive season, taking on Tennessee in Knoxville March 10-12, and travels to Southern Miss for a midweek contest against the Golden Eagles. The Rebels then return to Oxford, where they’ll host the inaugural Rebel Invitational March 17-19, make their home debut in SEC play, hosting LSU March 24-26, and wrap up the nine-game homestand with a midweek matchup with Memphis.

Ole Miss then hits the road to close out the month, heading to Auburn for a three-game series from March 31 to April 2 and returns home as Kentucky visits Oxford Easter weekend.

The Rebels’ series with the Wildcats is sandwiched by a pair of midweeks at the Ole Miss Softball Complex with UT Martin and Louisiana Tech.

The Rebels continue SEC play with a trip to Columbia, Missouri, April 14-16 before welcoming Texas A&M to Oxford on April 21-23. Ole Miss rounds out the month of April in Gainesville, where it will take on the Florida Gators in its final road series of the season. The Rebels then close out their regular season in Oxford against Alabama May 5-7.

After league action wraps up, Arkansas will host the 2023 SEC Tournament at Bogle Park in Fayetteville May 9-13, and the Rebels will await their postseason fate.

Official game times and TV designations will be released at a later date.

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Just Published Faulkner and Mystery b y Annette

Trefzer (Editor) and Ann J. Abadie (MA 62, PhD 73) (Editor), 260 pages (paperback; also available in hardcover and Kindle), University Press of Mississippi, ISBN: 978-1496843395 Faulkner and Mystery presents a wide spectrum of compelling arguments about the role and function of mystery in William Faulkner’s fiction. Twelve new essays approach the question of what can be known and what remains a secret in the narratives of the Nobel laureate. Scholars debate whether Faulkner’s work attempts to solve mysteries or celebrate the enigmas of life and the elusiveness of truth.

Several essays are dedicated to exploring the narrative strategies and ideological functions of Faulkner’s take on the detective story, the classic “whodunit.”

Annette Trefzer is a professor of English at the University of Mississippi.

She is author of Exposing Mississippi: Eudora Welty’s Photographic Reflections and Disturbing Indians: The Archaeology of Southern Fiction and co-editor of Global Faulkner; Faulkner’s Sexualities; Faulkner and Formalism: Returns of the Text; and Faulkner and the Native South.

Ann J. Abadie is former associate director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi and co-editor of numerous scholarly collections from the Faulkner and Yoknapatawpha Conference.

Riot: Witness to Anger and Change b y Edwin E. Meek (BSJ 61, MA 63, PhD 74), 160 pages (hardcover), Yoknapatawpha Press, ISBN: 978-0916242794 Riot: Witness to Anger and Change is a

coffee-table-sized photo history containing 120 photographs, many previously unpublished, of the Sept. 30, 1962, riot over the admission of James Meredith, the first Black student at the University of Mississippi, taken by photographer Edwin E. Meek. A 22-year-old staff photographer for the university at the time, Meek stayed up all night taking over 500 photos including exclusive pictures of Meredith attending class the next day. The book includes an introduction by journalist Curtis Wilkie and afterword by the late, former Mississippi Gov. William Winter.

James Meredith: Breaking the Barrier b y Kathleen Wickham, 162 pages

(paperback), Yoknapatawpha Press, ISBN: 978-0916242909 James Meredith: Breaking the Barrier is an illustrated collection of essays commemorating the 60th anniversary of Meredith’s historic 1962 enrollment at the University of Mississippi. Ten former students, journalists, historians and eyewitnesses tell the story of Meredith’s turbulent but successful path to become the state’s first African American to graduate from the university.

In Breaking the Barrier, Meredith describes his three-year campaign to break the color barrier at UM and his successful graduation in 1963. Former Washington Post reporter Dorothy Gilliam describes the legal challenges Meredith overcame.

Historian William Doyle reveals how Meredith planned and carried out a military-style campaign to secure admission to the university. Former students Sidna Brower Mitchell and Curtis Wilkie,

eyewitnesses at the 1962 campus riot, recount the violence they saw that night.

Former MP lieutenant Henry Gallagher commanded the military security detail that escorted James Meredith to his classes.

Journalism professor Marquita Smith records Mississippi African Americans’ recollections of Meredith’s impact. Editor Kathleen Wickham tells the tragic story of French reporter Paul Guihard, the only reporter to be killed during the civil rights era. Former Gov. William Winter describes how Mississippi joined the American mainstream and recognized the rights of all its citizens. Alumnus Jesse Holland credits Meredith for paving the way for generations of African American students.

Kathleen Wickham is a professor of journalism at the University of Mississippi and is author of numerous scholarly articles and four books, most recently We Believed We Were Immortal: Twelve Reporters Who Covered the 1962 Integration Crisis at Ole Miss.

Ole Miss: 2022 Baseball National Champions b y Mike Bianco and Tim Elko

(BSES 21, MS 22), 160 pages (hardcover), Nautilus, ISBN: 978-1949455342 This commemorative photographic book records the victory of the 2022 Ole Miss baseball team as it won the National Championship. The photographs in the book are dedicated to capturing the feelings of the players, coaches and fans during this monumental season. The book will serve as a keepsake for fans who lived through the experience and a reminder of the Ole Miss baseball team’s triumph for years to come.

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.

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YOU ARE PART OF OUR PAST.

BE A PART OF OUR FUTURE.

T

he Ole Miss Alumni Association allows you to have the connection with the place and people that share your past, while securing Ole Miss’ future with funding for student outreach, scholarships, reunions, alumni communications and athletics support.

Lend us your voice by remaining an active, duespaying member. Renew at olemissalumni.com/join and encourage family and friends to remain active.

Thank you for being an active part of the Alumni Association.

Rebel Traveler

2023

Mont St. Michel, Normandy, France

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he alumni travel program is a service the Ole Miss Alumni Association offers as part of its mission to unite its alumni and keep them connected to Ole Miss and one another.

OMAA has partnered with several tour operators that specialize in alumni travel to offer a broad selection of educational tours. Alumni and friends obtain group rates and discounts. Listed prices are per person, based on double occupancy, and pricing and dates are subject to change until booking. Airfare is not included unless noted. Visit olemissalumni.com/ travel for a complete listing and the most up-to-date information.

Offerings and itineraries are subject to change or cancellation. OMAA strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance. For a brochure or more information on a trip, contact the 48

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Alumni office at 662-915-7375 or email travel@olemissalumni.com.

AUSTRIA AND SWITZERLAND Ole Miss Only

MARCH 22 TO APRIL 1, 2023

Tour Operator: Alpine Adventures Enjoy four nights in Innsbruck, Austria, and five nights in Lucerne, Switzerland, on this special trip designed exclusively for Ole Miss alumni and friends. After arriving in Munich and a short orientation tour, continue on to the 700-yearold city of Innsbruck, which will be home base for four days to experience Bavarian castles and the resort village of Seefeld in Austria as well as time in Italy to take in the Dolomite Mountains, see Ötzi the Iceman in Bolzano and enjoy a wine tasting. Visit the famous Passion Play village of Oberammergau and see

the Linderhof Palace, built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria. Then head on to Switzerland to explore Liechtenstein and get the famous stamp on your passport before moving on to Appenzell into the mountains for a typical Swiss lunch and arriving in Lucerne that evening. Spend the next day on a city tour concluding the afternoon with a cruise on Lake Lucerne. While based in Lucerne, we will visit the Black Forest and Lake Titisee, drive to Interlaken at the footsteps of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau mountains that form part of the Swiss Alps, and visit Lauterbrunnen and take a train ride to the famous ski resort in Wengen. This unique tour promises beautiful scenery, magnificent art and architecture, excellent food and wines, and the fun of traveling with Ole Miss friends. — From approximately $4,241

2023

EUROPEAN COASTAL CIVILIZATIONS APRIL 24 TO MAY 3, 2023

Tour Operator: Gohagan Explore the legacies and dynamic cultures of coastal Portugal, Spain, France and England and commemorate the historic D-Day landings on this uniquely designed itinerary. Walk in the footsteps of ancient pilgrims in Santiago de Compostela, visit Bilbao’s iconic Guggenheim Museum and see Mont St. Michel’s impressive abbey.

Special guest Dwight D. Eisenhower II, historian and grandson of former Gen. and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, accompanies you to the hallowed beaches of Normandy. Enhance your voyage with the Lisbon pre-program and/or London post-program options.

— From $5,995

TREASURES OF NORTHEASTERN SPAIN APRIL 25 TO MAY 5, 2023

Tour Operator: AHI Discover distinctive, captivating facets of Spain, from Catalonia to Basque Country, on this rewarding, nine-night, first-class journey through the northeast. In beautiful Barcelona, Catalonia’s jewel along the Mediterranean, admire

Rheinstein Castle, Germany

magnificent architecture by the great Catalán Modernist masters, including Gaudí’s La Sagrada Família. Enjoy a hands-on Catalán cooking session and a guided walk in the Gothic District, plus choose to tour an exquisite modernist home or explore the city’s Jewish heritage. In Zaragoza, Aragón’s capital, delight in its splendid baroque cathedral.

Head into Navarra, where you’ll savor romantic Olite’s storybook castle and winding medieval lanes. You’ll also stroll along the famous streets of Pamplona, its capital, and relish a tasting of flavorful Navarra wines. In Basque Country, take in stunning San Sebastián on La Concha Bay, acclaimed for its world-class dining scene. Chat with local Basques over dinner and marvel at the shimmering Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. This small-group experience includes enrichment from expert guides and lecturers and an ample meal plan with wine at dinner. — From $4,295

CRUISE THE HEART OF EUROPE MAY 5-20, 2023

Tour Operator: AHI Sail through Central Europe along the storied Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, legendary waterways with fascinating histories. Unpack once aboard an

Rebel Traveler

exclusively chartered, first-class river ship and settle in for a 14-night cruise, enjoying an intimate look at five distinct countries, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia.

Awaken each day to medieval villages and vibrant capitals, enchanting vistas and lauded UNESCO World Heritage sites. Centuries of heritage unfold in Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, cities steeped in the legacies of great empires.

Glide by idyllic landscapes of fairytale v i l l age s , c a st l e - c row ne d h i l ltop s and the beautiful Middle Rhine and Wachau valleys. Along the way, join local experts for enriching discussions and take part in immersive cultural experiences, including a traditional German Frühschoppen. Plus, our thoughtfully planned shore excursions allow you to customize your time, from walking tours to cycling adventures and wine tastings. This unforgettable cruise features all meals, including wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner.

No single supplement for solo travelers.

— From $5,695

WORLD WAR II IN POLAND: HOLOCAUST, RESISTANCE AND REBIRTH MAY 9-16, 2023

Tour Operator: National WWII Museum To fully comprehend World War II, one needs to understand its origins. As Hitler launched the war by invading Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, the Nazis unleashed a hell that would cause immense suffering and leave the country vulnerable to Stalin’s postwar ambitions for Soviet expansion.

Through the German occupation and the following decades of Soviet oppression, the Polish people held strong in their push for freedom. This unique educational journey traces the history of Poland from 1939 to the fall of communism and the rejuvenation of a country and its people. Travel through Poland, exploring historical sites and reflecting on how the Nazis rose to power and then brought destruction and misery to Europe. Visit battlefields, museums, memorials, interact with locals and become immersed in the heritage of the Polish people. — From $6,399 W I N T E R 2023

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Rebel Traveler 2023 CRUISING THE MEDITERRANEAN COAST MAY 10-18, 2023

Tour Operator: Gohagan Valletta, Malta, featuring Tunisia, Sicily Bask in sun-dappled islands at the crossroads of the Mediterranean and explore coastal cities that date back more than 7,000 years. This exclusive cruise itinerary takes you from the antiquities of Malta to the ancient sites of Tunisia and Palermo on the Italian island of Sicily. Enjoy views at Trapani, Sicily, before journeying back to Taormina and Syracuse. Enhance your journey with the Malta pre-program option. — From $4,995

sublime landscapes of lush fjords and snowcapped mountains will take your breath away. Thrill to spectacular scenery on the famed Flåm and Bergen Railways, and cruise through the pristine, glacier-carved Aurlandsfjord.

You’ll also experience the phenomenon of the midnight sun, northern Norway’s endlessly golden summer sky. Delve into fascinating facets of Norwegian history and culture, including skiing, seafaring, the impressive art of Edvard Munch and the Hanseatic heritage of Bergen’s colorful wharf, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Plus, discover what life above the Arctic Circle is like as you visit a dogsledding kennel, learn about the

Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

NORWEGIAN FJORDS AND THE MIDNIGHT SUN MAY 28 TO JUNE 7, 2023

Tour Operator: Gohagan Get set for an amazing adventure in Norway, one of the world’s most beautiful countries. On this ninenight, small-group journey, delight in first-class stays in cosmopolitan Oslo, enchanting Bergen and far northern Tromsø above the Arctic Circle. Like a little bit of heaven on earth, Norway’s 50

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traditions of the indigenous Sami people and tour a botanical garden. Includes expert guides, enlightening lectures and a generous meal plan. — From $4,995

SCOTTISH ISLES AND NORWEGIAN FJORDS JUNE 2-10, 2023

Tour Operator: Gohagan Trace the legacies of Viking and Celtic clans on this extraordinary voyage across the pristine natural beauty

of Nor way’s mighty fjords and the mist-enshrouded peaks of Scotland.

Cruise into ports accessible only by small ship. Take in the views during your specially arranged ride on Norway’s legendary Flåm Railway. Discover the Orkney Islands’ fascinating Neolithic history, featuring a special presentation by archaeologist Nick Card.

Enjoy a full-day scenic excursion into the glens of the Scottish Highlands.

Enhance your journey with the Norway/Copenhagen pre-program and/ or Edinburgh/Glasgow post-program options. — From $5,395

UTAH’S MIGHTY NATIONAL PARKS JUNE 4-11, 2023

Tour Operator: Premier World Discovery Welcome to Utah’s Mighty National Parks, renowned for awe-inspiring views, impressive rock formations and otherworldly landscapes that must be seen to be believed. Enjoy five nights at one hotel on this relaxed tour that features Canyonlands and Arches National Parks along with Dead Horse Point State Park and Monument Valley. Begin your tour with a scenic byway drive from Grand Junction to Moab. Enjoy a Colorado River cruise to view the canyon walls and ancient Indian petroglyphs.

Explore Canyonlands National Park, carved by Utah’s two mightiest rivers.

Stand 2,000 feet above a gooseneck in the Colorado River at Dead Horse State Park for a breathtaking view of vertical cliffs. And visit and walk along one of our country’s great national parks to see the stunning collection of natural sandstone formations at Arches National Park. Journey on a guided, scenic drive to explore Monument Valley Navajo Tribal area and experience one of the most majestic points on earth. View the area’s oddly shaped monoliths, buttes and mesas of red sandstone and stop at famous John Ford’s Point, the location of many classic Westerns. Conclude your tour with wine tasting and a cowboy cookout with incredible views of the surrounding mesas. With roundtrip airfare included, we hope you can join us on this amazing trip. — From $3,599

2023

Rebel Traveler

on Lake Lucerne. This is an extraordinar y itinerar y at an exceptional value. Enhance your “Grand Tour” with the Amsterdam post-program option featuring the historical heart of Amsterdam, laced with tree-shaded canals and stately 16th- and 17th-century merchant houses. — From $4,195

EAST COMPANY: ENGLAND TO THE EAGLE’S NEST SEPT. 5-17, 2023

Stow-on-the-Wold, Cotswolds, England

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Venture out each day to honey-colored villages and customary gardens, cast together with centuries-old tales. Travel to Oxford to stand beneath the ivory towers of its storied university. Uncover the lives of William Shakespeare and Sir Winston Churchill in Stratfordupon-Avon and the stately Blenheim Palace. Spend a day amid the limestone houses, stone bridges and shop-lined streets of Cotswold villages, including Stow-on-t he-Wold and C hipping Campden. Engage with a Cotswold family at their traditional farm, and visit Bath, a UNESCO World Heritage city filled with archaeological wonders and beautiful Georgian architecture.

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51

Alumni News Class Notes

’50s

ALBERT LYLE (BBA 59), of

MEREDITH (BA 75) and JAY PAUL (BA 74),

JEFF HERROD (88), of Dade City, Florida,

Jackson, is ranked No. 1 in

of Memphis, Tennessee, joined Ware Jones

was selected as a member of the Missis-

the world in both singles and doubles by

Realtors. Jay Paul was formerly named

sippi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

the International Tennis Federation in the

“Best in the U.S.” wholesale distributor of

85 and over group.

RCA and Whirlpool.

’60s

DAVID MCMILLIN (BBA 83), of Madison,

was named CEO of Methodist RehabilitaMAC HAIK ( B B A 6 8 ) , o f

TONY ROSETTI (BBA 74), of West Point,

Houston, Texas, received the

was selected as a member of the Missis-

Distinguished American Award from the

sippi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

National Football Foundation for the stan-

tion Center in Jackson.

GLEN MURPHY (BA 84), of Charleston,

West Virginia, was selected by his peers for

dards of excellence he set in a life of service

JAMES Q. SONES II (MD 72), of Madison,

inclusion in the 2023 Best Lawyers list in

to the community.

was inducted into the University of Missis-

the area of Litigation Insurance.

sippi Medical Center 2022 School of MediDONALD KITCHENS (BSPh 69), of Philadel-

cine’s Hall of Fame.

phia, was presented the Mississippi Board

tucky, was selected as a member of the Mis-

of Pharmacy 2021 Service Award for

RANDY VOYLES (MD 75), of Jackson, was

accomplishing 50 years as a licensed phar-

inducted into the University of Mississippi

macist in the state of Mississippi.

Medical Center 2022 School of Medicine’s

’70s

Hall of Fame for his contributions to the WALTON GRESHAM III (BBA

71), of Indianola, received

the Contribution to Amateur Football Award in honor of his numerous contributions to the college athletics world through service to his fellow man.

CAROL ROSS (BAEd 82), of Lexington, Ken-

surgical field.

’80s

sissippi Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

’90s

THOMAS BODINE (BSEE 98),

of Elmer, New Jersey, retired

from his position as commander of Carrier Air Wing Seven. Bodine had served under

PAULA GRAVES ARDELEAN

the U.S. Navy since 1998.

(JD 86), of Ridgeland, was

named Butler Snow’s 2022 Lawyer of the

PAULA CHILDRESS (BBA 92), of Oxford,

Year in Employment Law.

joined the Chancery Clerk’s office of Lafayette County as chief deputy clerk and office

VERNITA KING JOHNSON (BA 77, JD 81),

DONNA BARNES (BA 82), of Brandon, was

of Greenville, was elected vice chair of the

reappointed chief judge of the Mississippi

Conference of County Court Judges at the

Court of Appeals for the term of January

fall 2022 Trial and Appellate Judges Con-

2023-December 2026.

ference in Biloxi.

manager.

’00s

ARMINTIE HERRINGTON (BA

07, MA 19), of Grenada, was

recognized by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson

DOYLE L. COATS (JD 82), of Gulfport,

on Sept. 14, 2022, for her dedication and

LAWRENCE L. LITTLE (BA 73), of Oxford,

released a book titled Southern Justice. The

tenacity in serving her community and her

was reelected secretary-treasurer of the

suspenseful and action-packed novel fol-

desire to be an example for all.

Conference of Chancery Court Judges. He

lows ex-agent Hank Hatfield.

was named chancellor in 2015 and previously served as district attorney.

52

A LU M N I R E V I E W

Alumni News SUMMER DEPROW (PhD 14), of Little Rock,

Arkansas, was named chancellor of the University of Arkansas-Pulaski Technical College.

RUSSELL WEATHERS (JD 14), of Hernando,

was hired by Pittco Management to serve as an attorney dedicated to serving clients within its nationwide personal injury law practice.

’20s

KATIE LANGLEY (BS 20), of

Seneca, South Carolina,

joined the Katrina Johnson Group at its

Doug (left), Carson and Scott Lewis make up three of the four generations of the Lewis family who have attended Ole Miss over the past century. | Submitted photo

Carolina One’s Mount Pleasant Long Point

FAMILY BRIDGES 99 YEARS OF HISTORY AT OLE MISS

experience to make her client’s buying pro-

W

hen Carson Lewis, of Nolensville, Tennessee, began his education at the University of Mississippi in fall 2022, he was continuing a family tradition that began 99 years earlier and has spanned four generations. Carson Lewis’ great-grandfather Nathan B. Lewis (BS 27, MCert 27) enrolled in September 1923. Nathan Lewis went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Medical School in 1931 and served in World War II as a major and Army surgeon, also practicing surgery in Vicksburg for 40 years. Nathan’s son, Douglas B. Lewis (BA 64, JD 66), served as editor of The Ole Miss yearbook in 1962 and 1963, and was named to the student Hall of Fame in 1963. He went on to serve as a medical service officer in Virginia, Vietnam and Germany from 1966 to 1971. His son, Michael Scott Lewis, continued the Ole Miss tradition by attending from 1992 to 1994 before graduating from Middle Tennessee State University.

JONATHAN JONES (BAccy 04), CEO of

RYAN WALLY (BA 04), of Oxford, was

private equity firm Jones Capital in Hat-

awarded the Mississippi Optometric Asso-

tiesburg, was selected as the 2022 Out-

ciation’s 2022 Community Service Award

standing Entrepreneur of the Year by the

to recognize his significant contributions

College of Business and Economic Devel-

to the profession of optometry and the

opment at the University of Southern

general public.

Mississippi.

JASON KING (JD 08), of Murfreesboro,

Tennessee, was hired as a staff attorney for

’10s

Road office and plans to use her degree and cess seamless and enjoyable.

GRACE MARION (BAJ 22), of Levittown,

Pennsylvania, was awarded the Robert S. McCord FOI Award for “Drug Unit Travails Hidden from Public View” at the 2022 Diamond Journalism Awards ceremony.

BIRTHS Cole, son of Shelby-Rae Hamel (BA 14) and Kendall Tyler Hamel, Feb. 2, 2022.

Ann Clark, daughter of Haley Hennessey and Connor Michael Hennessey (BAJ 16), Sept. 9, 2022.

Griffin Warner, son of Kelly Blackstone Love and Samuel Hammond Love (BA 07, MD 12),

QUINTAVIUS “Q” BURDETTE

Aug. 31, 2022.

(BAccy 16, MAccy 17), of

Alexandra Aiden, daughter of Tiffany

Germantown, Tennessee, was selected to

the town of Smyrna. He will work within

join RE/MAX LLC brokerage firm due to

the Town Attorney’s office under the direc-

his outstanding performance in the first

tion of town attorney Jeffrey L. Peach.

four years of his real estate career.

Jacquelyn Mensi (BA 02) and Bryan Louis Mensi, Nov. 21, 2022.

W I N T E R 2023

53

Alumni News

Attendees of the first Lott Leadership Alumni Advisory Board meeting were (back row from left) Austin Harrison (BA 13), William Kneip (BA 16), Lott Institute advisory board member John Green, Lott alumni advisory board and Lott student advisory board liaison Katherine Broten, Caleb Herod (BA 12); (middle row from left) Chelsea Lewis (BA 11), Samantha Helton (BA 13), Sarah Robinson Burnett (BA 13), Mallie Imbler (BA 19), Daniel Roberts (BA 14); (front row from left) Lott Institute Associate Director Melissa Jones (JD 13, EdD 21) and Lott Institute Executive Director William Gottshall (BBA 68). | Submitted photo

New Board LOTT INSTITUTE ESTABLISHES ALUMNI ADVISORY BOARD

T

he Trent Lott Leadership Institute at the University of Mississippi has been preparing leaders since 2000.

Graduates of the program have put the lessons learned in the classroom to work in positions on Capitol Hill, nonprofits and global corporations.

Recognizing the need to “pay it forward,” a group of distinguished Lott Institute alumni gathered in Oxford in August to establish the Lott Leadership Institute Alumni Advisory Board, which will work in close partnership with the Lott Leadership Institute and the Department of Public Policy Leadership. The Lott alumni advisory board developed a student-focused structure designed to assist students and position them for success after graduation.

Before the Lott alumni advisory board, no formal system existed to continue engagement among Lott alumni, students and the university. The Lott Institute oversees all the special programs afforded prospective and current Lott students including summer programs for high school students, and 54

A LU M N I R E V I E W

internships, study abroad opportunities and scholarships for public policy leadership students.

Lott alumni play an instrumental role in the success of Lott students, from sharing internship and job opportunities to providing mentorship and guidance during students’ tenure at Ole Miss.

Beginning this year, the board will seek to reconnect with all past Lott graduates to expand the Lott alumni network. The board has also established the Lott Alumni Advisory account fund at the UM Foundation, which will be used to fund scholarships, internships and other needs that may arise for Lott students. The board has already started to engage with students through resumé and interview workshops. The Lott board will reconvene early this year to further define goals and plan events to bring alumni and students together.

Lott alumni looking to get involved in the work of the board or who wish to share their information for the Lott Institute’s alumni database can contact Austin Harrison, Lott alumni advisory board president, at austin.harrison@squirepb.com.

Alumni News WEDDINGS

Inez Odom Cameron (BSPh 49), of Coppell, Texas, Nov. 7, 2022

Kelsey Elaine Addison (BS 18) and Michael Cameron McCarty, June 11, 2022.

James Hurd Gaddy Sr. (MedCert 49), of Long Beach, Nov. 24, 2022

Anna Kate Craig (BS 15) and Nolan Hays Vaughan (BSME 18), Nov. 5, 2022.

William Alexander Long Jr. (49), of Gallman, Nov. 3, 2022

Jasmine August Gerald (BBA 19) and Kyle Austin Domin (BGS 17), Oct. 22, 2022.

Kamren Alese Joe (BSES 16) and Thomas Cooner, Aug. 6, 2022.

Parker Calin Kennedy (BS 18) and William Edwin Wildman III (BA 17, MA 20), Dec. 31, 2022 Kimberly Riles and Christian McBeth Robinson (BSPSC 15), Nov. 19, 2022.

Allie Marie Roule (BAEd 20) and Steven Ainsworth Page (BUS 20), Oct. 22, 2022.

IN MEMORIAM

Ottie Lewis Gray (46), of Ridgeland, Nov. 25, 2022

Marie Harlow McCaughan (46), of Long Beach, Dec. 11, 2022 David Miller (BBA 49), of Jackson, Nov. 6, 2022 Harold Loyd Murphy (46), of Rome, Ga., Dec. 28, 2022 Sarah Collins Saucier (BA 46), of Coffeeville, Nov. 22, 2022 Betsy Walton Stone (43), of Jackson, Nov. 24, 2022 Blake Wadsworth (49), of Natchez, Oct. 11, 2022 Thomas Frederick Wicker (LLB 48), of Pontotoc, Oct. 21, 2022

1950s Tommye Nunnally Allen (BA 54), of Baltimore, Md., Sept. 22, 2022 David Walker Arnold (BSChE 58), of Yazoo City, Nov. 21, 2022

1940s

Morris Collins Bailey (BBA 59), of Batesville, Nov. 7, 2022

Dorothy Hall Barry (BA 44), of Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 8, 2022

Barbara Banahan Baine (52), of Madison, Nov. 24, 2022

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W I N T E R 2023

55

Alumni News Russell Raymond Beaulieu (BAEd 53), of Cranbury, N.J., Dec. 15, 2022

Louis Ferree Allen Sr. (LLB 64), of Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 14, 2022

Richard Hamilton Beckham Sr. (MA 59, BA 59), of River Falls, Wis., Oct. 27, 2022

Robert Lee Ashmore (BSPh 60), of Billings, Mont., Dec. 4, 2022

Charles Loyce Blalack (BBA 57), of Orange, Texas, Dec. 7, 2022

Marion Davidson Bailey (BAEd 67, MEd 71, SpecEd 80), of Brooksville, Fla., Nov. 8, 2022

Edmond Maurice Brignac Jr. (BSCvE 52), of Metairie, La., Oct. 16, 2022

Billy Carl Bailey (BSPh 63), of Tupelo, Oct. 8, 2022

Sue Bridwell Beckham (MA 67), of River Falls, Wis., Nov. 7, 2022

John Miner Caruthers (BM 59), of Tupelo, Dec. 23, 2022

Harry Robert Board (BA 68), of Houma, La., Dec. 18, 2022

Eleanor Callicott Estes (BSC 51), of Pebble Beach, Calif., Dec. 2, 2022

Charles Anderson Caldwell (BBA 65), of Amory, Dec. 8, 2022

Frances Hamilton Faust (BSC 52), of McComb, Oct. 1, 2022

James Wallace Eubanks Jr. (BSPh 65), of Tunica, Nov. 22, 2022

Peggy Brewster Gary (BSC 54), of Tulsa, Okla., Oct. 11, 2022

Jacqueline Varnado Flint (BAEd 69), of Biloxi, Dec. 6, 2022

Joe Dunn Gentry Jr. (BSHPE 57), of Alton, Mo., Nov. 14, 2022

Robert Haile Frank (BA 62), of Amissville, Va., July 2, 2022

Farris Martin Gregory (BBA 58), of Fulton, Dec. 29, 2022

Chester Davis Gaston Jr. (BFA 66), of Gulfport, Nov. 18, 2022

William Driver Haynes (LLB 51), of Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 5, 2022

Shelby Smith Grantham (BA 61, MA 62), of Norwich, Vt., Oct. 29, 2022

Kenneth Holditch (MA 57, PhD 61), of New Orleans, La., Dec. 7, 2022

Jeffrey Edison Hood (BBA 66), of Huntington, W.Va., Oct. 20, 2022

Mary Enochs Howell (51), of Fayetteville, Ark., Oct. 8, 2022

Byron William Hughes (BA 68), of Jackson, Oct. 22, 2022

John Armpstead Johnson II (BSCvE 55), of Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec. 3, 2022

Norman Dale Hurdle (BBA 66), of Lamar, Nov. 15, 2022

Frank Harold Jones (BA 59), of Richton, Nov. 10, 2022

Harold Stephen Jackson (JD 67), of Iuka, Nov. 22, 2022

William Barry Lyons (BA 51), of Avondale Estates, Ga., Dec. 13, 2022 Martha Ryals Matlock (MS 58), of Olive Branch, Dec. 21, 2022

Gwen Mills Johnson (BA 65, MA 67), of Arlington, Mass., Dec. 12, 2022

Billy Royce Miles (BBA 59), of Verona, Nov. 21, 2022

Andrew Melvin Jones (EdD 69), of Cleveland, Nov. 27, 2022

Wyndell B. Moody (56), of Carriere, Oct. 18, 2022

James William Jones III (BSHPE 66, MEd 67), of Meridian, Nov. 12, 2022

Theo Allen Muirhead (BSHPE 56), of Jackson, Dec. 16, 2022 Arthur Yehuda Okun (BBA 50), of New York, N.Y., Dec. 12, 2022 David Maurice Palmer III (BA 55), of Corinth, Dec. 18, 2022 Sarah Hewitt Parker (BAEd 59), of Tupelo, Oct. 10, 2022 John Burwell Reed (55), of Silver City, Nov. 10, 2022 Kenneth Elmo Smith (BBA 50), of Hattiesburg, Oct. 21, 2022 Carole Freeman Spremich (BSPh 59), of Mobile, Ala., Oct. 30, 2022 Bertie Shortridge Wade (53), of Jackson, Oct. 22, 2022 Medora Salter Weaver (BA 52), of Ridgeland, Oct. 23, 2022 Fay Jones Webb (BAEd 58, MEd 61), of Long Beach, Oct. 24, 2022 John Brenan Wever Jr. (BBA 58), of Fair Oaks, Calif., Nov. 10, 2022 Hin Luck Wing (BSPh 50), of Walls, Oct. 12, 2022 William G. Wright Jr. (BA 50, LLB 57), of Madison, Nov. 18, 2022

1960s

Sarah Combs Kelly (BM 60, MM 62), of Southaven, Oct. 9, 2022 Ernest Lane III (BBA 63, JD 70), of Oxford, Nov. 15, 2022 John Hamilton Long (MD 62), of Hazlehurst, Oct. 7, 2022 Robert Clinton Marsh Jr. (MFA 69), of Danville, Va., Oct. 12, 2022 Ronald D. McAlister (MEd 67), of West Paducah, Ky., Oct. 13, 2022 Robert Bruce McCrory (69), of Mobile, Ala., Nov. 30, 2022 Richard Charles McDavitt (BPA 66), of Brentwood, Tenn., Oct. 30, 2022 Raymond Louis McGuire (LLB 60), of Richmond, Va., Oct. 4, 2022 Donna Wilson McLarty (64), of Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 8, 2022 Howard Lamar McMillan Jr. (BBA 60), of Jackson, Nov. 30, 2022 James Joseph Merkel (MCS 66), of Altoona, Wis., Oct. 19, 2022 C.A. Miller III (BBA 61, MBA 62), of Moseley, Va., Dec. 20, 2022 Kathleen Margaret Mulcahy (BAEd 69), of Louisville, Ky., Oct. 2, 2022

Virginia Langdon Abney (MEd 69), of Largo, Fla., Dec. 20, 2022

D. Glenn Pennington (BA 62, MD 66), of Jonesborough, Tenn., Oct. 18, 2022

Thomas Alexander (BS 63, MD 66), of Corinth, Oct. 11, 2022

Carl Allen Pope (67), of Hammond, La., Oct. 29, 2022

56

A LU M N I R E V I E W

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W I N T E R 2023

57

Alumni News

Distinguished Class ELI MANNING TO BE INDUCTED INTO COTTON BOWL CLASSIC HALL OF FAME

O

le Miss legend Eli Manning (BBA 03) will be inducted into the Cotton Bowl Classic Hall of Fame as part of the 13th HOF class, the organization announced in December. Enshrinement ceremonies will take place this year on May 11 at AT&T Stadium.

The honorees in the 13th Hall of Fame class include Manning, former Florida State defensive back Terrell Buckley, Texas A&M quarterback Edd Hargett, Auburn linebacker Will Herring, past CBAA Chairman Fred McClure, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel and Missouri tailback Tony Temple.

A judging committee composed of media representatives and athletics administrators voted from a long list of former players, coaches, bowl administrators and others to select the 2023 class.

Manning, a four-year letterwinner for the Rebels from 2000 to 2003, won the Maxwell Award as a senior, an honor given to the best all-around player in college football. He set or tied 47 Ole Miss single-game, season and career records during his time in Oxford.

The New Orleans native became the highest pick in program history when he was selected No. 1 in the 2004 NFL Draft. His father, Archie Manning, was the No. 2 overall pick of the New Orleans Saints in 1971 after a historic career with the Rebels from 1968 to 1970.

Eli Manning, who finished third in the 2003 Heisman Trophy ballot following his senior season, finished his illustrious

Eli Manning | Photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics 58

A LU M N I R E V I E W

Ole Miss career with a school-record 10,119 career passing yards and 81 career TD passes. He also set new Ole Miss career records for completions (829) and passing attempts (1,363), and both marks ranked fourth on the SEC career lists.

He recorded the lowest percentage of interceptions thrown at Ole Miss (2.57) and owns a career pass efficiency rating of 137.7. His career completion percentage of 60.8 tied the Ole Miss career record set by Stewart Patridge (1994, 1996-97).

Manning also set Ole Miss career records for consecutive games with a TD pass (16), consecutive 200-yard passing games (11) and consecutive 250-yard passing games (7).

Manning solidified his place in Ole Miss history with a historic senior campaign in 2003. Besides the Maxwell Award, he won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and earned numerous All-America honors after throwing for 3,600 yards and 29 TDs. He earned SEC Offensive Player of the Year, helping lead the Rebels to a 10-3 record.

After being drafted No. 1 by the San Diego Chargers, Manning was traded to the New York Giants for Philip Rivers.

Manning would go on to don a Giants uniform for 16 years, retiring shortly after the 2019 season. He was named to four Pro Bowls and was a two-time Super Bowl champion and twotime Super Bowl MVP. Manning was awarded the 2020 Bart Starr Award, which is given annually to an NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field and in the community.

Alumni News Thomas Albert Randle Jr. (BS 64, MD 67), of Brandon, Nov. 25, 2022

Noal Sylvester Akins Jr. (MEd 70), of Oxford, Oct. 30, 2022

Gilbert Lanning Rhoades Jr. (BSME 68), of Corinth, Dec. 9, 2022

James Lamar Baggett Jr. (BAEd 79), of Ocean Springs, Nov. 22, 2022

Kenneth Mitchell Romines (JD 68), of Fenton, Mo., Oct. 3, 2022

Je’Anne Barhonovich Baker (BSN 74, MN 80), of Ocean Springs, Nov. 6, 2022

Beverly Robinson Scafidel (BA 64, MA 66), of Brookhaven, Dec. 10, 2022

Elizabeth Houser Barnett (BBA 73), of Oxford, Dec. 25, 2022

Martha Kirksey Senter (BAEd 65), of Tupelo, Oct. 13, 2022

Stephen Andrew Bartosh (BSME 71), of Henderson, Ky., Oct. 5, 2022

John Howard Shows (BA 68, JD 70), of Brandon, Nov. 20, 2022

David Augustus Behrens (MCS 70), of Gadsden, Ala., Aug. 2, 2022

Devereux Richard Smith (BBA 67), of Shreveport, La., Oct. 8, 2022

Robert Carlton Berryhill (BSPh 78), of Jackson, Oct. 17, 2022

Jane Lee Stewart (BAEd 68, MEd 77), of Oxford, Nov. 20, 2022

Beverly Board (BSHPE 72), of Martin, Tenn., Aug. 12, 2022

Elinor Haney Street (BSC 68), of Greenville, Dec. 26, 2022

William Slone Boyd III (BPA 71, JD 73), of Laurel, Oct. 18, 2022

John Leo Taylor (BA 67, BSPh 70), of Kenner, La., Dec. 13, 2022

William Michael Bridges (BAEd 75), of Fulton, Oct. 28, 2022

Stephanie Sue Davis Thompson (BA 67), of Pelham, Ala., Nov. 26, 2022

Stephen Wayne Brown (BM 78), of Madison, Dec. 6, 2022

Donald Lee Vaughan (BM 62), of Grenada, Nov. 4, 2022

Scott Collins Buffaloe (BBA 72), of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., Nov. 8, 2022

Billy Lake Walker (MD 62), of Huntsville, Ala., Nov. 20, 2022

Ramon Merchant Correro (MEd 76), of Tupelo, Dec. 31, 2022

Joe Clement Weller (BBA 61), of Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 15, 2022

David Oswald Cruse (EdD 72), of Alexandria, La., Nov. 8, 2022

William Thompson West (BBA 61), of Collierville, Tenn., Oct. 21, 2022

Glenn Henri Daigle (MA 75), of Hideaway, Texas, Dec. 1, 2022

Paula Louise Helms Whatley (MEd 64), of Crowder, Oct. 21, 2022 Pearl Wallace Whiteaker (MBA 61), of Maumelle, Ark., Dec. 3, 2022

Deborah Kwasinski Dalrymple (BAEd 75, MEd 76), of Sun City Center, Fla., Aug. 15, 2022

Jesse Claybon Whittle Jr. (BBA 65), of Florence, Ala., Nov. 9, 2022

Terri Wilkinson Delk (BSB 76), of Moss Point, Nov. 22, 2022

Carolyn McElwain Wilkins (BS 65), of Gainesville, Ga., Dec. 17, 2022

Judy Leech Dobbs (BAEd 70), of Amory, Dec. 5, 2022

Lyman Joseph Wilson (MEd 65), of Patterson, La., Nov. 28, 2022

Travis Howard Donald (BBA 76), of Hattiesburg, Nov. 7, 2022 Roy Stanley Farris (PhD 72), of Mountain Home, Ark., Dec. 9, 2022

1970s

Raymond Leslie Frederick (BSPh 74), of Knoxville, Tenn., Oct. 24, 2022

Georgia Kay Lewis Abney (BSN 77), of Madison, Oct. 25, 2022

Charles Ray Fulton (PhD 78), of Oxford, Oct. 20, 2022

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59

Alumni News Rowland Hill Geddie Jr. (JD 78), of Tupelo, Dec. 26, 2022

1980s

George Gillom Jr. (BBA 78), of Abbeville, Dec. 22, 2022 Thomas Michael Ginn (BA 74, MURP 77), of Columbia, Oct. 11, 2022

Glinnis DeAnne Crawford (BBA 86, BAccy 88), of Brandon, Oct. 13, 2022

Arthur Campbell Hill (BBA 70), of Boerne, Texas, Dec. 22, 2022

Edwin Pratt Crenshaw (BBA 85), of Memphis, Tenn., Nov. 2, 2022

James Clayton Hollowell (BBA 73), of Lake Village, Ark., July 25, 2021

Daisy Wong Eigenbrood (BSChE 84), of Bellingham, Wash., Dec. 4, 2022

Judith Jones Hughes (BA 79), of Foley, Ala., March 22, 2022 Terry Randle Jarrett (BPA 76), of Amory, Oct. 30, 2022 Peggy Lynn Hand Jones (BSN 77), of Austin, Texas, April 28, 2022 Samuel Beauchamp Thomas Jones III (JD 74), of Meridian, Oct. 11, 2022

Henry Lee Gillespie Jr. (MEd 83), of Holly Springs, Dec. 25, 2022 Duane Leonard Gillette (BA 85), of Virginia Beach, Va., Oct. 4, 2022 Quinon Ray Ivy (MAccy 80), of Oxford, Dec. 10, 2022 Alton Wade Kelley (BBA 81), of Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 2, 2022

Varnell Ford Kimmons (MLS 76), of New Albany, Oct. 23, 2022

Kent Como Kyzar (MD 84), of Ruth, Oct. 14, 2022

Shannon Gandy Knight (BAEd 72, MEd 77), of Oxford, Oct. 25, 2022

Walterine Langford-Howard (JD 82), of Vicksburg, Nov. 15, 2022

John David Lesley (BBA 71), of New Orleans, La., Dec. 14, 2022

Vance Marshall McKellar (MD 82), of Hattiesburg, Dec. 8, 2021

Linda Dowdy Martin (MEd 76), of Pontotoc, Dec. 15, 2022

Thomas Alan Miller (83), of Ocean Springs, Oct. 19, 2022

Carolyn Elizbeth Hitt Morley (BAEd 75), of Roswell, Ga., Oct. 21, 2022

Katherine Crews Morrison (82), of Batesville, Nov. 19, 2022

Tom Newton Muntz (MEd 71), of St. Petersburg, Fla., May 29, 2022

Adrian Antonio Pinson (BBA 86), of Holly Springs, Dec. 10, 2022

Melanie Molpus Myers (BAEd 73), of Dallas, Texas, Dec. 12, 2022

Bobbie Jo Taylor (MBEd 81), of Coldwater, Dec. 26, 2022

Arthur Noble Nelson Sr. (BBA 71), of McComb, Dec. 23, 2022

Andre Thomas (BPA 85), of Tupelo, Dec. 12, 2022

James Warren Pannell (JD 78), of Tupelo, Oct. 12, 2022

Sarah Gill Underwood (BBA 82), of Brookhaven, Nov. 7, 2022

Robert Farish Percy (MD 74), of Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 10, 2022

David Clayton Wolverton (BBA 85), of Greensboro, N.C., Dec. 27, 2022

Roger Dale Ratliff (MD 77), of Amory, Dec. 29, 2022 James Coleman Rhoden (JD 75), of Columbia, Nov. 1, 2022 Wanda Tracy Rice (BAEd 70, MEd 72), of Oxford, Dec. 30, 2022 Laura Murrell Studstill (MEd 72), of Goleta, Calif., Sept. 14, 2022 Alan Wayne Till (BPA 72), of Alabaster, Ala., Nov. 28, 2022 Barry Duane Tucker (BAEd 74), of Belden, Oct. 14, 2022 Susan Gryder Vassar (BAEd 79), of Pensacola, Fla., Dec. 31, 2022 William Kennedy Venino (EdD 73), of Belmar, N.J., Oct. 23, 2022 Sarah Katherine Cummings Watkins (BBA 78), of Collierville, Tenn., Dec. 1, 2022 Edith Wilson Weathers (BAEd 76, MEd 80), of Hernando, Nov. 20, 2022 John William Weems (BSPh 76), of Theodore, Ala., Nov. 3, 2022 Helen Wetherbee (JD 76), of Madison, Nov. 1, 2022 Betty Windham Williams (MEd 73), of Booneville, Dec. 17, 2022 Elizabeth Lee Davis Williams (BAEd 73), of Addison, Texas, Feb. 4, 2022

1990s William Pierce Becker (BBA 92), of Hawkinsville, Ga., Dec. 23, 2022 Alan Olsen Clark Jr. (94), of Houston, Texas, Dec. 15, 2022 Rosanne Russell Courtney (BSN 90), of Raymond, Oct. 25, 2022 Tiffany Walden Dean (BSPh 97), of Aberdeen, Oct. 15, 2022 Brandon Leigh Galloway (JD 96), of Gulfport, Nov. 29, 2022 Ryan William Greene (BA 94), of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Oct. 16, 2022 Marva Lynn Paul Cummings Harmon (BBA 92), of Water Valley, Oct. 14, 2022 Michael Martin Schenck (BA 91), of New Orleans, La., Nov. 11, 2022 George Daniel Schmelzle (PhD 92), of Bolivar, Mo., Nov. 16, 2022 James Michael Shoemake (91), of Germantown, Tenn., Oct. 9, 2022 Richard Guy Stacy Jr. (DMD 95), of Franklin, Tenn., Nov. 11, 2022 Edward Joseph Warwick Sr. (JD 92), of Vicksburg, Dec. 15, 2022

Thomas G. Williams (DA 72), of Scotia, Neb., June 19, 2022

2000s

Jack Hing Wong Jr. (BS 79), of Beaumont, Texas, Dec. 19, 2022

Kelly Marie Adkins (BA 07), of Southaven, Oct. 18, 2022

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Becoming a member is the erst step in beginning students’ lifelong relationship with Ole Miss.

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• Special events throughout the year just for student members • Receive special gifts every year • Access to MEMBER ZONE on home football game days • Discounts and special offers at local and national retailers • Meet prominent alumni and learn valuable career advice at our networking events • Special car decal

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Alumni News

State of the Arts ALUMNUS HONORED IN GOVERNOR’S ARTS AWARDS

A

University of Mississippi alumnus and professor and a professor emerita will be honored for their literary and community work in February when they receive the Mississippi Arts Commission’s 35th annual Governor’s Arts Awards.

The commission is awarding Ralph Eubanks (BA 78), visiting English professor and writer-in-residence for the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the Excellence in Literature and Cultural Ambassador award, and Ann Fisher-Wirth, retired UM English professor, the 2023 Excellence in Literature and Poetry Award.

The office of Gov. Tate Reeves was scheduled to present the awards in a ceremony Feb. 2 at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson.

The seven recipients of the 2023 awards are chosen both for the mastery of their field and the impact their art has made in their community, says Ellie Banks, communications director for the Mississippi Arts Commission.

“The awards recognize individuals and organizations who have made noteworthy contributions or achieved artistic excellence in Mississippi,” Banks says. “Ann Fisher-Wirth and Ralph Eubanks have shown excellence in their disciplines.

MAC is pleased to honor them this year.”

Ralph Eubanks | Photo by Robert Jordan

Throughout his career, Eubanks, an Ole Miss alumnus who grew up in Mount Olive, has extensively covered life and racism in the Deep South, specifically in Mississippi. His work has been lauded by critics in national publications.

He served as director of publishing for the Library of Congress between 1995 and 2013. Eubanks’ career is dotted 62

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Ann Fisher-Wirth | Photo by Kevin Bain

with publications in the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, The Chicago Tribune, WIRED and on National Public Radio.

He also has published four books, including his most recent, A Place Like Mississippi: A Journey Through a Real and Imagined Literary Landscape (Timber Press), which was published last year. He served as a fellow for the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, as the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Fellow at Harvard University and for the New America Foundation.

“If there is a hope that I have, it is that there will be someone growing up today in my hometown of Mount Olive who will be inspired by knowing someone who grew up there was recognized in this way,” Eubanks says.

“That young person does not necessarily need to be inspired to become a writer. Yet, I hope that person will recognize that being from a little town in the heart of the Piney Woods of Mississippi can be a source of inspiration to accomplish whatever it is you want to do in life. That has certainly been the case for me.”

Fisher-Wirth, who retired in 2022 after 50 years of educating, is in the process of publishing her seventh book of poetry, Paradise Is Jagged. Throughout her career, Fisher-Wirth has been lauded with achievements and awards, served as a senior scholar and educator in Switzerland and Sweden, and given lectures across the United States and in Canada, England, Scotland and Taiwan.

She was named the university’s Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 2014 and in 2006, named the Mississippi Humanities Teacher of the Year and College of Liberal Arts Teacher of the Year.

Alumni News Jon O’Brien Bland (BM 01), of Pontotoc, Dec. 21, 2022

John Edward Cooper (11), of Southaven, April 28, 2022

David Nelson Carr (BA 09, JD 12), of Jackson, Dec. 28, 2022

Christopher Steven Gray (17), of Oakland, Dec. 11, 2022

Gail Mitchell Huff (BS 01), of McComb, March 25, 2022

Willa Mathis Johnson (12), of Oxford, Nov. 10, 2022

Matthew Louis Loftin (BA 06, BSPhSc 08, PharmD 10), of Bella Vista, Ark., Sept. 17, 2021

John Brannon Reece (BBA 19), of Tupelo, Dec. 2, 2022 Jake To (BBA 10, BAccy 11), of Gulfport, Oct. 21, 2022

Anthony Edward Lumas (BA 01, BSN 04), of Oxford, Nov. 16, 2022 Byron Russell Mobley (JD 01), of Southaven, Nov. 22, 2022

STUDENTS

Frank Jay Morgan Jr. (TPT 02), of Jackson, Nov. 25, 2022

George Furman Barnes III, of London, England, May 12, 2022

Jason Ryne Porter (08), of Fayetteville, Ark., Dec. 14, 2022

Emma Shannon Boren, of Spartanburg, S.C., Oct. 28, 2022

Price McCarley Rials (BA 04), of Myrtle, Dec. 26, 2022

Walker Allen Fielder, of Madison, Oct. 16, 2022

Charles Biedenharn Selby (03), of Vicksburg, Nov. 12, 2022 Stephanie Hope Williamson Waldrop (MEd 03), of Pocahontas, Tenn., Dec. 18, 2022

Jackson Andrew Tompkins, of Biloxi, Nov. 18, 2022

FRIENDS AND FACULTY 2010s

Ruby Diane Bell, of Abbeville, Dec. 4, 2022

John Arthur Burkus (BA 16), of Columbus, Ga., Dec. 3, 2022

Peter Emil Binder, of Oxford, Oct. 21, 2022

Amelia Sha’Metta Carter (JD 14), of McComb, Dec. 12, 2022

Jerry Earl Blackwell, of West Point, Oct. 9, 2022

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Alumni News Sebron Gale Brown, of Wiggins, Oct. 22, 2022

Edwin Keasler Meeks, of Greenwood, Dec. 19, 2022

Mary O’Connor Cobb, of Jackson, Dec. 1, 2022

Fred Barton Paschall, of Olive Branch, Nov. 18, 2022

Betty Allen Conner, of Oxford, Nov. 19, 2022

Carol Ryan Pickering, of Ridgeland, Oct. 5, 2022

David Walter Cox, of Oxford, Nov. 29, 2022

Charles Wayne Powell, of Columbus, Oct. 18, 2022

Barbara Ann Deal, of Abbeville, Dec. 22, 2022

Lee E. Price, of Oxford, Oct. 15, 2022

Ann Hedgepeth Foster, of Monticello, Nov. 25, 2022

Melva Fleishman Restuccia, of Rockingham, Va., Oct. 13, 2022

Anthony Quinn Grinston, of Jackson, Oct. 7, 2022

Rochelle Sue Roberts, of Waterford, Oct. 9, 2022

Bobbie Smith Hartfield, of Purvis, Jan. 1, 2023

Howard Philip Roffwarg, of Jackson, Oct. 17, 2022

Billie Kennedy Heltz, of Athens, Tenn., Nov. 8, 2022

Jerome Rush, of Union, Oct. 16, 2022

Katherine Searcy Horton, of Columbus, Dec. 8, 2022

Charles Richard Smith, of Jackson, Nov. 12, 2022

Alan Beaty Jones, of Manhattan, Kan., Nov. 13, 2022

Jackson Taylor Jr., of Oxford, Dec. 4, 2022

James Edward Lowe, of Oxford, Dec. 18, 2022

Billie Finke Trott, of Oxford, Jan. 2, 2023

Malinda Anne McCafferty, of McComb, Dec. 2, 2022

Wanda McLarty Wells, of Oxford, June 12, 2022

Jonathan Eugene McCammon, of Water Valley, Oct. 18, 2022

John Wilson Winkle III, of Taylor, Oct. 23, 2022

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 38677-1848. 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.

SHOW YOUR PRIDE! If you live in Mississippi, get your Ole Miss affinity plate today!

Affinity plates are $51 a year, $32.50 of which comes to the university to support student scholarships and keep the Grove and Circle vibrant.

Ole Miss affinity license plates also are available in AL, GA, TN, TX, and Washington, DC. For more information, visit olemissalumni.com.

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